#a better worls is possible

[protoslacker]

Sad like 1963

I've been sad reading social media posts in response to police beating Tyre Nichols to death. So many of us are experiencing a profound sense of grief.

This morning I saw a post by a dad who said his biggest worry is for his eight-year old son, that one day some cop will 'fear for his Life' and "murder my boy.” He went on to tell about his son. Children that age are so lovely and hearing this man speak of his son made it impossible not to adore his child.

I was seven-years old in 1963.  And for reasons I am not sure in grieving Tyre Nichols my memories turned to events that year from the perspective of being little then. TV was new to our house, we'd only had one for a year or so. The pictures I remember are from TV.

In April Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was jailed in Birmingham, Alabama were he wrote a famous letter from his jail cell. I didn't read the letter as a boy but I do suspect I heard his name. On May 2nd children who'd been trained in non-violent tactics marched. Hundreds were arrested. "By the second day, Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor ordered police to spray the children with powerful water hoses, hit them with batons and threaten them with police dogs."

The images I saw on TV stunned me, they made me feel sad and worried. I had a sense that I wasn't the only one feeling so. I have seen photographs many times over the years, but the picture that comes to mind is very close to one in the entry on photographer Charles Moore at Wikipedia.

On August 28, 1963 Dr. King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. I can't place memories of watching coverage of the March on Washington. However I do remember loving to sing "If I Had a Hammer," one of the songs Peter Paul and Mary sang that day. My favorite part was: "It's the song account love between/ My brothers and my sisters/ All over this land." I have brothers and sisters, but I felt sure that this song extended beyond my home. Thar's the part which seemed so exciting!

On September 15th the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed by a group of KKK members. Twenty-two church goers were injured and four girls were killed in the explosion. Childhood memories can be a bit suspect, nevertheless what I remember is hearing the children’s names read by the TV anchor: Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair.

President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. My brother is four years younger and was deeply affected by watching President Kennedy's funeral on TV. I was probably at school Anyhow the picture that come to mind first is seeing Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald.

Grief moves through us. That dad worried for his son knows it. I feel sure his son feels some measure of grief over the violent death of Tyre Nichols too. In grief's wake we are changed. The traumatic events of 1963 were shared widely. The protest in Birmingham forced concessions from city leaders and business desegregated. In February of 1964 the Civil Rights Act was signed.  The KKK didn't surrender, of course, and the struggle continues to this day. The song about love between my brothers and sisters inspired hope in me and still does. That inspiration to love was shared  too. We are not powerless we can dream and create better lives for all.

[unconditionalcaretaker]

Engaging with the things that frighten me has been the most freeing thing I’ve ever done.

[elderflowergin]

A little rant about MBC My Dearest, purity and men who weaponise it:

(Trigger warning: sexual assault, rape as a war crime)

Fusion sageuk or not, this world has some set rules around purity, even in the relatively loosey-goosey Neuggeunri, where women and men can and do commingle, chat and meet in groups. The last barbarian invasion hangs over them; the old ladies in Gil-chae’s hometown tell the girls that death is better than allowing the barbarians to touch you and that if they do, you should kill yourself for the sake of said purity. Death is preferable to lost purity in this time/place; that’s firmly established from the beginning of the show. (It’s reinforced midway when Injo’s court reports of women who jumped off cliffs into the sea at Ganghwa rather than be taken by barbarians, no doubt perceived not as an avoidance of pain and torture, but a praiseworthy act designed to retain and restore purity).

Gil-chae and Eun-ae have to grapple with this when Eun-ae is attacked by a barbarian. Eun-ae was violated and felt violated by what happened. They know what they are supposed to do, what the old ladies told them to do; and yet Gil-chae holds Eun-ae close and says, nothing happened. We were hurt and our clothes were torn because we rolled down a mountain. Nothing happened to us. She rewrote that story, in the face of everything that said Eun-ae didn’t deserve to live anymore. Consummate survival requires rewriting stories, even the ones that are the hardest to paper over.

Because it appears again in Hanyang, in relative peacetime, when Eun-ae feels she cannot accept Yeon-jun’s proposal, because even if Gil-chae rewrote that story, it’s harder to reconfigure shame when it’s under the skin, when it’s attached to the thing that makes you valuable as a woman. Yeon-jun may never know what it took for his future wife to survive, and that ignorance too, is a privilege. But Eun-ae knows, and perceives her value differently now than before. It’s Gil-chae who persuades her again, who reminds her that they rewrote this story together, two women who survived against all odds.

In this postwar, still somewhat vulnerable time, the possibility is high that there are assault survivors around, just as there are women who may have had to sell their bodies to feed their families, or broken any number of rules around purity for survival. It’s foreseeable that women survivors have been through or seen unimaginable things happen to other women, to their friends and have experienced it themselves. I’m not saying this to undersell the general trauma of war on men - just to say that war crimes hurt women in a very different, very intensely long-lasting way* as compared to theatres of war and fighting.

All of this to say: it didn’t take Jang Hyeon very long to go from “you’re not as pure as you think you are for loving a taken man” a few episodes ago to “you couldn’t live without a man for a day? If you were going to give it away you might as well come to me at least once.” I am truly horrified that he pretty much gets away with it; Gil-chae moves with the punch and gets in a hit of her own, but that’s a bone-chilling thing to tell a woman, any woman. It would be a terrible thing to say to a woman now, let alone in a time when that mattered so much to women, let alone in a time and place where it was forcibly taken from so many women, many of whom died so it wouldn’t be.

This callous attitude continues later when she’s run away with him and they’re in a room for the night. She tentatively asks about marriage, saying that it would be hard for her, since she’s almost a married woman, and people would consider her “used”. (Her fiancé later tells Yeon-jun that he is permitted to kill his partner and the adulterous lover, so this isn’t a gossip without consequence.) In essence, Gil-chae put her life on the line for a man who still says “Husband, no. I am your servant and my body is yours”, a promise that carries little substantive meaning in their world. Marriage isn’t a luxury good that she’s asking for as a whim. It’s what protects Gil-chae and her family from harm; it’s what will allow her sister to find a suitable match later on.)

Jang Hyeon is shown from the start as a man of his own ideas, someone who who doesn’t truck with traditional Joseon morality. He can and does reinvent rules for himself, and clearly doesn’t think that much of notions of purity, but he’s fine using them against Gil-chae.

Yes, Jang Hyeon saved her life during the war, but Jang Hyeon also had the choice of participating or not, the luxury of stepping back if he so chose. Gil-chae had no such luxury, no such choice, an open target on the run. He no doubt understands that the barbarians are raping women, that to survive as a woman is fraught, that sex has become fraught. To use purity to attack a woman he claims to love, to reduce her momentarily the way those old women did - to express his anger by lashing out in this way, in a way calculated to hurt, to violently pierce at the foundation of what it means to be a woman in this time and place is a cruelty that is hard to countenance. It’s telling that his anger at her leads him there, that it escalated with all that time, because he knows that’s what hurts. He knows it’s valuable, knows it hurts when he strikes at it, and yet will do little to protect it for her. I don’t know if there’s any amount of growth that will change this, whether it’s something he can change at all.

There are many upsetting things about this episode, but Gil-chae’s choice to stay at the end is the least upsetting part of it, and the most conceivable, intelligent choice she could have made in the face of a man who - in her perspective - can only offer her fervent words and a feverish gaze, things that will not feed her family or protect her reputation, her business or her heart.

[feverdreamjohnny]

Orbo's Odyssey - Post Mortem

My Feelings About The Game

It's an odd thing to try and pull together your thoughts about something so chaotic.

I guess it'd be easier to just catalogue how my emotions evolved as the project went on, and then wrap it up by trying to pull apart how I feel now, as arcane as that is.

I've been a part of a private developer community for a bit now, and during a majority of my time there I felt sort of like a fish out of water. I guess it was just weird seeing people at the top of their craft while my work sort of paled in comparison. A majority of them had a background in developing character action games or platformers with intricate movement systems, and that was absolutely outside the range of what I understood.

Late 2022 I decided to try and make a movement system with a really strong focus on momentum so I could feel "at home" with the other devs. So I made a small tech demo where most of Orbo's moveset was formed.

In the end it didn't really make me feel more confident in my work, but at least I proved to myself that I could tackle unfamiliar waters and make headway. Regardless, I left the tech demo where it was and continued to work on Nowhere, MI for the next few months.

I made a lot of progress on Nowhere, and around late November a publisher reached out to me to offer help. I was desperate, after all. I didn't have a lot of money to my name and this was the kind of lifeline I needed to secure so I could finish the game.

To cut a long story short, they kept delaying talks about the game over and over and it became increasingly clear to me that my dream of being funded wasn't going to happen.

I was sort of in a bad spot now. It was early 2023 at this point, and I was going to have to make a tough decision: delay Nowhere and get a retail job to make money (potentially losing sight of the project in the process), or find some other solution to secure funding. No other publishers were going to pick me up (and I really didn't trust a majority of them so I only had my sights set on a handful I felt I could trust), so I came to a new conclusion:

What if I just made something short, say in the span of a month or two, and sell it? Surely that would be easy.

Surely.

The Game

In March of 2023, I began working on the game. I wasn't sure what sort of format I wanted for the game at first, and I had initially considered a rogue-like arena combat game where you'd use the game's momentum mechanics to fight enemies, collect upgrades to improve your abilities, rinse and repeat.

