#Sorry for the short format

[drawing-way-outside-the-lines]

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖      

Chapter 4 - Christmas Feelings. Episode 1.

Evan: *Over the next couple of days, it became harder and harder to deny I wanted to kiss him. I kept smiling goofily everytime I looked myself in the mirror. But at the same time, I had this stinging denial in the back of my head, trying its very best to cover up the butterflies in my stomach. I was afraid. I had so many questions racing my worried mind. Why was I longing for kisses from my best friend, a man? Why did I ask him to kiss me? Did this mean I was in love with him? Did this mean I was gay? Or at least bisexual? Was I gonna discover just like Andy did, that I had had a whole other sexuality all along, but had just been fooling myself? Or was this all just lusting? A craving to be touched by someone? Anyone… Furthermore a few other questions started poking my brain. Was he in love with me, and if so for how long? Or was this just Andy as always wanting to stick his dick into anything? Yes, I know that makes him sound bad, and most of hs one night stands might agree he is bad. But truth to be told, he isnt. At all. He is always fair and honest when it comes to sex, never leading anyone to belive they will get more than sex. He has just… been around a lot. But then again, he used to be the lead singer of a platinum selling band, the same band I was in.. well and Daniel too for that matter, including a 4th member Thomas, whom we havent been introduced to yet. Point is, when you are famous and travel a lot, offers tends to happen, a lot. Andy just took what was offered. As we got closer and closer to Christmas eve, things got more and more tense between us, specially when we were alone. The few times that is, cause I tried my best to only be "alone" with him when people were just in the next room. My security of nothing more happening between us, I guess, at least not more than the occasionaly kisses we shared. He would suddenly grab me from behind a closet, yank me into a shadow and kiss me passionately for a brief moment, then let me go before anyone could find us. Or once in a while he would simply plant a small butterfly kiss on my shoulder or one of my hands…. wrists… maybe even my cheek. I think it was his way of letting me know he was still there… available for me. He wanted me, no doubt about it. But I couldnt figure out in which way that was. And I wasnt going to be just another conquest for him. Just another nodge in his bed post so to speak. I wasnt available for a one night stand, specially not with my best friend. I wasnt going to ruin almost 15 years of relationship purely because of sexual needs. On the 23rd he dragged me aside and asked me to go for a walk with him. Alone. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it was going to explode, but I knew it was now or never. I had to tell him once and for all I wasnt up for any fling with him. There wasnt gonna be any one night stand. I think we had walked for about 15 minutes before he fnally stopped between some trees, turned to me and placed his hands on my cheeks. As we have the same height, we stood eyes to eyes, close, I could once again feel his hot breath as he spoke in a lowered soft voice.

[brainlessrot]

Hi! I really liked your Penguin Pebbling fanfic/headcannons and was wondering if you could do those with the teachers?

ofc!! here you go :) i did all of the staff, teachers + crowley and sam

Penguin Pebbling - Staff

Penguin Pebbling - all students

Involves collecting and giving small objects, like pebbles, as gifts to people you care about.

Contents ;; giving the staff pebbles as a show of love, platonic, gn!reader, around like 50 words each

Characters ;; Crowley, Crewel, Trein, Vargas, Sam

Crowley ;; Crow man. do i even have to explain? yeah he absolubtely adores it whenever you give him a stone, be it a shinny reflecting one, or just a piece of debris you found while walking back to your dorm, has them displayed in his office and will proudly tell anyone that you "grew up to be just like him" (hes delulu)

Crewel ;; I mean, if they are clean... he will take it, sees it in an endearing way, like how a puppy will bring you a big stick to its owner to get some praise, he doesn't mind it but isn't fond of it, but puts them inside a drawer on his desk and sometimes looks at them when he needs a boost after a class (especially one with ace and deuce)

Trein ;; As a father, it reminds him of how his daughters bought him little trinkets they found outside, and has definetly a collection of seashells they gifted him back at home (there may be some rocks you gave to him mixed in as well), takes them carefully from your hands as he thanks you

Vargas ;; "😀⁉️" man is confused and doesn't understand what you are doing or why, will grab the rock and thank you before telling you to do some push ups (half joking). will put it in some drawer and forget about it (sorry LMAO)

Sam ;; Chuckles and takes it from your hand, will put it as decoration at the front of the store and will definetly give you small trinkets in exchange, views it endearingly and it lowkey makes his day whenever you give him one

[redbootsindoriath]

Apparently in my absence this post had its 1000-notes-iversary.

