#anyways that's no excuse and i'll work on it a bit to improve

[rubys-domain]

i literally log in, do chongyun's burst nuke rotation a couple times, then log out, and that's a fun genshin experience for me lmao

[turbulentscrawl]

Sfw/ nsfw para norton por favor!!! 👁👄👁

I'll take any excuse to write for my favorite man ;)

These are relationship-focused. Spicy stuff under the cut. Enjoy <3

Norton Campbell

SFW

-Norton didn’t start to bulk up until he came to the manor. That is, he’s always been tall, and working the mines made him strong, but at home he never got the nutrition he needed to actually pack on muscle. The manor provides food constantly, so his body has been playing catchup and he’s had to let out his clothes a few times. (Strong man give good hug, make feel safe.)

-Norton has minimal experience with romance or anything related to it. He’s had interest in people a few times over the years, but his long work hours, financial situation, and trust issues weren’t really conducive to serious relationships.

-That said, I think after he decides that no one is ever escaping the manor, he’d be pretty open to starting a relationship if someone genuinely caught his eye. In some ways, it’s not the worst situation to be in. He’s in good health (aside from the ever-looming threat of gruesome not-death in the games), has stability, food, shelter….why not also let himself have love if it feels right?

-He’s a bit awkward with romance at the start. The other men at the mines set poor examples for how to love and appreciate a partner. Of course, Norton hated most of them and wouldn’t trust their advice if his life depended on it anyway…but he doesn’t have much else to go on.

-He does, however, strongly prefer to show love through Acts of Service. He’s a provider at heart. He also gives Quality Time in the sense that he spends his spare time as your shadow. He expects to sit next to you at meals, stand near you during meetings, guard you during matches. He’s not huge on PDA in most circumstances, but he likes to be within arm’s reach. (It’s also close enough to hear any snarky comments he mutters under his breath, and he enjoys hearing you giggle over them.)

-He has a possessive streak. It typically shows itself during his personality flips, which he tries to stay away from you during, but he will have slipups that are usually just him pulling you away from someone standing too close or throwing another person’s hand off you. He feels rotten after the fact if he does anything more drastic.

NS/FW

-Norton has as little bedroom experience as romantic…but he is both very familiar with his own body and pragmatic enough to not be too awkward in the learning phase. Having been a laborer most of his life, he takes instruction and critique well.

-His endurance is not amazing in the beginning. He’s fit enough that it will improve quickly (and he can go several rounds if you give him a short break), but in the meantime he’s also pretty good with his hands. He’s got thick, calloused fingers and a firm grip

-Norton strongly prefers to top. He could be convinced to change it up once in a blue moon, but being submissive just doesn’t feel right for him. He’s been an underdog for too much of his life; he wants to have the power.

-He’s a considerate top and isn’t cheeky enough to try pushing any boundaries. …but please let him be a little rough. He wants to manhandle you.

-He’s on the quiet side during sex. If someone is gonna get loud, he wants it to be you. The noise he makes is generally limited to soft grunts and heavy breathing, but he’ll also growl as a special treat if you tease him just right. Run your nails against his scalp. Run your nails against his scalp.

-His avoidance of PDA extends to sexy times. Norton would not agree to being intimate somewhere you’re likely to be caught, and he won’t make a move on you when other people are around. I do think he might pick up a very subtle way to tell you that he’s hoping for some hanky panky later (something like winking at you. he is NOT a winker otherwise), but don’t expect him to say something suggestive or dirty when other people can hear it.

[inaris-mage-of-storms]

}{ Who Are You? Are You Nobody, Too? }{

}{ Thrown into a strange game with no memories of their lives before, Jimmy and Scott find comfort in a quiet valley and in each other. }{

}{ 3rd Life }{ Flower Husbands }{ 3.9k }{ sfw abridged version of an entry for Driving After Dark 2 }{

"We're married now."

Jimmy gaped as Scott grinned at him behind the delicate petals of the flower he held to his nose. "E - excuse me?"

It was just a bit, surely. The sort of joke that he would usually, if the other person was someone he liked, lean into with everything he had and flirt back just as hard. But something about the soft quirk of Scott's lips and the gleam in his gemstone eyes made Jimmy's thoughts short circuit.

"You gave me a flower. We're married now," repeated Scott. "That's how it works, you know."

"Oh," was all Jimmy managed to get out. He was fairly certain that wasn't how marriage worked, despite his missing memories, but the crystalline notes of Scott's ringing laughter eroded any desire Jimmy had to challenge the declaration.

And anyway, it was just a bit. Surely.

Scott seemed to be completely serious about teaming up, at least, and Jimmy was eager to prove himself a good ally who could carry his weight without being a burden. That was why he opted to build his own little house on the opposite side of the valley, to avoid inserting himself into Scott's space without a direct invitation. He showed off his work proudly, but the way Scott's ears dropped when he saw it had Jimmy second-guessing himself.

"Sorry. I'm not a very good builder," he said as he twisted his hands uncertainly. "I know you like things to be all cute and everything. I tried my best, but - "

Scott cocked his head to one side and seemed almost perplexed as he watched Jimmy stumble over his words. Then some realization or another that Jimmy couldn't work out crossed his face, and he smiled in that way that always sent Jimmy's stomach into somersaults.

"I do like cute things. That's why you're around." He giggled at Jimmy's immediate flush. "It's a good start, really! Do you mind if I...?"

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he had only imagined the disappointment in Scott's eyes earlier. "Not at all, go ahead! What's mine is yours."

"Oh? I'll keep that in mind." Amusement sparkled in Scott's eyes, assuring Jimmy that his next words were only meant to tease, not be taken seriously. "It will soothe the disappointment that my husband doesn't want to live in the same house as me."

"...What?" squeaked Jimmy. He squeaked a lot around Scott, he was beginning to realize. "Wait, that's what you were upset about?"

Scott laughed.

- }{ -

By the time Jimmy returned, both the face of his cliffside hut and the flower valley as a whole sported significant improvements. Scott was kneeling by a campfire near the lakeshore, stirring a pot of something that smelled amazing. His ears twitched almost imperceptibly at Jimmy's approach, and he looked up to greet him with that smile that sent Jimmy's stomach into somersaults.

His stomach went into a lot of somersaults around Scott, he was beginning to realize.

"I thought we'd have dinner out here, meet in the middle so to speak. If that's okay with you." Scott turned his attention back to the stew.

Jimmy grinned. "Yeah, 'course it is. Just let me put everything away." He emptied his inventory of all the resources he'd gathered on his trip out, then joined Scott by the fire. "What all's in there, anyway?"

"Mostly vegetables." Scott lifted the wooden spoon he was stirring with, both to show Jimmy the chunk of carrot that rested on it and to test the tenderness of the vegetable against the wall of the pot. "Our first harvest of carrots and potatoes, and some odds and ends I foraged from the woods. I did add some of the chicken you prepared earlier, to make it a little more hearty."

He set aside the spoon and picked up a ladle instead, filling a bowl and passing it to Jimmy before filling his own. Jimmy accepted it gratefully, taking a tentative sip of the hot broth before picking up one of the two smaller spoons that waited nearby. "Oh, that's delicious - wait, did you carve all these dishes today?"

Scott seemed pleased that Jimmy had noticed. Jimmy would notice every detail he could if it meant that smile would stay on those pretty lips. "I did," said Scott. "I finished my building projects earlier than I expected, so I thought I might as well start on some easy comforts."

"Oh my gosh, that's impressive! Is there anything you're not good at?"

Scott's ears twitched happily. "Oh, very little," he said smugly, and Jimmy laughed.

There wasn't much in the way of conversation at first. Jimmy's focus was on the stew, the day's hard work of gathering logs and stone and ores having made him ravenous. Scott was similarly focused on refueling after all the hours spent building. But as food and silence both settled, the slightly awkward small talk between them strengthened into something easy and comfortable. They told each other what little they could about themselves, information drawn from either their limited memories or gut feelings, and theorized about what they couldn't recall.

"Do you think we're anyone important in our home worlds?" Jimmy asked. He stared up at the first stars that faded into existence as the sky slowly dimmed. "I get the feeling that some of the others are, you know? Like Etho, or Martyn. They just feel so...big. Like there's no way they aren't someone."

Scott was laying next to him in the grass. The inches between their shoulders felt ever so close and oh so far all at the same time. "I don't think I am. Or rather, I hope I'm not. Being known by strangers sounds...exhausting. I just want a quiet little life with someone I care about."

Jimmy smiled. "That sounds nice. I don't think I'm anyone important either. But you're right; being nobody sounds like the way to go." He turned his head to look at Scott. "You know, we never did proper introductions. Hi, I'm Jimmy. I'm nobody."

Scott turned his head to look at Jimmy with a soft smile. "Hi Jimmy. I'm Scott. I'm nobody, too."

Jimmy laughed.

- }{ -

No one on the server knew quite what to make of their situation. Fourteen people, dropped into an unknown world, with no memory of the lives they surely must have been leading before and only the knowledge that they had agreed to partake in some sort of game. They were all vaguely aware that there were rules that would be revised with death, knew three deaths would be the end, and had a strong suspicion that some of them must have known at least some of the others before. But beyond that, they were almost as much a mystery to themselves as they were to one another.

Jimmy had his own strong suspicion that Scott was the sort to be just as mysterious in his regular life. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the...elf? fae? Jimmy didn't know exactly what he was, and Scott only smiled and deflected the question when Jimmy asked.

Neither man avoided the rest of the server entirely, but decided early on that they preferred to keep to themselves for the most part, unwilling to get too involved with the growing tensions between other factions. With a strong wall erected around their little valley and most of the resources they needed within, it was easy to forget that there was more to the situation than living the quiet little life Scott had admitted to dreaming of.

It was easy to forget, too, that they weren't really married. Scott still jokingly referred to Jimmy as his husband, even in front of the others, and seemed perpetually amused by Jimmy's variety of flustered reactions whenever he did.

Jimmy might not have been certain of much, but he knew beyond doubt that he was utterly enchanted by his basemate. The first time Scott leaned over and kissed Jimmy's cheek, Jimmy's thoughts crashed so hard that he barely heard Scott ask (with difficulty concealing his delight) if he was all right.

"Fine! I'm perfectly fine," he managed to squeak out. "Was just - thinking! About the, um, the thing. The thing that needs, uh, repaired right? I'll...go do that now."

"Right, the thing," repeated Scott, eyes sparkling. Jimmy wondered if they shone just as brightly in whatever color they were naturally, whether they were the green they were now or some other shade. "Best get to it before sunset."

- }{ -

It took Jimmy another three days to work up the courage to ask Scott for another kiss. He wasn't even planning on it at the time, but they were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the lakeshore when a stray petal drifted down from the clifftop and landed in Jimmy's hair.

Scott leaned in and reached up to pluck it away. "Trying a new accessory?" he said with a grin. His voice was low and his breath was warm, and Jimmy found that all of a sudden desire outweighed anxiety.

"Can I kiss you?"

Scott's eyes widened in surprise, then his mouth curved into that soft, soft smile. "Of course. You don't really have to ask to kiss your own husband, you know."

Jimmy let out a breathless chuckle. "You're still sticking to your little joke, huh?"

Scott's ears dropped, and Jimmy's heart dropped with them when he saw hurt clouding his pretty eyes. "You thought I was joking about that?"

