#crud controller

[taeiris]

in honor of our first byler set leaks and pride month

i present to you: the romantic goth byler i was yapping abt

[chaos-pota-two]

Posting this on my second account bc I might delete it

Is it bad that I don't like when ppl make their own Timothy skinny? In my head he's a bigger character since that was how he was designed in 2012. It feels off when I see people making him thin

I do get not being able to draw bigger bodies, I mean, look back at Childhood Dreams start, I didn't know how to at all. I'm still no expert but I'm trying. I don't mean people who can't draw them looking right, I mean people who straight up make him a twink?

That feels so weird and wrong to me, I get he was only in 2012 so we don't have much to go off of, but still. I can't help but get a little sad when people make their Timothy skinny :(

[engenhariadesoftware]

Conectando uma Aplicação Spring Boot com Banco de Dados MySQL

O que é o Spring Boot e como ele facilita o desenvolvimento de aplicações Java O Spring Boot é uma extensão do popular framework Spring, projetado para simplificar o processo de desenvolvimento de aplicações Java. Ele elimina a necessidade de configurações complexas e torna o processo de desenvolvimento mais rápido e eficiente. Com Spring Boot, você pode criar aplicações prontas para produção…

[cozymoko]

TO TEACH A DOG TO SIT. —

⠀⠀MINATO CITY - TOKYO, EARLY 2000s

word count 𖹭.ᐟ approx 2,738

tw, tags 𖹭.ᐟ emotional abuse, bullying, physical injury, toxic relationships, self-loathing, angst, bullying, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, romantic tension.

Hey! so, I decided to post this, if you guys want to see more of him, maybe he'll become an OC, haha.

⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀NEW GAME?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𖹭⠀LOAD GAME?⠀ 𖹭

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀O̷̳̻͓͉̐̄͂͑̅̆̄̆͠ͅV̵̨̟͙͎͎͙̫̹̟̟̰̯̀̊̉̂̃Ȩ̴̲͎̰̝̞̻̳̘͒̀R̶̢̡̥͓͚͈̫̹͐̀͛̀̐͐̉̈̑͋̚R̸̢̖̺͖̟͖̝̤͉̥̀̀ͅͅİ̷̩̥̯̕D̴̢̡̢̲͚̖̱̼̹̝̠̔͗̈́͝Ȩ̶͔̲̫̥͚̘̜̩̹͉̓̅̏̅̒̆̂?̷͖̆͂̎̾!̵̨̫̮̲͖͇̲͉̪̟̣̀̈́̓̋͌̂̈́͛͊̚͠?̴͈͑!̴̬̣̰͚̞͕̯̭̲̳̒͋́͋͊!̵̛̤̥̳͆̿̇̏̀̏̀̊̚ ̵͇̹̜̻̹͙̙̄̌̇̋̀̔͝;

⠀⠀

⠀⠀LOAD GAME, SELECTED .ᐟ

⠀⠀LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...

⠀⠀

new info unlocked 𖹭.ᐟ MINATO CITY (also known as the Minato ward) is home to the wealthiest families in Japan. Happy hunting. (≧∇≦)/

⠀⠀

⠀⠀

𖹭

CHAPTER XXXX, 13:30PM

My, my, what a pretty girl you are. Birthed and bathed in wealth that the lower class would kill for. Soft, glass-like skin that could make all the girls kick and scream with envy. Talented, as though you were gifted by the heavens themselves, a divine being amongst all others. Your mom, for she was a woman of faith, proclaimed you as God's favorite creation as well we her own. And at some point, you began to believe her words.

God's Creation. God's Favorite. Everyone's favorite, she said.

So, what the actual fuck was happening right now?

The faceless, shadowy figures in the background were slowly gaining distinct features, their expressions becoming eerily human. The game world, once surreal and empty, was shifting, revealing a more tangible reality. What had been mere background noise now had identity, as if the boundaries between the game and reality were beginning to blur.

“C'mon, [Name],” He chuckles halfheartedly. “A little dirt never hurt anyone.”

A little? Was he fucking with you right now?

A little wasn't the clumps of mud hugging your scalp. Nor was it the dirt that absolutely ruined your neatly pampered skin. It wasn't the muck that stained and streaked the beautiful plaid of your uniform skirt. Not even, the crud and filth that soiled your stockings — seeping all the way to your Mary Jane's. A little didn't hurt your pride the way this did.

Your eye twitched. So what was so damn funny? "How could you say—"

A sickly-sweet giggle cut through your thoughts, high-pitched, cutting through your seething anger like nails on a chalkboard. You could almost hear the background music shifting into a jarring, high-pitched tune, like some in-game character had triggered an event that was beyond your control. When was anything ever in your control?

"Kyaa~! Nanase-kun, you're so bad!" The girl giggled, covering her mouth with perfectly manicured fingers, eyes sparkling like he’d just told the joke of the century. "I swear, you always make everything so fun! Poor [Name]-chan, though~" she added, not sounding the least bit sympathetic as she threw you a fleeting glance before turning her attention right back to Aohei, as if you were nothing more than background noise.

But the real target of your rage wasn’t her. It wasn’t even the filthy rich asshole standing next to her. No, it was Aohei. The boy you had grown up with, the one who, for as long as you could remember, had been there by your side.

Who was he? Glad you asked, honestly!

Aohei, the golden boy of Nanase Global—a name that made everyone in Tokyo bend the knee. A family that practically owned everything. Hotels. Fashion lines. Tech companies. Entertainment empires. If it had a name, it had money flowing into its coffers from the Nanase family. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if even the designer of your ruined Mary Janes answered to his father’s empire.

And yet, despite all of that, despite all that privilege, Aohei was standing there laughing. Laughing with them. The same obnoxious, clueless, no-name delinquents who thought it was hilarious to drag you down into the mud, as though you were some sort of joke. You didn’t think Aohei had the ability to be this cruel—this thoughtless. And yet, here he was, barely looking concerned. Barely. Fucking. Concerned.

Maybe he didn’t realize the severity of the situation. Maybe he thought this was all just some lighthearted fun. Maybe his stupid fucking trust fund brain had short-circuited for a moment. Maybe you let his leash run a little looser than you should've.

Dumb, stupid dog. Dumb, Dumb dog!

"Aohei, take me home right fucking now!"

Your voice came out slow, each syllable dripping with barely contained rage. Your hands clenched into fists so tight your nails dug into your palms, a sharp sting against your already frayed patience. And if you looked at this fool for one more second, you swore you’d pop a blood vessel.

His laughter stopped almost immediately. You could hear the shift in the air. "Eh? What’s the matter?" he asked, sounding...confused.

His voice triggered an odd sensation in your chest—almost like a glitch in a game when something doesn’t quite align.

You stare at him, incredulous—was he seriously asking that? With a sharp breath, you fish your phone out of your purse, fingers already dancing over the screen, ready to call someone—anyone—who could save you from this nightmare. You bite your tongue, swallowing every ''unladylike" — foul-mouthed profanity ready to spill from your glossed lips.

Before you could press send, Aohei’s voice rang out in a panicked shout, his hand reaching for you. "Hey, [nickname], don’t call anyone," he begged, visibly nervous. "I’ll take you home, okay?"

You could feel the tension in the air. Aohei's voice, now slightly higher-pitched, almost like a character breaking from his usual persona. You swore you could see the “affection meter” rising in the corner of your vision. This was an event you hadn't expected, but you were now forced to deal with the aftermath.

His hand wrapped around your wrist. Not to restrain you, but to pull you closer—just enough so he can see your face. His grip is warm, hesitant, as if afraid you'll slip away entirely, and when he shifts, dirt smudges against his pristine slacks, but he doesn’t seem to care. His golden eyes search yours, wide and desperate, drinking you in like he needs to memorize every detail.

For just a second, the warmth of his touch had soothed you, or rather her, whoever she was. But you barely registered the sensation before you jerked your arm away with a force that could’ve snapped a lesser person’s wrist. You glared at him.

Your voice came out ragged. "Don’t touch me." It was almost a breathless plea, as if there was too much going on inside of you. Too much to even vocalize. You stumbled to your feet, biting back a yelp when a sharp, shooting pain stung your knee—only to realize there was now a nasty purple-ish hue creeping up the top of your knee. Perfect.

You slowly pulled down your ruined stockings, each tug making you feel more and more like you were living in some twisted, never-ending nightmare. "Fuck," you hissed at the pain in your knee, glaring at the growing bruise, then straightened your shoulders. "I’ll be at the car. Don’t make me wait."

A system alert blinked before your eyes—

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WARNING ⚠:

‘Frustration levels are high.ᐟ’

‘Negative affection points accumulating.’

"Bite me," you scoff, closing your phone shut.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the group whispering, their eyes flickering between you and Aohei. There were the girls, squealing for his attention, the guys hyping him up, throwing out plans for the night—drinks, basketball, whatever the hell they did to get their kicks. It was all so... predictable. You knew how they’d react. Aohei had always been the life of the party, the golden boy, always so easy to be around. They’d gladly throw your name in the mud if it meant keeping him around just a little longer.

It felt like the game was taunting you now—like your actions didn’t matter, like you were just a piece to be manipulated by the other characters.

