#Liam one of the more generous people towards her!

[utilitycaster]

icb I spent 4 hours writing meta about free will and then in CR Cooldown Laura just straight up

[thegreatirene]

My Best Friends Brother(Carl Gallagher x Latina!reader)



Rated: Mature(language and implied sex)

Summary: after leaving the south side you come back to visit your best friend’s lip and Ian. A lot of things changed around the Gallagher household especially the people living in it.

I watched some clips on tiktok of Carl and forgot how cute he looked in his policeman outfit. So this takes place in like the last season so Fiona is gone but she’s mentioned in it. The read is Latina cuz I am and I want more Latina reader fics out there.

“How long has it been since you left?”

“Shit, like eight? Yea I think it’s eight cause we were still in high school when my family moved.”

You inhaled on the watermelon flavored vape you had as you walked next to lip. You found him walking with a stroller. Surprised the hell out of you when you learned he had a kid and was married as well. You were happy for him and continued your walk with him on his way back to the Gallagher house. He told you about the things you’ve missed. Fiona being the biggest one. You didn’t think she would actually leave everyone behind without a word but you were really happy for her. You didn���t say it, cause you didn’t want to hurt lip’s feelings but she deserved to get out of here.

“No way Mickey and Ian are together! Would have thought they would have fucked a couple times and moved on” you laughed as you handed your vape to lip.

“We thought the same thing. Ian kind of thought that too but they’ve been strong throughout their relationship.”

“That’s cool and them other ones? Debbie and Franny still good?”

“Yea Deb’s had some shit going on with her but she’s fine now. Liam is our smart guy. Little man getting straight A’s”

“I’m not surprised. You and Ian were pretty good in school. I guess it skips a generation” you laugh as lip handed your vape back.

“Yea Carl’s a cop believe it or not”

“No fucking way?!?! Carl, Carl? The little boy who beat and tortured people just for the fun of it? The one we all thought was gonna be on the most wanted??? That Carl?” Lip nodded his head as the both of you stopped in front of the gate that was in front of the Gallagher’s house.

“I swear it,” lip held his hand up, “he should be dropping by soon if you want to see him?” You laughed as you said yes and went into the house with him.

—

“Man it still looks the same” you took your jacket off as you hung it on one of the empty hooks by the door. Walking further in you could hear voices in the kitchen and made your way in. Lip put his son in the playpen and walked towards the kitchen. Standing at the counter with his back to the doorway was Ian. Mickey looked around him and nodded towards you.

“Holy shit, here I thought you got deported” Mickey said as he took a sip of his coffee. Ian turned to see who he was talking to and broke out into a smile.

“And I don’t know how many times I have to tell your racist ass that I was born here-“ Ian grabbed you into a hug in the middle of your rant to Mickey.

“It’s so good to see you y/n” he kissed the top of your head as you squeezed him to you. You pulled back from the hug but still in his arms as you got a good look at his face.

“Still the pretty red head” you patted his cheek as you hugged him again. The both of you laughed as you felt Ian being pulled back a bit.

“Ok enough of that” Mickey said as he pushed Ian back from the shoulder and looked at you.

“Don’t get jealous Mickey. Ian is all yours he doesn’t like pussy remember?” You laughed as he mocked the laugh and pulled you into a hug. He patted your back a couple of times and then pushed you off of him and walked back to his seat.

“So it’s just you two here?”

“Yea Liam is at one of his friend’s house and Deb’s at the park with Franny.” You nodded your head.

“Lip said Carl’s a cop?”

“Yea he’s changed a lot” Ian offered you a cup but you declined it. Lip made a ‘I told you so’ face as he walked in front of you to get his own cup.

“He grew into that big ass head of his?” You questioned as you laughed at the memory of the little boy.

“Who has a big head?” Came Carl’s voice as he stood next to you. You looked up at him, “holy shit, y/n?” Carl looked you over. You got a good look at him. He’s a couple inches taller than you and definitely grew up. Carl is handsome and you definitely weren’t prepared for that. You blinked a couple of times and smiled at him.

“Hey bid head. It’s good to see you” he rolled his eyes and pulled you into a hug. You placed your face next to his. He smelled nice and god could you feel how strong his body felt under his clothes. You pulled back from the hug or at least tried but Carl was holding on to you. You could feel Carl’s hand rub your back and start to move a little lower.

“Ok that’s enough” lip said as he went and broke the two of you apart. You turned away from Carl to calm yourself while Lip smirked at his little brother and patted his shoulder. Ian held up his left arm for you to walk into him. He held you by the shoulder as lip and Carl whispered to each other.

“Man, you Gallagher’s really don’t be lacking in the looks department, huh?” You said to Ian and he looked down at you as you eyed Carl. His younger brother doing the same from over Lip’s shoulder. You huffed a breath through your nose and turned to look at Mickey and Ian.

“What?”

“Nothing just-“

“Watching you be a prev for his brother.” Mickey finished. You scoffed at his remark and folded your arms over your chest.

“Fuck you, I’m just saying that the family has good genes. Where did I say that Carl is hot?” You whispered yelled at Mickey as you got close to him.

“You didn’t have to say anything. We can see you eye fucking him” Mickey whispered back as he laughed at you. Ian pulled you back as you were about to say something but stopped it.

“Stop it”

“Ian he started it”

“And I’m stopping it” you sucked your teeth and settled back into his side. Lip and Carl finished their conversation with lip patting his back with a big smile and walked over to the three of you.

“You staying the night, y/n?” Lip asked as he went to sit at the table with his cup.

“I could, I’m on vacation so I don’t have any where to be. If you guys don’t mind me being here”

“Mick and me don’t live here so you can take the room we slept.”

“Is it clean?”

“It’s clean don’t worry” Ian laughed as he rubbed your arm and let you go. He walked over to the table with lip and sat down.

“Sleepover at the Gallagher’s. Brings back memories the only difference is I don’t have to awkwardly pretend I don’t hear Ian jerking off in his bed.” You and Mickey laughed as the both of you looked at Ian.

Carl came up to your side a little closer than you thought he would. You turned to look at him and smiled.

“You gonna be sleeping with me tonight, Carl?” You said to him as you leaned on the counter with your head on your hand.

“I can think of some other things we can do besides sleep” he said as he looked at you with darkened eyes. You looked at his blue eyes and then to his full lips. You wetted your bottom lip and looked back his eyes and smiled.

“I’m gonna go make a phone call. If I’m gonna be sleeping here I need some of my things” you said as you broke your eye contact with him and talked to the other three people in the room. You smiled at them as you took your phone out and started to make your phone call.

Carl watched you walk out of the room and then out the house as he bit his lip and stood there for a minute. Mickey raised his brows at the younger man and then looked at the other two brothers. Lip shook his head as he got up and walked into the living room to be with his son.

“Carl the more you look the harder it is to make your eyes go back into your head.” Ian said as he got up from the table and put his mug in the sink. Carl rolled his eyes as he looked at the front door one more time before he began to talk.

“Y/n is…” he couldn’t finish his sentence as he went back to look at the front again. Ian shook his head as he walked into the living room. Mickey looked at Carl and finally had enough.

“Listen if you’re trying to fuck y/n make your move tonight. Me and your brother are gonna be out for a couple hours at like 8 and lip said he has to go back to his house to finish doing whatever” Mickey finished his coffee and got up. He stood in front of Carl and leaned back to look into the living room.

“Debbie isn’t gonna say anything cause she don’t care and Liam is having his own sleepover. So y/n is gonna be in that room by herself. Make your move” he said as he put his mug in the sink.

“Thanks Mickey” Carl said as he looked at the older man with a look of admiration. Mickey patted his shoulder and walked into the living room.

—

True to what Mickey said, him and Ian left the house at 8. Lip stuck around for another hour to finish catching up with you and left when he saw you get sleepy. Debbie hadn’t shown up yet but he wasn’t worried about that at the moment.

Right now he was debating if he should do it while you were in the shower or wait until you got dressed in the room. He chose the latter and waited at the top of the steps. Once he heard the water turn off and the door open he stood up. He watched as you walked to the room at the end.

The door was left a cracked as he quickly tiptoed to the room. He listened to see if you were gonna do anything but the door swung open and you grabbed him but the front of his shirt. Closing the door with a bang and locking it, you looked at him from the door. Your towel still wrapped around your body as you looked at him with sultry eyes.

Carl gulped as he stumbled back and fell on the bed. You walked towards him in a predatory manner. Your head held high and shoulders back as you swayed your hips. You stood right in front of him and slowly unwrapped the towel. You pushed him back until he was on his forearms and settled yourself on his lap. Still holding the towel loosely to you.

“Fuck” he breathlessly said as he watched your hand drop the towel. It landed on your spread legs and he followed it. His eyes slowly followed the curves of your torso. They landed on your breast and he reached out a hand to touch them. He rubbed his thumb over your right nipple. You moaned as you bit your lip.

“You’re so beautiful y/n” he groaned as he leaned forward and sucked your left nipple into his mouth.

“Fuck Carl” you moaned as you grabbed a fist of hair and pulled him away from you. He licked his lips and looked up at you. You leaned down and captured his lips with yours. The both of you moaned into the kiss as you grind down on the growing hard on in his shorts.

“I need you papi” you moaned as he bit your neck and flipped you on to your back on the bed. Carl looked down at you as you wrapped your legs around his waist. He pulled over the undershirt and threw it behind him. He breathed hard as he watched your breast move with the breath you took. His eyes met yours again and went back for another round of kisses from you.