"Well...yeah?" Jimmy tilted his head in confusion. "I mean, you said it literally within the first, like, hour of meeting. We barely know one another, Scott."

"Oh." Scott pulled away. Jimmy was struck with the desire to pull him close and assure him he didn't mean it. "I'm sorry. I mean, I know we're not married married, but you never said anything against it, and I thought you liked me back, so I just sort of...assumed."

"Assumed what?" This wasn't going at all how Jimmy had pictured it. "And I do like you! I just didn't want to, you know, take things at face value and look like an idiot later if it turned out I misinterpreted what you meant." He paused. "Which...okay, in hindsight - "

If the delicate bell-shaped flowers that dotted the ground in the woods could actually ring, Jimmy imagined they would sound an awful lot like Scott's laughter.

"So you do like me?" Scott's ears were beginning to perk back up, albeit cautiously. "You're not mad that I assumed we were dating?"

"I mean, I wish you would have said something? But no, I'm not mad." Heat blossomed across his cheeks. "So...about that kiss?"

Scott leaned in but paused at the last moment, letting Jimmy be the one to close the gap. Jimmy leaned in too, and the longing feeling in his chest that he hadn't even known was there disappeared.

Logically, Jimmy knew it couldn't possibly be his first kiss. The jitters he felt had more to do with kissing someone new for the first time, not the act of kissing itself. But was it the first time he had ever kissed Scott? It didn't seem probable that they even knew each other in the outside world, let alone were romantically involved, and yet...

Scott deepened the kiss, melting into Jimmy when Jimmy put his arms around him. The way their mouths moved together felt like the most natural thing in the world. One ear twitched in - surprise? delight? Jimmy had learned quickly how to read Scott's subtle body language, but some microexpressions were still beyond him - when Jimmy was the one to take initiative and run his tongue along Scott's lower lip, and he let him in immediately.

By the time they parted to pant for air, Jimmy had lowered Scott down into the soft grass, and the way Scott stared up at him with swollen lips and gentle surrender in his eyes stole Jimmy's breath away as quickly as he could catch it.

"I don't want this to be over."

The confession that slipped out of Jimmy startled both of them. Then Scott's confusion gave way to amusement, and he laughed. "Well, I don't exactly plan on giving you up any time soon."

"No, I mean - " Jimmy sighed and rested his forehead against Scott's. "What happens at...at the end? I know what happens when you die in a typical hardcore world, but..."

But nothing about their situation was typical. And even in a typical world, the same fear lurked in the background of every player's mind: what if something goes wrong? what if my eyes don't open again like they're meant to? what if this is actually final? Jimmy had been trying not to think about it, but being dropped into a strange game with no memory was unsettling enough, and only magnified those natural fears.

They might be the players, but something else was toying with them.

"I think we'll respawn wherever we're meant to be," said Scott firmly. "Whatever block has been placed on our memories will be gone, we'll be safe at home - wherever 'home' is - and we'll have new friends to contact. Or old friends to check up on," he added, threading his fingers through Jimmy's hair.

Jimmy nosed against his cheek, then lay next to him with a sigh. "You think we know each other on the outside?"

Scott snorted. "Jimmy, either we already knew each other before this, or we have what is quite possibly the most insane and immediate chemistry that has ever existed between two people." He mirrored the way Jimmy lay on his side, tucking a hand under his head. "You...feel like home. It's hard to imagine I came from a life where I didn't already love you."

Jimmy smiled. "Home?" he repeated, feeling a sliver of hope for what could be.

"Home," said Scott, and it sounded like a promise.

- }{ -

"I mean, you don't have to use it or anything." Jimmy pressed his fingertips together nervously. "It's not very well-made, actually. It's only holding together because Impulse helped me with all the fiddly bits."

Scott stared at the hand-cranked beater he held, turning it over and inspecting it. Jimmy shifted nervously. A few days before, Scott had lamented the lack of much nicer kitchen appliances found on more established servers, wishing aloud for even the simplicity of an electric mixer to make his baking easier. A bundle of twigs made a sufficient enough whisk for eggs, but not so much for making a smooth, creamy frosting to top the variety of little cakes he liked to bake.

"I did wonder what you were spending so long at the anvil for the other day." Scott tapped a finger against the metal of the beater. "I love it. Thank you."

Jimmy beamed, pleased with the pleased expression on Scott's face and even happier with the kiss that followed. "My husband is so talented," said Scott, resting his forehead against Jimmy's. "Is there anything you're not good at?"

"Quite a lot, actually," said Jimmy with a sheepish grin, and Scott laughed.

Scott made a cake that very night, informing Jimmy with delight that the beater did indeed make a significant difference to the texture of the frosting he'd previously been mixing with only a wooden spoon. Privately, Jimmy couldn't tell much of a difference, but he kept that thought to himself. He was more interested in the way Scott offered a scoop of frosting on his fingertip for Jimmy to taste, and the way Scott's breath caught when Jimmy gripped his wrist firmly and took his time licking away the creamy glaze.

"It's delicious." Jimmy didn't intend the low, deep tone that his voice took on, but he took great interest in the way Scott swallowed hard, parted his lips, and leaned closer. It would be easy to tease him, but it would be even easier to lean in and kiss him.

"Don't you have a cake to frost?" he murmured against Scott's lips when Scott went for a second kiss almost right away.

"It still needs to cool," Scott murmured back. Not one to be denied, he mouthed at Jimmy's jawline and down his neck, and it was Jimmy's to flush and lean closer. "Could take hours, really."

Jimmy chuckled breathlessly. "Hours, huh? Well, you're the expert. What do we do in the meantime?"

Scott smiled against his neck. Jimmy's heart pounded in his chest.

He was so caught up in imagining the possibilities of what Scott might say next that it took him a moment to realize what was happening when Scott stepped back, smiling ever so sweetly, and handed him a pile of dishes to be washed.

- }{ -

"What's on your mind?"

Jimmy jumped as Scott nudged him with his shoulder. "Oh! Gosh, you startled me. Sorry, what did you say?"

Scott's lips were quirked upwards and he kept his tone light, but the crease of his brow betrayed his concern. "You've been a million miles away all day. What's wrong?"

"Oh. Nothing's wrong. I just..." Jimmy looked down at the blade laying across his lap and gave it another polish. "Some of the others think this is all going to turn into a proper war."

"Hmm." Scott looked out over the water. The sun that shone down on them was warm, but not overly so. Dragonflies flitted around the reeds. A little frog sat quietly in the mud shaded by a rock. A bluejay watched them from the top of the wall, silent.

Jimmy polished a freshly sharpened sword. Two sets of armor hung by the anvil, gleaming with newly applied enchantments. The potions chest next to Scott's brewing stand was crowded.

"What if - "

Scott put a hand over Jimmy's. "We'll be okay. We're just a couple of nobodies, remember?" He slipped the sword from Jimmy's grasp and set it off to the side, replacing it with his own fingers. Jimmy held on like he'd been handed a lifeline he was afraid to let go of.

He looked around at the beautiful oasis he and Scott had created together. He looked at Scott, so graceful he could easily be mistaken for some ethereal spirit who lived among the flowers.

Perhaps he was. Perhaps Scott had always been here, part of this valley of eternal summer, and only Jimmy was the outsider.

Jimmy didn't care anymore about the world before, he realized. Sure, he was a little curious, but had everything he needed here. He had a home, rustic but comfortable, with plenty of room to improve over time. He had friends, some of whom - like Martyn and BigB - even felt like he'd known for years.

He had Scott.

Nothing, in this world or any other, could fill his heart the way Scott did.

"Jimmy?"

Scott squeezed his hand. Jimmy swallowed against the emotions creeping up his throat.

There was a poppy in his inventory, picked only this morning and stored away until Jimmy could figure out the best time to present it. But realizing his heart was certain in an uncertain world, it didn't seem like there would be a better time than right now.

Scott blinked at the flower Jimmy handed him, but took it without hesitation. "We're married now," said Jimmy, and Scott's eyes shot back up to meet his own. Jimmy grinned. "I gave you a flower. We're married now. That's how it works, right?"

"Oh," was all Scott managed to get out. Then his arms were around Jimmy's neck, and his mouth was crashing against Jimmy's mouth, and it really didn't matter anymore what the rest of the factions outside the wall were or weren't planning.

Jimmy smiled as Scott grinned at him behind the delicate petals of the flower he held to his nose, and they both laughed.

- }{ -

"What's on your mind?"

One of Scott's ears flicked toward Jimmy at the sound of his voice, but he didn't take his eyes off the nearly complete flower crown in his hands. "Just trying to decide how many more roses I want in this."

Jimmy tucked in the end of the last stem on his own flower crown and placed it on Scott's head. "It's not very nice to lie to your husband, you know."

Scott chuckled, but Jimmy could hear the reservation lurking in the melodious notes. Jimmy cupped his cheek, and Scott leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jimmy pressed his lips to Scott's forehead. "Why do you sound so sad about it? You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

He meant it as a joke, but the way Scott looked at him sent his stomach plummeting.

"No, of course not." Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief, and Scott gave him an apologetic smile. "But seeing Scar turn red, it made me think about what's coming. What happens when this is all over."

"Didn't we already talk about this?" Jimmy kissed Scott's forehead, then the bridge of his nose, then under his eye. "We outlive everyone, and enjoy being nobodies together. Easy."

Scott's eyes were soft as he watched Jimmy. "Yeah. Easy." He finished weaving the flowers he still clutched, then crowned Jimmy with them. "But let's say something happens and we respawn back in our old lives. Would you...still want me?"

"Yes."

Jimmy answered without hesitation, not needing to think about it. He already had thought about, late at night staring at the ceiling and listening to Scott's steady breathing next to him. He knew this couldn't last forever, as badly as he wanted it to. But he and Scott could.

"I want to marry you for real," he said softly. "Maybe we can find a cleric somewhere, or maybe Ren could do it. Kings can do that sort of thing, right?"

Scott laughed. "You know what? Why don't we do it? Think about it; clerics and kings officiate marriages because they represent a higher authority. But the only authority I care to recognize is yours and mine."

"I like the sound of that." Jimmy kissed Scott's hand. If he'd ever been to any weddings, he couldn't remember them, but he could recall some vague approximation of what must be standard vows. "I promise to cherish you forever and stand by your side, for better or for worse, from one dream to the next."

Under a veil of sunshine and poppies, Scott smiled at his husband. "I promise to cherish you forever and stand by your side," he repeated. "For better or for worse, from one dream to the next."

The vows were simple, the kiss was chaste, and the only witnesses were butterflies and birds. But it was theirs, and it was beautiful. In a peaceful valley in one little corner of a strange world, two nobodies grinned at one another under the delicate petals of the flowers in their hair, and they both laughed.

[octuscle]

Hey man, would you believe I was laid off recently and I really need a job. I went for an interview at McDonald’s and got rejected! They said I wouldn’t a good fit because I was smart and “could do better”. Well, I really need that job, so can you help me out?

Well then, my dear! If I were you, I might have asked if I could have gotten you some cool, high-paying job that matches your qualifications. But if you really want to have this job… Your next interview is in two hours. Let's see if things work out better then.

