#I think I could've used more herbs

[handern]

finally nailed the cooking technique of the fucking squid in that one family recipe I've been complaining about since 2018

still didn't nail the quantity of butter necessary, I'm starting to get scared

[fluffer5]

Humans and our insane biology

My 2nd entry to humans are space orcs.

So, I've always seen in movies that the intergalactic version of healing is via cryopads or filling an entire space tube with some sort of liquid and just chucking the entire person inside to heal for an indefinite amount of time depending on the severity of their injury.

Now, humans don't have the luxury of that. I can sorta theorized that the medical stuff the aliens use would include the use of nanites or galactic medicinal herbs that would speed up the healing process, bumping up a supposedly 10 years of physical rehabilitation and recovery to a few months at most and to those who get the quality herbs, then a few weeks.

Seeing as Earth would be seen as a deathworld, a term I've been seeing for planets that hold life forms but is seen as a hostile planet to other other galactic race, they would be baffled by the slowness of our healing process.

They might think, "Their planet is harsh so their healing process must be very fast". And they're half correct with that assumption. Even the most ill of humans can fight back on a lot of health issues even with minimal medical support.

Infection? Increased white blood cells and even developing a fever to kill this micro invaders via increased body temperature. The body not getting oxygen? Body falls into tachypnea or breathing too fast to get more oxygen. Any feelings of danger? Adrenaline pumps out to give you an extra boost of energy for fight or flight purposes. Injury leading to a cut somewhere on our skin? Have the platelet go over there and cover the cut and have the white blood cells round up the bacteria that could've entered. Hungry with no food? Let me use this fat tissue as energy.

Alien: You mean you heal slowly or very fast depending on your injury?! What if your body can't heal itself or what if you're too weak to do the healing?! *panicking from the stress since humans are technically considered as Eternal Younglings given that they're the fastest to die from their short lifespan*

Human: That's when we go to the hospital. Our version of your healing technology.

Alien: Oh, thank the stars. So how long do you stay in your cryopad if you have a deep injury?

Human: Depends on how deep. If it's just a small cut or a small bruise then we don't go to the hospital. But if the injury is super deep or an organ is not functioning well or we're bleeding from the inside, then we have doctors who put us to sleep with this chemical called anesthesia and they operate on the cut and fix the messed up organs.

Alien: *concerned alien noises* Doctors are like healers, yes? How do they exactly 'fix' you?

Human: So, they inject us with this anesthesia, wait for us to fall asleep, then cut their way through our muscle, fats, and tissues before seeing the organs, maybe cutting up a bit of it to send to the labs or fixing it up. I don't really know the exact details since I'm just your plain worker.

Alien: Child, 'healers' who cut up patients are called as kiarvetj, killers! *exasperated, panicky actions* How... how often did you say that you Terrans go to this hospital again?

Human: Oh, I'm not sure for the rest of my kind but for those who are healthy enough like me who can function and not collapse or vomit blood or get in an accident, then pretty much never. Besides, even if I want to know if I'm sick of something, the price to have myself be medically checked is too much. So I just make do with herbs and stuff.

Alien: I think I'm going to have a word with the UIC (Unified Intergalactic Council) about this... AGAIN!

[fromabasementonthehilll]

My Girlfriend Is a Witch (pt.1)

͙⁺･༓☾ - Summary: after finding the cabin, lottie ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‏‏‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎had begun acting weirder than usual.

Pairing: lottie matthews x fem!reader

Warnings: ...

Pt.2

a/n: thinking of making this into 2 or 3 parts?? this is more of a build up so I'm sorry if it's a bit slow!

∘₊✧────────────────────✧₊∘

It had been a week, maybe more, after the crash. You counted the days - believing it wasn't long until you would all be found and saved. Everyone followed the same belief, but it slowly began to lose its appeal as the days got longer and there was no promise of rescue, and you had lost track anyway.

Misty had treated you alongside everyone else, she wrapped your gashed shoulder up with a bandage out of some emergency aid kit in the planes cabinet, which you had been unwrapping everyday to keep clean. It was fine at first, but the shortages of antibiotics and extra bandages had it healing much slower than it should've, it hurt like a bitch and you were putting up the best 'tough' act you could to avoid adding anymore stress to the situation.

You sat outside of the cabin on a broken log, setting up fire to cook dinner, faintly smelling the herbs in the air that Mari managed to find whilst the others were either doing laundry or getting water from the nearby lake. Lottie hadn't been doing much, though. Her mind was in a different place ever since the crash, you noticed as she began to act differently recently, but you thought nothing of it - everyone else had been stressed, unorganised and tired, so why would it be out of the ordinary for Lottie to feel the same?

You and Lottie began dating a month before the flight, she had confessed to you one day after practice - you watched panic on her face as she barely managed to get her words out, before you laughed in reassurance and told her you felt the same way. Neither of you had told anyone about your relationship and wanted to keep it that way - it wouldn't benefit you or her.

"Hey, you okay?" she came up to you, sitting on the log opposite of the one you sat on, her expression ardent each time she saw you.

"Yeah, is Shauna done with the meat yet?" You asked, feeling hunger eat away at your stomach. "No I don't think so, she's trying to get Jackie to do something," she explained, "I'm sure she'll be done by the time you set up the fire, though." you nodded, giving up on rubbing sticks for the time being. "You look real good for someone who's stranded in the wilderness, y'know" she laughed, watching you trying to rub off the ash from last nights fire, "Shut up, Lottie" you teased with the same toothy smile she loved.

It took you a while to get used to the new situation, though more often than not you were helping around with things. In around 5th grade your parents thought it was a good idea to get you into girl scouts, you partially hated them for it - the uniform sucked and you'd always be covered in dirt. You had been mentally reciting the folklore stories told by the counsellors; as the wilderness caved in some of your old memories, often wondering if they had any truth to them. You stayed there until you turned 14, learning a bunch of survival skills that you brushed off as stupid, it was ironic how useful they were now.

"Lot, how are you?" You hadn't asked that in ages, too preoccupied with surviving, just as everyone else had been. Lottie's breath hitched, knowing she wasn't fine at all, considering her meds ran out. "I'm fine, I just missed you (y/n)." She smiled sheepishly, suppressing the doubt she had in her own words. She truly did miss you, the distance that brewed between you two wasn't as bad as it could've been, but she needed you the most right now.

You could sense her unease, standing up to sit next to her, "You can talk to me, you know that right?" You moved your hand towards hers, smiling warmly as you looked at each other. her eyes were filled with anguish, her jaw clenching before she spoke,

"Promise you won't think I'm weird?"

"I promise."

You leaned towards her, watching as she tucked her hair behind her ear before letting loose of her worry, "I've had these strange visions," Her gaze was diverted to the floor, "and I've been hearing things." she shook her head in disbelief, almost shocked; confused. "What kind of visions?" You kept your eyes on her, not thinking any less of her. "I don't know, it's like I can see what happens before it happens." She gave you a sorry look, you opened your mouth to speak before being interrupted by Shauna, "Here." Jackie stood behind her as Shauna handed you the meat, looking at it in complete disgust.

Lottie wasn't given the opportunity to offer you an explanation, but it made sense to you, considering her strange act for the past week.

-

The night grew colder than the last, you had been sleeping in the attic with lottie for the past few days to prove it wasn't haunted, and you struggled to keep heat upstairs. "Just sleep here, near the fire." Shauna stated after you had tried to haggle for more blankets, you refused, though, wanting to spend more time with Lottie and keep an eye on her after she had opened up to you. "well feel free to come downstairs, there's always room." she finished, laying down the pillows.

You climbed the ladder to see lottie already there, facing the window - illuminated by the moon and stars. sitting behind her, you spoke, "Another vision?" It was a couple days after she had spoken to you about them, and she told you what she could. They weren't too frequent, but when they happened you'd stay close to her.

"I heard a baby crying this time, it went on and off for a while, but I cant figure it out." Her words were cold and hurt. You were the only one who knew about her newfound state, since you swore not to tell anybody to avoid Lottie seeming crazy to the others, and that's why you tried your best to understand, to help her. but often your help was useless, you figured it might've just been a trauma response to the crash, and you stuck around. You wrapped your arms around her shoulders, hugging her from behind, bringing your body close to hers and resting your head on the back of her neck.

"Things'll gonna be okay, Lottie." Your voice was warming, bringing slight comfort to her discomfort.

You two sat there for a while, your eyes resting as she gazed at the night sky, before she turned to face you. "What if they won't be?" She bit her lip, making constant eye contact with you. She'd wear your jewellery often, you assumed it just got lost in the crash until you noticed, but she just wanted you close to her when you weren't around, and talking to each other for more than a minute was rare lately, so she had resorted to constant distress and longing.

She couldn't risk hurting you as a result of her own disturbance, just like she had before, and she subconsciously needed your reassurance that things wouldn't go that way.

"Why would you think that?" You shook your head, seeing Lottie avert her gaze to your shoulder, "Because things haven't been in our favour for a while." Her feelings were daunting to figure out, you looked up at her with sad yet hopeful eyes. "Stressing about it isn't gonna make it any better, Lot." You chuckled lightly, sensing tension brewing and wanting to avoid her mind going back into the dark place it would often wander to. She smiled in return, her eyes softening at your remark. "Hey do you remember when we would go on those road trips? you'd be so tired driving, I'd have to remind you not to crash into a tree" Lottie spoke, you saw her jaw soften and heard her laugh filling the wooden room, "And you would play shitty music just to rile me up," You added, "What?? I played it because I liked those songs (y/n), don't judge me,"

You two would often drive to seattle in your old beaten up sedan to visit your family, though you'd always make sure to turn it into a full blown camping roadtrip each time - since Washington was on the complete opposite side of New Jersey.

