#Ciara has no brain

[jeanboyjean]

and i - ft. jean kirstein

summary: jean (successfully) tries to make you feel better after a recent breakup

content: friends to lovers, fluff, good vibes, jean brainrot to the max, modern au, college au

a/n: for @honeybleed 90s/00s rnb event!! <3 jean fluff hehehe bc i can't get him out of my brain and he is THE comfort character. inspired by and i - ciara. i love this song big time ♡ laughed so hard watching the music video when she brought out the horse lmaooo 🤔 for my fellow jean girlies!!!

1.2k words

"ugh, i hate him," you grumble, sinking into the couch with a heavy sigh.

jean glances at you, concern etched on his face. "what now?" he asks, taking a seat beside you.

crossing your arms, you slump into the cushions. "he just posted a picture of him with that girl. what a fucking asshole."

jean clicks his tongue, shaking his head in disapproval. "why are you still on his profile? you need to forget about him."

with a frustrated sigh, you shut off your phone. it’s been a few weeks since you ended things with your ex, a decision long overdue. the relationship had lost what little spark had been there in the first place, dragging on for as long as the two of you would let it. the final straw had been when you had found the sexts he had sent to a girl in one of his classes. it stings and it sucks but more than anything, your pride is wounded. the sadistic part of you can’t resist the urge to keep tabs on him and wallow in resentment.

"i have forgotten about him," you say defiantly. "he's just unfortunately like the gum stuck on the bottom of my shoe."

jean lets out a low chuckle. his hands fall to his thighs as he pushes up off the couch. "okay, you know what. let's go for a drive."

curiosity flickers in your eyes as you look up at him, wondering where this is going. 

"come on, let's go," he urges, reaching forward to grab your hand. you let him pull you to your feet.

"alright, fine. but you're shouting me coffee," you tell him with a roll of your eyes, a small smile winning over.

"always," he winks in return with a mischievous lift to his lips.

the music blares as you drive, jean tapping his fingers along to the beat. you hum along, watching the scenery pass by with your window down, letting the cool air blow away your tension. the recent events start to fade away and your mind wanders back to your first break up a couple years ago during your first year of university. jean had been there then too, holding you as you had cried and simmered, until you were ready to put yourself back together. 

he had refused to let you mope around, forcing you to go out with him to movies and parties and bars. he had been the one to listen to your problems as you poured your heart out, making his shoulders your personal dumping ground. jean had been there for you through it all.

you deserve someone who loves all of you. the words he had said to you back then, ring clear in your mind. 

there has always been an underlying tension between you two, a quiet undercurrent that flows beneath the surface of your friendship. from the moment you first saw him, standing across the room at a party in first year, his presence has captured your attention drawing you to him like a magnet. you had become fast friends, sharing everything together from your classes, to your interests, to your deepest darkest secrets.

part of you wonders if he’s ever felt the same way. sometimes you wonder what it would be like if you had found the courage to tell him your feelings, but now you’re in too deep, the confines of your friendship too strong. all this time, you’re pining after him while trying to fill the void with other people, only to be crushed over and over. dreams of making a move dance in your mind, but the fear of jeopardising your friendship holds you back. you’re happy this way, if only because it means you can have him in your life. you’ve sealed these thoughts away in your heart and thrown away the key. 

jean's hand lifts from the steering wheel to turn down the music. "what are you thinking about?" he asks.

you cross your arms to hug yourself. "why is it so hard to find someone? am I just destined to be forever alone?"

he flicks your knee teasingly. "maybe you're looking in the wrong places." he turns his head briefly to meet your eyes. “plus, how can you be forever alone when you have me."

you roll your eyes and poke his shoulder before turning away. “yeah, and where should I be looking then?”

he pulls into the car park in front of your favourite coffee shop, shutting off the car and turning to you. he stills for a moment and takes a deep breath, letting it sit for a moment before releasing. a hand pulls through his hair, coming to rest on the back of his neck. "why not me?" he asks, turning to face you.

your eyes narrow at his words. "don't play around, jean."

"nah, I'm serious," he says. there's a hint of uncertainty in his voice but his gaze is unwavering. "you know I would do anything for you." 

you freeze, chest tightening, feeling the air being sucked out of the car. you hear his words but they don't register, refusing to sink in. the sincerity in his words hang in the air, and for a moment, time seems to stand still. in the quiet, jean's confession lingers like a promise. you want to believe him, to let go of the fear that consumes you but you can't help but hold back.

you shake your head, uncertain of the implications. you’ve both said things like this to each other before, never ones to hold back on sentiment, but something about them today carry a weight you can’t ignore.

"but aren't we friends? i don't want to ruin what we have."

he reaches for your hand across the centre console, his fingers intertwining with yours. his thumb brushes against your skin, sending tingles up your arm. “i would never let anything ruin what we have,”  he says, his eyes never leaving yours, gaze tender but firm. “i've wanted to say this for a long time."

with his free hand, he cups your cheek and leans in, brushing your hair aside. "i could have everything in the world, but I would sacrifice it all for you. stop wasting your time with these losers.” 

your heart pounds, breath catching in your throat. slowly, you allow yourself to acknowledge the feelings that have lingered beneath the surface. "jean..." you whisper, the sound barely escaping your lips.

"please. let me show you."

his lips meet yours, and for a moment, you forget about everything else. the world disappears, leaving only the two of you. it feels like a dream as he pulls you in, your chest flush against his. your fingers comb through his hair, your heart thumping in your chest.

everything about him overwhelms you. his scent, the way his hair feels between your fingers. and the softness of his lips, gentle and warm against your own. 

his hands slide from where they’re tangled in your own hair down to hold your arms, squeezing lightly. he pulls back, his eyes searching yours. the moment hangs in the air, the intensity heavy between you.