You phone pinged softly. Quiet yet unbearably shrill, a sound you've grown used to, regrettably so.

REMINDER.ᐟ REMINDER.ᐟ PLEASE CHECK.ᐟ

⠀⠀“A dog will always come running to his owner”

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀CLOSE TAB: yes or no

You blinked at the words, almost like a coded message in a game. It sent a chill down your spine, the words feeling like a directive—an eerie reminder that you couldn’t escape what was happening. Your avatar might have been stuck in the game, but could Aohei have been a part of that too?

You didn’t even acknowledge it. Instead, you turned on your heel, making your way toward the car with all the anger in your chest, each step a stab of fury. The weight of the mud squelching against your shoes seemed to deepen your frustration. You didn’t wait for Aohei to catch up—of course he would.

“Wait, wait, [Name]—!" His breathless voice caught behind you, laced with guilt and panic, but you were too far gone. "I didn’t mean to—I wasn’t laughing at you, okay? Just... stupid jokes. I can make it up to—!"

The wind carried his words to you, distorted, like the sound had been slowed down in some game cutscene. His voice shook the air, making you feel the weight of each word, but you didn’t care.

You put yourhand up, silencing his pointless chatter. You slide into the passenger seat, slamming the door harder than necessary, right in his stupid, pretty face. The satisfying thud is the only thing that feels remotely in your control right now.

Aohei quickly followed, slipping into the driver’s seat. His usual sunny smile was now nowhere to be seen. Instead, his face was full of something darker, something that almost seemed like self-loathing.

"I’ll take you home. You’ll be cleaned up in no time, I swear," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

You could see his stats now—

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀AFFECTION: 90%.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀HOSTILE INFLUENCE: 10%.

The numbers flashing in your mind, like a hidden system you didn’t sign up for.

You crossed your arms, glaring out of the window as your heart thudded erratically in your chest. "You think a shower’s going to fix this? You let them humiliate me, Aohei."

Aohei’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. His jaw ticked in that rare show of tension. You couldn’t even bear to look at him. You knew that look. It was always the same, ever since you were kids—the look of a lovesick puppy. He was just trying to fix things with that stupid grin of his, his soft, golden eyes sparkling with the same desperate affection.

“I didn’t let them. I just... I didn’t realize how bad it was until—" He trailed off, guilt thick in his tone. His eyes were pleading now, searching for some kind of forgiveness, though it wasn’t clear if he was even aware of what he had truly done.

You rolled your eyes, ignoring his attempt at explanation. There it was again, that look. His golden-brown eyes, wide and desperate, flickered toward you every few seconds, even as his hand tightened around the gearshift. Was he... waiting for your permission? For some kind of sign that you wouldn’t push him away for good?

The silence in the car felt suffocating, heavy with a tension you couldn’t shake. With every passing second, Aohei's presence seemed to grow more overwhelming, his devotion more unbearable. His dimples were still there, barely visible when he bit his lip nervously, his shoulder-length hair falling just perfectly around his face like some advertisement for a shampoo commercial. The piercings on his ear glinted in the dim light, drawing attention to how meticulously he had crafted his image.

When you pulled up to the gates of your mansion, the weight of the tension in the car was almost unbearable. He didn't speak, not right away. Instead, his voice came out in a low, strained whisper. "I’ll wait here. In case you need anything."

The ‘AFFECTION INCREASED.ᐟ’; banner blinked across your vision. You rolled your eyes. What a mess this all was.

You unbuckled your seatbelt without looking at him. "I don’t."

You could feel his gaze on your back, a weight that burned through your skin. But this time, there was something more to it—something darker. More desperate. A humorless laugh slipped past your lips as you stepped out of the car. You glanced at him one more time, barely a flicker of emotion behind your eyes.

"Macarons," you muttered under your breath. "Bring me my favorite, and I might forgive you."

As you turned away, the door slammed behind you, and Aohei didn’t say a word. You didn’t need to look back to know that he was watching you with those same soft, broken eyes.

Ha, what kind of stupid game did they have you playing this time?

A dog would always come running to his owner.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀CHAPTER COMPLETE.ᐟ

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀SAVING...

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Yes or No?

final farewell 𖹭.ᐟ Oh, my, we've got quite the interesting predicament. Oh, do tell, what will you do? Trust me, darling, keeping secrets around here never ends well.

[colleendoran]

A SANDMAN cover sketch commission from WonderCon.

I was very careful to stay masked for the show and managed to avoid both COVID and con crud. But I haven't had much physical activity in almost a year, so the event workload really knocked me on my butt. I was only able to get back to a full work day as of today.

Working on GOOD OMENS of course, and bringing in some color assistance to jolly things along a bit. Will be working very hard to make sure all color art is integrated and consistent in style, and will probably be picking at each page myself regardless.

I said on a couple of panels at the show that I'm very controlling about my work and a bit of a tyrant, and I wasn't kidding. Everything matters to me.

Anyway, thanks to all who came to see me. I figured it was a bit of a health risk for me to go, but I've been isolated a long time and was really happy to meet people. I truly enjoyed your company and kind words.

Also, highest recommendation to the new series RIPLEY on Netflix. I'm a great admirer of Patricia Highsmith, and this show is beautifully crafted. I'm streaming it while I work, but when I'm able in future, I'm just going to study it.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I have a little question, what happens if Rollo, Fellow and Skully Overblotted?

I don’t think anything would change other than the obvious (us getting new OB designs for the Halloweenies and maybe extended post-OB flashback sequences). If you’re looking for those, plenty of fan artists have made and shared their interpretations, including their own takes on what the Phantoms would be.

Honestly, I’m glad they don’t overblot because this way there’s more variety in how characters and their backstories are presented to us. There’s also in-universe lore reasoning (whether explicit or implied) as to why Rollo, Fellow, and Skully don’t OB, most notably Crowley stating that OB is "rare". (There is also something to be said that all the OBs we have observed so far are of NRC students, which then leads to theories that someone at NRC is purposefully inducing them; the usual culprits theorists point to are Yuu, Grim, or Crowley himself.) Additionally, I personally like to headcanon that Rollo has a lot of metal fortitude (+ he genuinely believes that ridding the world of magic would be beneficial), so he is able to slow his blot due to his self-discipline. As for Fellow, he lacks the magic pool to be considered a threat. This is mentioned in book 6; people with naturally low mana levels are less likely to OB, and therefore most of the Styx staff fit into this description to limit the danger they pose when they are in an environment that constantly exposes them to blot. As for Skully, he’s the only one that actually comes close to OB because 1) he has the magical pool for it (seeing as he has enough magic to get into NRC, unlike Fellow) and 2) the immaturity and emotionality to not control himself when he is upset, unlike Rollo). The only reason Skully doesn’t OB is because he gets the crud beaten out of him before he can fire off more spells.

[marchsfreakshow]

Oh, The Sleeping Beauty {Dandy Mott}

SMUT.

To Dandy, you were a sleeping beauty. But he felt lonely in the night and needed you desperately.

Urm holy fuck I started writing this as a silly lil drabble but oops it became a whole fic. I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Warnings!; oral (F recieve), pnv, small bit of body worship, crud smut writing, bare bones plot.

18+! MINORS DNI - READ MY SFW WORKS

⊹˚.⋆ ₊꒷ᘏᘏ︶ଓ︶꒷꒦⊹˚ᗢ₊꒷︶ଓ︶꒷

Fuck you were perfect. You were perfect when you slept. Your chest, your delicate face. Your hands, placed anywhere and everywhere. The soft little groans that escaped you as you adjusted your unconscious self in bed. It was perfect. Always perfect.

Dandy stayed up nearly all night watching you sleep. Gently tracing your face, the shape of your eyes, nose, mouth, where your spots were, where the 'imperfections' were. It was all his in his mind. His girl forever. Nothing would feel better to him than feeling if you were having a wet dream or not. His fingers flowed down to your legs and gently gripped one of your thighs. The light touches to your body made you stir a bit, and he almost jumped back when you shuffled around under the sheets. Your sleepy mumbles went unnoticed, and Dandy just laid there, watching and watching.

"Mine." He whispered, holding onto your waist, and refraining from taking his trousers off and jerking off to your beautiful, sleeping face. Your eyes fluttered open slightly, and your eyelids felt heavy. His face was right in front of yours, smiling. You smiled back, resting your hand on his arm that was on your waist. He never wanted you to waste your words.

But now you were awake, he couldn't touch you. Not without permission. He never wanted to hurt his princess by accident. All Dandy wanted was to reach under your nightgown and feel you. He wanted to know what dreams you had, how many of them were of him, and if he had to kill someone. "Dandy.?" You quietly asked. His attention snapped back to your face, after looking over your ridden up night-wear. Dangerous thoughts had come over him, and he wanted you to say 'Ravish me Dandy. Take all of me.' but he knew he had to wait.

Waiting hurt. Night after night, after you had gotten into bed, he sat himself in an empty room. He said fuck it and jerked off. In the darkness of a room, the thoughts of your moans and screams made him whimper and groan to himself. The grip you could have on his arms, and how you instinctively wrapped around him. Inside and out. He wanted to hear you scream out his name when he left bruises on your neck, legs, and torso. He was an addict. Addicted to your scent, and making your perfect skin damaged only by him.