—

The next morning Debbie was making breakfast for her and Franny. Lip walked into the house with Freddie in his stroller. He announced himself to his sister as he placed his son in the playpen and walked into the kitchen.

“Hey Deb’s y/n still asleep?” He asked as he walked towards the bathroom but first gave Franny a kiss on the head. Debbie made a face as she looked at lip.

“Y/n? I haven’t seen her since you guys were in school. Is she back?” She placed a plate of pancakes in front of Franny as she went to make coffee.

“Yea, I bumped into her on my walk with Freddie and we offered her to sleepover. She should be sleeping in our old room.” He said as he finished washing his hands.

“Oh then I’ll wait until she comes down. It’s been a while since she’s been here” Debbie said as she had a happy look on her face. The two continued their conversation until they heard a scream from upstairs. Lip looked to Debbie and then to the staircase.

Lip was the first one to get out of his chair as he ran up the stairs. He was intercepted by Ian who was the first one at the door. Pulling it open they both rushed in.

In the middle of the room was frank on his back on the floor with Carl on top of him holding him down. You were on the bed with the covers held to your chest as you watched Carl.

“What the hell happened?” Lip shouted as he pulled carl off of frank. Carl stood back up in just his boxers as he looked at frank and began to tell his brothers and now, Debbie and Mickey, what happened.

“Y/n woke up and frank was standing over her, watching her!” He said as he went back to get frank but lip held him back.

“Hey, hey, hey it’s not my fault this Latin beauty is in my bed naked! Who can resist when someone like that is there! By the way son got yourself a good one” frank winked at Carl but Carl wasn’t appreciative of the compliment. Frank held his hands up as he got up from the floor and dusted himself off. Carl made his way to the bed and wrapped more of the blankets around you.

“Holy shit y/n and Carl fucked!?!?” Debbie said as she made her way into the room and looked at the two of you on the bed. You huffed and rubbed your face as you looked at all of them.

“It’s too early for this.”



[theprice-if]

DEMO (TBA)

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Roaring stadiums, filled to the max with screaming fans, as you stand with a microphone in hand. Your heart pounds against your chest as you get ready to perform. Shouts of adoration filter past your ear as the lights finally turn on; the show truly begins. With you in the center of it all.

Except… that isn’t you. You’re to the side, watching it all, with a clipboard pressed to your chest. Making sure that nothing was out of place.

You’re just an assistant, an assistant to the biggest star gracing the stage in the past decade, but still just an assistant.

That is until you woke up alone in a room that was way above your pay grade; with a shiny ring on your finger. Your new spouse? The very star that you have been working for, for the last two years. The same star that many believed would never settle down— until you came along.

These rapid-fire events thrust you into the spotlight. Rocketing you towards the twinkling lights of stardom as you desperately try to figure out how to come to terms with everything.

The media and tabloids are just the tip of the iceberg. The very star you’re married to offers you the deal of a lifetime.

Stay married to them for a year and get a record deal; the biggest reason you moved to L.A.... All of your dreams will come true after twelve months.

If only you had known what the price of stardom truly brought.

The Price is rated 18+ for explicit language, sexual themes, alcohol/drug use, questionable behavior, and more!

★ Features ★

Customizable MC: name, gender, appearance, facets of your personality, hobbies, and more!

Get into the studio and start preparing for what will come when the year is up. Find the voice that you have always wanted to showcase in the industry!

Create your own music! Cultivate your debut album and show the world what it's been missing!

Interact with your fans and the music industry as a whole through social media! Will you become an upcoming star that the media loves or a black sheep that'll keep them returning for more?

Engage in romance with a variety of characters. Will the fake one become real with your pretend spouse? Or perhaps you'll find passion building with the less complicated-- and fun-loving-- photographer?

Discover what truly happened the night of your marriage. Or, if you choose to do so, leave it as the hazy fog in the recesses of your mind.

And much more as the story continues forward!

Are you willing to pay the price for your dream? Will that dream change over time?

★ The ROs ★

Adrian/Ariana Ocean ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 28 ★

Your boss, and also your spouse, the most sought-after star in the entertainment industry. With a reputation as spotty as one would expect with someone at the top. However, with the news of your marriage, people seem to be seeing them in a new light; something that they’ve been wanting for a very long time. Let’s hope it’ll last.

Blake Turner ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 28 ★

A Hollywood starlet that’s coming off their recent Oscar win; who also happens to be your ex from college. An ex that dumped you when they dropped out of college to become a star. A story that you never truly got to hear the entirety of. And suddenly, just like that, they’re back in your life with the same smirk from before. The one that made you fall in love with them, to begin with.

Liam/Leah Shaw ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 29 ★

Your newly assigned bodyguard, you still have to get used to that, who is supposed to protect you whenever your spouse can’t be with you. You just weren’t expecting them to start affecting you the way that they have. Their warm smile is like a beacon in this unfamiliar world.

Isaac/Isabel Carnell ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 27 ★

The photographer who is tasked with taking lovely shots of the newly wed couple. One of the only people, besides management, that actually knows what the hell is actually going on. Their general cheerfulness does wonders to lighten your spirits. Not to mention the pictures they take are absolutely divine.

Carson/Cara Madden ★ He/Him or She/Her ★ 33 ★

The lawyer that is making sure everything goes smoothly; while also trying to not get gray hairs throughout. An aloof individual that only cracks a smile around a select few people. However, they’re good at their job and that’s what should matter most to you. Even though you sort of wish they’d smile at you. At least just once.

[pep-the-artemis]

Is CYN Autistic and is She Good Representation?

Murder Drones ⟨00⟩ is an indie show about robots; created by Glitch Productions ⟨01⟩; directed by Liam Vickers ⟨02⟩: all episodes are free to watch on YouTube and I do recommend watching. The show follows a robot girl named Uzi and her best friend N; CYN (the subject of this post) is N’s adoptive younger sister. Many people in the Murder Drones fandom (including myself) have identified her as being autistic but is this the case and is she a good representation? 

In this post I will try to go over all the evidence we have which suggests she is/isn’t autistic and discuss what it means to be a good representation. I have split this post into three parts,

Is CYN Autistic (Minor Spoiler warning)

Is CYN Autistic (Major Spoiler warning)

What is Good Representation and does CYN qualify?

If you enjoy reading this, consider reblogging and checking out my other post where I go into the science behind "if N is colour blind?⟨3⟩”. I must forewarn, I am not a medical doctor nor am I qualified in any adjacent fields relating to disabilities, I am just an autistic person who enjoys film theory.

All references used are linked too and also supplied at the bottom.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 sitting behind a bar counter holding a ceramic teacup]

The first point I want to make is to address the possible concerns over CYN being a Worker Drone (the name given to one type of robot in Murder Drones) as, in media, autistic people are often negatively represented through machines. This is not the case here, in the show most characters are robots and behave neurotypically; the behaviours and mannerisms of CYN will expressly be discussed in comparison to the rest of the cast. This will also be discussed more in greater detail later in the post.

Part 1 - Evidence : Minor Spoiler Warning

Posture

The manner in which CYN stands gives us multiple strong indications that she is neurotypical. Contrary to common belief, autism both affects a person mentally and physically with a strong overlap between the two⟨04⟩. 

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 standing looking upwards towards the camera smiling with a crooked posture]

Going from top to bottom, the notable traits are;

CYN is very short, being estimated to be ~100cm or ~3'4''. For comparison, most Worker Drones are around 132cm or 4'4''. This is likely due to her being a child but there have been studies which have found that Autistic people are generally taller than their neurotypical counterparts⟨05⟩.

CYN holds her head at a tilt which is an common autism stim⟨06⟩. We also see that she often uses her hand to adjust her head or to hold it in support, leading to the conclusion that she has hypotonia (weak “muscles”) which is characterised by symptoms like difficulty holding the head up, difficulties with sitting up⟨07⟩, and poor posture; all identified in CYN. The source just provided focuses mainly on infants but I did manage to find a case study of a ten year old written by Mark Hutten⟨08⟩. I also found an interesting study saying head tilting can assist in helping an autistic person with facial recognition⟨09⟩.

CYNs elbows are constantly bent over a 90 degree angle pulling her arms towards her chest. This is known as “T-Rex Arms” in the autistic community and is usually believed to be a form of stimming⟨10⟩. 

When not being used, CYNs hands are constantly limp. This is a commonly seen extension to the “T-Rex Arms”. I was unable to find a scholarly article but I did find a discussion point by the online influencer Autistic Emmalyn⟨11⟩.

CYN leans towards her left leg and her right leg is distinctly more bent, this is common in autistic people caused by what's known as “Leg length discrepancy”⟨12⟩. Note, I've found contradictory evidence for what causes “Leg length discrepancy”; does the posture decrease leg length, does the leg length induce posture, or is differing leg length an illusion. It is also unusual for both legs to be bent so it's hard to say with certainty this is the cause.

CYN points her feet inwards which is known as in-toeing which is a common symptom of autism although only generally present in young children⟨13⟩. In-toeing can be caused by “femoral anteversion”: I found no study directly correlating “Femoral Anteversion” and autism but I did find a study which correlated hypermobility with autism⟨14⟩ and a study which correlated “Femoral Anteversion'' with hypermobility⟨15⟩. Hypermobility has also been shown to be correlated with hypotonia⟨16⟩.

CYN is seen pulling her thighs inwards which is a sign of autism and many autistic people (specifically autistic children) do it to help them find balance⟨13⟩.