This time we get to see the culprit responsible for ruining our heroes' lives as well.

I've really missed you guys, by the way. I know I've said that already, but I'm serious. Once or twice this year I've been right on the brink of coming back but schedule stuff always keeps me from letting myself commit to that again, and that in turn has kept me from posting anything at all. But I've been in an unexpected drawing mood lately and so if I can get enough stuff to set up a queue we might pretend I'm back for a month or so sometime this year. Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see. No promises though. That's why I'm hiding this paragraph under the cut.

Transcription:

[Beren:] "Uhhh...barkeep...I think he's had enough now..." [Tolkien:] "No, I don't think he has...!"

[darkcreamz95]

Joker Out Amsterdam Concert Report (6.12.2023)

The night where things for me are never the same again...

[ Click here for the The Hague Concert Report ]

Hey yo, so this is really overdue. I'm going to be honest, my comments for the show itself are pretty much the same as the ones I made for the Hague, which is that the boys are amazing as always live and bless the crew for their work too.

So I will just be writing short notes about this particular night:

- Got to the venue at 4.30pm, got around number 180.

- PSA if you are going to visit Melkweg for the first time, there weren't any cloakrooms so you would have to tie your coat around your waist. Getting a locker was tough when the internet signal wasn't strong, and even if you get one the locker size feels like a shoebox, so yeah, avoid bringing a big bag with you if you can.

- I was around four rows away from the stage and standing at the floor on Kris's side that night. This means I get to focus more on Bojan AND MY GOD THIS ENERGETIC PUPPY~

- When Jan first came on stage, first thing I did was turn to my friend and say JAN IS SHIRTLESS OH BOI

- We got Mia Nicholai as the opening act~ For me, she was alright. While I'm not her biggest fan, Mia singing live sounds better than her studio recordings heheheh...

- Those who are there would know that Bojan stopped the show midway to make sure security safely escorted a girl who "fainted". I will let the girl's friend explain the situation here in this tweet. While what followed after that was real awkward, if that's what the girl wishes, let's respect that.

- I've said enough about me singing 'Umazane Misli' in Bahasa Malaysia, so I will let this mini comic tell you the story.

This trip, I set out to watch Joker Out live in the Netherlands while meeting up with old friends from back when I was studying there. In the end, I got way more than I asked for. I'm really happy that back in July 2023, I decided to go all in for this.

Thank you again to all the Tumblr peeps I met during those two days! May 2024 be a good year to you, and if you are attending the Spring tour, may you have tons of fun!

Kudos to Vita Orehek for shooting this at that moment, it's been weeks and this still haunts me in a good way...

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Who Heals the Healer? Febuwhump Day 7--Suffering In Silence

Four passed out at last. That gaping wound in his stomach, scraped out and still lined at the edges with singed, blackened flesh, was finally cleared enough that Hyrule could lay his hands over it and touch living flesh. He worked his magic, knitting muscle and skin back together by feel alone, until his magic began to sputter and peter out and Legend pulled him away, already scolding him for overextending himself. Hyrule stumbled after him, his mind numb, as Legend pushed him down onto a log by the fire and ran a rag over his sweaty forehead, yelling for Wind to fetch him a drink and some sugary snack from Wild’s Slate. 

“Rulie, how many times have I told you not to exhaust your magic reserves like that?” Despite the harsh words, Legend’s voice was fond. It took Hyrule’s eyes a while to adjust to find his scowling face. “You’re going to hurt yourself like that one day, I should know.”

“...sorry…” Hyrule got out vaguely. He leaned into the cool palm pressing into his forehead. “Is he…?”

“He’s okay,” Legend answered. He pulled away with a frown, then took one of Hyrule’s hands in his own, rubbing it briskly between his own. Then he paused. “You’re… warm. You’re usually cold after you use too much magic.” He looked up at Hyrule, his eyebrows raising. “Have you been sick recently, Rulie?”