"You think we can go again after we're back home?" It didn't even cross your mind that Lottie thought there was chance of rescue, you were taken aback for a moment. When Lottie was with you something would alter inside of her, as if everything negative she ever believed had dissipated, you gave her hope.

"We'll go wherever you want."

She smiled a moment before her eyes looked up to yours and then down to your lips - then back to your eyes again, she kissed you and you could've sworn you felt religion in her lips; how they caressed yours with trails of grace.

-

"Are you fucking kidding me lottie?? what's gotten into you?" A riled up voice spat under lottie who had just stood there. "Nat, calm down." Shauna intervened, you walked out of the cabin, rubbing your puffy eyes as they adjusted to the light, woken by the voices after the best sleep you'd had in a while. "What's going on?" You looked towards Nat and Lottie.

"Lottie's acting like she's in The Craft or something, sort her out before she casts a spell on one of us." Natalie faced you with annoyance, your bottom lip slightly hung out - still half asleep. Everyone knew something was up with Lottie after she bashed her head into the window, it wasn't that much of a secret after all. Most were worried and you could tell, and so Natalie's reaction had you confused, you looked around to see everyone waiting for your response.

"She's been through a lot, like the rest of us. just leave her alone, Nat." You sighed, everyone went back inside - Natalie flailing her arms as you gestured for Lottie to follow you somewhere deeper into the forest. "What happened? are you okay?" You stopped amongst the woods, "Yeah, fine." she looked distressed and distant, crossing her arms, "Just ignore her, she didn't mean it," Lottie cut you off as her rushing thoughts came out,

"But what if she's right? what if I really am going crazy?"

"You're not crazy Lottie, you're just as fucked as the rest of us, nothing more." Your reassurance seemed to get through to her, your words meant the world to her and you knew it.

"You don't think there's something wrong with me?" Her face was almost pale, skin rough and almost loving eyes.

"Oh my god, of course not," you faltered into a feathery smile, "You're perfect, Lottie." You watched as her face began to regain her warm colour, softening at your words. Sometimes it felt like the world stopped around you when you were near her, you would've done anything - just to see her okay again, and she would've done anything to see you carefree and happy, just like you used to be.

She looked to the ground, laughing in relief while small tears left her eyes. "And I'm the sappy one?"

"Yeah okay, I'm not the one who wrote a love letter as an apology," She slapped your shoulder and you kept giggling like a maniac, before you were stopped dead in your tracks by Misty carrying an empty water bucket, "Are you two planning on helping?" One hand on her hip and the other holding out the bucket, "It's unfair to think you're exempt from helping when we should all be-"

"Jeez okay we'll fill it up." Lottie suppressed her laughter the best she could, running to take the bucket from an impatient Misty.

After getting back to the cabin, you settled on the living room floor with a blanket and a book. You never read books much before, however somehow it had become a routine by now.

"What're you reading?" Lottie asked, sliding down next to you.

"To the Lighthouse, Virgina Woolf. I found it in one of the drawers in the attic."

"Any good?" You never took Lottie as a reader, her interests only really came to surface when you would talk about yours, "I'll finish it and let you know." You looked at her with a smile, closing the book and resting it to the side for the time being.

-

Your mouth was filled with sickening sweetness as you chewed on the last of your food, which just happened to be the gummies your mom packed you 'for the road'.

There was no food left, and your hunger began to yearn for something else - someone else.

And her winter was cursed with your bewitchment,

the loving haze which she had caused upon you herself.

[itevilhag]

your brother’s here | neteyam sully

neteyam x sister!reader | neteyam x twin!sister!reader

summary: a group of boys decided it would be fun to call you names, and your brother was not about to put up with it. but this leads to an arguement between a very protective brother and a guilt ridden sister.

word count: 702

warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, FLUFF, brotherly love, mentions of bullying and physical violence (nothing in detail).

.

.

.

You were angry. Furious at your brother's utter stupidity. While both of them were bragging about beating the shit out of Ao’nung and his friends and Kiri scolding them from time to time, you remained silent, only focusing on the task at hand- tending to your eldest brother's wounds.

And as time went on, your silence became more and more noticeable to your siblings. And all of a sudden, none of them knew what to do. They looked at each other nervously, then at you. Your shoulders were tense. Your jaw clenched too tight, the unusual sharpness of your ears, and the slight flare of your nostrils that only Neteyam noticed. Gone was the liveliest of the Sully siblings because now she was replaced by a person they rarely get to see.

The uncomfortable silence suddenly broke when you applied too much pressure on the gash in his arm.

"Ow- Ow! It hurts!" Neteyam flinched away from you, but you kept your hold on his arm firm. You thought for a second that he deserved it for his sheer stupidity engaging into a fight with Ao'nung, but guilt immediately consumed you as that he would not be in this predicamanet if it wasn't for you. But your resolve did not falter. 

"Kiri, Lo'ak can you please leave us for a moment?"

Kiri and Lo’ak froze at the tone of your voice. Firm and commanding, you sounded so much like your mother that it was enough to scare them into obeying.

"You are in so much trouble." Kiri snickered as she passed by Neteyam, who in turn only rolled his eyes.

Silence stretched between you and Neteyam. The waves crashing upon the shore and the crunching of healing herbs filled the gaps of silence, until-

“Little sister-” Neteyam started.

"Don't you little sister me-" you glared at him as your crushing of herbs came to a halt. "You of all people know better than instigating a fight!" you placed the now bowl of healing salve in front of you and carefully took your brothers arm in your hand and started applying the salve as gently as possible trying with every single bit of your being not to crige at the way he silently hisses everytime salve makes contact with his wound.

"And having a fistfight with the Olo’eyktan’s son? What were you thinking? Not to mention the fact that you and Lo’ak got hurt-"

"But still,” your angered exterior softened as you wrapped his arm in cloth. ”You shouldn't have. I could've handled it myself." 

"He called you a freak, Y/N. He disrespected you." Neteyam hissed. 

"And let you get hurt? No way! I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you."

It’s my job to protect you.

His words echoed in your brain as your eyes wandered towards the bruise that blossomed on his cheek. The cuts across his skin. Every single one served as a reminder of what you did. And this was where you realized that your anger was not geared towards your brother but towards yourself. You were disappointed in yourself because you couldn’t protect him from getting beaten by those boys. If you weren’t so different, so unnatural, he wouldn’t have had to defend you. If it wasn’t for you, he would not be hurt.

You cast your head down in shame as tears broke through your eyes and a painful sob made its way past your lips. Neteyam immediately embraced you, and you clung to him like it was your last. His arms wrapped around your shoulders, and yours circled his waist.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault," he whispered in comfort as he slowly pulled back to wipe the tears that had painted your cheeks with an arm still around your shoulder. 

"But it is! If I was just normal like everyone else, no one would pick on me and you wouldn't have gotten hurt." you sobbed on his shoulder. "I curse Eywa for making me like this!" 

Neteyam was stunned at the gravity of your words. "You don't mean that."

“You are not a freak, okay? You may be different from everyone else, but what you are is not a curse It is a gift.” your brother assured you with a small smile. “You can talk to animals for Eywa's sake! Who else can do that? No one, but you can. Isn't that cool?" he marveled with a laugh. 

You chuckled wetly against his shoulder with a light shrug. "It kinda is." 

"So, I will not let anyone make you feel otherwise. No one gets to talk to my sister like that, ever. Okay?"

You smiled up at him. "Okay."

"Thank you," you whispered.

“Don’t worry about it, sis,” he replied as he planted a kiss on your temple.  

"Just don't get hurt again, skxawng." your voice may have sounded sharp, but Neteyam knew that they carried no heat. It only made him chuckle. 

"There is my little sister." 

[spacexseven]

ohhhhh tuna you minx now im thinking about wet and pathetic subordinate au dazai.

it honestly never occured to him that he'd actually miss you if you were gone, you were nothing- less than nothing. just a rowdy grunt barely worth glancing at, destined to become nothing more than a forgotten name at the bottom of a filing cabinet and a bouquet of flowers anonymously sent to your family, if you even had any. you were just fun for him to play around with, that was all. he didn't even remember your name! or blood type! or favorite color or the way you pronounce certain words or your exact height or your eye color or your entire dating history or the fact that certain herbs (herbs that his book of dark magic SWORE were foolproof for love spells!!!) made you sneeze. none of this was information that he retained. nope. none of it at all.

but to be quite frank, the idea of suddenly no longer having unfettered access to you wasnt something he ever thought of before. in the port mafia's eyes, he pretty much owned you- you were officially packaged and licensed as a tool he could use as he wished, you leaving was never a worry! until it was. doesnt matter the reason- maybe mori picked you up for his own training or just moved you to a different unit, or you could've had to go on leave for a while and everyone is mean and wont give dazai your address, or maybe youve recently had a brush with death- as soon as the idea that you actually ARENT his property and its very possible that he could lose you sets in he FUCKING. PANICS. you cant go! youre HIS!

like you said, it goes from just a desire to get you back under his thumb to an overwhelming desperation for your love and acceptance. a mixture of overanalzying every single time you were ever kind to him and stalking you to the point where he knows everything there is to know about you makes him realize he's HOPELESSLY in love with you. he needs you more than he needs air. he'll DIE if you don't come back to him! he loves you more than anything! he'll do a lot of things to get even a second of your attention, even if its negative, he just needs you to talk to him, have your eyes on him. he'll cut it with the bullying at this point tho. as much as it hurts to be ignored, you being afraid of him makes him feel like hes imploding. if you instinctively move away when he reaches out for you he might actually tear up. speaking of which, falling to the floor in sobs and reaching for you like a child is not beyond him, he has absolutely no shame when it comes to you.

he'll only escalate the more you try to push him off or let him down easy, so honestly caving and giving him a chance might be your best bet. sure, he's incredibly unstable, dangerous, and you have absolutely no fond memories of him at this point- but on the plus side, you have an executive at your beck and call! hes FINALLY gotten into your good graces, and hell do just about anything to stay there- and hes actually pretty sweet when hes all lovey like this. I mean its less of a worshipping thing than you might want, hes still VERY certain he knows better than you and needs to take care of you now that you're officially his which causes some. issues. but oh well! better than letting him run rampant.