The idea ended up feeling sort of strange when I began pre-production, so I ended up scrapping it.

I thought about the movement system some more and realized that it had a strange kinship to a game I had played just a month earlier: Super Kiwi 64.

Then I thought about Siactro's other games, how they were similarly small-scope platformers that seemed to perform well on Steam and Switch, and I realized that if there was something that would suit my own development style (focused around exploration and secrets), it was a 3D platformer.

The first month was fairly strong. I moved at lightning-speed, hammering systems into the game piece by piece. Collectables were done. Time trials (and their records) were done. Movement had been refined further and felt better than in the initial tech demo. There was also a lot of underlying structuring that I won't get into because it's boring (but important).

About a week in I even started working with my friend Tim (who's a professional environment artist), and we began working together on the hub environment (we brainstormed the layout, I designed the greybox, and he wrapped it up with the environment art).

It was going great, but as March was nearing its end I began to realize what I was dealing with.

"Oh, well yeah I mean I knew it wasn't going to be possible in a month! I'm sure if I grit my teeth it'll be done by the end of April!"

So April came along. Tim and I finished the hub area, I got the world portals set up, and eventually we moved to the first level of the game, Shlarp City.

Tim managed to get a decent chunk of the decorative props done, but circumstances were changing and he had a fulltime job in the industry to attend to, so he had to leave the project.

I reasoned "well, I sort of know how to do environment art and I guess I can just go on without help."

Shlarp's greybox was done, and I was sort of happy about the layout. Some friends playtested the game and liked the movement, so I felt a bit more optimistic about the project.

Despite the boost in optimism, I was starting to feel some kind of dread leaking in. My nights were becoming more frantic and troubled, more than they already had been.

I moved onto the next level, reasoning that it'd be best to get the greyboxes for all of the levels finished first, then return for an art pass afterwards. It was the sensible thing to do, after all.

So I began work on Dunbarrow Mines, and this time I was alone. I finished the greybox, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the level, at least it was done. I moved onto Sleepytime Manor and similarly got the greybox finished. Even since the beginning of the month, something was starting to grow inside of me. April was coming to a close, and I still had another level to greybox, a boss fight, secret areas to add, and an art pass on the entire thing. I hadn't really developed much of a game at that point, just 3 barren levels.

And so May came along.

And this was where it all went to hell.

I had been suffering from a lot of issues in my personal life for a while. The year prior had been particularly traumatic and the waves coming from it weren't done passing over yet. If anything the terror was that the major event from the last year hadn't even finished coming to fruition. The stress from everything had caused me to develop a disorder that made my blood acidic, melting away at my nerves. I fought hard and managed to improve my health, but the damage was done and the occasional return of the neuropathy was just a reminder that my life was spiraling downward.

I entered a period of intense stress and depression as waves of terrible memories came over me. I became neurotic. Started having trouble designing levels. It was already an issue for me, but as my mental state deteriorated I was hitting brick walls over and over.

I had my back against the wall. Game development was my only purpose in life, after all. I had been built for it, sacrificed so many hours to it, put everything else aside for it. The only thought going through my head was that I was dying, and that this stupid game was going to be my graveyard.

So roughly two months came by, with sparing work on the game. I finished Monolith station, but it had to be redesigned 3 times to reach the version you currently see in the game today.

The neurosis made me insane. Constantly seeing my peers succeeding while I flailed desperately in a pit was definitely not helping matters.

But something changed in June.

The Garden

I always had an on-and-off again relationship with plants. I had a sort of preternatural skill with growing things, but my interest waxed and waned a lot. The main thing that stuck through this on-and-off relationship were herbs, since they were easy to cultivate and they needed very little maintenance during the periods where I was losing interest.

As I began to take game development more seriously around halfway into 2021, I stopped gardening entirely.

But something very strange happened in the June of 2023. I was frantically compelled to return to it. I raked, toiled and weeded until I had a plot. Then I started buying seeds and began cultivating vegetables again for the first time in 2 years.

And for the first time in this nightmare I was finally happy about something. I don't know what compelled me to start cultivating plants again, but whatever it was, it rescued me from a very long, dark road.

After 2 weeks, I finally finished the final boss of Orbo's Odyssey.

The game needed a lot more work, but I was finally getting a foothold after months of misery.

Eventually my friend Ben was able to help me with the project, and we made a lot of headway. We brainstormed new ideas for how the player could get gear parts. He modeled a load of props. I scripted a load of systems. Finally, the game actually began to look like a game.

Ben was really important. He was optimistic about the project and wasn't suffering from burnout the way I did, and he helped me get out of my fugue. I can't thank him enough for his help.

After around half a year of hammering, we finished the game.

3 weeks after that, we released it to steam.

And about 2 weeks after the release, we're here now.

The Takeaway

Typically in post-mortems you talk about what you would've done differently, but I think this ending might be a bit different.

I'm not really proud of the level design. I think I also could've done better with my share of the environment art in some levels. I think there could've been more details. I think there could've been more content.

But there's no use kicking myself for what could've been. Of course the next game will be better. The mental state I was in during the development of this game was dire and it had a major impact on the quality of my work. I had to break out of a really bad mindset and try to find a better way of engaging with my life. That wasn't easy.

I think some gamers like to imagine that something that's fun to play was fun to make. It's true that sometimes there are moments where you get excited during game development, but at the end of the day the majority of it is just pure work and toil.

In the end, the reviews on Orbo were very kind. Even the negative reviews were at bare minimum sorta funny.

Hilariously the reviews that bothered me the most were actually positive. The perspective of these reviews was that the game was really the story of some little kid taking his thumb out of his mouth and naively making something he thought was fun. It mainly felt like a way for the reviewers to excuse the weaker elements of the game.

These are the reviews I hate the most. I don't care that they were positive. They're infantilizing. It makes it come across as though the shoddier elements of the game weren't a product of a person having a mental breakdown, but of a child smacking blocks together and making mistakes because he didn't know better.

If you really view art like that, I want you to lean in very closely and listen: Most of the time, people suffered to make something you could enjoy. You're welcome to praise or shun the art by itself, but don't patronize the creator for their effort. I didn't have fun making Orbo. I hated it. And even though I hated it I still tried to put passion into it, because I care about my work.

Anyway I'm glad it's over with. If I attempted to develop the game now it would probably be significantly better, but that's mostly because I've found better methods of managing my mental health.

I have to get back to work on Nowhere, and eventually I have to work on Peeb Adventures. For now, though, I'm taking a break. I'm tired.

Before I go I just want to thank some people.

Thank you Ben for being supportive and helping me make this game happen. I couldn't have done it without you, and I mean it.

Thank you Socpens and Grayfruit for streaming the game and for your kind words. It really means a lot to me, and it gave me a lot more confidence about Orbo's Odyssey post-release.

Thank you Tim for helping early on. I know it was a brief period between us, but I do appreciate the work you did.

Thank you (in no particular order) Bryce, Simone, Jett, Aaron, Quinn, Drew, Ian, and Cosme for being supportive of my work.

Thank you for the folks in the private dev server who were particularly supportive as well.

Thanks for reading.

[ultimatejunkofan]

SPOILERS FOR DR3 AND ASSORTED OTHER DANGANRONPA MEDIA

How come nobody (least from i have seen) has talked about how evil and corrupt hopespeak really was? They exploited people for money with their nane, used a vunrable kid for human experimentation using data they seemingly ilegally took by studying the kids they were meant to be teaching. These experiments lead to him becoming a hollow shell with next to no emotions before locking him away possibly indefinitely. This doesnt even begin to cover all the murders they have covered up which leads me to belive they have connections to the cops, probably through the graduated pupils showing a deeper run corruption that we dont see....and these are the good guys? Like yes i am literally a Junko fanboy and im probably bias but god damn if she didnt take advantage of this soneone else was bound to eventually, if you really look into it its pretty dystopian how many downright evil and negletful things they did yet they are kniwn as the center of hope in the world. Idk maybe im being too harsh it seems like their intentions were for the betterment of tbe worl...but are all these twisted things really justified?

Sorry this is very rambly just my thoughts, woukd love to hear others opinions on this as its a topic i have seen so little info on despite how interesting it is

[rpgsandbox]

Are you ready to return to The Wood?

The Wood surrounds and divides the realm and anyone (or anything) that has not yet sworn fealty. The Wood is not one forest, but all forests. The Root is the realm of mystery and horror underneath, and does not care for the petty divisions overground.

Cairn is the DriveThruRPG Platinum Best Selling adventure game about exploring a dark and mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities. Character generation is quick and random, adventures are tense and reward careful exploration, and combat is frantic and deadly. The first edition rules are freely available here, and should be familiar to any fans of Knave and Into the Odd.

The definitive second edition has been freshly revised and developed, and includes an expanded Player’s Guide, a brand new Warden’s Guide, and a new adventure Trouble in Twin Lakes in a robust and lavishly illustrated boxed set packed with useful gaming tools.

Digital mockups, final presentation may differ.

If you’re looking for a rules-light, player-forward system for classic fantasy roleplaying, look no further. Cairn 2E includes everything you need to get started with a minimum of setup and zero hassle. A simple 3-stat system and roll-under d20 resolution makes it familiar to old-school gamers and new players alike, marrying the best of the OSR and 5E mechanics.

