#And will probably have to do that again. So the mental toll is high.

[loveletterworm]

It's probably fine but everytime i do something like this i feel like it will be weighed against my soul one day

[luffyvace]

HEYYYY!! how are you?? i hope you’re doing well ❤️❤️

i was wondering if you could do a headcanon/story where reader is like the daughter of Dracule Mihawk but like she(or gender neutral) never met her mom, so when she was growing up Boa Hancock was like their cool auntie that she learned how to be a woman (doing makeup,painting nails, finding her style ect.)

ONLY IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE THO, BTW I LOVEE YOUR WRITING 💕💕

HIII IM DOING GOOD ANON!! You dear? :)

i do female reader dw!! I’ll be using she/her as well, for reference

Awhh dadhawk <33

AUNTBOAAUNTBOAAUNTBOAAA!! She’d be the BEST most SPOILING wine aunt EVER🍷💄

Of course it’s alright honey! Alsooo TYSM!! I’m so glad you enjoy 😭💓💓

Being mihawk’s daughter has a lot of perks and literally no down slides. actually I half way take that back. The only down slide is that there’s a target on your head for those who are crazy enough to come for you. But that’s like a mere 00.1% and even then just because they come for you doesn’t mean they’ll get to you 🤡

especially since your the NUMBER ONE swordsman’s daughter.

Also this is really random but you probably meet zoro eventually, perona as well, they obviously stay with you for some time so perona and you likely get close. I imagine you would introduce her to boa and the three of you become a trio. You and Perona are her adorable nieces and boa is your doting, beautiful and totally awesome auntie :3

don’t get me wrong mihawk is a awesome father. He seems like a very responsible man and that he would not leave you out in the cold at the cost of his own life. He spoils you just as equally as boa does and although he’s not the most trusting man on earth, he wouldn’t dare break the bond you two have when he can’t replace it with your actual mother. At this point not that you wanted to.

Never meeting your mom may have taken a toll on your mental health at first, but not to worry! Awesome aunt boa to the rescue!!

The chances of you meeting boa we’re actually very slim, whether you know it or not. As I said Mihawk doesn’t easily trust plus you probably met at a warlord meeting where he has to take you along for one reason or another.

You saw boa and naturally, thought she was very pretty. Mihawk is rather reserved too so you probably don’t see people often in general (til you get older). Therefore, seeing such a ethereal woman made you instantly admire her. You immediately wanted to get to know her—and, luckily for you, she took an interest in the girl who’s mihawk’s daughter!

now idk what you did but she started the conversation, and whatever you replied made her think you weren’t so bad! You two chatted some more and after figuring out you had no mother figure she took it upon herself to raise a cute girl such as yourself to be a good woman. She didn’t exactly want to be viewed as your mother..that would relate her too closely to mihawk, a man, for her liking. So! She’ll be the cool and classy wine aunt instead! 🍷💋

you love your dad, he does his best to raise you as a single father and pirate/warlord/worlds best swordsman. And you truly do appreciate him! But when Boa bashes him for being a man her insults are low key so funny you can’t help but laugh 🗿 (hc that Boa would be good at roasting people on the spot :3)

boa being the coolest aunt she is, she takes you to lavish places (that she rented so she wouldn’t have to bear being in the presence of those indisputable critters society calls men), gets you the most high quality makeup (that her tribe handcrafts—yes they make they’re own it’s a hc of mine), does monthly over the phone (in person when you can) mental check ins (because you love your dad but again, he’s a man, and there’s some things about women men won’t get—vice versa too of course <3)

womanly hour!~ well more like hours, you spend the whole day with boa whenever you can, she’s makes a magnificent aunt and literally never says no to you. She’s like to you how she is to luffy but less delusional platonic <3 you two go shopping and pick out clothes together, her tribe of course also gifts you all the cute clothes you could ever want (again, handcrafted) because boa adores you and they adore boa!—which means they adore you! 💕 You and the Kuja 100% get along and see eye to eye on how spectacular Hancock-Sama is~ 🥰

when your older you probably go over to visit her more often and maybe even on your own! Mihawk trusts that by then he’s trained you enough, plus i think he would have his certain set of rules but not be too strict of a dad.

teaching you how to be a proper woman with Boa 101 ;} only if you want to tho! She’ll ensure your not out here acting like some monkey—surely your not! (unless you are 🤷‍♀️) Still, she teaches you basic lady manners. :) More than anything she knows women is NOT the problem, so instead of going “keep your legs closed ☝️🤓” she says “If a man looks at you lower than your stomach, kick him in that area 😉😘” - Boa Hancock (the woman we trust💪)

AND you already know she’s gonna teach you how to kick as hard a she can 😤😮‍💨👌 which ngl by the time your older your sure to be a master in many Haki’s. You may even have conquer’s 🤷‍♀️ I wouldn’t doubt it you got Mihawk blood in you :P

Growing up Boa has constantly been warning you of men and they’re vile ways. When you become of age she’ll tell you what happened to her (that’s how much she trusts you 💗💗) and you’ll know what she means right away. She will always look out for you but gives you tips on things just in case, and if you ever feel unsafe, don’t hesitate to call her or take a trip to the island of women! The entirety of the Kuja tribe will lay down they’re lives in an instant for Hancock-sama’s lovable little niece <33

I’ve been mentioning this throughout but her taking you to the island of women definitely happens. You love it there and everyone loves you. You have so many Aunts and sisters there it’s not even funny. 😃 You adore each and everyone of them though, just as they do you. You get only the finest of treatment from them and you might as well be one of the Boa sisters. You get all you can eat premium food, the most elegant clothes tailored to your exact size and tastes, you even have your very OWN room in the Palace! Sandersonia and Marigold dote on you just as much as Hancock does the four of you very much do spend a lot of time together. 😊

The Boa sisters/the Kuja tribe teaches you the kuja tribe/survival skills personally. They start with bow and arrow and eventually moving on to haki and hand to hand combat. Now, Mihawk might have already covered this but they’re going over it again 😄 why? He might’ve missed something! He’s a man! (Btw the Kuja girls 100% ask you questions about men no holding back) Anywho, I’m sure you’d do it again even if you know it already because 1) practice 😋 and 2) who wouldn’t want to spend more time with the Kuja pirates?!

💖💖

These girls are seriously awesome 💓 (this low key became a Mihawk diss track written by Hancock but he’ll live- LOL 😂😂🗿)

[fear8not1]

heyyy for kiss prompts may i suggest 36 with maxiel? 💖

thank you for your request ! this turned out a bit bittersweet (i rewrote it thrice and just couldn't make it happy LMAO) so feel free to ask for another kiss if it's not to your tastes.

not my best but it's a very fun exercise !

send me a ship and a number and i will write a kiss

36 (as a promise) - on the flip of a coin - maxiel, 732 words

The music is loud. Loud enough to cover Max’s voice. Not loud enough to cover Daniel’s.

“I’m leaving F1,” he yells in his ear, blue lights aggravating his eye bags when he leans back to look at him, “I’m taking a break.”

Max blinks once, twice. He looks down at his drink, mentally counts the shots he’s taken, but he’s nowhere near drunk enough to hear things wrong.

Daniel is leaving. “You’re kidding, right ?” He asks, trying to search for anything on his face that’d indicate he is — the usual amused sparkle in his eyes, the small smirk. But there’s nothing.

Daniel leans forward again, lips brushing his ear as he speaks. “No, I just- I can’t do it anymore, Max. I gotta leave, mate.”

If Max isn’t drunk, maybe Daniel is. He checks the empty glass in his hand, even though he knows he’s only had a beer and a whiskey coca. Nothing crazy. He opens his mouth to ask why and how and when and complain about the fact that it’s the first time they’ve went out in months and losing him now, when he feels like he’s finally reached him, would be unfair but…

But he gets it. Daniel’s skin looks dull, pale, his signature smile long gone. His cheeks aren’t red from laughing, the lines on his face much deeper than they once were, and, from where he is, Max can see his collarbones peeking from his shirt. He’s not wearing his team kit, not a single item reminding that he drives for McLaren. He used to wear Red Bull merch often. Even off track. “I- I can be there for you, mate. You don’t have to- we can talk about it when we’re sober, yeah ?”