- 🩹

hello again!! so sorry it took me Forever to get to this im very very sorry

cw: yandere themes

when he hears that you might be shifted off elsewhere, dazai only pretends not to care, convinced that nobody would dare take you away from him. after all, who would want to make an enemy out of dazai? and even if you're gone, who cares?? he has tons of other people to pick on, tons of other things to do than mourn your absence.

it doesn't matter that the car he takes out is starting to look very empty with just him, doesn't matter that the driver's seat feels foreign to him after being accustomed to your presence. it doesn't matter that he has to start sitting on tables with just one chair in cafe's, doesn't matter that he still asks for your order as well and it definitely doesn't matter that the cat outside the base you always feed stops coming by anymore. it's not like he feels lonely, too used to another person by his side, not like you were of any use to him, anyway—all you did was drag him down!

you weren't anything special, nothing memorable about you, not the scars you earned after months in the pm, not the way disdain painted your face when dazai entered the room, not the way you said his name, and definitely, nothing stood out about you! he definitely didn't have a whole list of things written down about you, which included your favorite games and what groceries you got and what hobbies you had or even the number of interactions you had with each pm member (he also definitely did not cap the limit at 10 in a week, after which that person wouldn't be seen around you again).

but then it occurs to him that nobody else had the right to do that to him. regardless if you're in critical condition or sent off on some secret investigation, dazai is furious by the implications. the idea that you weren't ultimately under his direct command, the fact that someone else thought to meddle, it frustrates and infuriates him to no end. he panics, he throws a tantrum, but in the end, dazai's still not sated.

as dazai finally gains a crumb of self-perception, it finally occurs to him that he's in love with you, and he has no shame in letting the world know about it. he panics, wondering if you'd ever like him, but he pushes that to the back and focuses on what he can do. which ranges from stalking you to clinging onto your leg when you ignore him to even breaking into your home and nursing you. there comes a point where he is genuinely convinced that he might drop down dead if you ignore him any longer, mostly because he doesn't know how to deal with the pain of heartbreak and the guilt and the depression all sinking onto him at once. he has no shame in this situation, and no care for self-preservation, unlike chuuya. nothing matters more to him than you, and he won't stop at anything until you give in. and i agree that the more you reject him the crazier his attempts are going to get. the next thing you know, all of yokohama is going to wake up to him screaming about how much he loves you.

a lovesick dazai is an unstoppable dazai. while he appears like a fool in his attempts to win you over, he still maintains a cruel demeanor towards anyone else. if it makes you happy, he's ready to wipe out yokohama, or even just the person who cut ahead of you in line. just as long as you promise to stay by his side, of course. he's finally found a semblance of happiness, and he's willing to do anything to keep it. for the most part, if you're able to deal with him as a boyfriend despite his past with you, he's surprisingly not that bad. since it's dazai, there are still some glaring problems with the whole relationship, but for the most part, he takes on the role of an extremely doting boyfriend who just wants to keep you safe. and unlike chuuya, dazai doesn't ever let you know what dirty work he does to keep your relationship going—all his hard work would be for nothing if you were scared of him again, after all.

[turiluvr]

butterflies

featherlight kisses that feel like butterflies.

tighnari x gn!reader

Tighnari wasn't someone who was fond of trapping insects into small jars for experimentation – some part of him thinks it's inhumane, that there was something severely wrong with the concept of using life for the sake of research. But down to the very core, he was a promising scholar who was dominated by curiosity. And the deliberation about whether or not it was morally correct to use small insects for the sake of research was right or wrong was thrown into the furthest part of his mind as he took some glass jars and stashed them into his knapsack.

"Master Tighnari, wait up!" You made your way into his abode without another warning as you panted, out of breath after running all the way from the forest to his quarters as he stared at you curiously. Though he continued shoving items into his bag – a notepad, a pen, some samples of herbs and plants, and a plethora of tools that could help him with his next experiment. You continued, hand on your chest as you still tried to catch your breath. "You could've told me beforehand that you were going to take a trip to the forest to catch samples! Take me with you, please, I need to collect some samples as well."

He stared at you from the corner of his eye as he closed his bag and readied himself to go outside. He pondered for a moment if he should allow you to accompany him or not, though you probably wouldn't appreciate a little teasing given your serious expression. So he responded with the same level of seriousness: "Alright. Though, you'll have to stick next to me since we're going pretty far this time. If you manage to find yourself lost because you didn't listen to a word I said, don't come looking for me – got it?"

You nodded your head as you grabbed your bag and trailed behind him as both of you set out on your journey to go deep into the forest. The familiar green was as captivating as ever as the sun shone directly above the leaves that provided you with shade, you couldn't help but gawk in awe every time you saw the lush leaves and the colorful plants that you come across during your patrols. Tighnari caught you slowing down from the corner of his eye, and his ear twitched ever so slightly as he asked you: "what's wrong?"

You shook your head and waved your hands violently, embarrassed that he caught you doing something as stupid as staring at the trees you see everyday. "Oh, no! Nothing's wrong! I… I was just thinking about how beautiful the flowers are."

"...? Do you not see this sight every day?" Tighnari couldn't help but grow curious as he knitted his brows together. He knew that you were lying through your teeth, and he just wasn't the type to let that kind of thing go – especially when the excuse you gave him was so lame and full of holes. He thought that maybe he could teach you a thing or two about coming up with better excuses but that was another lesson saved for another day.

You laughed nervously, you knew Tighnari well and you could immediately make out the sarcasm dripping from his voice as you made your way through the thick bushes. "Well, yes, I do. But is it not possible that the flowers are more radiant today?"

"Hmm, it's not entirely impossible." Tighnari chuckled. At this point, this friendly banter became something both played along with. "Though I'm sure you know full well that I can tell whether or not you're trying to hide something. Our time together has not been entirely in vain."

"Master Tighnari…" you grimaced. "Observing people so closely like that can ward people away from you, you know?"

Tighnari stopped in his tracks, a mischievous look gracing his features as he turned to look at you for a moment and muttered, "and yet you continue to follow me around. I wonder why – could you be inexplicably attracted to me?"

You fell silent, and a satisfied look took over Tighnari's face as he continued marching on. You felt your face flush in embarrassment as you chased after him – how humiliating was that!? You regretted not being able to come up with a better retort to his words but there was an invisible force that made you want to blurt out your true feelings. The rest of the journey was silent as both of you finally arrived at your final destination, it was a grassy field with butterflies and flowers scattered all over as it painted an ethereal sight to behold.

The first thing Tighnari did was sit down on the grassy field and whipped out his pencil and notepad, quickly scribbling down his findings before turning back to you: “Well, what are you waiting for? If you’re gonna catch some samples, you better hurry up – we don’t have all day, and I won’t be waiting for you past sunset.”

His tone was a little mean, perhaps a little cruel at best but you knew that those were nothing but empty threats meant to push you a little and to tease you. It was Tighnari’s sick way of thinking, but you were too used to it to argue with him about it. So you quickly got to work as you scooped up some samples from the barks of the trees and stashed them into small vials inside your bag. A few strange mushrooms were lying around here and there but you didn’t know if they were an invasive species so you left it alone and made sure to notify Tighnari about them.

By the time you were done, Tighnari was finalizing his notes as you sat down next to him and stretched your limbs as you let out a small groan. “Argh… I can’t believe I have to work on this some more after we come back home, there’s really no rest for us, is there?”

“Well, you get what you signed up for.” Tighnari nudged you, poking on the fact that you took up this job entirely out of your own volition. There was no one that forced you to join and no one forced you to stay – but there was one problem, Tighnari. It was hysterical to think that he was the reason why you would endure the harsh jobs. It was to stay with him and continue seeing him, though you didn’t know if he knew about your little crush and you hoped that this little outing wasn’t enough for him to figure out that you were hopelessly crushing on him.

“Haha… you’re right.” But it would be a waste to let this opportunity come by without doing anything. Both of you were alone, after all. It wasn’t strange for you to want to get closer to him especially in this kind of situation and in this beautiful place. You gathered the courage, taking in a sharp breath, “Hey… Master Tighnari, are you seeing someone? Or… do you perhaps like someone?”

It was a straightforward question. And Tighnari was no idiot.