The words took a while to make their way through Hyrule’s exhausted mind. “No…? I don’t think so��” Suddenly, there were two Legend’s looking up at him. He blinked hard, and they solidified back into one. “I’m just tired… I think I might need to lie down for a bit.”

“Okay…” Legend said dubiously. “C’mon, give me your arm, I’ll help you over there.”

Hyrule found himself nearly slung over Legend’s shoulder. The walk to his bedroll seemed to be miles long. He stumbled, and Legend cursed, distantly calling out for Warrior to help him. He was there in an instant, supporting Hyrule’s other arm. Somewhere in the back of Hyrule’s mind, he realized that the outside of his right leg was burning, but he was much too tired to pay it any attention. He took one step towards his bedroll, then another.

“Rulie, this is more than magic exhaustion.” Legend’s voice warbled in from afar. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

 “I mean, it… it could also be… be where that monster got me.” Hyrule panted out. All he had to do was get to his bedroll. One step. Another. “Didn’t really have time to… to deal with it, before Four was all hurt."

“Hyrule,” Legend said somewhere, his voice growing high. “What do you mean, where that monster got me?”

Hyrule, very helpfully, passed out in answer.

[honeyhotteok]

summary: goo comes home to his lover.

--

You glance at the time on your phone again right as Goo comes in through the front door, the collar of his white shirt and jacket stained with blood. You scowl at him. 

“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart, the blood isn’t mine. You should’ve seen the other guy,” he says to you from the side of his mouth. 

You smack him in the chest. “Didn’t I tell you to stop going around beating people up?” 

You finally see that he’s holding a massive bouquet of flowers in one hand, and a bag of takeout in the other. He sets the food down on the table and reaches over to snake his arms around your waist from behind while still holding the bouquet in one hand. 

“Aw, c’mon baby, don’t be like that,” he pouts while nuzzling into your neck. 

You inhale and get a whiff of the fresh flowers below your face. 

“I even got your favorite for dinner on the way home,” he coos. “Shouldn’t I get a little something for being the best boyfriend ever?” He taps the side of his cheek with his index finger, looking at you expectantly. 

You roll your eyes affectionately at him before wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him in to plant a kiss on his lips instead.

[layzeal]

Dr. Lace, as a practicing Lan Wangjiologist, why do you think Lan Wangji waited until the end of the novel to tell Wei Wuxian about A-Yuan surviving? Like, in universe, because while I think the real answer is that the twist plays out better at the end of the story, it’s more fun to guess why Lan Wangji kept quiet.

"Dr. Lace" and "Lan Wangjiologist" made me laugh for like two days straight. well done anon. well done sjdhfkjsdhlfkdsjf

but you've actually caught me on something that i don't know if i have a true answer!! i mean, as you said there is the obvious reason of it just working a lot better from a storytelling point of view.

us readers don't really learn about a-yuan existence until wwx mentions it the first time as they're hanging out in yiling before climbing the burial mounds, then there's a flashback where we met the wen remnants, they die, wwx is killed, and immediately after we return, we get the blood poll scene, which also immediately reveals to us that the little boy we met is actually now the BIG boy we've fallen in love with a long time ago! we care about lan sizhui long before we even know that he was relevant in wangxian's life before that. "what happened to a-yuan" isn't a looming question that follows us or the characters throughout the story, because a-yuan only comes up quite late in the plot. mxtx wasn't going for a shocking plot twist with that reveal, but merely using him as another piece in the story's theme. we love lan sizhui before we even know he's a-yuan, and knowing that he's now only alive BECAUSE wwx sacrificied all he did to save the wen remnants, even if he "failed" shows us the human side of how worth it was.

but of course that doesn't come without its foreshadowing. note that i don't subscribe to the "wangxian are a-yuan's parents" or "lan sizhui secretly calls lwj 'baba/fuqin'" headcanon (although u can always argue that 一日为师，终身为父 but that's for another day lmao), i find their relationship has a lot more nuance and honestly more depth than that of a nuclear family. we see how he and lan wangji seem to be much closer compared to other juniors (ie hgj personally teaches him the qin language, gives him books that other lan disciples seem to not have access to, etc) and while that is curious, it's not out of place for lwj to have a particular student he wants to train more closely. lan sizhui clearly deserves it! however, once it is revealed just how much sizhui means to lwj, as well as how he gave him both his new "birth" name and his courtesy name, as well as why he'd want sizhui to be under his protection and teaching, it all clicks!