You play excitedly with your cell phone. Actually, you have a pretty old device. But suddenly you're holding the latest model in your hands. A pal organized it for you. Let's say: It must have fallen off a truck. Anyway, you don't want to be ashamed of cheap stuff. You just have the cool stuff. A cousin brought you the Palm Angels shirt from Antalya. Almost as real as the Louis Vuitton hip bag. The apps on your phone are blurring. News, learning and business apps disappear. Instead, you'll find all the usual social networks and lots of games. While you were reading the New York Times, you're now watching TikTok videos. To the delight of those around you, without a headset.

Someone asks you to turn down the sound. Actually you wanted to say "Oh, of course, excuse me". Instead, you answer "Hey, do you want a punch in the face or what?" Hehehe, totally a weakling. Your body, on the other hand, becomes more wiry and muscular. Could be even better, but you just hang out with your friends too much instead of being in the gym.

To really improve your chances, I'll give you a migration background. Your phone rings. It's your pal Aslan. You talk about who you fucked yesterday. Your accent is getting heavier. In the end you speak Turkish, now and then with a bit of English in it. Damn, English is very difficult. And shit, your job interview is in five minutes!

You were too late. You filled out your questionnaire full of spelling mistakes. And the tasks are really complicated. With lots of rules and regulations. But you got the job! First shift tonight. Enough time to celebrate the success with your bruhs with a shisha!

Great pic by @kiffarab

[lovelytsunoda]

under the mistletoe // alexander albon

summary: alex has the perfect answer to his girlfriend's seasonal sadness: keeping things festive and decorating the entire house, with a little bit of help from the cats, of course!

pairing: alex albon x female reader ( grumpy x sunshine! )

warnings: *sparkles* seasonal depression *sparkles*, alex being the bestest boyfriend in the world, cats trying to play with christmas ornaments, bad mariah carey-oke, alex thinking he's doing a proper striptease but really he's just making a fool out of himself but he manages to be sexy anyways :), daddy used in a non-sexual content (because alex is being a cat dad)

author's note: seasonal affective disorder is a bitch. why must i be unreasonably sad when it gets cold outside, huh? anyways, i think my mood would greatly improve if i had an alex albon, and that is all for today.

the bed was empty when she woke up, alex's side of the sheets still warm as she rolled over, burrowing further under the festive throw blanket that alexander had gotten down from the closet the previous afternoon. she dreaded leaving her bed, for reasons that she couldn't explain.

she didn't even want to look out the window, knowing that all she would see was the sad, bleak excuse of a british winter. if she was lucky, it would be dry outside. if she wasn't, it would either be damp as hell, or the saddest snowfall she had ever seen.

she could hear alex moving around downstairs, and she could smell breakfast wafting up from the kitchen. still unable to bring herself to leave the warmth of her bed, she curled up in the remnants of her lover's body heat, cocooning herself in the festive blankets as she tried to have a few more moments of peace.

there was s oft knock at the bedroom door, followed by the telltale added weight of a cat plodding across the bed before horsey nuzzled in to her chest, alex following closely behind with a mug of hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

"what's this for?" y/n asked, trying to sit up without disturbing the cat that seemed determined to make a home on her boobs.

alex sat down next to her on the bed, kissing her softly before he passed her the mug. "i know how you get when it gets cold, love. you've seemed. . .off, the past few days. i don't like seeing you like this."

she took a sip of the hot chocolate, just the perfect temperature. "thanks for being here, alex." she reached across horsey, who was mewling softly as he stretched his paws, still spread out across y/n's lap, so she could take alex's hand in hers. "sorry for bringing down the holiday spirit."

the williams driver shook his head, reaching to comb his lover's hair behind her ear. "darling, you're not ruining anything."

"i just know that you wanted to start getting all the christmas stuff out, and i'm not exactly in the mood to do that right now."

"that's okay, y/n. really. we don't have to do all of the decorating today, but i thought a little bit of festivity might help cheer you up a little. it worked last year, didn't it?"

she laughed, a small smile forming on her face. "what, you mean watching you and charles sing the justin bieber christmas album at george's holiday party? babes, that would put a smile on anybody's face."

"look at that, you're smiling already!" alex beamed, proud of himself for cheering up the light of his life, even if it was only for a fleeting moment. "breakfast is ready. i'll be downstaris when you're ready. take all the time that you need, love." he got up from the bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead before silently slipping out of the bedroom and gently pulling the door shut behind him.

she stayed in bed for a few minutes longer, cuddling the cat in front of her and finishing off the hot chocolate alex had made her. the first winter that they had spent together, she had been a bitch because of her seasonal depression. alex was a little shocked at first, worried that he had done something wrong when his girlfriend was suddenly quieter, bags appearing under her eyes. and once he found out about her disorder, he had done piles of research into how best for both of them to cope with it together.

when alexander found out that chocolate released happiness hormones, he took it upon himself to make sure that y/n was given at least one hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate suace every morning before she went to work (against patrick's better judgement, of course, with the performance coach suggesting that alex's master plan might also have been a way for alex to smartly get around the diet plan that he was on for training reasons).

it was something they were both getting used to, the seasonal sadness hovering over the two of them with each holiday season. but they were learning how to work around it, to work together. at the beginning of the year, around january when the winter was a little harsher than normal, and it was a little darker outside, y/n had impulsively dyed the money piece in her hair deep red, an endeavor that she thought would keep the sunday scaries away for a little longer. a decision that ultimately resulted in alexander also changing his hair to match. they'd walked into the paddock in march with bright smiles and matching hairstyles.

last christmas, y/n found that keeping her attention focused on the holiday spirit had been a welcome respite from her usual seasonal funk. because how can you be sad when buddy the elf is on your tv screen? alex had been an angel, organizing regular holiday movie marathons, sometimes roping in the other divers and their girlfriends.

she's never laughed as hard as she had after watching lando norris' impression of bruce willis' 'die hard' character. not shockingly at all, lando also thinks that 'die hard' is a christmas movie, a fact that y/n wholly disagrees with.

she slowly got out of bed, trying not to disturb horsey. it was a futile task, with the cat jumping off the bed and following her as she made her way to the walk in closet. alex had the closet put in just for her, or so he had always claimed, but his clothes took up a little more of the closet than hers did. one wall was covered with a floor-to-ceiling mirror, polariods of the couple taped to the mirror's reflective surface.

she got dressed, lifting the cat into her arms and scratching him under the chin as she made her way downstairs, where alex was humming along to taylor swift's rendition of 'santa baby', unpacking a box of christmas decorations and trying to stop the two cats by his feet from playing with the balls on the end of the santa hats he was holding.

"these aren't toys, gucci." the brit insisted, pulling the velvet hat over his scalp, the ball at the end resting on his shoulder. the hat was royal blue, a gift from the team when they had filmed their secret santa video back in abu dhabi. "but doesn't daddy look great in it?"

y/n laughed, looking down at the cat in her arms. "i think that your dad should a) stop referring to himself as 'daddy', because it's just weird and neither of us are into that, and b) should stop referring to himself in the third person. again, just weird."

"you're no fun. you hear that, goose? your mother thinks i'm weird?"

they held their straight faces for a minute before they both burst out laughing, horsey pawing at y/n's arm as he begged to join goose and gucci on the floor.

some days, y/n thought that alex took the cat parent thing a little far, especially when he referred to himself as 'daddy', but she understood why. alex wanted a family one day, three little kids running around. but they were both still young, with so much life to live before kids even came into the conversation. right now, the plethora of cats owned by the albon siblings was enough. seriously, who needs twelve cats?

"i'm glad you came to join me." alex said, eyes full of nothing but love as he held his lover close, his warm hands a reassuring presence on her waist. "you're just in time to watch me set up the tree."

"oh sweet jesus." she laughed, resting her forehead against his. "that's a four person job, alex."

alexander knew what he was doing. he knew that he would struggle with the tree, and he knew it would be hilarious, because he could make just about anything in this world amusing.

and his only goal for the day was to make y/n smile.

"sit down and have breakfast, then put your feet up and watch the show." alex insisted, taking her hand and leading her to the table "oh, and i have something for you!"

he came back moments later with another santa hat in his hands, which he tossed at y/n. "come on, try and be a little festive today. for me?"

"you're lucky i think you're hot." she chuckled, shaking her head as she pulled on the hat. "are you absolutely certain that you don't need help with the tree?"

"i'm fine!" alex replied, opening the large box as the song on the radio changed over, a ditzy nineties pop cover of 'christmas wrapping'.

"is this the spice girls?"

"is it?"

"um yeah. you should know, you worked for ginger spice's husband for what, a season and a half?"

alex laughed, beginning to set up the large tree. it was seven feet tall, with lights pre installed. no ornaments were ever hung on the bottom of the tree, because last year the cats had decided to play netball with the jack skellington ornament and almost brought the whole tree down.

"i'm just messing, babe! of course i know it's the spice girls!"

she picked away at the pancakes and powdered sugar with nutella that alex had made, laughing at the driver's attempts to assemble the varying parts of the christmas tree. for every little struggle, or moment where the expanding tree branches hit him in the face, or the moments where it looked like the entire tree was going to come down on him, she offered to help, constantly getting shot down.

she appreciated that alex was attempting to do everything himself out of respect for her boundaries and not wanting to push her if she wasn't in the mood, but alexander albon had a way of cheering her up with the smallest of actions. like trying to put up the christmas tree.

"alex, stop trying to stop me from helping. you're going to trip over one of the cats." y/n laughed, getting up from the kitchen table to rush over and help alex with the top piece of the tree, standing on a chair to help him slide the piece into place.

she connected the wire for the lights together before stepping down and putting and arm around alex's waist, her head on his shoulder.

"the living room looks much better with the tree, doesn't it?"

alex kissed her forehead softly. "feeling better?"

"much. thank you." she turned her head slightly, pressing up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his soft, warm lips. "have you opened the ornament box yet?"

"i was waiting for you, love. ready to decorate?"

"more than ready."

they got to work, unwrapping ornaments and feeding christmas tree hooks through the loops at the top, starting their decorating spree at least halfway up the tree so that the cat's wouldn't have anything to play with that could wreck the tree. y/n was putting a scale model ornament of alex's 2022 williams car on the tree when a very familiar song began playing, coupled with alex's off-key singing.

"i don't want a lot for christmas, there is just one thing i need."

when she trurned around, she couldn't stop herself from laughing at her boyfriend, who was using the star that adorned the top of the tree as a microphone.

"come on, darling! i know you knoe the words!"

"fat chance, alex. i don't sing, remember?" she laughs as goose and horsey meow in discontent before diving underneath the couch. "and it looks like the cats aren't big fans either."

"you know you love it." alex grinned, reaching for her hand as the chorus began to ring out.

"yeah, yeah i do." she grinned, singing along at a much quieter volume, a bright smile on her face.

alex beamed back. he was always so proud of himself when he made her smile. they were the living embodiment of the grumpy x sunshine trope that y/n adored so much, and he was more than happy to bring the sunshine into her life.

the tree was done, the maine's 'santa stole my girlfriend' playing softly as the duo played rock paper scissors to decide who got to put the star at the top of the tree. y/n won, alex securely clutching her waist as she stood on the kitchen chair to reach the top branches.

"babes, i'm fine." she chuckled, looking at the look of pure concentration that alex had on his face.