"are you okay with this?" he asks, brushing a lock of hair behind your ear.

you nod. a smile stretches across your cheeks as you look up at jean, whose expression mirrors yours. 

it’s more than okay. it’s everything.

you let yourself fall into the moment, unlocking the key to your heart, letting yourself want him. hope flickers in you, anticipation for what this could mean. you finally reach for the love that has always wanted to reveal itself. and this time, it feels real. 

[lakesbian]

saying that aisha has resigned herself to being one of the boring (16yos who think they're) adults in the room during gm would not be true because she still has a silly streak. but it's a Tragic silly streak now because her hopes for truly staying silly with it died when the person she wanted to stay silly with did. and now all of her silly behaviors come with the underlying acknowledgement that no one there is actually really paying attention to or getting her beyond seeing her as, like, an endearing annoyance who knows longer words now. literally outright makes a "pro tip just ignore me it's what everyone else does lmao" joke in front of canary and everyone. Just ignores that. ignores that she said that. taylor does not even stop to think "maybe that means something" she just moves on. and aisha also, despite literally still being in the same age range as alec was when he died, has now upped the things she was able 2 observe about him when he was alive (bc she's perceptive) into a full-on psychoanalytical retrospective wherein she certainly wishes that he was still around/had gotten to grow up with her but on some level is aware that he didn't and died when he was still a very sad little boy who understood effectively nothing about himself. so she explains how his brain worked to people who didn't know him well enough to see the obvious. and she talks about him in affectionately diminutive terms like constantly calling him an asshole because the thing she remembers fondly is that they were both asshole kids Together. but she is no longer an asshole kid, she's in charge of asshole kids now. her method for stopping them from being assholes is, often, out-assholing them, but she's still in charge of them.

which is to say that even if you bring alec back from the dead via ciara as early as humanly possible in an AU where he somehow got glastig uained his relationship with aisha is going to be weird and sucky for everyone involved because he was expecting his Fun Best Friend he remembers having lengthy personal conversations with just a few days ago back and she wants the person alec would've been if he'd gotten to grow up with her. but neither of them get that. alec only gets what he would probably term Lame and Mopey aisha and aisha only gets the alec that takes 12 business days to realize he just experienced an emotion. :(.

although. there are nonzero odds that they would meet in the middle (aisha is like "Hey man you know it takes you 12 business days to realize you just experienced an emotion right? you do have them though" and alec is like "what no really? seriously? aw shit okay" + alec starts infecting aisha with The Sillies again, which is actually good for her psychological wellbeing but pisses absolutely everyone else off)

[forgottenarthur]

OOC | Arthur & His Line of Succession

idk what to entitle this but!!! my brain at 5am was like 'here have this' so now you get to hear abt it too lksdjfkljsdfjl

ok so!! arthur's faction, even objectively speaking (like in an au where every single varmont really and truly is the disgusting vile monster that ronan thinks they all are, this is STILL an advantage for arthur), has a v big advantage over the others, and that is @forgottensebastian!! while sebastian just being the amazing person he is, is a total win for arthur, like i said, even if he were actually leck quasar born again (SCREAM), his v existence would still be a huge advantage to the Arthurian faction bc he's a designated and direct heir and historically!!!!! that is a huuuuge asset in getting ppl to fight/vote for you!! so i wanted to sort of explore this a bit!

so, when ur abt to embark on a civil war for 'who should rule us next' ur hoping ur not gonna have to turn around and do it all again once ur chosen leader kicks the bucket, and arthur having a clear, designated heir from the get-go is a a part of that! bc w edmund or guin, say they get crowned etc, well great! but they're just one person right so what happens if/when they die before having kids! ur back to square one -- if guin's crowned, well, whose her heir? edmund? arthur? ur back at it again!

this is (one of) the reasons @forgottengodfrey is so keen to get edmund hitched (also gaining the stafford/astairan alliance etc but yeah), so edmund can start making heirs of his own, pronto!

ironically, its also one of the reasons @forgottenroderick is so reluctant to let his kids marry bc then ppl might start wanting one of his kids to rule more than they want ~him too!!!! its also the reason he was so desperate to have kids in the first place and took three wives to do it </3

but annnnyway, as a result, i do think arthur's sort of...thought abt this a lil bit frankly (he's so much more introspective than i ever thought it throws me every time i swearrrr) now, obv, idk how this will all go down but, if roderick were to die, and arthur to begin his gambit to seize the throne, i think he'd make his line of succession basically the sons of roderick in order of age; the sons of roderick's father in order of age (aka alaric), the sons of roderick's grandfather in order of age (aka bartholomew) and then their male line descendants in order of age (aka eoin). if all these men were to die, then it would follow the same structure but w women so:

arthur

sebastian

edmund

alaric

bartholomew

eoin

guinevere

cassandra

ciara

now, in his ideal world alaric and the other male varmonts would inherit before edmund like so:

arthur

sebastian

alaric

bartholomew

eoin

edmund

guinevere

cassandra

ciara

but he def recognizes that obv edmund has a way better claim to the imperial throne (not necessarily the kingly one of the og country tho depending on how ~those inheritance laws are written, but in that roderick apparently reopened old laws from ther abt multiple wives, im assuming its still true that edmund would have a better claim to ~that throne as well?) than alaric, bartholomew, or eoin so yeah! the top one is what he's currently thinking! HOWEVER i do think the more he talks to @forgottenarias the more he rethinks his position and so i think he may potentially end up considering heirs in order not just male heirs so:

arthur

sebastian

cassandra/edmund

edmund/cassandra

guinevere

alaric

bartholomew

eoin

ciara

now this would actually be a mistake for his faction, really, bc it'd mess up his ability to claim that ~he should be king since guinevere is, in fact, older, so i do think he'd at best do some handwave abt how roderick's male heirs come first bc that was the intention of the founder or whatever, and THEN roderick's female heirs and then everybody else hahaha but i do think he'd still want to be like CASSANDRA OVER EDMUND but yeahhhh idk if he could reasonably pull that off so i do think it'd result in a lot of confusion abt who has precedence between those two were he ever to actually realize his claim (unlikely!!) but yeah!! sldkjfalksdlfjdslkfj

anyway, he might potentially handwave abt his mother's line being the true imperial one (and thus cassandra still having precedence over edmund despite her sex) as marian became ~his mother and thus cassandra having precedence over edmund or smth but idk -- if they're still at war w edmund when this comes down the line he'd def be like 'yeah that's how that's happening' but if somehow arthur's in power and edmund's cool w it or whatever then he'd probs feel edmund would be a better fit for the crown than cassandra tbqh and have him as the third

anyway!! ngl none of this will probably EVER matter bc even if we do kill off roderick and start our war w/o that one big revelation etc, we uhhhh know that lil smth abt arthur that he don't know so yeah!! (and lbr even if he did manage to seize power as soon as he and edmund made peace, amira would just poison him soooo) but anyway here we are i thought of it so i thought id share it hahaha

[jaylikesrainbowtigers]

I’m trying something a little bit new today. A positivity post because I feel like shit now. For those of you who don’t know my ex broke up with me two days ago and I didn’t really feel anything about it. Turns out I had just numbed my feelings until it hit me on my dog walk today. So trying positivity to make me feel better.

@intothedysphoria is where I got the inspiration to do this. Max makes positivity posts when he feels down and it’s something I admire so much. He also writes such good disabled Harringrove content. Like I don’t even ship it and here I am liking all of the posts because I love it all. And he has been so kind to me on discord when I vented about the breakup. I know right now is a rough patch for you, Max but I just want you to know that you kind of feel like a positive force that teaches me brilliant chaotic gremlin things. Thank you for that!!

@hargrove-mayfields is so amazing too. EJ, you were the first person I have truly interacted with online for any fandom ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better person. You have been nothing but sweet and lovely to me, and though you don’t see my jumping up and down frantically whilst waving my hands in the air every single time we interact and especially when you let me get my grubby mitts on a fandom event (again), I kinda want to let you know I maybe do that. So thanks EJ for being amazing.

@skutter We have never interacted but this is a post to make me happy so I wanted to tag you. I really couldn’t believe it when you shared one of my posts for the first time. Because you are like the only other person who blogs about Red Dwarf I could find. And I barely get to ever talk or do anything about Red Dwarf with anybody my age because I’m really the wrong generation for classics like that but oh boy, your posts bring my so much happiness when I see them. Thank you so much for helping me indulge in a silly little brain rot I have.

Also tagging @shieldofiron, @carito-dorito, @salthat, @peachyaliien (who tumblr will not let me tag despite me literally opening her blog), and anybody else on the @disabledbillyandsteveweek discord (check out that tag for stranger things content) who let me be a bit of a mess over there.

A final thanks to my irl friends Abi and Ciara who will probably never know or see this post. You two have been so amazing over the past few days and I am so sad we are all leaving this weekend down our own paths. We will meet again at Christmas when we return from the land beyond (England is that hour plane ride away beyond). My DofE besties who have been with me for so long, I can’t wait to go out tonight which you two arranged beautifully just for me.

Ciara and I have been friends for 14 years, and boy have we been through thick and thin together. We might no longer be as close but I will always remember you for being my first crush and my closest childhood friend. Also the legend who said in response to my I think I’m autistic said yeah, we all knew that.

Abi, we met later but we have been inseparable since. From chucking things at each other, to me making fun of your height (you aren’t *that* short, our friends and me are just tall), and to being the crush who made me realize oh shit, I’m gay.

And to the frankly hilarious coincidence named Jay. You bastard. Why did Ciara have a crush on you and then Abi went on to date you now. Do I have to expect my ex to date you soon? Do I? Will you haunt my romances for evermore?

Anyway thank you to anyone who actually bothered to get up to this point. I see why Max does these now. I feel better.

[soobnny]

moots as songs ?

hi this is actually rly hard so these aren’t like my REAL answers but the first songs that came to mind aka the ones i listen to recently

also i’m sry if i missed anyone it’s like nearing 11pm and my eyes r closing and i tried my best to breeze through these 😖

@amakumos — go big or go home by enhypen bc i love this song sm and it’s one of my favs from enha and yun is my fav soooo #wonwoncult also this song is very fun and funky like yun my bff <3

@nomniki — bad by wave to earth bc like the lyrics say … how could my day be bad when i’m with u. not only can it be a song between yn and her bffs in star lost BUT it also represents ella bc she is so so nice and funny and it’s never a dull moment talking to her

@telesvng — my jinji by sunset rollercoaster !!! a sweet song for a sweet person. u r so SWEET and i will ltrly do anything to protect u from horrible things

@hyunverse — apple cider by beabadoobee bc it’s rly nice to talk to u :) it always makes for a fun conversation and the song has a lyric of “we both like apple cider” but instead .. for Us it’s that we both r rly bad at replying 😭

@haknom — right side of my neck by faye webster and it’s bc ur layout screams this song so much like idek why but it’s so perfect in my head. n the song is so fun and u are so fun so !!! perfect

@chiyuv — thinking bout you by ciara bc it feels like such a perfect theme song for u and Heeseung like IDEKKK it’s so groovy and so crush-like so it made me think !!!!