but again, it's simply not a major focus within the plot.

ok cool lace, that still doesn't answer why lan wangji doesn't bring that up in-universe. and you're right! i'm quite fond of tangents

but seriously, i do think that's part of it as well. just like how the question of "what happened to a-yuan" doesn't follow us around the story, that's the same for our main characters. wei wuxian has long been convinced that a-yuan died alongside the wen remnants, so he doesn't ask because he's allergic to reminiscing anything about the past. for lan wangji, lan sizhui is safe (and still amnesiac), and wei ying is back to life, there are a thousand other things they need to focus on before bringing all of that up. and lan wangji is nothing if not focused on fixing the most important tasks at hand, matters of the past can be talked about later unless relevant (it's no wonder that all of lwj's backstroy is revealed to us by the narrator or a different character, after all).

but most of all, i think lan wangji didn't bring it up because he simply did not know how to tackle the subject of the first siege, wwx's death, or the wen remnants with him. it's understandably a very sensitive subject, and lan wangji did not wish to overstep his boundaries by bringing it up when wwx wasn't ready to. again, he's a man of priorities, and he wouldn't risk breaking the scab off the wound unless it was necessary, or wwx did it first.

from those lens, it's no question why he only seemed to consider revealing a-yuan's identity after the second siege, not only because wwx has finally had closure on the death of the wens, but because lan sizhui himself is starting to piece things together, though it is also not something that should be forced. however, after the second siege, things really begin speeding up again, and between wwx watching the wens fade away and having a fight with jiang cheng, he's is clearly both physically and emotionally drained all the way until they get freaky in the bathtub, where things get even WORSE, and then guanyin temple happens which just... yeah. there was enough telenovela drama for one night.

so, once all of that is finally over, and lwj sees sizhui analyze chenqing with a clear sense of reminiscing, lwj finally settles it that he will reveal it. they're not in a hurry, wwx is finally doing okay, closure has been achieved in multiple things, and there are no other priorities at hand.

except that! he doesn't even need to. because sizhui catches up does it for him. and isn't that even more fitting?

but really, since i received this ask i have been thinking to myself "at what other time would lan wangji have revealed a-yuan's identity? and why?" and i just... keep hitting a wall. because revealing extremely charged emotional subjects to a beloved person who has never brought it up to you, about another person who doesn't even know or remember it, it's simply not lan wangji's character. wei ying is alive and safe, a-yuan is alive and safe, tearful revelations can come later, but right now lan wangji needs to ensure that they'll continue that way.

[arklay]

RESIDENT EVIL → THE WESKER FAMILY

To the public, little is known of the families behind some of the world’s most renowned bioterrorists, but the question remains: did they play a role in causing their children to walk down the path that they did? Or are these individuals simply ambitious criminals with delusions of grandeur?

For Diana Wesker (née Afanasyeva), her introduction into the bioweapons black market trade was upon discovering her employers were using her research into limb regeneration with salamanders to further their experiments in creating enhanced soldiers, instead of developing human therapies with which she was recruited for. Although the prospect of using biological weapons in the military did not appeal to her, the concept remained fascinating for her own selfish endeavours. Born on the 27th of October, 1963 in Sydney, Australia to Russian immigrant parents, Diana had harsh expectations placed upon her at a young age, ones that no matter how hard she tried she could never live up to. Her mother, Tatyana, was an unfeeling woman, absent for long stretches of time with little regard to how it affected her daughters, much more concerned with her craft as an accomplished opera singer. Viktor was no better. A strict man whose role as father and ballet master blurred, he pushed his girls to one day follow in his footsteps. Whilst Sofia enjoyed ballet, and went on to become a professional ballet dancer, Diana’s heart was set on going into the field of biology. She wished to make a name for herself, separate from her family – to which she succeeded.