The first edition of Cairn was a simple, 24-page Player's Guide that provided the basics of character creation and dice mechanics. For the second edition, we've greatly expanded upon and clarified the rules for players, starting with the backgrounds. Each character background now includes its own unique set of equipment, abilities, history, and relation to the world of Cairn. With 20 backgrounds and 36 possible ways to build each, that means over 700 different characters can be made before gameplay even begins. 

While Cairn 2E is bigger, bolder, and weirder than its predecessor, it remains as simple and easy to jump into. Character creation is a quick, four-step process: 

1) First, roll or choose a background from such creative possibilities as the Beast Handler or Fungal Forager.  2) Now, roll or choose from an array of tables to fill out your specialties, histories, and magical equipment.  3) Roll 3d6 to determine each of your three Attribute Scores—Strength, Dexterity, and Willpower—and 1d6 for your Hit Protection, or HP.  4) Lastly, you'll name your character, determine their age, and array them with a selection of traits and bonds to establish their place in the world.

A Beast Handler, Bonekeeper, Half-Witch, and Aurifex take a quick break from dungeon delving.

The Player's Guide is a 5.5" x 8.5" perfect bound softcover of approximately 92 pages.

In addition to the expanded Player's Guide, the Cairn 2E Boxed Set comes with a dedicated Warden’s Guide, which includes everything you’ll need to create, populate, and manage a game in the world of Cairn. Inside you’ll find: 

Advice and guides on designing and running a forestcrawl, pointcrawl, or dungeon delve

A bestiary of strange and foul creatures your players will encounter in the Woods and Roots

Spellbooks and relics, magical artifacts from a bygone age with their own strange powers and personalities

Rules for character advancement through personalized quests, downtime activities, and relationships with the people and creatures of the world

The world of Vald, Cairn’s first detailed setting and the perfect place to begin your adventure

And much more! 

With a few rolls of the dice, you can now generate entire sessions worth of content for adventures in the dark forests of The Woods, the stygian depths of the Roots, or even spruce up existing modules for a classic dungeoncrawl. Or perhaps your players would prefer to spend that session in town, following up on leads and training up their skills to better tackle the next leg of their quest. In the Warden’s Guide, you’ll find everything you need to really bring the world of Cairn to life. 

The Warden's Guide is a 5.5" x 8.5" perfect bound softcover of approximately 120 pages.

Trouble in Twin Lakes

Two weeks ago, Aldra, the beloved butcher of Isthmus Town, suddenly vanished without a trace. Some days later, a local teen reported seeing a man swallowed up by the earth near Deadmill. Others have also gone missing. Now, the townsfolk are left wondering: Who might be next? Trouble in Twin Lakes is the first in a brand new series of adventure for Cairn, set in and around the Twin Lakes area.  Trouble in Twin Lakes is a 5.5" x 8.5" saddle stitched zine of approximately 24 pages.

The Adventure Anthology

We've got THREE more adventures in the works as stretch goals. At a certain funding level, these three adventures will be collected and printed together as The Adventure Anthology, and included in each boxed set.

Digital mockups, final presentation may differ.

A first for Cairn and exclusive to this boxed set, the Warden's Screen is meant to inspire and inform in equal measure. It features a new, full-size illustration by Bruno Prosaiko on the front and tables galore on the back to help Wardens run their best game of Cairn ever! We're hard at work behind the scenes to determine the most relevant and useful information to put on this board, and our final design will be revealed in a future update.

The Warden's Screen contains five 5.5" x 8.5" panels made of thick gameboard, with art on the outside and reference text and tables on the inside.

Digital mockup, final presentation may differ.

The new Cairn 2E Character Sheet Pad feature art by Licopeo and are perfectly designed to show off your character's skills, stats, and assets. Backers at the Cairn 2E Boxed Set tier will get a whole pad of sheets that can be torn off as needed (useful in case of a sudden TPK).

Digital mockup, final presentation may differ

Collectors and enthusiasts will appreciate the robust box with unique art from acclaimed artist Bruno Prosaiko. Made of sturdy cardboard made to withstand years of intense gaming sessions, it'll contain everything you need to run a game of Cairn: just supply pencils, dice, and friends. 

The Cairn 2e box also includes a handy lift ribbon inside, to access all your books and papers easily without needing to upend the whole box! 

======================

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, April 26 2024 3:00 PM BST

Website: [Space Penguin Ink] [twitter] [instagram]

[malereader-inserts]

Homesick

Fandom: Haikyuu Pairing: Hinata Shoyo x Male!Reader Summary: You would leave if only you could find a reason. You're mean because you grew up in Miyagi, you got dreams but you can't make yourself believe them. Word Count: 842

Home, it's a place that will always feel the most welcoming. In all the places Hinata had visited, he craved nothing more than to be back home in Miyagi - sure, all the other places had things he never got back home. But, home to him was his family, his number one supporters and his favourite person.

His secret person and he intends to keep it that way. As much as he loved all his volleyball friends, you were the only one who kept it real to him.

"Well, well," Their voice invited him, causing Hinata to smile widely, "If it isn't the volleyball fluke returning from his ventures."

"(L/n)-san!" Hinata greeted you as you fully appear in his line of vision, he was jumping higher than ever before jumping on you, "I've missed you!"

You smile mutely before patting him on the back, indicating for him to get off you. You weren't much of a touchy person and you limited any contact with anyone as small as possible. Hinata grants your wish as he slides down onto the ground.

"I better get home for dinner, but I'll talk to you soon, will you be busy tomorrow?"

"For you?" You softly asked, "Never."

"It's nice to be back."

Hinata lay next to you on the grass in the nearby park, watching the clouds pass by. You had your eyes shut, the sun was too bright for your eyes and at that moment you could fall asleep to the sound of Hinata's voice.

"How're things?" Hinata asked sincerely, you stop for a second - no one had really asked that from you, granted, you tend to tuck yourself away to get to know anyone, "I've seen you've dropped new music - read all the reviews, they love it."

"Yeah," You agreed, opening your eyes slightly as you turned your head to look at Hinata, "Things are well with me, getting popular by the day I guess."

"That's good! I'd love to be friends with a celebrity."

You chuckled, "You're already a celebrity, Shoyo, and all you're volleyball friends."

"A different type of celebrity, I mean I know Semi-san is an upcoming artist, but I don't really know him - Tobio knows him more than I do. So, he doesn't count, but you're already popular in the music industry."

"I don't know about that."

Hinata sits up, pulling out his phone, "Look, (Y/n), you're top five songs have a million listen and you're telling me you're not popular?"

"I'm only popular because people want to see my face, I bet after they see this I wouldn't be popular."

"Not everything is about looks," Hinata softly scowls at you as you chuckle a bit, "I just don't get why you don't branch out? You could be making millions, making tours around the world! Don't you want that?"

You shrugged your shoulders as you sat up, "It's home. It's a shitty home and I guess it's great motivation for me to leave, you know, the fuck away from hibernation."

"Language!"

"You're such a prude," You laugh before standing up and stretching, "Come on the swings with me!"

You ran a head start as Hinata easily caught up with you to the swing, you were both out of breath, laughing as you take a spot on the swings. There was silence between you two as you both swung at your own pace.

"I'd love to show you off," Hinata finally says, slowing down his pace on the swing, looking at you every so often.

"I thought I was your little secret person?"

"I take that back," Hinata admits, "I think the world should know about the fantastic (L/n) (Y/n)."

"I think the world isn't ready for that."

"Are you?"

There was silence.

"When did you come back with so much wisdom?" You joked, before stopping your swing, "You know I'd love to leave Miyagi if I had a reason to."

"You have plenty."

"And I got dreams but I can't make myself believe them."

Hinata stops his swing, snapping his head to you as you look at him inquisitively.

"Well, I believe in you and when you're ready to show yourself to the world, I'll be by your side."

"You're trending!"

"Yeah, I know, Hinata," You say over the phone, biting your lip trying to refrain yourself from smiling.

"Are you still in Miyagi?"

"Uhm, no," You sighed, "I finally got over my homesickness and decided I should take your advice and branch out after you know six months of doing nothing about it since I last saw you in person. I've moved to Tokyo, I know it isn't exactly close to the Black Jackels base."

"No! That's great, I'm really happy for you!"

"Good," You spoke softly, "I'm glad you're happy for me."

"Well, I'm glad the world gets to admire you as much as I do."

"Thanks, Shoyo, that means a lot to me."

"And I was wondering, next time I'm in Tokyo, we meet up for food?"

"I look forward to seeing you."

[thelunarfairy]

Hola 💗 I really love your content 😍 that's why I come and go all the time, I come to ask you something else and my point of view :)

The truth is that I have always believed that Nene is going to die in the end because there are many things that point to that, if it happens I think it will be one of the strongest things that we will see in the manga, AidaIro is dramatic and crude, Nene is the most human character, that is why she is considered less important but her importance is really extremely great, she is one of the pillars of the story, so seeing her die she will be very strong.

Especially how everyone who knows her will take it, she wins the affection of people easily, she has interacted with the most misunderstood teenagers, she saw the pains, desires and regrets of the specters, they have liked her, Hanako is in love with her, you could say that she is a friend of Mitsuba, she was a friend of Sumire, Shijima-San supports her along with Tsuchigomori, even Yako, a constantly furious being, likes being with her and Tsukasa approve her, I asked me how she will get along with the mysteries No.1

But hey, you can see the importance, I wondered how she will die and how it will affect the characters and the story?

