#doesn’t he want it to be safe?? and welcoming??? and Not racist?

[dreamerlynx]

the craziest part is I still don’t expect Q to respond in any way. like at the very least you’d think he hears his once friend has been getting an increase in stalking and real life threats and realize this is not just a petty minecraft server problem or community problems since he clearly doesn’t care about those (<— sorry if that’s mean but I call it like I see it)

[henry-fox-biggest-stan]

I’ve seen someone else mention this, but I also wanted to talk about this

The erasure of queerness in the movie is something I definitely did not expect.

Sure, it’s a love story between two men, but grab Alex and Henry and make them a man and a woman, the movie doesn’t change much. Maybe monarchy instead of being homophobic and racist now it’s only racist, and they hate Alex not because he’s a man but because he’s brown. They kept it a secret because of monarchy’s racism, but love triumphs at the end. That’s why the movie didn’t hit as hard as the book. The movie is just some forbidden love movie, rwrb is a book where the main characters are in a forbidden relationship, but it’s not the whole point of the book.

Alex discovering his sexuality, Nora being bisexual, whatever Pez had going on, whatever June and Nora had going on, Alex learning about queer history, the historical lgbt love letters at the ends of their e-mails, all the references to queer history and literature, THE SHELTERS, monarchy’s homophobia (yes, it appears on the movie but it’s really glossed over. It doesn’t show just how homophobic they actually are in the book), Alex stating how he knows more about himself the more intimate (both in the sexual and non sexual sense) he is with Henry, Luna being gay and unapologetic about it and being exactly Alex’s queer role model, even before Alex knew he was queer himself, THE FUCKING SHELTERS

I’m so so mad about the shelters being missing.

Henry and Pez made shelters for lgbt youth, so they can never feel as alone as Henry once felt, so they can always have a safe space so they know there’s nothing wrong with them no matter what the adults in their life might say, no matter what the preacher or their classmates or the right wing politicians in their tv might say, where they can find hope, and friends, and a home if they never had one before, or at least, one where they could truly be themselves. The shelters are, I would say, crucial to Henry’s character development. He went from hiding, believing being gay was “the most unforgivable part of him”, not even trying to come out because he just succumbed to live an unhappy life in the closet, to someone who’s out, living with his boyfriend and running lgbt shelters with his best friend so young queer people can move past all the things he felt and believed time ago, so they know they are perfectly normal and loved and safe in there, as long as Henry and Pez are there they’re safe, they don’t have to hide anymore.

Henry became the queer elder he needed in his life when he was younger. The lgbt adult who could tell him than it would get better, no matter how bad it was at the moment, no matter if he couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, because it was there, he just had to hold on a bit more. Than there was absolutely nothing wrong with him.

Another thing than I seen changed than a normal person might not notice, but I did, because im obsessed, is the karaoke scene.

In the book, it takes place in something resembling a gay bar (maybe not exactly, but it’s full of queer people), and look at this

Three rounds of shots appear —one from a drunk bachelorette party, one from a herd of surly butch chicks at the bar, and one from a table of drag queens. They raise a toast, and Alex feels more welcomed than he ever has before, even at his family’s victory rallies.

Look again

and Alex feels more welcomed than he ever has before, even at his family’s victory rallies.

This book is about about finding community, finding yourself, finding love and letting yourself accept that love.

Do you think Alex in the movie has felt “more welcomed than he ever has before, even at his family’s victory rallies” at any point? Has he been with another queer person in the whole movie, except Henry, at all?? Because Nora’ sexuality was not mentioned at all no references nothing and with the whole Pez thing everyone could see Nora as just straight

Henry and Alex in the movie are kind of without community, alienated from it, they are, in my personal opinion, the kind of gay people republicans would consider “good gay people” who “don’t shove it on everyone’s faces and just wanna be left alone” (in the rwrb universe where they exist and are real not actual republican people watching the movie). They don’t really take a role on the community, in the book, Alex and Henry being queer is an important part of themselves, again, Alex feeling like he knows himself better, Henry whole internalized homophobia, their shared interest for lgbt history and literature, Henry and Pez making the shelters, etc etc meanwhile in the movie Alex and Henry just happen to be gay and bisexual, but it’s no deeper than that.

And don’t get me started on creating Miguel, a queer character, and making him the one to leak the e-mails or smth instead of a republican candidate

[specialagentlokitty]

BAU headcannon: Reader who is Muslim and wears a Hijab

Please If your comfortable could you maybe write something where the BAU gets a new member who happens to be Muslim and wears a hijab, like what they would do or say if someone says something about it.... Or just in general how they would interact with her. - Anon💜

A/N: as I am not Muslim and I don’t know much about the culture or about wearing a hijab I’ve tried my best to write this as a headcannon, I hope it’s alright!

You’ll always be sure to get a warm welcome from Garcia, never fear because she’ll be happy to be your best friend from day one

Everybody else is happy to have a new helping hand on the team

The team, especially Hotch will try make any accommodations that you may need, especially for Muslim holidays

Thankfully Reid is well versed in many things, which means that he also knows exactly what to do in any kind of situation that may come up

There may be a lot of questions, the team don’t want to seem rude but they want to get to know as much about your religion as possible

At dinners, especially at Rossi’s you can be sure it is a 100% safe place and everything will be suitable for you

Undercover for whatever reason? Don’t worry you’ll always be paired with one of the ladies

They are extremely protective off you

They will not tolerate any discrimination against you

Someone’s says anything rude, offensive or racist? They’re ready to jump in

Derek is straight in front of you, telling whoever it is to start on him and see what happens

Emily is quick to shut them down, threatening them if she has to

JJ is right there beside Emily or Derek, ready to do whatever it takes to get this person away from you

Rossi is next to you, waiting for you to let him know he can jump in, he’ll be furious but he’ll follow your lead

Hotch is straight to getting ready to get this person fired, he doesn’t care about how far he has to dig in order to do it or how many heads he’s gotta go over

Reid isn’t much for confrontation but so help anybody who dares to speak ill to you, he will reign down hell of facts with some threats slipped in (and he’s already texted the whole team)

Garcia is immediately researching this person and any dirt on them she’s sending straight to your phone for you to use

After they’ll all check on you, make sure you’re okay and if they stepped out of line when defending you they will apologise

They know you can handle your own, but they don’t let any kid disrespect their family

They are all ready to join in on your holidays as well, learn about them and take part in them

They won’t make you take part in any holidays or events you don’t want to or can’t take part in

Rossi will learn to cook your dishes

Reid will learn how to speak and read your language so you aren’t alone (it wouldn’t surprise me if he already knows it though)

Garcia please oh please take her shopping with you, show her all your favourite outfits, show her EVERYTHING

JJ wants to know all about your home, your family, friends

They are all so down to go visit your family if you wanted them too, or come with you somewhere

You don’t feel comfortable going somewhere but need to go? Text anybody on the team and they’ll rock up so fast

They’re a huge family

Guess what?

You’re part of that family too

Oh and food

Please make them food, they’ll be so hyped to try your dishes

Be prepared for them wanted to help too, especially Rossi and Garcia

[ariadnes-red-thread]

Ariadne’s Red Thread: Masterlist

Welcome to my little slice of Tumblr. Call me Aria :) Fan of many fandoms, but I write for Star Wars/TCW. I’m chronically lazy with being social on here, but asks and inbox are always open if you want to chat!

THIS BLOG IS DNI FOR ALL MINORS. All of my writings involve adult themes and are rated *explicit*. No clonec*st, anything involving minors, non-c*n, roleplay, or m*ster/p*dawan here, please. Unapologetically pro-choice, pro-science, anti-racist, and a safe space for LGBTQ+. Anything less will not be tolerated.

All individual warnings are posted on the stories. Please conscientiously consume. Masterlist under the cut.

Last Update: 2/09/2024

Taglist

Ao3 

Series [Ongoing]: The Last Word [Fives x OFC]

After surviving a massacre on her home planet and rebuilding her life as a medic with the 104th, Mal’s world is thrown back into chaos when she transfers to the 501st and dives into a search for answers that she had abandoned a long time ago. Up against forces that she doesn’t understand and unwittingly a participant in a race against time, Mal turns to her new battalion for help.  Fives just wants his brothers to heal after the horrors of Umbara, and he doesn’t trust this new medic is telling them everything.

Mal and Fives' struggle to save those they care about comes together in unexpected ways, and, despite their best efforts, they find themselves thrust together in a battle for the future of a galaxy far, far away.

Series/One Shots [On-going]: My 150 Follower Celebration

Some spicy requests from some very special moots to celebrate this lovely community of clone girlies (gn). Includes Rex x F!Reader, Jesse x GN!Reader, Fives x F!Reader, and Wolffe x F!Reader

One Shot: Promise Me [Jesse/F!Reader, Rex/F!Reader]

When Rex made that promise to Jesse, he didn’t think that he would ever have to keep it.

One Shot: Bad Habits [Fives/F!Reader]

You try to can try to break your bad habits all you want, but somehow you always end up here, with Fives.

One Shot: In His Sights [Crosshair/F!Reader]

As the Bad Batch’s medic, you’re used to seeing the details so you can pick up on changes in your boys. As the team’s sniper and an enhanced clone, Crosshair’s got the best vision of the batch. Somehow, neither of you can see what’s right in front of your faces.

One Shot: Heartbeat [Fives/F!Reader] 

You wake up to find that you’re trapped in a cave with Fives. As oxygen dwindles and every breath you take is a countdown to death, you’re forced to confront your feelings for the ARC Trooper.

One Shot: Fields of Gold [Jesse/GN!Reader]

Jesse is home on leave, and he has a special surprise planned for you. Inspired by an absolutely beautiful piece of Jesse art by cobaltbeam

Drabble/One Shot: Shadows of Ryloth [Keeli/Unnamed Fem!OC] 

As the end nears, Master Di reflects and confronts his Captain about secrets poorly kept [Trying to fix my writer’s block with a little one-shot/drabble AU if Master Di had a padawan and she and the prettiest clone fell in love. SFW and NO MASTER/PADAWAN. Just 700+ words of angst.]