Diana was married to former U.S. Marine, Dave Monroe, for only a year until he was declared dead in 1992 after succumbing to injuries sustained in a horrific car accident. Foul play was ruled out while Diana played the role of the grief-stricken widow, but in reality, she had snapped after years of mistreatment at her husband’s hands, and opted for something she could pass off as an accident to be free of him. For years she believed he was dead – and he was, legally – but that proved to not be the case when he found his way back into her life again in 1999. Unbeknownst to her, she had been lied to by the police and coroner, who were paid off by her employers when they took Dave’s body for themselves and used him as one of their first test subjects in developing supersoldiers. Before he could ever hurt her again, Diana’s second husband, Albert Wesker, tracked the man down, captured him and tortured him, before allowing Diana to get her violent and bloody revenge.

The origins of Albert Wesker’s involvement in bioterrorism, alongside his twin sister, Alex, are much different than that of Diana’s. The two hail from London, Canada, but unfortunately, they hold no memories of their lives there, nor what happened to their biological parents when they were eight years old. Agents of Oswell E. Spencer, an aristocratic billionaire and eugenicist, took the twins from their home and executed their parents as per Spencer’s orders. Albert and Alex were then placed in a home funded by the Spencer Foundation where they were given new names and a privileged upbringing. They had access to the best education possible, free to pursue whichever field they decided, but it was by no accident they both went into virology and bioengineering; at home, their adoptive parents – agents whom they believed to be their real parents – instilled them with the beliefs of Oswell E. Spencer, harbouring disdain for war and pestilence, and believing humans to be an evolutionary dead-end in need of a rebirth. They were only two of the hundreds of children “adopted” as part of what is known as Project W, a plan intended to develop an advanced race of human beings. The most promising candidates were headhunted by Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, the twins amongst them, where they went on to create bioweapons for the company founded by none other than the man who had handpicked them for his plan. The final stage of this was to infect the thirteen Spencer saw fit, however, only two survived; Albert received the intended effects, now possessing superhuman abilities, however, Alex was only offered more time to live due to her terminal degenerative illness.

In the summer of 1995, Diana was working undercover within Umbrella to gather development data on their projects for her company. Here, she had a chance encounter with Albert, an intelligence officer at the time, which permanently altered the course of her life. The two were never seen far from one another’s side, marrying in 1998, and they went on to become notorious in the bioweapons industry. The development of the Uroboros virus was where things took a turn for the worst. Although Diana’s infection was successful and she bore abilities that rivalled her husband’s, the plan itself did not succeed as they had hoped, and almost cost Albert his life at the hands of his former subordinates.

Now, they work within the shadows, with Diana declared missing and Albert believed to be dead. Their legacy, however, lives on with the mark they left on the world. As visionaries in their field, they influenced bioterror attacks carried out by countless individuals and organisations. In turn, they also inspired others to fight against such atrocities. One such person happens to be Albert’s son from a former relationship, Jake Müller, whose existence he was unaware of.

[silvery-bluish]

12 for ars for the touchy prompt

It’s been Months whoops. Thank you for the ask!!

Contents: Pushing a strand of hair behind their ear, Arsinoe & Themmy. Stepdays.

Wordcount: 499

Warnings: None!

12. Pushing a strand of hair behind their ear

Door one is easy enough, slip your gloves off and into your pockets to pick the lock more easily. The second is— less so. Mostly because there isn’t actually a keyhole on the side of the door you’re on. Deadbolt on the other side, maybe.

“Your turn,” you say, making a little gesture for Themmy to go ahead, because while lockpicks are more subtle, acid’s useful in a pinch.

They grin at you, rubbing their hands together briefly. Yellow daffodils on their nails that are about to vanish rather abruptly. “Gonna make me do the hard work, huh?”

“I’d unscrew the damn thing if I could reach the hinges,” you say, little head tilt as you consider the doorframe. They laugh, pressing their hands against the seam between door and doorframe. The acrid sizzle of acid on metal.

You fuss with your lockpicks, tucking them back into their pocket against your ribs. Slim zipper hidden by teal piping.

“I’ve got my damn hair in my eyes again,” Anathema gripes, hands still planted on approximately where the hinges are. “I always forget to bring a spare hair tie.”