"nonsense. i'm supposed to look out for you, you know? alicia and my mother wouldn't be very happy with me if i let you fall off a chair trying to put the star on the tree."

she took a moment to grin before double checking that the star was on securely. "right, love, can you turn the lights on?"

alex flicked the tree lights on as y/n stepped off the chair, the entire room feeling a little more shiny and bright form the rainbow array of lights. the display even enticed all three cats back into the living room.

three cats who were promptly disappointed at the lack of ornaments they could play with.

"merry christmas, baby." alex said softly, kissing his girlfriend in the shadow of the tree. "i love you."

"alex, it is november."

"never too early to be festive!" alex insisted. "go sit on the couch, love. let me do something for you."

"oh god." y/n laughed to herself, making herself comfortable on the couch as one of the cats came to join her, curling into her side in a futile mission for body heat.

when alex came back, the top three buttons on his shirt had been undone, the flashing bluetooth speaker in his hand. he placed the speaker down on the table, music beginning to play as alex started to dance, swaying his hips and shoulders in a way that he thought was seductive.

he had watched hours of magic mike clips on youtube, as well as the sexy santa competition scene in bad moms christmas in preperation for this moment.

and the shitty dancing and gyrating and stripteasing was all worth it when he watched the way her face scunched up when she laughed, or the way that she glowed when she smiled.

"alex, baby, what the hell are you doing?" she managed to say through laughter.

"making my beautiful girlfriend smile." he laughed, taking off the santa hat and throwing it in her direction.

y/n just laughed, reaching to cover gucci's eyes, muttering something about how the poor cat didn't have to watch his dad embarrass himself like that.

"come on, it has to be at least a little bit sexy." alex insisted, extending his hand for y/n to take.

she took his larger hand in her smaller one, laughing as she allowed the driver to pull her off the couch so they could dance together.

a dance that ended with alex carrying her back upstairs over his shoulder in a cloud of giggles and laughter. the pair would not emerge from the bedroom for another hour and a half, time that the cats spent plotting the best way to get to the ornaments on the tree.

Tags: @daydreamingleclerc @magnummagnussen @flannel-cures @sidcrosbyspuck @diorleclerc @libraryofloveletters

[lastlymatt]

You make very good points comparing book and tv Alex, thanks for replying to my ask! I clearly have not reread the books in a while so I should go do that :)

And you are very right about tv!Alex being naive. Yes, I felt he was more mature than book!Alex in the way he presents himself generally, and maybe this is partly due to his appearance on screen vs what I used to envision of book!Alex. But you are right that a lot of his actions and decisions are very naive.

Going to scorpia knowing it's a literal terrorist organization and not only not wanting to kill anyone but not even trying to pretend he's into it so that he could go in undercover? He's lucky Yassen had his back or he'd be so dead.

There were many moments in the show where I did go, 'Alex, come on,' when he was doing something stupid. But maybe I have rose tinted glasses on or expect little, because I love the show enough that I'm like, 'okay they have low budget, I get that they can't film everything, I can look past this plot point/plot armor/lazy writing because I know they don't have the time/budget for everything.' But hey, again, maybe I should have higher expectations anyway haha.

Like having Tom and Kyra somehow so easily show up on Malagosto and do surveillance without getting caught. The department leaving the flash drive in the computer for no reason. Alex getting into Mrs. Jones' apartment so easily, and conveniently having no earpiece so that Yassen couldn't hear what happened?

I spotted all of that and the rest, but let it go. I think I am just so glad we have this show that I'll take what we get 😅

It makes complete sense to assume that TV!Alex is more mature than book!Alex! TV!Alex isn't as sassy as his book counterpart and mostly comes across as calmer and more mature. This might also have something to do with the fact that we don't get to hear Alex's thoughts like we do in the books.

Yes, he is incredibly lucky Yassen had his back; otherwise, I'm not sure what TV!Nile would've done to him (Nile is another character who is very different from his book counterpart, but someone else I believe already talked about that)

Believe me, I utterly adore this show! It made so many improvements on the original material, which is also why I think it's important to point out the parts where it stumbled. Those are also often the bits that generate interesting discussions. But also, those faults can be explained very often with a little suspension of disbelief.

And yeah, I can absolutely see those things as faults, but it's also not very fun when Scorpia has all the cards and knows how to block their plans perfectly. Scorpia needs weaknesses that can be exploited! An all-powerful organisation that makes no mistakes is honestly boring and no fun.

Some of these things make sense if you consider that Scorpia, specifically Julia, feels complacent and overconfident. They managed to make the world believe that they were dead and gone while they continued to work in the shadows. Why would they worry so much about guarding one of their hard-to-reach training facilities against two untrained teenagers?

Also, it's nice to show off that Alex isn't the only one with skills since the TV series so heavily emphasises the importance of friends, family, and teamwork.

I fully agree with you about the flash drive issue. They tried to excuse it later but come on, you should be more paranoid than that!

Alex getting into Mrs Jones' apartment so easily is almost exactly like it went in the book (as far as I remember), so that is on Ahorz. And Alex can have a little competence as a treat before his breakdown 🙃

I honestly hadn't considered the idea of Yassen giving him an earpiece! I think it would've been caught by the metal detector, maybe? But this can also be chalked up to Yassen trusting his boy.

So yeah, it may have its issues, but I also genuinely believe it is one of the better adaptations I've seen in a very long time despite the many changes, and I couldn't be happier with what we got!

[braemjeorn]

a long ourank oc presentation because braem is just a writer at heart and soul.

this is honi.

honi is from my fanfic here. would be glad if you read it. would be so happy if you like it. haven't updated it in a while so below are some spoilers for us all(?)

i know. i can't draw the same face. though #Shook is my favourite.

she has longer hair in earlier designs. but then i gave her short hair and thought, oh she looks cooler. like she could be a really cool mom. that's all you need honestly. like why make your ship lovers when you can get kingdom management done with the spiCE that is legal union!

'scuse me. kept the long hair for her younger-tween looks, anyway - wasn't mentioned why in the fic but let's just say that making it to the underworld was life changing. one way or another. she got a scar on her left cheekbone after her twenties (so yeas, i forgot the middle one im sorry).

here's our man because why not. we crave loose hair desha in this house.

im so bad at drawing crowns.

i was keen on the idea of someone to balance desha's personality out, instead of the complete opposites-attract. coz this here is a brash and unapologetic man who mercilessly cackles and taunts bojji and domas at the first meeting. half the fun will be when someone doesn't really flinch at that. tempers him down a bit or countering and riling him up to make firecrackers is what I want to see.

pink ram-lion babies coz why not

honi was nearly engaged before - somewhat more experienced in the field? but things happened and romantic pursuits were shelved before they met. honi acknowledged that he was a man early on in their meeting, but after making up and a few more formal encounters assured her that he was worth being friends with. worth the days-long flight just for a few weeks of teasing, good mead and mushroom pies.

after the winter breakfast but she's still confused.

figuring out she has feelings was a breakdown on a catastrophic level.

but eh, iss all good.

cuties.

not officially engaged but at least the lightning discharge was minimum.

that's all, i guess. some wish-wash, fluffy, alternate-or-future universe musings.

(but then in the manga the ominous naration was like, desha never returned and the underworld fell into ruin *cue queen elinor toppling chess pieces* (overthinking desha's pre-canon shonen arc and how his power is what made him rank 2nd as well as keep order in the multirace, monstrous underworld). in case reclaiming the throne won't work the option is mountain-nymph!honi or passing-farmer-girl!honi. pick.)

(but also the idea that if the canon queen is the persephone counterpart and was on the overworld for her six months deal when the whole season 1 happened is also great. which makes it hilarious if they met during part 2 coz she'd be like 'what tf happened to you?' and heartbreaking if he doesn't remember her. would be fantastic if she's any sort of queen like hiling and stubbornly gets shit done - might have a crisis that she cant find despa or ouken around, or launch some curses to the judge. but I don't know abt canon-queen. only the writer knows what might happen. as long as it isn't some poor excuse of a girl-failure of a villainess miranjo is, I'll be satisfied.)

sometimes i worry if my art will be considered ai work due to my poor anatomy but i swear it's really just a poor concept of anatomy😭 i have so MUCH to improve on digital painting. lighting, shadowing, composition, their size difference—they say the captain is 265 and desha's around the same height in the artbook. honi's like 180 and she's still so tiny! next to him despite being taller than average.

bonus, somewhat suggestive comic below.

double bonus: i think they both agree that domas is a joke and keeping 2000 km distance with miranjo is a must

[nasubeenwithcat]

𝙿𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚊 𝙰𝚄 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜𝟹

⚠️warning inspired:Phantom of the Opera (by Gaston Leroux)/(by McMullan Kate), (by Arthur Lubin), (by Andrew Lloyd Webber) contents:blood, swearing, yandere discotrain, mental illness, mind control, death, serious bullying, machine translation

Let me make a few excuses. I said that the role of Raoul would not be in this story. Unfortunately, that hasn't changed… but Raoul and Christine's adorable childhood is one of my favorite scenes, and I was wondering if there was any way to describe it. I was also a bit worried about the describe of Metro. I have a favorite fairy tale about cats, and I wanted to tell that story, too.(and...Train Rush in space??)

So the Empress and Grooves are friends. Please don't get me wrong, there is no romantic interest between them!The trigger? Well……I'll talk about it when I think of it.

🎬The restaurant setting was inspired by Kenji Miyazawa's "The Restaurant of Many Orders" and "Night on the Galactic Railroad"(or "the Night of the Milkey Way Train". Many English translations exist for this title. I honestly don't know which name to call it. I'm sorry but I will decide by next time.) However, you do not need to know the story as we just borrowed the concept. Cats do not eat customers, and the destination of the Galactic Railroad is the moon.

🎬Two years after the Empress purchased the property from Grooves, she and her friend built a restaurant. The name? …… Let's call it Lapis Lazuli. It comes from the full starry sky visible from the moon.

🎬The restaurant is thriving. Even though there is quite a lot of seating, there is never a noticeable empty seat. So the kitchen is always very busy.

🎬The head cook is Cherry, Cooking Cat. Before building the restaurant, she had been the head cook in a hotel run by the mafia, but she was bored with her job because she only cooked the same dishes every day. Then she received an offer from the Empress and decided to have her own restaurant.

🎬There are many cats in the kitchen besides her. Some of them were originally prefects of the Empress.

🎬The restaurant has a stage. At the center of it is a piano, where you can enjoy your food while listening to the wonderful jazz music played by a moon penguin, the performing staff.

🎬Why did the Empress decide to open a restaurant? What happened to her jewelry store? That' s simple…Metro got rid of Nyakuza.

🎬This was after she had acquired the land of the moon. The Owl Express conductor went missing and the train could no longer operate. The troubled owls decided to use the metro to commute to work until the express resumes service.

🎬Taking advantage of this trend, a project to renew the Metro was launched. The officials set out to improve public safety so that the owls could use the metro in peace.

🎬As a result, the Empress had to give up her beloved jewelry store in exchange for a large sum of money unilaterally given to her.

🎬She is no longer Nyakuza. She had to give up all the stores she had owned and operated. All she was left with was unsold jewelry, a lot of money, a few prefects, and a land on the moon.

🎬Failure was no longer an option for her. She had to succeed in her new business and revive the Nyakuza at any cost.