@angelwonie — cinnamon girl by lana del ray U KINDA GIVE ME LANA DEL RAY .. u know that trend where people r like u’re taylor coded .. u’re that coded. idk but u kind of give me lana coded :0

@luvhyun3 — creature by half•alive ????? OR let’s get married by the bleachers. these songs give very Soundtrack of ur Life and they’re so fun and upbeat n it’s how i feel in our short conversations

@enluv — karma by enhypen bc jay loves this song and u love jay and jay loves u so i know i’m right but also maybe mood ring by lorde ??? very Opposite vibes but it feels right in my brain

@jaeyunverse — wonder by adoy aka one of my fav songs of all time. the song brings me Comfort n i feel like it’d bring comfort to talk to u too

@jennaissantes — unwind me by mmmonika idk how to explain it but the song feels similar to how i feel when we talk !!!! but also white teeth teens by lorde

[tabsters]

BEHOLD: THE SOLUTION FOR MY PLOTHOLES

yippie *drops new lore post and runs away*

tagging @mythicalmagical-monkeyman, @hyperfixation-tangentopia, @maiawhimsicalt, and also @sweet-star-cookie (cause they also have silly zodiac guys!!) . if you want to get tagged for when i make zodiac posts or don't want to be tagged, please let me know!

previous posts are here

Aging:

There’s three different types of ages when it comes to the Zodiacs and Constellations, since all of them are dead

Death age: The age the person died at

Physical age: How long they’ve been dead

Mental age: What age they act like; how old their mentality is

Let’s use Gemini as an example:

Death age: 17 years

Physical age: 500+ years

Mental age: 19 years

Death age and physical age cannot be changed, but mental age can. 

Age correlates to the person’s magical ability. The more magically advanced a person is, the more their mental age will go up.

Each constellation has a set amount of magical abilities, listed in full detail here, some more simplistic or complex than others. 

Simpler abilities, such as elemental magic, are very easy to learn. Once mastered, one or two years will be added to the person’s mental age. 

Complex abilities, such as essence magic, are extremely difficult to learn. Once mastered, five to ten years will be added to the person’s mental age.

A person can choose to purposefully not unlock their abilities and as a result, can functionally remain the age they died at forever, though this is not practiced very often and highly discouraged. The only person who did this is Gemini, because she’s a fucking idiot and wanted to pull a Peter Pan and be an immortal child (very unwise).

A version of the above can happen unintentionally to souls that died at a very young or old age (younger than 17 but older than 63). Younger souls’ brains aren’t developed enough to properly use magic and older souls’ brains aren’t flexible enough to properly use magic.

However, if these souls can reach the mental age of twenty (meaning, they can unlock their powers and level up their mental age), magic will become much easier (easier said than done, this is a very difficult process). There are ways, such as meditation, that attempt spiritual connection with the soul and the mind. They are supposed to help with unlocking magic powers, but these processes are still a work in progress.

Regardless, the above sucks for anyone. There are constellations that have tried for millenia to unlock their powers and that have failed. These souls often compensate with enchanted weapons to make up for their lack of powers.

The prime age to develop magical ability is between the ages of 25-50. 

Death age, physical age, and mental age for all zodiacs:

Aries:

Death age: 18

Physical age: 2000+ 

Mental age: 25

Taurus: 

Death age: 20

Physical age: 200+

Mental age: 26

Gemini: 

Death age: 17

Physical age: 500+

Mental age: 19

Cancer: 

Death age: 23

Physical age: 500+

Mental age: 27

Leo: 

Death age: 18

Physical age: 2000+

Mental age: 24

Virgo: 

Death age: 21

Physical age: 500+

Mental age: 26

Libra: 

Death age: 19

Physical age: 2000+

Mental age: 25

Scorpio: 

Death age: 17

Physical age: 2000+

Mental age: 23

Sagittarius: 

Death age: 22

Physical age: 100+

Mental age: 25

Capricorn: 

Death age: 35

Physical age: 100+

Mental age: 37

Aquarius: 

Death age: 19

Physical age: 1500+

Mental age: 26

Pisces: 

Death age: 20

Physical age: 1500+

Mental age: 24

Ophiuchus:

Death age: 15

Physical age: 1500+

Mental age: 20

Cetus:

Death age: 15

Physical age: 1500+

Mental age: 20

questions about my lore are greatly aPpReCiAtEd!!

...

the girl.

what was her name?

ciara?

a fine name.

...

she reminds me of you...my dear sister...

[littlespoonevan]

this is not directed at gifmakers in any way bc you are the lifeblood of this website and you are so talented and i Love You but the fact that tumblr has now completely gotten rid of the old post editor so that all gifsets on desktop themes look like pictures/gifs posted in a textpost rather than a photoset Truly may be the thing that breaks me when it comes to this website askjdfh and you might be like hey! ciara what do you care! you don’t make gifs! but what u need to understand is i am one of the 2% of people on this website that exclusively blogs on desktop and as such, i permanently have my blog open in a separate tab and have done every single day for the last 10 years and now whenever i go to that tab the gifsets that i know these creators have spent hours making look all messed up and don’t sit the way they should and when i tell you it literally makes me want to itch my brain every time i see it because it looks wRONG and i get this is a niche thing and it doesn’t affect these posts on the dashboard or the app or whatever but like i genuinely, genuinely cannot convey to you how much it bothers me out of every single change tumblr has made that people complain about this IS the hill i’m going to die on xo

[sweet-star-cookie]

a thought popped into my brain while i was reading your loooong post about filler episodes in media, and it is unfortunately quite a long thought >:D

whenever i'm writing out my SGZ! x TZE! fanfic, this thought is always at the forefront of my mind while writing:

Cassie: this Astral Plane is so cool! wow, there's so many things that are so similar to mine yet so different!