You’re quiet a moment, watching the metal sizzle and listening to them continue to grumble about it under their breath. Fidget with your pockets, circle of elastic ending up around your wrist. “Do you want help?” you ask, and their eyes flick over to you, half-obscured by red curls fallen into their face.

You pluck the elastic around your wrist in emphasis, and their eyes soften, smile curling the edges of what used to be an annoyed expression. Good. Their face is shaped for smiling, not scowling. You always felt like it suited them better.

“Sure, Arsenic. Ponytail me.” A little laugh, as they tilt their head towards you. “Doesn’t need to be a nice one.”

You smile back at them, not that they can tell through your mask. Quick slide of your hand to tuck hair behind one of their ears, temporary stopgap before you circle around to behind them.

Once you’re out of sight, they ask, “Are you carrying around hair ties for me?” It’s half-tease half-touched, like they already know the answer without you saying anything.

“They’re useful for other things,” you defend, and then, “You always forget.” Carefully pull their hair together at the nape of their neck, trying not to yank on it or tickle them.

Your nails catch on their hair, a little, chipped polish, but they don’t complain about it. Bundled together bright red curls, remnants of bright colored hair chalk clinging to the strands. Getting on your hands, too, but that’s alright. Loop the hair tie once, twice, a careful third time to hold it in place.

“Thanks,” Themmy says, when you’ve finished and pulled your hands away. You haven’t stepped away yet, so they bump you gently with their shoulder. Your mask is still down, so they can’t see it, but you’re still smiling at them.

You’re pretty sure they can tell anyway.

[zipmode]

dude this is my adventuring party's Scout and Wizard we are going to fucking die down here 😭

Funny Blood Wizard Lohengrin belongs 2 @diasomnix o7

[lunetual]

REASON [MONSTA X MINI ALBUM] ✧ VER. 1 2023.01.09 6PM (KST)

[sitzfleischh]

Ok I'm back, finally got to watch the Ghosts finale & took some time to articulate my thoughts.

I totally understand why it was divisive, but honestly for me it was just the issue every sitcom finale has where they have the baggage of multiple seasons weighing on them and needing to be wrapped up in one episode. Any sitcom finale that wants to end-end has to decide whether to do a "very special episode" vibe where it's completely different in structure to a typical episode, or keep the structure of a typical episode and wrap up quickly in the way that every episode of a sitcom usually ends quickly. The Ghosts finale chose to do the latter, and given the 30 minute runtime, they just didn't have the time to really sit with everything that happened. A longer ep, or one that didn't follow their usual structure likely would have helped to make it all feel smoother / land better, but that would have required it to be something different than any other episode of Ghosts. What we got, then, was something with the structure of a typical episode but the emotional baggage of a finale, meaning things are inevitably just less funny and much higher stakes than usual because you don't have the expectation that everything will be back to normal next episode.

But I'm not at all disappointed by Alison and Mike leaving, and had basically expected it as the ending since I started watching the show-- I think the ghosts choosing to let them go (and especially to let Mike and Mia go, since Mike has never been able to see them and Mia won't very soon), was great and showed the growth they've all had over the last 5 seasons.

And while I was briefly worried about it, I think they'll have a great time in the hotel! The show has portrayed boredom as the biggest issue every ghost has had with their afterlife, and a difficulty with change as being the biggest point of growth for basically all of them. The hotel certainly solves the boredom issue, and the realization that this change could be good shows how much they've grown.

This finale for me was not at all a destruction of the found family they've cultivated. The ghosts are a family to each other now in a way they weren't emotionally able to be before Alison opened them up to it. And now Alison and Mike come back every year to be with them because they choose to, because they love them, not out of obligation. Because they're all still family, even if they don't literally live together anymore.

One of my favourite things about Ghosts is how it portrays the weird messy difficult parts of life as just as important to being human as the nice parts. And I think this finale did exactly that.

So all this to say, while I don't think the execution of it worked for me, I do think Alison and Mike taking the hotel deal at the ghosts' suggestion was the right ending for a beautiful five seasons of television. ❤️

I only just joined this fandom in November of this year but god I love this show and can't wait to keep obsessing over it. I hope you will all stick around and continue to write fic and make edits and play in the space for a long time :)

[coffeeflavored-tears]

hey guys read something from my creative writing class ^-^

September 7th, 7:37 am.