A butterfly passed by. One with white wings along with green features that made it seem like it was shining underneath the light like jewels – your eyes trailed its movements, desperate to not look at Tighnari out of embarrassment. There was little you could do when you impulsively tried to look toward him and felt a brief and light presence on your lips for a split second before feeling the cold warmth take over once more.

That was…?

By the time you had your thoughts together, Tighnari was already standing up and dusting the dirt from his clothes. But he didn’t face you. You touched your lips gently with your fingertips, you wondered if that was just a figment of your imagination or if it was real – a featherlight kiss that felt like a butterfly landing on your lips.

“That should suffice as an answer to your question.” Tighnari finally faced you, face a little red and his eyebrows furrowed as if mildly embarrassed. “Now, let’s go. The sun is about to set.”

You couldn’t believe it – did he really…? You felt like you were being driven mad.

[aninspiringwriter]

"Injured and Grief" Injured gn!Reader x Raiden

Summery: Y/n gets an injury and Raiden saves you, and maybe due to the herbs used to heal you, you confess your love

Word count: 713

Tw: Blood, angst, guilt.

Also this is in second person

Thanks to spartasghost15 for this idea

"Y/n! Y/n!" You would hear a voice yell for you. Raiden is able to pick you up as your injury pours out, a large gashing sword wound at your stomach. Raiden's own clothes getting stained with your blood as he runs towards the medical ward.

"Hold on Y/n! Please don't leave me yet, we are almost there" Raiden says, carrying you as you enter a state of dizziness, trying to keep your eyes open to not worry Raiden further, besides, he thinks this injury was his fault. As soon as you two enter the medical ward, they immediately take you out of Raiden's arms, but what pains you more than the wound is hearing the Thunder god's voice break and ache at the fact he can't currently be with you during this tough time. Your eyes close and the voice of Raiden fades out, you are in a mid consciousness and can hear certain things, mostly Raiden's voice.

"Oh I am so sorry Y/n." You hear out of Raiden's lips. "This is all my fault, all of it." You hear out of his mouth, his voice rash, and out of his nature, he was protective, but blaming himself for an injury you got, that was truly out of anything you have seen. You can hear his tears and sniffles, you can even feel some of his tears hit your chest. You can hear Raiden talk to somebody, then you fully fall out of consensus.

When you woke up, you felt a hand inside of yours. Raiden. It had to have been at least 4 hours and he hadn't left your side. He was sleeping, his face so peaceful but his eyes were of dried tears. He wasn't wearing his hat, his hair flowing and... His clothes are still stained with your blood, clearly his guilt is still carried. You try not to twist your giant wound as you run your bandaged left hand in his hair, his head jolts awake by your hand stroking his hair. Raiden looks at you, processing at first, then into full panic or guilt? Whatever herbs the medical ward gave you was strong, but Raiden's fear was real. "Oh Y/n! You are ok, I am so sorry, so so sorry, this is my fault." Raiden says, referring to the now bandaged wound caused by a sword. You stop running your fingers through his hair for a little, his eyes once filled with dried tears now becoming wetter as new ones fill his eyes, his demeanor is so different now. Just hours before this injury, he was smiling and happy with you, now he was crying and needing to be comforted like a broken man. You try to calm him down, but he is hysterically crying now. You hear him rant about how this wound is his fault even though it isn't, it wasn't any of their faults. "Raiden, please listen to me, it isn't your fault, none of it is your fault, none of this is your fault." You say, your voice is calmer than Raiden right now.

Raiden just looks at you, his puppy dog eyes look at you with guilt. You decide to pull Raiden closer, Raiden believes at first that you wanted a hug. He puts his hand on the side that doesn't have the gash wound, but he is caught by surprise when you kiss his forehead, you could've sworn you saw little lighting sparks out of Raiden's hand. His face now a shade of maroon, "Why? Why would you… kiss my forehead?" Raiden asks sheepishly, small sniffles leave his nose. How would you respond to your own feelings to the Thunder god? "Because Raiden I… I lo-" You try to say, I love you and yet" these feelings are trapped in your mouth. "I love you…" the words finally spill out of your mouth.

Raiden's face turns a scarlet red, he cannot believe that you feel love for him. "You… feel love for me?" Raiden asks you in disbelief, but before you can speak Raiden pulls you into a forehead kiss. "I… feel the same Y/n." Raiden says, his eyes dried with tears again, then you and Raiden share a bittersweet, yet more sweet than bitter kiss.

[wulvercazz]

A Wet Welcome🧼

Previous 💕Here's part 3 :>ccc

cw // some light groping but it's mostly Grimm being touchy and having shitty af social skills lmao

Ichigo doesn't expect Grimmjow to approach him so soon after. Sure... he's hung around their home far longer than welcomed, enough to learn their name and daily routine. But what he expected was perhaps another angry look, or maybe some sort of warning spell sent his way. "Behave, and you can stay." Is what they say instead. He's startled out of his nap, and followed in by the witch in what he's learned is their 'working look'; tied hair and tied clothes. Except, instead of re-potting, or dusting or anything else, there's a warm tub of water filled to the brim with herbs. His feathers fluff up in alert. Before he can think worse of it, and decline Grimmjow's invitation of a warm place to stay and fresh food... he's being dragged to the tub and getting his shirt picked at. "W-wait- wait- n-no need for that-" he laughs nervously, pulling at where his shirt's come undone. The witche's raised brow and cold, silent, look making him sweat under the pressure; no good excuses come to him. "You get in the tub or get out,"... there's no room for negotiations. Still, in his fumbling, Ichigo somehow manages to fall in clothes and all, the wet fabric sticking to his skin uncomfortably before Grimmjow's magick has them slipping off him and out... somewhere... perhaps right through a window and out the house entirely. There's far more touching than he's felt in... his life, maybe. Nothing exactly gentle, but Grimmjow's hands scratch his scalp and scrub at the caked dirt with a few muttered insults under their breath. Soapy liquids and scents being poured one after the other into the water aided by magick, their hands never stopping their hard work. Ichigo could've tried to enjoy it more, he thinks, if only Grimmjow didn't look so offended with all the dirt coming out of him... If only Grimmjow's hands didn't find themseleves so eager to get ever single nook and cranny off his skin rid of such dirt. His back tingling all the way to his failing tail feathers and splooshing away at the muck-and-soap water the farther Grimm's hands go down his body. He slips deeper into the water, fleeing the too-friendly fingers already messing with the lumbar feathers and stirring heat all across. "Ough-!" Ichigo swallows back an embarrassing noise when Grimmjow's hands take a fistful of his hair to try and pull him back upright. "I'll turn you into something more useful if you keep moving!" "Hhg- I- I can get that myself!" He manages to bark out finally, Ichigo's cheeks burning up and the water bubbling up to a boil that has Grimmjow's hands finally jumping out the water. "Fine." Grimmjow jumps up from the stool suddenly, face pinking slowly before they agressively dry their hands on the apron and walk off towards the kitchen with just as much decisiveness. Ichigo does look forward to a bit more privacy, as nice as the scalp scrubbing and the attention may have been, slumping into the mucky water with a shakey breath. Even his overexcited feathers calming just enough for a clean damp rag to hit his face and startle him all over; Grimmjow's last word in on the discussion.

[ingravinoveritas]

Happy Birthday! I hope you have an enjoyable day

Thank you so much! I've been overwhelmed by all of the lovely birthday wishes I've gotten here on Tumblr, which made a slightly dreary day (because of the weather, which was nonstop pouring rain) much brighter. I also got this excellent little gift from my lovely friend @daziechane, which made me smile:

I love that of all the pictures of Michael and David that could've been used for this, it's one from the NTAs. I love how handsome and happy and soft they were that night, and how three years later, it's still one of the most memorable nights in Ineffable Lovers/Shennant history (right up there with Michael going to see Macbeth and the 2024 BAFTAs).

But today was a pretty good (if low-key) day. My parents and I had brunch together (homemade Belgian waffles, whipped cream, cut up pineapple) and dinner (herb-crusted salmon, roasted potatoes, and asparagus with crispy garlic and cheese, also cooked by me because we had to change previously made dinner reservations due to the weather). I'm also excited and thoroughly amused to report that I got a Tucci pan as a birthday present (fitting, because as you can probably tell, I love to cook). And yes, it is the very same Tucci pan that David and Georgia highlighted in an unboxing video on Insta last month...

The color is even more gorgeous in person than online, as if that's somehow possible, and I love it so much and can't wait to cook something in it.

So yes, that was my day today. I think I'm still recovering a bit from my trip to Vegas (I really somehow almost forgot how much total nonstop sensory overload takes a toll on me...), but definitely feeling better every day. My most heartfelt thanks to you and everyone else who has commented/DMed to wish me a happy birthday. I truly do appreciate it! ❤️

[gritsandbrits]

Rewriting The Scarecrow 2000

While I liked the movie enough I still felt it could've done more to be truly memorable. I take elements from the original Nathaniel Hawthorne story.

Act 1: Every Tale Has Its Origins

Mother Rigby lives near the town of Grisham Heights. Like the movie, she used to associated with Lord Hugo Grisham, except instead of just being his dance teacher, Grisham was also her witch apprentice. He stole a couple of her most powerful spells & banished her to the outskirts on threat of being burned at the stake. Mother Rigby changed her name to Miss Bee Bee and works a living selling herbs and being a seamstress.

Lord Hugo Grisham III - I gave him that name because he looks like Hugo Weaving - stays the same as in canon. Except his voice is a little less eccentric and more elegant. He also has explicit interest in magic, using it to keep the town isolated. He even created a gorge. The only way to leave is by across a wooden bridge.