Dandy's thoughts about you were distracted when you pulled him towards you in the bed and kissed him softly. Your soft kisses could make him cum right then and there. Gentle skin and lips pressed against his. Feeling you lose control of where your hands are moving. Your bodies were pressed together, the only thing stopping your contact was your pyjamas. Dandy ended the kiss quick, immediately moving to take your nightgown off. Your body in the darkness was like heaven. He knew your body so well and could touch every spot perfectly in the pitch black. You felt your thighs get risen up, as they were held in place on Dandy's shoulders.

The silence was shaken when Dandy pressed his tongue to your warm clit. It elicited a long moan from you, and Dandy couldn't help but buck his hips into the mattress, wanting friction on his cock. Every single move he took while eating you out, it drove him insane. Your taste, your warmth, your everything. The way your legs shook when you were close. As skilled as he was with his hands, he was even more skilled with his mouth. Fingers and tongue replaced each other when he moved from your clit to inside you. Your heavy eyelids fell and scrunched up when you screamed his name. Dandy revelled in hearing your name when he tasted your cum. It was like candy to him.

"You're perfect." The man whispered, staring into your soul from where his head lay. The warmth was felt on your face by your fingertips unconsciously. He was a god at making you blush and never stopped. Dandy never let go of your thighs, even after making you come. He gripped them, hard, and left small trails of kisses and bite marks on them. Even if they were on your inner thighs, he needed proof on your body that you were his.

The destruction of his precious doll had begun now.

But no matter what he did to you, Dandy still thought you were a perfect, precious, pretty toy for him. "Dandy..." You whispered, beckoning him in the night. Kisses were quickly exchanged again, you could taste yourself still on his tongue. Making you know how tasty you were to Dandy was important to him. He could have you for breakfast, lunch and dinner if it was possible. But it was your turn. Your prince was still wearing his pyjamas, and you felt exposed being the only naked one under the sheets. The buttons were almost broken when you both pulled and ripped Dandy's clothes off him. Even in the musk of the night, you could see him. You traced his torso whilst straddling him. Feeling him all the way down to his pelvis made you chuckle quietly.

Your pussy was sensitive still after being touched and tasted the way it was, and his dick just moving naturally against you always earned another moan from you. It must've been 3am, and lord you were about to wake up the whole house. Even if it was Gloria and Dora who were asleep. Dandy never failed to make you lose your mind, stretching you out always, filling you up to the brim, nearing tears every time he thrust himself upwards in you. That's exactly what he did. You find your own entrance and sink down, feeling yourself get full. "Fuck." You whispered, laying your hands on Dandy's shoulders. The way he almost always hit your cervix could have killed you every single time.

His rhythm started and was quickened whenever you let out a moan that was a little louder than the others. The man under you grinned when it happened and felt proud. He held your waist like a trophy as you bounced on him. His constant trophy was distracted when a gasp of pleasure bubbled in his throat. Slamming yourself down on him occasionally made him whimper and get closer to coming and warming you up. Soon enough you were screaming out for Dandy, leaving faint claw marks on his arms and shoulders.

Dandy came as fast as he blinked, but kept his hold on you, wanting you to stay sitting in him. Neither you felt like moving, but you did roll yourself off of Dandy slowly, immediately cuddling onto his side and catching your breath. It was still dark out, and you just felt like falling back asleep. And you did so very quickly. Your chest's normal rise and fall came back, while Dandy watched you in awe. When you fell asleep, Dandy attempted to get up out of the bed quietly so, as to not wake you. He rummaged through your pitch-black room, picking up a random piece of cloth, whether it was clothing or not, and turning back to your sleeping self. Your legs were once again opened, and you stirred slightly with every touch of the clothing item onto your inner thighs. Both of your releases stuck to you, and you seemed to forget already.

Silence came back once Dandy cleaned you up, leaving you to sleep peacefully. He went back to staring at you, watching you sleep. It made him happy, knowing you were satisfied, and his forever.

⊹˚.⋆ ₊꒷ᘏᘏ︶ଓ︶꒷꒦⊹˚ᗢ₊꒷︶ଓ︶꒷

Taglist: @babygorewhore @slvt4jamesmarch @taintandviolent @tatelangdonsweater

[cattofwatt]

The Headcanon’s! Part 1

Guess what I finally have these headcanon’s ready. Now these will be in a more “what they would do” headcanon’s rather than “what they are” headcanon’s. As I’m better with the former and I’m too basic to do much with “what they are”, and these will only be the party members and basically just anything that can be in Sam’s apartment.

Starting with the man himself!

1-he really really wants to get away from the term NEET, and will absolutely deny it whenever it’s even implied.

2-listen this apocalypse is the most he’s brushed his teeth and showered in weeks, look at him

3-he isn’t constantly upset his face just kinda looks like that, and his voice, and his demeanor, and-

4-I like to believe he’s just absolutely unaware (or in denial) about his stalker Lyle. He had no idea any of this was happening until this all started. Up to you to say if this upsets him or turns em on-

Ah the woman who everyone I’ve seen play the game go “that’s a woman?!” And change their entire demeanor to her

1-Imagine being the first person ever to see a creature in space yeah she was not quiet about it to her friends at all

2-she and Jasper both are/were ignorant to their feelings, in a comical way

3-she tried to ignore the changes in her in the months of viewing the visitor

4-I like to believe now she’s mainly just the pink sludge and it’s just in the walls everywhere in the apartment (she did say she didn’t “feel” the apartment change when Henderson did his ptsd thing. Implying that normally she would feel it)

Our child!

1-it just loves life and living in it. Look at that dumb grin nothing could ruin that

2-even when it was still a baby it understood completely what was happening in the room with the hole who wanted to eat it. It now doesn’t trust Sybil that much because of how she’s in a wall.

3-that hat and backpack is old stuff Sam used to wear when he was a little kid

4-In the denial ending it is living a very good life with its new Eldritch dad

Teeth boi!

1-fuzzy was a toy Ben (or even the little sister doesn’t matter) got for him and it’s his most precious item

2-he does still have that urge to bite but luckily he just does it to bad people. And counters, and anything chewable

3-he was already best friends with Sophie before all this, he was there for her at school when all of her dad stuff was happening

4-when he grew up he worked to help other cursed who have mutations that are infectious in nature and aren’t exactly controllable

5-he still thinks there is hope for his little sister

MY GIRL!- sorry this gal just loves this freak

1-she was always kinda twitchy and “weird” even before all this. She was the type to do the knife hand game for fun

2-her cursed form is basically just all her pent up store clerk anger let loose

3-her love of fighting and competition comes from never being good or better in her eyes, always seeing herself as lesser for some reason

4-that grin is permanent now but she doesn’t care one bit

5-only friends with Morton because he has sharp things

6-admires Hellen in the “crush me” way. But only to then try to win whatever situation that would be

Jason looking motherfuck-

1-she is a amazing gardener obviously

2-has no romantic feelings for anyone else, her plants have already taken that role-

3-she didn’t grow in size because of being cursed, it was really only the face thing, she was always built like this

4-(as we know) she is the type to answer a paragraph of text with “k”

5-nowadays (denial ending) she just gardens like regular,

6-oh this is a good one. The plant apartment may just be hers and she left it when it started becoming like it is now

Little rascal

1-is the type to say “ah crud” and then say something absolutely disturbing

2-if you give her to her cursed mother she just kinda ends up in a catatonic state being “forever held” by her mom (someone draw that)

3-nowadays she’s friends with everyone and tries to keep up with them, still close with Joel and helps him with whatever he wants

The..*gag* streamer

1-had a bad experience with Sam (because Sam identifies him as “creep” even before really talking to him. That could just be judging his appearance but that’s boring)

2-he is the type to do controversy videos on absolutely nothing.

3-he isn’t cursed (unless you get the random chance of course) he just kinda looks like that

4-is the kind of person online of when any female character exists he has to make a hot joke

5-his life has not changed after all of this

Grasshopper

1-minor kleptomania but he can resist it good enough

2-he can hop like a grasshopper but he finds it deeply embarrassing to do that so he never does

3-deeply unbothered by everything going on, he just wants his spoons please

4-he does what salad fingers does to spoons, just less in a creepy way more of a fidget way

5-can say some really offensive stuff but it’s never on purpose, likely just stating what he observes

6-he just explores nowadays getting junk

I’ll be honest he’s not that interesting to me for some reason

1-dnd lover. He has to be the dm though

2-also a LARPer, and he’s fucking amazing at it

3-he hates Roaches so much. Like just actual despair and distraught seeing it. The hate is not mutual

4-he was the best janitor on the job and the fungal area did mess with him more than he wants to admit

I will continue this soon!

[deathcupcake]

Where the fuck are the news stories about those [need a truly reprehensible term] taking over IMLS today. They've been there all day. Where are the stories. Does the press even care. There are some press that don't kiss the yellow crud ass, aren't there. Maybe not, maybe all press is just worthless. Just stand by while you lose your cultural history, people. And all the cultural history of other people. You'll never miss it, I guess.

They're trying to control the narrative and everyone is too distracted to notice until it's gone.

Aha, NPR, you just posted an article, thank you.

[bear-boi-5]

They say my hunger's a problem.