Daniel shakes his head, smiles sadly and bumps their foreheads. The contact hurts, but Max’s brain replays the past few minutes so much he barely registers it. “No, Maxie. Can’t do, won’t do. I…,” he takes a shaky breath, steals a sip from Max’s glass, “I need you to know. Now. Press’ll know in a few days. You gotta be ready, mate, they’ll be all over you.”

Max nods quietly, frowning so hard he can tell he’ll have a headache soon enough. He knows why he’s doing it. He understands. It, somehow, makes it worse. He can’t be angry at him, can’t be sad for him — it feels natural, considering the last few years. “Danny, I- will you come back ?”

The Australian shrugs, looks away for a few seconds. It gives Max enough time to look at him, properly look, for the first time in years. Red Bull, Renault, McLaren, they’ve all taken their tolls on him. Like a disease, it has spread throughout the years, quietly and undiagnosed, and it was now too late to fix it easily. He had to step away. Leave for a while. Work on himself as a last chance treatment. Pray it works.

“Probably,” he ends up answering, voice so quiet Max would have missed it had he not read it on his lips, “I’ll try to come back next year. They might not want me back.” His words are carefully picked, as if he had spent his nights trying to figure out how to break the news for others.

Max doesn’t want to think about that. “They’ll do. You’ll come back,” and, as he says it, he isn’t sure if he’s trying to comfort Daniel or himself, “in a year, then. Gives you enough time to go crazy doing normal things. Then, back to us.”

Daniel stares at him for a few seconds, licks his lip clean from the sticky beer residue, and smiles. It’s nothing like his usual smile, but it’s a small victory, at least. He wonders if he’s also thinking of clumsy nights, years ago, when adrenaline would run too high and healthy outlets were needed. If he’s over it, the way Max is pretending to be.

He wonders, but Daniel puts a stop to it, leaning forward just enough to brush his lips against Max’s. With his free hand, he caresses his cheek and whispers, “I promise, Max. I’ll come back to you,” and kisses him gently. He tastes of alcohol, of beer and whiskey and toothpaste, of salty tears and disappointment, of nights Max will forever miss.

But it’s good enough, for now. It’s a promise he can cling to.

[trixree]

he is RISEN baby girl

hello hello! yes i'm alive, just very mentally ill. things are on the up and up and i have mega brainrot right now so i decided to try and get back on the "being a person" horse. you may see i've just posted some poolverine smut to AO3 here.

if you've sent me messages during my year hiatus (especially regarding commissions) I love and appreciate you and will be responding SOON, i PROMISE!

long ramble about where i'm at/life update below the cut.

May of 2023, I graduated with my masters. yaaay woo but also booo because it didn't help me get a job at all! i finally landed a paying gig in September of 2023 after sending out quite literally hundreds of applications. i only had two interviews total and a mountain of auto-rejections to show for it and it took an immense toll on my mental health. It started what was (in hindsight) a year of a prolonged downward spiral.

i already really struggled with self worth and turns out riding the merry-go-round of job hunting rejection cranked my depression up to new heights. for the first time in a long time, i found myself so low as to be entertaining thoughts of suicide. my eating disorder peaked the hardest it has since high school. i had also moved out of my parents house and in with my partner May of 2023 and was readjusting to being out of a traumatic environment. i had panic attacks anytime he came into a room too quietly and surprised me for months. I found myself isolated from most of my friends (partly because of my own communication death-spiral depression paralysis) and also because i moved to a different city than all of them to live with my partner again (0 complaints there, i love the city i live in and love my home with my partner and our bird children. however i miss my fucking friends, and the loneliness compounded the Despair Arc i was having.) My fucking health insurance changed because my previous policy holder retired and i lost some medications for a period of time, stressing my body in bad ways. a really bad spell of migraines compounded things chemically for the worst.

i borrowed some money to return to my therapist and my doc recently upped my antidepressant dose, and I can tell that both of those things but ESPECIALLY that last one there has helped already. My partner, closest friends, and even some coworkers have said I seem much better, too. I'm hopeful about it. Optimistic, even!

i did get a job working for a behavioral health nonprofit that provides outpatient psychiatric services in administration. It pays in fucking sheckles and pennies (nonprofits be like) and psych is a challenging environment to say the least. it was another 6-month fight to hammer out disability accommodations with HR. my body is a machine that consumes paid leave. as any of you that have danced an accommdations dance can probably attest, it sucks so goddamn bad. i had basically round after round of requests for my doctors to fill out paperwork that amounted to "will they get better? Are you sure? Alright, please estimate how often this person will need this accommodation in hours per week." of course it took an immense mental health toll, too. i kick ass at what i do and i do it chronically understaffed but it's really hard to feel secure anywhere when you're constantly missing work due to uncontrollable Body Bad Times (migraine, explosive diarrhea, uncontrollable vomiting, my three horsemen). especially if someone has a grudge, and someone did, which added extra layers of complexity.

i'll be honest, it's good to have something to get out of bed to go do 5/7 days of the week (i was going stir crazy without employment) but i'm running myself ragged and barely making it financially. not only was this body i have NOT built for an 8-5, i have less than 15$ to my name right now to show for it and i keep having to borrow money from my family for medication. but i truly love the people i work with and feel like i get to do good for my community where i'm at, and that's something folks!

speaking of health, i kind of got my gut stuff figured out? not really. but also yes! i don't have a diagnosis of any kind but i have a treatment that's WORKING for the constant nausea i was always blogging about last year. my GI put me on domperidone before meals and oh my god, total fucking game changer. no longer am i burping up half-digested food and walking around with 24/7 debilitating nausea AND my appetite even kicks in when i take the damn pills!!! the only down side is that domperidone is not FDA approved in the USofA because of sudden cardiac failure or what the fuck ever so i have to pay out of pocket for all of it. that's a good 150$ per month on top of all my other medication, so that's a bummer. but god, to have something that works!!! it's been so nice. no sudden heart failure yet, fingers crossed.

i have really bad executive dysfunction when it comes to responding to messages (i currently have 100+ unread text messages from friends and family) but i'm challenging myself to work through my backlog of messages in the coming days, so stay tuned if you've DM'd me in the last year. thank you for thinking of me and i appreciate you endlessly.

as for commissions, my life is just too unpredictable for me to be as consistent with those as i'd wanted to be. as much as having the bonus income was really amazing, i just feel like i'm too flakey and unreliable to deliver on that regularly and that's just a shitty thing to do to someone. (please check your DMs if this describes an interaction we had with me.)

i'm sorry if this decision is disappointing to anyone, but i think i'm going to stick to having a kofi live if folks feel inclined to show appreciation for any fic i post and maybe taking a comm very very rarely, once in a blue moon when circumstances allow. I do want to honor anyone that messaged me about a comm during my year hiatus. Please check your DMs. for my casual reader: none of my current projects on AO3 are abandoned. i've never stopped working on them this past year, even if it has only been in my notes app. i really want to start posting more regularly again. i miss the outlet immensely. I think it's good for me, creatively and for a sense of community. i hope you all understand and thank you. thanks for still being here.

[tallulahbunny]

Hey lovelies (Just a text-post, I’m sorry)

I just wanted to make a little post just to maybe humanise myself a tiny bit. I know looking at my account its clear I’m into some pretty rough kinks, and this is true. I do also absolutely love sharing myself online, truly. It’s brought me a level of empowerment and acceptance of my body I never thought I would reach.

However I just want to maybe super quick remind you that I’m a real person, with feelings (fragile ones at that). I’m a little worried of being vulnerable on here because I know that Is not really my type of content, and I’m very aware you probably just want to scroll to the boobs and rope and body (you have permission, go on).

I know I go for a kinda free use submissive vibe (which I do love with consent and trust) however I think posting myself like this has reached a slight level of dehumanising which is slightly harmful to my mental health. I’ve been having panic attacks and in part they’ve been due to my anxiety over this account.

I’ll still be posting, but I think I’m maybe going to try and post a little more carefree content. I’ve been so panicky recently about making perfect pictures. Perfect rope, perfect body, perfect poses, and it’s very exhausting because I hold myself and my content to a hopefully fairly high standard, but it’s unfortunately becoming impossible. The dehumanising messages are really taking their toll and there’s only so much of a wall I can put up. I’m hoping that even one of you reads this it might make you understand me as a human being a little more. That’s all I need.