AND COMING SOON… [More details on the way!]

Series: TBD [Jesse/OFC!Reader]

Series: TBD [Rex/Reader]

[mythicalwispy]

About me and my blogish

Welcome to wispy’s box this is a safe place for mostly everyone!

Dni if: Pedo, Map, Proship, DDLG ABDL DDLB and any other variants, K!nk, NSFW, anti-LGBTQ+, Racist, Sexist, Ableist, pro ED and SH, Traumacore blogs, anti agere, anti petre, You wouldn’t show your blog to a child.

🌹My name is Wispy or mythical and I’m 16. I use he/they pronouns. I age regress because it gives me the childhood I never had and my little ages and be from 13-0.

🌹My blog isn’t all agere but it is sfw, I might have things like reblogs of hazbin hotel, helluva boss, star wars, anything gothic/emo/pastel goth. I also might be doing some song covers and posting them on tumblr because I love music so much. I will always have content and trigger warnings when needed especially if it’s mental health related.

🌹My little space is different, I have 3 littles their names are Lavender, Sunny and Ash.  My little space is strange because of the pieces of my personality that I’ve had to hide to keep me safe, but this doesn’t mean I have D.I.D, I haven’t been diagnosed with it so I’m not gonna say I have it yet until I know for sure. 

🌹I am a flip so I can be little but I can also be a caregiver! Don’t ask me to be your caregiver right away. I need to get to know you before that can be a possibility. 

🌹I am neurodivergent and possible neurodiverse? I have ADHD and I might be autistic but I’m not sure, I’m gonna go get assessed as soon as possible. (I have nothing against self-diagnosis, I just don’t want to self-diagnose because I want to make sure I actually have something before I get help for it.) I have bipolar, PTSD, and anxiety so little space is like the mighty god of all coping mechanisms for me because it helps me cope with everything at once!

🌹I want my blog to be as fun and safe for all of you as possible so feel free to tell me through asks your questions, anything you see wrong with my blog nicely please, vent to me (please put content warnings/trigger warnings), or just tell me whatever you want and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Things about Lavender 🪻

Lavender’s ages are from 0-4

Lavender loves soft and fluffy things

Some of her interests are Disney princesses, Purple, Hello kitty, Bears, My little pony, and Winnie the pooh.

Lavender uses she/her pronouns only

Things about Sunny ⭐

Sunny's ages are from 4-10

Sunny loves space and forest critters

Some of his interests are Ducks, Yellow, Dinosaurs, Bees, Bugs, and Sesame street.

Sunny uses he/him pronouns only

Things about Ash 🦝

Ash’s ages are from 0-13

Ash loves spooky things and music

Some of their interests are Bats, Black, Scooby-doo, Witches, Cats, and Rain clouds/storms.

Ash uses they/them pronouns only

🌹Questions about my little space are great but please don’t send me hate because of the way my little space is. Besides, being yucky to others is lame and if you're yucky to someone because of their little space you should reassess yourself because what good does being yucky to others do?

[real-jane]

Escape Birthday Challenge

🎃This is my Spooky Birthday/1000 followers Celebration Challenge!🎃

Thank you so much for supporting me. No matter how you found me, I’m thrilled that you decided to stay. October 15th will mark one year of writing for the Marvel fandom (that’s right–nostalgia for the new will be one year old next month!!), but I’ve been in this game a lot longer than that. Fanfic is my favorite hobby, and likely always will be. I love being here with you all! 

For this challenge, the theme is 👻ESCAPE👻. However you want to interpret that. Vague, literal, it’s all fair game!

(rules under the cut)

Any fandom/pairing is welcome! 

I’m open to submissions from most common fandom tropes, but please avoid extreme body horror, sexualization of minors, bigotry, racism and racist themes (esp in Halloween costume choices for characters. No appropriation will be tolerated). 

Please tag appropriately. 

Smut is welcome and encouraged, as is spooky/scary content. 

No word count limit. Please use a *read more* cut if over 500 words. 

If you’ve found this and you don’t follow me, you’re still welcome to submit. 

**Bonus points if you write me some lovely Women-Loving-Women content, or somehow incorporate the number 33 for my new age!**

Submissions due by Dec. 31st! I will compile a masterlist as submissions roll in. My actual birthday is October 16th, but please don’t feel obligated to submit by then.

–Tag your fics with #katesbirthdayESCAPE or #ESCAPEbirthdaychallenge so I can find them, and tag me, too!

--

Prompt Ideas:

Spooky 👻

A basement contains jars filled with unusual specimens.

The clock starts running backwards.

The empty swing is swinging.

New powers they can’t control.

No reflection in the mirror.

Power goes out.

Doors opening and closing on their own.

All the houseplants are dead.

Waking up in a panic.

Sudden dizziness.

Romantic 🦇

7 minutes in heaven.

The enemy who understands you more than anyone else.

Accidentally matching costumes.

First date haunted house.

They’re both scared but neither want to admit it.

Autumn carnival.

Sharing a blanket.

Carving pumpkins.

Baking something.

Making it to their loved one, no matter the cost.

Scary 🕸️

A person has the ability to make other people very ill.

The dead walk out of the sea.

A person finds new photos of herself on her cell phone that she didn’t take.

A couple vacationing in a remote area begins having the same nightmares.

The television switches to another station of its own accord.

A woman is happy when her dead loved one comes back to life… but he’s changed.

Tourists on a ghost tour, along with their guide, fall into the hands of an evil presence.

People begin sleepwalking and doing strange things in their sleep.

It always happens when he’s alone in the car.

Phantom pains.

Dialogue ideas: 🎃

"Look, I dressed up as you."

"That costume really is convincing."

"I don't believe in ghosts."

"Hey, this isn't funny."

"Do you think keeping your eyes shut will keep you safe?"

"You've heard the stories about what happened in that house, right?"

"There's no one here."

"He was right behind me."

"I swear, that door was locked a minute ago."

"I think we're lost."

“Why do you have to look at me like that?”

“Oh god, how can you manage to switch from cute to sexy in under a second?”

“I’m so lucky.”

“I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Is this the moment that we kiss?”

“The more I look at you, the more I think we need to leave.”

“What took you so long? I missed you…”

“I’m asking because I’ve seen the way you look at me.”

“I think I’m in love with you and I don’t know what to do.”

“Don’t look at me like that and then feign innocence.”

“I shouldn’t be allowed to be this happy.”

“You keep saying that we’re just friends, but you look at me too long for that to be true.”

“Please don’t love me the way you loved your exes.”

“Please come home, this doesn’t feel right.”

“Will you stay the night?”

“Hold my hand.”

“My heart hurts when I look at you.”

“Don’t blame it on the alcohol.”

“Kiss me like you mean it.”

“Don’t leave me like that again, you scared me.”

“You were never the person I wanted, but you were the only one I ever needed.”

“I hope we last.”

“You don’t know half of the things you do to me.”

__

Tagging potentially interested humans! No pressure either way: @peterhollandkait @abovethesmokestacks @mannien @motsdouxdejanie-inactive @buckysbirdie @fandoms-writings @sanguineterrain @thornsnvultures @indyluckycharlie @foreverindreamlandd @adecila @naarna @mayasreadingnook @obsidianvibranium @writing-for-marvel @majestyeverlasting @sweetdreamsbuck @amixedwitch @elixirfromthestars @wonderful-writes

my masterlist

[barzfrommarz]

i’m gonna be fr with y’all rn people who still cling to dsmp fans dni need to move on

‼️Q//SMP AND QUACKITY NEG‼️

Start putting q//smp fans dni instead because those mfs are way worse

starting with the server they had issues with a racist mod towards natives and that was never adressed and it was even brushed off by some members

Ay//pieree is the biggest piece of shit yet continues to be allowed in the sever that supposed to be diverse and welcoming. This mf even had quackity give out a shitty ass apology for him and continues to be a piece of shit with no reprocussions

Ce//llbit admitted to abusing his partner and stayed silent when his fans harassed her. I don’t care if he is doing better you are still giving a large platform to a fucking abuser and I can’t image how it would feel to see your abuser being successful after all the shit they put you through

Sli///me literally said “If someone doesn’t get along with q they are the problem” LIEK EXCUSE MEEEEE?!!?!?!?!!! Q//uackity has been known for just dropping cc friendships when they stop benefiting him and his platform. He has done it twice not just dteam. Like be so fucking fr rn

The fans are literally just all of the ex dsmp loreheads who basically ruined the fandom for a while and funny enough the dsmp fandom was suddenly way more nicer and open to people who weren’t just c!tommy apologists once the qs//mp started and everyone flocked to it to start more discourse about the lore

The server barley counts as rep imo. Huge majority of white men. Barley any queer people and no dark skinned people.

I’m not they type of person to be like “_____ fans dni” but if you are the type I suggest it bc I wouldn’t want that shit anywhere near me considering the fans. But not on safe spaces because we aren’t about to exclude a bunch of queer, neurodiverse, people of color etc from what is supposed to be a safe space. Everyone needs and is entitled to a safe space

I could go on but this rant is long enough so don’t find my fucking address please

[cosmotelluriantarot]

DESIRE, I WANT TO TURN INTO YOU.

hippolyta | 25+ | he/him | black, mestize, indig

disabled | mentally ill | autistic

icon credit: @xamag-draws

banner/header credit

toyhou.se (must be authorized to see characters)

spotify (where i hoard all my oc/world playlists)

pinterest (where i hoard inspiration and obvs moodboards)

hey, welcome! ^^ this is my oc side account! i will follow back from @2bu! more info is under the cut!

this is a personal oc blog for my ocs, various worlds, art and writing. this is separate from my warrior cats oc blog, but there might be some blood, death, and various other not savory things (images wise). everything will be tagged accordingly.

discourse free, but this doesn’t give a free pass to proshippers, defenders of incest, age gaps, racism, albeism, etc. if you’re a bigot or invested in defending/actively participating in gross stuff i’m going to block you. this is my safe space and a safe space for others.

i didn’t think this needed to be said but this blog is strictly SFW. no erotic content of any kind will be posted. i will only reblog textposts and suggestive stuff but no pornography or anything graphic.

that being said do not make unsolicited comments towards my ocs or my friends ocs/ships/etc- especially if they're sexual/gross in nature. you're going to be blocked.