🎬She immediately contacted Cooking Cat and suggested the restaurant business to her.

🎬There must have been many difficulties before opening the restaurant. In fact, The cats had to improve their culinary skills and it took months of menu development by Cooking Cat.

🎬There were probably significant cultural differences between what the cats liked and what the moon penguins preferred. The atmosphere of service, the wording, the flavors, the gestures, the etiquette, etc. To adapt to their culture, the Empress checked the restaurants and boutiques of the moon every day and also listened to trendy music.

🎬Making connections was probably the hardest part. Anyway, she needed to make a lot of moon penguin friends, besides Grooves. In the process, she found a moon penguin who played the piano wonderfully well and invited him to join the performance staff at the restaurant.

🎬Now, why did Grooves give away the land? Last time I mentioned that his mailbox was filled with lots of fan letters and bug eggs.

🎬About a month after he won the Bird Actor Award, strange, monstrous letters began arriving at him daily. The carefully sealed, plain white letters had several small, white, round objects on them. The contents of the letters made nonsense, and Grooves didn't even know what the round things were. So sometimes he would throw them away right away, and sometimes he would just leave them on the table with the newspaper.

🎬The eggs peeled off from the letter on the table, fell into a crevice in the floor, and hatched. The eggs from the letter he threw away also hatched in the trash. They ate the wood of the house and multiplied rapidly.

🎬It was two weeks later that Grooves realized this. He had no choice. He was busy with work at the time and didn't get home much. He finally learned of the bugs when he opened his favorite book before bedtime and found black bugs squashed in places. Confused, he bought some insecticide and sprayed the chemicals all over the house. That should have killed most of the bugs, but it did not restore the gnawed wood or the stained books.

🎬A week later, something even worse happened. The doorbell rang and Grooves opened the front door. There was "the director". Grooves was surprised to see, and quickly turned away from the awkwardness …… to find him holding a knife in his right fin.

🎬Grooves reflexively closed the door, locked it, and barricaded himself in. When he opened his upstairs window to call the police, he saw him running back, so he gave up on the call. Because there was no evidence.

🎬Naturally, Grooves had a hard time calming down. He wanted someone to share this fear with him and tell him it would be okay. So he decided to contact his best friend.

🎬The Empress was worried when her best friend told her that his house was in shambles and that he had just been almost killed. Neither of them had expected this to happen the last time they had seen each other and played together after a long time when he had won an award. The Empress decided to cut out of work and stay with her best friend for a little while.

🎬They talked it over and Grooves decided to take a year off and leave his hometown. Obviously, he was tired of acting like a star. So what about his house? The Empress offered him a deal. She wanted him to forget about all this and enjoy his vacation.

🎬The Empress got the land …… but three months later she was kicked out of the metro.

🎬Grooves looked quite well when he visited her there after hearing that she had built a restaurant. After enjoying some food and chat, he revealed that he was interested in a new challenge. …making movie as the director.

🎬Of course, he loves acting. But after some time back at work, he wanted to make a film from scratch.

🎬They would meet at this restaurant every two months. Grooves seemed to really enjoy it. But on the other fin, he seemed to be concerned that the film was not getting good reviews. He was disappointed that people didn't understand his taste and that he couldn't reward his crews' hard work with anything other than a paycheck …… Until he met Phantom.

🎬Subsequently, Grooves' visits to the restaurant became less frequent. But the Empress was not worried that he was not showing up at the restaurant; in fact, she was pleased. She knew that his latest movie was a hit. He must be so busy that he doesn't even have time to come to the moon……. She missed him, but more than that, she was happy for her best friend's newfound success.

🎬He visited the restaurant twice, at great intervals, and each time she sensed something different about him. As if he were exclusive and secretive… had he been like this before? Perhaps this is the kind of charisma that a real star has?

🎬After Grooves won the award, the Empress noticed that he had definitively changed. A moonstone engagement ring adorned his chest.

🎬What would she think of his change? Raoul was deeply in love with Christine so he was terribly angry when he saw her ring. Then what about the Empress? Since they were friends, it seemed the best way to congratulate him on his engagement. But on the other hand, she couldn't forget the eerie vibe she had been getting from him lately. Could she really congratulate him?

🎬Metro's renewal has been completed successfully. Stations have been added and new lines established. One of them is the Galactic Railroad(the Milkey Way Train), which connects this planet to the moon.

🎬For those owls who missed the Owl Express, officials forcibly bought it. After remaking it, they put it into operation as the Galactic Railway. You can board the train by going to the spaceport.

🎬As a result, increase traffic between the moon and this planet, and cultural exchanges between moon penguins and owls began to flourish. And jazz and movies began to catch on in the bird city. This may have been one of the reasons for the success of Grooves' third film.

///

🎬Hatkid is a detective. She is very good at observing and making friends, but not so good at deducing. Despite this, she is a detective and has solved a variety of difficult cases.

🎬Why? Because she has a magical prop. When you fix a time lift, you get a storybook, right? She could create a time lift for a subject simply by holding that little loupe over the subject. She gets the clues to solve the case from the storybook and timerifts. But they are far more suggestive and puzzling than anything we know, forcibly produced. Some pages are blurred, others torn and torn apart.

🎬Of course, the loupe remains too useful. Secrets that a subject does not want to be known will try to escape the eyes of hat kid by tearing or burning.

🎬By the way, the Grooves' storybook is very difficult to understand. Perhaps the pages are disjointed and bound incorrectly. You have to collect several other storybooks to read them correctly. This may mean that his memory is wrong. Or it could mean that he has a secret that he wants to hide at all costs…… about his angel.

🎬Secondly, she is good at making people love her. A private investigator cannot solve a case if people do not like her, no matter how smart she is. This is because private investigators do not have strong investigative powers, so they need as many people as possible to help them with their investigations.

🎬In other words, despite the fact that she is not very good at deductive reasoning, she has been able to solve cases thanks to her immense popularity and her handy loupe.

🎬For her, the first request was very easy. It was easy to gather information from birds that knew Phantom well.

🎬Soon after she arrived in Bird City, she learned that there was an audition for the movie " Picture Perfect ". She immediately took her best picture and submitted her entry sheet for the lead role. Of course, she passed and made a spectacular debut as a superstar.

🎬This made her a celebrity among the birds and made her job easy.

🎬Why do they work on this planet instead of their home? Hatkid used to be an employee of a detective agency and Bowkid was a newspaper reporter. But both of them were dissatisfied with their bosses.

🎬One day they went on a space trip together. They love sightseeing. But an accident happens and their time pieces are scattered.

🎬They immediately went to collect the time pieces. They then collected about 10 of those pieces. At that point when electricity was restored to some extent, they could have contacted their supervisors and asked for help. But they left the company. They then became freelance and decided to tag team.

🎬Bowkid decided to write a novel based on the various cases Hatkid began solving as a detective. It was first published by a publishing house run by the mafia. As they found more time pieces and were able to send the data back home, her novels were published in her hometown as well.

🎬But they are not mystery novels for adults. Bowkid wrote them as juvenile liteature because the development of Hatkid's work was always easy to understand. The novels, which are easy to read and in which a pretty girl converts a cunning villain with brilliant deductions, became popular. The popularity meant that it became necessary to develop her stories into a series.

🎬Of course, in writing the novel, Bowkid adapts things quite a bit. Naturally, she only writes about very successful cases. In her novels, Hatkid is a huge star. She boldly confronts any evil and is always on the side of the weak. Her little readers only know the sparkling HatKid. When she meets them, HatKid does not want to disappoint them. Step by step, the real Hatkid began to play the Hatkid of her novels.

🎬She became better and better at acting. She even began to play the charisma of a real star. Perhaps that is one of the reasons she was able to play the lead role in Picture Perfect.

🎬Bowkid has regret it. Hatkid still doesn't play in front of Bowkid and shows her the real her, but maybe one day she won't. Besides, she can't write her own creation now that Hatkid's novels have become so popular. For both of their sakes they should break up the tag team and end her series. ...But will readers and publishers allow that?

note4

[your-god-empress-lavender]

Calcium sulphur batteries (uwu)

Okay, so, i've become interested in z-pinch studies for aerospace purposes (i'm really excited about the prospects, everything works on paper, but i naturally want to actually witness p+N14 fusion for above 0.01% of available protons before i go trying to get the materials to build a real liquid fueled SSTO fusion rocket, especially since there are thousands of folks way smarter than me who have presumably thought of this before and we don't have it yet, so yeah). Anyways, if i want the extremely large electricity input without making my electricity bill higher than a whole month's rent and getting my roommates mad at me, i'll need to collect solar or wind in a battery bank. Since lithium batteries are just about all immoral and expensive (yes i am writing this on a device powered by lithium batteries, it would be lovely if capitalists would take a hint and switch to things that just objectively perform better and are cheaper, but whatever), i figured this would be a nice excuse to experiment around with some new battery designs. Since all of them will require sulphur, i won't be able to really get into it before mid may due to some concerns about the smell and risks of getting sulphur powder everywhere (it's very yellow and hard to clean out), but i felt i might as well share my preliminary ideas. First off, in order to make the organic sulphur polymer, i'm looking to explore mostly citrate based polymers, perhaps with phenylalanine mixed in in order to both give more bulk as well as providing nitrogens for sulphenamides to form. Since i'll need urea later, i was also considering partially polymerizing urea with citric acid and adding that into the molten sulphur mix, but i'm less confident in the stability of that and a bit concerned about the potential noxious fumes produced. Regardless, that's the short of the sulphur cathode, details will definitely change after i refind that paper which went over a great way of preventing insoluble polysulphide production. I'm also gonna experiment with anode material and even the ions i use. I know i said "calcium sulphur batteries" in the title, but due to how common aluminium is and how much easier magnesium is to work with (and the fact that their specific energies are higher), i'll also be considering those two. Even beyond that, there are so many potential anode materials, including even amorphous carbon and carbon nitrides which i'd love to test since there's just so much to improve on and i'd rather do a lot of experiments with cheap to make materials and potentially land on a great solution than accept something subpar because it took less effort. Anyways, of the materials i plan on using, there's magnesium sulphate, aluminium sulphate, calcium chloride, potentially other calcium salts (is the salt with taurine soluble in water? IDK, can't find an answer so i'll test it), charcoal, vegetable oil, urea, and phenylalanine. Those may seem like an unrelated hodgepodge of compounds, but they've been chosen because they're what i have/will soon have and they're also all extremely cheap. If the urea works out well in the battery, i may have to make this project a meme and attempt to make a z-pinch device with as much urine as possible (use it to make ammonia for the plasma, to make the batteries, and i'm sure there's some way to use urine in a capacitor (maybe just distilling off the water to use as a dielectric? idk, it's been a while since i tried making a capacitor)).

Anyway, i really didn't expect this long trainwreck of a post to end with discussions of urine, but what can you do? This is all probably nonsensical, even by my standards, but basically i want batteries and i think i can make them cheaper per megajoule of stored energy than the ones i could buy, even accounting for the inevitable failed experiments.

[simplysoniferous]

30 Days of Routine

This is technically still a studyblr, so why not (also you can skip this post if you want - it's long and tedious):

I have several routines that I need to maintain to make sure I don't return to a pile of mush which - between a very, very hot summer, moving house, uni going back, grandad passing, and just general stress - are at about 30% maintenance (yes i made that number up). So, instead of doing the 30 Days of productivity challenge, I'm going to do 30 Days of routine to get them locked in again.