Note that there is one scene in which she doesn’t stand in the manner described above, in this scene she is not the focus and she’s very much obscured. I believe at this point this is likely an animation error. I will be discussing this in greater detail later on but cannot currently due to the problem of spoilers.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5. The shot is of her standing neurotypically from behind while holding a ceramic teacup]

Walking

The problem with discussing the manner in which CYN walks is that we get limited shots of her walking, particularly unsupported. The best evidence we do have comes from the gala preparations in episode 5 but in that scene the lower parts of her legs are obscured and she is taking aid from N. There are other scenes where we somewhat see her walk but they each come with their own problems.

[image transcript; a picture of CYN (left) walking holding onto her older brother N (right)]

By comparing the number of times CYN and N’s head bob while walking together we get an indication of their respective stride lengths, by watching the scene at 0.25 speed CYN takes ~16 steps and N takes ~9 steps. Since they’re walking in tandem, we can conclude that CYNs stride length is 9/16=~0.5625 times that of N’s. Since stride length and height are directly proportional17, we can take into account their height difference by multiplying by the ratio of their heights (132cm/100cm=1.32) which gives us 1.32*0.5625=0.7425 so even when height is taken into account, CYNs stride length is significantly smaller than N’s and a smaller stride length is a symptom of autism⟨17⟩. This is also backed up in other scenes where we see CYN move and her stride appears very short.

While walking with N, her gait (distance between feet) is neurotypical, in other scenes where we see her walk, without aid, this is not the case so this is a direct example of where we cannot be certain of the information we’re getting from the gala preparation scene. A wider gait length is a sign of autism⟨18⟩.

When looking at the movement of her kneecaps compared to N and the other servants, she has a distinct increased hip flexion which is a symptom of autism which is an action taken to mitigate the effects of autism on mobility⟨18⟩.

Although she has an increased hip flexion, her knee’s do not appear to bend significantly which is another sign of autism along with limited ankle movement⟨18⟩. We only see one shot in the show where we see CYN feet while she’s moving and in that she takes only one small step backwards but it does seem that her ankles don’t bend, I am reluctant to push this as evidence due to how limited the data is.

In the cathedral scene, we see that she seemingly pauses between steps as she walks (this behaviour is not present when walking with N). This is referred to as an increase in the stance phrase which is a sign of autism⟨18⟩.

Oral

CYN (voiced by Allanah Fitzgerald⟨19⟩) has a very distinct manner in which she talks, for those unaware her voice sounds very reminiscent of Siri/Alexa which strongly contrasts most other characters in the show who have fully articulated voices. Without going into details (to avoid spoilers), there is an argument that can be made that her voice is the default for Worker Drones.

[image transcript; a picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 kneeling on a bar counter holding up her head with the back of her hand]

Here is a transcript of a conversation between CYN and N.

N       - *walking in*

CYN - “You seem, upset—big brother—N. Perhaps you'd like to attend the gala with me?—light sip”

N        -  “Ahh, not sure we’re invited, little buddy. Why not just hang with me?”

CYN - “climbing, criss cross applesauce—am I—not wanted, N?”

N        - “aww dude, you know its her parents… ahh, don’t give me those eyes”

CYN - “giggle, I am so naughty.”

certain parts of N’s lines being altered to avoid spoilers (CYNs lines have been left virtually unchanged).

The most obvious part of her language is her rigid voice, it is very monotone. This is not hard to correlate to Autism as ‘robotic’ is a common descriptor used to describe one of the ways people who are autistic talk⟨20⟩. I do want to mention that although her voice is robotic, she isn’t emotionless, through her actions it is clear she can feel a wide range of complex emotions including humour and annoyance; it's just she struggles showing it⟨23⟩.

CYN also uses phrases when performing certain actions such as “criss cross applesauce” when she is sitting down; this is a sign of Echolalia⟨20⟩ which is very common for autistic people⟨20⟩. Her phrase “you’d like to attend the gala with me” also gives the implications of delayed Echolalia⟨21⟩. Note, certain things she vocalises like “giggle” and “annoyed expression” aren’t Echolalia.

CYN does not show any sins of having narrow interests which is usually a common  symptom of Autism⟨20⟩. This may be a result of her limited screen presence as we don’t get significant indications of any of her interests.

Since we don’t see CYN through multiple stages of her life, it is difficult to determine if her language skills have developed unevenly⟨20⟩. She does mix childish and formal language together as she talks which can be interpreted as implying uneven language skills. I think the explanation of Echolalia fits better.

[image transcript; a close up picture of the character CYN from Murder Drones Episode 5 kneeling on a bar counter holding out her hands making an excited expression with her tongue out] (author note, do not question why she has a tongue)

Her face, although much less emotive, isn’t devoid of emotion; she can somewhat show emotions like fear and can be very expressive but only in a rigid and forced manner although her face is usually unexpressive. She also sometimes she visually shows the wrong emotions like with the picture above she is excited but here eyes are showing the scared emotion. All these is very stereotypical of autistic people and defies the common stereotype⟨22⟩.

Now we have come to the end of part 1, which is sad ): . Please consider reblogging, this took a lot of time and research to put together and I'm sure there's still mistakes and inaccuracies. So what conclusions can we draw from this information… not much since a lot of important information has been left out since they cannot be discussed without major spoilers for the show. Thank you for reading.

References

⟨0⟩Liam Vickers | Murder Drones Episodes

⟨1⟩Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul | Glitch Productions

⟨2⟩Liam Vickers | Liam Vickers Productions

⟨3⟩pep-the-artemis | Is N ColourBlind?

⟨4⟩I lost the intended link | so here’s a cat

⟨5⟩Interactive Autism Network | Relationship Between Autism and Height

⟨6⟩Carmen B. Pingree | Signs of Autism

⟨7⟩Medical News Today | Hypotonia

⟨8⟩Mark Hutton | Hypotonia Case Study

⟨9⟩NeuroScience News | Head Tilt Social Engagement

⟨10⟩Cross River Therapy | T-Rex Arms in Autism

⟨11⟩Autistic Emmalyn | Autistic Arms

⟨12⟩YAI | Posture and Gait of Autistic Individuals

⟨13⟩NHS | In-Toeing

⟨14⟩National Library of Medicine | The Relationship Between Generalised Joint Hypermobility and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults: A Large, Cross-Sectional, Case Control Comparison

⟨15⟩National Library of Medicine | Is there a correlation between the femoral anteversion angle and the elasticity of the hip muscles in cases of intoeing gait due to increased femoral anteversion angle?

⟨16⟩The Royal Childrens Hospital Melbourne | Low muscle tone

⟨17⟩Scientific America | Stepping Science: Estimating Someone's Height from Their Walk

⟨18⟩National Library of Medicine | Gait deviations in children with autism spectrum disorders: a review

⟨19⟩Allanah Fitzgerald | FitzyVA

⟨20⟩National Institute of Hearing | Autism Spectrum Disorder: Communication Problems in Children 

⟨21⟩The Autism Therapy Group | Echolalia in Autism: What It Is and How To Treat It

⟨22⟩app2vox | Understanding autism and emotions

[sacchxrine05]

Yuumori Characters as Disney Princesses (cus I’m bored :))

I’m gonna preface this by saying that some of these you’re just gonna have to trust me on cus I chose them just from pure vibes alone and went from there. I also haven’t re-read/watched Yuumori in a while nor have I watched any Disney movies as of late so again, just trust me bro lmao. I came up with most of these at 2am so sorry in advance.

Also, if someone has already done this, I’m sorry and I hope my choices aren’t just the same lmao.

Liam - Aurora/Sleeping Beauty

So this one is mostly just cus they both ended up sleeping for a long ass time lmao. Liam was in a coma after the fall for x months and Aurora was cursed to an eternal sleep unless her true love kissed her awake (we won’t talk about the horrors of the original fairytale, I’ve tried to blank that out of my memory tyvm). They’re also both blondes…uh huh. Aurora doesn’t have much personality that I can remember other than being an animal lover and a good singer so…that’s just all I have lmao. I also just think Liam would make a very cute Sleeping Beauty lmao.

Albert - Jasmine

I did consider giving Albert Rapunzel cus of the whole locked away in a tower thing, but outside of that and having shitty mothers (Mother Gothel wasn’t even Rapunzel’s real mother but still) there isn’t much similarity personality wise? Idk. I picked Jasmine just cus they both come from rich families yet have no patience for other rich people. Jasmine also disguised herself and went into the town/city to pretend she was a normal person and that feels kinda Albert-ish? They’re also both smart and sarcastic so Y’know.

Louis - Cinderella

This one feels kinda obvious lmao. Both were raised by awful rich people who treated them like a servant, both were orphans and both tended to the upkeep of their homes. I do think Louis has more of a backbone than Cinderella, especially towards the end of Part 1 of the manga. Also again: both are blondes lmao.

Moran - Merida

So…this one is mostly vibes but also not. I think Moran has a similar wild streak to Merida and accidentally turning a loved one into a bear because he didn’t watch his wording when asking a witch for a spell sounds like something Moran might do? Bear (hah) in mind I haven’t re-read Yuumori in a while so I may be wrong on that. Also I guess bows and arrows were the guns before guns were invented so…so there’s that lmao.

Bonde - Mulan

Feels like another obvious one? They both disguised their genders to achieve a goal (although I did interpret James to be a trans man whereas Mulan wasn’t rly? Cus she went back to presenting as female after the war so idk). They’re also both pretty outspoken and don’t care for the roles society has put them in as women and actively break that stigma (Mulan by going to war and James by often dressing as men even before he transitioned). Idk I just like this one lmao.