Obviously I absolutely love receiving messages, but again, like it says in my bio, your best shot is being nice. If nice isn’t you’re thing, at least try and be clever with your message weather it be a scenario or degradation or threat or whatever you fancy. I really don’t fancy another message that just says “hoe” or “send me pictures”. And please, remember there is a difference between degradation and just… bullying.

Basically I think I’m going to try to just be a bit more expressive, a little more me and hopefully a lot more laid back so hopefully I can fully enjoy my time here. And I’m hoping that maybe I can start humanising myself a little to you guys. I’m not just boobs! Though understandably that has been most of my page so far ahah. If anyone has any asks they want to send ill happily respond and maybe that way you guys can start getting to know me, not just my rope and my body.

Thank you to everyone who has been so so lovely to me, it means so much, I hope you continue to love my content, and hopefully me as a creator. I’m so so sorry it got so deep for a second there, won’t happen again anytime soon

Now back to usual programming!

-Tallulah xxx

[amazing-spider-man-book-club]

The Amazing Spider-Man #4

Published: September 1963

Containing: "Nothing Can Stop...The Sandman!"

Introducing: The Sandman/Flint Marko, Betty Brant

Synopsis: Peter struggles to cope with the combined onslaught of character defamation in The Daily Bugle and the arrival of new supervillain The Sandman.

Read alongside us here:

https://readcomiconline.li/Comic/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-1963/Issue-4?id=4007

@frankendykes-monster : Something like our first "routine" Spider-Man issue, not much comes to us in the form of new developments, after six prior stories across four issues, we've settled into a formula it appears. As such there's not much to bring up beyond what's new.

If I recall (given the erratic scheduling of our posts so far), this is our first time hearing that J. Jonah Jameson is publisher of The Daily Bugle, given that NOW Magazine was introduced back in #2. It's fascinating to hear Peter talk about Jameson as if they hardly know each other when it's Peter that has to supply the photos of Spider-Man. The power of the press is at an all-time high as Peter can't seem to manage to get much done with this much bad publicity. One thing of note is that this is Spider-Man's first time trying out doing something good for other people, though in the reactionary world of superhero comics that translates to "trying to stop some guys from committing petty theft." The police of NYC seem to have come to terms with the fact that Spider-Man is a fact of life, though mostly because they also have to worry about whoever Spider-Man fights in a given issue.

The Sandman is, once again, not a psychologically-complex character by any means, but it's another opportunity for Ditko to flex his skills as character design; the opening splash page is probably my favorite piece of art from the entire run though that's mostly due to how it commands so much impression of three-dimensional space. Flint Marko doesn't even have a costume so much as just his clothes. The Sandman is probably the most far-fetched character we'll be introduced to across the entire run (not that I've done it myself but I feel like he'll stop making sense if you think about how his powers work for more than five seconds or so). Most people are content to just have Flint turn one of his hands into a giant sledgehammer to try and smash Spider-Man with so seeing all the unusual ways he contorts his body here is a treat.

We get our first glimpse at the fact that Liz Allen, finally named, will be one of Peter's love interests, though because this is a Spider-Man comic he completely botches that up. Betty Brant also makes her debut though not with much fanfare; she'll become more important later on.

What is probably most interesting about this issue is the fact that it's 1963 and Peter has a TV in his room er I mean the mental toll that not only being Spider-Man but the reaction of the world around him to his actions does to Peter. Much more so than last issue, Peter is put through the emotional wringer here trying desperately to plan ahead for situations only to forget about something else, staying in control just to lose his cool immediately, worried desperately about possibilities when he needs to be focused on the "now." It's what helps make Spider-Man the proverbial teenage superhero, not in the literal sense but more thematically with how everything is the biggest and most tragic and messed up deal ever when you're a teen.

@duel1971 : Another great issue introducing another classic villain! Sandman is in theory extremely powerful and certainly gives Peter a run for his money initially but in the end is defeated by a simple vacuum cleaner. Not quite science hero stuff but it’s fun.

Loved all the little details of Peter’s personal life in this issue: sewing up his costume while watching the news, fumbling a date with a girl because of his secret identity, and playing a hilarious prank on J.J.J. (whose smear campaign has, if anything, gotten even worse in this issue).

The public hysteria around Spider-Man seems to be escalating, and the story ends on a bit of a downer note as a bunch of chatty pedestrians express their very mixed feelings on our hero. Peter resolves to continue his superhero career, but can’t help but have doubts.

It goes without saying that the art is great to look at but Sandman’s powers allow for some stunningly inventive visuals. Most if not all of these original designs by Ditko are hard to improve on and Sandman’s striking design is a great example because he’s still wearing that exact same shirt to this day.

[yuuniee]

💀 Close Your Eyes... 🦪

💙 Synopsis: In which Fawn decides to pay a visit to Idia, who is recovering from his overblot.

A/N: I felt like sharing a small drabble I wrote before :)

🏷️ @thehollowwriter @twstinginthewind @twst-the-night-away @cyn-write @ice-cweam-sod4

Walking around the school to her next class with her close friend, Fawn was chatting with Auburn about the daily things they had in life.

“A student in Ignihyde has overblotted as of late, or so I’ve heard.” The redhead said as he carried his books in his arms again.

“Oh dear... Shall I pay them a visit, I wonder..” She looked down on the ground in her P.E. uniform and her broom in hand.

“That wouldn’t be necessary, your highness.” He politely, but formally, replied to her while looking at her. “While I may not know the identity of that student is yet, I do believe you need to stay out of the matter until they recover.”

“What if they are in bad condition? Perhaps I can use a spell or a potion to help them recover from it..” She smiled hopefully as her eyes sparkled in joy.

“Fawn, please… Just for this once.” His gaze softened. “I just want you to stay out of other people’s business. You don’t have to help others and waste your magic like this. You may overblot one day from this, you know?”

“I know you’re concerned about me as always, Aubbie. But trust me, I’ll be alright. Just allow me to lend them a hand.”

The young man sighed in defeat.

“If you say so, who am I to defy that order?”

In response, she kissed his cheek and beamed in joy.

“Thanks a lot, I’ll be careful not to overuse my powers.”

As they departed to their respective classes later on, the two Ignihyde students’ conversation caught her attention.

“I wonder where Dorm Head Idia is...”

“Probably in his room again.”

She turned her head towards them to hear it more clearly.

“He sits there all day, every day… I wonder if he’s alright.”

“Eh, who cares?”

“I do!”

Then she realized something and took out her phone to check her messages.

(01:30 a.m) Me: idyyyyy 🥺 💕

(01:30 a.m) Me: r u there?

(01:32 a.m) Me: i’ll get you those gummy worms u like omw to igni after classes<3

(Seen: 06:32 a.m)

Blueberry Baby 🥰: im feeling tired fawn

‘Strange, he would usually reply to me even when he’s tired...’ She thought to herself and scrolled more to see his latest message, which was two weeks ago.

Blueberry Baby 🥰: can we stop here for now?

Me: okay :(

Me: have a good rest, sleep well <3

Blueberry Baby 🥰: thx babe u too ❤️

She then remembered that his last login in the game they played together was also two weeks ago, and it instantly clicked in her head. The student who overblotted was Idia, probably feeling weak ever since it happened. Knowing how that feels, she brought a hand over her mouth in shock to conceal her quiet sobs, being angry at herself for not realizing it before. But now, she knew what to do. The feeling of wanting to help her long time friend and now boyfriend as much as she can was even more intense now. But not right now. For now, she had to attend her classes.

.

.

.

.

Her low heels clacked in the distance as she walked to his room with Ortho. As the younger Shroud gestured to the door of his room and opened it for her, she couldn’t help but peek at his room and she instantly spotted the older Shroud’s sleeping form under the dim lights.

“Idy…”

She gently stroked the warm, silky, fiery hair he had as they waved on her fingers. She let out a quiet chuckle before tidying up the trash with magic and took them out, and then she sat next to him and watched him sleep for a few moments.