What are the routines?

Having a lie down after lunch for 30 mins

Listening to a Smiling Mind track at least once a day

Doing my OT and physio exercises

Doing my stretch routine

Smiling Mind will probably be the hardest - and most important - because after having it locked in for over a year, I just stopped using it. I'm not sure why - maybe when my health started to improve, I started making excuses for skipping it? Idk. I used to listen to one in the first half of my nap (because naps are incredibly boring), and/or before bed. I haven't decided where to re-establish it yet, so I'll experiment with it a bit.

My OT and physio exercises tend to fall by the wayside whenever I've had an exhausting day (which is, y'know, often), but whenever I do maintain them I tend to do better during the day - which is the point of them, duh, so it's important I get back into the routine of them. My physio gave me SO MANY to do, so I've been adding them one at a time. I haven't added a new one since before New Year's so an additional goal for this is to add another one by the end (maybe even a sitting up one - gasp!).

Stretch routine should be easier, because I tend to do it after my exercises, and I already am very familiar with it from when I used to go running (rip :,) ).

An important thing of this challenge is I don't have to do EVERYTHING. That is the goal, but if not doing one is going to make it easier doing another, then that's okay. Also, sometimes I can't do them - e.g. today I start work at 12pm, and I can't really have a nap in the middle of the shift. As long as I at least do one of them.

I probably shouldn't count yesterday because it was before I made this post, but I'm going to anyway because a) yesterday was the first of the month and that's a nice number to start with, b) I did everything yesterday, c) I came up with the idea yesterday, I just couldn't be bothered writing it up before bed, and d) it's my challenge and I can do whatever I want.

I haven't done something like this since undergrad, and that was for studying, not something like this, so wish me luck!

[harveyhawkscripts]

[A4A] Cuddling Your Half-Dragon Roommate [Modern Fantasy] [Roommates] [Insomnia Comfort]

AN: Welcome to the finale of Monsters for Mental Health May! Thank you to everyone who voted. Apologies if this one seems a bit rushed; I just got back from my trip and boy, are my arms tired! This one might be in the running for The Great Script Rewrite (pending). Anyway, please enjoy ^-^

Usage:

- Okay for monetization

- Please credit me as Harvey Hawk :)

- Tweaks, improv, and pronoun changes are okay! Just please do not rewrite the script completely.

Synopsis: In a modern fantasy setting, the listener has trouble sleeping due to insomnia. Their roommate, a tsundere half-dragon just back from a grueling double shift, helps them finally fall asleep. 

Google Doc

Key:

[SFX and Action]

(.) Short Pause

(...) Longer pause

(Voice instruction)

Word Count: 990

—

[Footsteps]

HALF-DRAGON

(Exhausted) Ugghh... Gods, I hate evening shift. 'M always dead afterwards.

[Muffled TV noises]

[Footsteps stop]

Tch, really? They left the TV on again? They're so damn absent-minded.

[Door unlocks, opens, closes, and locks again]

(Surprised) Oi. The hell are you doing up? It's, like, two AM. Don't you have commissions due?

(.)

How could I not? You haven't shut up about it.

(.)

(Slightly irritated) Yeah, well. I do listen. And I would like to not listen to that damn TV all night. So, shut it off and go to bed.

[TV turns off]

(.)

I don't care if you sleep or not, just go to your room and be quiet. I just had a shift from the depths of hell and if I don't get some rest, I'm going to lose my shit.

(.)

Listen. You're my roommate, so I tolerate you to an extent. But you do not want to get between a dragon and their sleep.

(.)

(Growls) Half dragon. Quit nitpicking! What is your deal tonight? You're normally so chill - which is why I chose you as my roommate by the way - the hell is your damage?!

(.)

Oh, for fu- there's nothing to be scared of! I put up wards! You know I did!

Look, if I check the magic wards, will you finally let me rest?

(.)

Fine, I'll put one on your door.C'mon.

[Footsteps]

(Whispers) Tu...tela

[Claws scraping on wood]

There. Go to bed.

(.)

Then get a glass of water. Quietly. Goodnight.

(Sigh) What is it now?

(.)

There are blankets in the closet. Problem solved.

(.)

What?! What more could you possibly want?!

(.)

(Sigh) Shit.

Look, don't - I didn't mean - I ... Ugh. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have yelled. I just... I had an awful day at work.

(.)

No, you're right; it's not an excuse. I'm sorry. But I'm too tired for guessing games right now. Why don't you want to go to bed?

(.)

Insomnia...You never told me about that.

(.)

Uh, because I'm your roommate? You ever think that you being up all hours of the night might affect my sleep schedule?

(.)

No, I'm not going to find another roommate. I don't want another roommate. Idiot. I'm going to help you.

(.)

What do you usually do when you can't sleep?

(.)

Suffer? Shit, okay. No wonder you act so out-of-it. You're always tired.

(.)

You do too! You leave the peanut butter out and I always have to nag you to get your clothes out of the dryer. I just figured you were an airhead.

(.)

You're still a hell of a lot better than other roommates I've had. At least you haven't set anything on fire... yet.

(.)

Heh, sorry. But seriously. Going too long without sleep isn't healthy, dingus. Next time something's bothering you, just come to me, got it?

(.)

Yeah, really. I don't keep you around for the hell of it, you know.

(.)

It means... Well, it means....

(.)

(Growl) Don't make me say it!

(.)

Obviously I like you, idiot! I wouldn't live with you if I didn't. I... enjoy being your roommate. And if something's wrong, you need to come to me for help.

(.)

Because I said so! Anyway... let's find a way to get you to sleep.

(.)

Nah, I don't have any sleep magic. Not my thing. We might have some tea in the back of the cupboard.

(.)

Already had some, hm? Okay. Have you tried a warm bath?

(.)

Alright, check that off the list. Oh, I know! There are these, uh, audio stories for sleep online. Like, narrations and stuff. What about that?

(.)

Not even that works. Damn. Uh... Well, do you know what's causing your insomnia? Stress? Maybe you eat too much junk. I know you have a sweet tooth.

(.)

Huh? What'd ya say?

(.)

Scared and what? Little louder.

(.)

Lonely...? Ah. Oh. Hmph. Well...

(.)

(Hesitantly) Maybe I can... stay in your room. On the floor. If it means I can sleep.

(.)

Where the hell else would I sleep?

(.)

D-don't be ridiculous! Why would - I mean, you - I can't sleep in your bed!

(.)

Because that's - we aren't dating. It'd be weird. Besides, you probably kick in your sleep.

(.)

Oh, yeah, you totally do. I can tell.

(.)

Aw, c'mon. Don't give me those eyes.

(.)

(Growls) ....Fine. But kick me once and I'm going back to my room. Now c'mon. I just finished a double shift and I'm about to pass out.

[Door opens]

Um. What the hell? Where am I supposed to sleep?

(.)

I mean your bed is overrun with stuffed animals. I don't know how you expect to fit on there, let alone the both of us.

(.)

Look, if you want me to sleep with - uh, next to you, then you need to shove some of these things aside.

(.)

(Sarcastic) Sorry. Friends. You'll need to shove some of these friends aside.

(.)

A little more.

(.)

There.

[Blankets shift]

Go to sleep, roomie.

[Blankets shift]

[Blankets shift]

[Blankets shift]

Be. Still.

(.)

(Sigh) What's wrong?

(.)

Yeah, well, there isn't room for me and your big teddy. Cuddle one of your smaller plushies.

(.)

Arm support? Geez, you're so high-maintenance. Fine. Come here.

(.)

Because I'm letting you wrap an arm around me. Obviously.

(.)

Yeah, I'm sure. Get over here.

[Blankets shift]

(.)

Of course I'm warm. I'm a half-dragon.

(.)

Quit fidgeting. Just... curl up to my chest.

(.)

There, comfortable?

(.)

Good.

(.)

Nah, it's not weird. It's actually... nice. Heh, your breath kinda tickles.

(.)

It doesn't bother me. Go to sleep, roomie.

(.)

You're still tense.

(.)

Hey, it's okay. How about this? Let me trace my claws down your back real gentle... There, just focus on how that feels. I'm going to wrap my tail around you now. Like a weighted blanket.

(.)

There we go. I've gotcha.

(.)

Gettin' sleepy?

(.)

Good. Hey, before you go to sleep I gotta tell you something. It's important.

(.)

You totally owe me breakfast in the morning. I'm thinking pancakes.

(.)

(Chuckles) Okay, okay. I'll help make it.

(.)

...Yeah, I can stay with you tomorrow night, too.

(.)

Goodnight, roomie.

END

[monstah-fukkah]

ok ok so i'll start with my 2 faves bc im a biased piece of shit

six the hedgehog aka project protégé !!

so six was created by dr. eggman as a means of creating the perfect protégé to aide him on his mission to destroy the blue pest and his stupid furry pals. by taking sonic and shadow's dna and he using his grandfathers notes for project shadow as a jumping off point he started working on project protégé in secret. but creating and maintaining a stable lifeform was a lot more difficult than he accounted for. so as a result the sixth attempt the dr. was tweaking around with was a huge improvement over his other failed experiments but it wasn't enough to support life unaided unless powered by other means. he started working on blueprints for a modified chaos drive to power the sixth iteration of his project. even the little abomination didn't make it at least it would provide useful notes on how to improve his perfect protégé.

six would never make it out of the tube he was suspended in because eggman's secret base was discovered and destroyed preemptively by G.U.N. six was sealed and locked away under the base. unaccessable by any and all personal except for the dr. himself. after that eggman decided to put project protégé on the back burner for a while as to not arouse suspicion. his current little experiment couldn't even survive out of the tube without a powerful chaos source anyway so he deemed the sixth experiment a failure and left the base and the little creature inside to rot.

so i'm not super sure how many years six is left to sit undiscovered but it's a lengthy amount of time. the main cast are like in their mid 20s early 30s. my au canon is a mix of games and comics so its a big fuck truck of different shit i stitched together. but anyway it's a while and he's eventually unearthed by dr. starline and used a jumping off point for his own creation. eggman and starline have already had their falling out and the surge and kit stuff is the past. scrooge mcfuck is not dead. he's just older and wants cold calculated revenge. starline knows the code bc he jacked eggman's files and also worked for him for a bit so ??? yeah that's my excuse.

starline ends up moving into the underground bunker and gets to work on his own plans. he figures he's going to rework six and get him up and running so that he can be repurposed for his own plans. his own plan being the cool idea to make a pact with the remaining Black Arms to create a creature that would help repopulate the dying race in exchange for total eradication of those that have wronged him. eclipse donates his dna which starline fuses with his old sample of surge's dna. he decides to nickname the experiment "void". really edgy bc he wants to create a place that is void of all his enemies lmao.

void and six are worked on together by starline to become a duo that rely heavily on one another. much like his past experiments but he won't let himself be so easily duped again. six and void are so deeply ingrained with each that they share a hivemind with one another. six is programmed to protect void at all costs. it's unnatural and overwhelms his entire being so the only thing echoing through his skull is "protect protect protect". void is programmed to have her thoughts be shared with six and nothing is separate between the two of them. any of her wants and needs is to be shared was fulfilled by six. if he somehow fails to fulfill her requests she can bend and mold his mind into that of a subservient zombie.

