#feel free to tell me how your family members study too

[moonastro]

Pick a Picture

--𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝓈 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊--

left to right(top)-> 1,2

left to right(bottom)-> 3,4

sidenote- do y'all like the four picture layout or would you prefer more pictures?? let me know to keep or switch it up a bit>

°DO NOT take this as literal, take everything with a grain of salt as this is purely and intendedly for entertainment purposes.

°don't be afraid to give feedback and opinions about this post (as i would entirely appreciate it).

𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 1-

✦ they love how you break the norm and are not afraid to do your own thing.

✦ love how nurturing you are and how you always help out other people- this can be helping the homeless, helping stray animals, donations, charity work.

✦ they love how you care and provide so much care for your loved ones- they view you as someone who would literally leave everything to fly across the globe to help out a friend or family member and then come home the next day 😂.

✦ they love how careful you are though- like you aren't the who who wings everything- you plan every precise detail and like that about you.

✦ yeah they love how you take time with certain projects- how you are patient with everyone. they love the nurturing side of you.

✦ you arent easily distracted, they love how when you choose something, you stick by it. like whenever you promise something you do it- i feel like they love telling their secrets to you because you are so good with keeping them.

✦ they might like your hair- they may prefer it when it is down and not tied- might be their preference.

𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 2-

✦ love your work ethic- love your work in general. they love how you work for yourself and not rely on someone else. they see you as a person who strives for success and independence and they love seeing you earn your own possessions and finances.

✦ they love your compassion, how you let go of stuff that no longer serves you.

✦ they might love how easily you fit into new environments. like you may join a new class and within like 10 minutes you make a new friend. your just really likable and they lovvee that.

✦they love how straightforward you are-how you tell the truth. they love the honesty- there is truly no lies that travel from your mouth.

✦ they might like how you are not too introverted nor too extraverted- you are just the perfect amount of both which i think makes them want to be more around you.

✦ you believe in standing up for yourself and being a good person at the same time which your fs highly respects and finds it unique.

𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 3-

✦ they love your goofiness. lol, they love how you just liven the whole room and never appear awkward. like you may just always know what to say at the perfect time which your fs will find fascinated.

✦ they find your mind very interesting. you might have questionable ideas or thoughts but they make really good sense in a way??? they find it very interesting and find it appealing.

✦ yeah, they will find your soul very freeing, which will motivate them to become more free as well. i feel like you will be an inspiration to them, you will be a role model to them which of course they find it very attractive.

✦ woww, they literally love your body movements- how you walk, move your hands, move your body- just anything to do with moving your body, they looove. you might actually like to/ do dance so they might love it when you dance for them or when you dance for fun (a scene of someone dancing in the kitchen while making breakfast just popped up😂)-take it as you may.

✦ they love how studious you are. you might like to read, write, study etc. whatever it may be they find it attractive.

✦ i feel like they might love your back. like they love when you show your back off, maybe by wearing a dress that shows off your back and such. they might actually love the way you dress yourself up like they love the neatness and classiness of outing clothes.

𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 4-

hellooo pile 4, welcome!!!

✦ random, but i feel like your fs will like the little bursts of anger that you let out sometimes when you get annoyed or angry- lol they find it cute. aww.

✦ you may be very good at seeing the truth, seeing the reality of a situation/or person. like i feel like you are a person who tells a friend to not trust a certain person, a few months later that same friend comes running back to you saying you were right!!!

✦ they love how easily you adapt to a new/unknown situation. like whenever they suggest something you are like 'yeah, sure lets do it!'.

✦ they love how in control you are in your life. how responsible you are.

✦ they love how you accept other people's advice and how you don't criticize others' opinions. they love the generosity.

✦ i feel like they will find your hands attractive- you might have beautiful hands.

✦ they might find it attractive when you act the bigger person. like when someone tries to start some argument with you, you just exit without it becoming heated. like you just know when to leave a situation to prevent any conflict.

that's it everyone!!❣️ thank you so so much for reading this, i am so grateful for all of you🤍 feel free to interact with this post and don't be shy to share some thoughts or ideas

[strongheartneteyam]

[ credits of the Neteyam pic go to @cinetrix ]

Champagne Problems

Part 5

Pairing: Neteyam Sully x female!human!reader

CW: reader sees neteyam with another girl and gets jealous, a lot of angst, a flashback that tells u more about reader's past and why she acts in such a distrustful way, reader tries to deny to herself that she has feelings for neteyam but she realizes she does like him, heartbroken reader, tense encounter between neteyam and reader, TRIGGER WARNING for family issues, parental verbal abuse, mentions of death of a family member, mourning, studying too much as a coping mechanism, allusions of possible alcoholism, low self steem, isolating as a coping mechanism. Tell me if I'm missing anything!

Hi, loves! I don't have time to fully proofread this chapter rn so I hope things are alright lol In this chapter you guys will hopefully understand why reader is so fucked up in the head and follows her trust issues like they are the voice of truth 🥲 Have patience with my poor girl, I promise she's a bit insane but she's good. Anyways, hope y'all like this chapter! I love all of you and as always, I'll say THANK U SO MUCH for all the love and support I receive from you guys everyday. Means the world to me and makes me feel loved 🥺🤌🏻🥲💕 Comments will be incredibly appreciated by me so feel free to leave me some feedback down below!! <3

Slightly proofread.

Part 4 : Now she got your heart so I feel stupid, foolish, afraid

𓇼

Hit me like a shot in the heart

Never shoulda played you so hard

Guess I played myself, that's my fault

I don't even know how to think

'Cause now she got your heart so I feel stupid, foolish, afraid

I'm losing everything I thought I couldn't

My whole world is falling apart

I DO (G-IDLE)

𓇼

You had just gotten back from a long talk and an awesome breakfast with Adeline and Kate - no Pandoran food this time, you guys had already eaten way too much alien food the night before at the Metkayina beach party, and now, all you guys wanted to help with the hangover was burgers and coke and that's what the three of you ate. Some good human food was always great to remind a scientist living on an alien Planet of their humanity. 

You were hanging out in Tsireya's and Lo'ak's marui. It was getting near noon and you had been talking to Tsireya for a good amount of time, while Lo'ak was out fishing with Rotxo and Ao'nung. You wondered if they were gonna pick up a stupid fight with each other over something small and stupid, like who got a fish first. Lo'ak and Ao'nung had become friends with time but they would always be a little bit of frenemies too. You thought that was incredibly idiotic but still funny as hell.

You said goodbye to Tsireya and thanked her for the yellow flower she had adorned your hair with. She was a sweetheart, so kind, always doing things for other people. You really liked that alien girl's company. You could connect to each other really well even if the both of you were from completely different species. She was one of your good friends and one of the few people in the world you trusted because you were always one to read people well and you could see Tsireya's smiles and good deeds were not just a facade to seem like a perfect girl and make people love and admire her. Even though she seemed too perfect, too good, she was truly what she seemed to be. Not perfect, because nobody is, but truly a good girl. She was full of kindness and a need to help others had been planted deep inside her right before she was born (by Eywa, if you were to talk like Kiri did) and she would always follow that call. Tsireya was an open book and you liked that. Those kinds of people are easy to trust.

You stepped out of the door, hungry, feeling your stomach hurt. Starving would be a better way to describe it.

The wind was gentle and it had a higher temperature to it than it had early in the morning, back when Neteyam held you in his arms. That thought sent a shiver down your spine and made your heart start to beat faster and hurt, simultaneously, but you did your best to send that thought the farther it could go. 

The sun was shining really bright in the Pandoran sky, not many clouds around to make the temperature a little less hot. You felt a little stream of sweat dripping down your forehead and used the back of your hand to quickly dry it.

You were heading over to the marui that you, Adeline and Kate were sharing. You wondered if they knew what you guys were gonna eat for lunch. You needed food more than you needed air at that moment. You all worked as scientists and were the humans that were called "loyal to the na'vi". The three of you were in Awa'atlu because of the party - the Metkayina were famous among the na'vi and the humans for throwing unforgettable beach parties - and would stay for a little more time because traveling that far just to go back the next day made no sense at all. You and the girls would soon be heading back to Hell's Gate.

You walked through the Metkayina beach with your head down, looking at your feet getting covered by the tiny grains of sand. Once you looked up, you saw Neteyam talking to Munì. She was joyfully laughing at something he was saying but you couldn't hear what it was, since you were a good amount of meters away from them. You felt a stabbing feeling creeping up on you. Jealousy.

Damn. It could not be real. You could not be feeling jealous of Neteyam. That feeling was bad news. You could not be that attached. Fuck, no!! You were the one who dumped him, dammit. He was now moving on. Great for him. Why the hell did you even care? "I gotta stop being stupid" you thought to yourself. But your heart just would not stop hurting.

Munì was gorgeous and she treated Neteyam so nicely. The girl seemed to be head over heels for him. But again, it was not hard to see a girl acting like that when around Neteyam. One time you had heard Lo'ak saying that he was like a flame and the girls - na'vi or human - were like a Pandoran winged insect that loved light, be it coming from bioluminescent plants or from fire. Those extraterrestrial insects behaved in a similar way to how an insect called moth that used to live on Earth but was, unfortunately, extinct behaved.

Munì truly seemed to be a nice girl. She was na'vi, too. Of course she would be better for Neteyam than you could ever try to be. Neteyam was right to finally give her his attention. You would never be good enough for him and you knew it. If you had accepted being his mate, soon enough he would see how broken and messed up you truly were and he would fall out of love.

As you looked away as fast as you could, pretending you saw nothing, and kept walking towards the place where your girlfriends would be waiting for you, you had one of those weird moments where you seemed to be taken back to the past. It was so insanely uncomfortable but you never seemed to be able to control your own brain and keep yourself safe and sound at the present. You would always go down that same bitter path of painful memories. 

After your little sister died in a car accident, everything changed. You saw no reason to stay on Earth anymore. The only family you had that you felt actually cared for you and you could connect with was gone. The pain felt unbearable, like it tore your chest apart everytime you remembered you would never be able to hug Tracy again. That's when you made up your mind for real: your major would be Exoscience.

"Why would you go to that Planet?! It's dangerous, (y/n)!"