Ciara: what the FUCK why is everything in this Astral Plane trying to KILL ME????

you mentioned that characterization is really important in every story, ESPECIALLY in filler arcs, and that if you make a compelling character, they will make the story much much better, regardless of the action happening around them. whether it be plot related or not, good characterization will always make a good scene and be interesting to watch/read.

i tried to showcase characterization of the characters as much as possible; cassie is awestruck and eager to learn everything about another world, while ciara is constantly on survival mode, viewing everything as a potential threat. and yet, both of them display a sense of wonder towards each others' astral planes, both of them allowing their guards to come down and let their curiosity take hold. i try to showcase this multiple times; cassie attending capricorn's ball and wanting to learn more about how the TZE! Astral Plane functions and ciara briefly losing her survival instincts to observe the skymirror circus.

i think a lot about the plot structure of the SGZ! x TZE! fanfic, mainly because it's way different from the other fanfics i've written in the past. it is in fact mostly comprised of filler, because i really wanted to showcase how cassie and ciara behaved in scenarios that aren't life-or-death threats, which i imagine is what they're in most of the time!

lore and plot points are indeed sprinkled throughout these fillers, in the form of cassie and ciara finding out snippets of the history behind each others' Astral Planes. but they are mainly filler, simply because i think it would be fun to watch these characters that normally have a shitload of burdens weighing upon them get to experience a brief respite from those responsibilities and just enjoy themselves.

and i think it's also fun to see how they react to being put into completely out of the ordinary scenarios. how would cassie react to being threatened by a gang of pirates? how would ciara react to being forced into a dance-off with a group of birds? (definitely not spoilers for future chapters of SLM lmfaooo)

plot-driven fanfic is amazing, of course it is, but i think there's definitely some untapped potential in domestic/fluff fanfic. it's fun to see these characters sad or going through tough shit, but isn't it also fun to see these characters just have a good time?

anyway that's my ramble and my thoughts on filler arcs specifically on fanfic, i now need to go work on my english project :DD

Ah, the consequences of my actions! (I'm kidding, thank you for reading my long ramble about filler :D I hope it was useful or at least interesting!) Apologies in advance for the length of this response in turn though lol

I can definitely see the parallels! I do find it funny that both thoughts you've described for Cassie and Ciara here are also two thoughts that Cassie has had about her Astral Plane, especially at the start. She definitely has curiosity about the world and wants to know more, but she has quite a few near-death experiences and many of the residents seem to be after her in one way or another. It's not that Cassie lacks a survival instinct, but she has to learn the "rules" of the Astral Plane rather quickly to survive at all, or have others bail her out in that moment. Some aspects of her naivety in relation to the Astral Plane are directly challenged as well.

In turn, I can definitely see how Ciara's survival mode comes into play. I'd imagine that if she and Cassie were in an equally unfamiliar place together, they'd approach the unknown in different ways just based on their past experiences. Cassie might be able to help Ciara not be as fearful of some things, but Ciara might be able to help Cassie exercise more caution than she might have otherwise. And then, eventually, they'd both be able to tap into each other's sense of curiosity and wonder once the fear of danger has subsided a bit.

That's an interesting note about fanfic too, I don't write it myself but I can see how writing this particular one would be different from how you'd write others, especially more action-based ones. This crossover specifically explores a lot of stuff that DOESN'T happen in their respective stories, or at least not as much comparatively, and highlights similarities and differences with it instead. Neat stuff!

And I absolutely agree, simply exploring characters outside of action or plot relevance (in fanfic or otherwise) is not only fun, but can be really refreshing for both the author and the audience. Recently I "haha just kidding...unless?"ed myself into making a what-if scenario canon in my current draft of Starglass Zodiac, and I think the script is far better for it. There's a lot of fun moments between characters that previously wouldn't have interacted otherwise, and also it ties a lot of stuff together in a way that I really like.

How would Cassie react to being threatened by a gang of pirates? Well I'll have to see what Columba's crew has to say about that in my story, but I am very curious to see how you write it with your pirate gang! Looking forward to it :D Same for Ciara's dance-off, that sounds hilarious.

Ciara: Yeah I like to dance- The Southern Birds:

[awritingcaitlin]

✨Rinnie is a sassy sorceress who doesn't ever want to admit she had feelings ever. But she is also bamf and capable of healing magic, though she'd much rather light stuff on fire.

📙Nathaniel the poor tired grad student who is also a Marine on a mission. He *doesn't* get paid enough for this and just wants that nice peaceful life. It would be such a shame if a war were to happen...

🔪Riela, my knife-wielding barmaid who knows way more about religion than she lets on. She has about 50 million secrets from her past so good luck figuring them all out. But she's also a hopeless romantic who dreams of getting swept off her feet.

🍺Killian, Captain of the Queen's Guard. On a mission to save said dying Queen. Has a YOLO attitude and pulls no punches. He also never seems to sleep for very long.

📘Taryn, Rinnie's bodyguard with benefits. Never actually intended to get feelings. Ended up in way over her head in a few things. Wicked smart and perceptive.

🧪Mica, resident kooky alchemist. Took a cognizance potion that one time and now her brain has filing cabinets inside for all sorts of information. Very good at chemical and alchemical reactions. Escaped from pirates, does *not* want to go home and get married.

🍎 Paul, the soft-spoken Marine who doesn't feel it is appropriate to take on too much responsibility, but will step up should the occasion come up. He grew up on a farm and is an apple cider snob.

🍻 Mama Cass, the wise sage. Older than she looks. Older than seems possible. She knows what kind of drink you want without asking. Unbelievably kind. Seen it all before. Her face holds a smile and doesn't seem to know how to do anything else.