rq segway to powers and shit !!

six is completely physically unstable without the chaos drive embedded in his stomach. if it's removed or broken the chaos energy powering his body would wither away and he's just keel over and die. he's imbued with crazy chaos energy and needs inhibitor rings to properly control his powers. without them his powers go haywire and are much harder to control properly. and also yeah it's a given but he can run fast bc of his chaos energy. he can chaos controlling and create chaos spears. his forte is creating barriers out of chaos energy to protect people tho !! he can also heal pretty quickly (and can even heal others as well up to a point !).

void takes after her black arms dna when it comes to her powers and such. she's basically got all the staples. raw strength is her greatest attribute. stay away from her when she's throwing a temper tantrum or talking with her hands. she can connect with others of the hivemind outside of six but her greatest connection is with him. she can also control lesser Black Arms creatures to do her bidding. not really a power but she can basically eat anything lmao !! she loves eating trash and other gnarly shit. ate a whole ass truck tire once. also has regenerative powers !!

k segway over !!

starline completes his project about a year or so after he's entered the bunker. six and void are released from their tubes and take their 1st breathes together. six is super small and stunted as a result of eggman's crude mismatch dna stitching. he's about the size of a toddler and behaves as such. he's a black slate for starline to finally mold create to his liking. void is just a lil baby when starline releases her from her stasis. he's not a fan of slobbering infants but it's a part of his plan to bond the two deeper than their planted connection to one another. rhe goes through the motions and introduces big brother six to his baby sister void. shits quiet for a while. starline is teaching his experiments basic shit with a heavy dose of brain washing. the restoration ends up getting a tip off and raids the place when they catch starline on the way out one day carrying two small bundles in his arms. six and void are seized by the restoration (after a huge struggle) and placed in a holding room for further questioning and observation.

they try and get some answers out of six but it's no use. they're unaware that he's mostly mute but he's also too riled up and upset to be of any help. he bites and snaps his teeth at anyone who gets too close. his chaos barrier actives as well to keep people at an even further distance. different members try and talk to calm his down but really only make it worse. they stay at a stalemate for a while until void starts wailing her tiny head off and six's mind is screaming "hunger eat feed satisfy". he starts looking around frantically and starts to panic a bit. the only thing he knows to do is give the baby to an adult to feed but that heavily conflicts with his protect instincts. he starts to silently sob like the toddler he is. and the barrier breaks down as his emotions take over. two members slowly approach the duo and usher the kids to the med-bay to get looked over.

in the med-bay a nurse looks over the 2 and deem them perfectly healthy. they want to do some quick tests on the two to get a better idea of what they're dealing with. when six is settled enough they manage to draw blood and run a few simple tests. the kids are placed nursery with other children (that have been displaced by eggaman's attacks). the blood results come back and it's discovered that six shares dna with sonic and shadow. they debate on how to best handle the situation before deciding to reach out to tails so that he can retest the blood sample to make sure their were no mistakes. void's dna comes back unconclusive except for the fact that she shares partial dna with six (seeing as how they both have black arms blood). either the way the two are related.

tails is shocked and utterly confused but agrees to retest the blood samples again. he waits until he gets the results back himself to confirm once again that six is in fact sonic and shadow's child. he detects huge traces of black arms dna from void's dna which is deeply concerning. it's super awkward and uncomfortable breaking the news to the two. sonic thinks it's a weird joke and shadow is visibly umcomfortable with the news. tails confirms its not a joke and goes on to explain what the restoration know and who was involved. starline refuses to talk but clearly is a freak take on project shadow or some shit. sonic is super hesitant to meet the kids but shadow is weirdly invested. he talks sonic into at least meeting the little abominations and to see where things go from there. it takes a few days before they meet the kids and it's not a great 1st impression on either party.

six raises his quills and hisses at sonic and shadow right off the bat. void is just a stupid baby but she's living for the drama already. she's got a stupid huge smile on her face. after two hours or so sonic wants to call it quits and discuss with shadow what to do with the two horrible mistakes to gaias green earth. shadow is silent but persistent and gains a little olive branch when void reaches out for him. six watches the display and immediately calms down when his mind is flooded with pure sweet serotonin. shadow carefully takes the baby from six's week grip and turns to sonic with a look that says "we are not leaving them here" before addressing the restoration member that's in charge of displaces children to inform them that they will decide what to do with the children.

sonic and shadow agree on a week by week trial basis to see how they feel about the change and what would ultimately be best for the kids.

spoiler alert they kept them

[teenagedirt]

kissing in cars

A/n before I start I'm new to writing fanfic do I f I can improve please let me know. I'm also on the website toninhave no idea how to work anything. MIKE WILL NOT BE IN THIS!

Vic x female reader.

I lean over laughing so hard I can barely breath. "Yo, you good y/n ?" Vic asks me trying not to laugh

"Uhm yeah I'm fine" I say looking straight into his dark brown eyes. My face heats up,but he doesn't notice the blush My face now has because he's checking the time.

"Oh shit" Vic says under his breath and grabs my hand. My eyes open quickly.

"whats going on" I ask while he's basicly dragging me down the sidewalk.

"We were supposed to be at that damn Cafe thirty minutes ago" he says looking me in the eyes and continuing his fast pace and the tight grip on my hand.

"Oh shit" I say trying to walk faster"We are in for it this time,we are always late"

"There it is" I say slowing down and opening the door. I sigh and make my way over to the table where both Tony and Jaime were sitting with their notebooks,pens,and coffees.

"Whats the excuse for being late this time" Jaime asks.

"Well, we lost track of time. That's what happens when you put two bestfiends together for a walk,huh" Vic answered. We are just bestfriends but hearing that felt like a stab in the heart. Tony is the only one who knows about how I feel about Vic, he gives me a sympathetic look,but I quickly turn my head. I sigh tears bubbled in my eyes.

"Hey guys I'm gonna go to the bathroom I'll be right back" I say, my voice almost a whisper. Tony looks up at me and weakly smiles. I walk into the bathroom and breakdown the way I am sobbing and hyperventilating you would think my family just got murdered, but no, I just feel unworthy of being with the man I'm in love with. The truth is I know that I could never be with him. I couldn't even try that would ruin everything,our friendship,the way the public sees me,and it would hurt what little bit of confidence I have left. When all my tears have dried up I look in the mirror making sure its not obvious that I just had a mental breakdown. I return to the table and get out my sketch book. I was the one who made all the cover art well the concepts anyway. Vic had already started on the songs and they knew what the albums was going to be called. The album was based around the stupid things you do when you're in love, and love subjects in general,rather it be sweet, or more of a breakup and betrayal song. I started sketching the title and their band name, I find myself drawing a boy and a girl, they look to be holding a cube together. Jaime looked at my sketch book in amazement.

"Hey guys look at this" he says pointing to my book. Vic's eyes widen and he smiles down at it.

"Goddamn that's good as he'll y/n" he says looking back to me. I blush slightly

"Thank you" I say and smile. Tony grabs my book to look at it closer

."Damn this is good y/n" he says smiling and handing me my book.

"We've gotten a lot done so i think we should head home." Tony says. Tony and Jaime share an apartment and me and Vic share one just down the street. I get up grab my book and pencils stuff them in my bag and start towards the door Vic following behind me. When we get outside he pats his pockets and his smile fades.

"Do you have your keys" he asks worry plastered on his face. "Uh yeah why" I ask walking backwards so I can see him.

"I forgot mine" he says while giving me a weak nervous smile. I giggle under my breath

"you always do" I say.

"You don't have to be mean about it" he says fake pouting. We both laugh for a minute and make it into the apartment

[usedpidemo]

Update - one year anniversary (+ some reflection and future?)

Hello, everyone. π here.

It has been a full year since I've opened this blog and released my first fic. I can't believe it's already been a year; how time flies! Plenty of highs and lows in between, but at least I haven't quit—at least for now.

Like a bunch of sports analysts, let's go through some completely pedantic and arbitrary stats and milestones.

First work: Sandwich - Red Velvet Wendy (published 05/13/21, 4:03 a.m.)

Highest note count: Shot in the night - Blackpink Rosé (published 01/03/22, 471 notes)

Number of works published: 65 fics (1 fic every 5.6 days)

Average note count: 239.8 notes (15,587 accumulated notes)

500 followers: June 18, 2021 (36 days or 1 month, 5 days)

1,000 followers: October 12, 2021 (152 days or 4 months, 30 days)

1,500 followers: March 2, 2022 (294 days or 9 months, 22 days)

Follower count: 1,725 followers (4.7 followers a day)

None of this would be possible without you, the reader. Thank you so much for the continued support, whether it's a reblog, like, or the occasional comment. Here's to another year 🧡

From this point on, I'll dive into a bit of a tangent about things I don't really discuss outside of important context, so this is your last warning if you don't want to pay attention to it. Also, I kinda need a reason to vent some frustration out, so enjoy.

Quality/Quantity

If you've noticed, I've published 65 works over the past year. That's one new fic every 5.6 days. Sure, it was the pandemic and all so I had plenty of free time and there were a bunch of quickies in between, but it's certainly no excuse for some of them to be absolute fucking duds. I find reading most of my earlier works extremely difficult, if not completely impossible, to reread. Whether it's grammar issues, typos, or simply a rushed concept, I look at most of my work from the beginning with utter contempt. Much like how David Fincher and David Lynch hate Alien 3 and Dune, respectively. Part of me wants to remove them just because I don't want to give you the misery of watching a newbie π figure things out like a child, but I'm sure someone already has my work archived and saved. Or not. For historical purposes, I have no intention to delete them off my site, so you can see the growth with each passing work. There's still plenty to learn and much to hone, but I'm certainly nowhere close to the ideal version of myself as a writer.

Confidence/Competitive issues

At the end of March 2022, I announced that I'd be taking a short break for mental health reasons. Truth is, it was more of a personal problem in regards as to how I perceive my work and compare it with others. This has always been an issue rooted even in my childhood days: I was ultra competitive as fuck. If I wasn't the best or one of the best, then why the fuck would I bother? Of course, I've mellowed down since, but you always want to stand out and have something distinct about you when you're under the microscope of others, and writing was no exception. The more I wrote and the more I read, I grew more desperate to evolve and adapt. I became obsessed. I was disappointed when something wasn't hitting my personal expectation or threshold, or when someone wrote an idol that was subjectively better than mine. I'll briefly clarify that I bear no personal grudges toward anyone, you're just doing you and I'm doing mine. Anyway, as the months rolled by, while I knew I was improving with gentle hops and skips, I saw that everyone else were making leaps and bounds with their abilities. I wasn't gonna catch up and I felt defeated. This ultimately lead to me becoming unnecessarily frustrated and depressed. Something I had fun with at the start turned into a poisonous relationship and soured my mind. I tried to play it off as a mood swing, but it was growing to the point where I no longer could simply hide it. So into hiatus it was, and I stepped away briefly in the hopes that I can rediscover myself all over again.