"Oh really, father? And staying here on Earth is really safe, right? A dying Planet! I am a scientist, I've been studying for it for years and I told you and mother I was gonna go to Pandora one day to study the Planet and help the na'vi. Did you think I was just kidding?!"

"So you're just gonna abandon your family to go help some stupid aliens and never come back? Is that it?"

"Yes, father. That's exactly it! There's nothing for me here. You and mother have abandoned me a long time ago. Just because you're still around it doesn't mean you're actually there for me. You're blind if you can't see it."

"You fucking ungrateful girl!" Your father screamed at you, which made you flinch "Just go then. Let's see how long you're gonna survive there, all alone. Just wait until those aliens decide to turn against you. You can't trust them. You're never gonna be an equal in their eyes. You're always gonna be human, an enemy. You'll never be safe in Pandora as you're safe here on Earth. But it's your choice. You're a grown up as you always say, right?!" He smirked "Go follow your dreams, daughter. But don't try and ask us for help when you see that those dreams turned into nightmares."

"I'm not gonna be alone there. Adeline and Kate are going too." You said confidently 

"Friends are not family." Your father harshly stated as he looked at you in disappointment seasoned with a little bit of disdain

Everytime you remembered how your parents would treat you back on Earth you would feel like someone was squeezing your heart hard, trying mercilessly to make it explode inside their hands.

Their cruel words taught you that you had to learn how to face the world completely on your own, you couldn't count on anyone and you certainly should not trust anyone easily. You trusted your parents when you were a kid and they told you they loved you and that they would always be there for you but as soon as you dared to make a decision on your own, going against the plan they had for your life, which was to stay on Earth and go to medical school, they abandoned you. Though you never wanted that for you, it seemed like your parents didn't love you for who you were, they only loved the version of you they created in their minds, the good daughter who would always obey her parents, even after she was an adult, the good girl who would always behave like everybody wanted her to, who would never even dare to dress in a "weird way" that would bring too much attention to herself because "what about what people will comment?" like your mother used to say.

You got so fed up with all of it that you just decided to study as hard as you could so you could get away from that Planet and be a great scientist. You had always felt drawn to the stars and the moon, ever since you were a child. Maybe that was the way the Universe found of letting you know that there was much more to see and experience than what's on the planet you had been born in. You decided you shall go nearer the stars you could watch from Earth, like the ones in the constellation known as The Archer.

You studied your ass off, didn't have much time for friendships, parties or leisure but you got what you wanted. Not without the help of half a bottle of wine everyday at 4 am, though. When you finally finished studying everything you needed to retain information about and would finally, that late in the am, try to relax and be able to fall asleep, the alcohol truly helped. It seemed to soothe you from the inside. It was calming and familiar.

You did regret pushing people away because all you focused on was your studies, though. You realized too late that the people you love - and love you back in a healthy way, not a toxic one - should come before your career. But crying over the milk that was spilled wouldn't fix anything. You can't go back in time but you can try and do better in the present and that's what you made a big effort to do nowadays. Now, you and your small group of close friends were inseparable and you were always there for your girls, like Adeline, for example. She earned your trust. She was your childhood friend and contrary to what your own family did, she never abandoned you.

Chosen family… you wholeheartedly believed in that concept.

𓇼

Later, when it was afternoon and you were hanging out with your na'vi friends - Tsireya, Rotxo, Ao'nung and Kiri - you realized Neteyam was walking towards the rocks you all were sitting at. He was talking to Lo'ak, the two brothers laughing about something. Neteyam seemed too distracted to notice you but when he realized you were there and everybody saw the way both of you tensed up at the sight of each other, the atmosphere around the friend group got filled with a bad energy. Nobody knew how to act.

Yeah, it wasn't just a saying. News truly travel at the speed of light in Pandora.

How the hell did they find out about the fact that you and Neteyam had hooked up? Did anyone see the both of you together and spread the word around?

You wondered if you would lose your friends because of what you did to Neteyam. You already felt like shit and couldn't stop thinking about how stupid you had been… you did not want to lose your friends too. You knew you had lost the chance to have a great guy be your partner.

At least you would still have your human girl friends. But you would miss your Metkayina friends, of course…

God, getting attached always got you in trouble! But you couldn't help it when it came to the na'vi. They were much more loyal than the humans, so, you trusted them easier. It was easier to make friends with an alien race than with your own race. What a joke that seemed to be.

𓇼

Taglist:

@iman-lu

@leaveitbythewave

@creepytoes88

@live-laugh-neteyam

@swaggygurlbae

@neteluvr

@layla2-49

@a-blog-name-2003

@lala-1516

@jakesullyfatjuicypeen

@yeosxxx

@iaratezaewa

[noellefan101]

Bakery Love

Genshin impact, modern baker au, reader´s family owns(and works at) a bakery + reader works there, gn!reader

characters: Tighnari, Albedo, Kazuha, Cyno, Nilou, Xiao x gn!reader

Warnings: kissing, baking(duh), romantic relationship (+ planoinic in some but not with the main), kissing, , tell me if i missed anything

Note: I'm sorry if there´s any mistakes, english is not my first language and this is not prof-read yeah enjoy ;) and it feels so weird to write for Nilou when the rest is men, i didn´t think abt that. luv you all, mwah ;)

Tighnari

i feel like he would be there to get a birthday cake for Collei, (im sorry it just sounds too cute) and you were at the front desk in your apron talking to a customer, when he walked in and ordered. you looked at him, asked what he would like and wrote a note down so you could remember - he ordered a "healthy" cake with green frosting on one side and red on the other with Cuilein anbars on the green side and baron bunnies on the red side. and then he also leaves his number woth the order bc he thinks your cute so you start to become friends. anyway, thats how you met onto when you start dating

you would come over to his house after your shift, or when you both have time, and bring him some baked goods for him and Collei/i feel like they would live together in a modern au, like Tighnari would still be her caretaker, just like in the game/. you and Tighnari would definitely bake together, and you would teach him how to bake certain pastries and stuff, and Collei/+Cyno maybe/could join if they wanted to (it would be so cute wtf). i also think he would be like a florist or smt, like he owns a flower shop, so he would bring you flowers or just plants in general. so the bakery would have a lot of plants that he´s given you. and your family (lovingly) hates him because where tf are they gonna put all these fricking flowers and stuff he gets you every week. tho their happy for you and they also got free decor for the bakery so they don´t really complain.

to him you´re like a rose, beautiful, even if sometimes you sting, he adores you just as much

Albedo

he was just there to study at first, maybe get some coffee and a piece of cake, when he saw you behind the counter he kinda.. uhm.. fell in love at first sight, yeah... anyway now/because of your beauty/he is there studying more often or when you´re there to be exact. your sibling or parent called it out but you denied it and didn´t think much of it. and then he finally asked for your number

when you finally start dating, he would still study at your bakery but it´ll be a little more often. and not only on your shifts but on other family members too, mainly bc he wants to get to know them better. he also brings his little sister, Klee, with him more often so she can meet you and your family + see the bakery. he also would make some artificial things for you, like flowers and stuff, you could either put in your room or around the bakery. yk the flower he makes in his idol or whatever its called, so like one of those or just anything you want really. he could also paint there, but he´ll just start painting you and he doesn´t want other people to think he´s stalking you.

to him you´re like a painting, pretty in many ways, and perfect in his eyes

Kazuha

he would visit the bakery once in a while, finding it relaxing to be there and finding great inspiration for his poems and stories. and something he has noticed is the beautiful person that is sometimes behind the corner/you hehe/and starts to slowly become his muse. he couldn´t help it its like keeping a secret from someone, but sharing it with the world at the same time. he finds himself going to the same place over and over again, only wanting to see your face one more time. (wtf happened to me) while he was unknowingly falling in love with this new muse, you were falling for him. (ok i need to fricking stop, omg)

when you two finally started dating, he still kept you as his muse, but this time you were both aware and laughed a little together because of it. anyway he would be there even more to just sit and write about something, then later in the day/or week if you both were busy/he would read them out to you. and at some point you would start giving him notebooks every few months just so he could write his poetry on something other than the tissues from the bakery(omg that would be so cute and hilarious at the same time). in return he would gift you your favorite flowers and try and learn to bake, even tho its not perfect he tries and you love it. sometimes you´ll bake something with him and teach him properly how to do something/or do it the way your family does it/and then after you eat it together.

to him you're a miracle, your his love, his life, and his muse, he doesn´t know what to do without you now

Cyno

he´s a policeman (the hot kind) and there was an incident with your neighbor bc their store got robbed/in my mind it's a jewelry store but let your mind go wherever/so you got a few questions since you were on your shift at the time they came in. but you then after went into the back/your home to get your parents. and then after he started showing up more both because of the situation but also because he generally liked your pastries and cakes. even after the case ended he still came over on a lot of all of his breaks, maybe it was sometimes to see you but you ofc didn´t need to know that ;)

so when you guys started dating, he would ofc still come over but also look out for you, your family, and the bakery. also in his free time/even tho its not often/he would "help" you with baking. aka your teaching him how to bake bc he can´t for the life of him, but he brags to his friends abt it "cough". anyway, he would love to try some new recipes you find online or in your family cookbook, and help as much as he can. if you made him some pastries for him to take with him to work, he would fall even more `head over heels` in love with you, seriously do it. he would definitely stop anybody that tries to steal anything from the bakery, and get them arrested immediately.

to him your love is like a drug, addicting, but even if he knows it he will still love you for eternity

Nilou

yk the cake she eats in game, that would definitely be the reason you two met. like it would be in the bakery´s window or smt and she would order that with a smile, while you where on your shift ofc. and she would get all exited and stuff. + she thinks the way you and your family make it is much better, so she´s basically a reguler bc she orders at your bakery so often. and then she starts to fall in love with one of the bakers there (you), and so she tries to find out when your shift is and stuff. (my brain couldn´t stop sry, that was a lot)

anyways, when you start dating she would definitely want to try and learn the recipe and bake it with you, but ofc she needs practice so she´ll eat your portion at the start, but you can´t complain you´ve literally done this your whole life ofc you´re better. she´d also want to meet your family early on bc you told her about some baking days when you test new recipes and stuff, so she´d be the taste tester and give tips if she could. aand you would give her discounts for some kisses. she would also dance in the bakery, with you and your family´s content ofc, so she could attract customers with her beautiful dancing.