Polly didn't really have any flaws, unlike her counterpart from the short story, so let's try to give her some more depth. Let's say she's shallow about appearances? Like she expects the orphans under her care to have REAL dreams, not something frivolous like owning a puppy. She doesn't trust young men very easily due to experiences with Hugo. She doesn't have time for whimsy. Her arc is learning to accept people beyond looks and to enjoy life.

Polly's only real friend is the Scarecrow that resides on the patch of land where she buries her money. While Polly herself thinks its weird, she kinda enjoys talking to the Scarecrow. He's inanimate so it's not like he understands her anyways.

But he does.

One day one of Grisham's lackeys discover Polly burying her money. That might after she leaves, they dog up the cash but feathertop chases them away. Unfortunately he wasn't able to take back the money.

Out of pity, and wanting him to explore humanity, Miss Bee Bee gives him a feather that enables him to change into a real boy. As long as he's wearing the feather he should be safe. She warns him to avoid mirrors. Helping him are Max the talking mouse and the faithful broomstick Bristle.

Second Act: I'm Only Human

Feathertop disguises himself as a man named Nathaniel Rigby and sets up a cover as a vegetables salesman. One day he decides to dance for the townsfolk to uplift their spirits. Confused over the commotion Polly and sees him dance. At first she thinks it's odd but he then pulls her into a dance. To her surprise she finds herself actually liking it.

After the performance Lord Grisham's attendee Mr. Wooden announces that his boss is hosting a ball in two weeks. There's also a contest for a couples only dance. The reward money is enough to pay for Polly's transport. Nathan offers to be her partner, but Polly admits she can't dance. Nathan offers to teach her for free.

The two weeks gives Polly and the Scarecrow more time to get to know each other. Gradually Polly becomes better at dancing. Nathan also interacts with her family and comes to enjoy being human.

One the final night by the docks, she admits to Nathan that she is anxious over her future and wants what's best for herself and her siblings. Nathan tells her she should allow herself to have fun and Grisham shouldn't take that away from her. Polly admits she thought Nathan to be weird but he's actually a very nice guy. They're about to kiss when Grisham interrupts then intending to woo Polly to be his date fir the dance. Polly says she's already chosen Nathan, causing the jealous man to storm off in a huff.

On the morning of the ball, Max and Bristles gifts Nathan a set of outfits for him and Polly to wear at the dance. I don't like Polly's canon dress so instead she wears something more pastel and light. Nathan wears something just as fancy but in similar colors as his regular outfit.

Now for Polly and Nathan's dance let's change the music to something more fitting for the period.

They win and that night Nathan offers to help Polly get her out of her dilemma. He's moving out of town anyways and says he can take her to her destination. Polly agrees and they decide to leave the next.

Third Act Breakup

Grisham learns that Nathan is really Feathertop. Grisham deduces that this must be thr work of Mother Rigby & she hasn't left town like he wanted her to. He uses the stolen magic from her to track down Nathan and grabs his feather. Bristles tries to intervene but Grisham snaps it in half. The loss of the feather causes Max to start losing his ability. Feathertop urges Max to find Polly. Through sheer strength of will Feathertop frees himself and takes the broken Bristles to safety.

At the church Polly is waiting when "Nathan" arrives. She doesn't know he is Grisham in disguise but notices he is acting weirder than usual. The fake "Nathan" begins his vows which are long and self gratifying. Enough for the real feathertop to make it. Max sneaks into the church and just as the Fake Nathan is finished Max taps on his shoe. "Nathan" starts screaming, causing an uproar. Just then the real Nathan arrives. Everyone stands there stunned at seeing two nathans

Feathertop claims he is the real Nathan but Fake Nathan tries to play it off as a lie. Feathertop tells Polly that he knows she buried money on his land, and even begins copying dance moved only real nathan would know. Overjoyed Polly hugs him. Humiliated Grisham throws a fit in & the process he tears off the feather revealing the deception. Cheswick comes with a mirror exposing Feathertop's reflection. Seeing this Polly faints. The real Nathan admits he is a scarecrow. In the uproar Grisham runs back to his lair, not bothering to check on Polly. As a last act of love Feathertop takes Polly back to her house and bids goodbye to the children.

When Polly wakes up and asks where the real Nathan is. Her siblings tell her that he left. Polly says she cant be in love with a scarecrow of all things. Her siblings retort that she cant reject Feathertop after all the good he's done, and that shes acting as shallow as Grisham. Realizing this a tearful Polly goes to apologize. But just as she's about to head out, Grisham's thugs storm into the house and take her and the kids away to his mansion.

Grisham tells her one last time to agree to marriage but she says she rather die. Grisham locks her and the kids up and intends to use a spell much more powerful to brainwash her permanently. This is told through his villain song which he didn't have in the movie.

Realizing Grisham is going too far, Wooden has a change of heart and helps Polly out by unlocking the door. He tells them to run, Polly gets the kids our first but just

Back at Mother Rigby she comes back to find her field a mess and a despondent Feathertop. He tells about what happened. He devides to go back to being a scarecrow but just as she does, the orphan kids arrive to tell Feathertop Lord Grisham has Polly hostage and plans to do something really, really bad with her. Feathertop puts his wish on hold to save her. Together the kids help rebuild Bristle. With his self worth restored Feathertop fly off with Max in tow.

Final Battle:

Mother rigby takes the kids back to town and manages to convince everyone to stand up to Grisham & his cronies. A battle ensues.

Lord Grisham has Polly placed in his carriage intending to whisk her away for their permanent honeymoon. The only way across is the gorge. Feathertop sees the carriage and distracts the horses. A short fight between man and monster begins, Grisham hurling magical spells left and right in hopes to knock Feathertop of his broom. In the foray Polly kicks the door open and climbs on top of the carriage. Grisham goes after her, both wavering back and forth. Feathertop flies low enough for polly to jump on. He begs her to take his hand. Despite being afraid she makes the jump and successfully lands on Bristles. But Grisham gets his own success when his spell manages to hit from behind Bristles causing the occupants to land on the bridge.

Grisham taunts them for a moment but Feathertop baits him into following him at the bottom. Poly refuses to leave him but Feathertop tells her don't worry. Bristles takes her to safety. Grisham fires more spells that Feathertop evaded but it hits spots in the bridge causing it to break. Overcome with rage Grisham throws a tantrum and starts firing spells everywhere. The resulting onslaught breaks the bridge completely. Grisham and Feathertop falls.

Once the smoke clears Polly, Max and Bristles fly to the bottom and see Grisham dead and Feathertop in pieces. Polly begins to cry but her tears revive Feathertop. He hugs hr than says that they cant be together. Polly says she doesn't care if he's a scarecrow he's always a real man in her eyes. Max discovers the feather and gives it to Feathertop. He puts it back on himself and changes human but decides he is better off as a scarecrow anyways.

Reunited with their friends, Mother Rigby recovers her spells and uses an earth spell to close the gorge, allowing the town back to society. Grisham's cronies are run out of town along with Cheswick. Polly'§ sister adopts Cheswick's dog and her brothers become the new owners of Nathan's vegetable stand. The magistrate renames the town Hayville in honor of their hero (swingtown doesn't fit the colonial era). Wooden becomes the owner of the factory, using the money to build schools and libraries & better wages. As for Polly, she and Nathan propose to each other and the town celebrates.

That's the end of my rewrite. It's long I know, but I wanted to stretch this out to its full potential.

[animangaandchillsblog]

To celebrate the NaruHinaWedding event, I wrote a drabble about a conversation between Boruto, Himawari and Hinata. They are asking about Hinata's love life. The anime displayed a scene of Hinata reminiscing about her love life. From a crush to someone qualified enough to support Naruto. In this drabble, I want to elaborate more into details about her feelings and the lessons she learned in pursuit of happiness.

"I'm home!" Boruto shouted as he ran his way to the living room.

"Mum, I'm hungry! What's for dinner?" He asks.

"Sit down. Wash your hands first or you won't have dinner. I've roasted chicken mixed with black pepper and corn soup."

"Yay! Where is Hima?" Boruto enquires, as he washes his hand at the sink.

"I'm here! I've just finished my mission with Yuina and Ehou!" Himawari helps her mother to put the dishes into some bowls as soon as she arrives.

"Eh... new mission, huh? What did you do Hima? I bet it's a mission about finding missing cat, cleaning the chickens' coops or guiding a VIP's safety..." Boruto displays his bored face while belittling his sister's mission. He used to complain the missions he got and this laid back personality of his also led to him in trouble.

"Nope. None of those. It's a mission to find rare herbs; Matucoldi. It is actually a mission requested by aunt Sakura and she chose our team because of our ability. Well, to be honest I didn't know why she chose me as a temporary team leader at first. I know Yuina is a knowledgeable student. She studied a lot about herbs and animals. Her resourcefulness helped us a lot. Ehou, on the other hand acted without thinking sometimes but he is great in combat. As for me... I cannot really control my Byakugan yet and my taijutsu isn't as great as Ehou. During the mission, I realised that one of my redeeming qualities is my quick thinking which coincides with the situation and the spirit to never give up. We managed to retrieve the herbs successfully in the end. Of course, we needed to involve ourselves in a fight but with teamwork, we did it!"

"Wow.. Hima, looks like you're going to be a cool shinobi just like me!" Boruto laughs, after listening to Himawari's detailed explanation regarding her mission.