Rummaging through the trash heap. Soy picks up things but throws them behind her if they don't interest her.

"God- where the bloody hell is all the good shit-"

She was trying to find things to pawn off with Bob but wasn't having much luck..

She perked up when she heard a noise.

".... Damn rats-"

She went back to sifting through the heap. That was until she got crash tackled into the trash out of nowhere-

"WOAH- FUCKIN- OWWWW- WHAT THE HELL-"

Soy's head spun 180 to look at her attacker.

It was him.

He had a wide grin on his face. He kept her held down.

"Woah Woah- hey there bud- mind uh- lettin me go- I don't wanna get roped into whatever crud you've got rattlin around in that racoon head of yours-"

"Oh shut up. I need a favour from you~..."

"Uh-huh.. and what exactly is that? It isn't very tubular of you to be crash tacklin peeps you want a favour from-"

"How about we make a deal~...? I get to borrow your body and your little powers for a while... and I'll give you whatever you want in return~.... I can see you've been searching for some stuff here~...."

Although you couldn't quite tell, it was obvious she glanced down at the trash before looking back at him. She tilted her glasses down and squinted at him.

"I understand if you don't believe me~... I promise I will deliver on my end~..."

".... Pinkie promise."

His expression changed to confusion- "Uegh- Pinkie promise-? What are you 5?"

"Hey hey, everyone knows that a pinkie promise is the hardest thing to break"

He rolled his eyes and did as she said.

After all, if it's to get a hold of her odd abilities, then he has to do something to get her to agree..

But some deals... shouldn't be made...

That shapeshifting ability makes the user hungrier and hungrier after each use.. and failure to meet the demands of the parasite results in control loss..

The bigger the shift and the longer they're like that.. the more demanding the food requirement will be..

Sometimes it's best to question the catches of someone's power before striking the deal. Smg4.

Here you go my silly mootie @grinnames /SILLY

[altocat]

I love reading all your posts about Sephiroth, but it begs the question... If Kadaj got a second chance, would be want to be himself for that life? Be the person Seph never got to be?

He feels disdain for Seohiroth because of Jenova, but... How would be feel if he explored those feelings deeper? Would it be just Seohiroth's self hatred turned up to the max because of circumstances beyond his control, to the point that he just wanted to come back as himself.. But also not?

And how would Kadaj deal with that? Is there enough of 'him' to separate himself from Sephiroth, and to basically have Kadaj tell him 'Come back yourself and figure out your own crud.'

They actually sorta answer this question in Opera Omnia, with Kadaj breaking free from Sephiroth/Jenova and sorta becoming a surrogate son to Zack and Aerith, as well as a surrogate little brother to Cloud. In a way, it's sort of a second chance for whatever was left of the Seph that was, but more or less a new beginning for Kadaj with his independence as a person and a family that loves him.

Honestly, Opera Omnia might have been a gimmicky mobile game but it had a lot of really interesting bits of closure for a LOT of characters. Kadaj is no exception.

[covidsafecosplay]

Y’know I’ve been thinking about how to make cons maximally covid safe, and one thing I keep coming back to is that they shouldn’t be indoors in convention centers. I know indoors means it’s conventionally easy to control the temperature and attendance, but we should be holding them outside. IMO at county fairgrounds

They’re already set up to have lots of separate activities going on at once and typically wired for electric/sound at multiple locations

They have tall perimeter fences, allowing organizers to only open 1 or 2 gates to check/sell tickets at

They have covered pavilions for sunny days, barns that get good airflow when doors/windows are open for rainy days

There are typically hotels nearby, and while they’re not onsite, I would personally be interested in renting a camper or even camping/hammocking in a horse barn stall to be onsite. Lots of people camp during fairs

There are public bathrooms

Fairs always have plenty of vendor tables set up (with popup canopies for shade)

People could bring their dogs!!!

Am I the first one to have this idea, or are there fairgrounds cons somewhere I’ve been missing out on?

Honestly, what you're describing sounds a lot like a renaissance faire, which are really awesome, though not necessarily covid-safe by default. Being outdoors helps as a single point of protection, but huge crowds can still pass the virus around. I'd personally still mask up and avoid big clumps of people even at an outdoor event--though I'd definitely feel safer than I would at a packed indoor event. It's all about layering multiple forms of protection--vaccination and masks and ventilation and avoiding large crowds. One is better than nothing, but doing all of them is best if you can.

I was actually a ren faire actor before covid hit (living chessboard fighter & lane performer), and covid is the major reason I haven't returned yet. The event is outdoors, but there are very packed, narrow lanes of vendor booths and closely-packed seating around all the stages. I caught some kind of faire crud every single year, and I wasn't willing to let that crud become covid. I'm absolutely hoping to go back in the future, once the event organizers can secure a better location that isn't quite so cramped (which is a thing I know they are working on, fortunately!).

[justagalwhowrites]

Lavender - Ch. 41

You, Joel and Ellie make it to the University of Eastern Colorado but you find things you don't expect. A continuation of Lavender ch. 1-40 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Canon typical violence. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ Only.

Length: 5.1K

“Don’t rely so much on the reins,” you said, your front pressed to Joel’s back, hands on his waist. “Use your legs and weight to guide her…” 

“Like squeezing?” Ellie asked, frowning. 

“Kind of,” you said. “So if you want to go right, shift your weight right a bit and press your left leg into the horse. Use the reins, too, but you shouldn’t be pulling so much as just guiding her…” 

Ellie nodded and you watched her body shift slightly, taking the horse around in a slow circle. 

“Don’t forget to keep your legs turned inward,” you said. “It’s real easy to let your knees go out, it’s more comfortable, but you’ll have better control if you keep them turned in.” 

“Right,” she said. “I think I got it?” 

“You’re looking good,” you smiled. She smiled back, looking pleased. 

“Never thought I’d be riding a fucking horse,” she said. “This is so cool…” 

“Yeah, not something I ever thought I’d get to do again either,” you rested your cheek in the middle of Joel’s back. He was warm, comfortable. You wrapped your arms around him a little tighter. 

“How’d you learn how to do it?” Ellie asked. “Was it in Texas with Joel?” 

She drew out his name, teasing him. Joel scoffed a bit. 

“She was a better rider than me when she came to Texas,” he said. “Showed me up once on a trail ride, thought I was gonna make myself look real good and it turns out she had to save my ass because I wasn’t payin’ close enough attention…” 

“No way!” Ellie laughed. “What happened?” 

“To be clear,” Joel said. “I’d have handled it just fine if I wasn’t tryin’ to pay attention to her because I didn’t know that she knew what she was doing…” 

“Oh sure,” Ellie nodded, looking skeptical. “So what happened?” 

“It was a trail that hadn’t been used yet that season,” he said. “Just out in the woods near a ranch that belonged to a friend of Tommy’s. I was leading, looking back to try to tell her somethin’ and my horse spotted a snake on the trail, freaked the fuck out, tried to throw me…” 

“Oh shit!” Ellie’s brows went up. “So what’d you do?” 

“Well I saw Joel lost the reins but the horse kept rearing back and trying to throw him,” you said. “So I took mine alongside his and got the reins and got it back down before he got tossed. It’s really not that crazy…” 

“How’d you know how to do that?” She asked. 

“I grew up riding,” you said. “My grandmother was friends with the people who lived next door and they raised horses. They were older, their grandkids lived an hour away and they didn’t get to see them much, so they liked having me around. I rode all the time from when I was about two until I left for college.”

“Well shit,” Ellie nodded. “I’ll just ride with you when things look bad.” 

“You might want Joel more,” you shrugged. “I’ve never tried to ride and shoot at the same time and I’m not a great shot, anyway.” 

“Good point,” she said. “Guess we’ll just all have to stick together then.” 

“Crud,” you sighed. “Such a disappointment..” 

Joel laughed once. 

The three of you had been riding south for more than two days now and it had been almost too easy. You hadn’t seen a single raider or infected anywhere. It’s part of why it had taken you so long to put Ellie on a horse on her own. You didn’t trust the land around you to not suddenly swell with enemies and try to swallow her. With Joel, she’d be protected. With you, you could escape quickly. On her own was too dangerous. 

But now, things felt more secure. You were so far from Jackson and any other sign of civilization that you knew there was almost no chance of infected. Raiders would be pretty useless out here, too - there was nothing to raid. You felt safe letting Ellie ride on her own for a bit. 

“Should rest the horses soon,” Joel said. “Keep an eye out for a good place to stop for the night…” 

Because the road had been easy, you’d made quick progress. Tommy had told you it would take a week to get there but you were on track to make it in just five days. 

You certainly weren’t arguing. You had no idea what was waiting for you at the university. How long you’d be stuck there. Maybe there were researchers there who were far better trained than you - people who went to actual medical school instead of learning at the hands of a military doctor because there was no more medical school to go to. Maybe the Fireflies had found someone from the CDC or the NIH, someone whose job it had been to deal with infectious disease. 

If that were the case, you had your notes. You could pass them off, talk it through with them and rest knowing you’d done what you could. You could go back to Jackson with Ellie and Joel and move into the house across the street from Tommy and Maria. You could take care of the people there as the world healed. You could have a life, be happy. Things that had felt out of reach for almost half your life now. 