to her you´re like cake, has many flavors, not all perfect but to her you are too perfect to enjoy only once

Xiao

i see him getting dragged there by some friends/yk aether, venti, kazuha, heizou and then scara is getting dragged there too. so basically 6rezze(sry if thats wrong) or 5wirl, but they aren´t famous/and they drag him to your bakery. bc they wanted to try the cakes and stuff. and your the one behind the counter(idk if thats a good thing or not, but ig it was?). and so you had to deal with some boys yelling at each other while one of them was completely silent/xiao/he just ordered and explained what the rest/but not for heizou, kazuha cuz i feel like they would already have ordered/you just got the pastries and cakes they ordered, and they then sat down seeming to calm down.

after you started dating he wouldn´t come to the bakery often, but he´ll definitely come over like once a week/before was like once or twice a month/and he won´t order much but is just there to support you. otherwise, if he comes to the bakery he´ll just go straight to the back to see you/they know who he is ofc, but for first-time workers that might be weird/and he would be a little sad if you were too busy to give him attention. if you give him some non-sweet cake or pastries he´ll love you even more(i swear thats impossible). he´ll also feed you, and let you feed him in return. if you want him to learn how to bake he´ll do it, but only if you teach him ofc. so there you are in your kitchen with xiao, trying to teach him to bake the non-sweet cake he likes.

you´re like the cakes you make, sweet, although he doesn´t normally like sweet things, he loves you more than anything else

Author: the sweet things at the end of each one, omg how tf did i come with those aaaaahhhh i´m freaking out right now. also if you want me to do more of these pls tell me + the characters you want in it.

thank you for reading, luv ya-Masterlist

You are welcome to reblog and like any of my posts, but you CAN NOT translate, copy or hate on anybody liking my posts

[zablife]

Tachipen (Part 4)

Tommy x female reader

Summary: With the flip of a coin, Tommy makes a deal to bring a 20 year old gypsy girl into the Shelby clan. Considering her too young to marry, he employs her as a nanny. When tragedy strikes, he’s forced to confront the truth he has always known. 

Author’s Note: This was requested by @honey-im-hotdog who asked for a fic about Charlie’s nanny. I decided to turn it into a series. The story will be told through flashbacks, but I will note the year. Tommy meets y/n in 1919 and the story goes thru present time which is the year of the vendetta, 1925. 

Warnings: language, ethnic slur, violence, childbirth

1924, Tommy’s wedding day

A broken side window and a smell of petrol. Nothing left, but smoke and ash. You tried to put the disturbing thoughts out of your mind, but it was all you could think of as you sat at the long banquet table adorned with tapered candles and silver trays of food. Across the table, John laughed at his own joke, an expensive cigar in one hand and a glass of Irish whisky in the other. Isaiah clapped him on the back as he joined in and you wondered if they held a shred of remorse for what they had done.

“Y/n, is everything alright?” Ada asked, noticing the far off look in your eye.

“I need some fresh air,” you lied. Pushing your chair away from the table, you threw your napkin on the table and turned from the rowdy men as they called after you, feeling nothing but disgust. Finding the front of the house occupied by Grace’s family, you attempted to escape the sea of red uniforms with the rest of the staff below stairs. As you paced the darkened hallway outside the kitchens, you heard someone clear their throat and you looked up to find Arthur standing before you, hands in his pockets as he watched you carefully.

Unable to hold it in any longer you demanded to know, “I’m not allowed a man on my arm?”

Adopting the tone of a weary older brother reluctant to enforce his authority he began softly, “It’s about your choice of man. You know the rules.” You turned from him and he lay a hand on your shoulder attempting to console you, “Come upstairs and enjoy the party, love.”

You faced him, wiping a tear away with your sleeve. “Pretend we’re all a happy family, is that what you’d like?” you asked, failing to contain your spite.

“Aren’t you happy for Tommy?” Arthur asked, confused by your words. As he pulled away from you to study you with concern, Michael passed through with a girl on his arm. Motioning for her to go on without him, he stopped to speak to you.

“Everything alright?” he asked, the hazy, cocaine induced grin fading from his face. 

“You know it isn’t! You know why he didn’t come, don’t you?” you asked bitterly, placing your hands on your hips to stare him down.

“Who? You mean the wop?” he said scrunching his nose as though the very idea was repugnant. You could tell by his reaction he held no concern for Angel Changretta’s plight and that made you angrier than before.

“His name is Angel Changretta and his restaurant was burned to the ground to stop him coming tonight!” you corrected as you charged Michael, unable to believe his callousness.

Arthur stepped between you and Michael, placing a hand on your shoulder as he said in a calm voice, “Now, y/n, we tried to tell you. Angel Changretta weren’t good for ya. He’s a dangerous man. He’s had five different names in the last six years, and he’s got connections with the Naples boys.”

“How could you be that bloody stupid? The order was simple! No fraternizing with foreigners!” Michael spat at you from over Arthur’s shoulder.

You shook free from Arthur’s grasp, a wild look in your eye at the thought of being told what to do by the youngest member of the family. “You have no right to choose who I see in my own time!” you shouted at him. Micheal only returned an icy stare as you shook your head at him in disbelief.

Then you added more quietly, “Maybe I was stupid…to have told John that Angel showed me kindness.” Looking down at your shoes you said to more to yourself than to the men surrounding you, “Angel didn’t deserve this for being with me. I wasn’t even serious about him. Just passin’ the time cause I can’t be with the man I want.”

“Be glad it was only a warning then. Sometimes killing is a kindness and the Peaky Blinders do that very well,” Michael threatened, holding your gaze a moment before stalking off to find his girl.

You gulped as you watched him go, feeling chilled to your core. Your anger soon returned as you picked up a nearby vase and threw it as far as you could, letting out a scream of frustration. You slid down the wall, watching water drip down the subway tiles across from you. Arthur surveyed the damage, before shuffling toward you.

“It goes for all of us. We all have our orders,” he said as he extended a hand to you.

You ignored it as you picked up a crushed flower at your side, “But you have someone so you couldn’t possibly understand,” you answered sadly. Pulling your knees into your chest and pressing your cheek to your forearms you muttered, “Go back to Linda, Arthur, and leave me alone.”

Arthur slipped away quietly. As he passed Tommy on the stairs, Tommy asked, “Where’s y/n?”

“Downstairs, but she wants to be alone,” Arthur said as he stood in his way.

Tommy cocked his head and squinted at Arthur. “Have you said something about the order given last night? She wasn’t to know, Arthur.”

“She already knows, Tommy. I tried to explain it to her, but fucking Michael was high on snow. Made it worse,” he said running his hand through his hair.

Tommy punched the wall beside him in a fit of rage. He had only tried to keep you safe. He hadn’t intended to hurt you. 

From somewhere deep within the house calls for the groom could be heard and Arthur shifted uncomfortably. “We need to go back up, brother. Let’s go see your lovely bride,” Arthur suggested, but he could tell that wasn’t what consumed Tommy’s thoughts.

Tommy hesitated on the stairs as he took one final glance around. Massaging his sore knuckles, he murmured to himself, “I will make this right.”

—————————————————-

1919 

It was far too late for you to be awake, but you couldn’t sleep. Some nights you still dreamt of home. It was difficult not to think of your sisters at times, wondering what they were doing, and if they ached for you the way you ached for them. As you sat at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of tea, Tommy descended the stairs. He looked exhausted, braces hanging from his shoulders and hair tousled as though he had tried to sleep and failed.

“What are you doing awake, ey? Thought the kids would have worn you out,” he said, voice raspy from the late hour and too many cigarettes. He lit another as you thought of an answer.

“Why are you awake?” you countered, looking him in the eye. You wanted to show him you weren’t afraid of him, hoping to put the unpleasantness behind you and start anew.

Tommy sat back in the chair across from you, blowing smoke into the air. “I asked you first,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“Alright, I was thinking of my family. What they’d say now,” you confessed, swallowing harshly.

Tommy nodded thoughtfully, then leaned forward, digging into his pocket. He placed a bullet in front of you, standing it on end and left it there for you to consider. “That’s what they’ve said. Go on, have a look,” he said, taking another lazy drag.

You watched his eyes as your fingers reached for the cool metal, rolling it over in your hand before reading his name etched on the side. You knew what it meant. His death had been ordered. You knew it wasn’t your father, he wouldn’t have bothered. Your sister would be married by now though to one of the men Tommy and his brothers had cut the day you had left so this could only have come from one family.

Nodding thoughtfully you replied, “This came from the Lees?”

“That’s right, love,” he said seemingly unbothered by the fact that men were trying to kill him.

“What are you going to do?” you asked, eyes darting to his for some sign he understood the severity of the threat.

“Nothing,” he replied simply.

“But…the bullet has been written, Tommy. They will kill you,” you stressed to him.

Tommy shook his head and a small smile crept onto his face as he leaned forward, “No, I don’t think they will. And do you know why?”

You shook your head, fearing what he might say next.

“Because you know everything that went on in that camp. So I need some information from you to implement a plan for my business. Do you understand?” he asked snatching the bullet up and holding it in front of you.

You nodded fiercely. “Yes, what do you need?”

“You can start by telling me what you know of the racetracks,” he said with a grin. 

————————————————————————-

“Are we going to see Daddy?” the children asked excitedly. 

“Yes, we are. We’re going to surprise him today,” you said with a big grin, swinging hands with Clara along the way. The sun was setting over Small Heath at the end of a long day and the golden light made everything look softer somehow. 

“I want to see Uncle Tommy!” William shouted.

“He’s not there now. He and Aunt Polly have gone away on business,” you explained as everyone began talking at once. 

As you came upon the front door, you noticed a Lee boy sneaking inside. Your stomach turned, knowing something wasn’t right. “Katie, why don’t you wait outside for me while I fetch your dad?” you suggested. She shrugged, taking Henry from your arms and you carefully ventured inside. 

The moment you crossed the threshold, hands clamped over your shoulders and the front door slammed shut. Before you could scream, the man holding you clapped a filthy hand over your mouth and pulled you into his sweaty body. You inhaled a sharp breath as a knife came to your throat. “So you’re still here, y/n,” a familiar voice hissed in your ear. The knife pressed against your skin as he tightened his grip on your waist. “Like being Tommy Shelby’s whore do you?” You attempted to shake your head, but thought better of it, replying through clenched teeth, “What do you want Erasmus?”