I don't rp here on tumblr and am not actively seeking partners anyways.

i will also post moodboards here with credit, but make posts unrebloggable as i do not want people to use the artwork of my ocs, tag as kin and the like. please respect this, especially since i edit and format a LOT of the images and gifs I use.

DO NOT USE THE ART OF MY OCS, DO NOT STEAL THEM, COPY THEM, ETC.

I do not take moodboard/stimboard requests, and only do them when I feel like it for close friends and some mutuals. Please do not ask for a stimboard/moodboard, as I am not a blog for that.

if you can’t access toyhou.se due to not having a toyhou.se account, feel free to contact me so I can give you a free code, if interested!

if you're racist, antiblack, lgbtphobic, hate me for making black & brown queer woc you can go to hell. i do not and will never pander to white people's wants or desires out of my ocs. fuck you and leave me alone.

if you abuse the ask box in any way you’re going to be blocked and anonymous options will be revoked. the same goes for my DMS.

lastly, personal text posts will be tagged as #lyta.txt and art will be tagged as #lyta art.

[taxfraudhousewife]

i wish i had a red and yellow cheongsam that fit me

one that hugs my unmistakably southern lack of curves

i wish i’d had one made to span the measure of ox shoulders and dog ribs

i wouldn’t have even had to pay for it

if only i hadn’t hated myself so much

that id sooner welcome sweet jaws of death before letting some elderly cantonese woman take the measure of my waist

does everyone have to think they’re dying before they stop hating their body

i like smoking in a tight dress and the sound of my ribs tearing a few seams

i like the slender view of the mirror from the side and the bear like broadness i always forget to expect from the front

i got grubby little retard hands just mini versions of those of brave cossack cousins

extremely specific facial fat distribution so i can never escape my mom and her sisters

i look just like luka or rather he looks like me

i always worry that luka will turn out like me

i know it’s not the same but i’m racist so how can i not worry

something feels dutch angled when i forget i’m asian

but it always filters back in albeit painful slowly

maybe it’s cause those ancestors never haunted me like the white

they don’t claw and clamour over each other

they don’t bawl or beg to not be forgotten

maybe i just need to take the time to understand

to know what makes the river yellow and the soil sweet

to follow the blood money back to before money

all the autism in the world can’t thrust me far back enough to really know it

or at least think i know it

maybe i’ll find my leftist messiah along the way

maybe i’ll find the last camp we made before we parted ways

maybe we can stay in our cozy little yurt in the buttfuck middle of bronze age mongolia

it took two seconds to come up with that scenario and i already know it’ll haunt me forever

what a netflix writer level contrived way for your life and mine to be planted in the same dirt

why can’t we

can’t even have an ethnicity crisis without dragging my sticky brain across the thought of muslim jesus

still why can’t we

no ethnically specific checkpoints no sterilized sisters no chinese spies in the attic

it would be quiet and simple and willingly mundane

lovingly average

just one big happy family and you and me and some steppe horses and a fire

i just want to witness you witness the sublime

might the golden light of god burn the sick out of you

might it’s warmth on the grass and on you bring even two seconds of comfort

i know neither of us would last two seconds in bronze age mongolia

you’d say we’re built for being smart not strong

but im neither and now you and me in bronze age mongolia is all i want

i’d keep you safe

you’d make fun of me if i said that

and you’d make even more fun if you saw my sorry current state

it’s getting worse and i feel like a piece of shit for not pursuing anything medically

it makes me think of how paranoid you were how privileged i am to not refuse treatment because they bugged the hospital

i know i should tell someone but i don’t know what to say

other than you shouldn’t starve yourself during puberty

maybe we’re exactly the same cause i can’t even admit to a living human that i’m not good

but i wouldve to you

maybe i’m just going crazy from lying in bed for too long

it hurts so bad to breathe and it makes me think of you and every faint and dry heave and low oxygen burp makes it worse

if it made me this small and weak and vulnerable what the fuck did it do to you

is that and worse how you spent your last months on this planet

honestly i just wanna crawl back into bed with you where we can both die in peace

i can handle the fainting and heaving and burping if at least you’re warm and well fed

last night i dreamed i had a man warm in bed with me

there was some sort of sexual connotation that i refused to investigate

he looked some type of brown like my dumb brain doesn’t even really know your face anymore

even in dreams it’s always the sexual connotation in place of the thing you’re supposed to know years before that

as if i could learn how to be an adult when i don’t even know how to be a human

i got scared my subconscious liked incest so i played with the thought

grateful to have found it funny and gross and absurd

maybe that’s what happens when men don’t learn to use their words

when fleeting moments of touch are all you have to cling to

i never learned to use my words to say i love you and you look like shit and im worried

still can’t say i miss you and i long for you and im going crazy without you

can’t say how we’ve maybe spent a combined hundred and forty four hours in each others presence

and maybe half of it i was too young to know

it’s stupid but anything good in me came from you

you gave me anger and sadness with a definitive source

not an age old curse not physiological misfortune not inherent wrongness rooted deep in my bone marrow

is that a stupid way of saying you introduced me to basic marxist theory

words for anger and sadness i couldn’t place

words that insist there is still something worth saving

i’m gonna hit a blinker and listen to the aaron bushnell audio

you’d say it’s a big deal

he said this is what our ruling class decided will be normal

[21stcenturygworl]

Excerpt from 21st Century Girl, Chapter 19: Faith and Devotion

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x Modern!Reader

Info: AFAB Reader, Second Person Perspective, No Y/N, Outdoor Sex, Cunnilingus, Enthusiastic Consent

A/N: I thought tumblr might like my attempt at writing smut (after over a year of no writing smut (yikes!))… Context isn’t really necessary to enjoy it, I think, so it’s about 1/2 of the chapter. If you like it, consider reading the whole thing on AO3!

Bandit doesn’t seem to enjoy the extra fabric of your skirt draped over his rear. Too bad for him, because you didn’t have any clean trousers or jeans left. You’ll make it up to him later. You’re sure he’ll forgive you when you pull out the sugar cubes.

Arthur didn’t take long at all to come back from the bath, just as he told you he would. On one hand, you feel like he could have allowed himself to enjoy the luxury a little longer, but on the other hand, you’re glad to have left the Parlour House. Sitting there alone was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Because without Arthur next to you to ward off any unwanted attention, it meant people were just openly staring at you.

So you’re taking the “scenic route” back to camp. Just as an extra precaution.

The clip-clops of the hooves of your horses provide the backdrop of noise to your conversation. That, and the cacophony of insects.

“The vibes in there were rancid,” you say with your nose crinkled. “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like we’ve outstayed our welcome here in Rhodes.”

“You might be right,” Arthur says, mulling it over. “But I don’t think Dutch wants to move on until we find that gold.”

“I love the idea of stealing money from racist ex-slavers, but I’m honestly starting to think they’re not as loaded as Dutch and Hosea think they are.”

Arthur gives you a half-shrug. It looks like he’s not sure what to say about the whole situation either. “Don’t go worryin’ too much about it.”

You huff. “I will worry as long as you have to put your neck on the line out there. Especially if chances are that there’s no “big payout” at the end of it.”

“Aww,” Arthur says with a grin. “So you wouldn’t worry ‘bout me riskin’ my neck if there is a big payout?”

“That’s not what I said,” you say, playfully trying to kick him from Bandit’s saddle. Scout seems to see it coming and steps aside before the tip of your boot can make contact with Arthur’s leg. Arthur chuckles at your failed attempt at physically chastising him, praising his own horse for being so clever.

The rest of your ride continues with more idle chatter and laughter. You’ve spent so much time glued to each other’s sides, and yet you still haven’t run out of things to talk about. Sometimes, though, a silence falls over the two of you, and you just quietly enjoy each other’s presence.

It’s during one of those moments that you look over at Arthur. “I love you.”

Arthur blinks, then gives you a bashful smile. “I love you too, darlin’. But where’s this suddenly come from?”

You shrug, grinning at him. “I felt like saying it, so I did.”

He averts his eyes, and you can tell he’s trying to hide his face with the brim of his hat. He can’t hide the way the tips of his ears have turned red, though. “Well, alright then,” he says, smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Shortly after that exchange, you have Bandit slow to a halt — and Arthur immediately follows your lead. “Look at that,” you whisper, pointing towards a sounder of wild boars in the distance. They’re digging around in the mud, no doubt looking for something to eat. Faint high-pitched squeals draw your attention to a couple of younger ones within the group, playing and running around the adults. A little family, out foraging for food.

“Wanna stop and watch ‘em for a while?” Arthur asks.

You nod enthusiastically. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

So you leave the horses to graze, and you and Arthur sit in the grass and watch the boars from a safe distance. They’re just dark brown spots in the distance from here, but it’s hard to miss the way they’re interacting with their environment. Snouts shoved into the ground, front hooves digging at the dirt. The younger ones dart around through the low growth of the forested area the adults are foraging in.

You never did bring in a wild boar for Pearson to cook, but right now you can’t bring yourself to grab your rifle from Bandit’s saddle.

In the shade of the trees, Arthur has taken off his hat and put it aside. One of his hands is on the ground behind you, keeping himself propped up. You turn to look at him and find that Arthur was already looking at you. You keep your voice low as you speak, even though you know the sounder realistically can’t hear you unless you yell. “Don’t you want to draw them?”

“Nah,” he murmurs, shaking his head.