“Probably something you haven’t been doing for a long time, hmm?”

Her hand made its way to his cheek as she cupped it with her hand.

“Sleeping, resting, just letting your mind wander into the realm of dreams...”

She looked away and sighed.

“An overblot obviously takes so much mental and physical toll on one’s body, so you obviously do the same. D-don’t ask how I know this..!”

As she nervously fidgeted her fingers, she turned to face him again and put her thumb on his lips to caress them. Those lips that he bit whenever he felt anxious, those lips that curled into a shit-eating grin, those lips that had placed such soft kisses on her cheeks... She quietly contemplated what she should say next as if the guy in front of her was fully awake.

“Board Game Club has been quite lonely without you, my love... With Azul chatting my ear off whether you have made a full recovery because ‘I know you the best’, and with Ortho not being in our club anymore, and without you... it feels pretty lonely... But at least you’re recovering..! At least you’ll be alright soon!"

Having noticed that she raised her voice, she sighed.

“I miss being with you.. in-game, or in real life... Raids feel lonely without the legendary Gloomurai, you know? A-also.. I quite miss your hugs too... Heck, I would give the world just to see you smile once again…”

She slowly leaned in and kissed his temple while touching his cheek again.

“...Mmm... Ortho... noooo.... Don’t goooo... Nnngh…”

“O-oh dear…”

In an instant, she quietly went beneath his sheets and she held his trembling body in her arms. Her lips met the corner of his eyes this time, and she kissed his tears away.

“Mmh...”

She noticed his bottom lip quivering, a sign that he’s about to cry. Soon he started to let out quiet sobs while hugging her torso, thinking it’s the ever so familiar pillow under his head. He cried and cried until he felt calmer and he rubbed his cheek onto what he felt like it was a pillow. But quickly realized that it wasn’t it. First he heard a little squeak, then a faster heartbeat, neither of which being a thing that his pillow had. That was when he decided to look up and have the realization hit him, that he was actually laying his head on Fawn’s chest. She had tried to hold still for him so hard, but her voice ultimately betrayed her. The tips of his hair started to turn bright pink and he let out a small sob while looking at her with wet eyes. She gently cradled his face in her hands and planted a gentle kiss on his face.

“I’m here, blueberry... Forever and always...” She quietly whispered in his ear and put his head back on her chest.

“Fawn...”

“I’ll always be there for you whenever you need me...”

He awkwardly held her too and laid back, slowly drifting back to sleep.

“Thank.. you...”

His hair became brighter and pinker in response, and he slowly closed his eyes again.

“Good night, sweetheart... Sweet dreams...”

And she watched his sleeping face until she eventually fell asleep as well.

.

.

.

“Big Brotheeeeeer~! It’s time to wake u-- ...Ohh!” 🫢

The sight that greeted the younger Shroud was nothing short of a sweet moment shared between the two. So he went ahead, took a picture with his eye camera at a closer angle and saved it in his memory card to send to his parents later. He giggled before quietly waking up Fawn to get her to her classes.

“Pssst, Big Sister..! It’s time to wake up!”

“...I know, I know… I’m up already…” She groggily said before gently placing a kiss on the top of her boyfriend’s head and putting his head on his pillow. Then she slowly entangled his arms that were around his waist and had him let her go. After that, she practically slid away and stood up.

“Thanks for waking me up, Ortho..” She said, patted his head and went back to her dorm in quiet steps.

“You’re welcome, Big Sister. But.. will you visit my brother tomorrow too?”

She nodded.

“I will visit him every day to make sure he’s doing well.”

“Waaahh, that’s so great!!” He beamed, “I’m sure he’ll recover in no time when you stay by his side like this!”

She let out a half hearted laugh.

“I hope he does.” She replied, “I believe in him. He’s stronger than he looks.”

“Right?! My brother is the best brother in the world!”

“...Yes. Yes, he is.”

[ecargmura]

Oblivion Battery Episode 12 Review + Final Thoughts - Baseball Is Fun

What’s interesting about Oblivion Battery is that this is one of the rare cases where a sports anime does not have a big focus on matches in a big tournament. Instead, they chose to focus more on practice matches. Practice matches aren’t high stakes, yet they’re still treated as such here. While it’s not a bad thing, I just find that interesting given that they’re in a public school with a barebones baseball team. Hence why the match against Hikawa High wraps up quickly for this finale.

It’s good that Kei developed and managed to hit Makita’s pitch. It was an important hit, after all. I liked how Haruka was confident that Kei will hit it because he has always been practicing with him. If Kei can keep up with Haruka’s pitches, then other pitchers are no match for him. It helped Shunpei get to home base with his speed and finally proving to Makita that his style of baseball is ideal for him. It helped Kotesashi get a win against a big named school. Most of all, it helped Kei develop a love for baseball in his amnesiac state. The way he was all excited in his room was very nice to look at.

While the finale is nice and all, there still hasn't been a concise answer to how or why Kei lost his memories or if he’s suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. All that’s shown is that he seemed to have a burnout from baseball and everything he did as the Commander, which included “killing” potential baseball monsters to help Haruka get on top, probably took a toll on him mentally. He watched a slice of life anime and realized that his life was full of stress and he was missing out on the mundane aspects of life like eating snacks, going to a store and searching for love and peace. That’s why his amnesiac self always repeated the same things he saw from that anime. It’s also unsure how the change from Kei to Commander Kei happened. Was it really hypnosis or over exhaustion? I guess I would have to read the manga to find out.

Kei’s gradual change from disliking baseball to falling in love with it was interesting to see. He does things at his own pace, so it was eventual that he’d fall in love with baseball once again. I do have a feeling that the Commander never loved baseball genuinely, hence why the amnesia caused him to regress. The current Kei wants to surpass the Commander, so I do wonder how powerful Kei will become with that declaration now.

It’s unknown whether this anime will get a season 2, but it would be nice to see where Kotesashi will go from here if it’s possible. If there is no Season 2, then this finale is a great way for new viewers to dive into the manga to see what happens next. What are your thoughts on this anime as a whole?

Final Thoughts

There are those animes that have a bad first impression, but does get better later on. Oblivion Battery is one of those. First-time viewers may be put off by how annoying Kei was—I certainly was too—but if you persevered, it’s actually pretty good. However, I do admit that Aoi and Shunpei were the main reasons why the anime is good because those two saved the show with their antics.

Did you know that ‘Boukyaku’ can also mean ‘forgetful’ in Japanese? That’s the premise of this show! Because Kei lost his memories, he regressed from Lv. 100 to Lv 1 and had to reteach himself the basics and fundamentals of baseball. Kei learning about baseball is also helping first-time viewers with the sport too. I learned a lot about positions, how to score points and how important a battery is to the sport. I do feel like the author is very familiar with the sport to be writing about it.

While sports animes can be comical, the comedy in Oblivion Battery can be hit or miss. Kei’s Nipple Hair gag can get old, but all the meta jokes were hilarious. I think Episode 8 was the best when it came to comedy because all my favorite moments came from that episode from Haruka pouting to Mamoru Miyano making an actual cameo.

Learning about Aoi and Shunpei’s past was also a highlight because it’s fascinating to see how two baseball aces fell from grace due to their own personal issues. It shows that you can be your own worst enemy. Aoi was riddled with personal guilt which caused him to develop yips. He ran away from his problems by getting into fights, but when he decided to reform and attend Kotesashi, he realized that he still loved baseball even with his guilt and issues. For Shunpei, he was insecure about the things he lacked which he denied until a one-off comment made him realize that he was deluding himself into believing he wasn’t insecure all this time. Heck, even someone like Kazuki had his own issues with baseball as he couldn’t deal with a suffocating hierarchy system, showing that some clubs functioned in a toxic manner. My only gripe was not getting a Yamada backstory. The guy is the POV character, give me his backstory!

I guess my only gripe of this anime is that the team sort of lacks proper management? Like they still don’t have a coach or anyone to train them properly so they still feel like newbies aura-wise? I guess I might have to dive into the manga to see if they will get a coach later on. Also, Yamada was the POV character, yet he’s mainly in the shadows compared to Haruka and Kei, who are the real stars of the show.