"Hey! I don't want to be like you, onii-chan. You always made other people worry and you never communicate your inner feelings. I'm going to be someone honest in the future and that includes taking care of you!"

"Hey! I'm the big one here. I was born first. I am supposed to be the one who protects you!" Boruto rebutts Himawari's statements.

"Hush.. hush! Okay, stop it. Stop the fight or you both won't be having dinner." Hinata puts down a big bowl of corn soup on the table and look at her children with a scary expression.

"Ok.. okay.." Botg Himawari and Boruto reply in unison.

Hinata laughs and sit next to Himawari.

"You know what, mum.. sometimes I wonder how dad is able to marry you. I mean.. you could've find better men out there. You cooked all these delicious dishes only for him to rush back to the Hokage's office again," Boruto conplained.

"But, he did... came home right? He tried his best to be a great father for both of you. He always tried his best, despite working for the village. Without him, we won't be living peacefully now. He even tried to be an inspiring figure for Kawaki. Speaking of him.. where is he?"

"Well, he said he had something to deal with. I don't know. For me, dinner is more important. I'll find out sooner or later anyway," Boruto responds.

"Mama! We want to listen your story before you meet papa! You refused to tell us before!" Himawari looks at her mother with an eager expression.

"Er, well.. I've told you before about how clumsy and rash he was before, right? Your father is still the same old him even after having 2 children. I always liked him in secrecy. Once, I tried to release the chakra draining rods from him even after beaten up by Pain. Pain is one of the akatsuki members, by the way. You learned that in your school right?"

"Akat.. akatsuki? The same Pain who destroyed Konoha? I've learned it before during class.. and we had that particular moment described in our text book. There's a girl mentioned in the text book. The one who tried to save the Hokage.. but I didn't know it was you, mum! Wow! Why didn't you let your name known in the text book? I could've boasted about it!" Boruto proudly shows his enthusiasm about the new fact he acknowledged.

Hinata chuckles. "No. I prefer a quiet life. I don't really care about fame and being a legend. To me, being happy is enough. Taking care of my kids is enough. Supporting my husband is enough. I don't need more in life. Your father nearly gave up his ninja way when we were in the middle of war. However, I managed to gain his strength. Even when my beloved cousin who's like a brother to me, Neji passed away at that time, I tried to calm myself down. As a shinobi, you can never express your emotions willingly. Yes, it's hard but that's the reason why it is important to be strong not just by physical but also by heart. After the war, we visited each other's house. He would ask for my help because he needed to study more if he wants to become a Hokage. Sometimes, I brought food. Did you know that he was once an avid hater of vegetables? Well, it takes an impressive cooking skill to mesh the vegetables well with meats so that the taste will become delectable."

Boruto and Himawari look at their mother's loving facade. She has a soft expression whenever she reminisces about her past life. She looks like a maiden in love, not someone who was married and gave birth to 2 kids.

Hinata continues to describe her love life. " I learned so much from your father. He taught me to grow in my own pace and be brave, despite what the circumstances are. We became closer without even noticing it. Sometimes, we trained together. There were rumours circulating that we were in a relationship but we ignored it. Your father was too dense about love and at that time, I'm sure he thought of me as a friend. Not more. I was still a bit timid even after war because the idea of being in a relationship with your crush is too good to be true. So in the end, we just led a life without even acknowledging our feelings.

Then, years passed by and we're finally 18. A lot of things changed. Your aunt, Hanabi was kidnapped by a descendant of Hamura Otsusuki. He needed the byakugan to acquire the Tenseigan created from his ancestors' sealed eyes. He proposed me so I had to accept it in order to save Hanabi. Your father was utterly heart-broken upon knowing it and I did try to explain just for a while but my I believed he could manage himself. He's a strong shinobi who used to lead the war. My goal at that time was to save your aunt. She's still a child. Long story short, we managed to defeat Toneri. Your father was super romantic when he finally understood his feelings for me. With one hand, he released a big rasengan and flew under the moon's silhouette. Well, after that.. I couldn't tell you."

"What? You kissed don't you? Papa kissed mama!" Himawari teased her mother.

"Woah really? I didn't know dad can be so romantic! He's a fool for not being able to know his true feelings." Boruto laughs.

"It's not his fault. He was alone for so many years. He worked hard to gain acknowledgement from other villagers. He didn't have anyone to talk to him about this matter. As for me, I'm happy if he's happy. I did get jealous once, when he was popular with the girls due to his popularity. I thought the scarf given to him was from one of the girls so I hid the scarf I've knitted for him. It turns out that it was actually from his mother. In a way, I was in the wrong too. We both are. Being in a relationship means that both of us stand in an equal footing. We vowed to cherish each other through thick and thin. To support each other and to communicate our inner feelings. No more skirting lies while leaving the truths half-told."

"Aww.. I want to have a beautiful love story like mama too, when I grow up later.. but so far I don't like anyone in class..." Himawari gushes her mother's love tale while gazing at her mother's embarrassed face.

"Heh.. I don't know if I will ever get married.. I want to enjoy my single life to eternity.. but having someone who can understand you for who you are is rare..." Boruto's eyes narrow with such focus, as if thinking about someone who could match his description.

"I'm home!" Naruto's voice can be heard at the door.

Boruto and Himawari run and hug him instantly.

"Okay.. what happen?" Naruto is confused.

"Dad.. you're a cool guy huh?" Boruto teased him.

"Daddy! You are so sweet!" Himawari joins her brother.

"What? What's going on? Hinata, what's going on? Did something peculiar happen?" Naruto tries to ask for explanation but Hinata refuses to look him in the eye.

"No... Nothing happened! Any.. anyway, why did you get home so soon?" Hinata helps her husband to untie the Hokage robe.

Naruto is puzzled. "I thought you like it when I'm home?"

Hinata is speechless. Usually, she won't be flustered as she was used to her role as a wife but somehow, the prior engagement with her children makes her embarrassed. She regrets expressing her love towards her husband in front of her children. Pretty sure they're going to tease her further.

"Well, anyway... do you know that there's a new record for ramen eating competition? I did it! I managed to defeat your past record!"

Shocked, Hinata scrutinizes her eyes. "What? How? You never managed to defeat me before! Did you cheat?"

"Hey, I didn't cheat okay? Well, it won't make me a real man if you always win. Did you still remember your promise if I win?"

"Hima.. is this really our "cool" father? Why is he being childish all the time." Boruto asks, with an incredulous look on his face.

"I'm pretty sure it's just papa being papa. He never shows this side of him in front of other villagers. He usually brings out his inner child when he's with mama."

"I.. of course I remember. I promised to accompany you on a date to an expensive restaurant. That was ages ago! You're a rich man now." Hinata laughs, as she remembers her promise to Naruto.

"It'll just be the 2 of us. No kids allowed."

"Okay. Okay. Gosh, you're so funny, Naruto-kun."

"I'm curious though. What were you talking about just now?" Naruto asks.

Hinata tries to suppress her embarrassment by controlling her face expression. "Huh.. nothing okay? I was just talking about how cool you were when you brought me to the moon. There, happy now?"

It was Naruto's turn to be embarrassed. "What kind of conversation was that? You shouldn't tell the about that. It's not fair!"

"Well, I did say that I was so in love with you. It's fair." Hinata fights back.

"I'm home..."

All of them look at the owner's voice. Turns out, it's Kawaki. Kawaki is confused at the weird atmosphere as he walks into the dining room.

"Dinner is served and you guys aren't eating? The food is going to get cold. What happen? Why do you have that ugly and strange grin on your face Boruto?"

"Ugly you say? You're the ugly one! Wanna fight?" Boruto stands up.

"Hush! Okay, okay. Let's eat now. Kawaki, wash your hands first. Honey, as a punishment you must massage my shoulders tonight."

Naruto almost faint when he heard that Hinata called him "honey". She only said that when both of them are not in front of their kids. Looks like he can never win the war with his own wife.

[theoldgaylion]

The market square was buzzing with life and, although it'd been a while since he got free from his late Master, Astarion hadn't gotten used to crowded places yet. Not that he let his discomfort be seen plainly, he would wear his usual mask and just bitch about it as a coping mechanism, concealing his true feelings as always.

And bitching he was, as he walked beside Emil while Shadowheart and Wyll were a little far ahead of them, engaged in chatters.

"Tell me again, why are we are?" the pale elf lifted his upper lip in a grimace, looking around among merchants, stalls and peasants. 

The warlock sighed in annoyance at that question. "We have to find the last ingredient for the granny, did you forget?" he replied before stopping in front of a stall that sold herbs. "Short-term memory loss is a symptom of death, that parasite of yours is eating fast huh." he joked as he turned to Astarion to show an awful smile.

Despite himself, Astarion chuckled amusedly. "It almost sounded like a compliment, saying that I've actually got a brain. I call it progress." he squinted his red eyes in a mischievous way as he mirrored Emil's smile.

"I think it's going to starve soon." the warlock teased back, his previous smile growing into a full grin before he slipped away and went on with his research.

Astarion followed him with his gaze at first for a bit, appreciating the view, then joined him.

Emil had stopped once again at another stall a few meters further away. He was rifling around the various herbs exposed, a pensive expression twisting his features as he read the use and consumption of each he deemed of his interest. 