⭐Ilani my beloved oracle. She has visions of the future and knows what will come true. Yet she does not let this hold her back. She is loving and unbelievably patient. She has such a rigid set of morals that has never let her down.

👊 Roderick, the man who punched an admiral and still got a commission. He plays a mean game of Royal Will. Such a strategist. Plays darts when he's thinking.

🧝‍♂️ Kanjo, the character who changed entire arcs with his inclusion. The dirty mage who can brawl with the best then clean up and be a gentleman - sometimes. Perpetually a staff NCO. A realist. Drives fast motorcycles.

🧝‍♀️Kiyo my darling bartender. Who can mix a drink whole only half paying attention. Who can make sushi in her sleep. Who knows that the ocean will take your cares away. Who was creating whirlpools and waterspouts by age twelve. Dirty mage tricks.

🌠Thea. Woman on a mission. Believes she's doing the right thing. Immensely powerful. Older than she looks and she looks immortal. But she has dark secrets no one can know. And she begs forgiveness from the one who does.

🟡Cael. Protector. Warrior. Quiet. He's an incredibly smart tactician. You will never beat him at chess. He's seen it all and more. Will follow those he loves to the death.

🌟Ciara, my darling child. I say, knowing she's in her 30s. Brute force magic. Very powerful. Can weaponize her magic to deadly degrees. No shame. Looks like she can kill you and will actually kill you. Fiercely protective. Loves deeply. Dreams of settling down one day.

🌬️Zeh'ave, the air elemental with amnesia. Does not remember who she was before. Had to learn how to function again and still does not have full control of her powers. Lightning fast with magic, has a strong sense of self preservation.

💙Lily, the kick ass demonic astral. Can shapeshift but prefers her resting form in it's blue, tailed, horned, and hooved glory. Did a huge service to the state when she was younger. Was raised on the streets but knows how to pretend to be proper.

😈Ashora, another kick ass demonic astral. Lives as a mercenary. Styles her hair around her horns. Super strong, super fast. Loves the adventure.

🔫Cami, the prisoner. Currently in a high security prison for her supposed safety because no one knows what to do about the fact that she's possessed by a dragon.

⚕️Aravae, the doctor who has learned to play ruthless political games in order to survive. She knows the ins and outs of political, legal, and medical spheres. Looks like a cinnamon roll, probably won't kill you. Hates direct confrontation. Will end the fight.

👧🏾Janna, sweet Janna. Giggly and boisterous. Just wants to set herself apart from her large family. Always kind, very perceptive.

👦🏽 Adrian, the quiet cook. Young and wide eyed. Dreams of a better future. Bakes really good bread. Saving up money for someone special.

🧒🏼Sean, the even quieter waiter. Works the graveyard shift. His day starts around noon and he goes straight from closing up the tavern to the fish market to buy fish for the next day. Lives at the tavern though, so it makes it easier.

[solesommerso]

I do see my mutuals as cats and I will be forcing you all to know which ones

Left side- Rí ( @blathannabeaga )

- unhinged & a lil cursed

- visual representation of them opening their messages to see all the bs I spam them with

- that picture is just us in general

- screams with me about lil tv show men

- is slightly petty with me about the same plot lines that are years old

- reliable to go to with chaos

Right side - Ciara ( @fighterkimburgess )

- good vibes

- probably has soft music playing while they write

- comforting & peaceful blog to go to

- just enjoying their favorite ship

- has the best opinions about things

- has not been cursed by my weird rarepair brain rot yet (apologies to Rí)

[randombubblegum]

hi i’m definitely missing so much context for this but in regards to your post/the anon about awsten’s new gf (?????) changing her sleep schedule for him - isn’t that a thing he did for ciara and sung about??? “you’re why i keep my texas sleep hours on tour” i assumed it was like. Realized by him that was not a fantastic thing to do

it definitely IS a thing he did for ciara and specifically wrote into lyrics so youd thiiink! youd think if anyone involved in this had a brain :)! it would be pretty clear this is already going down a wildly unhealthy relationship trajectory and its only been half a year!!!!! but clearly awsten has never learned one single thing in his life and will continue to have the same bad relationship with clones of the same girl into his 30s and keep wondering why ❤️ incredible

[essaysbyciara]

34. Copy and paste an excerpt you’re particularly fond of.

From Thy Neighbor II: Loving The Crew:

As Ciara goes to grab Y’lan's notebook and pen to write down that email address, she notices that Y’lan isn’t wearing a wedding band. Why would Y’lan take his band off before meeting up with her? As Ciara writes down the email, he notices that Ciara hasn’t yet apologized for last night. Why is she acting as if she didn’t ask him to come over?

“Thanks, Ciara. This could stop the older ladies from my church from volunteering their daughters to come work…”

“I’m sure your wife doesn’t like that, huh?”

Y’lan remembers that Ciara thinks he’s married. Y’lan had no strength left to correct her assumption after their conversation at Proverbs. He feels like it’s now is the time to correct the record. 

“Ciara, I’m not married. I never got married. She  broke off our engagement because I was too much a damn mess to get married to anyone.” 

Ciara’s back taps her chair.  She feels foolish for insinuating that Y’lan is married plus stupid for letting her assumption turn her into such an emotional mess, a mess that crawled into Trevante’s arms that night. That now feels bittersweet since her and Trevante were on the verge of being together. 

“I’m sorry, Y’lan.”

“Don’t be. If I owe an apology to anyone, it’s you.” Y’lan continues tapping into his confessing spirit. “I wasn’t honest with you about where I was in my life. When we met, I was in a relationship with my high school sweetheart, I should say. And instead of being honest with either of you, I tried to play both of you. And I lost both of you.”