That’s unlike him. The thought is expressed with the way you give him a quizzical look, but it vanishes when Arthur leans in and kisses you. Your eyes flutter closed and you sigh into the kiss.

His hair is still damp, leaving your fingers wet as you move your hands to the back of his neck. The kisses he gives you are gentle and slow, allowing you to fully savour the moment and take him in with all of your senses. The coarse brush of his beard against your cheek, the occasional clumsy bumping of noses followed by quiet giggles, his free hand holding on to your waist. He smells like soap and… cloves and lemongrass, you think. Only for a moment do you get to wonder if Arthur put on cologne for you, because your mind goes blank when he lets out a low moan accompanied by a lick at your lower lip through the kiss.

His touch suddenly feels searing hot through the thin fabric of your shirt, and the whimper he draws out from your throat lets him know just how desperate you are for more. You lean in closer to press your chest against his, your tongue slipping past his lips and tasting tobacco and brandy.

You want him, you want him so desperately it almost makes you lose all sense of reason.

Hands moving to his chest, you helplessly grab bunches of fabric in your fists. Breaking the kiss, Arthur moves to straddle you, and with one hand holding the back of your neck, he carefully has you lay back onto the grass. You look up at him with short breaths and kiss-swollen lips.

He just looks at you for a moment, seemingly stunned. Then he leans forward to cage your body with his own and recapture your mouth with his own, forearms on either side of your head. Your hands move to roam the expanse of his chest as he kisses you tenderly. “You’re beautiful,” he breathes out against the corner of your mouth.

You giggle. You think you could die happy now. “Where’s that suddenly come from?”

It’s hard to miss the feeling of him grinning when he nuzzles your cheek. “I felt like sayin’ it, so I did.”

His kisses move from your cheek to your jaw and to your neck. You whimper when he licks a hot stripe over your pulse point. His mouth continues, leaving a trail of kisses and bites to the hollow of your neck, before moving on to the top of your exposed sternum, following it down towards the valley between your breasts.

Arthur stops, glancing up at you as if asking for permission. You turn your head to look at the road you were riding along just a while earlier. “Nobody’s gonna see,” he says as if having read your mind. He lowers his voice. “I’ll make sure of it.”

A nervous giggle bubbles from your throat. This entire encounter is thrilling in all the right ways. You nod. “Okay, I believe you.” You chew on your bottom lip. “You can… go ahead.”

Arthur’s right hand slips one more shirt button out of its eyelet, then pushes aside the fabric to reveal your chest to him. Your nipples are already perked up with excitement. His eyes, darkened with a haze of lust, dart to your face. “Not even wearin’ a chemise underneath?”

“Laundry day,” you mumble as a lousy excuse.

“Sure,” he says with a lazy grin, clearly not buying it. His hand slides across your skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Carefully he moves his hand around the curve of your left breast, looking at you with a contemplative expression as if he’s trying to map out your body and commit every detail to memory. You gasp when his thumb brushes across your nipple.

He lowers himself and returns his lips to your sternum, kissing another trail towards your right nipple as he roughly squeezes your left breast. You throw your head back and whine a little, desperately pressing your knees together for some friction down where you want — no, need it. Your hands find their way from his chest to his shoulders, fingers digging into the firm muscle beneath his shirt as you whimper. Arthur licks across your right nipple, then lets out a satisfied chuckle. “Such pretty sounds.”

“Arthur,” you say between shallow breaths, staring up at the canopy, “I’m going to lose my mind if you’re only going to tease me.”

He hums in acknowledgement, planting his hands on either side of your waist as he moves down to kiss your clothed stomach. His tone is infuriatingly cocky when he speaks. “Can’t have that happenin’, can we?”

You lower your voice to warn him, even though you feel like you’re in no position to make threats. “Don’t test my patience, Arthur Morgan.”

He chuckles, moving lower before sitting back so he’s straddling your thighs. “Apologies, ma’am,” he drawls, fingers trailing down across your abdomen. “I’ll pick up the pace if that’s what you want.” Your bottom lip is caught between your teeth. Arthur looks at you with half-lidded eyes, hands on the fabric of your skirt around your hips. He watches you for a reaction as he slowly tugs at the blue material, carefully pulling it upwards to expose your calves. When you part your lips and your breathing picks up in excitement, his hands begin pushing the fabric up to your thighs.

Arthur nudges your legs apart with his knee, then lays himself down between them, hands holding the backs of your thighs and pushing your legs up a little. You shudder and breathe out his name when he presses a kiss to your left leg, just beneath the lace hem of your drawers.

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he says, looking at you earnestly as his thumbs gently caress your inner thighs.

You could just as well swoon. That’s what you love so much about him, isn’t it? He’s always showing the world his tough side, putting up this facade of being nothing but a brute who only knows how to communicate through violence. Yet for some reason, he’s let you in, allowing you to chip away at the walls he surrounds his heart with and take a look at what’s behind it. He would never hurt you. Everything he does, he always asks for permission, be it verbal or not. He has killed for you — he would do anything to keep you safe from harm.

You irrevocably have his heart.

You swallow thickly, looking at him through your lashes. “I don’t want you to stop. I want everything you’re willing to give.”

Arthur’s grip on your thighs tightens, but you can tell he’s holding himself back so he won’t bruise your skin. He’s trying to control himself so he won’t accidentally cause you any pain. The thought of it excites you in ways you can’t put into words right now. No, not now, not when he’s looking at you as if he’s been starved, and you’re the only thing that could possibly still his hunger.

He hoists your legs up to have your thighs rest on his shoulders, the movement making the spurs on your boots jingle. You move your hands away, one towards your mouth to hide your giddy smile, the other grabbing a fistful of grass above your head. Taking his sweet time, Arthur kisses along your inner thighs, occasionally alternating between them. “Gonna make you feel real good, darlin’,” he purrs. He presses kisses to the sensitive skin and licks across it, the sensations so Goddamn tantalising and driving you completely wild, making you want to pull up your skirt completely and tell him to make good on his word and just get started.

Arthur suddenly stops and roughly sucks on the skin of your left thigh, on that same spot just beneath the lace hem of your drawers. You gasp with pleasure and in disbelief, then look at him with wide eyes. “Are you leaving a hickey?”

He kisses the red mark with a sly smile. “What? I’m the only one who’s gonna see it.”

You huff, laying your head back again and looking up at the canopy. You’re still a little breathless. Still, your giddy smile slowly returns. “I was just surprised. Didn’t think you’d be the kind of guy to give hickeys.”

Arthur nuzzles your thigh, his beard feeling particularly coarse there. “Well… I hope to keep surprisin’ you.”

Slowly, almost reverently, Arthur pushes up the rest of your skirt. It leaves the navy blue fabric bunched up around your hips, and your drawers completely exposed. You think Arthur is going to tug them off next, but he seems to have other plans. He slips his fingers between the thin section of overlapping fabric over your pubic bone, then pushes the white muslin aside. You inhale sharply, followed by a little “oh”.

(You initially had your reservations about women’s underwear of this time, but suddenly you’re not too upset about the split-crotch designs.)

Both of Arthur’s hands move between your legs, keeping your drawers tugged open. He swallows thickly, and his breath feels hot on your exposed labia. It makes you want to squirm. His thumb traces upwards along your slit, slow and studious, the pad of his digit becoming slick with your wetness. Your eyes screw shut. Then he gently swipes his thumb across your clit, drawing out a little moan from your throat.

“Darlin’,” Arthur murmurs, voice sounding strained. His breathing is ragged. He only continues talking when you open your eyes and look at him. The raw devotion in his blue-green eyes almost leaves you stunned. “I need you to tell me whenever I do somethin’ you like, and whenever I do somethin’ you don’t. Can you do that for me?”

All you can do is nod, whimpering a little when you feel him breathe out on your sensitive skin.

“Good girl.” Arthur licks across your inner labia, mimicking the motion his thumb made earlier, before his mouth encases your clit and gently sucks at it. A jolt of pleasure surges through your body, accompanied by you breathing out an emphatic “oh my God”.

You haven’t been properly touched that way for literal months, and Arthur’s mouth quite literally feels like sweet salvation. It’s sparked something in you, and you know you’ve been ruined: you’ll forever be craving more, more of this, more of him.

He carefully flicks his tongue across the bundle of nerves — you immediately throw your head back with a whine. He moans a little, pleased to hear the noises you’re making, before he continues using his tongue. Your hands find their way to his head, fingers threading through his damp hair as you try to restrain yourself from bucking against his mouth. “You can… You can be a little rougher,” you murmur. He immediately responds by lapping at your clit, earning him a gasp. “Yes— Yes, like that,” you whimper.

Arthur hums in response, and for a short moment, you lift your head a little to look at him again. The sight is something you could have plucked right out of your own daydreams. The green-tinted sunlight filtering in through the canopy makes Arthur look like a modern Eros. Eyes closed and brows furrowed as he focuses on nothing but your pleasure, hair all tousled and messed up from your fingers. His mouth is hot and wet against you, tongue doing all the right things and responding exactly the way you want whenever you give him instructions.

You let out a shuddering exhale as you tilt your head back again. “Arthur?”

“Mm?”

“I want more.”

Something snaps in him. Pushing his shoulder against the backs of your thighs, he angles your hips up and presses his mouth a little rougher to your vulva, causing you to whimper and mewl out another “yes” as he sucks and laps at your clit. Your right hand trails over your stomach to your breasts. Glancing up to see it happen, Arthur removes his left hand from between your legs with a grunt to swat your hand away, and palms your breasts instead. You moan his name, followed quickly by a gasp when he takes your perked up nipple between his fingers. Your right hand reaches out to tightly grab his wrist, feeling like you’ll fall apart too soon if you don’t hold on to anything.

Arthur eats you out like a man given his last meal. He’s fully savouring everything: the feeling of you against his tongue, the way your body twitches in response to his touches, and the sound of his name spilling from your lips like a desperate benediction.