Fred - Snow White

Again, this is mostly vibes. I’m pretty sure Snow White is the youngest of the Disney Princesses at 14 (Don’t quote me on that cus I could be wrong), so I feel like that parallels Fred being the youngest of the Crime Gang. Snow White also has a connection to animals which can also connect to Fred’s love of cats and nature in general as he does most (all?) of the gardening. I think they’re both pretty quiet and shy and that’s all I really have lmao.

Mycroft - Megara

Okay, okay, relax, I know Megara isn’t an official Disney Princess (she SHOULD be, but whatever), but she’s the only one I could really see as being similar to Mycroft? Ya’ll are really just gonna have to trust me on this one lmao. I just think they’re both pretty independent and cynical and sarcastic and just…I really don’t know the vibes just fit, I can’t explain it.

Sherlock - Ariel

OKAY👏HEAR👏ME👏OUT. This is the only one I’m 100% confident on BSJDNKFS. They both have a niche obsession that they collect items from, Ariel with humans and Sherlock with Mysteries/Crime. They both make massive life changes for the man they love (a man which, by the way, they barely knew lmao), Ariel in becoming human and Sherlock by leaving his life, family & friends behind to live with Liam in New York. They also almost died to achieve this, Sherl from leaping off a goddamn bridge to save Liam and Ariel by her deal with Ursula. IT WORKS, I’M TELLING YOU.

That’s all I have, I was gonna do other characters but I just hit a brick wall with it lmao. (I considered John to be either Tiana or Belle, but I’ll leave that up to you 👀)

If you made it this far thank you for listening to my bullshit lmao.

[vicsy]

something something something about how max’s hair is completely brown now…when daniel closes his eyes all he sees is blonde

ohhh. ohh anon. you should not have gone there.... but I am glad you did. this is also something very up @mysticalbreadcollective 's alley since blonde Max is on her daily agenda BUT

anon. idk what floats your boat but let me take you somewhere rancid under the cut (let the record show that I am a maxiel truther but my god do I enjoy making them suffer with other people)

it's current season and maxiel aren't together due to Reasons with capital R of course. Daniel's "i can't fuck my teammate i am not into guys or am I but maybe that's just Max oh no you can't be with Max" and Max's general understanding of his own worth and needs. they can't escape the tension, the lingering touches, the double entendre running through their relationship like a river in flood. one step forward, two steps back etc etc

so things aren't going exactly as planned for Daniel and, naturally, he's fighting the pull towards Max and the best next thing his brain chooses to do is find someone to hook up with, get it out of his system. since his dick is very much attuned to Max after years of imagining that's its gonna find itself parked in Max's ass (which never happened), Daniel's looking for someone particular to scratch the itch and, apparently, to spite the fate, his choice falls to YOU GUESSED IT – Liam.

very convenient, since they're both gunning for the same thing. exploring some healthy alternatives to their impromptu rivalry or whatever the media says. Daniel's pretty charming and Liam's easy. done and done.

and it's bad. capital "b" Bad. the sex comes pretty fast and Daniel's checking all of his boxes - rookie, blonde, tiny waist, looks at him with wide eyes etc etc and Liam is surprisingly down to fuck cause maybe that is also convenient for him, too. but he's mean about it. He's heard legends about Big Dick Ric and the dick is very big but the prowess? lacking. he says that to Daniel's face after, like, the third time it happens. which should be incredibly insulting but–

Daniel's pining and trying to trick himself which works exactly for three seconds but Liam isn't what he wants. wrong kind of blonde hair that Daniel's gripping tight while he fucks Liam from the back, never face to face, because that would prompt Daniel to THINK and RUMINATE and he doesn't want that. he wants Max the way he sees him when he closes his eyes but it's gone when he opens them and finishes another underwhelming sexcapade. it's never the right color, it's never the right person' it's always a bad time.

"do you think I'm not getting what you're doing here?" Liam says to him one day, grinning meanly, and Daniel truly doesn't know the answer to that question. he's hella confused himself. Liam seems to get off on the situation more than when he's riding Daniel's dick, so he calls Daniel Danny in the garage and he suddenly glues himself to Daniel's side, which is. weird. manipulative? Daniel's plan to get over himself backfires when he sees Liam talking to Max one day and Max's easy smile slowly dissipates as Liam's yapping but Daniel can't hear a word.

he doesn't really need to. he knows Liam cashed in on Daniel's sorry excuse of a reason to hook up. all Daniel can do is add to the history of horrendous decisions he's made in his life and live with the knowledge that he's probably never going to wake up next to Max's mostly-not-blonde hair getting in his face where they're tangled in bed, that Daniel's dabbled in something he should not have touched with a ten foot pole, that he'd tarnished all of his chanced, basically set them on fire when max had been there and never turning him down all the way.

Daniel got some, Liam got some. after all, it's Max who, unfairly, walks out it hurt the most, because of Daniel's choice, because of him thinking he was chasing something else while in reality he was running. and Daniel never fucking stopped.

[minkyungseokie]

Toxicity within Formula One

I usually never give my own opinions on anything Formula One related because I’m afraid of getting hate, but I am sick of it, and I will finally want my opinion heard.

For a sport that’s not as popular as any other sport in the world, there is so much toxicity and animosity between fans. Either fans of people on the same team or fans of people on different teams are going at each other for no reason and it mostly happens within Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull. Lately, Mercedes has been infighting more than worrying about anything else.

You’ve got(and I’m not generalizing the fans. I’m calling out all the toxic ones. So, when I say fans, I meant the highly toxic people who be smirch others names and hype up their own favorite)

Russell fans calling Hamilton washed and occasionally saying racist things about him

Hamilton fans discrediting Georgia’s achievements and saying he will never be as good as Hamilton(also the people who are stuck on Abu Dhabi 2021)

Carlos fans making fun of Georges crash and saying the rudest things about Hamilton just because of a decision to not keep Carlos with the occasional racism

Charles fans doing the exact same thing Carlos fans are doing, but on a little bit lighter level because I haven’t really seen Charles fans being as rude to Lewis as Carlos fans

Max fans thinking they are on top of the world and absolutely nothing can touch them and being toxic overall

I don’t really see a lot of Checo fans, but the ones I have seen are always overshadowed by the max fans, but they are still toxic

Alex fans hating on Logan just because he’s not as good as Alex. Pretty much everyone’s fans hating on Logan for being American AB’s being xenophobic

Logan fans are pretty chill, but with what happened yesterday, they aren’t as chill as you think. There is no reason that they should be sending hate, and death threats to Alex because of a decision that was not his.

Fernando fans are pretty chill usually when I look at the comment section of Aston Martin. Unless it comes down to the LGBTQ. The amount of hate towards the LGBTQ under Aston Martin’s post by both Still fans, Alonso fans, and other team’s fans is disgusting.

Stroll fans usually don’t do anything except try to defend their favorite person, but I can assure you that they are not innocent just because you rarely see them being toxic. The whole thing with Bianca proved that, but I’m pretty sure that it was mostly just people who usually don’t like Stroll taking the chance to be misogynistic instead of criticizing her like everyone else was doing

Yuki fans, journalists, and other fans just calling Daniel washed and saying that he should give his seat up to Liam and wishing horrinle thing upon him

Daniel fans infantilizing Yuki, occasionally being racist, making fun of things he cannot control, and just being overall terrible people towards Yuki

And that’s not even all of it because then there’s the fighting of other teams still going on. And the overall hatred of Alpine for some reason.

Now, I can’t say much for the fans of Kick, Alpine, and Haas. I scroll through their comment sections and it’s usually people criticizing the team itself for their crappy cars or crappy pitstop. I don’t follow Haas so I don’t know how their comment section is like.

Of course, there are toxic people within those three teams fandom too, but go to their comment section, it’s mostly wholesome. Still toxic occasionally, but way more wholesome than Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bulls

I didn’t forget about McLaren, but they seem to actually be moderating their comment sections

I’m aware of how toxic Instagram is, but it’s not just on Instagram. It’s on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, I’m not calling Twitter X.

I know this is probably just going to get me hated on, and I’m probably yapping about nothing, but I feel like people take things way too seriously.

This is a sport. Meant for enjoyment and entertainment. I understand that not everyone is going to get along, and that there’s always going to be toxic people, but some of those same toxic people get upset when people are toxic towards their favorite.

This is probably all sounding like absolute Yapanese right now and I’m sorry if I haven’t properly got my point across. I’ll fix this in the morning when I’m more clear minded, but I wanted to point out just how toxic this fandom is. It’s more toxic than any other fandom I’ve been in except for K-pop

These are screenshots of responses to a comment on RB’s post about Yuki actually being in P7 after Alonso got a penalty. The comment said let’s not hate on Daniel because he will pick it back up. This is only a taste of what I mean.

I can’t even go back to Ferrari to screenshot comments and explain what I mean and I’m not going to Red Bulls page for that either because seeing the comments make me sick. But this is what I mean. And these are the tame ones.

Formula One fans need to realize that these men are not toys. They are not just entertainment. They are human beings with feelings who make mistakes just like everyone else does. They do, say, and act very stupidly, sometimes, but that does not warrant some of the stuff that is said to them. They do not deserve death threats, and hate just for crashing and being afraid for their life or enjoying a win they deserve.

They are not toys. They are human beings. Just like you and me and they deserve respect because they put their lives on the line to do with their love and entertain their fans.

Speaking of fans while I’m at it. Respect the privacy of the drivers. Someone filming George Russell while he’s using the year or not and posting it on TikTok is not okay and should never ever be considered okay

Here are some comments from George’s post where he’s apologizing for crashing and saying that he’s going to try to do better

And don’t even get me started on the Ferrari fans bitching about Carlos leaving. It’s an extreme sport, no one‘s going to stay on their team forever just because they got one win and a couple of podium. I hate to sound toxic, but the way some of those, grown ass men and women are talking about Hamilton as if he’s not the seven time world champion as wild. It’s not Hamilton’s fault that Ferrari thought he would be a better fit.