If the doctors there were like you - trained to keep people alive but not in how to develop new medications or cure anything new - then you’d have to stay. But only for a while. Joel and Ellie would go back to Jackson and that would be hard but you could figure it out. Being apart for a while would be OK if it meant that you got the world back. You would figure it out from there. 

“OK but I want to use the rifle,” Ellie said as the three of you put some distance between yourselves and the horses to try to catch dinner. Joel sighed. 

“Gonna treat it right?” He asked. 

“Yes,” she rolled her eyes, exasperated. “I’ll be gentle, I’ll love it, act like I’m tryin’ to get it pregnant instead of shoot it…” 

Joel glared at her but slung the gun off his shoulder and handed it to her. 

“Hell yeah,” she smiled. 

The three of you leaned against the remains an old, dilapidated wall looking out into a field. Ellie and Joel were looking out while you faced behind them.

“You’d do well to learn this too,” Joel said, looking at you. 

“I just don’t like killing things,” you winced. 

“You know meat is from dead shit, right?” Ellie said. 

“Yes, thank you for your expertise my dear,” you shook your head and smiled a bit. “Maybe I’ll be vegetarian when we get back to Jackson…” 

“Finally gettin’ to a place where I can grill you a steak and you’re gonna stop eating meat?” Joel shook his head. “Damn shame…” 

“Got one,” Ellie said, lifting the rifle. You covered your ears and she shot. 

“Good job,” Joel said, getting up as you uncovered your ears. “Go get it, we’ll dress it…” 

“Should call it undressing it,” Ellie said, giving him the rifle back. “Undressing it from the inside even….” 

“Good to know we can make her pull the guts out of the turkey at Thanksgiving,” you said, Joel offering you a hand up. You took it. “Give you a break from the job.” 

“The fact that you’ll cut me open, pull out a bullet and stitch me up with no problem but gutting an animal is where you draw the line will always amaze me,” he shook his head a little. 

“Wasn’t exactly thrilled to fish a bullet out of you either, for the record,” you leaned your head on his shoulder and you watched as Ellie walked back toward you, rabbit held high by its hind legs. “She’s a lot like you, you know.” 

He sighed. 

“Yeah,” he said, voice heavy. “Yeah, I know.” 

You glanced up at him. 

“I like it,” you said. 

He scoffed a bit. 

“Someone has to, I suppose.” 

The three of you headed back toward the campsite, an outcropping in some rock that wasn’t overwhelmed by snow. You built a fire while Joel and Ellie dressed the rabbit and you got that oddly happy, domestic feeling in you as you did. Fuck, you hoped the Fireflies had good doctors. You didn’t want to say goodbye to this, not even for just a little while. 

Ellie fell asleep early and you sat close to Joel, the fire glowing and warm. His arm was around you and you were tucked securely against his side. 

“Really startin’ to hold a grudge against winter,” he said. 

“Oh?” You glanced up at him. 

“Real hard to get at any of your skin around all these layers,” he said. You laughed. 

“Someone decided to pick a fight instead of taking advantage of a night we had doors,” you elbowed him lightly. “And working heat. And showers.” 

“I know,” he groaned, dropping his head back against the rock. “I was a damn fool, should have fuckin’ known better…” 

“Really should have,” you teased. He tugged you closer. 

“Just make up for it when we get where we’re going,” you said. “I imagine there are plenty of doors at a Firefly facility…” 

“Test out the sound proofing on all of ‘em…” 

You could hear the smirk in his voice. You tugged the unzipped sleeping bag the two of you were using as a blanket up under your chin and tugged a glove off, lacing your fingers with his. He frowned. 

“You’re gonna freeze.” 

“You’re not the only one who wants a little more skin,” you said. He let your hand go, pulled off his glove, and returned it. His palm was warm, his calluses oddly comforting. 

“Speaking of the night in Jackson,” you said after a few minutes of sitting, quiet, just holding onto each other. “What you said about Tommy…” 

“I shouldn’t have said a damn thing,” he cut you off. “I was being an asshole, fallin’ into old habits with you, stupid shit where I try to get you to leave me because I’m scared and know I can’t leave you…” 

“You know I was only ever with him because I didn’t have you, right?” You asked, sitting up enough to look him in the eye. “Anyone I was with after you was just… It feels wrong to say it but they were just a placeholder. They were someone to keep from hurting too much because I couldn’t have you. 

“It’s not that I don’t care about Tommy,” you said. “I do. A lot. We were always friends, even before anything happened with you and me. But that’s all we were ever really meant to be.” 

Joel nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. 

“That’s how I feel about Tess, too,” he said. You frowned a little and he pulled you closer to him. “She was who I had because I was too afraid of getting hurt with you, I was who she had after her husband died. We were good friends - she was like family - but everything more… it never felt right.

“Baby,” he looked at you, his eyes deep and wide and sad. “I never said it properly but… I’m so sorry. I wasted so much time because I was so fuckin’ scared and it’s time we can never get back. I should’ve gotten my shit together years ago and instead I kept hurtin’ you and fucked up things for everyone. I never should have said what I did in Jackson…” 

“I know how you are when you get scared,” you reached up and knotted your gloved fingers in his hair, pulling his forehead to your own. He closed his eyes for a moment. “I understand it. But Joel, the solution can’t be that you leave. Even if it’s just temporary, even If you say you’ll be waiting for me. We live in a scary world. Even once we get to Jackson and settle, I’m sure there’s going to be times where I’m in danger or Ellie is or you are and you can’t run from it every time. You just can’t, this won’t work if you do. We have to be a team.” 

“I know, Baby,” he kissed you softly, deeply. “I know.” 

***

Joel suggested that Ellie try riding her own horse most of the day as the three of you closed in on the university. It would be good for her to get the experience, just in case she needed to handle a horse on her own. That was the reason he gave for it.

But Joel also really fucking loved sitting on a horse with you wrapped around him. Your arms around his waist, your legs next to his, the warm press of your face against his back when you decided to lean against him. He loved having you close like that, could have drowned in it and died happy, never worried about breathing again. 

Ellie, it seemed, took naturally to riding. Joel had enough experience himself - he’d picked up plenty you didn’t know about in the years before he made it to the QZ - but you were still the better rider and even you were impressed. She connected with the animal well, their bond intuitive and easy. But Ellie, for all her sharpened edges, seemed to do that with any living thing. 

He doubted she was even aware of it. But she’d had you wrapped around her finger for years and by the time the three of you’d made it to Kansas City, Joel was already horrified of what would happen if she got hurt or killed. Now, he knew he couldn’t lose her. Losing either of you was not an option. He’d burn the world down first. 

“Think they’ll let you keep sheep in the backyard at the house in Jackson?” Ellie asked. 

“Dunno,” Joel said. “But I changed my mind on that, anyway.” 

“Yeah?” Ellie asked. “What do you want to do then?” 

“I figure since you’re goin’ to the moon and that one,” he jerked his head back at you. “Is apparently goin’ to Paris, I’m gonna be a singer.” 

“No way!” She laughed. 

“Yup,” he said. He was starting to see signs of the civilization ahead of him. “That was what I wanted to do when I was young. Think I should give it another go.” 

“Were you any good?” She asked, pulling her horse up closer. 

“Ask her,” he nodded back toward you again. 

“He was really good,” you smiled a little. “Played some good guitar, too…” 

“Oh man,” Ellie smiled and shook her head. “I don’t know if I buy it, Doc’s biased when it comes to you…” 

“No I’m not!” You protested. “I’m a perfectly good judge of his talents and skills. He’s a good musician.” 

“Prove it,” she said. 

“Don’t exactly got a guitar on me, kid,” he replied. 

“When we get back then,” she said. “That town has hot water, I bet someone there has a fucking guitar… I’m going to save the fuckin’ world, man, the least you can do is show off those skills.”  

When you got closer to where he thought the university was, he had you and Ellie switch spots. You he could trust to run out of a situation while he provided cover for her. It was the best they could really hope for. 

“I’ll do the talking when we find them,” you said as the university loomed. “Not that they know you, Joel, but hopefully they’ll be receptive toward me…” 

Joel just gave you a stiff nod. His stomach was tight. There was something about this that made him uneasy. It wasn’t even the place, though it seemed oddly quiet for a Firefly base that wasn’t trying to hide from FEDRA. 

It was that this was the end of the journey for the three of you. There was something ominous about that, anything that implied some kind of severance or separation. 

Yes, it seemed that the three of you had decided to stay together after this point even though no one had expressly said that was the plan or why you were doing it that way. But there was uncertainty around this point. How long you would need to stay - and whether or not the Fireflies would fight to keep you if you didn’t agree. Just how long they’d need Ellie. Would they need her here for months, years, to keep drawing samples? He didn’t know how that worked, how any of that worked. What if one of you could go and the other couldn’t? Would you all stay here? Would he take you or her back to Jackson and return for he other one? What would be safest? 

“What does it mean, ‘home of the big horns’?” Ellie frowned as you came upon the entrance to the campus. 

“It’s the mascot,” Joel said. “For the football team and stuff. That one’s a kind of sheep.” 

“Huh,” Ellie said. “Hey Doc, did your school have a mascot?” 