You’re like a coil that’s being wound too tightly, your breathing becoming shallow and difficult. The fingers of your left dig into Arthur’s scalp, grabbing fistfuls of hair and gaining a low moan of approval from him, the sound vibrating against your slick heat. Every muscle in your body is starting to slowly tense up. “Arthur,” you manage to say through gasps. “Keep— Keep doing that.”

He hums in response, not changing a thing about what he’s doing to you. You realise now that Arthur wouldn’t only do anything to make you happy and to keep you safe.

He would also do anything to hear you moan his name.

“Yes,” you whimper, “God, yes. Oh… Oh…” You feel tears prick in the corners of your eyes. “Arthur, I’m close— I’m—”

The coil snaps, and you come undone with your head thrown back and gasps and moans drawn from your lips. Your legs tremble, their jittery movements lightly making the spurs of your boots jingle. The fingernails of your right hand leave little crescent moon marks on Arthur’s wrist. He pulls away from between your legs.

You feel a little lightheaded.

All you can do for a couple of moments is breathe. Breathe, and stare up at the canopy above.

Then you sigh, completely content, and prop yourself up on your forearms to look at Arthur. You blink, still feeling a little disoriented. He’s carefully lowering your legs onto the ground, fixing your drawers, and then wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks very proud of himself, wearing a lazy grin.

You take a deep breath, smiling back at him. “That was, um. Wow.”

“Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself.” He gets up on his feet, then offers you a hand. You gratefully accept it, but find yourself on trembling legs even as he helps you to your feet. As you redo your shirt buttons and smooth out your skirt, your knees almost buckle. Arthur keeps you from sinking to the ground again by wrapping his arms around you. A chuckle rumbles in his chest. You link your hands behind his back and press your body against his, not quite wanting to let go of him yet. He kisses your forehead. “You okay for the ride back to camp?

“You don’t want me to return the favour?” you whisper, moving your head to look up at him through your lashes. You can feel his stiffness against your hip, letting you know he enjoyed giving as much as you enjoyed receiving.

Despite the carnal act he just performed on you mere minutes ago, a blush still creeps up to Arthur’s cheeks at the mention of you reciprocating. “Don’tchu worry ‘bout that. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

You nod, grinning at him. Then you carefully stand up on your own, loosening your grip around him. “Who taught you how to do that, anyway?”

Oh, you adore that boyish smile he’s wearing. “I’ve… had some practice on a coupl’a ladies who freely gave out advice.”

You stand up on your toes to kiss him. “I’ll have to thank them if I ever meet them.”

[electracraft]

I’m sorry, but it’s not a good thing to have been a bigot. I understand people come from bad places where it’s normalized, but that doesn’t suddenly make it okay. It’s great that he’s not anymore, but having been one once doesn’t suddenly make Dream a fantastic person now, it makes me as a POC less inclined to want to support him because I don’t know if he’s still that way behind the scenes.

where have i ever said anything that contradicts this sentiment? you're perfectly allowed to feel that way and it is valid. it is never okay to be racist, whether intentional or not, whether in a place where it's normalised or not. i don't think anyone here would excuse what dream did in his past. what i think is a good thing is the fact that he acknowledges and owns up to his mistakes, and that he seems to put effort into making his community safe and welcoming for anyone. but you don't have to forgive him or forget what he did, especially if his actions have hurt you, and i am very sorry that they did

[fatehbaz]

It was a link to a video showing several white high school students laughing as they filmed themselves shouting the N-word at a party. One of the students in the video had shared it on Sn*pchat, and now it was going viral. […]

This was Southlake, Texas, after all.

The elite, mostly white suburb 30 miles northwest of Dallas has a reputation as one of the best places in the country to raise a family, thanks in large part to its highly ranked public school system: The Carroll Independent School District, home of the Dragons, where the median home costs $650,000 […]. [T]hese were the types of stories that were discussed among a small group of Black parents and otherwise swept under the rug. But the 2018 video couldn’t be ignored. Within days, it attracted millions of views on social media […]. The district hosted listening sessions with parents and students, gathering numerous accounts of racist, xenophobic and anti-gay comments […]. Afterward, the school board created a diversity council of more than 60 parents, teachers and students to come up with a plan to make Carroll more welcoming […].

Then came the backlash. […]

This past summer [2020] – nearly two years after the viral video -- the school board unveiled a plan that would require diversity and inclusion training for all students as part of the K-12 curriculum, while amending the student code of conduct to specifically prohibit acts of discrimination […].

Within days, outraged parents — most of them white — formed a political action committee and began packing school board meetings to voice their strong opposition. Some denounced the diversity plan as “Marxist” and “leftist indoctrination” designed to “fix a problem that doesn’t exist.” The opponents said they, too, wanted all students to feel safe at Carroll, but they argued that the district's plan would instead create “diversity police” and amounted to “reverse racism” against white children. The dispute grew so heated that parents on both sides pulled children out of the school system, while others made plans to move out of town. One mother sued the district, successfully putting the diversity plan on hold.

As the fight intensified, Cornish, whose youngest child in 2018, began to think differently about Carroll’s official motto, stamped on T-shirts and yard signs across Southlake.

“Protect the Tradition.” She started to wonder: What was the tradition her neighbors were fighting to protect?

Like many small towns in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area in the early 1990s, Southlake was on the cusp of explosive population growth. In the nearly three decades since the Cornishes arrived, Southlake’s population has tripled to more than 31,000 residents, driven in part by a surge of immigrants from South Asia. Hundreds more Black people also moved in, though they still make up less than 2 percent of the population in a city where 74 percent of residents are white. With its proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and the headquarters of several Fortune 500 companies, the city became a magnet for wealthy professionals, with the median household income now topping $230,000.

As it grew, Southlake gained a reputation in the Dallas area as a sort of suburban utopia, with master-planned neighborhoods and dominant high school sports programs. A 2007 D Magazine article about the Carroll football team’s run of state championships described the city’s “otherworldly” charm. “They’re good at everything in Southlake,” the magazine said. “If you’ve never been, there’s something a little Pleasantville about it. The streets are cleaner than your streets, the downtown more vibrant, the students more courteous, their parents more prosperous. Everyone is beautiful in Southlake. Everyone smiles in Southlake.” […]

The opposition to the diversity plan was fierce, immediate and well organized.

Some formed a political action committee, Southlake Families PAC, and started a website demanding that the board “focus on fall classes, not setting up a district diversity police!” The group quickly raised more than $100,000 from dozens of residents, including from some of the high-powered executives and leading conservatives who’ve settled in Southlake. (D*na L*esch, a former National Rifle Association spokeswoman and right-wing media star who lives in Southlake, gave the group $2,000, campaign finance records show.) […]

Others warned that the board had awoken Southlake’s “silent majority.” […] Even Southlake Mayor Laura Hill […] spoke out against the plan. […] With two school board seats coming open in May [2021], the fight is entering the next round. The Southlake Families PAC is backing candidates who oppose the diversity plan, including […] a prominent Southlake lawyer who once clerked for Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

The fight in Southlake eventually caught the attention of state Republican Party officials. Allen West, the Texas GOP chairman, addressed the dispute in August [2020] when he was invited to speak at a church near the city. […] West told the audience that the situation in Southlake follows a pattern of school districts attempting to indoctrinate children with liberal values.

West, who is Black, then offered a suggestion for how to fight back. He told the audience to welcome new residents from out of state with a pecan pie, but then to ask, “Now why are you here?”

And if those new neighbors don't share traditional conservative beliefs about gun rights and tax policy, West advised the audience to respond with seven words: “Go back to where you came from.”

With that, the room of mostly white Southlake residents, including City Councilman and mayoral candidate John Huffman, jumped to their feet in applause, the video shows.

-------

Headline, photos, captions, and text published by: Mike Hixenbaugh. “A viral video forced a wealthy Texas suburb to confront racism. A ‘silent majority’ fought back.” NBC: U.S. News. 22 January 2021.

[rahadaddy]

Curse of Strahd & Me: Rules and a Breakdown of My Games

I am a 30ish year old DM, who has been playing D&D for a couple years and who has taken on DMing CoS. A lot. I run an edited game on Wednesdays for chaos gremlin teenagers at my work and I run a game for my best friends on Saturdays, which is a different breed of chaos. I’m also a player in a Victorian inspired Curse of Strahd game. Somehow, Barovia is my happy place. This will be where I post about my games so I stop bothering my friends with GIANT spoilers. However, they’ll probably find this blog. Some ground rules:

No anon hate. You will be blocked. 

DNI: homophobes, racists, n*zis, MAPs/pedophiles, TERFs, and anyone else otherwise hateful. My games are safe spaces for my players and for me, this includes my blog. 

Saturday Party I am trusting you to be reasonable about your interaction with this blog. If there’s something labeled “Spoilers” under a cut, chances are my ADHD self will tell you on the phone during the week on accident anyways. Don’t read under the cut. 

Minors may only interact with me on anon. I know I run games for kids IRL, but I am not responsible for curating your online experience and I’d rather not know that kids are reading my R-rated content for my grown friends. However, if you’re a minor and you have a question about the game, how to get a group together, how to DM, or how I modified CoS to be age-appropriate - reach out! 

I will label the top of text posts to indicate what game they are for Saturday games. Saturday games are R. I will try to put NSFW content under a cut. I may forget from time to time.

If you are a CoS DM looking for CoS+, you can find the link here! Please remember we are a 21+ server!

Welcome to Barovia!