Thinking about her life, a girl sits on her roof.

Sunrises. The dark blue, clashing harshly with the yellow and orange rays of the new day. The pinks and purples along the horizon, gently bringing the morning. The transition from night to day, moon to sun, old to new.

Lola’s eyes drift from the sun to the flowers that her grandma sent her that morning. White daisies. She left the attached note downstairs, but she already has the cursive words on the light pink paper memorized like her favorite song.

My dear Lola,

Happy birthday, my dear! This is a big year for you, your 18th in this world. Like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon, like the sun rising, you have grown and flourished—just like my love for you. You learn more and more every day. I’m praying for this year to be the best one so far, and for them to only get better:

- Grandma Alma Cross ♥️

(P.S. Don’t let your mother see that chocolate, she’ll take all of it!)

Giggling at the recollection, Lola picks up the chocolate bar, breaking one of the squares off and nibbling it. She can feel the sun's warmth sun on her skin, slightly melting the chocolate in her fingers. The sun is already fully risen—her friend Claire is going to be over soon.

For a moment, Lola takes in the sun, moving slowly up to its highest point, slightly covered by the morning clouds.

She always liked sunrises. Before now, she had never seen herself in one, but it makes sense. Her love for new beginnings, her affinity to start over when anything goes wrong, her love for the morning.

And like a sunrise, she rises.

September 7th, 7:37 pm.

Thinking about her death, a woman sits in a garden.

Sunsets. The vibrant orange of the sun slowly fading into the warm pinks and purples. The light blue, melting darker and darker as the night stretches on, bringing the moon and stars with it.

Alma glances around herself, at the flowers and butterflies that fill the greenhouse. A butterfly, who lives the first half of its life as a worm on the floor, shooed away by everyone around it, shunned and detested. A butterfly, who emerges from a cocoon, loved by everyone around it, admired and appreciated. Alma thinks of herself like the latter, growing and glowing with every new experience, with every new year added to her long life.

Now, she can feel her life coming to a close. It’s not like she hasn’t been expecting it, she definitely has. She’s even okay with it—to a certain degree. She doesn’t want to die, but she understands that it’s her time to go.

As she sits there in the nursing home greenery, she realizes that she was wrong in thinking she was a butterfly, already full grown. Right now, she feels like she’s more of a caterpillar, waiting for her newest adventure.

Alma always liked sunsets. Before now, she had never seen herself in one, but it makes sense. Her habit to go to sleep when things went wrong, her love for closing out chapters like a book.

And like a sunset, she falls.

[auratusaria]

Prompt No. 29

Henchman plopped down onto their couch face first. With Christmas just right around the corner, everything just got busier in the HQ. Villain was a huge fan of the holidays, they'd always host parties each time, inviting over many well known criminals, so this time was no different. Though because of the preparations, Henchman barely even had time to prepare for their own little party. They wanted to invite Sidekick over but maybe it's too late...

They felt their phone vibrate in their pocket, fishing it out and perking up as soon as they saw the name of the notification that popped up.

Dandelion:

Make sure to rest up a lot! You got a big party to attend to in a few days after all!

Henchman tilted their head.

Sent:

what do you mean by that?

Dandelion:

Wait, Villain hadn't told?

Henchman blinked. Sidekick knows Villain?! Well, duh. Everyone knows their boss but like, as in, close with them?

Sent:

wait youre close with villain? wont hero be mad about that?

Dandelion:

Well uhh... Whoops, sorry. Gotta walk my dog haha.

Henchman chuckled. Always a bad liar, considering Sidekick has a pet bird instead of a dog. Though they were still confused, the anticipation they had was enough to recharge them as they looked forward to the party. It seems they can still go with Sidekick after all.

[lemonduckisnowawake]

What if I theologized hanahaki? What then? Like if hanahaki was a symbol of unrequited love that desperately wants to be requited? Because God so loves us enough to want to be with us but also loves us enough to hold back lest His holiness turn us to ash because the flowers have become so embedded in us. So what if the flowers are a sign of our own rejection of God and the desperate craving we all have deep inside for Him...but also our way of melding with something that needs to go and thus being unable to be saved from it because we made it us in a sense? Like...