“The Longhorns actually,” you said. 

“Hook ‘em,” Joel smiled a little. You laughed. 

“OK but like… not all of them are horn related, right?” Ellie frowned. 

“No,” you laughed again. “That’s just a coincidence. In Texas there were also the Aggies and the Raiders… Oklahoma had the Sooners. Michigan had the Wolverines. Notre Dame was the Fighting Irish…” 

“Sounds like a lot of bullshit for places people are supposed to be learning stuff,” Ellie said as you worked your way into the campus. 

“Kinda was,” you said. “A lot of focus on the stuff that brought in money, which was usually sports…”

“And plenty of people who went to college weren’t focused on the learning part,” Joel said. “Too busy partyin’ or tryin’ to find themselves to go to class.” 

“I’m guessing that wasn’t Doc,” Ellie smirked a little. 

“You would be correct,” you smiled. “I was a nerd.” 

“You’re still a nerd,” she teased. 

“Darn right,” you said. Joel winked at you. You smiled. 

Joel was starting to actively watch for signs of people but he didn’t see much - at least, no signs of people there now. Plenty of people from the past. 

There was a loud almost squawking sound and Joel tensed for a moment before he located the noise. A troop of monkeys - half a dozen or so - crossing the campus one right after the other. 

“Holy shit,” Ellie breathed. “The fuck are those?” 

“Monkeys,” you frowned. “Whatever you do, do not try to get close to one, they will quite literally rip our face off…” 

“OK but what the fuck are they doing here,” she said. “I thought they were from like… Africa and shit.” 

“Probably leftover from any animal testing labs the school had,” you said. “Or maybe the Fireflies had them… If it was Fireflies, that’s a hell of an operation.” 

“If it was Fireflies,” Joel asked, looking over at you. “Then why the fuck are they loose?” 

“Still,” Ellie said, voice still awed. “Never thought I’d see a monkey.” 

The three of you pressed on, Joel taking the lead until he found some guard posts that had clearly been abandoned. 

“Maybe we should get our guns out,” Ellie said. 

“Found the building at least,” you said, slipping off your horse. Joel and Ellie followed suit and you tied your horses off out front. 

“It’s awful quiet here,” Joel said. “Not sure what the fuck happened but…” 

You and Ellie both nodded. 

He took the lead, putting Ellie in the middle and you at the back as he went for the doors, his gun drawn. 

Inside the building, everything was in disarray. But it was a more recent disarray, something from within maybe the last few weeks, not disarray from when the world ended 20 years earlier. 

“There were doctors here,” Ellie said, stopping at a cart and picking up a vial. She held it out for you and you took it, looking it over. Joel holstered his gun and started rifling through things while you looked over the remains of the equipment. 

“Packing list,” Joel said, holding up a piece of paper. You came over and looked at it, frowning. 

“This is thorough,” you said. “Not a quick jaunt kind of thing, this is a ‘the whole operation is relocating’ kind of list…” 

“So, what, they’re all gone?” Ellie asked. “They just left?” 

Her voice cracked a little and she cleared her throat to cover it. 

There was a noise from inside the building, something clattering to the floor. 

“Maybe not yet,” you said, folding the lacking list and tucking it in your pocket. 

Joel pulled his gun back out and led the way up stairs, moving quietly. There was something behind a lab door, something banging around… He held his arm out to try to keep you back as he opened the door. 

There was a loud screech and a monkey knocked something to the ground with a metallic clatter before it took off through a broken window. 

“Maybe their research turned them into monkeys,” Ellie said. “The comic books finally came true…” 

“Stranger things have happened,” you said, starting to look around the room and see what there was. Joel went to a cork board, one covered in pins and thread. 

“Everything is pointing to Salt Lake City,” he frowned at the map. 

“That’s got to be where they went then, right?” Ellie frowned, standing next to him and frowning up at the map. “How far is that?” 

“A hike,” Joel frowned. “Few hundred miles. It’ll be easier with the horses but…” 

“I just can’t figure out why they’d leave,” you said, coming over to look at the map, too. “Relocating a lab is a bitch. I had to help a professor with it once, years ago. He was setting up some clinical trial and the drug company wanted it on their property, not the school’s and there was so much to do…” 

“Maybe the facilities there are better,” Joel shrugged. 

“Yeah,” you sounded uncertain. 

Joel heard something. He held a finger to his lips as he went to the window and peered out into  the courtyard below. A handful of men - all armed - were walking by. One laughed. His stomach clenched as he looked back to you and Ellie. Your eyes were wide. You’d heard it, too. 

He went back for the two of you. 

“The horses,” you said. “They’ll see the horses…” 

“Out the back,” Joel said. “Stay close…” 

He led the way. The men weren’t inside yet and Joel rushed you both out to the horses, scrambling to untie them from the tree he’d hitched them to. He was nearly done when Ellie grabbed his arm.

“Joel!” She shrieked, her eyes wide. He spun just in time to see a man swinging a wooden baseball bat at him. It cracked against the tree and the man scrambled for you next but Joel grabbed him, wrapping his arm around his neck and pulling back. The man struggled and strained - all dying men do. But Joel was stronger. More desperate. He cracked the man’s neck and he went limp before Joel dropped his body and he crumpled to the earth. 

He turned to face both of you, Ellie’s gun pointed straight ahead, yours aimed at the ground - he’d have to get on Ellie about where to point your fucking gun if you weren’t about to shoot it - when Ellie’s already wide eyes got wider.

“Oh shit,” she breathed, looking at his stomach. 

“Joel,” you reached for him and he looked down. The end of the bat was lodged inside him. He hadn’t felt it until he saw it. Then it was like a switch flipped. He went from feeling normal to the brutal, stabbing pain as his body was ripped open. He went to pull the wood out but your hands covered his. 

“You have to leave it in,” you said quickly. “You’ll bleed out too quick if you pull it out…” 

“Doc, the other guys,” Ellie looked at you. 

“Take the horses…” Joel began, but you ignored him, looping an arm under his and dragging him to the horse. “No, that wasn’t the deal…” 

“Joel I swear to God if you don’t get on this fucking horse I will lay down and die right here,” you snapped. 

He didn’t have it in him to fight you. Instead, he got on, about to tell you to take Ellie but you were already talking to her. 

“Get as far as you can as fast as you can,” you told her. “I’m going to lead them away. I’ll find you. Head for Jackson, but if you can’t make it, I’ll find you, OK? I’ll find you.” 

“But…” Ellie began but you shook your head. 

“You have to get him out of here, Ellie,” your voice was desperate. “You have to, you can do this…” 

“No,” Joel managed as Ellie clambered onto the horse behind him.  

“Hey!” The men shouted. 

You smacked his horse and it took off. Joel looked behind him to see you all but leaping into the saddle of your own horse, pulling your gun and shooting at the oncoming group. He saw you ride away, gun held out, as Ellie pressed the horse on. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been riding. His whole body hurt, the pain radiating out from the stab wound at his stomach. He was fighting to obey your order - to leave the weapon lodged inside him until he was in a position that he wouldn’t bleed out but it hurt. It hurt so fucking bad, the harsh, sharp wood ripping him with every sway of the horse and every breath. 

“Joel?” Ellie’s voice sounded so far away. 

You were so far away. Fuck, he should have stopped you from leaving. Who the hell knew where you were now? You should have stayed with Ellie, should have left him behind while the two of you made it back to Jackson. You could make it that far on your own, after the last week he was sure of it. 

The world tilted. 

“Joel!” Ellie’s words were louder but still far away. “Joel, we’re going to…” 

He slipped then, off the horse and onto the ground. It was cold, hard. The sky was blue. You were far away. Too far away. Why were you so far away? What if you were hurt? What if they’d touched you? What if they took you, what if they killed you… You and Ellie should always be close. It was wrong that you weren’t there… 

“Joel!” Ellie’s hands were on him. “Shit, you have to stay with me Joel, don’t leave me out here alone, please don’t leave me, please stay, please, I’m fucking begging you, I can’t do this alone. I can’t do this without you, I don’t know where I am or how to get to where we’re going, please Joel….” 

The sky was blue. The ground was cold. Ellie was close. You were gone. He wasn’t sure what happened next. 

*** 

You were a shit shot under the best of conditions. It was far worse when you were terrified and on horseback. 

But you still tried. 

The men were on foot at first and you had to go slow enough that they’d stick with you and not follow Joel and Ellie but they’d brought horses, too. And once they were on them, it was a whole other animal. 

You pushed your horse more than you wanted to, trying to put distance between you and the men. You’d have no hope of fighting them off if they caught you. There were half a dozen of them. You couldn’t shoot them all, you’d never have a chance to hit them all before someone got to you. You could only out run them. 

“Good girl,” you stroked your horse’s mane as she slowed to a trot. You couldn’t push her any harder, you could feel it. But you were pretty sure you’d lost them, anyway. “You did so good, we can take a break then we can track them down, OK?” 

You slipped off her back and started looking for something nearby that you could use to get her water. Snow was limited here so you couldn’t just melt some, but you hoped you could find a stream or something to help her with. 

Her breathing calmed and you found a river. She all but dove into it to drink and you held her reins, leaning against a tree, trying to stay calm. 