PC Round-Up

Blood Countess - A Revamped Barovia

Alistor Gwilym (Grave Cleric): Alistor will not say where he is from or where his occasional bursts of (much appreciated) magic come from. Often, he will tell others he is just a soldier with a useful set of skills. In truth, he was raised in Argynvostholt in the years before and immediately following the descent of the Mists. When he was ejected from them as a teenager, Alistor thought all hope of seeing his family again was lost. Perhaps he isn’t as correct as he thought…

Sister Theodora (Celestial Warlock): Theodora knows she was created for one purpose - to be a companion to Countess Strahd von Zarovich. She has built her personality on being friendly and useful, but a commanding voice ordered that she flee the Abbey of Saint Markovia where she was made. For two years, she was taken in by Father Lucian of Vallaki. However, after a visit to the Village of Barovia, Theodora’s sense of self has been called into question. 

Tam Mantigieri (Monster Slayer Ranger): Tam has led a very normal life in Vallaki, full of the standard Barovian tragedies - dead parents, grueling work, and regular forays into the Svalich Woods as a hunter. He never meant to get caught up in intrigue (much less vampire hunting) but he saw a pretty damsel in distress and… well… He just can’t seem to resist her. By taking up Ireena Kolyana’s cause, Tam is about to find out more than he wants to know about the land he thinks he knows so well, never mind the self-discovery ahead. 

Ireena Kolyana (Fated Ally): For the last year, Ireena has withstood the attacks of Countess von Zarovich. Worse, only a few days ago, her dear father died of a heart attack while the house was under siege. She knows the vampire wants to get her and she knows that she will fight to stay alive, but what she doesn’t know lies at the edge of her memories, buried under countless lifetimes. If she can trust her new friends as they venture into the mists in search of powerful magic items, maybe they will defeat Strahd, and maybe sunlight will return to Barovia once more. 

Countess Strahd von Zarovich: The myth, the monster, Strahd von Zarovich, conquered this valley 400 years ago. She has slain dragons and lovers and brothers to become what she is. She has lived and died and lived in innumerable cycles. And yet, in the faces of these strangers, she sees something hauntingly familiar. 

The Flicker of a Gaslamp: A Victorian Barovia - Player

Cedric Coldstones (Drakewarden Ranger): The gentleman cowboy known as Cedric Coldstones hails from the country of Sturmovia. He's friendly and loyal - and very, very likely to succeed on sheer, dumb luck. As a Dusk Elf from outside of the Mists, he has uncovered the tragic past of his people and given new hope to the Dusk Elves of Barovia... but will that be enough to keep him alive as the vampire closes in?

Keres Whitlock (Tempest Cleric): If Keres could have just stayed home and continued her work as a governess, she would have been content. Instead, she dared to accompany her employer on what was meant to be a short errand, which has now turned into a fight for their lives. She's being forced to embrace Umberlee's siren song of power and she doesn't like it one bit.

Lenore Davenport (Oath of Vengeance Paladin): Slaying monsters is just in the job description for Lenore... especially slaying vampires. But she's never met one as clever as the devil Strahd nor has she ever felt kinship with monsters... until her dhampirism has thrown into question her understanding of what it means to be a person. Barovia challenges and exhilarates her and that, perhaps, is dangerous.

Percy Brightstar (Swashbuckler Rogue/Bard): No good deed goes unpunished. Percy got the party into this mess by trying to help the Duchess of Daggerford and along the way, things spiraled beyond his control and he touted titles that weren't his to claim. All he really wants is to get back home to his daughter and his thieves' guild and to, maybe, just maybe, finally profess his love for a certain stormy-eyed governess. Everything is a gamble here and Percy is, much to everyone's dismay, a betting man.

Lera Morozov (Tatyana Reincarnated): An ingenue with big dreams, Lera has been entrapped in the country of her birth by forces she cannot fully explain. One minute, she was planning to go to Waterdeep to begin an operatic career. The next, she found herself teamed up with a strange assortment of adventurers, fighting for her life as everything she knew burned down around her at the hands of a man rumored to be long dead. Can she trust her new friends and survive?

Ismark Kolyanavich (Fated Ally): People call him "The Lesser" for fleeing his burgomaster position as a child too young to bear the mantle of leadership. Now, a dancer at the Vallaki Opera House, he just wants to get by like anyone else. Except his best friend is in danger and she's insisting that four outsiders are the key to their salvation. Ismark doesn't know about that, but he's seen some weird things in the last week. Maybe it's true he is fated to travel with these strangers, at least until they find safety from the vampire who has torn his adopted hometown asunder.

Strahd von Zarovich: People believe Strahd perished long ago. However, he's merely been lying in wait for his beloved Tatyana to reemerge. Now that he's caught sight of her, he will stop at nothing to have her and to make quick work of the outsiders who dare to stand in his way. Yet, they are clever and united and... intriguing. Perhaps Strahd will enjoy watching the puppets dance until they choke themselves in their own strings.

Saturday: My Gothic Love Letter to My Best Friends - Complete

Ksenyia “Scout” Crelmer: An elf rogue, raised among dragonborn, who has just learned she is the last of the female Dusk Elves, which has put a damper on her mood, to say the least. A badass in all things, she nearly killed one of Strahd’s brides in the Feast of St. Andral, has caused Rahadin Von Zarovich to question his entire existence, and adopted Victor Vallkovich as a kid brother, even though he once tried to kill her with Too Much Lightning. Her hobbies include keeping the party alive, holding the brain cell, and being traumatized by unsolicited words from other Dusk Elves. 

Dorinn “Mal” Crelmer: An elf fighter, raised among dragonborn, who is probably at the top of Strahd’s list for one reason and one reason only - Dorinn has dared to romance Ireena Kolyana. She is smitten by his prowess as a fighter, his kindness as a person, and the fact that he is the first man outside her family she has ever felt fully safe with. Madam Eva once predicted he would have four half elf children, and damn, if he isn’t trying to make that happen.

Victor Trevor: An Oath of the Ancients paladin whose boyfriend went missing in the Mists a week ago, Victor has never had an easy life. Between being a hexblood and a terminal dumbass, he’s had a rough go. Now his boyfriend is Strahd’s protege, a vampire spawn, and on his knees to beg for Victor’s hand when they defeat Strahd and rule Barovia in his stead. Not sure if Victor’s worked that bit out yet, even though he said yes His luck continues to worsen and we support him. .

Urlstra Despund: A drow cleric who hasn’t yet worked out just how holy her soul truly is. Mostly, she’s been charming children and securing the favor of Vallaki and having HORRIFIC trances that she has been trying to make sense of since arriving in this cursed place. Urlstra is the only other person who is allowed to hold the braincell, thank you. She is also slowly gathering a harem. Other characters are committed to One True Love and Urlstra flirts like a Bard and fucks like a Cleric - not often but when she does, someone is gonna be on their knees. She’s so much more than a “heal bot”. Props to her player for making her insanely badass and ridiculously flirty. 

Strahd Von Zarovich: The Most Dramatic Of Bitches, who has spent the bulk of his time near the party inviting them to dinner. Since they’ve ignored him at every turn, he’s upped the mode of the game to Difficult. Get ready, players. Strahd Von Zarobitch is coming for you. 

Ireena Kolyana: Bad ass fighter; sweetest dumbass girl. Her brother taught her to swing a sword but definitely not to investigate a crime scene. She’s quick-witted and sweet, but is an honorary member of Dorinn and Victor’s Himbo Squad, which suits her fine because she believes her place is beside Dorinn anyway. Especially since she’s the party’s fated ally and she wants to get out of here and make a life with him and four half-elf babies. She’s been freed from Tatyana’s soul and her first move was to get it on with Dorinn after spending a few days reading him raunchy books out loud. Turns out, she’s a little less prim and proper without having to harbor a second soul. 

Ismark Kolyanavich: A true non-entity. Right? It’s not like we’ll ever go back to Barovia Village. 

Finnegan Silverguard: Who needs Escher when you have Finnegan? Part draconic sorcerer, part bard, he is all perfectly poised to rule at Strahd’s left hand if Rahadin is his right. Oversees Vallaki. Is still madly in love with Victor Trevor, to Strahd’s chagrin. Descended from Argynvost himself. it’s not like Strahd’s going to put him in difficult positions that could endanger himself and his loved ones any time soon... Pshh...

Rahadin Von Zarovich: Strahd’s adopted brother, right hand man, and perhaps his Judas in the end. Rahadin never heard his Deathly Choir until he met Scout and he is now processing hundreds of years of trauma along with the fact that he wants to protect someone who is not Strahd for the first time since Sergei’s death. He looks like a badass with his stunning elk mount and cool arrow tricks, but he is a man held together just to spite the gods at this point. Did I mention that he absolutely simps for Scout? Because he does. 

Victor Vallakovich: Trevor thinks Vallakovich is some kind of time-travel loop version of his missing best friend; Vallakovich thinks he might be Trevor in another life. There are too many Victors in this game. That said, Vallakovich is an accomplished mage who wants out of Barovia to find his missing siblings, especially since the party killed his dad and created a political situation he does not want to be involved in. Like... it might mean he has to get married, ew. How distracting from his magical studies. Ew. He stans Scout and Urlstra, even though Urlstra and his stupid uncle are friends (or “friends”). He and Trevor are pals, Dorinn is his not so secret crush, and Scout has decided he’s her kid brother. He wants Strahd to respect him - maybe even fear him - and the party better make sure he doesn’t go full Icarus on them. 

[dannythedog]

I’m gonna start off by saying if you’re not a POC Danny’s “apology” (if you can even call it that) is NOT for you to accept or deny because it is not directed towards you. The reason why us POC fans are upset is not because Danny is racist but because he is ignorant. He is ignorant to the effect that his lack of a proper apology has on the POC within this fanbase. By not adequately apologizing for his actions, he is creating space for racism. By not firmly siding with us and not stating that what he did was wrong and that prejudice of any kind is not allowed in this fandom, he has created a space where racists now feel comfortable. If anything, the danger of his actions lays in his inaction. And that’s what really bothers me the most about this whole situation. I don’t hate Danny, in fact I believe he’s grown since then because people do change. But his fault lies in his ignorance towards the situation. He sees it as an attack on his character but all we want is to feel safe in this fandom and we can’t have that if a band member doesn’t firmly side with us. And I think seeing so many of you on here defending him and completely disregarding how it makes us POC feel is so incredibly disrespectful and harmful. Once again: WE DONT HATE DANNY! WE JUST WANT TO FEEL SAFE AND ACCEPTED AND WE CANT HAVE THAT WHEN A BAND MEMBER IS CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WELCOMES RACIST BEHAVIOUR!