“Just taking back what’s ours, sweetheart. Every last dime you helped Tommy Shelby steal at Cheltenham” he spat. “And more because I know he’s got it,” he sneered. Angered by his words you fought with all your might, feeling the sleeves of your dress tear and nails drag across your skin as you pulled away. You jabbed and clawed your way free until you could sink one hand to your boot to retrieve the knife Esmerelda had given you to defend yourself. Unsheathing it quickly, you raised up cutting Erasums from his chin to his forehead. He reared back with a roar of pain, holding his face as blood gushed forth in bright red spurts.

As you tried to run through Polly’s house you were met with the sight of Ada, asking what was wrong. You gasped for breath as you replied, “We’ve been done over. Run, Ada!” But the warning came too late, as one of the Lee boys barged into the parlor with a gun pointed at you.

“You’re not going anywhere. Sit the fuck down,” he said and you did as he said, watching as the men who accompanied him, mostly kin, overturned the shop. They broke everything in sight and stole what money and valuables they could find, four cash boxes in total. When they were satisfied they had what they wanted, Erasmus came in to see you, jerking you up from your chair by your elbow. 

“You give Tommy a message from me,” he said, holding you harshly by the jaw.

“What’s that?” you asked defiantly. 

“Tell him we want our cut or there'll be more of this,” he said, striking a blow to your cheek that knocked you to the ground. Ada screamed, rushing to you as you fell. The men ran out as quickly as they had arrived and you were left alone in the disheveled house. Only then did you hear the children calling to you, grateful that they hadn't witnessed any of it.

You called them in, hugging them tightly to you. You rocked Henry until he stopped crying and checking everyone over to be sure they weren’t harmed. William shouted out in protest. “Y/n, you’re hurting me, let me go!” Soon your attention was stolen by Ada’s whimpers then a shout.

“Holy shit. Water!” Ada said, looking down at the puddle at her feet.

“What does that mean?” Katie asked.

“Means the baby’s comin’,” you explained. “Take your brother to the neighbors’,” you said trying to keep the fear out of your voice as you pushed Henry into her arms. Of all days for Polly to be away, you thought. 

“Alright, let’s get you comfortable,” you said to Ada, praying you’d be able to do just that, but knowing you were in for a long evening. As the night wore on, John eventually came looking for you and the children and was met with Ada’s screams. 

He’d obviously been drinking because he didn’t seem to notice the state of the betting shop or understand what was happening with his sister asking, “What’s going on in here? Someone strangling a cat?”

“I’m going to strangle you if you don’t get the fuck out, John Shelby!” Ada yelled at him before lurching forward to push once more.

“Keep going. That’s right. Push,” you encouraged her, trying to ignore John. Ada screamed out in obvious pain once more and you looked up to see the note of recognition wash over John. You shook your head at him as you felt her stomach, prodding at the top of her bump and then the bottom. He eyed you suspiciously, your look of concern sobering him instantly.

“The baby’s the wrong way round,” you proclaimed, feeling sick to your stomach.

“How do you know?” John asked.

“I’ve attended three other girls before in camp. One was like this,” you said, biting your lip and trying to think.

“What do we do?” John asked removing his coat and hat, rolling up his sleeves to show he was ready to help. Ada threw her sweat soaked head back against the pillows, too tired to care who was in the room now.

“There’s something else to try. Lean her forward,” you instructed and John helped you move Ada onto all fours. 

“It’s not long to go now,” you cooed in her ear, rubbing along her back, then helped her count “one, two, three. Push.” Ada groaned out a miserable sounding whine as she forced herself to push harder through the pain before trying to collapse onto her elbows.

“Ada, if you stay strong, I’ll fetch Freddie soon and he can see his son,” John said, and that gave Ada the motivation she needed. In two more pushes, her son Karl was born, wailing to the heavens.

“It’s a beautiful, baby boy,” you said as you cleaned and swaddled the child to hand to his mother. You helped Ada move into the rocking chair by the crackling fire just as Freddie burst through the door, tears glistening in his eyes at the sight of his wife and newborn son.

As you washed your hands clean of blood in the porcelain basin, your heart swelled at the sight of Ada leaning her head onto Freddie’s shoulder as he cradled their child and whispered to him softly. Sneaking out the back as quietly as possible so as not to disturb them, you collided with John who was waiting for you in the alley.

“You did well, tonight, love,” John said, moving toward you with a warm smile. 

“I couldn’t have done it all by myself,” you said, shyly. Then jerking your chin across the street you asked, “Do the children know you they have a cousin?” 

John nodded and added, “Yeah, but then they went back to sleep. They’re gonna stay with Mrs. Andrews tonight. Tommy just got back so I sent a blinder to tell him the news….how should we celebrate, ey?” he asked, placing a rough hand to your cheek. Your breath hitched as he leaned down to ghost his lips over yours, pressing against you gently until you were moving in perfect sync with him. The pad of his thumb caressed you softly as his tongue pushed your lips apart, seeking more of your warmth and you let out a quiet moan against him, feeling him smirk against you. 

Suddenly you heard someone in the darkness clear their throat and then you saw Polly’s figure come into view in the doorway, her curls outlined by the lamplight. “John, I would’ve thought you’d be at the Garrison by now wetting the baby’s head.”

John pulled away from you slowly, hand dropping to your shoulder as though unwilling to let you go as he replied, “Aunt Pol, when did you get back?”

Polly motioned to you as she offered, “Y/n, I’m sure you’d like a nice, hot bath after the day you’ve had.”

You realized what a state you must be in, moving to smooth your hair before ducking under John’s arm. “Thank you, Polly.”

She nodded, glancing back at John who still stood frozen in place, one hand against the brick wall. 

After you’d gone, Polly lit a cigarette, walking toward her nephew in slow, measured steps as she considered him. Standing at his back, she turned her head and blew smoke into the night air. “John, she’s only just found her footing here. She’s young and the last thing she needs is heartbreak,” She placed a hand on John’s shoulder, thinking of the many affairs he’d had since he returned home from the war. “Find someone else to put your fires out,” she warned.

John only nodded in reply and headed back toward the Garrison to join his brothers in celebrating their new nephew. As he opened the door of the snug, Tommy and Arthur greeted him. He stepped inside, removing his cap and glancing to the corner as he took in another familiar face, kind and beautiful. “Hello, John,” she said brightly.

------------------------

Tag list:

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@evita-shelby

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[keto-keyes]

The Misfit Gang (Slytherin Gang ff)

This is a OC insert imagine, with multiple parts. If you don't want to use the name ive chosen, feel free to insert your own :)

Part 1 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part 2

After the sorting, where a certain Harry Potter had been sorted into Gryffindor, Soren sat in between Pansy and a tall, dark skinned boy named Blaise. She'd been sorted into Slytherin,  the house of the ancient De Villes  from over 50 years before. It was the same house as a certain Draco Malfoy, but anything was better than being in Hufflepuff like the 20 nameless and useless family members before her. 

Blaise didn't talk much, his eyes only on his food, but they'd exchanged a couple of words when the feast had been served and the school song finally finished. But as Soren saw it, it was better than nothing. At least she had a friend, and, by the sound of Pansy's animated conversation on her right, maybe even more. 

"Can you pass the pumpkin juice?" asked a soft voice. Blaise's voice. 

Soren glanced up from her steak, reached to grab the jug, and passed it to him, barely making noise. 

"Here," she said, just as quietly, "Do you need anything else?" 

They stared at each other for a moment, Blaise finding the words to say whatever was on his mind and Soren waiting to be answered, before he once again opened his mouth. 

"Mmh... the custard tarts? I-if you don't mind," he mumbled. 

'Not much of a talker,' Soren thought, 'But he's nice, I guess.' She passed him the plate of tarts and was about to turn back to her food when he spoke once more. 

"T-thanks... Soren." 

Soren almost jumped when he said her name, though quietly, and her head snapped to face him with a light blush. 

"Oh! Y-you're welcome, Blaise," she replied, whispering almost, in case anyone was watching, "Anytime." 

"Call me Zabini," he grunted, "'pparently it's a sign of weakness if you use first names in Slytherin. Malfoy said." 

"O-of course," she answered, shivering at the mention of Malfoy. 

She noticed he did the same when he said the blonde boy's name, and smiled hopefully up at him. He didn't return her smile, but nodded curtly instead. 

                                      -----------**-----------

In the Slytherin common room, a few days after the first years began school at Hogwarts, Soren and Blaise sat side-by-side in a dark corner. They both had homework (Pansy too but she refused to miss the girls' sleep-out), and although neither needed help and they didn't talk, the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Suddenly, Malfoy and his cronies sauntered over, smirking and laughing amongst themselves. Soren did her best not to look up at him, not to show fear. But when he stood above her and blocked out her light, she couldn't stop herself. 

"Ha! I knew you'd be over here! See boys, the nerds are studying again!" Malfoy cackled, high-fiving one of them. 

"P-please move," Soren whispered, not wanting a conflict. 

Malfoy stuck his face next to hers, sneering, and grabbed her transfiguration book. 

"What was that? Speak up when you talk to important people!" he jeered at her, flipping through pages of the book. 

Soren turned away and, raising her voice the slightest bit, said, "I said - please move." 

Malfoy laughed and dropped her book down on the table, shattering her quill's nib. 

"My father is a big, wealthy wizard. I'll tell him if you say anything," he warned her in a sneer, the two brutes cracking their knuckles. Soren flinched. 

Blaise jumped to his feet, throwing down his book and almost knocking the table over as he stood. 

"Give it a REST Malfoy!" he growled, "Your dad couldn't care less about you, and you know it! Shut up and leave her ALONE!" 

For once, Malfoy shut up and walked off.  His cronies shot Blaise dirty looks but still they, too retreated. Puffing, Blaise flopped back down onto his seat and wiped his brow. 

"Thank you, Zabini," Soren whispered, touching his arm. 

He looked at her for a second, seeing how shaken she was, then picked up his quill and held it out to her. 

"You're welcome Soren," he replied, taking her broken quill and stuffing it in his own bag. He thought for a second before adding, "And, you know, you can call me Blaise. I don't really care about strength and weakness, OR what Malfoy says anymore." 