The pale elf took advantage of his distraction to hover behind his back and bend his neck to ear level, brushing his lips against Emil's skin in the process. He felt him shiver at the contact, as a blush bloomed on his cheeks, and Astarion enjoyed that reaction.

"My lack of brain doesn't matter to you when I split you in half with m-" he was whispering in a low rumble before he felt something urgently tug at his sleeve and immediately turned his head to tell whoever to fuck off.

But he found himself at a loss of words when he saw a child with big tears at the corners of his eyes looking at him pleading.

"Sir, have you seen my mommy?" the child asked in a tiny voice, his lower lip quivering as he spoke.

Astarion blinked in confusion, before gritting his teeth at him once his brain caught up with the situation. "Let go of me, you little scum-" he was about to jerk his arm away from the child, but Emil reached out in time and stopped him, shooting him a furious look.

The warlock cleared his throat and pushed Astarion aside, then kneeled in front of the child. "Ehm, sweetie, we haven't seen your mother, but we can look for her together." he proposed as he smiled softly at him, and the child nodded sobbing.

Emil took the child's hand as he whipped the pale elf's leg angrily with his tail and the latter let out a yelp, more for the surprise of the act than the actual pain.

Astarion recomposed himself, straightening his blouse up a little, then a pang of something stirred in his dead heart as he observed the warlock dealing with that child in such kind and natural manners.

As soon as Emil got back, he cocked an eyebrow at the pale elf inquisitively. "What?" he crossed his arms on his chest in a defensive way.

"You're too good." Astarion just said, but his voice lacked his usual mockery. His eyes briefly dropped to the twin punctures on the side of Emil's neck, punctures that he recognized way too well since he was the one who left them there last night, during one of their late night sessions of sex. 

You're too good for me. He rephrased a moment later in his mind, too proud and bashful to speak it out loud.

He was using Emil. As stress relief, as a walking blood sack. They may have made a pact when their tryst had started and at the beginning it could've work fine, but Astarion was getting tired to deny that he felt guilty towards the warlock, to deny that he truly cared about him, but he was so stuck in his inner turmoil and his schemes that he couldn't voice any of that. And thorns wrapped around his chest relentlessly, day after day.

Emil's face flushed a deep purple as he scratched his neck. "Had to show the poor lad that not every adult he meets is a jerk." he then pointed out with a deprecating smirk.

Astarion didn't have the sentiment in himself to get going with that banter.

Suddenly, Emil intertwined his fingers with Astarion, so gently, like the pale elf was made of glass, like the warlock was silently asking him permission. And Astarion realized that maybe he wasn't as cryptic as he considered himself to be. Not to the warlock, at least.

Astarion stared at him, his tongue stuck in his throat all of a sudden, feeling exposed.

"C'mon, let's get to the others." the warlock broke the silence, clutching at his hand, and dragged Astarion along in the street.

An unfamiliar warmth crept in the pale elf's heart and he let himself be guided.

[gunkreads]

S2E3 thoughts:

They absolutely fucking FACEPLANTED. Fully shit the bed. on the pacing for Nynaeve's arch challenges. I'm going to talk about this to distract myself from the loss of My Boy Uno. Let me explain:

The core of the arches is to stare down the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and beat the shit out of them. Aspiring Accepted are meant to look at the regrets, the wrongs, and the joys of a life they could've led and say "No, the ring and shawl mean more to me." THAT is the point. The way out (which astute readers and watchers alike may remember "comes but once") must come when there's a reason to stay in the dream for this to work.

That is not what they fucking did in the episode.

This isn't about divergence from the books, this isn't about my own personal preference; this is about the show establishing a concept and then just drop-kicking it backwards into a wastewater treatment pond.

First dream gets a soft pass. What the hell was she gonna do there? Go upstairs and get killed/kidnapped? I dunno, it was just weird and didn't set up the nature of the challenge very well.

Second dream, we see a problem. The way out only appears after we've implicitly established that there's nothing Nynaeve can do to help. What the hell's the point of that? Of course she's capable of walking away! The show used its visual language to explain very explicitly that Nynaeve can't Heal here and consequently can't do anything to help, then uses regular language to tell us she's not wanted there (bearing in mind that she doesn't really even know how to Heal at this point in the books, so it'd be an herb situation anyway). This is mostly how it goes in the books, sure, but because of the placement of the Healing attempt, there's basically nothing more for her to do at that point besides sit by Tam's side and watch him die. This would've been more potent if there was absolutely any inkling that there was more she could do to fix the situation.

Third dream is the faceplant. I'll tell you what should've happened and you'll agree with me: the arch should have appeared as she watched the boys die, then she should've had to go through it as she watched the Trollocs go into the house after her daughter. Waiting until almost everything was lost, then letting her try to carry her daughter to safety, makes it a non-choice. There was literally no incentive to stay.

There's genuinely nothing wrong with Nynaeve's characterization in this whole sequence. I actually love it dearly. I just think they went 0 for 3 on a very crucial part of the pacing of the sequence.

Anyway.

Mat's fun still. It's super weird how much less antsy he is than his book counterpart--or, at least, how much that antsiness is channeled into smaller physical tics rather than large-scale paranoia and anxiety. I haven't gotten a grip on what'll be driving him yet, but the show is doing a good job telling me that they'll set that up soon. They'd fucking better, at least.

I'm getting weirded out by the power dynamics in the Tower--unpopular or not, Liandrin has absolute authority over the girls in the books by virtue of her status, and turning that on its head in the show just so Egwene and Nynaeve can have more effective rebel moments feels super odd. I don't understand why they're doing it that way. Egwene's confrontation with Liandrin at the ring melter was more confusing than, like, cool.

Rand's plotline is wonderfully paced for a whole-ass different show. His whole shit is going so slowly compared to everyone else's (except Mat) that it's just jarring to cut back to him having made next to zero progress. Arguably the most jarring part is that his goals are unclear right now. I'm speaking from my girlfriend's perspective here, who has not read the books: how the hell did Rand track down Logain, how the hell did he figure out this plan, how the hell did Selene get them into that party, etc. etc. NOW I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING because I'm thinking it too. I fucking know how, don't worry. And my girlfriend can wait to find out, don't worry. The problem isn't that these things aren't been spoon-fed to you, it's that everything else is. Rand's arc in this season is creating a lot of pacing dissonance; it's running so much more slowly and steadily than the other characters' lightning-quick plot sprints that it just feels out of place. Great in isolation, confusing in context.

Perrin's plotline was HRRRRRRGHGHGK

We don't talk about Uno. Do not say his fucking name around me for at least three weeks. I need some time.

[purdymybeloved]

Do you think Rootspring and Shadowsight talked much after Bristlefrost's death?

Did they both grieve independently for moons, only exchanging the usual small talk at gatherings? I think to any other cat it would've sounded like that, the usual gentle back and forth about prey or weather. But to Shadowsight, who perhaps had the largest window into what Rootspring was dealing with, he was simply thrilled to hear his friend talking at all. I think Rootspring, even if he never said it, knew Shadowsight would be the only one he could still exchange such pleasantries with.

Perhaps a few moons after, during a routine sharing of herbs across the border with SkyClan, Rootspring volunteered to accompany Fidgetflake. At the meet-up, Shadowsight would be beyond pleased to see his old friend. Fidgetflake would mention how it was easy to forget how close they must have become in the Dark Forest. Perhaps Shadowsight stared at Rootspring at those words, a look in his eyes almost asking Rootspring to talk to him again. Rootspring would see this, he'd stare back, thoughts filled with longing for their old friendship, before their worlds had shattered and they had to continue with their day to day life. He'd look away, agreeing with Fidgetflake noncommittally before the herbs were exchanged and the two patrols would part ways.

Maybe several days later, Shadowsight would've written it off. He came to the conclusion that Rootspring didn't want or need his support. He was his own warrior, after all. And Shadowsight had his own clan to take care of. He'd travel with Puddleshine to the Moonpool and walk back (walking the path that always reminded him a bit too much of getting his head bashed into a tree and tossed down to hard rock) under the moonlight. He'd have fallen just a bit behind as they passed through SkyClan territory, keeping a nose out for the scent of wood sorrel. He'd hear a voice behind him and nearly jump out of his pelt, barely settling down when he'd realized it was Rootspring. Shadowsight would turn and speak in a harsh whisper,

"What are you doing here?"

Rootspring would glance at him with eyes heavy with emotion. Shadowsight never saw him so open and wounded unless he'd been talking about Bristlefrost. Rootspring would breathe.

"I... missed you."

Shadowsight froze entirely. Rootspring spoke quietly.

"I missed this. Us– us meeting up. Walking on patrol or herb duty and being able to talk about whatever we wanted."

The glint of happy nostalgia in Rootspring's eyes was more than enough to smother any sliver of annoyance Shadowsight could have with him for stopping his walk back. Rootspring continued still,

"And I know, I know we were just apprentices and we have duties now, and you're a full medicine cat but–" He caught himself, as if about to start rambling. "But I thought I'd let you know I was thinking about you."

Rootspring smiled. Weakly, and with effort, but it felt like a miracle to Shadowsight. He looked behind himself.

"I should catch up with Puddleshine, I can't keep him waiting."

Shadowsight continued speaking before Rootspring could finish nodding in resigned agreement.

"We should do that. Talk, that is. We're not apprentices anymore, but we're still friends, right?"

Rootspring's eyes lit up for the first time Shadowsight could remember since they'd left for the Dark Forest.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course we're still friends. Nothing could've stopped that."