Cynicism

If you've been interacting with me on Discord, you'll notice the gradual change in how I look at myself and other things. The most obvious thing to point out is how often I joke about how shitty or terrible I am, to the point that I've been called out a few times about it. How am I supposed to be idealistic? You have to realize not everyone will share the same attitude regarding life as you. Of course, I'm not one to cause conflicts, so I've deflected my thoughts into a private echo chamber that only the few people I can trust can hear, but nevertheless, please understand that everyone has different ways to express frustration. The last year has been incredibly fucking tough for everyone and I was no exception. Loss of a loved one, stuck at home for months on end, crippling loneliness, and so much more. I turned to writing as a way to escape and vent, perhaps spark my childhood imagination to life again, and for the first time in a while, I felt validated and accepted. So I continued, hoping that perhaps I can reach the peak of greatness that those before me stand, but I still have a long way to go. But instead of figuring things out, I beat myself and became a defeatist, unintentionally affecting the people around me in a negative way.

Future

I'm pretty much on borrowed time. I've started college. Next semester, I'm going back to class, touching grass and actually making friends outside of a virtual space. I'm still awkward as fuck. Additionally, my interests tend to burn out like a dying star. Writing is no exception. I might grow sick and tired of this hobby and just ditch it, much like movies and modern Western pop music. But I'm not gonna let myself go out in a whimper. As much as I have a long term plan, plans tend to go awry in a moment. With that said, I hope that with whatever time I have left before it's consumed by studies as a top priority is spent well. Delete this will be completed. I have already constructed the full arc including the ending for the series, so please look forward to it. It's a series very dear to me; not only did it launch my blog high up to the stars, but also it's a piece of legacy that I can leave behind should I be called away prematurely. Other stuff I have in mind are more non-smut fics. I've always enjoyed storytelling through my love of film, so perhaps I can expend my repertoire to more diverse story content. And of course, become a better writer. My therapist gave me one really interesting piece of advice, "You're only as good as your latest work." I apologize if my body of work or style is not up to par with some of the others, but I am trying my best.

Ending

I don't really have anything cool to say to finish up this tangent, but I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone—especially the cool people I've met through Discord. You've been a huge godsend during these difficult times, and though I'm not vocal about it, please understand that I appreciate you. For providing encouragement, giving your ears whenever I vent, or answering my stupid or silly questions, I sincerely thank you. If I could repay you in kind, I would. Regardless of how you feel or think about me, let's continue to live together peacefully.

And of course, this is nothing without you, the reader, for checking out even a single word I've composed. Much love.

Grace be with you all,

Peter / π

[senfan-san]

89's Episode

This is a very late translation, isn't it? Hehe, school and work have been taking up all my attention but I managed to finish all the non-translated World Empire Episodes! This is great! I can finally focus on the Chassepot story which I was hoping I could translate! :D

This episode was pretty sweet in the middle! www \(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)/ Soldier-san is super cute in this one! Miso ramen for the win!

I will begin to make some new changes in the blog tomorrow. I'll be compiling all the WE Episodes from me and @/senjuushi 's into one post and update the resource list! Lol I need to get on top of that!

Please enjoy and thank you for your support everyone! 🙏❤️

Original Video (Skip to 9:46)

89 — Episode 1

The Spy Saw It! ~The Troublesome Monolouge~

~Scene Begins in Battlefield~

89: “… Ah... assigned... me. Ah, it's so dull. We don't need to collect a bunch of stupid rocks.”

89: “Why didn't you just let the soldiers do the work that normies do?”

89: “I don't understand why we're hunting rocks anyway... It's too dull.”

89: “Michael said, ‘I will help the soldiers improve their efficiency by playing the piano’...”

89: “Hah... Playing the piano won't make them better, that’s just common sense.”

89: “Why do I have to go on a treasure hunt with soldiers while listening to classical music at a war site... Damn it, just forget about it.”

89: “...Ah, that’s right.”

89: “I have to go report to "that guy" when I'm done. Ah, so annoying.”

89: “That's a total pain in the ass. I'll just skip it, then.”

89: “No, it's too much trouble to even skip the report. I'm afraid of what happens afterwards.”

89: “The other day, when I skipped a call from "that guy"... Mauser chased me around all day.”

89: “I hid in the bathroom because I didn't want to have to deal with running away from him…”

89: “The Mauser guy was so darn stubborn, he even searched the toilet cubicles.”

89: “It was a bit of a horror to hear the doors opening one by one from the back.”

89: “He's really persistent... I just want to disappear and become air.”

89: “...Oh, well, what the hell. I'll just have to go report it.”

89: “And after the report... I think I'll stay in my room today and break the deadlock.”

~End of Episode 1~

89 — Episode 2

The Spy Saw It! ~A Surprisingly Sensible Man?~

~Scene Begins Inside World Empire~

89: “...Aah? What… want? Don't talk to me while I’m in the middle of a game! I can't take my eyes off the screen right now!”

Soldier: “I'm—I’m sorry! I'm just trying to inform you about tomorrow's mission…”

89: “The operation? Shit... I get it!”

89: “...What do you want? You have 30 seconds to tell me.”

Soldier: “Sir, there's been a change in the start time for tomorrow's mission. 8 PM, at the appointed place!”

89: “That's it? Yeah, yeah, got it. Well, I'm going back…”

89: “...Next time you interfere with my game, I'll kill you.”

Soldier: “I-I understand...!”

Soldier: “...! Uh, sir!”

89: “...Aah?”

Soldier: “Uwah...! I'm sorry again and again!”

Soldier: “I got some Japanese instant noodles at the market and brought them to you…”

89: “Ramen? ...Oh, that's their miso flavor! I just ran out of stock, so I'll take it.”

89: “Well, I'll be going back this time... Thanks for the message.”

~89 Continues Gaming~

Soldier: “Yes, sir! Excuse me!”

Soldier: “...Phew, I was so nervous.”

Soldier: “89, you're rather decent, unlike most Noble Musketeers. A great deal of them are a bunch of strange people… even though you’re scary when someone interrupts your game.”

Soldier: “I'll bring you some more miso seasoning when I find it.”

~End of Episode 2~

89 - Episode 3

The Spy Saw It! ~Pre-Operation Quarrel~

~Scene Begins in Battlefield~

89: “...Here? It’s not that... right?... If it's so hard just to be on a mission, why am I with this guy...?”

Belga: “I feel like ima’ puke if I share your opinion... That's the real problem here! I don't get it!”

89: “I'd rather play games and capture enemy bases than fight with you.”

Belga: “Hah? Real combat is definitely more exciting than virtual combat!”

Belga: “...Ahh, I see. You're a fuckin’ virgin, aren't you? Yahaha! Am I virtual enough for you~?”

89: “Huh…? Haah!? How the hell do you know if I'm a virgin or not!?”

Belga: “...Fuckin’ hell, that's soo funny! …Yahahahaha!”

89: “You really should kill yourself. I mean, what the hell does that have to do with fighting!”

Belga: “Woah... Your reaction is super stiff. Look at my arm, my hair it's standing up.”

89: “...Heh! Not only do you have the brain of a little bird, you've also got the arms of a bird. Shame, huh?”

Belga: “Aah? What the hell? You want a fight?”

89: “...This is no time to be stupid. It's time to go. Let's go, Belga.”

Belga: “Don't give me orders. Don't drag me down to your level, virgin~! ♡”

~Belga Runs Away~

89: “Meh…!? Damn it, he's gone... Aah, this sucks. Everything is seriously so dull.”

89: “Hah... Fine. Let's go smash some old guns and relieve some stress.”

~End of 89's Episode~

[Extra Tibit From Senfan-San!]

Before I say anything, thank you for reading the translation! I really appreciate it when people see my work, even if they aren't vocal about it. I also cuss a bit here than usual, lol ignore it :D

Work(TA and programmer @ a school) was crazy man... They brought a whole petting zoo(where a goat almost ate my phone) and I saw the kids assault each other with chairs heehee

I also got to help operate the t-shirt launcher and that shit went higher than a drug addict... like hit the ceiling high.... im surprised that the big gym couldn't withstand the power of that thing

I also got a really nice lunch today! The parent were so sweet and gave us philly cheesesteaks and lemonade to begin the spring semester :)

That's all I have for today! Thank you for staying until the end!

[chwafl]

2023 in Review (October to December)

This is a continuation post of my 2023 in Review~ Read the previous post here

October

The change of the season inspired me to want to get out and socialize more. The cooler weather coming in gave a refreshing feel that energized me to become extraverted again! I went to an indie music block party festival, saw some of my favorite bands again, and went to a Halloween party~

I also did my first karaoke fundraiser livestream for my first original idol song! I had so much fun. I realized how fun livestreaming can be and how much better I've gotten at it. Before, something about needing to be interesting every second at every moment in order to retain viewers seemed really daunting to me, but once I started viewing livestreaming as just like… you're hanging out with a friend, I felt way more comfortable about it!

November

November was a chill month. I knew December was gonna be BUSY so I tried to just rest a bit and plan for all the things I wanted to do in December. The highlight of the month was my Barbie themed karaoke fundraiser livestream. That was the most fun livestream so far! It was during that stream when I feel like I finally got over my fear of sounding bad while singing. Like, I think that was the biggest thing holding me back when it came to improving as a singer. I just have always felt so scared and embarrassed to sound bad.

This fear stems from me just not understanding how singing works and music notes, keys, pitch, all of that. Because, how can I fix something if I don't understand how it works. I keep trying to understand music and it just makes no sense to me LOL. But, the least I can do is to just not be afraid to sound bad. So, I sounded bad for a lot of songs, but I owned it and I hope people can see that as my charm point HAHA. Like, yes, I know, don't settle for less and don't make excuses for not improving, but, I truly am trying to improve and give it my all with singing, so I hope people can see the little improvements over time with my skills and confident and find that to be a charming thing about me xD

December

Not only is this the final month of the year, but it's also the final month of the school year, the month of my birthday, the month of christmas and the month of new years eve! So many emotions run through me during this time.

First, having to say goodbye to my 6th graders graduating from elementary school. I never thought I would get so attached to these kids. They aren't perfect all the time, but they are great students and I truly enjoy my job thanks to them. I just love kids. Kids teach ME so many things. They teach me to have unfiltered excitement and they remind me to be silly. Even when kids act "bad" I still have a soft spot for them. I really think that as an adult, I have a responsibility to help take care of kids in this world, even if they aren't my own biological children. Why? Because children are a helpless class. Yes, their parents should be responsible, but just because a kid was dealt with the misfortune of having uncaring parents, doesn't mean that other adults in their life can't be a positive influence and help take care of them too. It's a really idealistic viewpoint, I know, and maybe I'll change my mind someday until I have kids of my own, but those are my genuine feelings about children and our world at large.

ANYWAYS,

Second, my 30th birthday was this year! I planned a birthday party for the first time and I was worried about how smooth it would go. Well, more people showed up than I expected and everyone had so much fun! I vlogged nearly every moment of that birthday party, so look forward to the vlog soon. Yes, it was a princess themed party! My only regret was not ordering food for everyone &lt;< I just totally overlooked that. It wasn't until I saw people ordering their own food when I realized… oh I should have thought about that. Not everyone was ordering their own food, so only a few people were hungry but I still really regret that ><

Third, we have Christmas. Of course I feel a little sad about not spending Christmas with my family, but then again, we aren't religious so the only Christmas tradition we really have is just… gifts lol. I still tried to make things special over here and met up with friends and did a last minute Christmas karaoke livestream! I decided to change things up and do things on my J-pop channel.