Oh, Thank you sweet 💗💗 >.<

Yashiro is the protagonist and it's no surprise. She is the most important piece in the story. Without her, Hanako would remain alone, Tsukasa would not return, the seals would not be removed, lives would not be saved, Kou would not know Mitsuba, because if there is no Tsukasa, there is no Mitsuba. The fate of the twins would not have been changed.

It suggests that the twins were waiting for her arrival to begin their goal, and of course, these goals have consequences, whether good or bad. In any case, the twins could only move forward with her. Tsukasa didn't kidnap her for nothing, he needs her too.

Yashiro was narratively constructed to seem weak and useless, a little girl who was naive and got involved with the supernatural, but that's not what it's about. She is one of the key players, and if you analyze everything she did, it had a consequence. She prevented Kou from exorcising Hanako, he started to want to better understand supernaturals.

Hanako is no longer as cold as before, I could mention all the changes in his behavior but I would spend the whole day. She saved Aoi several times (even without Aoi knowing), she showed Sumire what freedom was (when she took her from that village) wow, if I'm going to say everything this post will be just for that hahaha.

Nene's death is destined, so there is no way to save her unless specific methods are used to do so. They can use Tsuchigomori or the god. In both cases a sacrifice is necessary. In the case of Tsuchigomori he would sacrifice himself, and in God's case, they would need to remove all the seals.

There is a third alternative, going back in time. In the latter, there are some possibilities for her to be kept alive, either by stopping her time, or going back in time to change something, or in the last resort, going to the future to prevent her from going through the event that will bring about her death. .

Apparently, Hanako is thinking about the possibility of using the time to their advantage.

About what her death would be like, I have a theory about it, if you want to see it, take a look at this post here.

I'm going to summarize the post I mentioned above, basically they need to remove all the seals, after these seals are removed something will happen (the last cursed seal will break) imagining that the cursed seal is Hanako's, which is the only one that has a seal and isn't a yorishiro, so we assume Hanako is going to transform into something dangerous.

Yashiro manages to purify, and you see that when she does this to Tsukasa, he "melts" a little. On other occasions, such as in the mokke of the dead chapter, she purifies all the students at once.

So I imagine that she will try to save Hanako, but he, who has no control over himself, will end up killing her in the process (like he did with Tsukasa), she will manage to save him, but when he realizes what he did , will ask Kou to exorcise him.

I explain better in the post I mentioned.

The second hypothesis is that it is used as a sacrifice to the God, to grant a wish. Although the Kannagis don't actually die, they are trapped in the house/abyss. Yashiro actually dies, so I wonder if this hypothesis is so valid.

We saw how her body became lifeless and there were no signs that her soul would be present at the place, or the fact that she didn't remember anything after Mirai advanced her time, that is, she won't be trapped anywhere like the kannagis stay. Tsukasa was also sacrificed, but he remains in the house, meaning Yashiro actually dies, there is no return for her.

The ways that Hanako found to save her included locking her in a safe place, where nothing bad could happen to her, that is, while she was there, no supernatural would attack her or there would be no way to get her out of there to use her as a sacrifice. She also wouldn't risk her life trying to save Hanako, because she would be with Amane from the PP arc.

He made a wish to God and asked for her life span to increase, that is, he changed her destiny when he made her live longer than was intended. So even if she was in danger, she wouldn't die. Remembering that Hanako removed her from the supernatural world, Aoi's sacrifice closed all the doors, meaning she wouldn't be there if Hanako transformed and attacked her.

We're still going to see more of his attempts to save her, and I believe that in this current arc we will too.

Nene's death will mainly affect Hanako, and if Hanako loses control… That will be problematic.....

I hope you liked it, thanks for the ask! ♡

[cherryorchrd]

so, for background information on the mythical zoan fruit hito hito no mi model: tezcatlipoca, it's based on the aztec god of the same name. a multi-faceted shape-shifting god, tezcatlipoca was not considered good or evil but the harbinger of both; a protector of warriors but also the embodiment of change through conflict. a god of many things such as war, night, the winds, the earth, jaguars, conflict, death, sorcery, and vengeance (there are more if you want to look it up yourself). there are also four aspects of tezcatlipoca. blue tezcatlipoca, white tezcatlipoca, red tezcatlipoca, and black tezcatlipoca (keep that in mind for when i go into detail about awakening the devil fruit).

now you might be like, billie, why do we care? well, the history and the ideas behind the devil fruit are tied to what tezcatlipoca represents and what it means to fully awaken the devil fruit.

the devil fruit, like all zoan types, allows the user to alter their appearance. for the hito hito no mi model: tezcatlipoca, the changes evident without having to use the power of the fruit itself are feline fangs. because of who the devil fruit is based on, the form given when accessing the devil fruit's abilities resembles the jaguar, a creature closely associated with and often one tezcatlipoca would turn into himself. because hito means person or human, it's not an animal zoan, so there is no full jaguar form. instead, the user will be given jaguar features, such as claws, a tail, elongated feline ears, and legs that resemble a cat's with faint jaguar rosette spotting. it would look exactly like an animal-based zoan's human-animal hybrid form.

the powers and abilities of the devil fruit would often differ with how well the user's mastery of the fruit is. the better the mastery, the stronger the user. right off the cusp though, the user is granted increased speed without having to use the soru technique. they are also granted increased durability and strength, making them far surpass the levels a normal human could achieve. specialized abilities of the devil fruit include desgarrón, garra de la pantera, and onda sónica; meaning great tear, claws of the panther, and sonic wave. as far as the abilities upgrades with awakening the devil fruit are, it is currently unknown but the power of the abilities would most definitely be intensified.

for one to awaken a zoan devil fruit, their mind needs to catch up to their devil fruit powers, essentially meaning that to awaken this particular zoan devil fruit, the user would have to be connected and in control of all four aspects of tezcatlipoca. if the user, regardless of power and mastery of the devil fruit cannot master all four aspects of the devil fruit, awakening it is not possible. the four aspects are represented with colors: blue, white, red, and black. all show different sides of tezcatlipoca. the easiest aspects to gain mastery over are the red and blue aspects— blue often being associated with the war and conflict portion of tezcatlipoca and the red aspect often being associated with death.

that leads us to the current user of the mythical zoan fruit, hito hito no mi model: tezcatlipoca. the awakening of the fruit relies on controlling the aspects and representing both good and evil. grimmjow jaegerjaquez is by no mean a benelvonet being. his lust for battle/fighting and conflict has allowed him decent mastery over the devil fruit but not enough to awaken it. his actions and thoughts do not completely align and resonate with the soul inside the devil fruit.

mythical zoan fruits allow the user to transform into beings and creatures from myths and legends. tezcatlipoca was considered a god among a string of ancient islands that used to string around the grandline. a being of good and evil, a harbinger of change, and a patron of warriors. he was originally a war chief and king to multiple islands that swore allegiance to him. he was a legend by all means. one that challenged quite a bit of ideals the world government at the time had. he often inflicted conflicts and wars against the world government, inciting them to change. each time he was hit with harder and harder resistance. sources on tezcatlipoca are few, scattered throughout mostly oral stories of the few islands that still remain and the few tribes that still remember, but it was said that like the true warrior he was, he fought against the world government for the sovereignty of his people and died doing it. the stories that are remembered in the present time nearly immortalize tezcatlipoca, going as far as to say that he was a shape-shifting deity sent to help them. some legends say he was spotted with a jaguar by his side, giving him the title jaguar king while others say he was the jaguar (some people believe he ate a feline-based devil fruit). whatever the case, the stories became legend, allowing for the creation of the hito hito no mi model: tezcatlipoca.

[paranoidgemsbok]

we consistently do soooo much better at like. smaller shows. this one gets a lot of foot traffic but no one buys shit because msot of the year its a farmers market and everyone is looking for the cheapest stuff possible and they keep letting more and more mlms in and theres NO vendor vetting anymore. like its a shitshow and the vendor fees are SO expensive and like, talking to other vendors NO ONE did well and more people keep dropping out. im fed up with this worl

[munsons-maiden]

I feel like eddie isn't a hard person to get to know once he let's his guard down which I feel like he does pretty quickly with certain ppl he also seems like he's very easy going and just someone who's easy to befriend and I bet once you become friends with him you're there for life and he'd drop everything to help you out if you needed it

Hm, I partly agree with you. @kedreeva and me talked about this topic a while ago - Eddie has friends (a lot, too, it seems, with Hellfire and the party calling them when he went missing), but he didn't go to them in his time of need. The guys from Corroded Coffin were having band practice without him after news of a gruesome murder at the trailer park was making the rounds that morning (granted, Eddie's name hadn't gone public yet but still, if my friend didn't show up for band practice and there was news of a murder which happened at his neighborhood, I'd sure as hell be on my way to check on him) and it didn't take much for Jason to get Dustin's name out of them, selling a possible hiding place off to Jason when it was clear as day Jason didn't want to have a little tea party with Eddie. And of all his friends, nobody knew where he could have been hiding - it was a logical conclusion to look at the house of his supplier because that was the only lead they had.

Our conclusion was that Eddie wants to open up, but is scared to do so because opening up means making yourself vulnerable and prone to getting hurt. It matches with Eddie's past - he got hurt already in a way, by his father, the person who was meant to protect him. Eddie shows people bits and pieces of himself, not putting on an act because what he shows is his true self, or at least always a facet of it, but never the full picture. And I think most people never noticed they never got the full picture.