"Can you get up tomorrow at moonhigh?"

"Easily."

"Great. Great! We can walk the lakeshore, if that's alright with you?"

"That sounds perfect."

Rootspring spoke with the relief of a warrior suddenly unburdened by a heavy weight.

Shadowsight was able to tell that his friend was sick with grief. And it had always been his duty to help sick cats, no matter what.

And maybe the next night, the moon just a bit more full in the sky, Rootspring would find himself right on the shore in front of the SkyClan and ShadowClan border. He'd be early, breathing in the night air, and Shadowsight would push through the growth to join him right on cue. They'd stand there together like that for a minute, just nodding at each other and then taking in the gentle surroundings before they look at each other once more, moonlight glistening in their eyes.

They didn't talk for the first stretch of their walk, just following along the lakeside. They walked not in silence, but in tandem with the waves of the lake and the rustles of flora. Eventually, Rootspring breathed deep, and spoke up.

"It's weird, right? Like our whole lives were about the Dark Forest and Ashfur and then it just– ended. And took Bristlefrost with it. But..."

"But we're still here?" Shadowsight responded.

"But we're still here." Rootspring agreed. "We just have to keep waking up and eating and going on patrol like nothing happened."

"Well..." Shadowsight said. "We know what happened."

Rootspring sighed tired, but ultimately fondly.

"Yeah. We know what happened."

I think Rootspring and Shadowsight would continue this tradition for a moon. Once every few days they'd sacrifice sleep in order to just wander little sections of shoreline and talk, about Bristlefrost and about the forest, and also about their current lives. About their clans, and food, and weather. A few days in, Rootspring would look to Shadowsight and see his usual helpful medicine cat face give way to something else, something so much heavier. He realized that Shadowsight was doing this just as much for himself as he was doing it for Rootspring, which just made them it more important.

Maybe after a little less than a moon of this, Rootspring would look for Shadowsight in the crowd of the gathering. Once they found each other, they'd use the pre-gathering time to slip off into the brambles at the edge of the island, momentarily alone. The routine slipped into place quickly, doing their usual back and forth for a few moments before settling down and breathing before they knew the gathering would begin. The full moon shone divinely onto the waters of the lake. Rootspring laughed quietly.

"You know what this reminds me of? Bristlefrost and I sneaking off to the riverside to be with each other on our mission to find the Sisters. We were so sappy back then."

Rootspring chuckled to himself, and caught glimpse of Shadowsight staring at him, similarly warm with happiness. Shadowsight opened his mouth as if it speak, and paused for a moment, thinking.

"I think that's the first time you've talked about her so lighthearted like that recently. It's really nice to see."

Rootspring knew Shadowsight was a skilled medicine cat. He'd almost forgotten how good a friend he was, too. It was as if his words held the same healing properties as his herbs. Maybe they did, Rootspring didn't know the details of medicine cat abilities.

Tigerstar's words rang across the island and the voices of chatting warriors hushed down, and the two toms had to return to their spots quickly.

Their talks would continue, their friendly laughs and nudges and bumps of their heads.

I like to think they're still friends.

[coffee-in-veins]

Ancestor is the most character ever

oh, he definitely is!

he's the most deserving of my knee meeting his face! :}

fantasies of violent solutions to interpersonal struggles aside, i can't help but agree with that. sure, he's a Jerk with a capital J, and you cannot help but facepalm listening to every deed this guy has ever done, but once the deeds start piling up, you cannot help but... feel morbidly impressed.

from what we know, in one short life (he has barely greying temples) the gentleman in question:

[warning, spoilers for DD1 (and some DD2) incoming]

had an estate worthy of someone with the title of Countess to come to him to pay his party a visit (not to mention having his own Abbey) - it is unclear though if it's his accomplishment, too, or merely a silver ladle in his mouth he was born with;

had an operational sea-faring port in his town;

had enough land that you need 99 weeks at minimum to scout it all (just... sit for a moment and really think about it);

had enough money to potentially lose and effortlessly replace a mill on a whim (and lemme tell you, those things weren't cheap to make and maintain!);

had enough money and wit to hire and manage a personal army (again, not as cheap as one can imagine, especially if we consider that they had huge siege engines - and Abbey has a notoriously huge gap in it... makes one wonder...)

managed to make a literal saint come to him and prophet his undoing (am i the only one who sees some of the saint Elmo in the Prophet?);

managed to survive and win against an eldritch bloodsucker;

managed to make wine out of said bloodsucker's blood (somehow; this is not how blood works. this isn't how winemaking works..!);

summoned an actual demon or some other occult thing and gave it stable material form (Swine God);

twice (if Shambler dearest is his doing as well - which is plausible, considering it holds his trinkets);

trice - without even trying (if we add the Flesh, which gave potential birth to the Foetor from DD2 but that's a whole other theory i don't have strength for right now);

managed to create a whole-ass faction - of undead (by creating the Necromant - confirmed by DD2 (even if i hate mixing the two, Protege's story is all but yelling about it) and potentially providing them with first bodies);

twice (if we consider swinefolk and how they became a separate nation by the time of DD2 (again, hate mixing the two, but... ugh));

or even trice (if we give bloodsuckers the benefit of the doubt and segregate them into a separate race - which I think we should, they are clearly sentient; arguably more so than swinefolk);

managed to strike a deal with a separate eldritch entity (Dagon?) and its followers to his own benefit and lived to actually use the wealth;

had enough money to order, plant and care for a huge variety of exotic and expensive herbs and knowledge not to die a grizzly death immediately;

could successfully create curses (Waif, Sunken crew, Crimson Curse, potentially Hag?);

what I'm saying is... this list alone could've fueled something like the Uncharted series trice over. imagine, for a moment, if we were allowed to play as the Ancestor instead of shovelling through the DD2 Mountain's worth of shit he left us to deal with and clean up after him. the sheer, unabated glee of having the money, reputation and manpower to flaunter on your each and every whim, regardless of how inherently stupid or outlandish it is. with an appropriate pinch of dark humour, that could've been an amazing game, methinks.

[hufflepuffwritingstuff2]

Hi there! Can you maybe do one where male whumpee who is a witch uses too many power and gets like nosebleed and the caretakers need to help him

Hi anon! Sure I can! Thanks for requesting this, here you go!

Whumpee's wand quivered in his hand as he charged his most powerful banishing spell. He had no idea how a giant spider had gotten in the cottage garden, but it was here now, and it towered over the rose bushes, clicking its pincers menacingly.

"Whumpee!" Caretaker 1 cried, "stop! You're going to get hurt!"

"It's either I cast this spell or we're all lunch!" Whumpee called over his shoulder, "now stand back!"

"Whumpee, no!" Caretaker 2 yelled.

Whumpee charged his spell for a few more agonizing seconds, then cast it. There was something metallic dribbling down his nose, but he didn't care. All that mattered was getting the monster away from his friends. The banishing magic exploded from Whumpee's wand and flew straight for the giant spider. The spider rose into the air... and vanished back to the dark forest it resided in.

Whumpee swayed on the spot, his wand falling from his hand.

"Whumpee!"

Whumpee's knees buckled. He braced for the impact of the ground, but it never came. Instead, his friends were on either side of him, holding him up by his arms.

"That was the most reckless thing you could've done!" Caretaker 1 scolded, "and also- Whumpee? Hey! Wake up!"

Whumpee's eyes had fluttered shut. The last thing he heard was frantic voices over him before slipping into darkness.

...

Whumpee's brow furrowed as he stirred on something soft. A groan escaped his lips while his head pounded.

"Hey, he's waking up."

"Whumpee?"

Whumpee opened his eyes to see Caretaker 1 and Caretaker 2 towering over him.

"Wha' happened?" Whumpee asked, holding a hand to his head.

"You blacked out," Caretaker 2 explained, "you used way too much magic back there."

"What the heck were you thinking?" Caretaker 1 asked, "you could've died back there!"

"I'm sorry, I just-" Whumpee started.

"Don't yell at them, Caretaker 1, Whumpee saved our lives," Caretaker 2 said, "he only did what he thought he had to do."

Whumpee tried to sit up, but that caused pain to sear across his head. He laid back down and felt something cold get draped across his forehead.

"Wet compress," Caretaker 1 explained, "you've got a fever."

"A fever?" Whumpee asked dazedly.

"And a nose bleed," Caretaker 2 said, "hold still."

Caretaker 2 grabbed a cloth and dabbed under Whumpee's nose. Whumpee got a look at his surroundings as Caretaker 2 wiped up the blood leaking from his nose. He was in his bed back inside the cottage. His wand lay on the bedside table, along with a bottle filled with purple liquid.

Oh joy, Whumpee thought bitterly, a medicinal potion.

Caretaker 1 grabbed the potion bottle and poured a generous amount onto a wooden spoon. Caretaker 1 helped Whumpee sit up, despite the pain that flared up in his head, and held the spoon to his lips.

"Come on, open up," Caretaker 1 said.

Whumpee grimaced but opened his mouth anyway. The potion tasted like carbonated bitter herbs, and it bubbled as it went down his throat.

"There," Caretaker 1 said, "that should help you get your strength back, and deal with the pain."

Caretaker 1 laid Whumpee back down in the bed while Caretaker 2 adjusted the blankets.

"Try to get some rest," Caretaker 1 said, "we'll be right here."

Whumpee nodded and closed his eyes. He drifted off, surrounded by his friends. Everyone was safe, and that was all that mattered.