The voice cast is actually very strong for an obscure sports anime like this. The five main characters are voiced by either big names or rising stars. Big name voice actors include Toshiki Masuda as Haruka, Mamoru Miyano as Kei, Yuki Kaji as Yamada and Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shunpei. Rising stars include Yohei Azakami as Aoi. I like the mix-match of big and rising stars for the cast. The supporting cast is no joke either. There’s Tomokazu Sugita as Teitoku’s coach, Takeo Otsuka, another rising star, as Kokuto, and Kengo Kawanishi as Kirishima. MAPPA really does pour a lot of money into a good voice cast.

The music and animation are pretty decent for MAPPA standards. The opening song is good, but when you realize the band is Mrs. Green Apple and then you look up the recent controversy they had regarding a rather questionable music video…yeah. But the opening song is still addicting. The ending song is a little meh. The animation is pretty good, especially with all the meta stuff, but Episode 11 is when it amped up a lot and looks amazing.

Oblivion Battery may not be the ideal baseball anime. I wouldn’t really recommend this as a baseball anime because it’s so short, but if you still like sports shows, I’m not going to prevent you from trying this anime out. It’s still a good show despite its many flaws. If you watched this show, what are your thoughts?

[anzuhan]

Idk if that's the appropriate topic for an ask so feel free to ignore, but what's your opinion on the new kids in enstars (and on Mr. Thunder)?

i wouldnt say theres any topic thats FORBIDDEN or not appropriate for an ask, because i love interactions like these & talking to people A LOT and want them to happen as often as humanely possible, but i would prefer to avoid enst talks that are more than necessary 😭 some of my older followers already know the below cut but it is a lot to talk about so i put it there, but i will include my opinion of them there too at the end (though it wont be much)

i always bring back previous fandoms ive drawn a lot for from time to time, either as little references or drawings again for those fandoms, but enst was quite literally something that was so out of the ordinary for me to bring back because i outright stated before its highly unlikely for it to happen — furthermore i even have rbs off on most if not all of my old enst arts because i have very bad memories with this thing. i cant even say it is the fandoms problem but just with the canon things there are in itself and how i am 😭 the fandom it has especially on here was super nice and lovely to be around —, but i didnt shy away from drawing shu again because to me right now hes literally just pink ribbons . and probably my love for ribbons exceeds any kind of love ive ever had for a character before. i think its fine to talk about it sometimes again but i really would want to avoid it as much as possible, still, for nothing else but my own mental health 😭

this will be previous things that have happened that i also did mention publicly back then so its nothing new to my older followers, but i did take not one but TWO hiatuses from it (and a bit from art on the first one as well) due to enst taking a high toll on my mental health, with the second being a bit permanent but i dont know if that really fits with how ive drawn shu (and hiyori once now) again; though those were again fine by me because shu is okay in my books and the only one that im willing to even discuss anymore and the whole thing with hiri and hiyori together i even thought about before so i thought itd be cool to draw, but i was even thinking of mentioning i dont really want more enst related requests past these because its already a bit much to me.

i have enst, all words related to it and whatnot muted on all my socials, so also with this i think it is even a miracle i did see the new guys, but sincerely i know NOTHING about them because i do not care 😭 i just saw their designs and that was it. i hope mr nice gets a better gradient suit and i hope the kids (?) do not get to experience. the horrors. but they absolutely will because theyre stuck in enstars

i like the purple ones design and uhhhh the blue one with outwards huge hair looks like kanatas distant relative, so if he doesnt go puka puka too what even is the point

[soaps-hoe-141]

Drowning In The Depths

Aight so I've had some writer's block after my file got corrupted and I lost all that work so I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I do have a little preview of the next chapter ready though just to give you guys a little snack because I feel bad for not posting. Hope yall enjoy it. I'm still putting in that work I promise.

Water slid down your face, the warm air around you drying the light sheen from your shower too fast now. You'd hoped it would keep you cool at least for the walk back to the bunkhouses but that didn't seem to be a possibility. Not with the way the sun was glaring down at you from on high in the dry heat of eastern Iran. Damn you wanted to get out of here. A sudden nostalgia for home rang in your mind. A desire for the pine barrens of the south, the red clay that stuck to everything and could destroy a brand new pair of boots in a matter of minutes, and would undoubtedly destroy every item of clothing you owned.

There was a sigh from you as you pushed the thoughts back, no reason to think about a place you'd never be going back to, right? That ship had sailed a long, long time ago. About the same time you'd signed your new contract and sold yourself to the highest bidder. A decision you were starting to regret, but it wasn't all that terrible. Especially considering it had led you right into John's bed, led you to the man who was starting to change you so completely in body, mind, and soul you weren't sure you'd ever recover from him. You certainly wouldn't ever recover when you eventually had to leave.

Opening the door of your bunkhouse with a sigh at the thought you glanced around the room, tossing the towel and the pair of clothes you'd changed out of onto the growing pile by the door. The room was devoid of life, no Lieutenant, no Sergeant, and no Cerberus. How in the hell had they even gotten your dog? Had you left him in the bunkhouse last night?

God you couldn't even remember the course of events yesterday. Your mind was so scrambled after the intense anger of losing your talisman and then the morning you'd had with John. You'd been at every end of the emotional scale in the last thirty six hours and it was taking its toll on your memories of the time. And you didn't even have Cerberus here to ground you, hell you didn't have anything to help keep your mind from wandering right now. You were going to have to track them down if you wanted your dog back it seemed. Couldn't afford to lose Cerberus too.

With another sigh you headed out again, glancing up at the sun with a tilt of your head. There was a moment of stillness as you considered the bright, frustratingly hot orb sitting in the sky above. Your internal thoughts pondered for a quick moment, there was so much you needed to fix. Get Cerberus back, find Wade and apologize, and then handle Ghost and Soap before they decided to blabber everything to the rest of their team. If they even could be handled that is, you didn't exactly have much leverage on them and their Captain wasn't here to give it to you. Hell it'd probably be worse if he was there with you.

Where the hell would they even be right now? It was the middle of the day, they could be anywhere. The gym, Soap and Gaz's bunkhouse, the squad room, the mess hall- The thought crossed your mind then as you muttered to yourself, "That hungry bastard's probably is in the mess, who am I kidding?" You'd seen the way Soap ate at every meal. The man was an actual garbage disposal, the Scotsman would eat absolutely anything, anytime, anywhere. It was almost impressive. He was constantly shoving as many calories as he could down his throat as if someone was going to steal his food. To be fair though you did the same thing, a bad habit of growing up with siblings. You ate whatever you could whenever you could otherwise you'd be starving.

Glancing down the path you made for the mess hall, mentally preparing yourself for the blackmailing you'd have to start doing in order to keep the Lieutenant's and Sergeant's mouths shut. Sure while you were in the moment you'd kept your head on straight. Kept yourself from going red in the face. You'd even kept yourself from mouthing off and showing the embarrassment and frustration of being caught ass up in their Captain's bed. Your face was burning just at the mere thought of them seeing you naked next to their just as naked Captain. You'd never been caught doing anything like that, and especially not with a man. Good God it was downright shameful, this whole situation was and it had your anxiety flaring about what they'd think of that imagery.

You'd had to go to take a shower just to keep yourself from having a damn panic attack when you left the Brit's bunkhouse. Now John he'd been upset, sorry, almost apologetic before you'd been forced to leave. He'd been telling you he was sorry and that he'd wanted to tell them the right way after everything was settled, not like this. Not getting caught almost in the middle of the act, well right after the act anyway, you weren't as bad Ghost and Soap were. And then right in the middle of his apologies and that sinfully passionate kiss the man's phone had gone off with a string of notifications. It was a crime how often the two of you seemed to get interrupted, but it had happened again like it always did. His phone had buzzed and he was off answering the call of duty like he was supposed to, like it was expected of him to do.

While John had been sorry it hadn’t seemed like the fact that they had found out was what had irked him. He'd been sorry about how they'd found out. But you? The second you left his bunkhouse you’d been all nerves and jittery anxiety. In your experience the military didn’t exactly support…your lifestyle. Hell, no one you’d ever really known before supported your choices…your desires…the way God made you. But then weren’t Ghost and Soap doing the same thing? Hell you’d literally caught them doing it. You’d quite literally walked in on them together and then saw Soap's preening afterwards. Huh, you hadn't thought about that fact until just now. Maybe it was ok then…doubtful.