But you're absolutely right - he starts to open up, and interestingly, those he starts opening up to first are jocks, the very group of people he was shown to despise (in the cafeteria scene, he was hollering at lots of different groups, but he singled out Jason to actually make it personal. Then again, what I always found interesting, is that Eddie seems to hold a grudge solely to basketballers. He was nice to the cheerleaders passing him by even though they very obviously made fun of him in passing - that whole little interaction told us so much about how he still chooses to be kind, that the guy walking on tables and yelling at people was part of a defensive act and that he's not a prick - and he was ready to be kind to Chrissy as soon as he realized she wasn't mean and scary and didn't pose a threat to him. He even tells her later on that he was scared of her). And he opens up towards Steve in the Upside Down, admitting not one but two "flaws" (jealousy because of Dustin's love for Steve and shame/cowardice (we know he wasn't a coward for running, but he doesn't)) and even telling him to fight for true love (which also tells us a lot about Eddie's character and what he values (love). The two similarities between Chrissy and Steve - apart from them being jocks and part of the popular crowd Eddie should despise, since they're symbols of the forced conformity leading society to ostracize him - are that 1. they are not what he thought they'd be like (mean & scary), challenging his worl view but for the better because them being nice might mean that he's been wrong about putting them in neat little boxes, but it's nice to see that he was wrong because that means there's more kindness in the world than he thought there was and 2. they were the ones to open up first.

@kedreeva summed it up perfectly: Eddie is easy to befriend, but hard to get close to.

But we also see that he wants to open up, given how fast he does as soon as someone shows vulnerability first, especially if that someone is a potential-bully-turned-out-a-Nice-Person.

I keep repeating myself but that's what I first thought when he talked to Steve in the UD: Eddie has the eyes of a cynic, but the heart of a romantic. He wants the world to be good and kind, even though he faced its claws enough times to know they're sharp. And it says so, so much about Eddie that despite having faced and being hurt by those claws before, it didn't make him hard. He chose to stay soft. He chose to believe in kindness, even though he might view the world with suspicion, and he wants to be part of the kindness rather than the claws. That's why he makes Chrissy laugh, tells Steve to fight for true love, keeps an eye out for Dustin so he doesn't follow his curiosity right into a cold, possibly dangerous, monster-infested lake, why he is beating himself up over not having been able to help Chrissy to the point of dedicating a whole guitar solo to her to avenge her, and why he uses his final breaths to make Dustin promise there would be someone to take his place, to look out for all the lost little sheep, to grant them shelter against the wolfish claws of the world. That's the core of Eddie's character.

Which brings me to the final part, which is that I wholeheartedly agree that Eddie would do everything for his friends and those he loves. He proved that the moment he cut the rope, his own way of getting out, to make sure Dustin wouldn't have a way to get back in, into the danger zone.

[voidsentprinces]

Kind of weird how, at least, semi-coherent 6.1 - 6.4 feels. Save for the Archfiend’s personalities from 6.1, it feels coherent with a clear goal in mind. Y’shtola is studying a way to travel between rifts. But is also interested in gaining knowledge of one of the places Emet-Selch mentioned before peacing out. We go to the Bounty and discover a rift and what happened to Azdaja. We formulate a means to discover a way to get to the Thirteenth and learn about the Void. Defeat a couple Archfiends there before pulling back. Just for a couple to follow us back through and cut off a means for us to return.

While 5.1 - 5.5 just got piledriven into the ground by COVID shut downs that it only has like...small threads of coherency. Like sure, the main goal is get our friends souls back to the First. But like...everything that happens around that feels weird. Zenos leaves Garlemald with weird robe dude. Then decides to return to Garlemald with weird robe dude. Weird robe dude turns out to be Fandaniel who summons the ALL POWERFUL LUNAR PRIMALS! But not so powerful that they’re big issue for us personally. So lets injure Arenvald to show how dangerous these guys are and then...never use them again? But don’t worry. Big threat. Especially bringing back Lunar Bahamut who might cause another Calamity...but...no not really actually. And lets not forget about that there Elidibus. HE’LL MAKE EVERYONE A WARRIOR OF LIGHT! So he can...pretend to be a Warrior of Light in like...the worst phoned in way possible that I legit surprise it worked. I felt like I could replace Elidibus with like...Ungust and it’d of made any difference. Also, the Scions and G’raha CAN’T stop Elidibus...because they don’t know what he’s doing yet. Better just...let him run amok. Unfought cause he’s wearing Ardbert as a meat suit...and we might con...fuse...the population???? We can’t explain to them what an Ascian is and what Elidibus is doing? Better go to some ruins in Rak’tika FOR! ...no reason actually, there was an ancient Warrior of Light tomb there before and they were Vii but like...uhh...idk actually nothing ever happened with that did it? Lets forget about that and go to the bottom of the sea to discover ANOTHER Amaurot research facility. Well at least this one introduced Venat to us.

Seat of Sacrifice feels epic and is a fun trial and good music but like...Elidibus turning around and going, “NOW I AM A WARRIOR OF LIGHT AND YOU’RE THE BAD GUY.” feels like a kid literally going, “I’m rubber, your glue.”

Feels like Supernatural levels of bad guy progression. Congrats you’ve defeated Emet-Selch. Emperor of Garlemald and thus the man responsible for all your issues since basically 1.0 as far as you know. Better watch out though, here come’s Emet-Selch’s ROOMMATE! Who was...uhh...the Heart of Zodiark! YEAH! But now that you’ve defeated him watch out for Emet-Selch’s grandson and his...butler. And the butler can summon PRIMALS but not just any primals...GRAPE FLAVORED PRIMALS! And he’s trying to cause the end of the worl--no actually, he’s trying to cause another calam--no he’s back to trying end the world. Lets just sit here and stare at the moon for a bit.

[asirensrage]

Dark Prompts 20 & 38 seem like they would fit together...

oooo that's true. Okay, there were a lot of ways I could have gone with this, but i got two votes to write it for The Darkling out of spite and you know how much I love doing things out of spite lol.

Fandom: Shadow and Bone Pairing: Alina/The Darkling (well, it's referenced) Rating: M Warnings: mention of violence and blood, mention of kidnapping, being "given a choice", threats and being forced into realizations, forced to join (basically)

20. “You take him so well, just not as good as you take me.” 38. “Just don’t hurt them, please.”

“You take him so well,” she hears him say. “Just not as good as you take me.” She whirls at the voice, turning to see him sitting in the chair in the corner of the small room. The shadows hid him well. 

She shouldn’t have run. She should have stayed in the Little Palace and just accepted her position. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you really think I would let you leave like that?” He stands up and she can’t help but straighten her posture in his presence. He was her General, her saviour until she was told he was the villain. “Did you think I would let my mother ruin everything I have worked for?” He steps forward and Alina’s breath hitches in her chest. “You did not ask me for my opinion, my view point. How is that fair?” 

“You’re a murderer.”

“I did what was necessary!” he snaps. “I did it to save my people! What’s your excuse?” 

She blinks at him, stunned by the question. “What?”

“You ran the first chance you got. You could be the saviour of all Grisha, helping them to find a balance in this world. Acceptance.” He moves forward again. “And you ran.” 

“You wanted to hurt people.”

“A pittance against all their crimes against us! They have attempted to wipe us from this world. I have only harmed those who threaten or harm mine.” 

“You lied to me.”

“I did what I needed,” he offered. “I won’t apologize for that.” 

The silence is heavy between them, weighted by their words and everything that lay between them. She had given up the possibilities of what they could be and yet…she could still feel it. That promise. 

“Why are you here?” She asks, glancing around for the others. The place is quiet in response. 

He takes a slow breath before meeting her eyes. “I am giving you a choice,” he says. “You can return, help me create a better world for our people - the very same you still refuse - and I will ensure you survive, safe from the Apparat.” 

“He’s not going to hurt me.”

“His people will.” 

She pauses at that, thinking of the fanatic way people referred to her. A saint who needs to suffer. She shudders still thinking about it. “What’s the other choice?”

“I take you by force and in return I will ensure every person who has ever given you support is killed.” He says it with complete confidence. 

“You won’t,” she breathes. “You failed before.” 

“I gave you a benefit of the doubt. I played your villain. If you refuse, there will be no other chances. I will not be bound by your expectations of me.” 

“And I’m to be bound by yours?”

“I will do what is necessary for my people.” He looks at her in apparent sympathy. “You are a child compared to the lives I have lived, Alina. You lack ambition, compassion and the desire for justice. You are willing to accept your position in this world and do nothing to change it, regardless of those in power willing to sacrifice people like you to play their games. I tire of games. Make your choice.” 

It feels as though time slows as she stands there, staring at him. Her throat is tight, faced with the truth of her actions, her decisions. She ran because she does not want to be Grisha. She never has. Alina has long believed that to be noticed results in your undoing and as much as she enjoyed being desired by the man in front of her, she has always been looking for a way out. She took the first one that was offered and never looked back. 

Aleksander was the villain, wasn’t he? He was the cause of so much in her world, and yet he was not wrong. She never listened. She didn’t actually care about anyone she didn’t know. Why would she care for a world that never gave any concern about her? She only ever cared about Mal. If she hadn’t, she would have never sacrificed her so-called friends to the fold when she chased after him. And Mal…he was just the one constant in her world. Was she that afraid of things changing? 

“Your choice,” the Darkling says again. “Before I make it for you.” 