Smiling at him and taking the quill, Soren nodded. 

"You're a good friend, Blaise," she said softly. 

[omegatheimmortaldragonborn]

Character Study: Idolaf Battle-Born

Because I'm tired of seeing how quickly people kill him off, let's see if I can get myself to understand why you would OR show you why you shouldn't.

Feel free to request a character study in my ask box! It will help me keep track of them!

Neurological traits & Personality

There's a good chance he's neurodivergent, please bare with as I'm using my own experiences with this.

This isn't to say this is how all ND people act, although I shouldn't have to clarify that

He has a strong sense of justice - we see this with the imperial legion, he's a very strong supporter

He seems to lack the ability to feel empathy - eg. When talking to Fralia at the market (this isn't to say this applies to all ND people, as some experience quite the opposite)

While this could be just the voice acting, his voice lacks emotion (which i personally struggle with)

He doesn't actually seem to hate the Gray-Manes, only their choice in support. There's no dialogue in game where he insults or "drags" any of the family members. While yes, he can say he wants to throw Avulstein in jail, this can be linked back to the strong sense of justice

THORALD!!! He was looking into it himself, and if your speech is high enough you can persuade him to tell you. While his reasoning is blurry, it can be presumed he asked about because of concern. He mentions that they used to be friends, no doubt close too.

He knew the risks of asking about him, and he tells us he was told to mind his business but kept pushing for an answer

He believes letting the Gray-Manes think Thorald died would've been easier than telling them that no, he's alive, held captive by the Thalmor, in a place where you don't ever come out, and probably being tortured. - sense of Justice AGAIN

He gives you the letter anyway, too!

The market scene reinforces the lack of empathy theory, and the strong sense of justice, because he clearly cared enough about Thorald to go asking about him, had his answers (worse case scenario ones too) and came to the conclusion she was better off not knowing.

I think people tend to forget he grew up around the Gray-Manes too, so he's going to know their character alot better than the DB ever will.

Fralia already seems heartbroken over him going missing, which is probably why he made the decision not to tell her.

Often considered prideful, for example - would rather bend his knee to Ulfric than ask Eorlund for help. Again though, he grew up with the Gray-Manes and so them not picking the same side he did probably hurt like a bitch. (Sense of justiceeee)

Parenting

This part is the only part where I can fully understand why people may not like him as Lars is still being bullied.

There may be multiple reasons for this

Lars hasn't told him - very unlikely though since Alfhild (Idolafs wife) knows about it but he may just be closer with her

Has a more traditional approach to it, and tries to get him to stand up to her, which is most likely as it seems to be a common theme throughout Nords in general that you handle your own problems.

He has spoken to Armen and/or Sapphia about Braiths behaviour, but nothing came of it. Which to be fair is also a decent possibility, as someone who has been bullied most of my school life, typically parental intervention never really helps 💀

Other than that, he seems to try a decent amount. He tries to keep Lars out of trouble with the guards (climbing Dragonsreach cannot be legal 💀🤣), and Lars is outside most of the day too so he probably encourages him to play with the other kids in the hold. (Maybe not braith but yknow)

Anyway, if there's something I've missed feel free to leave a reply, I'm happy to try and explain them some more! :> not that I'm expecting anyone to see this like who actually scrolls Idolaf's tag 💀

Me, I do :)

[albonoooo]

got tagged by @wanderingblindly, thank you my beloved <3

what colour are your eyes?: a mixture of blue, green and grey that looks puddle-coloured most of the time.

tell me about your pets/your dream pet: after 15 wonderful years, our family dog paul (i named him that when i was five lol) unfortunately passed away in august 2023, i loved that dog more than most people. (there were some pictures of him here, but i got nervous that someone i know might see this so i removed them lmao). i'd love to get a dog or a cat at some point later in my life, but not now or any time soon.

share some interesting fact about yourself: i'm genuinely incredibly boring, so much so that i had to ask for help to find an answer here. the council decided on the fact that i know how to ride and own a motorcycle and am also a member in an mf in my hometown.

what was the first fandom you were a part of?: i guess the first time i was properly involved with fandom in any capacity was during my teen wolf days.

do you have any phobias?: i don't know if it's bad enough to be considered a phobia, but i'm terrified of heights. there have been several instances of me breaking down crying despite trying to keep it together while being in very high places (usually while having to climb dodgy stairs in very high buildings, among other things).

are you a picky eater? if so, what food can't you stand?: YES! and i hate it because it's so so limiting and annoying. i am incredibly sensitive regarding taste and texture and i have to physically force myself to hold back visceral reactions to foods i don't like. it'd probably be easier to list the foods i can eat tbh.

do you eat the burger and fries at the same time or one after another?: first some fries, then burger, fries, burger, fries, finish the burger, finish the fries. anything else is weird (what the fuck do you mean you eat them completely separately, liquid???)

winter or summer: winter all the way. i sweat easily, my body generally doesn't cope well with heat and i prefer bundling up and being a little cold over feeling too warm.

favourite fanfiction tropes: i LOVE a good au, any au really, but especially the cute ones. i'll read almost anything at least once and so there's just too many things i have read and enjoyed to list here. also, anything with an enemies to lovers situation. i am a sucker for that.

are you studying or working? what do you study/is your job?: both! i'm a full-time student (english major, history minor) and i am one of the student assistants in the english department's student office. i've also had other, less fun part-time jobs in the past.

what is the last country you visited: the netherlands and belgium during a day trip (by motorcycle) in june or july last year, i think.

what country would you want to move to after retiring?: i've haven't ever even considered living that long. i've always had a fascination with ireland and scotland, so based on looks and vibes alone i'd go there. or somewhere with solid winters, like a scandinavian country or finland.

who was your first crush?: hannes (played by nick romeo reimann) in the vorstadtkrokodile movies. i was ready for marriage, dreaming up a life together and everything. it also lasted until i was like 12 years old, so about six years in total. he really had me in a chokehold.

how did you get into f1 fandom?: after my interest was peaked by f1 edits that randomly popped up all over my social media one day (thank you algorithms), i did what i always do when something like that happens and opened tumblr to see what's up. and then i got stuck lol.

i have no clue who has or hasn't been tagged already, so feel free to ignore this!! @hrhgeorgerussell @bright-and-burning @borntogayz @lil-italian-disappointment @liamlawsonlesbian @piastrisms

[brightcalamity]

Spoilers about late game things:

Man, Wei is weird, isn't he? (This is a compliment) Making an opposite of a guy who is comically evil, and you get a guy who should be...comically good? I hope that's where they're going, because that's how I read him.

Quotes:

Wei:

Well, if you know my brother's birthday, you know mine. But in case you didn't, it's the 14th of Autumn. They say there was a solar eclipse that day.

So are Wei and Yan like those 7 brothers from Portia? Except instead of the colors of the rainbow, they're light and dark? Good and evil? Yan is the dark shadow that blocks out the sun that is Wei? But he's also the guy who shoplifts from Arvio? It actually makes me feel a tiny bit sorry for Yan. Like, was he capable of being any better than he is?

Our father used to always tell us, "Be hard on yourself, go easy on others." He always tried his best with Yan, but my brother... There was no getting through to him. When I moved in, I found engraved in his desk... "Go easy on yourself, go hard on others." How strange that he relishes in such behavior...

Cursed...

I was a guild commissioner previously; I'd regularly join expedition teams going in to the Peripheries. We'd always hire a crack team to fight alongside us. We were careful. Always did everything right. One excursion, my team abandoned me out there, having been paid off by Yan. That... is a story for another time...

Poor Wei...

⁠My brother did always enjoy playing his identity swapping games... Prior to this, the longest he ever got away with it was a month in middle school when I went away for the grammar rodeo... When I got back I had some choice words for him, all of which were carefully constructed semantically!⁠ ⁠ Long ago I had a true love by the name of Esmerelda. She, too, was taken from me by my brother. One day, i came home to find her furious. She claimed that I had said the most horrible things to her. I tried to explain that I have an evil twin...! But she wouldn't believe me...

This poor man....

We send Yan to jail, and we don't have to deal with him again. I can't help but think that Wei is going to be haunted by him for the rest of his life.

Don't worry about my brother coming after either of us. He's safely locked away in a maximum security prison, and his assets have all been frozen. So even if he did have some way to communicate with his shady associates, he'd have no leverage.

:( For your sake, Wei, I hope so.

Hugo:

I feel for Wei. I mean, somewhere, deep down, he's got to have some love for his brother. It must be hard to deal with family like that. People who have just completely lost their way...

I think Wei needs therapy.

Miguel:

Yes. You all are free from Yan's loathsome presence. I however, am forced to bask in it...

You made this bed, Miguel. No, I still feel sorry for you.

Qi:

The twin commissioners are a fantastic study in the nature vs. nurture issue. Of course, these two men have identical DNA, so what exactly led them to become such different people? Hypothesis one: it's the mustache.

I think this is a bias being expressed by the creators of the game which show why they only give us ugly facial hair options.

Unsuur:

With Wei around, it kinda feels like Yan is still a member of town. Except he's, like, good. Most bad guys we meet end up being misunderstood and eventually turn good. It's almost as if... The only way Yan could ever be good is if he were a different person completely. Hm...

This one is probably actual commentary, though, ha.

Venti:

I heard you got a new Commissioner! Did he increase your salary? New healthcare plan? Well, at the very least, is he providing free mustache removals?

Wait! My mustache conspiracy theory! There's more evidence!!!

Okay, I'm kind of bummed because I was searching the wiki for a dialogue line I think is kind of interesting. Like, he says Mi-an is teaching him about "fun." Like, he didn't get it before. He went to grammar contests as a kid. He reads in his spare time. I enjoy the idea of him being just so wholesome and Good that he's just as much of a weirdo as everyone else in town.

Yan also gets disappointed in you when you give him gold and he realizes you probably just found it instead of stealing it. He enjoys his evil. Getting something honestly makes him sick. The closest he comes to giving a shit is if you get to be besties with him and he says he'd try to betray you less than everyone else. He still betrays you basically just as much or even more than them (since you're pals with him).