At least with them you didn’t have to worry about the backlash of someone finding out you were gay. What about the rest of them though? God and you'd been with their fuckin Captain. With the Captain John Price. Veteran SEALs told stories about that man’s black ops. The CIA operatives you’d met in your life working with the Navy and the contracting company worshiped the ground he walked on. You may not have known much about him before you’d met him but you’d known he was a man that deserved respect. Hell if you’d been given the opportunity when you were still in the Navy you’d have jumped at the opportunity to work with the man. It was a career high. A phenomenal way to further your career was to get yourself into an operation with that man.

You’d certainly gone far past just working with him though, hadn't you? So far past working him it was laughable, and it felt good to do it too. Well in the moment anyway. Afterwards you always felt a little bit…worried maybe? Concerned? No, those weren't the right words. Ashamed was probably a closer approximation to the way you always felt afterwards. It wasn't that you regretted finding your way to his bed every time, but it wasn't exactly easy for you to admit how much you enjoyed finding yourself there. Maybe it was guilt? Price was the only man you'd ever been with before, the only person you'd ever actually enjoyed being with and it made you feel guilty for always enjoying your time with him when you never could have done the same with your ex-wife.

With a shake of your head you pushed open the door to the mess hall and pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind. You couldn't think about that when you had to handle Ghost and Soap. There was work to be done and you were a master at compartmentalization. You could keep things packed away until it was a better time to deal with it. You'd kept the death of your team packed away for two years, shame and guilt about fucking a man should be a walk in the park in comparison. Right?

Countless bodies were milling about inside the mess hall. They were shoving past you to head outside and grazing against your back to head inside as well. It was a mess of soldiers in their uniforms right now. A packed out lunch rush that made your eyes widen for a moment at the sheer number of people inside right now. There were even more people in here than the last lunch rush you'd experienced with them. There were so many people it was hard to even see through the throngs of them. At your first glance over the crowd you didn't see anyone you knew but your stomach growled at the smell of food. Your nostrils flared as you took in a deep breath and went straight for the line, following the need of your stomach.

As you stood in the line your eyes scanned the bustling room. A guy as big as Ghost should stick out. The guy wore a big ass skull mask everywhere he went for fuck's sake. Not to mention he was absolutely huge, like a billboard on the side of the damn road, he was impossible to miss. The Lieutenant should have stuck out like a sore thumb and yet you didn't see that big bastard anywhere. Nor did you see the Scottish jackass he was always with, nor did you hear his laughing voice. At this point you weren't even standing in line to scope out the area anymore, you were just standing here to waste time.

But honestly could you even leave now? You'd just gotten your tray and the man behind the counter was scooping some of the food onto it. It would be a shame to waste a perfectly good opportunity to eat now. Stopping to get a tray of food wouldn't slow you down all that much anyway, would it? So you finished moving through the line, letting the men and women behind the counter shovel out whatever the hell they wanted. You weren’t picky. Hell you couldn’t afford to be picky. Not the way you grew up and especially not in your line of work. You never knew when or where your next meal might come from.

Stepping out of the line with the tray you scanned the mess hall again, pursing your lips in thought when you didn’t find the two men you were so desperately looking for, even now after giving it more than a few minutes. A quick glance around one more time and you made the quick decision that you weren’t about to eat in a room full of strangers who all had their own social groups. Not while you were completely alone. Might as well just go and eat outside, at least then you wouldn’t feel like you were back in highschool and were the weird kid who did have any friends. Fuck that.

Making for the door you hurried through the crowded bodies. As you opened the door, a shoulder slammed into you and caught you completely off guard as you scrambled to balance your tray of food in one hand. Pulling it towards your chest before you focused on stopping the wild sloshing of the cup of water in your other hand. Turning a hard glare on the passerby you stared at their back as they walked further into the mess hall, the bitch didn’t even turn to look back at you. What the hell is wrong with some people? You backed up a step with a sigh and a shake of your head in annoyance and watched the door shut. As it did you turned with a quiet, “Some people ain’t got manners,” and slammed directly into a brick wall of a body.

[tamtam-go92]

Hey there and excuse me for just disappearing on everybody. I was having... quite the time over the last month or how long I haven't been here. Let's just say, I wasn't in a very good health, mentally speaking.

As I already said, the health of my parents has been greatly declining this last year, to the point that I feared I might lose them. Luckily they both are on a good path and I'm looking optimistically into the future.

The thing is, now my partner was diagnosed with a very bad high blood pressure. I know, this usually isn't a thing to be too worried about, it's well treatable. Yet it was the last straw and I just snapped. He's was on very heavy medication, since the blood pressure was really critical and the medication took it's toll on all aspects of our live. As I sometimes mentioned, my partner usually works the night shift, not always but sometimes he works them for like six weeks in row. Now he isn't working since December 6th. And he probably won't return to the night shifts ever again. Aside from them financial cut this means, those are a factor, but we'll manage. I'm really afraid what this turn of events will do to our relationship.

I'm a person that needs a lot of me time, almost all my hobbies require me to be on my own and for me to have my piece. The last month has been... challenging to say at least. I really love my partner, but our secret has always been, that we value the time we have together, as we don't have that much free time together. Now he's always there, when I'm at home too and I somehow can't go on about my hobbies as I used to.

I know, it will get better once he goes back to work (Jan 15.) but from now on we'll probably be out of the house for the same time and at home at the same time and honestly I don't know how to deal with that. Tonight I'm alone at home as he decided to go to the gym with a friend (doctor said he needs to lose weight).

I really hope he'll get a smaller dose of medication soon as those high dosed drugs really don't do him any good. He's not the same since taking them... It's interfering with out want to found a family this year.

I just went through such a shitty time this year and I was hoping things are going to be better but apparently somebody up there (or down there) really hates me... My doctor diagnosed a high-functioning depression due to the stress and all the burdens that were on my shoulders those past months. I'm slowly getting better but I'm still not feeling they way I did before. I feel guilty for not being able to care for my parents the way they deserve so strangers have to look after them. It costs their money, not mine, just because I'm to weak to handle the situation.

And I want a baby? Really, someone as weak as me? I really want a family, I'm just so afraid I will feel as overwhelmed as I do now for the rest of my life. What if my partner never gets better and has to take this medication for the rest of his life? The doctor says not to worry, everything's looking good, the high blood pressure can be a late symptom of an influenza or corona infection and will probably go away. Loosing weight will help enormously. But I'm still afraid.

I'm afraid of my parents untimely decline in health. I'm afraid for my own health. I'm just paralyzed by all those thoughts in my head. I don't know why I'm writing all this down here. Nobody will read a text as long as this. But sometimes it helps to shout my thoughts into the void.

I actually just wanted to say Hi! I'm still alive. I'll continue posting Sims stuff. Actually I'm currently throwing stuff into my queue. I've lost some pictures due to me being stupid and a noob, and I know there are ways to get them back but I'm too exhausted to try. It might be important screenshots, but I'll just summarize to you what happened. New Somerset posts are just around the corner.

Hope you'll enjoy them and I hope you had a great start into this new year. Lots of love and take care!

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Young Carlisle Cullen thought he was starring in the 1897 book "Dracula", for all that Van Helsinki and his crew hadn't been imagined until 250 years after Carlisle was turned.

What if Twilight-Era Carlisle woke up in the 1897 world of that esteemed book, where presumably the only vampires descend from the man himself. Would the good doctor recognize where he was? Would he again play vampire hunter?

... I should just write the fic, right? But writing is haaaard! Please, muffin, spare me some crumbs?

You know, I say write the fic really for your own benefit, because I can answer this question but you're not going to like it.

Twilight and Vampirism

First off, we have to remember that Twilight vampires work very differently than most vampires. They not only have none of the traditional aesthetics but they have none of the weaknesses and are ten times as murder-oriented while being twenty times less inherently evil.

Twilight vampires are much closer to Xenomorphs than they are vampires.

So you have to remember that while Carlisle calls himself a vampire, if he ended up in this universe, what he'd see is something entirely different than what he is.