Ciara uses her ice coffee to cool down the heat suddenly rising inside of her chest. For Y’lan to confirm her suspicion that she was not the only one sends Ciara’s emotions into a tailspin. But oddly, she feels relieved to know the truth. No more guesses, no more expecting the worst, no more racking her brain about who she needs to kill. Her target is sitting right in front of her. But in a moment where she could – and should – let him have it, she decides to impart some grace. 

“I appreciate your apology, Y’lan. Truly. It takes a lot to admit that.”

“I was wrong to disappear on you too. I was too embarrassed to say anything. As soon as I left, me and her got engaged but it didn’t last. She saw right through my bullshit.”

“Y’lan, man. We have more coffee dates. You don’t have to spill all of your tea at once.”

“We do?” 

A smile graces Y’lan’s face at the thought of spending more time with Ciara. Ciara realizes what she said and instantly has regrets. She doesn’t want for Y’lan to think that they can start all over. She still has to process what she’s heard first. But as Y’lan cracks that smile that she fell in love with, she couldn’t help thinking back to those mornings in Commonwealth, at that high table, when Y’lan would smile at her and her body would feel every emotion known to creation. She’s feeling those things right now – especially since Y’lan isn’t going home to a wife. 

It leads her to look into his eyes. He matches her energy, staring through her soul. Silence engulfs them as the flood of curiosity and lust Y’lan first felt when he met her at that speaker series  two years ago suddenly overpowers his being. He thought he lost her for good but now she’s sitting right here, forgiving — and attainable. 

As for Ciara, what she always felt after Y’lan would leave her house, feelings full of sensual angst that she would exorcise from her body with the help of some batteries, hits her like a ton of cinderblocks. 

They simultaneously inhaled the energy from two years ago. They wonder who would exhale first. 

Ciara exhales once she notices Trevante walking toward their table. 

[ciarashoggoth]

A Report! From Inside The Walls of Mallmart

The Hypothalamus is the part of your brain  that is located at the base of the brain. Some of its functions are releasing hormones,  regulating body temperature, maintaining bodily cycles, controlling appetite, managing sexual behavior, and regulating emotional responses. It works with the pituitary gland (Located at the base of the brain, the pituitary gland interacts with other glands and is in control of all hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen, oxytocin, dopamine, etc.) and the thyroid gland, located at the base of the neck, regulates hormones and body weight.

The thyroid gland has been a topic of anguish as of late. All the things that can happen to such a little, butterfly shaped gland seems overwhelming. It seems insurmountable, and the worst part is that I'm not a surgeon, or doctor, or a vet or anything useful to really help in this matter at all. All that's left to do is try to will good fortune into existence, because this is the story of a Mallmart Associate.

I tried explaining to Taylor the terms and conditions I had settled on with management. To my surprise though, she rejected our little peace treaty in favor of…truth. "Taylor, bestie- no." My voice was strained, but once she had set her mind to something, there was no talking her out of it. Taylor, had a look in her eyes that told me she onto something, something I was not yet privy to. "We don't have to tell them, you know. In fact, it would be better to work with them under the assumption we agreed to their terms. You can be a whistleblower, Ciara. You can do that for me, right?" A whistleblower, huh? Well, how could I say no when she looks at me like that?

Hyperthyroidism is when the thyroid produces too much of a hormone called triiodothyronine, and a hormone called thyroxine, which can speed up your metabolism, cause hair loss, cause sensitivity to heat, and speed up your heart rate. Hypothyroidism has the opposite problem, where your heart rate slows down, not unlike a bear during hibernation. They become sensitive to the cold, and the metabolism slows in self preservation. 

My cat, is unwell. My friend is unwell, and there's nothing I can do about it. The weight set is suddenly more heavy in my hands, as I scowl at the empty space on the shelf, where it goes. The fire alarm goes off in the store again, and on impulse I go to check my phone with dread and anxiety- 

Well crap.

It's lunch time.

I, of course got spoken to by management. I needed to smile with my eyes, was what they said. My smile was too uncanny valley. I remember trying to smile with my eyes as a kid. I'm sure we all remember looking at ourselves in the mirror, practicing faces, trying to look genuine and authentic like the people on television. The actors that made us fall in love with them through their raw, unbridled emotions that they conveyed through soulful eyes and creased brows, and those wide, sparkling smiles. I saved a photo of the first time I attempted to smile with my eyes, to remember that moment. It's an ugly photo, but it's a reminder of that day. "Aiden, does this look like a genuine smile?"

Aiden Gossman screams. Loud and harshly like his being killed. Huh, that sounds like a no… "Jeezum, don't ever-" he cuts himself off, taking a bite from his chicken sandwich. "What department are you working after break?" I ask him, curiously. "Right into business, huh? Aren't you like, interested in what happened to me this morning?" And with that, Aiden launches into a tale.

That morning, Aiden had been working in the pharmacy section, setting out stock from the backrooms- mostly vitamins. Headphones in his ears, he walks down the vitamin aisle, being serenaded by the sweet voice of Kurt Cobain, only to unexpectedly be taken out of his trance by a woman. She was stark pale, and staring straight ahead. It was as if she was staring at Aiden, and yet, she wasn't. Her eyes were impossibly wide, almost a characture of herself, the lines in her face- she was in absolutely terror. "Ma'am…?" Aiden asks, hesitant to go near her. Something about her seemed to scream, "danger!" And then, her lips parted, and the black inky ooze- impossibly black, spilled forth from her lips and down her chin, dripping onto her floral blouse before her head rolled back. Her body collapses onto the ground, and the moment her body hits the cold, hard cement grounds of our little store, the fire alarm goes off. 