Hm? Yes, of course, I cheat on the Builder Charts! You'd be a fool not to! Do you have any idea how hard it is to win that thing legitimately? Eh? You don't cheat? What's wrong with you? I thought you were cool! Oh, and don't even think of trying to turn me in. I'll lie!

Since he's evil in like a magic way (and a dumb way, since if he was less like he is, he'd get away with more) I bet he enjoys when he betrays you because you're pals. If he likes you, it's because of the way he sees himself in you. He makes assumptions about your behavior and is disappointed when you act differently than he would. He could have left Wei alone and done his evil, but instead he had to ruin his life over and over.

Anyway, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah. Wei should be his bright mirror. He takes up knitting as a hobby and ends up making baby blankets and caps for cancer patients on the side. He goes on the roller coaster and there's an accident but he fixes whatever broke before anyone got hurt. You see him checking out the new woods and he's walking through it and birds and desert hares flock to him.

If you're going to do the evil twin thing, I think you need to push it until it's ludicrous.

[catchingbigfish]

Just popping in to say that your seminar paper sounds fascinating! If you feel like sharing more about it feel free, but completely no pressure at all. Your description of it in your tags just intrigued me~

oh my god thank you, you have NO idea how hyped i am to get a chance to talk about it!! this is going to be wayyyyy too much info and incredibly long, but i have no one to talk about except my class and we don't meet again until next thurs!

okay so i'm taking a rhetorics grad class and writing about, generally, the rhetoric of christian deconstruction and deconstructors' reclamation of power -- for anyone who doesn't know, deconstruction means people (i've only ever heard this in a christian context but i'm sure this could apply to other religions, i just genuinely am unfamiliar with those spaces) who decide to examine their faith, which is a super complicated process. this can range from "what is the biblical evidence for this topic" all the way to "do i still agree with this belief". so, i'm looking at: how do they talk about their experience of deconstruction, and what new sites of power do they adopt when leaving their faith

more specifically, though, i'm actually writing about memoirs published by two Duggar daughters (of the 19 Kids and Counting television show/franchise) this year! Jill Dillard published what is the closest thing there is to a Duggar-adjacent tell-all, and her sister Jinger Vuolo published a "theological memoir", where she explicitly refused to adopt the term "deconstruction" and instead created a new term, "disentanglement". for those who don't know, the Duggar family is a member of the Independent Fundamental Baptist denomination and the Institute in Basic Life Principles parachurch organization, both of which promote biblical patriarchy (aka, the man is the head of the house and the woman must submit to him) and purity culture (aka, your value is entirely determined by your virginity, and men are terrible horny creatures who cannot control themselves. also, women can't wear pants). both daughters' memoirs are about how they are no longer members of the IBLP, and to an extent, the IFB.

my pitch for the paper was to look at the IFB/IBLP rhetoric about power (the "umbrella of authority" in particular, but generally purity culture and biblical patriarchy) and then examine their new stated beliefs and how they negotiated the power to assert them -- like, looking at Dillard's discussion of her choice to start wearing pants and how she wanted her husband to just tell her what to do, and how when that resulted in blowback from her father, she attempted to placate him (as part of her "umbrella of authority") by calling him before she got a nose ring; and, of course, looking at how she had to deconstruct the belief in the "umbrella" to even write the book. also, looking at how Vuolo's memoir is influenced by her husband's career as a pastor and even though she's distanced herself from the headship/helpmeet dynamic, she's still replicating it by saying she shouldn't have control over her own life.

this has already gotten crazy long, so i'll put more about my research under a cut!!

i've been doing a lot of reading on super varied topics, but i'm reading a lot of TJ Geiger, Bethany Mannon, and Amorette Hinderaker -- the first two specifically look at exvangelical (ex-evangelical christian) rhetorics.

the paper i mentioned in my tags was specifically "Forgiveness Is More Than Platitudes: Evangelical Women, Sexual Violence, and Casuistic Tightening" by Geiger; it's a study of Beth Moore and the gymnast Rachel Denhollander, who both publicly condemned the church's response to abusers. it's *such* a good article, it took me forever to wrap my head around it (coming from a non-christian perspective who had no idea what the fuck casuistic meant) but it's absolutely fascinating, and argues Denhollander and Moore are, in essence, un-flattening the roles between "abuse victim" and "sexually immoral" and demanding churches make forgiveness more costly for the abuser instead of allowing them to brush abusers' crimes away by saying "god forgives them and you should, too". Mannon also wrote about Moore! she's what led me down this rabbit hole, i read a *different* article about Moore in Peithos, a feminist rhetoric journal, for a different project this semester!

Hinderaker looks at "organizational exit", a hot topic in organizational psychology, but she looks specifically at high-control religions instead of workplaces, which is where most of the research was before. i haven't confirmed this, but i suspect she may be ex-mormon? she has a really good article about the way people narrate their decision to leave high-demand religious groups, and argues the "reach" of an organization into a participant's life is actually the primary factor in exit, which goes against previous research (which focused on pay as the most important factor).

okay, i promise i'm almost done. i also read Pure by Linda Kay Klein for fun, then realized about 1/4 of the way in it fits the paper perfectly, because it's really about purity culture rhetorics. i also read The Preacher's Wife, which is about evangelical women celebrities, and helped me frame Vuolo's book in particular. the other genre i've been reading a lot is the general topic of feminist rhetorics, women's rhetorics, conservative and evangelical rhetorics, etc., which basically culminates in Charlotte Hoggs' article "Including Conservative Women’s Rhetorics in an 'Ethics of Hope and Care'", which is explicitly about incorporating the study of conservative rhetorics in the feminist rhetorics field.

[espithewarlock]

Hello! I loved Deep Dive (and the first Mermaid!Charles fic of course) and am taking you up on your request for prompts related to that au. 😊 If you’d like, I’m curious about Max’s POV for (a) the decision to tell Marko about/capture Charles (like - how did he think that would go?!??), and (b) what his whole deal with Daniel is (does he think Daniel isn’t seriously into him or what?). If you’re not interested in those things no worries, and thanks for the lovely hours I got to spend in that world - it really helped distract me yesterday when I was otherwise in an angst spiral about some stuff happening today.

Hello! Thank you so much for the ask! It means a ton to me that these stories helped you in some way, shape, or form. I hope that things are looking up for you! 💚

I’m going to answer these in reverse, so apologies for inflicting you with my chaos!

For B - Max has a lot of…weird hang-ups on relationships. In this AU, his home life wasn’t exactly the beacon of positive, healthy romantic relationships to say the least. Then, in high-school & university he was always comparing and trying to differentiate himself from Pierre. 

After one too many rejections, (and a couple of people trying to get close to him to get close to Pierre) he sort of built an identity out of being “above” or “better than” romantic relationships. He didn’t think anyone could be interested in him, so he resolved to not be interested in any relationship. 

Thankfully, Daniel is also a stubborn bastard and can see the goofy, carefree, loveable side of Max that he lets slip around his friends. I combined your prompt with Daniel meeting Charles in this chapter and I hope you enjoy it!

Now A is something I’ve thought about. A lot. And I’m probably not going to actually write the snippet because it’s not a happy one. Max is selfish, more than a bit of a bastard, and I don’t like thinking about how he completely discarded his friendship with Pierre. The highlights look something like this:

Max makes the connection that Pierre is visiting with Charles on his lunch breaks when he sees the picture Pierre finally shares with them at Trivia night

He tries following him a few times, then finally has success and sees Charles

In shock, the first person he runs into is Dr. Marko and he basically blurts out the secret that mermaids exist without thinking

One thing leads to another, and before he knows it, he’s making plans to capture and study Charles

At one point, guilt and doubt start to creep in, he second guesses what he’s doing, but Dr. Marko talks him out of it. Basically convinces Max that his friendship with Pierre is holding him back and he’ll never find success if he’s tied down like that

It’s very reminiscent of things his father has said about achieving success, so Max basically shoves all those feelings away and focuses on the plan

After Charles is captured, Max is hit with a ton of guilt when his friends ALL choose Pierre over him. Instead of apologizing, he doubles down and stubbornly tells himself that he doesn’t need them. He’s going to be famous and they’ll all wish they sided with him.

Over the months that Charles is in the lab, he sees little glimpses of the care Pierre and Charles have for each other and how much Pierre is destroying himself over this

Max realizes about 6 months in that he truly fucked up. He hasn’t gotten a single text from a non-family member in that length of time and that’s when he decides to do what he can to fix it.

Everything else pretty much happens on-screen. Max helps with the escape and slowly re-integrates into his friend group. It still takes him a while to get together with Daniel, but at least he has support from his friends for that one.

I hope this satisfies your prompt request! I've got a few more prompts in the queue and feel free to send me anything else you're interested in reading!

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Hello! Congratulations on 6k!!!

I hope it’s acceptable for me to ship you with Morpheus from Sandman. He’s pretty big, but! He is of the realm of dreams, a being beyond that is human, who can perceive you and who you are an a level different than any other. Introspection and writing, in my perspective, works very well with Morpheus. Plus, you’re always lost in your own head, so while day dreaming perhaps he could pop in for a visit, help with inspiration. I think he could enjoy observing you, watching you! And it might just be my experience, but I’m also asexual (technically aromantic aegosexual) which I think a being beyond human or god could really understand that.

Now, for me, I request the character to be from Baldur’s Gate (I’m not asking Sandman because if you didn’t tell me I’d be with Corinthian I would cry). Please feel free to assign anyone who’s in the game, be it party members, npcs, or villains.

So, sexuality wise, already said I’m aroace — and aegosexuality is “sex without the self”, aka the concept of sex is great but doing sec as me, in my body, sounds horrific. But! I am also exclusively attracted to men.

Now, personality; I am, first and foremost, autistic. I know this doesn’t define who I am, but I am actually quite proud of being autistic, it makes me happy, I brag about it. I am proud of thinking about things in a different way than others and I am proud of all the effort I’ve put into learning to empathize with others. I’m someone who is often disconnected from my own body, it rarely feels like it’s mine or fully representative of what I do or am. I often escape into fantasies within my head and can pace in circles for hours exploring those settings, not to mention all the fiction that I get too into and try to learn everything about. And through intense study and research, I’ve attempted to learn and understand how people communicate and work on a psychological level, fascinated by the inconsistencies and willing to be forgiving for many circumstances as long as I can understand it — however when I am unable to understand something I can grow increasingly distressed and frustrated. If someone refuses to explain something to me it can even lead to a full on breakdown. Another thing, I don’t like to be “in charge”. I enjoy assisting others, making others lives easier, and overall I also try to assume neutrality from others. It’s difficult to offend or insult me. Oh, also a quick thing — I am extremely morally strict with myself and the standards I hold (easy example; I won’t be friends with anyone who’s racist and will cut off family if I realize they are), if I make a promise I try to never break it and if someone promises me something I expect it to hold.