...

There’s a new wave of people who claim to be without the Flower Rot, also known as Hanahaki and Hua Bing.

These people claim that, without surgery, they have managed to completely remove the Rot. When asked what had caused this, one woman who wished to remain anonymous told the reporters, “It was…God, I guess. But He was also a man. He just…said that because the Rot’s too rooted in us, even if we wanted God we’d just burn with the flowers. But the only way’s to have His love take it away. So He said He’d take Rot and fade because He was a man, then come back because He’s God, and give us love to remove the Rot because He’s both.”

Her explanation aligns with similar ones from other witnesses with the Rot gone. They claim that the risk of fading with the removal of the flowers was taken by a man. But that His Godliness also signified that He could “grant His love” to permanently dispel the Rot.

As a refresher, it is quite unclear why the Rot suddenly began to manifest inside our lungs millennia ago. The most common legend is a tale of how humanity and God once lived in harmony in a garden. However, one day, man rejected God and told Him they could create a garden of their own. Though He offered a chance to repent from their rejection, having told them previously that such an endeavour would bring death upon them, they refused to acknowledge their wrong and were thus severed from His power and acceptance.

The proud declaration of humanity was not a nonsense claim, as they indeed found they could produce beautiful plant life for a garden.

However, that came with the cost of death, for these flowers grew inside them and were expelled through bloody coughs and sneezes.

Such is the duality of this universal Rot—a sign of divine rejection, some say, or a sign of our own ability to create beauty made more glorious through our own sacrifice, as others say. Of course, there are others who say this Rot is more complicated than simply a sign of our glory or a rejection from the divine, but those claims as much less popular.

In recent times, science has discovered that this Rot is simply a natural and inborn function of our body. “In fact, it’s inaccurate to call such a natural part of human experience a rot,” Doctor Kinuyo Yahagi of Hanahaki Research Association said, showing a bloodied purple iris of hers. “Yes, it is unpleasant but it is a fact of life, just like death and hunger and blood.” She then gave an animated explanation how there was a particular genetic wiring within our lungs linked to the brain’s rejection and affection chemicals. If the two are stirred in such a way, a pathway is made from the brain to the lungs triggering the genetic code and causing flowers to bloom.

“It can be removed by surgery,” a surgeon from the local medical center said. “However, studies have shown it is risky as it can affect your ability to love and process rejection, so it’s up to the patient to take the risk or not.”

Activists have cried that a difficulty in loving is not a sign of deteriorating humanity, and that those who choose the surgery are still acceptable.

“Hanahaki or not, we all still die, right?” a video of one academic debate records a professor speaking to one of the new Rot-less people.

The Rot-less person—a professor as well—nods thoughtfully. “Yes, but now, my death becomes a death without the disease signalling our separation from the divine, which is no true death at all.”

The ethics of removing the Flower Rot surgically still are debated, though much support for it has arisen in the past few decades. Research into these new rot-less people has also steadily increased, all done with the utmost legal and ethical restrictions to the volunteer’s rights.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to the bottom of this and find a better way to remove the disease,” Dr. Yahagi’s co-worker who wished to remain anonymous said. “Natural or not, it is still unpleasant. Why continue with something that is now proven to not be inevitable?”

[therewithinthestars]

one thing about the hbomber video and about plagiarism in general is that,,, honestly, i probably wouldn't mind if someone was "just reading book quotes at me"? i love research, but i also have adhd and i really really struggle with reading books or watching longer videos (i keep watching the hbomb vid in segments with breaks, i haven't even finished it yet)

so to have someone compile a bounch of different sources, and then reading or showing parts from them - as long as everything is properly credited, and consented for that kind of usage, obviously !!! - sounds great, i think. obviously it would be even better if you had your own thoughts throughout, linking the topics together, but even just,, taking the time to take bits and pieces from different books, documentaries, articles, and compiling them into this collage of information, with proper credit, maybe nice graphics, subtitles - doing the work for me, making it more accessible - that sounds amazing to me, like there is a market for that i believe, no need to lie and plagiarise