I sincerely love Ferrari and their drivers, and I wish him the best and it makes me happy to see them win, but it does not make me happy to see the fans thinking that they rule the world, and that no one on the grid is better than Carlos. I love Carlos, but if Hamilton had a better car and Max‘s car didn’t start setting itself on fire, he would not have won.

Again, I hate to say that because it sounds like I’m hating on him, but I’m not. That’s why I like Tumblr better, because the people on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, are all… I don’t even even know how to say it without sounding weird. So this is where I’ll end it for now.

And before anyone says anything, I know it’s an extreme sport and people are gonna hate on someone that’s not their favorite driver, but the people I’m talking about are taking it way too far. You shouldn’t hate on anyone just because they aren’t your favorite in general, But I’ve seen a Ferrari fan called Hamilton a monkey because he’s going to be joining the team.

I’ve seen a Daniel fan say only sushi eaters like Yuki. As in, only Japanese people like Yuki, and nobody else.

There’s a difference between expressing your dislike towards something somebody did, and something somebody has said, and being extremely toxic. Some of you might have even been those toxic people if you are, do better, because even just saying something like that on the Internet can make karma come for you.

[taodpa]

THE CHARACTERS

A quick intro to the members of the DPA! (in our show)

Black Hole (voiced by Sohl501) - Black Hole is the main character of the show (adoptive father of Lightning) and the founder of Death PACT Again. He wants to make the company a bit more heard of and more popular. Black Hole is a calm, clairvoyant and omniscient wise individual that cares about the lives and safety of their fellow objects, but he wants Death PACT Again (his company) to become bigger but not for money just so more objects can start using them for life saving tips. But he does tend to be a bit stubborn at times which can end up making decisions that cause them to get in trouble a lot but he still does care about his company and his employees and just wants his company to succeed.

Liam/Lightning (voiced by Bapple) - Lightning is the 18 year old adoptive son of Black Hole. He is into playing video games (his favorites include Bullet Toes (a parody of Goldeneye and Call of Duty), Mothertruckers, Sunrise of the Unalived and Rapper’s Delight) which are games he streams on the internet. He is also into skateboarding and drawing and he’s a fan of hip-hop and rock and roll artists. He isn’t the brightest tool in the shed as he tends to be dimwitted (but not on Mark’s level of dimwit) more like he’s not bright, he tends to be a bit embarrassed by Black Hole (aka his dad) because well Black Hole is out of touch with his generation, but he still cares about his dad/boss and still wants to help him out. He is the in the middle of the spectrum of being an outsider extrovert and a chronically online femboy twink

Fanny (voiced by Big Ziti) - Fanny is the assistant manager/best friend of Black Hole. Contrasted to Black Hole’s chill and collected personality, Fanny is more of a temperamental and hot-headed individual. She tends to get angry at people for sometimes good reasons or sometimes bad reasons. She’s not like violently angry but more like strict angry (she still can hit people if angered). She can also be kinda grumpy at times, like demanding and sometimes moody. Fanny also is insecure about her lack of arms, since she feels like a freak because everyone else doesn’t have them. Fanny also has a nice side to her as she cares about Black Hole and wants to look out for him so he doesn’t get into trouble

Trevor/Tree (voiced by Tokei) - Trevor is the scientist and smart one of the group. Trevor is bisexual and he has a slight crush on Black Hole (ooOOOOoooh). Trevor is quite serious, uptight and deadpan. He plays the straight man into situations and the antics of certain characters. He also seems to be quite stingy at times and deeply cares about his items. He does seem to have more of a sillier and mischievous side.

Remote (we got the same voice actor from BFDI to reprise her role as Remote) - Remote is an invention of Trevor. She is presented as a transforming robot that can transform into an object or an animal. She has this eager, optimistic and outgoing perspective of life and wants to cherish it even if she’s a robot. 

Mark/Marker (voiced by BendyFan Animations) - Mark is the intern of Death PACT Again. He doesn’t seem to really do much outside of just cleaning up the places or just learning about the field. He is the dimwitted, dumbass stoner type character as he tends to get high off of weed and tends to drink a lot of beer, so like he clearly has unhealthy habits. Due to him being high a lot, he seems to have quite an interest towards dirt, like he’ll talk about dirt and find ways to insert dirt into an conservation, to the point where his high ass eats the dirt (he also tends to eat other inedible/disgusting combos of foods but he mostly eats dirt because he likes dirt)

Priscilla/Pie (voiced by AzureBlue) - Priscilla is the secretary of Death PACT Again. She is the fashionista of the group. Priscilla is the rudest, snobbiest, bitchiest, judgemental, dickish, moody, snootiest and did we say bitchiest of the team. She only cares about her beauty and looks and hates doing the job.

Now i want you to be nice to them… cmon cmon! don't be shy

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Writeblr Questionnaire

Thanks @illarian-rambling here, @paeliae-occasionally here, @willtheweaver here, @honeybewrites here, @urnumber1star here,

And @leahnardo-da-veggie here!

About You:

When did you start writing?

Genuinely I'm not sure, but I do have physical evidence that it's been a while. The first story I wrote was called "In the Dark." I was at the age where I drew several pictures with one color of marker with stick figures and my mom wrote the words for me. I'd say preschool-aged. I think I was three.

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

I am a person with a huge bias toward fantasy in the things I write and consume. However, I'm not picky with genres, it just happens to be a pattern. I really do love plenty of realistic fiction books. It just so happens that I have exactly one realistic fiction story in my WIP ideas. One. And even then, it needed a gimmick to be interesting for me to write. I have no interest in writing realistic fiction other than that. But I really do love plenty of realistic fiction books!

I want to write a mystery one day, but it'll have to be a fantasy mystery. I do love plenty of realistic fiction mystery books and shows and stuff. I could never write historical fiction, although that isn't a frequented genre to begin with.

Theme-wise, I couldn't say. I don't really care.

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

Nope. I think people will make their own comparisons, but there's no one in particular I am trying to emulate. I'm just me.

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

Sometimes I just write on the couch or at a random place at school, but I've been going to my desk a lot more. It's just in my room, I'm on a swivel chair, and my laptop is on top of it. Nothing special.

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

Read my old writing or my notes! I see stuff I forgot about or I get ideas from the details. Occasionally I'll check out a video or something if I'm truly stuck.

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

Uh, yes. Why do you think I set the "real world" in a middle-class intermediate school in the greater Houston area on a six-lane FM road with a Sonic, Walgreens, and apartment complex nearby? It's a lot easier to describe things that way. Everywhere else I have to make up a floor plan for interiors and use Google Maps for the surrounding scenery.

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

A lot of queer and neurodivergent people. No, that does not surprise me. It me. It accident.

Friends-to-lovers is my most common romantic relationship, but there's also a lot of platonic and queerplatonic relationships.

Interpersonal relationships in general are huge themes of mine and appear in almost everything I write.

Since I write YA, there's a lot of coming of age.

None surprise me.

Your Characters:

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

Oof that's hard. For TSP... I love talking about Carmen. She's such an asshole, but she's super interesting. I want to put her under a microscope and study her. She's a character I'm constantly thinking about. I like seeing why she does the things she does. She's developed into a character I originally didn't think much about, and now I can't stop! She's also funny. She doesn't mean to be, but she's so high-strung and angry that she is fun to write for.

For SOTL, it's Tierney. I have one chapter with him, but that doesn't matter. He's amazing and I love talking about him. He's a mess. He's a nerd. He's awkward. I love him.

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

Well, the characters closest to my age are Liam and George, and I think I'd be friends with them! Liam may occasionally get on my nerves in the debate side of him, but I think I'd get used to it, especially because his part of the grilled cheese debate is based on someone I actually know and am friends with.

I'm not sure about being friends with the kids, but I do hang out with plenty due to being an educator, and I remember how I was at that age. Out of everyone, Robbie and Akash feel like they'd perfectly fit into my friend group, which may be why I love writing them so much. Individually I think Gwen is the one I'd be most likely to get along with.

I haven't written enough of SOTL, but I'd get along with Jill. Also Ritchie and their group of friends.

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

Carmen, I'm so sorry, I would not like you. Gabriel also can get rude and boring. Noelle constantly mentioning her mom would get on my nerves, if I'm being honest. I feel like I could only take Parker in small doses, even if I really like Wade.

I'm not far enough in SOTL to make a decision except for the purposefully antagonistic characters.

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

Well, TSP it really depends. Here are all the characters I think are worth mentioning for the entire series.

Originally based on someone I knew before developing a completely different personality: Lexi, Maddie, Ash, Gwen, Noelle, Rose, Kelsey, Carla, George, Hye-Jin, Atsila

They started out as someone completely different in previous drafts and then in the process of developing them I got attached: Jedi, Carmen

I created them for Draft Four as a love interests and then I got attached: Robbie, Akash

I created them in Draft Four to fill up the background: Liam, Ewan, Jazlyn, Wade, Parker, Tyler, Niri, Gabriel, Sam

I needed a name for a prominent figure and then I kept using it and they became important: Raissa

I needed characters for the AU didn't I?: Alex, Issa, CJ, Wendy

Background characters I had no intention of making important: Teo, Xitlali, Anathi

For SOTL, it's simple. Get a character from a fairy tale, nursery rhyme, fable, legend, other public domain work, etc and make them my own!

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

Most of them are queer and neurodivergent. Most are in the 11-25 range given the demographic I write in.