Final thing on romance : to me the most romantic thing that could happen (that is physically impossible) is mutual cannibalization. Or! Being able to curl up in someone’s chest cavity. Gore and gruesomeness has always intrigued me on a very deep level.

I ship you with Lae’zel

Lae’zel is a very straight forward person. She doesn’t feel the need to hide her opinions or her desires so communication would be a non-issue. She would admire your moral code and your dedication to it. It might, at times, conflict with her own, but that also provides an opportunity to change and grow. While she might not fully understand how deeply you get inside your own head an imagination, once she understands it importance to you, she’d be sure to give you space. She's also the one to pull you back to reality when the situation calls for it.

Overall you can trust to have a true and honest relationship where all your wants and desires will be heard and understood.

This would only end badly. But it would be beautiful.

(18/30)

6k Follower Celebration

[roo-bastmoon]

Reliable real-time translators

I speak some Japanese and very little French, but I know barely a word of Korean and I'm nosy... so when our boys do Lives, I like to try to follow along by using notifications on certain real-time Twitter translators whom I find to be reliable*.

I'm listing the real-time translator accounts I know of here in case anyone else finds it useful. Please also feel free to comment if you know of others--but read below for the types of accounts I cannot in good faith promote, okay?

SEL and also SEL but for WeVerse stuff

MIINIYOONGS

YOONSEO

KOO PICASSO

CLAIRE

CHARTS K

BANGTAN SUBS

Use this list at your own discretion.

*Please note: I am not a cancel-culture type of person. I'm a Gen Xer and I highly value independent critical thinking skills. I will never throw stones, nor do I typically grab a torch or pitchfork and go after someone in public.

If you're a fascist, racist, sexist, any kind of queerphobic, an anti, a manti, hate on a member, or are a rabid cult member, I will quietly report and block you and then just turn my attention to what I want out of life, not what I don't. (When I say anti, I'm also including people who post sasaeng-type content that endangers our members.)

But I do sometimes follow people I don't agree with, because I don't want to live in an echo chamber. I'm not out to police people--not their thoughts or ships or personal lives. I also allow for people to make mistakes and have flaws, because that's how humans learn, and it's especially commendable if they apologize and are working on changing.

You have to demonstrate to me the active will to lie or cause harm for me to completely reject you--and once I do that, we're done done. So please know, I am very, very careful about how I judge others. Because...

Why am I telling you this?

Because some of these translators post hurriedly and make mistakes, or they mishear, or they have to work or study and cannot always translate for all 7 members every hour of the day. Sometimes they just get it wrong. And I can absolutely forgive that. They are providing a free service, they always apologize for errors, and I know to do my due diligence and get translations from many sources, because Korean is nuanced and tonal and therefore open to some interpretation. Whenever there's a doubt, I ask a native Korean.

What I won't tolerate is a translator picking fights with native speakers, being rude to questioners, or skewing a translation in favor of their ship (or not-ship). Nor will I follow a translator who has hinted at disliking a member, no matter how far back in their past. That's where I draw my lines.

But some folks listed above may be problematic for you. That's cool. If you want to DM me with evidence of intentional wrongdoing, I will listen with an open mind and decide if I need to stop following them or listing them here. But so far, I've been following these folks for months--many of them have been systematically attacked by the cult specifically because they love Jimin or view Jikook positively. They get absolutely railroaded if they get a single phrase wrong and ratioed as antis or liars sometimes. And I'm sorry, but I know from working as an editor of translated novels back in the day, translation is HARD.

Please do your due diligence and police your own internet experience. I cannot judge for you what you find acceptable. There are big accounts that translate but also post hotel info and flight info and photos of the Tannies' homes and family and friends and vacations and rumors and if that sets right with you, that's your business. It's human to be curious and I'm not trying to be judgey, because I've honestly been curious about some of that stuff too, but that's not a loving way to be an ARMY and I'm not gonna promote those accounts.

I will say that in my experience, all humans are flawed, all money is dirty, and all life is about compromise. It's always good to ask people where they stand before making assumptions. Text errors I can forgive; malintent I cannot.

At the end of the day, people who translate with good intentions genuinely amaze me and have my respect.

It's totally fine by me if you don't agree. But don't bring drama to this post. People who bring drama will be forced to ride the drama llama, you hear?

Love, Roo

[onlycosmere]

Apocalypse Guard Excerpt

Brandon Sanderson: The two women loaded up their single pack animal. A short creature that looked kind of like a camel, but was more the size of a llama. It eyed me lazily, chewing quietly on its cud. After their packs and bed rolls were tied in place, Echo placed a curious item on top. A long tube, wrapped in cloth. It was almost five feet long. A map tube? If so, those maps would be the size of walls. Once that was done, the camp cleaned, Echo looked me over with a critical eye. I looked down at my ripped slacks. Though my flats were sensible business shoes, they weren't intended for extended hikes. She dug in her pack and came out with an extra pair of boots and a pair of trousers. "Uh," I said, taking the trousers and looking them over. Echo was lean and athletic, and I was... not. She noted my hesitance and said something that sounded like agreement, but I did try on the boots. It took several pair of socks to make them fit, but the end result was better than the flats. I didn't much look the part of a heroic Apocalypse Guard member - my jacket was too big, my business slacks ripped, and poorly matched by a pair of hiking boots. But it wasn't like I needed to appear in any company photos. "I'm good," I told them. "Let's go." Echo looked towards the last thing on the ground, near the center of camp. The shadow rig. Right. I considered putting it on, but was instantly reminded of that melting world where everything became paint. Let's pass on that for now, I thought, packing away the rig beside where Echo had put the trousers. After that, we started walking.

Emma's Instructions for hiking. One, wear comfortable shoes, so when your feet hurt anyway, you can at least feel like you tried. Two, remember tons of bug spray, so you smell like a vat of cleaning liquid. Bonus points if it makes the dirt stick to your skin while walking. If you can, wear a backpack filled with things that you won't end up using, but which will somehow always manage to arrange inside so they can poke you in the gizzard. Four, return to your sweet air conditioned, bug free, shower containing home, renewed and reminded how nice it is not to be a caveman.

People always assume that I'm inexperienced at outdoorsy stuff, just because I tend to throw things at them when they suggest camping. Truth is, I'm very experienced with camping. I spent countless nights with my family, huddled up in the cold by a barely working fire, listening to Father tell stories of when he was a kid in Iona. Shockingly, it had been even more rural back then! Nowadays, we have a stoplight. It's practically cosmopolitan! So yes, I've done lots of camping, and hiking, and canoeing, and backpacking, and skiing. I kind of like that one, but don't tell anyone. Truth is, there's not a lot to do in Iona that doesn't involve pretending to be a caveman. Back when I was little, and apparently brain dead, we kids would spend two entire weeks every summer up at Scoresby's Ranch without even running water, let alone wifi. In my later years, my family and I had even kind of come to a truce on the matter. I pretended to look forward to our yearly camping trip, and they pretended not to notice the phone I always brought along. Or the sets of instructions I may or may not have posted relating to the experience. None of this meant I was prepared for the extended hike through the wilderness with Echo and <Whisprien>, but at least I knew how unprepared I was. I could spot the warning signs of a blister forming, and do something about it. I knew how to pace myself, and how to let others know when I needed a break. These two were obviously experienced survivalists, so even <Whisprien>'s endurance put mine to shame. I tried not to focus on my embarrassment at that, instead studying the landscape. Strangely, it didn't look that much different from Idaho. Mostly filled with scrub grasses and weeds. More of those were brown then back home for some reason, but they seemed healthy anyway. It was a lot more humid than home was, and less dusty. There was real dirt here, not just powdery dried clay and Iona topsoil, also known as rocks. And then there was the sky. Any time I was feeling a sense of familiarity with the hike, I caught a shimmer on the ground, or a shadow passing overhead. Then I'd look up, and my brain would break anew. There was a freaking ocean in the sky. Despite the distance, I could see ripples and waves from passing wind. The things that moved within it were mostly just shadows, but I got a sense of darting schools - not just noble leviathans. Were there sharks? Sky-sharks? The idea made me smile. My adopted brother would have found that incredible; I'd have to tell him. If I survived. Don't be like that, I thought, you'll get out of this. Look, nobody has even tried to kill you all morning.

We stopped for lunch, and they gave me more guard rations while they ate something that looked like beef jerky. Nearby, a strange herd of animals passed through the brush. How to explain them? They were big, almost as tall as a person. And covered in armor that almost looked like a football helmet. Seriously, they had this ball of a body, and a little flat head stuck out the front, with a stumpy tail and flat beak. I'd have called them dinosaurs, except for the face. I was pretty sure they were mammals, like, prehistoric armadillo turtles. Echo didn't seem concerned about them, so I just perched nervously on top of my fallen log and watched them wander by, then felt stupid. I'd faced the <Hex>! I could face an armadillo or two, even if they did seem to be on the wrong side of a radioactive spill.

Echo was obviously a practical woman. She didn't smile often, but it wasn't that she was stern. Maybe just straightforward? Compass in hand, she calmly picked our heading after each break. She would occasionally try to draw her daughter into conversation. <Whisprien> resisted these. The thin girl trudged along in her rugged backpack, eyes down. I never heard her speak in anythingbut  a whisper, and her attitude seemed to be more then your average "sullen tween resents life" sort of thing. But who knows? Maybe she just really hated camping. 

Echo would periodically seek a tree or something to climb so she could check to make sure we weren't being followed. Her voice was always upbeat when she came down, and I could sense a lingering concern from her. She was very worried about those soldiers. One of them had a rig, I thought again. It didn't take a math degree to notice that a lot of things weren't adding up. Part of the secret perhaps lay stowed away in that camel-llama's pack. I walked up beside the animal, who walked placidly beside <Whisprien>, and placed my fingers on the partition that held the shadow rig. I had the distinct sensation of blending realities, of the grass around me melting into colors, like a wet watercolor painting left in the rain. I snatched my hand back. <Whisprien> looked away, and grumbled something, falling back in the line. A short time later, I caught her glaring at my back, eyes narrowed. 