She meets his eyes. “Just…don’t hurt them. Please.” 

He offers her his hand. “Come willingly, help me make things better, and I promise they’ll be protected.”

“You swear?”

“Unlike some, I honour my promises,” he says dryly. 

Alina is certain she’s going to regret this. The man in front of her will bind her to him but she is not an innocent victim. It is time she acknowledges that. He has blood on her hands, but so does she. Perhaps they are not as dissimilar as she wishes they are. 

She takes his hand. 

dark prompts

[yjwhatif]

your ask box is probably full so sorry but i have a idea for the better worl au. that "you can't do it" scene from the orignal with bwsupes and flash with bwjaime and bart but its the oppisent. as in bart dosen't anything about bw jaime not being able to do it, because he knows how far jaime can actually go, but to everyone even bw jaimes supriesd, bw jaime really can't do it.

Oooh I really like that idea! I’m totally picturing Bart being very unfazed by BW!Jaimes actions - even when he’s about to be killed by him. unlike flash in JL:a, Bart doesn’t flinch as jaime takes his aim - he will not run - and that’s what finally snaps BW!Jaime back into the reality of the situation - the sight of his previously lost friend with such darkness in his eyes, prepared to face his end at the hands of the friend he sacrificed everything to protect… Jaime hesitates and his mind returns to moments of s2 …. remembering exactly what Bart did for him and realising just how much he’s failed him… all he can say is - “I can't do it…”

But then the question arises - just because BW!Jaime remembers his conscience and won't kill Bart - can the same still be said for BW!scarab after everything he's been allowed to do in this ‘better’ world?

Scarab has always had a natural affinity for violence and destruction - not necessarily for any kind of sadistic desire, but because by his internal logic the methods he suggests would provide the most efficient outcome overall (or at least that’s my interpretation of things). He doesn't really consider things like the consequences of such decisions if actually executed - which is where Jaime comes in… it’s with his wider perspective Jaime is able to acknowledge the major repercussions such actions would bring and his self-control that keeps scarab in line - ensuring the blue beetle remains a force for good… but if Jaime loses that control and gives into scarabs ways of thinking because of his own emotional turmoil, he then validates scarabs violent logic and essentially corrupts his programming all over again. So while it’s plausible for Jaime - an emotionally minded human - to be swayed back towards seeing the light with the right motivation - for scarab, artificially intelligent technology, I don’t think it would be as easy or maybe even possible without a full on mystic cleanse. It may well be too much damage has been done in the name of grief and rage to ever be returned from… and let’s not forget, if scarab wants to do something, he is fully able to take control for himself and do it - just because Jaime can’t kill Bart does not mean scarab won’t to ensure Jaime remains the force he has chosen to be…

So when Jaime says - “I can’t do it” - the trouble does not end there… inside his head he hears the voice of scarab - “Do not worry Jaime Reyes, you do not have to”… and with that, scarab continues priming the cannon aimed at Bart. “Wait, SCARAB NO!” Jaime shouts, as the blast he has no control over is about to fire… he's trapped, about to watch his friend die all over again… and once again, it’s all his fault…

Until a great force of searing gold blinds his view…

(Thanks for the message Anon!)

LB

[nightfall-by-jacqui-natla]

10. INTRODUCTION

I TURNED TO CARLISLE WITH A BURNING question that had been nagging at me as we made our way through Forks Airport, preparing to board a plane to BWI Airport. "So, those people in London, you know them?" I inquired, my interest piqued.

He nodded, a faint smile dancing on his lips. "He's been a close friend of mine for quite some time," he replied.

"By quite some time, do you mean centuries?" I teased, but Carlisle's expression remained solemn.

"The leader of the coven is named Gabriel. The two co-leaders are Joseph and Simon. I resided with the coven for many years before departing for the New World, or America as it is now called," he explained.

I was captivated by his connection to the London coven. "Seems like you guys have a strong bond," I remarked.

Carlisle chuckled softly. "Well, Gabriel was the one who changed me."

"Really?" I exclaimed, taken aback by the revelation.

"Yes, he saved me from a life of suffering and loneliness. I owe him a great deal," Carlisle replied, his eyes reflecting gratitude.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe towards Gabriel and the London coven. "What are they like? Are they similar to you in any way?" I inquired, eager to learn more about this mysterious group of vampires.

"They share our values of compassion and restraint, but they have their own unique customs and traditions," Carlisle explained. "They drink animal blood like me and my family and have a deep respect for human life, striving to coexist peacefully with them."

"I'm guessing you're not the human blood sort of guy," I said, trying to hide my revulsion at the thought.

"I don't like the idea of taking someone's life to let me live," he admitted. "When I discovered that I can drink animal blood, I tried to perfect the diet. It took me years, but I managed to get the hang of it."

"I wish I could say the same," I muttered, feeling ashamed of my own struggles with the diet.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to your diet," Carlisle reassured me. "You're not the first vampire that came to me for help to escape."

I was taken aback by his words. "Who was the first vampire you helped escape?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

But Carlisle just smiled enigmatically, his eyes twinkling with secrets. "That's a story for another time," he said, and I knew not to press the matter any further.

As we continued our conversation, I couldn't shake the feeling of excitement and anticipation at the thought of meeting the London coven. Their history and connection to Carlisle only added to the mystery and allure of the vampire world that I had become a part of.

As we settled into our seats on the plane, I couldn't help but wonder about the dynamics of the London coven. What kind of vampires were they? Were they as compassionate and ethical as Carlisle? I made a mental note to ask him more about his time with them once we landed in Baltimore.

Throughout the flight, Carlisle shared stories of his past with the London coven. He spoke of their shared struggles and triumphs, their unwavering loyalty to each other, and their commitment to living peacefully among humans. It was clear that the bond between them ran deep, forged through centuries of friendship and mutual respect.

As we touched down at BWI Airport, I couldn't shake the feeling of awe and admiration for the London coven. Their existence was a testament to the possibility of vampires living harmoniously with humans, a concept that seemed almost impossible in the world I had known before meeting Carlisle and his family.

Carlisle did manage effortlessly secured a private plane back at his place, a luxury reserved for the elite few. As a doctor, his financial status was no secret, but the ease with which he obtained the aircraft was impressive nonetheless. For me, it was a relief. The temptation of human blood still lingered, a constant reminder of my true nature. Boarding the private plane, we soared through the clouds towards London, leaving behind the mundane world below.

The journey through the skies was a gruelling eight-hour affair, as we soared towards the bustling metropolis of London. As the plane finally touched down, Carlisle and I rose from our seats, eagerly anticipating the adventure that lay ahead. The door creaked open, and we stepped out onto the tarmac, greeted by the sight of three imposing figures.

My anticipation soared, my mind racing with excitement as I instinctively enveloped myself in a cloak of invisibility, unsure of what these strangers would bring. In contrast, Carlisle's face lit up with pure delight, his smile giving away his familiarity with these enigmatic men.

"Gabriel," Carlisle's voice exuded warmth as he pulled the towering vampire into a tight embrace. The two men held each other tightly, lost in the moment of their long-awaited reunion.

"Carlisle, my old friend," Gabriel's voice resonated with a deep, velvety smoothness as his arms wrapped around Carlisle in return. "It has been far too long."

As they slowly released each other, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Gabriel. He seemed ethereal, like a phantom, with his almost translucent skin that defied the absence of sunlight. His eyes shimmered like molten gold, captivating and mesmerizing, while his short, curly black hair effortlessly framed his face. He possessed a commanding presence, standing tall at six-foot-two, his muscular physique a testament to his immense strength. His square face boasted a broad forehead, a chiseled jawline, and cheekbones that could rival any sculpture. Every inch of his attire was cloaked in darkness - his jacket, pants, shoes, even his shirt and tie, all black, exuding an air of mystery and power.

"How is your family?" Gabriel inquired, his velvety smooth voice tinged with genuine concern.

Carlisle beamed. "We've had our fair share of challenges, but we're doing well."

The other vampire, positioned beside Gabriel on his left, chimed in. "And what about the newborn?"

Carlisle's expression turned grave. "Rest assured, she is here, Simon."

Simon was a distinct breed of vampire compared to Gabriel. He possessed a slender and agile frame, with light brown locks and a visage that almost resembled that of a young man in his early thirties. His golden eyes exuded warmth and hospitality, and he sported a casual ensemble of jeans and a sweater. His face possessed a captivating charm, highlighted by a subtly defined jawline adorned with a touch of light stubble. He seemed to possess a gentler approach than Gabriel and the other vampire, yet I could sense the underlying power that lay beneath his serene exterior.

"Hey, stop fooling around, Carlisle," the third vampire grumbled in his strong Cockney accent. "I don't have time for games, mate."

Carlisle's voice remained composed. "I can assure you, Joseph, this is no laughing matter. She's right here in front of us. But she's invisible."

Joseph, with his scruffy appearance, had short dark hair and a fair complexion. His heart-shaped face bore a resemblance to Simon's, complete with a light dusting of stubble. Clad in a black leather jacket over a burgundy hoodie, dark denim jeans, and black fingerless gloves, his worn-out boots completed his rugged look.

Joseph crossed his arms, his piercing gold eyes narrowing in skepticism. "Invisible, you say? Are you sure you haven't finally lost your marbles, Carlisle?"

"Joseph," Gabriel interjected calmly. "Carlisle wouldn't organize a whole gathering just for a... what do humans call it when they deceive others in a playful manner?"