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

I want TSP and SOTL to both be in hand-drawn animation, so I imagine them like that. Western animation with anime inspiration like ATLA, Teen Titans, etc is what I typically imagine it in.

Your Writing:

What’s your reason for writing?

I love it!! And also I'd go insane. It's also why I write reviews and analyses of stuff. I've stayed up until 2 am before thinking thoughts on TV shows and I legit can't sleep until I've written an essay.

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

I've gotten "oh I like this little detail" or "wow good dialogue" or "realistic friendship!!" And that always makes me happy.

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

I just want people to like my characters, is that too much to ask?

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I really like character building and details around their lives. I think I'm good at writing consistent characters because I've put so much work behind them.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

Dialogue! So many people comment on the realism of my dialogue, and I really like that!

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

If it's at 1 am I think it's awful. When I read my old writing I cringe. Sometimes if I'm in a bad mood my self esteem plummets. But overall, when I look back, I see how far I've come. When I make a revision, even a small one, I smile because I know my writing is getting better. I just get excited about improvement!

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

Yes because it helps me sleep. Were you not paying attention lol

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

No. I write for ME.

Tagging @mk-writes-stuff @elsie-writes @eccaiia @mysticstarlightduck @chauceryfairytales

+ ANYONE ELSE

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy @honeybewrites @the-golden-comet

SOTL intro

SOTL tag list (ask to be +/-): @illarian-rambling @katwritesshit @wyked-ao3

Under the cut are the blank questions put together for easy copy/paste

About You: When did you start writing? Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write? Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared? Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.) What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse? Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about? Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all? Your Characters: Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.) Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life? Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them? Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters. Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters? How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.) Your Writing: What’s your reason for writing? Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers? How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.) What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer? What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others? How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.) If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write? When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

[fangirlmermaid]

I'll Protect You

Summary: Sean plays BloodWash but as the game gets more intense the more he starts to imagine if this happened to his pregnant wife. 

Listen there might be grammar errors but deal with it, thanks!

First, it started all lighthearted and fun Sean knew what the game was about, he knew Sara was pregnant. He knew that it was just a game, that the womb ripper wasn’t real, and that he was just overreacting but the back of his mind reminds him that there are some sick people out there. Sean knew that he was nothing like Liam, Sean always helps around the house even before (Y/N) was pregnant. Sean tried to keep his racing mind under wraps because he felt like it was a silly thing to worry about and didn’t want his viewers to know.           

Sean met (Y/N) back in 2015 through Mark who was a mutual friend, you knew Mark because you also are a YouTuber and your channel is popular which is called (What the fuck you want). You and Sean developed feelings after months of talking and you asked Sean out on a date. Of course, you guys kept it secret from your viewers till your first anniversary some of your viewers were happy but others were skeptical and were saying some rude things about the relationship or about you but you didn’t care they were cowards who were hiding behind a screen when they are saying dumb shit and they were most likely jealous of you since you were dating Sean and they weren’t. After five years of dating Sean asked you to marry him of course you said yes. After a year of being married, you guys were ready for the next step which is to have a baby. 

As Sara walks through the old laundromat place Sean kept imagining if this was (Y/N) who is eight months pregnant waddling helplessly as the womb ripper was trying to kill you and rip out their unborn daughter. Sean already made a vow to be the best husband and the best father he could be but after playing this game he’s made another vow to protect you and his child from harm even if it’s a shitty YouTube comment, and he even promised to make sure the laundry machines in the house are working but if they’re not them he’ll buy you new clothes so you’ll never have to go to a laundromat. 

Sean cheered when he shot the womb ripper and they died, Sean felt so relieved that the womb ripper was dead. Sean turned his attention back to the camera that focused on his face “The whole time I was imagining if (Y/N) was going through this” Sean finally admitted, he glanced back at the computer screen “Which is a terrifying situation in general, (Y/N) if you’re watching this I love you and I love our daughter but we are never going to a  laundromat!” Sean admitted twisting his wedding ring to soothe his anxiety, then he realized that there was an end credit to the game. 

After Sean finished filming he went to search the house for you because Bloodwash really fucked with his mind. Finally, Sean has found you sitting on the bed watching (Your favorite movie), Sean’s heart is filled with joy he loves you with all his heart and he will never let you forget it. He enters the bedroom “Hi sweetie!” Sean smiled as he walked towards the end of the bed “Hi my love” You smiled gazing at him, your eyes filled with so much love. Sean lays on his stomach in between (Y/N) legs, he lifted your shirt exposing your big round bump “Hi sweetheart it’s your dad” Sean smiled, and you felt your daughter spin which is something she always does when Sean talks to her, your daughter wasn’t even born yet but she already has Sean wrapped around her little fingers. Sean pressed a kiss next to (Y/N)’s belly button “I promise that I will do everything in my power to protect you and your mother! No womb ripper will stand a chance, I’ve been playing a lot of Halo so my aim is on point!” Sean assured his daughter, the baby punched your side making you groan in pain “I know but calm down little one!” Sean chuckled before placing another kiss on your stomach. 

You let out a yawn “Uh oh Mom’s tired” Sean whispered to the baby, you grabbed your chest “You would be too if you had a baby who likes to kick you at the crack ass of dawn every single night!” you whined, Sean gazed at you, he frowned at the bags that laid under your eyes. An idea came to Sean sure it was a crappy one but it was better than nothing “Alright listen! No child of mine will be keeping up my wife who is also your mother! She deserves to get some rest because she is working hard on keeping you alive and healthy, she even lets you use her body as a home which is so kind of her to do so please be kind and let her get some sleep!” Sean explained giving your daughter one final kiss before covering your baby bump with your shirt. 

You felt tears form in your eyes, this pregnancy has been horrible for you because you are always been in pain, your daughter likes to practice her karate moves on you, you have body insecurities, and little to no sleep but moments like these are worth the pain.  

Sean sat down next to you “I love you so much” you reminded him as tears ran down your cheek Sean cupped your cheeks he used his thumb to wipe your tears “I love you more!” Sean smiled pulling you into a long sweet kiss. You pouted when he pulled away “Let’s get some sleep” Sean mumbled you nodded your head, and Sean placed a kiss on your forehead.

Once the lights were turned off you could barely keep your eyes open you laid down with your back pressed against Sean’s chest, and the Irish man placed a kiss on the back of your shoulder. Your eyelids dropped “Goodnight (Y/N)” Sean mumbled behind your neck sending a shiver down your spine, “Night Sean” you mumbled, you felt Sean placing his hand on your stomach sending out a warning to any potential womb rippers to not mess with the McLoughlin family. 

Sean’s stern talking worked because you also got a good night’s rest.         

[utilitycaster]

🔥 each member of vox machina

Vax: really the sadboy narrative for Liam has always been stupid but it's egregiously bad that it started with Vax, who is like, sad for maybe a fifth of the episodes and largely because Liam O'Brien's actual mother was dying, like, with all due respect what the actual fuck, fandom.

Vex: I am the founding and probably only member of the "Vex is my favorite character and also I am 100% cool with Colville's depiction of her." The generosity she shows even very early on in C1 is still a generosity borne of some degree of security - they have a keep by then - and I also just don't think you have to like a character to write them fairly. Granted it's been a minute since I read early VMO but nothing stood out to me as out of line with my understanding of Vex.

Pike: repeating myself once again but I like Pike a lot and wish we could have seen more, but because we didn't, people who say she's their favorite in C1 do tend to turn me off in that I feel they're looking for a relatively flat and widely praised character to project onto rather than a character who goes through more messy development.

Grog: I think he's often underestimated and I was guilty of doing so myself, to be honest, until I saw Travis play more and until I personally got better at D&D. Also I still maintain that playing INT 6 sensitively and well is infinitely harder than playing INT 16, all things considered, and this is yet another reason why people should play high INT more often.

Scanlan: Also underestimated; I do understand being turned off by the whole extremely horny playboy thing but as I've said before Bard's Lament is a major litmus test for me: if you think Scanlan is completely at fault here, you are wrong, and if you think he's not partially at fault, you are also wrong.

Tary: I genuinely love him and think he's a great character and one of Sam's best, but while his character arc is strong the Taryon Darrington Arc of the VM Campaign, through no fault of his own (and partly bc I personally think D&D Hell, especially pre-Descent Into Avernus publication, is kind of boring), is one of the weakest parts of the campaign because it's kind of a grab bag of loose ends. With that said I would happily watch more Darrington Brigade-one shots.

Percy: Percy is also generally a litmus test in that it's like. Is he a good person? Eventually I believe he becomes one, and even before that I think he's very sympathetic and deeply traumatized and like, 24, so I get it, but also, who the fuck cares. This ties into the Essek and the Ashton opinions and all kinds of other stuff but why are people so invested in fucking absolving their blorbo of all sins? I want someone who's lived enough of a life to have done some heinous shit because that's fun and interesting and it's pretend and also because then they can have a rewarding character arc by either working towards redemption or coming to terms with who they are or spiraling into tragedy.

Keyleth: I like Keyleth a lot but I am, as this post indicates, far more sympathetic to Vex, and so while I do think Keyleth is a fairly good person she is also extremely sheltered and naive and terrified of doing the wrong thing and I would have, like Vex, wanted to scream at her half the time were I just a random NPC wandering about the campaign. On the other hand C3-era Keyleth? fantastic no notes she has grown up in such an interesting way.