You had to give your horse a chance to rest otherwise you’d never catch Joel and Ellie, not on foot. But you wanted to move now, wanted to run as fast as you could for them. Joel had been stabbed - the image of it burned into your brain, making your chest clench and stomach knot. But the location could have been worse, it might have missed his kidneys and intestines entirely. With any luck it did. 

Not that you could count on luck. 

“Hey there pretty girl.” 

You jumped, drawing your gun and turning toward the voice. The man was leaning against a tree, not far from you, smiling. There was a knife in his hand. You held the gun out. 

“Stay back,” you warned. “I don’t want to shoot you.” 

“Do we kill her or take her with us?” 

There was another voice, from behind you now, and you spun to face it. 

Shit. 

You were out numbered. You could try shooting them but that was a sure fire way to get yourself killed. 

“Think we take her,” a third man now. Your heart pounded against your ribs. “Think James would be happy for the gift, she looks like his type…” 

“Yeah, she’s not David’s,” someone laughed darkly. 

“Please,” you said. You had to get to Joel, he was stabbed, he was bleeding, Ellie was all but on her own, you had to get to them you had to… “My friends, they’ll be looking for me…” 

“So?” The man from behind you said. 

“I don’t want to cause you trouble,” you said, backing up until you were pressed against your horse. “Just let me go on my way…” 

“Sorry baby doll,” the men were pressing into you from all sides now. “We just can’t do that.” 

One stepped forward and grabbed your gun and, in the instant before one of them started dragging you away, you’d never felt more terrified or more alone.

A/N: Eeeeeeeeeek! The trio is separated, Joel's stabbed, Doc's been taken. It's a whole thing. A whole big, exciting thing :)

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[virenasalin]

Zalan Laidir | RRAU Characterization Cheatsheet

posting to my blog first for organization (and for the OC masterpost that i'll get to....eventually 👍)

Basics

age: 51 | gender: trans male (he/him) | race: elf | class: mage

Nicknames: Trapper, Hahren (both from @bubblecat-co's Aria)

Faction: Lords of Fortune, former Inquisition agent, affiliations within the broader Felicisima Armada

Skills: primal magic, extensive knowledge of the Fade and conversing with spirits, medical knowledge (spirit healing & herbalism), some knowledge of Qunari culture, experience fighting Antaam, keen observation, strategic planning, navigation, sailing, lockpicking, and stealth

Languages: Trade, Rivaini, broken Qunlat, bits and pieces of Elvhen (swears and innuendos. this is Isabela's doing)

Personality

Zalan might initially come off as too rowdy to more introverted folk but he's an amicable guy if you give him a chance. A social butterfly, good at getting people out of their shell, and a shameless flirt. He's someone who'll immediately notice you enter a tavern, kick out a seat, order another round, and work you into whatever game the table is playing. Very outgoing! Definitely not a man playing up the fun-loving aspects of himself in an attempt to ignore his declining mental health.

Body Language&Physicality

General Behavior: Confident, but also like he's trying to appear larger than he is. Stands tall, chest at least slightly puffed. Good at maintaining eye contact. Gesticulates. A lot.

With Friends: More relaxed. He'll allow himself to start slouching. Physically affectionate; leaning into their space, sharing food/drink, throwing an arm around their shoulders, roughhousing. Fully engaged when they're speaking.

Flirting: Someone hit this man with a broom istg. Bedroom eyes, batting his eyelashes, wicked smirks, stretching in an exaggerated manner, a finger running down their arm. He's quick to back off if the other is uncomfortable but a menace if they reciprocate.

With an Established Romantic Partner: He's a clinger I fear. 😔 Always has at least one point of contact with them (linked hands, an arm around their waist, sitting on their lap, playing with their hair). Comfortable with PDA as long as his partner is. His smiles seem... gentler. They reach his eyes, accentuate the lines around his mouth more, and unintentionally betray how exhausted he constantly is.

In Combat: Predominantly a staff user, primal magic is his forte. He prefers staying on the outskirts of battle and focusing on crowd control/healing. That being said, he's very protective and won't hesitate to get up close and personal with an orb&dagger if one of his allies is in serious trouble. If it's his LI in danger? Watch out, this man is seeing red. His carpal tunnel has him frequently rotating his wrists or stretching his fingers to get some relief, particularly in long drawn out fights.

Dialogue&Speaking

Voice: Alex Jordan. Absolutely perfect casting by BioWare right there I genuinely can't imagine him sounding different

General: Respectful, unless he's given a reason not to be. Talkative. Likes to joke around. Prefers to not beat around the bush.

With Friends: Warm. A lot of good-natured ribbing. Frequent long discussions about shared interests. He's a fairly open book when he's comfortable with someone, the only thing he won't talk about is his mother.

Romance: Loves to purr all the dirty thoughts going through his head into his partner's ear, but also drop copious amounts of pet names, sweet nothings, frequent declarations of love. He's ultimately very schmoopy. He's not a jealous man, but he does have a protective streak. Will get in someone's face if his partner is being insulted.

Humor: Raunchy. Sarcastic. The occasional pun bad enough to make everyone from Rivain to the Anderfels cringe. Laughter that grows from a snort to full on guffawing; often ending in a coughing fit.

Anger: If it's something small he'll get snarky, but really piss him off? He's loud, he's crude, he's throwing insults in every language he knows, he's cursing your entire bloodline, he may be slurring his speech. The further from sober he is, the greater the chance something catches fire.

Cursing: Listen.... the man has been a sailor for decades and he's got the mouth to match. He (shockingly) does know how to rein it in around more proper company but generally? Chantry Sisters please cover your ears.

Room Aesthetic

Cramped Cozy and cluttered lived in. Resembles a dragon's hoard. Good natural light from a couple windows (+bonus: helps the room feel less claustrophobic). Zalan is used to small living quarters and much prefers that over something with a large open floorplan. Having a space all to himself is a nice change; it's something he hasn't experienced since he was captain of his own ship over twenty years ago. It does bring out his magpie tendencies something fierce, though. I picture his room starting off pretty bare bones and filling with stuff as time goes on: overflowing jewelry boxes, cosmetics/perfumes/combs haphazardly lining his vanity, potted plants. Don't bother offering to help organize. He'll insist until he's blue in the face that he knows exactly where everything is and there's a method to his madness (he does not and there isn't). His room smells mainly of incense (sandalwood or clove are common) and the plants he's drying - embrium, spindleweed, typically something medicinal for poultices. There's always a faint, lingering smell of burnt elfroot.

[marta-bee]

News of the Day: Silver Linings and Baby Steps

Paywall be gone.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, honestly. [/snark] The generous explanation is he's been neglecting his other business interests with all the DOGE crud and the casual racism and what-not, and his businesses need him more involved to succeed.

The more plausible answer? His cars were always expensive and appealed to liberals. Who now hate him enough it's causing a massive branding problem for him, and because expensive electric cars aren't as attractive for the MAGA crowd for a lot of reasons, it's hurting him in a big way.

Bye bye, Mr. Paywall!

The Maryland Senator flew down to El Salvador last week (was it only last week? Time is definitely extra timey-wimey these days) to see his constituent Kilmar Abrego Garcia. No one in the US government was willing to smooth the way since the Senate is still Republican-controlled. So he just showed up and started demanding meetings. He demanded details about Bukele's contracts with the US to house those inmates.

Garcia is still in prison, albeit a different one. But his wife knows he's alive; that was a real concern. Garcia himself knows his family are praying for him and hoping for his return. And the rest of us got an object lesson in what you can accomplish if you just do something. It's harder to paint him as a throw-away gang member when you see all those people standing with him, for one thing. And now other Democratic Congressmen are going down to El Salvador, to keep the pressure up.

I don't want to sound too sanguine. It's still truly scary, serious times, and we face an uphill battle every day. But people are finding their voices in big ways and small. They're filing lawsuits. They're quitting their jobs in protest. They're marching in the streets. Those crowds were so huge! (& given how obsessed first-term Donald Trump was with crowd size, that's certainly... something.) They're showing up at town halls, supporting their neighbors, and calling their representatives.

At this point I hardly know what real success looks like. Court victories will get overturned. Congressmen will sometimes ignore their constituents, or just not have the power to do much. Etc. But if anything means anything these days, there's much more activity, and it gives me hope.

More specific details about how people are standing up, below the cut.

Elon Musk, DOGE and Tesla

Tesla’s Remarkably Bad Quarter Is Even Worse Than It Looks (X)

DOGE May Not Need Elon Musk Anymore (X)

'The damage is done': Traders say Elon Musk's return to Tesla is too little, too late (X)

Elon Musk Gives Timeline Update About His Future with DOGE (X)

Columbia Caved to Trump. Harvard stood their ground, and are getting targeted in rather extreme ways. But other universities are now standing up, too.