"A prank?" I responded, still unseen by them.

"Ah, yes, thank you."

Joseph's skepticism only deepened as he glanced around the room, searching for any sign of the supposed invisible presence. His sharp features were set in a scowl, his disbelief evident in the way his brows furrowed.

Gabriel, ever the voice of reason, placed a reassuring hand on Joseph's shoulder. "Trust me, Joseph. Carlisle may be many things, but he is not one to play pranks on us. There must be a logical explanation for this."

Joseph's gaze flickered between Gabriel and the empty space where I stood, his mind clearly racing with possibilities. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he unfolded his arms and shook his head. "Fine, I'll entertain this idea for now. But if this turns out to be some elaborate joke, Carlisle will never hear the end of it from me."

As the conversation continued, I couldn't help but smirk at Joseph's stubbornness. Despite his tough exterior, there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes that betrayed his true feelings. And as the mystery of my invisible presence unraveled, I knew that Joseph's skepticism would soon give way to wonder and amazement.

Simon, on the other hand, remained stoic and reserved, his eyes darting back and forth as if trying to make sense of the situation. His skepticism was palpable, a barrier he had erected to protect himself from the unknown.

Gabriel, however, seemed unfazed by it all. His calm demeanor and unwavering gaze spoke volumes about his confidence and belief in the supernatural. It was clear that he was no stranger to the unexplainable.

Finally, Joseph's voice broke the silence, his tone a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. "I can feel her presence, but I can't see her. What's going on, Carlisle?" he asked, his eyes searching for answers.

Carlisle's voice tinged with frustration as he addressed me and my unseen figure, "Can you please reveal yourself now?"

As the words hung in the air, I hesitated for a moment, relishing in the anticipation of their reactions. I took a deep breath and spoke up. "I'm here," I said. "I'm the one you've been waiting for."

Slowly, I materialized before their eyes, my ethereal form becoming solid and tangible. Joseph's eyes widened in astonishment, his tough exterior momentarily crumbling as he stared at me in disbelief.

"I...I can see her now," he stammered, his voice filled with awe. "This is incredible."

Simon, ever the cautious one, observed me with a mix of skepticism and fascination. His eyes darted from my face to my translucent figure, trying to make sense of the inexplicable.

Gabriel, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, his inscrutable expression unchanging. It was as if he had expected this revelation all along, his serene demeanor hinting at a deeper understanding of the situation.

"You're a fresh one, aren't you? I can sense it," Joseph was the first to engage me in a genuine conversation, breaking the ice with his observation.

I nodded, acknowledging his perception. "Yeah, I'm still kinda new to the whole vampire lifestyle."

Simon's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "And what did your creator tell you?"

Meeting his gaze head-on, I held my ground. "She spun a web of lies, only for me to unravel the truth on my own."

The area fell into a heavy silence, the weight of my words hanging in the air.

Gabriel finally spoke up, his voice calm and measured. "It seems like you have a lot to learn, but don't worry, we'll help you navigate this new world."

A soft chuckle escaped Carlisle's lips, like a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves of a tree. Gabriel stood there, arms folded, in awe of what he had just witnessed. "I've seen gifted vampires before, but nothing quite like this."

Simon glanced at me, his eyes filled with an insatiable curiosity. "What is your name?" he inquired, his voice a velvety whisper.

"Violet," I responded confidently. "My name is Violet."

Simon's unwavering gaze remained fixed on me as he continued, "How long have you been a newborn, Violet?"

"Three months," I murmured, my voice barely audible.

Joseph stepped forward, mischief dancing in his eyes. "And can you vanish into thin air, luv?" he asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"To the best of my knowledge, yes," I replied, my heart racing within my chest.

"How so?" Gabriel interjected, his eyebrows arching in surprise.

"I might possess other abilities too," I hinted, a sense of mystery lingering in the air.

Simon's eyes widened with intrigue, his curiosity piqued even further. "Such as?" he pressed, his voice tinged with excitement.

For a moment, I hesitated, contemplating whether or not to reveal the true extent of my abilities. However, there was something in Simon's eyes that urged me to trust him, to share my deepest secrets.

"I can create purple light and project it from my hands," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know the best way to describe it, I'm still trying to figure it out."

Simon's eyes sparkled with wonder, his mind racing with the possibilities of what I could do.

"Purple light?" Joseph exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief as he glanced over at Carlisle.

Carlisle shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, you heard her. Sounds like you've got yourselves a real magician in your midst."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Prove it," he challenged, his tone daring me to demonstrate my powers.

Taking a deep breath, I focused all of my energy on the ebb and flow of time surrounding me. And in an instant, my hands radiated with the familiar glow of the enchanting purple light. Simon's excitement grew, his eyes fixed on my hands as if they held the key to a whole new world, and even Gabriel's skepticism wavered for a moment.

Joseph's jaw dropped, his disbelief replaced by awe. "That's amazing," he murmured, his voice filled with wonder.

But as quickly as the display of my powers had begun, it faded away, and my hands returned to their normal vampire pale skin.

I couldn't believe that I had just bared my soul to these strangers, divulging every intimate detail of my life. And yet, there was a strange sense of comfort that settled over me, a feeling of safety that I couldn't quite explain.

Was it foolish to trust them so easily? Perhaps. But I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging with these enigmatic individuals, despite the fact that I knew next to nothing about them. It was a strange and unsettling feeling, one that left me questioning my own sanity.

Gabriel broke the silence, his voice filled with newfound respect. "I stand corrected," he admitted, his skepticism replaced by a newfound belief. "You are like a magician, but at the same time you're not. You're something far more than I ever thought."

His words were a balm to my soul, a salve to the wounds inflicted by Gavin, my pitiful excuse for a father, and the likes of Riley and Victoria. No one had ever taken the time to explain to me the nature of the world I was born into. I was thrust into this existence as a mortal human, only to be reborn as a vampire without any semblance of understanding.

I took a deep breath and scanned their expressions for any hint of disapproval. "Will the rest of the coven accept me?" I murmured softly.

"They will," Simon assured me, his voice calm and comforting. "We've never encountered vampires quite like you."

Joseph joined in with a laugh, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "And if they don't, we'll have to have a serious talk."

His words made me smile, feeling a wave of warmth and belonging wash over me. I turned to Carlisle, embracing him tightly. He returned the hug, radiating love and understanding.

"Thank you, Carlisle," I whispered, barely audible.

"You're most welcome," he replied, his eyes shining with pride.

As we parted, I found myself gazing into his eyes, a sense of connection unlike any other filling me.

"Please pass on my best wishes to Bella," I murmured, and he nodded solemnly.

Gabriel, who had been listening in, spoke up with curiosity. "Bella? Who is she?"

Carlisle turned to him, a playful glint in his eyes. "Ah, Edward has found himself a special someone," he said with a grin.

Joseph, always the jester, chimed in with a hearty laugh. "It's about time, isn't it?"

"Bella is Edward's human mate," Carlisle explained, his voice filled with a mix of joy and amusement. "They have a bond that goes beyond anything we've ever seen before."

Gabriel's eyes widened in surprise, and he exchanged a quick glance with the others. "A human mate? That's...unusual, isn't it?"

Carlisle nodded, his smile widening. "Indeed, it is. But love knows no boundaries, and Edward and Bella have found something truly extraordinary.”

Simon chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with understanding. "Well, if Edward has found his soulmate, then the rest of the coven will surely accept him with open arms. Love is a powerful force, after all."

Gabriel nodded in agreement before adding, "Please extend our warmest congratulations to Edward."

Carlisle's smile grew even wider. "I most certainly will. Until next time, my friends.”

Until next time. Those words held a different weight now. I couldn't help but recall the mysterious girl in the dark cloak saying them to Felix with a menacing tone. Carlisle's farewell, on the other hand, was warm and reassuring.

"Goodbye, Carlisle," I murmured, my voice barely audible amidst the roar of the jet engines.

I observed his departure into the opulent interior of his personal aircraft, a twinge of sorrow gripping my heart. It's always tough to bid farewell to someone you hold dear, even if it's just temporary.

As I shifted my gaze away from the plane, I caught sight of the three vampires standing behind me. Gabriel, Joseph, and Simon. They were my newfound family, and I was excited to deepen our bond.

"Are you prepared to meet my family?" Gabriel inquired, his tone suave and self-assured.

I nodded, a surge of anticipation coursing through me.

This marked the beginning of a fresh chapter in my life.

Gabriel clapped his hands together and made his way towards a sleek black Mercedes parked nearby. Joseph trailed closely behind, with Simon and I following suit.

The car itself was a masterpiece, boasting elegant contours and gleaming metal. Settling into the plush backseat beside Simon, a sense of anticipation began to bubble within me. The engine roared to life, propelling the vehicle forward, leaving the airport in our wake.

As we traversed the dimly lit streets, a profound sense of awe enveloped me. Everything felt novel and exhilarating, and with my soon-to-be family by my side, I knew that the realm of possibilities stretched endlessly before me.

As we cruised down the highway, the hum of the Mercedes engine lulled me into a sense of security. It had been forty-five minutes since we left the airport, and I couldn't help but marvel at how quickly my life had changed. Just a few hours ago, I was a regular person, going about my business. But now, I was a bloodthirsty monster, thanks to Victoria and her deadly skills.