They just use the same word.

But alright, enough of that

Carlisle and ISEKAIIIIIIIII

Obviously, it depends where he is.

Is he in London? In that case, he notices Lucy's eating of everyone and everything. He likely, however, does not conclude it's a vampire as the killings are too tame for lack of a better word. Twilight vampires have impossible strength and I imagine most victims end up blood splatters. You don't get these neat little puncture holes only at the neck.

Then you also have that these victims are getting repeat visits. The death toll isn't high enough (one every two weeks), not violent enough, and you have people becoming increasingly anemic until they die (where Twilight vampires it's one bite then your done).

Carlisle's likely not sure what's going on but he doesn't conclude vampire and he's certainly not being brought into the Harker and Van Helsing Scooby Doo gang even if he is working at the mental hospital where Renfield is located.

But this is skirting around the issue.

Carlisle and Vampire Hunting in General

The thing is that Carlisle didn't in the books.

There were vampires in his world, he was turned into one himself, however rather than continuing his vampire hunting quest he stops cold turkey. We're given no indication of Carlisle having a period where he ran around murdering vampires (he'd probably have died a quick death had he chosen to do so).

Given that, and the decisions we see him make in canon, he's not inclined to pick it up again especially with a species he knows nothing about.

Yes, these vampires are clearly plaguing London/Transylvania, but that does not necessarily make them inherently evil creatures (they are in the Dracula universe, but Carlisle doesn't know that).

I imagine he'd tried to persuade the vampires to go elsewhere or get them on the animal diet. Everyone should do the animal diet!

I doubt he takes up vampire hunting though.

TL;DR

If you have something you want, and you already know exactly what it is, then you should write the fic.

The world is your oyster and isekai Twilight Carlisle can be a vampire hunter in the Dracula universe if you want him to.

[innerchorus]

Sad about the previous chapter again and...

#LetSaamKillAFuckingSorcerer2k23

On a... not lighter note but a different one, in the newest chapter I think Jimsa tells Narsus to use him without restraint, and Narsus asks “Well even if you're told to assassinate King Andragoras?” and Jimsa's like “If it is His Highness' command, yes.” and Narsus... probably says smth like “His Highness isn't the type to use such methods, you've seen so yourself” I... admittedly got dizzy staring at the kanji so there's a high probability that I'm wrong. Jimsa speaks about some stuff, didn't catch it all but I caught smth like “someone like him would've been killed and under the earth by now” and of course, the part where Jimsa calls Arslan an idiot LOL.

Arslan, Zaravant, and Jaswant in the background though! I wonder what they're talking about. Arslan and Jaswant seemed enraptured in Zaravant's tales.

YES let him do it. He wants it. He deserves it!

And who knows? It might happen! I really doubt any of Team Zahhak will get to live to the end of the manga now. Hilmes stopped Sam from killing one of them this time, but what I really want is for there to be another scene where Hilmes actually realises that fuck, he never should have associated with the Master and his disciples and therefore doesn't halt Sam's killing blow. I mean, Hilmes isn't the kind of person to apologise but a scene like this could still indicate that he acknowledges that Sam was right and that he trusts him after all...?

Actually, one of the things I would love to see from the end of the manga is Hilmes having that moment where he comes face to face with Zahhak and is utterly terrified, finally realising what he's been used to help bring about. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but I want him to go from being unaware to having that sudden and horrifying moment where he understands what he's seeing. It's kind of amusing that Hilmes in the novels is totally oblivious to most of the supernatural stuff long after Team Arslan are used to fighting it (it takes him right until the end of the series to even see a winged ape, and when he does end up running into Zahhak on the battlefield right at the very end of the series he's totally mentally unprepared to be faced with Zahhak's existence and so can only run in fear). I do wonder whether there are elements from later novels that Arakawa might draw on like this, even though things are obviously going to go down differently and with a greatly reduced death toll please I am begging you

Yeah, as for that bit in the manga with Narsus and Jimsa, it sounds like it matches the nove scene where Jimsa offers his services, saying that because he's not Parsian and is therefore psychologically unaffected by any emotions about the country and the royal court, he can be used effectively. Narsus gets what he's implying. Jimsa is (understandably, given how different things are in Turan) baffled by Arslan, though he does admit that he understands Arslan isn't the sort of person to use such methods.

[alj4890]

Based on my real life experience today - I have an ask.

Tobias accidentally because he'd never be this much of a dick says "He needs to babysit" their kids and your MC overhears this.

How does your MC react?

Feel free to share reactions if it were your other pairings too!

😂😂😂 For Tobias and Chris, here's how I think she would react to hearing him say something like that 🤣 For this drabble their child is just three months old.

*Sorry this took so long. I've had some family emergencies pop up that have taken a toll on me mentally and physically. I've whined enough about them as it is so I won't do so again 🤦🏻‍♀️ I'll eventually get back in to the swing of things properly this week now that all has started to calm down.

Masterlist

The Babysitter

The Carrick Household...

"Hello?"

"Hey Tobias." Will said. "Dean and I are planning on going to Banners to watch the Bruins take on the Canadiens tonight. You in?"

"I can't. Chris is taking Sienna out for her birthday tonight. I have to babysit Jamie." Tobias explained.

Chris was walking past and paused upon hearing that.

"Uh huh." Tobias continued. "Have fun."

He ended the call and glanced up.

"Everything okay?" He asked when he noticed Chris struggling with her laughter.

"Yes." She nodded, fighting back a smile. "Um, Jamie fell asleep with his bottle so he should be good for a few more hours. I think I'll go ahead and get ready."

"Okay." He said slowly, wondering at the giggles that slipped past her lips.

Tobias glanced down to make sure he didn't have any spit up or anything on his shirt. He wasn't certain what about his appearance was amusing her to this extent.

"I won't be long." She told him.

"Take your..." His brow furrowed when she dashed upstairs. "time."

Shaking his head in realizing he would probably never truly understand his Chris; he stretched out on the couch, turned the volume on the baby monitor up, and settled in for a quiet night at home.

About an hour later, he sat up to whistle at her.

Chris grinned while doing a slow twirl.

"I don't know if I should let you leave looking like that." He rose to take her in his arms.

Chris pushed him away before he could kiss her.

"Sorry, but your behavior is entirely inappropriate."

He blinked at her hard tone.

"My what?"

"Your behavior." Chris rolled her eyes while digging through her purse. "I'm a married woman."

Tobias folded his arms and waited on her to finally make sense.

"Here." She handed him a twenty dollar bill.

"What's this for?" He asked.

"Your fee." Her lips trembled with laughter. "Isn't this what most babysitters make a night?"

"Babysitters?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry if your friends made plans, but you did agree to watch my baby this evening."

Tobias rolled his eyes while a grin formed.

"Here." Chris handed him another twenty. "If Jamie is still asleep by the time I get back, I'll throw in a bonus."

"What kind of bonus?" Tobias took her back in his arms.

"Ten more dollars." She stiffened in embrace. "But if you persist in this inappropriate behavior, I will be forced to take it out of your fee."

"You will, huh? And how much would this cost me?" He kissed her cheek.

"A dollar." She closed her eyes when his lips brushed hers. "That's definitely five more dollars."

He smirked while dipping down to kiss along the curve of her neck.

"Another five."

She gasped when he dropped down to his knees and tugged her skirt up.

Twenty minutes later, she was trying to right her appearance.

Tobias was once again on the couch. His smug smirk on full display as he watched Chris struggle to not look like she'd just tried to muffle her screams of his name mere seconds ago.

Once she was ready, she turned towards him.

"Do I look decent?"

His eyes traced the high color still showing on her cheekbones and the brightness of her eyes. Other than those telltale signs that she'd been ravished, she looked perfect.

"You do." Tobias got to his feet, swiped up the two twenties, and handed them back to her.

"Sorry, but this won't do." Chris told him.

"It won't?"

She shook her head, her own smile breaking forth while mirth swam in her eyes.

"Your behavior makes it where you now owe me at least two months of babysitting."

Tobias mocked a sigh. "Two huh?"

Chris nodded.