I think when we say a lot of these things it’s because we do see genuine hate for Danny. I see so many nasty things posted about him (from white people nonetheless) and that’s why we don’t react very well. Messages like this ^ are going to be taken so much better than the people being so cruel to him. I think this is a wonderful take and it was really well said. It has helped me understand your point of view better so I really appreciate you sending me this!

[virgils-eyeshadow]

welcome to my blog! (redo)

if you're reading this, hi! welcome to my blog! i'm redoing this because i got a really cool nickname that i want to go by (and also to update a lot of my interests!)

basic info about me & my blog!

dni's: racists, homophobes, transphobes, terfs, pedos, nazis, radfems, and rude people in general. everyone else is welcome!!

name/nickname: katie, but i really don't like my name, so please, call me virgil!! (sorry for the color, i just wanted to emphasize it) if you forget it though, it's okay! also, if you know me on discord as bidoof, that works too!

age: i'm really not comfortable saying this, but i'm a minor who's currently in high school.

sexuality: lesbian..maybe??

gender: i don't know anymore!

pronouns: any is fine! she/he/they/xer/it...i'll respond to all of them!

relationships: platonically married to @bimaeda and @lust-the-patches-simp , adopted by @going2hell4everythingbutbeingbi, siblings with @make-things-make-sense, @always-bi-myself-shield-edition, @littlemoondarling , and @askmydanganronpaandbaldiocs are my tumblr children, and i have a girlfriend who doesn't use tumblr

main fandoms: sanders sides, danganronpa but i also want to get into yttd. i also used to be a huge fan of undertale and i know a little about the dream smp.

asks/dms: always open! for my asks, anon is always on, too! i will respond to pretty much everything, so please, feel free to ask stuff!

what i post: i mainly shitpost and just joke around with my friends and reblog stuff from fandoms i'm in. this blog really isn't meant to be taken seriously but i will reblog a lot of signal boost posts and posts about important but potentially triggering topics. also, you should know that i swear quite a bit (i'm working on it though), so if that triggers you, i'm really sorry.

speaking of triggers...big trigger warning for mentions of transphobia/homophobia/violence/discrimination/depressing things and swearing below the 'keep reading' line. i don't want to accidentally trigger you guys.

one last thing, though. if i ever trigger you, please let me know. i want this blog to be a safe space for everyone (who's not on the dni list ofc).

so, as i mentioned before, this blog isn't super serious. it's a blog about a dumbass highschooler run by, well, a dumbass highschooler. but i will reblog important topics that i see on my dashboard (blm, police brutality, stopping asian hate/homophobia/transphobia, awareness, etc.) however, i am white, so honestly - i don't experience brutality & discrimination like poc do and i can never truly understand it...but that doesn't mean i shouldn't try! i want to do my best to understand and raise awareness to try and fix a lot of problems poc have to go through. however, if i ever mess up, misrepresent, misunderstand, or don't talk about an event, or worse, if i offend or trigger you, please let me know! i want to be called out on it because i want to do better. please.

thank you for reading and have a nice day!! :D

[kim-ruzek]

Messy, chaotic perfection

Summary: Family isn't just who is blood, but who is in your corner, who makes you feel loved and cared for, who is safe and who is home.

Season 8 au, goes off if Kim never miscarried, Burzek are together, and season eight still went somewhat how it did.

Warnings: mentions of canon events (shooting, foster situations).

Word Count: 3.5k

Read on AO3

Notes: This is a Feel Better fic for the amazing, incredible and so, so strong and brave Cíara (@fighterkimburgess ). Cíara I love you, you deserve the world, and you deserve to know that I (and all of us in this fandom) have your back and wish you all the best in your life ♥️

Life can be unpredictable, events that you never expect to happen can occur and feel like that was always meant to happen all along. This is a lesson Kim has learnt over and over throughout her life, but one she’s only finally beginning to fully understand it, that it’s always going to happen in ways you don’t expect.

Like today.

Today, when she woke up, Kim thought she’d have a tiring day at work with all the racists that Kevin, and by extension them since Kevin is their family, is having to deal with but that it would be relatively drama free and she and her boyfriend—which is a word, that no matter how juvenile it sounds, makes her feel all giggly inside at—would come home and have a nice relaxing evening with their daughter.

She didn’t expect Patrol to not show up when they called and she definitely did not expect Adam to get shot. But that is life, as Kim has kept learning recently.

“Careful, let me grab the door.” Kim quickly darts in front of a very impatient and unfussed Adam, moving so she can unlock and open their front door before he can. Adam sighs.

“Kim, I’m not an invalid.” He grumbles and she flashes him a glare before she opens up the door.

“Adam, you were shot.” She holds up her hand. “And no I don’t care if it’s was in the vest. You were shot and you were lying there and I thought you were dead. And now you’ve got a bruise on your chest and Will said that you have to take it easy—it could affect your lungs if you overwork yourself.”

Kim already knows that she’s probably going to spend the next few weeks seeing Adam lying there on the grass whenever she shuts her eyes. Just like she knows that Adam gets why she’s being so fussy, even if he’s being his typical bad patient self.

“I can still open doors. You know I like opening our door for you,” At that, Kim turns away from the door, facing Adam. She closes what little distance they had between them, resting her hands gently on his chest.

“I know, but you’re injured. Let me look after you. And—we’ve only just found our way back together again, I don’t want to loose you, and I don’t want our daughter to loose you.” Adam’s eyes soften and he gently kisses her forehead.

“Yeah. I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m just stubborn.”

If this had happened years ago, this probably would’ve ended up making an even bigger dent in their relationship, and god knows if they’d be able to communicate—and truly understand each other back then. But they’re not those young people now, they’ve grown and learnt so much, and are completely dedicated to making this work.

Especially because they’re parents.

“Hey, Ally!” Adam is immediately greeting their six month old as soon as they enter the flat, Kim not far behind, the two parents cooing over her instantly.

“Can you hold her?” Trudy gives Adam a wary eye, holding the child she, without hesitation, claimed as her granddaughter. Normally they’d have their nanny here, taking care of Ally, but given that Adam was shot and had to be looked over, Trudy had relieved their nanny instead, just in case they arrived home later than usual.

“You’re as bad as Kim, of course I can,” Adam grumbles again, mostly with good humour. Still, Trudy glances at Kim just to double check, who nods and then Trudy is helping to pass the girl to her father. Usually, Adam would scoop the girl out of her arms with ease, but—showing that he is taking Will seriously, or at least their daughter’s safety seriously—he had hesitated, waited for Trudy to help.

“You should sit down, I’ll get dinner on.” Kim tells him. She then looks at Trudy. “Are you staying or going home? You’re welcome, of course.”

“I’ll leave the three of you be. Randall has his shift in the morning.” Trudy kisses her granddaughter good-bye—leaning down to do so, Ally babbling in Adam’s arms on the sofa—and then it’s just the three of them.

If you had told her a year and a half ago that this would be her life, Kim would struggle to belief you. Adam and her felt like history, something that never had the timing it deserved and that they’d only be relegated to friends with benefits.

And being a Mom? That was so far out from the cards Kim was dealt, she didn’t think it would happen for quite a few years, and even then, it felt like a impossible and distant thought.

But she has both. A relationship with Adam that is strong and decent and a proper, communicating relationship and the beautiful daughter who made it possible.

At first, Adam and her were determined to be co parents only. More her than him, if she was honest, but he understood her side.

But then Kim hit her second trimester and with it her renewed sex drive and inability to keep her hands off him and platonic co parents got more and more unbelievable—especially as they moved in together.

The reasons why they decided to just be platonic still hung over their head, however, and so they had to have a serious conversation—several, in fact—about their relationship and what it would look like and be like. They both knew that with a child in the mix, they had to be committed and determined because their baby would be impacted.

Kim did have worries about it, about if they could keep communicating and not fall back on old habits, but by the time Ally came along, their relationship had only grown stronger. The new-born stage is a tough time for parents, and they had their moments, but that only brought them even more closer and Kim now no longer has any of those worries.

Domestic bliss is something she’s always wanted to have, alongside a fulfilling job, and there’s days Kim can’t quite believe that she’s found it.

Her life isn’t perfect, no life is. And there’s tensions at work, and with their best friend going through some horrific stuff, life doesn’t feel easy. But they have each other, and they have Ally, and Kim keeps feeling like she’s reached as close to perfection as she could have.

When she was younger, Kim imagined that having perfection would be calm, would be peaceful. And maybe for others it is, but it’s not for her. There’s always some madness in her life; she’s a cop, after all. And she’s learned to appreciate the short peaceful moments that she gets. But sometimes, sometimes life is just quiet.

It had been a few weeks of quiet that Kim had realised her life hadn’t had any madness in it. Her and Adam were just going about their routine, day in, day out, watching as Ally continued to grow and marvel them and she realised that.

And then she knew instantly that the madness was coming.

It came the next day.

Adam and her had just picked up their morning coffee from a coffee shop. It had been a while since they could, usually having to make do with the district coffee—having a baby means time is precious and money is dear—but they did this morning, the two of them in a good mood and having a ridiculous conversation about boats.

And then there was a lost six year old girl walking through the road.

Everything got a lot more busy after that, as they tracked down her family and worked out what had happened.

Being a Mom has definitely changed Kim, and she had to go into a corner—Adam joining her, wrapping his arms around her—and have a little cry in the locker room. All she could think about her daughter, her Ally, loosing her family like that and it activated the still distantly present hormones leftover from her pregnancy.