The memory of the three men who followed me to a back alley still sent shivers down my spine, which was unknowingly to be my last night as a human. But with Gabriel, Joseph, and Simon by my side, I felt safe. There was something about them that exuded strength and security. Simon, in particular, had a warmth about him that put me at ease.

Gabriel, the leader of the coven, commanded respect with his mere presence. And Joseph, with his tough persona, was someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Despite only knowing them for a few seconds, it felt like I had known them for a lifetime.

As we continued on our journey, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises awaited me in this new world. But with my newfound companions, I knew I was ready for anything.

Gabriel sat in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel with a sense of purpose. Joseph sat next to him, his eyes scanning the darkened road ahead. I sat in the back with Simon, the silence between us palpable. As we drove, I couldn't help but watch the road zooming by, the world outside a blur of motion.

But then, my eyes were drawn to the night sky, where the full moon shone bright and bold. It was a beautiful sight, but it was quickly overshadowed by the howling in the distance. I swallowed nervously, my anxiety slowly rising. It could be those wolves that I saw earlier today.

"Don't worry about them, Violet," Joseph's voice broke through the silence, making me turn my head. "Those Children of the Moon won't bother us."

"Children of the Moon?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"That's what they're called," Joseph replied, his voice calm and steady.

I couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. Were they some sort of mythical creature? I had heard stories of werewolves and shapeshifters, but I never thought they could be real.

"I think I saw them when I was hiding from the newborn army," I explained my theory about the so-called Children of the Moon. "They were like huskies, except bigger."

Gabriel, who was driving, shook his head. "Those aren't the Children of the Moon. That's what Carlisle told me."

I felt dumb for my mistake, but I was still curious. "So, what were the things I saw when the newborns were attacked at the battle?"

"Those are shapeshifters," Gabriel explained. "They can change into a wolf at any time, anywhere. The Children of the Moon don't have a choice."

"So, the Children of the Moon are the proper werewolves," I said, trying to wrap my head around it all.

Joseph nodded. "They change at the full moon, but the silver bullet thing is just a myth perpetuated by Hollywood."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're telling me that all those movies I've seen are wrong?"

Joseph shrugged. "Mostly."

As we continued on our journey, I couldn't help but wonder what other myths and legends were actually true. And I couldn't help but feel grateful that I was in the company of these three vampires, who seemed to know more about the world than any human ever could.

Gabriel delved further into werewolf lore, his tone grave. "I once knew someone who was attacked by a werewolf. The creature nearly took his life. Since then, he's harbored a deep-seated hatred for them. He wants them eradicated completely.”

Intrigued, I asked, "But how can you be sure if they're wiped out?"

Gabriel sighed, his eyes darkening. "It's difficult to say. Werewolves are elusive and can blend in with human society easily. But my friend is determined to hunt them down, no matter the cost."

I shuddered at the thought of a relentless hunter on the loose, targeting creatures that were simply trying to survive. "It seems like a never-ending cycle of violence and fear."

Joseph nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately, that's the reality of our world. Creatures of the night must always be wary of those who seek to destroy them."

As we continued our journey, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the air. The supernatural world was vast and filled with dangers beyond my wildest imagination. Then, I thought about my exposure to sunlight. "I have discovered that we do not combust into flames when exposed to the sun."

Joseph chimed in, his voice resigned. "It's true. We sparkle like diamonds."

I couldn't believe it. "So, rather than enduring a fiery inferno, we transform into walking disco balls?"

A soft chuckle escaped Gabriel's lips. "I suppose one could interpret it that way."

As the conversation carried on, a growing curiosity enveloped me, compelling me to inquire about their ages. "How old are you guys?"

Simon spoke first. "Physically, I'm thirty-one. But in reality, I'm four hundred and eighteen."

Joseph followed suit. "I was turned at twenty-nine, and I'm about to be three hundred and ninety-three."

Gabriel smirked. "I've got them beat. I was thirty-eight when I was turned. Four hundred and forty...four hundred and forty AD, that is. I'm at least sixteen centuries old."

I was stunned. "That's...that's ancient."

Joseph chuckled. "You sure like to talk."

I shrugged. "I'm just trying to get to know you guys."

The car was enveloped in a thick blanket of silence, the kind that makes you feel like you're suffocating. It was only for five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Just when I thought the silence would never end, Simon's voice broke through the stillness.

"Violet," he spoke to me, and I turned to look at him. "How old are you in human years?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. We were still talking about ages? Despite my annoyance, I answered him. "Seventeen."

"That is young. How did you become a vampire?"

I took a deep breath and began to recount my story. "Well, I ran away from Forks because of my useless dad. He didn't care about me. I arrived in Seattle, and then three bikers started following me. That's when a vampire female named Victoria jumped in and saved me. She complimented me on not seeing her when she attacked them, and then she bit me. And the rest is history."

"Victoria?" Gabriel interrupted me. "Does she have red curly hair by any chance?"

I was taken aback by his question. "Yes? You knew her?"

"I knew of her. I invited her to my coven, but she refused. I've heard she's dead."

I nodded, remembering what I had been told. "Yeah, I was told that Edward killed her."

I didn't know what to expect from this coven. Would they like me? Were they gifted like me? My eyes flicked back to Gabriel, his golden eyes still fixed on the road.

"How many are there?" I asked, trying to break the tension.

"There are six of us," Simon answered. "Gabriel, Joseph, me, Helena, Rhona, my wife Alana, and her son Ethan. Although, Toshiro did stay for a while until he left."

"Why did he leave?" I asked, curious.

"Because he didn't like the idea of drinking animal blood," Simon replied.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. At least I wouldn't be the only one drinking animal blood.

As I sat in the car impatiently, Carlisle's words echoed in my mind. Animal blood. The thought alone was enough to make my throat burn. I couldn't help but ask Gabriel about it.

"You all drinking animal blood?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.

Gabriel's response was unexpected. "I was used to drinking human blood only," he admitted. "It's like becoming an addict. You don't know when to stop. And then, it took over your life and became the only thing you depend on."

As Gabriel shared his tale, I was captivated. "Centuries later, I learned that an Anglican pastor's son was on my trail, investigating the disappearances and murders. That pastor's son turned out to be Carlisle."

I listened intently, my curiosity growing with each word. "But how did he convince you to change your diet?" I asked, my voice filled with genuine intrigue.

Gabriel's eyes softened as he recalled the pivotal moment. "Carlisle showed me a different path, a way to regain control over my insatiable thirst. He introduced me to animal blood, explaining that it could sustain us without the need for human lives. It was a difficult transition, but with his guidance, I learned to resist the temptation and embrace a more compassionate way of living."

As I absorbed Gabriel's story, a newfound respect for Carlisle began to take root within me. It was clear that his influence had not only saved Gabriel from a life of darkness but had also sparked a revolution within the vampire community.

"And that's how you discovered it?" I probed.

"Yes," he confirmed. "It tastes as good as human blood. So I decided to have this blood as my diet."

As I listened to Gabriel's tale, I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for his self-control. It was a testament to his strength of character that he had been able to resist the temptation of human blood for so long. And yet, at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The thought of drinking animal blood was still a foreign concept to me, and I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets the world of vampires held.

The words of the ancients had left me parched, my throat ablaze with a fiery thirst. I rubbed at my neck, trying to ease the ache that had settled there. Joseph's gaze flicked to me, his eyes narrowing in concern.

"Your eyes," he murmured, "they're pitch black. When was the last time you fed?"

I shook my head, the burning in my throat making it hard to speak. "I don't know," I managed to rasp out. "Maybe five hours ago, I think."

Gabriel's voice cut through the silence that followed. "That won't do. You need to hunt before we meet the coven. Epping Forest has plenty of deer to sate your hunger."

The car veered off the motorway and onto a winding road that led into the heart of the forest. As we drove deeper into the woods, I could feel my senses sharpening, my body preparing for the hunt to come.

[luimagines]

*walks on in tiredly, offers you tea, a slice of cake and cookies, leaves without elaborating*

Hey there, haven't been here in a while but happy birthday and congratulations on 900! It's definitely well deserved and in general just something to celebrate, it probably doesn't mean much but it's from the heart. I've been having... Some eh days bordering on bad, my dog's been sick and I can't take her to the vet and it's stressing me out, plus a lot of other stuff that hasn't helped. But coming here and reading your works and even occasionally leaving an ask and sharing some admittedly probably silly ideas like Lustrous Reader (which I still have to work on and spin the roulette of what will happen to Citrine now that I remember) was always a nice pick me up, so I'm glad you decided to share all your writings with the fandom and been so nice whenever people share their ideas, so thank you very much.

Anyway, here's to more happy years to come, don't really have much to add on recent prompts and scenarios since I haven't read through anything yet (again, worried about my dog and things piling up so much I'm honestly considering pulling a Wild or Time and sleeping for a long period of time until an apocalypse happens after I hopefully manage to help her), so maybe next ask and a possible new reader variant and Lustrous Reader crumbs or something on the Fairy Tale compilation in the worls? But until then I hope you have or have had a nice birthday, treat yourself and do what makes you happy because you more than deserve it! May you have a wonderful time of day!

-Just an Anon on A Stroll.

AAHH!! Lustrous anon I'm so sorry this took me long!

Thank you so much for the well wishes and kind words. I'm sorry that times have been tough. I wish there was more I could do to help.

But thank you for checking in and stopping by. I hope things get better, Anon. <3