"And what happened then?" I leaned in, curious. "What happened then? An ambulance had to come pick her up. Like dude, I literally thought she was going to die there or something!" He exclaimed. Well, time to test a theory. "You said the stuff was inky? By any chance did it look anything like the stuff that was dripping from the skylights, weeks ago?" He doesn't say anything, because I hit the nail right on the head. Neither of us know what to do about it.

Below; The Photo

[silyabeeodess]

"It's been so long since Asgore last came here," said Avalbanshee, sitting draped across the table like a melted puddle. She and her most recent student, Gwendolyn, had joined the two sisters in their studies for the afternoon. "I think you'll be impressed with him."

"From the rumors, he sounds almost childish," Ciara muttered with her nose in a book.

"It's just that sometimes his heart can be a bit larger than his brain." 

Dark Origins has updated on FFN and Ao3!!

[liliumwallichianum]

what a freaking week this has been and it's only wedneday. i wanted to write in my journal about the wisdoms i uncovered today but there's too much that i felt that i should type.

first lets start with dumping

-we dont deserve animals, how they protect and love us unconditionally... so much gratitutde

-god the fucking finale of mmm KILLED me . that moment she looks at the mic on gordon ford is how i feel about my life rn... how i felt at my HB audition (then killed it and landed it might i add), how i feel tuning out the bullshit around me. it brought me to tears

-not to mention..... my heart at all the lenny scenes. the way he talks about her... respects her.... sees her for what she is worth and sees her for all her strengths.... which btw kinda felt annoyed that she blew joel a kiss at the show bc what the fuck did he do besides make her miserable her entire career ..whereas lenny on the other hand... dear sweet lenny.. he did nothing but hype her up. her #1 fan. the only other person besides suz that never doubted her. always saw her worth and made sure she knew it... god that scene at the chinese food restaurant killed me with the fortune cookie. heart eyes on the way he talks about her and talks TO her about her 4L

-speaking about amazing men loving amazing woman. the wisdom that Miss C I A R A dropped on CHD really put things into perspective again. it was kinda my wake up call from the delusion ive been living in since july but also just like put me back on track to my anchoring faith that my mans really is out there and we really are becoming stronger and stronger every day for each other and the life we are going to create together. like it made me reallllllllllly happy knowing that there is gonna be somebody that God is creating for me, and we will be better together than i can even imagine in my tiny human brain. so yeah im just excited.

-also karma is real. and i need to stop lying about why im showing up to work late every day ( even tho it's kinda true ...)

-theme of my 20s is patience because good things come to those who wait but great things come to those that observe gratitude while waiting :))))))

-my momma is my bestie and i gotta stop being mean to her

-my bounce backs from my PMDD sessions are so much better than they used to be and im taking that as a fat dub! women are meant to rest! and make babies! and be creative and intuitive and be little angelic witchy fairies that create magic and keep familys going! ciara kinda proved my point on that pod episode tbh

-a bunch of other wisdom as to why i love god, myself, my life, and the beauty of everything around me that im too tired to explain rn but know deep down in my heart

ok i rest now love u

o one more thing - i feel so disconnected from the people previously in my life lmao and idk if this is all part of my growth or i just havent seen them in a while or something but i litearlly feel stronger and stronger the more i dont see my friends and idk.... not stronger but just more content? feels like im outgrowing everyone or maybe just growing in a diff direction and it's simultaneously sad but exciting because that means new souls should be arriving soon! excited to find the beauty in them :)

[alwritey-aphrodite]

hiiiii congrats on 900 followers ❤️💖✨

second we have the same title I absolutely love love love love love hits different it’s my fav song off midnights because it has the very smart evermore folklore speak now red style writing and it zooms in on specific moments and makes them feel so universal which I love and it’d an absolute banger

anyways congrats on 900 followers again and for the sleepover 🛳🛳🛳🛳🛳

I’m obviously a huuuge Swiftie for one, I love it when people title their fics with her songs cause then I’ll just scream the lyrics in the comments

I’m definitely a lululemon girly girl and I’m also very lazy and I procrastinate a lot and I’m also a Pisces so I’m kind of emotional I love doing my makeup hate doing my hair so it kinda just stays down all the time plus I’m delusional as fuuuuck

I should not be doing any sort of physical activity whatsoever I used to be that one scared of balls girl in elementary school I’ve been playing piano since first grade I love music before Taylor was my absolute queen sza was tbh I’m mostly a very rnb girly I love Beyoncé, rihanna, summer walker, Monica, The Weeknd, Mariah Carey, Muni Long, and Ciara

plus I overdose on sarcasm 90 percent of the time and i love watching trashy shows like the kardashians and I’m a huge Trixie Mattel STAN love Margot Robbie she’s my fav actress

Ahhhh yay Hits Different!! And thank you so much <3

I think you’d be perfect for Santiago Garcia! He’s also sarcastic as all hell 90% of the time, so having a similar sense of humor is essential to him, and even though he’d never admit it, he also loves trashy reality TV, they’re just the perfect way to turn off his brain and he loves cuddling up with you and talking over all the crazy drama. He’d love listening to you play piano, and even though he’s not quite a Swiftie, he definitely appreciates her music and knows most her songs - thanks to you. As someone who’s constantly moving, having a partner who knows how to relax and do nothing is essential for him, because god knows he’d never sit down if you weren’t there to tempt him with TV and cuddles and snacks. He’d definitely love watching you do your makeup, finding it mesmerizing how skillful you are and how quickly you can get through your routine despite your precision. Being so closed off, he needs someone with an emotional side to remind him it’s ok to share and show his feelings, regardless of if they’re good or bad. All in all, the two of you balance each other out perfectly.