And it made her more determined to help the little girl, Makayla, especially when the girl had apparently bonded to her. Kim was told that she was the best person to talk to her, and even though she’s a mother, she had doubted her abilities. There’s a difference between her baby who’s just learning to talk and move about to a traumatized six year old but the doubts were misplaced, Kim managing to get that connection.

Makayla had wanted her to come to the safe house with her, which Kim did. Luckily Adam was by Trudy’s desk and he gave her nod, telling her that Ally and him will be okay. Still, Kim was glad that she’s already had a night away from her daughter so that she could go with Makayla, so that she didn’t have to let down this vulnerable girl who needed her just as much.

The safe house had turned out to not be so safe, and Kim’s mama bear instincts—as Adam has affectionately coined—kicked in and she instantly said she’ll be taking Makayla home, no questions.

Of course, she had glanced at Adam, silently checking with him. Adam had nodded again.

“Ally’s already with her grandparents so yes, Makayla will be staying with us.” Adam had immediately supported her, his voice just as firm and decided. Kim had already worked out Ally was with Trudy and Mouch, as he was there and they are their emergency babysitters but she felt so lucky to have a partner who was willing to not have the night with his daughter for what she wants.

Seeing Adam interact with Makayla that night had made Kim’s insides twist, and she wonders if they might end up accidentally conceiving a second baby soon with how his paternalism stirred feelings inside her.

It left her feeling sadder than Kim would’ve thought to say goodbye to Makayla after everything was sorted, an emptiness in her heart. The girl had made an impact on her and it felt wrong to end the story there.

That night, Kim had hugged Ally close to her, Adam arm wrapped around her as he cuddled up to them.

“I think I want another,” Kim had said, and Adam choked. She had laughed, then, careful not to wake the sleeping baby on her chest.

“Not now or anytime soon. One baby is enough at one time. But in the future. This—us—being a family, it feels right and as perfect as our family is, I want it to be bigger.” She had explained. She’d have been nervous, but this is Adam, possibly the only person she knows whole heartedly that she can be herself, no judgement.

“Darlin’, nothing would make me happier.” He had kissed her temple firmly then, lacing their hands together and Kim got that feeling of perfect domestic bliss again.

“I’d say let’s have another right now but, yeah, one baby is enough. Although we could practice?” He then joked and Kim rolled her eyes at him.

It isn’t that long after that they’re at social services and Kim spots that precious six year old who, if Kim is honest with herself, hadn’t left her thoughts since, every few days Kim wondering if she’s okay, if she’s settling and adjusting and if the cousin Cathy would need to call her.

“Kim!” Makayla immediately runs to her, hugging her and Kim’s heart twists and constricts, warming at the gesture but breaking that she’s here.

They’re in the middle of a turbulent case, a case that plagues Kim, but her mind is still spilt, focused on worrying about Makayla.

“Where were you?” Adam asks her when she gets back from Cathy’s. Kim knows that she should’ve told him before, that going off alone like this when in a relationship and a parent isn’t how she should be behaving but as the couple’s therapist they went to say said, sometimes Kim can have tunnel vision. It’s something she’s working on, but sometimes she reverts back, like when a six year old needs her.

“I went to see Makayla’s Cathy.” Kim then tells him, and she tells him all about it.

“What if I take her in?” The words fall out Kim’s mouth before she can really process them. It’s nothing she should say, not just for the reasons Makayla’s social worker lists. But because Kim isn’t an I anymore. She’s in a relationship and she’s a mother. This isn’t just her life, but she can’t get Makayla—or the bond they have—out of her head.

After the conversation with her social worker, Kim sees Kevin. She wonders if she should ask him about this, about his siblings and that decision, knowing that he’ll have value to add to the conversation, especially as a black man. But she stops herself, knowing that she’s getting that tunnel vision again, that she needs to discuss this with Adam before she spirals too fast.

“I want to foster Makayla.” It isn’t the most tactful conversation, or the best place for it. But Kim’s mind is in overdrive and all she can think about is how she could feel at six, feeling like only Nicole loved her, and about that precious girl, and her own daughter.

“Us. I want us to foster Makayla.” Kim quickly amends, because they’re a team. Everything they do, they do together. They’re entwined and interlinked and the only way to make the relationship successful is by accepting and respecting that.

It’s a long conversation. It’s really not the time or place but that’s something that just doesn’t matter as much as talking. Kim tells Adam all about why she does, and he talks about how he feels. That he gets it, that he would want to give her a home just as much but has she thought this through.

They work out if they want it to only be temporary, how they’ll do it with Ally, if they’re ready and if they’re only doing this because they’re adapting to being parents, parents who often felt unloved as a child.

And they grab Kevin, adding him to the discussion, getting his two cents.

And then they come to a decision—that they should take Makayla home and they’re jumping into action. Kim calling the social worker, Adam arranging for Ally to be at her grandparents for the night as they get Makayla settled.

Everything picks up after that, quiet days rarely a thing even more than before.

They get Makayla into school, sets up their home so it feels more like hers, they get her into therapy and family therapy. They introduce her to Kevin, knowing he will have to play an important role in their foster daughter’s life.

Makayla adores Ally from the first time they meet, treating her with such care and love and Ally immediately bonds to her. It fills Kim with such joy and affection, and makes her heart feel so, so soft.

Kim was worried that them having Ally already would make Makayla feel like an add on, but it has the opposite affect, making her feel more like part of the family—two weeks in, Makayla tells Kim that she always wanted a little sister, and Kim’s happy that she may not have been able to save Makayla’s family, but at least she could do something.

It’s not smooth sailing. It’s tough and it’s work. Nights were hell, Makayla waking up screaming and rousing Ally, but it gets better, especially after they get Makayla trouble dolls. It’s an adjustment, for sure, but it’s fulfilling.

For Adam too, who’s taken to calling Makayla his lil darlin’ and all three of them his girls. Kim already knew he is a great dad, but seeing him dress up and play with Makayla, and being so calm and loving through her trauma just reaffirms that over and over, making Kim feel so happy that she gave them another chance.

Makayla is family long before the adoption going through.

Mack is one of the first words Ally says, reaching for her sister as she did so. Kim—and Adam, as they discussed it later—will never forget the utterly joyful grin that had spread across Makayla’s face at that.

“Ally said my name!” Makayla had exclaimed to them happily, and proceeded to tell everyone she saw over the next week, her excitement and joy never waning.

Trudy and Mouch immediately accept Makayla as another grandchild and the rest of the family treats Makayla like she belongs. Kim never had any doubts, but it warmed her heart to see how much Makayla clearly loved and was taken by it—and how it made her feel so much more settled, knowing she’s gained so much family even after loosing so much.

Sylvie takes it upon herself to be her honorary godmother and Makayla quickly learns that Sylvie is one of the best to play princesses with. Stella comes with Sylvie one day and Makayla is immediately enamoured by her, and soon Stella decides Makayla needs two godmothers.

The Atwaters are an essential part of their family, as they help Makayla keep that connection to her black culture, helping to make sure her identity doesn’t get lost and that she doesn’t feel like she has to pick sides between her old and new life.

Makayla and Uncle Kev have a day every month, just them, doing whatever they want. It’s not even about doing anything relating to their shared skin tone, but just a routine to establish that Kevin is there for her.

Jordan takes to Makayla quickly, as well, finding her cute and endearing. He tells them that she reminds him of Vinessa at that age, and quickly starts calling her his little cousin—another thing that Kim knows helps makes her feel like part of the family.

Makayla loves her ‘big cousin', Jordan often teaching her age appropriate jokes and helping her play harmless pranks. He also teaches her some dance moves, and laughs with her when she tries to teach Adam them, who fails spectacularly.

Jordan loves Ally as well, having seen Kim as part of his family for years but Kim knows that they’ll never have the bond that Jordan and Makayla have, and it’s something that makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside—that Makayla with have things that’s just hers, that she won’t ever feel like she’s in her little sister’s shadow. It’s important, Kim thinks, and she’s glad of it. Makayla is no less her daughter than Ally and deserves to never feel like she is.

Makayla is family before she is legally, before she’s adopted into a family who barely has any blood in common anyway. But the day the adoption goes through is a joyous day for all of them.

“I love you.” Makayla has said it to them before, and more to Ally. But that day she says it and it’s louder than a shy whisper but firm and sure and Kim can’t help getting teary eyed as they hug her, assuring their daughter that they love her too, so much.

“Thank you for wanting to be my mom and dad.” Makayla says that night, so earnestly and Kim tears up again, Adam too. And nothing has ever felt so right. Kim knows she’ll never replace her mom, and she doesn’t want to, and she knows that Makayla might not ever call them mom and dad but they are and Makayla sees them as that and it feels so right.

“We’ve got two daughters.” Kim giggles against Adam’s chest that night, when everyone is asleep.

“That we do. And we got to skip the baby stage so we could get our two daughters straight away,” Adam replies, referencing their conversation from the night Makayla went home with Cathy. Kim laughs again, cuddling against her fiancé—as of a week ago.

Life is unpredictable. It’s messy and chaotic and full of madness, and Kim’s learnt and accepted that. And life is wonderful and amazing, and not despite of that, but because of that.

Two years ago, Kim would not see herself like this. In bed with Adam, her fiancé, their two daughters sleeping and feeling like she’s got the most perfect life. And it’s all because life is unpredictable.

Kim used to think that perfect meant calmness. And then she thought that can’t be her life, because she’s choose a mad and crazy life, a life not designed to be calm. But as she lies in bed that night, Adam cuddling her, Kim knows that’s wrong.

Life does mean calmness, but not because her life is quiet and calm, but because it’s messy and chaotic. It’s messy and chaotic and it’s hers. She has all what she ever wanted, fulfilled in all areas, and it doesn’t matter if it’s unpredictable because that’s the beauty of it.

There’s such a peace and calmness inside of her, an ease that has been brought on only by the messy, imperfection and unplanned events of her life—and that’s what makes everything feel perfect; perfect within the chaos.