Tiberius: I think we, and by we I mean people capable of separating the art from the artist, can recognize that his concept actually fucking slapped and unfortunately he was played by someone who absolutely sucked in a myriad of ways. I would love to see the alternate universe in which the same general concept (prodigy sorcerer from Draconia who is full of themself) had to face not just the destruction of their civilization but the realization that they were taking advantage of the Ravenites and while they did not deserve to be killed by Vorugal, had done nothing to justify aid from those they had subjugated either. Like, the alternate world in which one of the current cast members or like, a close friend of the main cast (Ashly, Erika, Mary Elizabeth) played this is one I'd love to see.

[oscconfessions]

Why is platonic angst socially acceptable but not romantic angst? Like, why are people more okay with discussion/content of two friends in an unhealthy relationship and not two lovers in an unhealthy relationship?

You can write a fanfic about Test Tube torturing her friends, but not a fanfic about Knife and Trophy hating each other's guts yet still wanting to make out.

You can talk about Liam restarting the cycle and continuing the show, but not about an AU of Airy and Liam being obsessively in love with one another.

You can draw Pillow brutally murdering and torturing her teammates, but not draw Four mistreating X while they both have a crush towards the other number.

Why is one situation fine, and the other not as soon as romance is involved? As far as I know, none of these creators have made statements about being uncomfortable with romantic abuse involving their characters. Is it because it relates too much to real world issues or something else entirely?

To clarify, I don't personally want to engage in any of this stuff, I am aromantic and generally prefer to see all object relationships as platonic. I am just mystified on why seemingly a majority of the OSC is against toxic relationships mostly only when they are portrayed as romantic.

.

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

How are the suitors relationship with Kate in ikevil? Like can you describe it if you have leisure time?

If we put the whole creepy aspect aside, all the male leads are extremely kind towards Kate. They don't want her to be a part of their dark world so they all make sure she's safe and happy as long as she is with them.

Now this is just my general view about the characters based on William's route.

William- He wants Kate to be more open and more selfish of her desires. He doesn't want her to shut herself inside her room for the whole month until she leaves. He wants her to enjoy herself, eat her favorite food, do her favorite things, say whatever she has on her mind etc. He talks to her in a very gentle tone with a smile, not ordering her around, and instead, comforts her like she's a child. He finds her asking him so many questions really cute. He finds it funny when she openly admits that she loves food. In the end, all he wants is for Kate to get along with everyone in the Crown.

Liam - Liam is also very considerate of Kate. His lovely child-like personality eases Kate very much and it feels like Liam, according to her, is the easiest one to get along with out of all the Crown members. He has this very charming aura that attracts people. Liam sees Kate as his friend and was also ready to help her with her 'mission' in William's route. He was worried about Kate when she was stabbed in William's route. He kept telling Roger that he couldn't protect her when she was stabbed right in front of him and William.

Harrison - So far Harry's role in William's route is to warn her about things. Like saying 'William's affection is like rain'. There is no biggg role like saving her from the jaws of death or something like that.. He's there in the background with other members. He also doesn't see Kate as some kind of burden when she comes with them on their mission. Like when she doesn't understand something, he doesn't mock her or leave her in the dark but instead explains what they're doing and why they are doing and when she thanks him politely, he's stunned. Later she also asks if Harry telling lies is his own way of protecting his loved ones and Harry was again stunned.

Elbert - This man does some things in William's route, which if you look out of context, it's hella creepy. But when you find out that he did it with pure intentions, you'll think it's a little too much. Elbert is still so confused because he thinks Kate is beautiful but doesn't know if she is the 'most beautiful thing' he is looking for. Therefore El keeps asking Al if Kate is actually beautiful or not and Al keeps saying 'No, she isn't' because if he by chance he says 'yes' El would be literally ready to lock Kate in his room and also kill William. Yes, I'm not joking. Al literally says "Let's not have bloodshed within the Crown, shall we?"

Alphonse - This guy has a confusing personality. I haven't yet seen a scene where he shows genuine care for Kate. Yes, he also comes to help Kate with her mission along with Liam and Harry, but not because he wanted to, but because El forced him to. Other than that, he just teases her by saying some creepy things and that's about it. I don't know if he actually cares about her or not. Maybe he does and I just didn't notice it.

Roger - He was the one who took care of Kate when she got stabbed in William's route. After that they all have a party to celebrate, Will's return and Kate recovery and Kate thanks Roger for saving her, and Roger just shakes his head and congratulate her. That's all I can say about him.

Jude - This guy has like two whole scenes with Kate in William's routes, but I know this guy better than any other Crown members. He's a cocky bitch. Yes, he is arrogant, swears a lot, and acts like he doesn't care. There is one scene where Kate goes with Jude and Ellis to persuade Brian for a story-related purpose and Jude tells her that she has 3 minutes to persuade Brian and if she can't do it within that time limit, he will persuade Brian in his own way and she will have to stay quiet. No exceptions! But even after 3 minutes he still kinda lets her have her way because she tells him that she wants to persuade him without using violence and Jude is like 'Yeah, whatever'. That's all. He doesn't treat her like she is less than him or anything. He treats her equally as he treats all the other members of the Crown. If anyone tries to attack, he will stomp that guy unconscious and then acts like he didn't do it for her.

Ellis - Like Liam, Ellis is also very caring towards Kate. He keeps on worrying when she is not happy, so he does everything he could to make her happy. Like when they went on a mission to kill Avalus, Kate faints, and when she woke up in Roger's lab, Liam and Ellis were ready to bawl their eyes out because she didn't wake up for a long time. Ellis also gives her a chocolate, saying that something sweet will make her happy. The 4 of them, then spend time together talking about random things so that Kate forgets the gore she witnessed in their recent mission.

Victor - He's more like the dad of this game. He is the one who asks how Kate actually feels about William. He also cheers her up with his magic trick when she feels down. Victor is also the first guy that comes to Kate's mind when she wants someone to talk to and he is always ready to listen to her. He also encourages Kate to go and save William if she wants to and not only that, but he also encourages some of the Crown members (indirectly) if they want to help Kate with her mission. Then he also prepares a party for all the Crown members and Kate later on. SO yeah, he also cares about her.

[sweetarethediscords]

You're the meaning in my life, you're the inspiration...

The Maiden of the Barren of the Rime wouldn't exist if it weren't for Critical Role, Liam O'brien, and most importantly Caleb Widogast.

I'm sure every Critter out there has asked themself the question: 'What character would I play if I ever got to play at the table?' My answer was Mina.

Mina, originally, was a ranger/bard eladrin cursed to stay forever in the winter season. Specifically made with Campaign 2 in mind, I wanted to design a PC that would create a good juxtaposition to those already at the table. A literal iceblock that the Mighty Nein could chip away at as they often did with too-serious NPCs, and someone who could be mirror to Caleb, my favorite PC from Campaign 2.

As Campaign 2 steered it paths towards Aeor and the Eyes of Nine however, Mina didn't fit in the campaign any more (as most fandom OCs will do as canon goes along) but I couldn't abandon her. Couldn't throw her into my constantly growing pile of character sheets.

And she wouldn't let me forget her. In fact, her and her eventual counterpart, Sebastian, are some of the first characters of mine in recent memory to invade my dreams.

There was something in her I had to explore. Her rage echoed my rage. Her want to overcome her trauma, but fear that she would always be chained by it, mirrored my own healing journey.

Other characteristics of myself and themes I wanted to explore became the other characters. Sebastian became the other side of Mina's coin, someone who met inconveniences with relentless optimism instead of rage. A self-sacrificing people-pleaser against a self-preserving misanthrope, whose flaws both came from coping with past hardships.

A dirty little fire wizard sparked a rich story exploring the societal expectations of womanhood, the nature of generational trauma, and the complex journey of learning how to love one's self through others (among many other themes)...

...and a incredible talented singer/songwriter from Ireland helped hone them.

When I first started writing The Maiden of the Barren Rime in 2021, Hozier's music played an important, but minimal roll in providing emotional clarity for the characters. "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene" helped to color the more ethereal and deadly nature of Mina, the fae part of her that lures people in, while "Nina Cried Power" grounded her fury, and helped to shape the larger world of Mina's story that will be revealed in later books.

As the core of the novel was written and finished in January 2023, the editing and refining process became my next great beast to slay. A huge slab of marble that with my fantastic editor and outside readers I was able to carve away at, but Hozier's Unreal Unearth steadied my hands.

It was already a wild enough coincidence that 'Blood Upon the Snow', a song meant to capture the brutality of winter in God of War: Ragnorak, released during writing MBR; eerily capturing exactly how I pictured Mina's upbringing. Hearing Unreal Unearth, a beautiful album about heartbreak, healing, death, and grief among other things, while I was writing an novel about heartbreak, healing, death, and grief among other things was surreal. And wonderful.

It helped to inspire the words I was missing, helped me carve out more cutting prose to capture the depth of my characters' emotions, and most importantly gave me the reassurance that the themes and emotions I was exploring were not singular, but shared. In different shades and presentations, but all coming from a same source of universal human truth.

I can not thank these two enough for the inspiration they've given me, and I can not thank you enough if you've read this much of my ramblings (and suffered my cheesy use of a Chicago lyric.)

[laslow]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Sam

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday (no year): 5/28! Cyan and I share a birthday with: Liam O'Brien, Laura Bailey, Ian Fleming, and Siegbert :)

Where are you from? What is your time zone? California, USA! PST (west coast best coast)

How long is your roleplay experience? 10+ years? Is it closer to 15 now? If you listen you can hear my joints creaking

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? None other than Wajas.com. Middle school, what a time you were

How were you introduced to TOA? iirc a FE blog I was following reblogged a ToA post and I thought "hm, that's pretty cool! I'll look into it!" and then I blinked and 5 years passed.