He braced his arm above her head and leaned forward. He paused right before his lips touched hers. His body was already responding to the thoughts he was having about all he'd love to do to his wife.

"When you get back, how about I owe you for a year's worth of babysitting?"

"A whole year?"

He nodded.

Chris looped her arms around his neck. She pressed a tender kiss to his lips, then deepened it when his hands drifted down her body.

"I should be home by eleven. We can then see just how much free babysitting you'll owe me."

[lirri-eats-eyes]

okay i want to talk about this more bc it was important to me. i know skyborn's ending felt rushed to me specifically, but after rereading it, it isn't necessarily unrealistic. ellie is a serial optimist and she's known for being stubborn, so with things looking up for her, it makes sense that she would want to embrace this ideal new setting and not think too much about the past, with nox still being her foil (he's more reluctant to fit a role in society, even in this Totally New and Better Perfect one)

i recognize the fact that the new thelantis might need a force to protect corion/other royalty since tensions are still probably running high with the rapid transition of power, and maybe they need a force to help with rescuing and construction, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth that there's still effectively an organized police force after there were two whole books instructing us that That's A Bad Idea, Actually. It honestly feels like they're continuing the tradition because they don't know how to rule in any other way, and again, that makes realistic sense. But there's probably more change and instability to come even after the ending which is painted ideally in Ellie's final POV.

I think this specific conflict is bound to happen because both Ellie and Mother Rosemarie are changing rapidly near the end. Ellie was already orphaned at a young age, but she was also tasked with literally Saving The World at what, age 12-13? There's that weird combination of "you weren't chosen because you were special, don't let it get to your head" and "you were right about a lot of things actually, and no one listened to you even though they should have." She's been forced into this role of a leader and a fighter against the entire world, and it takes an extremely visible toll on her mental health by the third book. She longs for any adult to just listen to her and take on her burden instead. At the same time…she can't be comfortable in a child's role anymore. She understands her own power and won't hesitate to enforce it, something most kids aren't allowed to do. She'll be stuck in this weird in between where she wants nothing more than to be cared for, but she doesn't want to be coddled.

Additionally, she's seen a lot more things than most of the adults in the sparrow village have never dreamed of, so it's hard to see where her travelled experience ends and where their lived experience begins. She's going to be frustrated at the lack of knowledge Mother Rosemarie has, but she's also not going to listen to the valid advice Rosemarie can give her.

Mother Rosemarie, on the other hand...ok this part is more speculation but I see her as someone who was an extreme realist when it came to the tangible power her people had as second-class citizens; she reasons to herself that no, she doesn't actually think sparrows are weak, but as things are, there's no way one could become a goldwing, and that's unfair, but there's nothing she can do about it. and maybe that turns into "well, maybe what they're saying about the biological difference is true" and "we just don't have the right temperment; it's not in our culture." Maybe part of her feels protective about ellie because of a possible similarity -- maybe she sees ellie as a younger her whose dreams are inevitably crushed.

By phoenix rising though, she breaks through that line of thinking and recognizes the true power of the sparrow clan, and is completely on board with ellie's plan. There is this new appreciation for her culture that she's never been allowed to tap into, and it must be so cathartic. To finally be proud to call oneself a sparrow, to believe in the dreams she repressed early on. Perhaps a bit too invested in this idea, and that's where this conflict begins

There's also a bit of old dialogue that we have to consider. Ellie feels betrayed by mother rosemarie as only a kid can. you can only hear "it's for your own good" so many times before you never trust other people to be invested in your wellbeing again. Mother Rosemarie feels like Ellie is naiive and doesn't acknowledge her status as a sparrow and consequent status in society, maybe even feels like Ellie, who wants to be a Goldwing, is ashamed of her species and the barrier it creates for her. This is never addressed by the end, and all I know is that if there's a problem as big as that, it's rarely ever going to be taken to someone's grave.

so, there's the crux of the issue. Ellie doesn't respect Mother Rosemarie's real experience and power because she's been forced into a role where children have to hold the power or else they all die, and she doesn't trust an adult to properly wield that power anymore. She takes something like "I'm concerned that so much pressure is being put on you, how about you take a step back before you burn out?" as "I'm holding my authority over your head because I feel like it." Mother Rosemarie is riding the high of her newfound empowerment as a sparrow, failing to notice that Ellie has baggage when it comes to pride in one's species*, and inaccurately reading any baggage as straight-up shame. This is compounded by the fact that neither of them are listening to eachother, Ellie because her conclusions have been validated many times and she's still learning how to properly interact with people who disagree with her, and Mother Rosemarie because she's misinterpreting Ellie's words as rhetoric that has kept her down for most of her life and has only recently been disproved. They both feel like the other is very far behind.

*this is also a headcannon. Throughout the story Ellie remains connected to certain parts of her culture like sunflower oil for her wings, or even arguably her way of problem solving or her morals, but culture isn't just substances and traits. It's also the people; and the people haven't been perfect to Ellie. No doubt she feels connected to the community that raised her, but it was also the community who kept her down for so long, and it was a crow, a falcon, and a mockingbird-crane clanner who finally uplifted her.

[ekebolou]

So that last post, with the asks, where at first I was like "haha, it's kind of weird that I can say I have a character who was proper tortured, like for political reasons, unsexily, etc."

no judgement, I think I'm just used to reading 'tortured character' as a metaphor, or like, meaning emotional or mental rather than physically. Don't actually know if that's more common than not.

But then I had to back up, because Diarmaid pretty heavily implies that HE'S having Nika tortured, for petty personal reasons, but really all he's doing is just not interfering. He could - like Durant could, or probably much more effectively than Durant - but he's not going to. And honestly, the personal reasons aren't that high up on the list why he wouldn't interfere.

Diarmaid is, like his sister, a schemer, and like everyone else, pretty petty, but he's first and foremost someone who schemes from a position of power. He did have to fight for that position, but he was always in the running for it, unlike his sister. What he knows about the power he has is that a lot of its niceties rest on tradition, on habit, on 'the way things are done'.

The nobility comes at things from an odd angle in the Kostas world, because Keadar-Ainjir upset the whole balance of power when he staged his coup, and upset it again when he allowed the royal family to come back in (which he did, because of pressure from tradition *cue Tevye*). The royals are only royals because they dominated the barons (shortcut description of the various wealthy landed families), which they did by undercutting and exploiting their relationships to each other. The barons know this, the royals know this - it's a volatile situation.

Until Keadar-Ainjir essentially decides to become a military 'baron', and overthrow the royals to take their place. Now, this is all a story in it's own right, that I've got a few pieces of written, but the big fuck up is that one of the direct line of royalty survives the purge of the palace, and what's acceptable in war isn't so much acceptable in peace, and rather than kill a child, Keadar-Ainjir introduces the two-power system (and abandons his wife to marry into the royal family, which is HIGH DRAMA I mean to write up some day - the line doesn't last, because how could it - those kids would get killed the second they were born [so many juicy details here, it's hard not to get distracted]).

ANYWHO, this gives the royals and the barons reasons to work together to balance out the military - it's a mexican standoff (is that an okay term to use?), which gets an assist from the fact that all of Ainjir neighbors are either eager to not be absorbed into Ainjir or take it over for themselves. But nobody ever really forgets - or they forget at their peril - that the reason you don't snub the royals is to look good for the military; the reason you don't shit on the barons is to look good for the military; the reason you don't kill a king is to not create an opening for the military.

It's not because of divine right, remember - that's not a thing. Gods could favor the old kings but gods were always fickle. Now there's no gods, so it's just... habit.

So Diarmaid doesn't exercise power because, yes, he's a petty bitch, but it's hard to say there's really that much emotional content to a guy whose whole way of being is based on schemes to uphold his power. He's not going to interfere because interfering in the system too much reminds people that it's not real. If it's not real, then his power isn't real.

And all of this was really going to be a reflection on Nika, and how little time we get to reflect on the physical toll the whole experience puts on him - dude is, for realsies, tortured, but is definitely metaphorically 'tortured' for the whole five years of way, as well, we are seeing a very desperate man, at the very end of a very long and tightening rope, all the way through the novel. Which is why I like the Academy stories, because more his real personality can come through.

But yeah, I guess we'll wait on that one.