Universities are accustomed to acquiescing to the government, but Trump made Harvard an offer it couldn’t not refuse. (X)

Harvard Stacked Every Penny of Its $54 Billion Endowment and Told the Trump Administration to Bring It On (X)

US IRS planning to rescind Harvard's tax-exempt status, CNN reports (X)

A Former IRS Chief on Trump’s Attempts to Gut—and Weaponize—His Agency (X)

Trump Threatens to Block Harvard From Enrolling International Students (X)

More Than 200 Higher-Ed Leaders Decry Trump Administration’s ‘Unprecedented Government Overreach’ (X)

Endowments aren’t blank checks – but universities can rely on them more heavily in turbulent times

Trump administration’s attack on university research accelerates. With billions in grants put on hold, targeted universities will see research crippled. (X)

Cato Institute: Feds Can’t Regulate “Ideological Diversity” at Schools Like Harvard (X)

Mass. Gov. Healey says Harvard cuts are part of ‘outrageous’ plan to ‘silence critics’

The Cost of Defunding Harvard to the Sciences (X)

Jewish, Israeli Harvard students warn Trump policy hurting them (X)

The Battle For American Thought (X)

Harvard Chooses Defiance: Columbia found out the hard way that capitulation doesn’t work. So why should other universities give in to the Trump administration’s demands? (X)

The Conservative Case for Leaving Harvard Alone (X)

Universities have few good options under Trump's pressure campaign (X)

Contra: Resist, eggheads! Universities are not as weak as they have chosen to be. (X)

How Harvard University fares in its struggle with Donald Trump may well determine the future of academic freedom in the United States. (X)

The right-wing conspiracy behind Trump’s war on Harvard (X)

Trump’s war on universities will not end well for him (X)

Legal Pushback, and (sadly) Pushback against the Pushback

Supreme Court blocks order requiring Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers

Fired, rehired and baffled: Confusion reigns for thousands of reinstated federal workers. (X) After lower-level federal judges ordered the Trump administration to rehire probationary fired workers, they played games and largely didn’t let them resume work.

Judge orders new limits on DOGE data access at Social Security Administration

Federal judge blocks Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America

Judge temporarily blocks NYC mayor from allowing ICE agents on Rikers Island jail (X)

Foreign students sue Trump officials over revoked visas as 1,000 affected

Judge issues temporary restraining order against deportation of more than 100 international students whose visas were revoked (X)

International students stripped of legal status in the US are piling up wins in court

Leaders Speaking Out

Fired corporate regulator sounds ‘blinking red alarm’ over apparent rise of billionaire power under Trump

A whistleblower's disclosure details how DOGE may have taken sensitive labor data

Former President Biden Bashes Potential Cuts To Social Security In First Post-White House Remarks

A Startling Admission From a G.O.P. Senator: ‘We Are All Afraid’ (X)

Fox News: Clinton says we 'owe' it to Oklahoma City bombing victims to 'do better' as a nation (X)

Al Gore compares Trump administration to Nazi Germany. The former vice president said the administration was “insisting on trying to create their own preferred version of reality.” (X)

CA Gov. Newsom Will Seek Trade Deals That Spare California From Retaliatory Tariffs (X)

Toll on Manhattan drivers remains in effect, despite Trump’s Easter Sunday deadline

Trump's Behavior After Hegseth Reports Is 'Dangerous': Retired Army General (X)

Everyday People, Too

Anti-Trump protests this weekend turn focus to community action

Trump's approval rating on the economy drops to lowest of his presidential career, CNBC survey finds (X)

A group of small businesses sued President Donald Trump, seeking to block new tariffs that he has imposed on foreign imports in recent weeks. (X)

I’m autistic, and I work. And I made sure to let RFK Jr. know it. (X)

Americans sour on Trump's handling of the economy, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds (X)

Broader View

The People Are Resisting While the Elites Are Surrendering (X)

The Trump-Harvard showdown is the latest front in a long conservative war against academia

Trump vs. the Ivy League: ‘These are elite institutions and blue states’

[little-worm-grant]

Steven's pov: Happy Simple Normal Life

1,153 words / Masterlist.

If you like what you see, leave a like or reblog and follow me ♥

Summary: Some lighthearted scatterbrained memories from the mind of Steven Grant and his formative years. Previously: Marc's pov: Behind Closed Doors (18+ hurt/not a necessary read)

Continued: Steven's pov: Oh Sausages (more comfort)

Tags: Childhood Memories, Comfort, Fluff, Developing Friendship

Corridors were quiet. Everyone else had gone outside for recess. Steven had spent all his free time hiding out in a classroom to read. He was a good boy, and knew how to fly under the radar. Teachers felt they could count on him to be left in a classroom unsupervised. They didn’t know what he was really up to.

Steven had only one other love besides books. The moment he knew the coast was clear, he’d take the teacher’s chair out from behind the desk and push it out the classroom. He'd use it to race down the hall as fast as he could. Hopping on at the very last second to try and see how far he could roll. Might've seemed silly to some, but Steven got the biggest thrill out of it.

Sometimes the chair would collide with the wall. Other times he’d not make it onto the seat and looked like a pretty sad sap on the floor with the chair wheeling away from him. He kept trying. Just a couple of tries each time before retreating back to class. He never wanted to push his luck and get caught.

First attempt was crap. Caught on a classroom door frame and bounced to the other wall rather than down the bleeding hall. Okay, Steven. Get it together. He returned back down one end. The wheels of the heavy chair crackled along the dirty floors. Determination in his eyes.

Catching his breath back he looked over the seat to plan his trajectory. The hallway seemed to close in on him. Long and narrow. His breathing came back to him in long steady breaths. One last try. Now or never Grant.

Kicking off with one push against the wall. Shoving the chair forward. Steven broke into a sprint. His hands gripped the arms tightly. Cheering himself on. Losing his breath he made the final move to jump up onto the seat.

One knee up. Using the other leg to push off the ground. Steering the speeding chair down the hallway. Passing doors and lockers faster than he thought was possible. Smooth sailing. Second knee up. He clung to the backrest of the seat and beamed.

For a single moment, Steven Grant was on top of the world. Fearless. He could do anything he set his mind to and-

“MISTER SPECTOR!”

The screech of a woman's voice startled him. Swiveling his head around to see who his teacher was yelling at. Only finding her horrified eyes dead set on him. Oh crud. Too caught up on being caught, he’d not been looking where he was going. The chair bounced off a wall causing the whole thing to go barreling out of control. The last thing little Steven remembered was his face about to kiss the floor.

"OH SHI-"

Nice one, plonker.

School trip to the aquarium. He’d remembered being so excited to go to this. Couldn't believe he was actually here, that'd come round fast. The place was pretty busy. Lot of people around in and between his peers while the teacher tried keeping them all wrangled together. Fat chance of that. Steven might have gotten a tad distracted watching one of those informational videos. Not hearing or noticing anything else around him while his eyes were zoned in on the screen. Deeply entrenched with a slew of facts about mantis shrimps. Those buggars could really pack a punch. He couldn't even imagine seeing more colors. Hadn’t noticed the group had left him behind until they were already gone.

That was one of the few times Steven had ever truly felt lost in childhood. Alone in a new location without any way to find or get in touch with his group. Maybe he should wait there until he got back. Going off wandering would only make it worse, he wasn't daft. Once they noticed surely they’d come back.

He paced, avoiding stepping into people’s ways, trying to go back to information screens to settle himself but it wasn’t the same blissful unawareness he’d had before. The pit in his stomach worsened with every minute that passed. He started to need the bathroom but worried he might get lost trying to find one or while getting back. Panic built up in his throat and made his eyes all glassy. Blinking back the tears the back of his hand came up to wipe.

That's when he caught his own reflection in the glass of one of the darker aquariums. Murky waters showed the reflection of another boy who looked far calmer than he felt. Arms down by his sides. Didn’t constantly have his hands up in front of him fiddling or flailing them around like Steven did.

“Hi.” He said quietly.

“Hi.” The voice responded.

Steven imagined he heard him say it back, like he was right there. But he couldn’t have. That would’ve been daft. Imaginary friends his dad would have reminded him. That's what he told himself too. He could have conversations with himself for hours sometimes.

“I’m scared.” Steven admitted out loud to himself. To the fishes. To his friend.

“I know.” The reflection moved when he did. Another short pace to get closer to the glass. The facial expressions were all wrong. Maybe not wrong was the right word, but different. Steven could swear he didn’t frown like that. The voice spoke again. “It’s going to be okay though. You know that. Take a deep breath. They're gonna come back.”

Steven did take that breath. Sharply in and slower out. Letting go of that pent-up feeling building in his chest. Felt less alone, even if it was his own reflection that eased him.

“Yeah… I hope so. Would be a bit of a bummer if I had to live here with the fishes.”

"Nahh- that wouldn't be so bad. That's right up your alley."

"It'd be bosting honestly. I'd be dead happy. I'd name every single one of 'em Gus. We'd have a right good time."

The voice chuckled and the reassurances worked. If only to settle Steven down enough to subdue the growing panic.

"You think they'll be back soon?"

"Course. I'll wait with you until they do. Tell me about what you've seen so far. Is it fun?" "Oh man you wouldn't believe it. So there's this shrimp, yeah?"

He talked and talked and talked. The reflection listened. Even Steven was smiling in the end. Someone eventually did come back for him. Found him in the same place they’d left him, chatting away with the fishes. Telling them all about his day. The teacher was firm but nice. One last glance to the glass. He caught only his own reflection looking back at him this time.

“Bye mate.” He waved to the fishes as he was guided back to the group.

Kept telling himself everything was going to be okay; because in the end, it always was.