Do you have any pets? No :sob:

What is your favorite time of year and why?(Season, holiday, general period) Winter! The weather is actually livable

What is your IRL occupation? Office Assistant though I ask for good vibes I have some new opportunities coming up to leave my current place

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Writing, reading, cross stitching, karate, journaling, language learning

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Legend of Zelda, Persona, Stardew Valley, occasionally I dip my toes back into Honkai Star Rail

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Vaporeon and Water Type!

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! Dunno if I've mentioned this in the past but I have crooked pinkies due to a recessive gene in my family! My dad has crooked pinkies as well :)

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Five/six year old Sam watched my brother play Path of Radiance on the family Gamecube and I never looked back

What Fire Emblem games have you played? Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Sacred Stones, Awakening, Fates Conquest route, 3 Houses, Engage. I have read the scripts for Genealogy and Thracia. Halfway through Blazing Blade!

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First was Path of Radiance! Awakening is still my fave all these years later

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Inigo, Ilyana, Dimitri, Xander, Haar

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Ilyana! I honestly can't remember why anymore I just thought she was super cool something about the thunder magic spoke to 5 year old me's imagination

Any Fire Emblem crushes? Laslow AND Dimitri that has not changed

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: Chrom, still Chrom - Fates: Silas, still Silas OR perhaps Laslow if I'm feeling Spicy- Three Houses: Dimitri, still Dimitri - Engage: Diamant, still Diamant

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Assassin or Swordmaster!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? A very mid Myrmidon who can get some good stats if you have good rng luck

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Blue Lions pride baby!!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? -Boon: Sword, Bow -Bane: Heavy Armor, Axe -Budding Talent: Authority

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Brodia!

How do you pronounce TOA? Tee-Oh-Ae

Current TOA muses: Laslow, Leo, Nephenee!

Past TOA muses? Ilyana, Vanessa, Azelle!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Inilow is here to stay I can't make this man leave my head if I tried.

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? I love my flirts, and I also enjoy more serious characters who have a relaxed side if you know them well enough. Also youngest siblings.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Villains! As interesting and multifaceted as they can be, I struggle staying within that mindset for a long period of time.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I do still enjoy combat--nothing like getting your adrenaline pumping!--but recently I've found I enjoy some of the more emotional things, too. Relationships, grief, etc.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? Not really; I've been extremely lucky over the years to have written pretty much every scenario I can think of. I would love to continue exploring both Lazzy's and Leo's arcs as fathers.

Favorite TOA-related memories? Oh goodness....way too many to count! Most recently, I still find myself laughing over Leo (muse) dying for Jan 2024's event plot. Iconic

Present or past tense? Present!

Normal size text, small text, no preference? No preference! I try to use small text on Leo solely for that #aesthetic, but that's it

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉  Not at the moment! I'm happy with my lineup! (But if you twist my arm.....a certain knight from SacStones still lives in my head. And there's this wyvern rider from Tellius who occasionally whispers.)

[angelasscribbles]

The Dark Kingdom Chapter 3: Reprieve

Series: The Dark Kingdom

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Liam x Riley (so far)

Word Count: 1,324

Rating: MA

Warnings for this chapter: none

Translations:

Stăpâni = master

Mareșal = marshal/ general (leader of military)

Soldat= soldier

Soldati= soldiers

My other stuff: Master List.

Liam Rys, the vampire king, known both inside and outside of the Dark Kingdom as the Dark Lord stood in his sanctum considering his options.

He needed to understand why she was here, and he needed to know if the humans knew where she had gone. She said they didn’t, but he needed verification of that.  

Liam lifted his eyes to his Mareșal, “You’re sure none of them followed her across the partition?”

“No, Stăpâni, she’s the only one that set off the alarms.”

Her head snapped up, “Alarms?” Panic swept through her at the thought of the King’s Guard knowing where she had gone, “I didn’t know that crossing the perimeter set off alarms! I didn’t hear anything!”

“Not those kinds of alarms sweetheart,” Drake scoffed.

“Nevertheless, we need to shore up our defenses just in case,” Liam started giving orders, “Have the packs double their patrols of the border. Send the dragons to scout from the sky. Tell Leo to take a few of the soldati and sneak over the perimeter to spy on the humans, and see what they can learn.”

“And the girl?”

“I need to understand why she’s here before I pass judgment on her transgression. Go. Deliver the orders then return.”

Drake inclined his head slightly in deference then was gone so quickly Riley didn’t see him move. One moment he was there then he just….wasn’t.

Her attention was drawn back to the Dark Lord as he spoke, “I apologize for my associate’s behavior. Drake made a blood oath to me centuries ago. He’s my protector and closest companion. He takes the job very seriously.”

“Oh,” shock ran through her at the conciliatory tone in his voice. Hope that there was some slim chance she was going to survive this encounter threaded its way through her, “You don’t have to apologize, I’m the one that broke the rules and crossed the partition.”

“Indeed…” he gestured toward the settee, “Where are my manners? Please, sit, you’ve been through an ordeal tonight it would seem.”

She was again pleasantly surprised by the tone of his voice. The more he spoke to her, the more human and less frightening he seemed. “Thank you.”

He sat down next to her, “Why would you risk certain death by coming here? What did your family do to you? Did someone…hurt you?”

She turned her head away from her as her face flamed red, “I…don’t want to talk about that.”

“I don’t understand you….most people would be on their knees begging for their life. I’m giving you the opportunity to plead your case and you don’t want to talk about it?”

She drew in a deep breath and lifted her head with that defiant tilt of her chin again as she told him, “I knew what I was risking by coming here. I’d rather face death than stay where I was!”

The Dark Lord of the Black Spire mountains was struck speechless for the first time in centuries. When he finally regained his voice, he asked, “You would rather face death than tell me why you fled from your home?”

“I….” her expression changed from defiant to shattered so quickly that he felt like a knife was twisting in his own heart.

He suddenly found himself less concerned with treaties and trespasses and more concerned with what had happened to her. The more they spoke, the more he was certain she wasn’t fleeing any wrongdoing on her part, but some wrongdoing that had been inflicted upon her.

Of course, she didn’t want to tell him anything. Someone had hurt her and since arriving in his kingdom, her safety and her very life had been threatened at every turn by everyone, including him.

It had been centuries since he had cared to earn anyone’s trust but he found himself wanting hers. “What’s your name?”

“Riley.”

“Riley,” he nodded, “That’s very pretty. You can call me Liam.”

“Really?” She stifled what she was terrified was a very inappropriate giggle.

He raised an eyebrow, “That’s amusing?”

“No! I mean sort of…. Liam just seems like such a nice, normal name not….” She glanced away, worried about offending him or saying the wrong thing and getting herself killed.

“Not the name of a dark lord that everyone is terrified of?”

Her eyes flicked back to his face with a half-smile, “Yeah.”

“Yes, well, it’s just the modern version of my original name.”

He smiled at her, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Which was ridiculous, right? She was basically his prisoner and he had literally said he was going to pass judgment on her.

He scooted closer to her and gestured to her hands again, “May I?”

Once again, she extended them to him, unable to repress the tremor that spiraled through her body at his touch.

He gave her a reassuring smile, “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to bite myself and use the blood to heal you. You don’t have to look. You can close your eyes if you wish.”

“I’m not afraid,” her eyes locked on his, refusing to turn away.

She watched with fascination as his incisors elongated into fangs. He brought his wrist to his mouth and used them to slice into his own flesh. When the blood was dripping freely from the wound, he lifted his wrist to her mouth, “Drink.”

Her eyes locked on his as she leaned forward and tentatively licked a thin trickle of blood. She was startled by the taste. It wasn’t coppery, it was salty and sweet with a hint of bourbon lacing it.

“Drink,” He pushed his arm closer to her.

She sealed her lips over the gash and sucked greedily as the flavor exploded across her taste buds; rich and thick and delicious.

Liam sucked in a hiss and his pupils dilated as pleasure rushed through his veins with each suck and audible swallow.

When she pulled away, she licked her lips and then drew a hand shakily across her mouth to wipe any lingering blood from her face. 

When she withdrew her hand, her perfectly unblemished skin caught her eye, and she brought the other one up to inspect as well.

All the cuts, scrapes, and abrasions were gone. Her skin was whole and healthy.

Her head snapped downward as she pulled the hem of her dress up. Lifting one leg then the other she inspected them. They were healed as well. Nothing hurt anymore.

Not physically anyway.

Her eyes were full of gratitude and wonder as they lifted to meet his again, “Thank you.”

For the second time that night, unexpected emotions spilled through the dark lord. Things he hadn’t felt in millennia pushed their way through the thick layers of his heart, leaving him confounded and slightly bemused.

He stood abruptly and stalked away from her. Feeling anything at all for this woman was a mistake.

“Liam?”

He was saved from answering her questions as Drake returned, “All of your orders have been delivered. The patrols have already set out for the borderlands.”

“Excellent! Show the girl to one of our best guest rooms, ensure she has hot water for a bath, have the kitchen send up something for her to eat, and find her some clean clothing.”

“Oh!” Riley felt several emotions slide through her. Relief that she was going to survive this night at least, curiosity about what was going to happen, and disappointment that she was leaving Liam’s presence.

Drake’s eyes tracked from Liam to Riley then back again, “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure,” Liam answered before turning to Riley and offering her his hand. He pulled her off the settee then leaned down and kissed the back of her hand, “Perhaps tomorrow after a good night’s rest and some food, we can talk again?”

Riley blushed as she dipped her head, “I think I would like that.”

He squeezed then dropped her hand, “Until tomorrow then.”