When the sun finally settled beyond the envelope of water, I was exhausted. But it was more a wholesome exhaustion kind of exhaustion than I felt yesterday. It was the exhaustion of having been forced to weed an entire potato field. 

Echo chose a camp that looked like it had been used by other weary travelers. A forested nook beside a weathered section of rock. I heard water gurgling somewhere nearby, which seemed like a good sign that I might actually get to take a bath. Echo unpacked the camel-llama, then grabbed her large water jug and moved off towards the sound of the stream. When she returned with a filled jug, I held out my canteen eagerly, but she shook her head and gestured towards the fire pit. "You have to boil the water first?" I asked, "Probably a good idea."

Fortunately I'd been immunized from all the local viruses, both from here, and from a host of other planets that the Guard was working with. That was standard procedure. I wasn't certain how the Guard prevented themselves from carrying diseases to the worlds they worked on. I hoped I wasn't the latent carrier of, like, smallpox or something. Accidentally harboring the advent of an all-consuming pestilence would be super embarrassing.

<Whisprien> started working on the fire, and she gave me a glance that distinctly seemed to say "Isn't there anything useful you can do?" So I powered up my phone for today's ration of power and snapped a picture of her for my blog. I snuggled back against a comfortable looking log (it wasn't) and ate up a little of my batteries working on some instructions, hoping the whole time my distress beacon would bring a response from those looking for me. No such luck.

About halfway through my allotted half hour, I brought up the map and had Echo point out out current location. She noted a very small distance traveled. Crap on a stick. (I got that one from one of my Iona friends.) Was that really the only progress we'd made? How were we going to reach the Guard outpost in three days? It didn't seem possible. Particularly because we were going the wrong direction. "Echo, isn't that the wrong way?" I tapped the map, then tried to make myself understood by pointing. The outpost was north of where we started, but we'd been walking west. I suppose I could've told that from the sun, if I'd thought about it. Echo said something in her language, then pointed at something on my map. Not a town or an outpost, but a little spot of brown. It was hard to tell what it was on the two dimensional map, only barely touched on topographical features. "Okay...." I said, "I guess I'll trust you know what you're doing." She nodded and went back to working on the fire, which was crackling nicely and boiling our water. She could be leading me into a trap, of course. Perhaps she hadn't saved me out of goodwill, but to gain a potential hostage against the Guard. But it wasn't like I could do anything about that. I'd be laughably ineffective at trying to sneak off. Echo would track me down with little effort, assuming I wasn't immediately devoured by some prehistoric carnivorous elk or something.

I moved to sit on a rock that looked somewhat comfortable (it wasn't) and continued working on my blog, trying not to think too hard about how sore I was going to be from. A harsh whisper hissed from behind me. I jumped, and turned to see <Whisprien> standing behind my seat. She pointed at my screen and hissed something angry. I glanced at what I had been working on. The picture of <Whisprien> I had taken with some handy instructions about living in the wilderness. I switched off the phone, but <Whisprien> reached for it. I barely kept it out of her reach, worried she'd shatter the screen. "Okay, okay," I said, "Sorry, no pictures. I'll delete it, chill!" I tried to do so, but <Whisprien> kept hissing at me and reaching for the phone. The scuffle drew Echo, who barked a question. Finally <Whisprien> backed off, and I reluctantly showed her mother the screen. Echo just nodded. Again, it didn't seem like she was unfamiliar with technology. She didn't demand I delete the photo or anything, but she did pull her daughter over and have her help make what appeared to be an evening soup. Great job Emma, I thought, I apparently needed a set of instructions on not being a giant idiot.

"Hey," I said, walking over to Echo, "is it alright if I go take a bath?" I pantomimed swimming, and washing my hair, then pointed to the water. "Is it safe?" Echo said something, then dug from her pack an old-timey bar of soap and a hairbrush, which she handed to me. I nodded in thanks, then made my way over to the small river. It was more muddy then I'd hoped, but I supposed I couldn't expect something out in the middle of these plains to look like a Grand Teton Mountain spring. I made sure I had line of sight to the other two, just in case, then I stood there, holding the bar of soap, uncertain. Was this a good idea? Taking a bath in the middle of the wilderness on a foreign world, while potentially being chased by mercenaries? I was basically guaranteed to be attacked by, like, a dinosaur or something the moment I stripped down. But what was I gonna do? Go the entire way without ever washing off? I was still bloodied and smudged with ash from the explosion, not to mention caked with sweat. Perhaps taking a bath was tempting fate, but this way if a dinosaur did eat me, at least I'd taste like soap. Truth was, it actually felt empowering to take that bath, like this was my choice. Getting clean was something I wanted, and I wasn't going to let myself be too scared to accomplish it.

That said, I did still watch my surroundings with keen attention as I quickly bathed in the cold water. Unfortunately, once finished, I was left with the same dirty clothing I had taken off. Lance's jacket, my incredibly wrinkled blouse, and the torn slacks. Quite the inspiring uniform. Still, I felt a ton better as I put it all back on. Echo offered me some thread as I rejoined them, and I thankfully started working on sewing up the rips along my leg.

The stew was kinda good. And I turned in feeling kinda clean, kinda full, and kinda not in extreme danger. I woke up the following morning to shouting. Echo called me in her native tongue, and I shook awake, then scrambled to my feet. "What?" I said, "Dinosaurs? It's dinosaurs, isn't it?" I paused. "Do you have dinosaurs here?"

Echo gestured toward the sky. Morning at dawn, and through the branches above, I could see an enormous disturbance in the waters, like ripples of a dropped boulder, only moving inward in a ring. The center of that shrinking ring of waves looked like it was just above our position. Great. I had been starting to feel ignored.

Chapter 13

"The flood can't be happening already!" I shouted as I scrambled back into camp, "We're supposed to have weeks before the apocalypse!"

Echo shouted something back as she grabbed the llama-camel's harness and towed it after her through the trees. <Whisprien> had climbed on its back. "Wait," I called after them. I waved toward the bedrolls and boiling water, "Our stuff! What about..." I trailed off as <Whisprien> looked toward me from the camel's back. The girl's face was still blank of emotion, but her eyes were glowing. They had a ghostly cast to them, pupils melded into the white, shining forth like something bright was behind them. It reminded my of the floodlight eyes of the <Hex>. I stumbled to a stop, gaping, until Echo sent the animal and the girl on ahead, then looked back to me, waving urgently. Above, the sky darkened. The sun faded behind the ocean, as if growing suddenly distant, or as if the water were somehow growing deeper up there, thicker. Echo shouted something at me that sounded a little like "Run", so I ran. I grabbed the shadow rig from inside my bedroll, and left everything else, dashing after the two of them. Once I was past the tree, Echo fell into place beside me. The llama-camel ran on ahead with a loping gait. <Whisprien> clung to it's back.

I wasn't in nearly as good shape as Echo, nor was I, shockingly, a camel. But I made a pretty good showing for myself, and didn't lag behind too much. At least, not until I glanced over my shoulder. The sky rippled, and then broke. Water crashed downwards, the front edge fuzzing, like mist. The enormous column of water seemed to drop in slow motion because of the distance. It wasn't as nearby as I first assumed. Man, it was big. A ring of water the size of a small village just dumping billions of gallons of water down from the sky. I stopped in place, jaw dropping, staring until Echo grabbed my arm and towed me away. What good would it do to flee? We were three little specks before an ocean of destruction. We couldn't outrun the end of the world.

Still, Echo seemed determined. I started running again, but I was built to deliver coffee and the occasional sarcastic quip, not run across the freaking wilderness. Pain seared up my side. I slowed, gasping. A violent crash suddenly washed over us, an engulfing sound that made the very air vibrate. Holy heck. How much water had to fall before it hit the ground with the sound of a bomb going off. Echo looked back at the sound and hesitated in front of me, as if torn between protecting me and running after her daughter. She lingered, urging me on, and I did my best. "What," I said, panting for breath, "What's the use?" Sweat streamed down my face. Echo gestured in front of her, then made a raising motion with her hands. High ground, I thought, She's saying we need to get to high ground. And considering it, the direction we were running did seem to have a gentle slope to it. It wasn't like we were running for the mountains or anything, but maybe this would be enough? If this really is the end though, the high ground won't matter. Most of the planet will end up submerged.

Still, I broke into a weak jog. Ahead, I saw our goal: a rise in the grasslands, a kind of ridge, like a long low hill. <Whisprien> had stopped there with the camel-llama. A cracking sound behind along with the low roar of rushing water made me glance over my shoulder. Water flooded between the trees of our camp, first slow, then in a rush that ripped away branches. Another surge of muddy water engulfed the entire stand, shattering the trees.

I forced myself forward, practically crawling the rest of the way up the hilltop. Water flooded the plain we crossed. It looked deceptively lethargic, like seeping tar, until you focused on something like an individual sapling. On the smaller scale, your mind could comprehend that this was an enormous river, rushing with might and power, pushing debris before it.

I reached the top and collapsed beside <Whisprien>. The waters came, and I realized, I'd just let them swallow me, if it came to that. I couldn't move another step. Blessedly, the rise was high enough. The front of the wave turned aside and fled the other direction. In the distance, the spout of water from the heavens slowed to a mist, then to rain, and finally stopped altogether. This wasn't the end of the world, not yet. More like a warning shot. I lay on the rough grass, listening to the sound of the water growing below. I already felt sweaty and dirty again - so much for my bath. Of course, if I wanted another one, it didn't look like I'd lack for water.

[snaillamp]

1, 4 and 19! In love with your writing btw<3

Ahhh thank you!!! <3 back at ya!

1: What are your favorite whump tropes?

A list of ones I don't like would be way shorter ahaha. I'm a sucker for sickfics, fainting and hidden injury. When a big, tough stoic character is so cool, calm and collected and then bam they start sweating, fainting and being all delirious... solid stuff. Also absolutely love whumpees being knocked out if you couldnt tell from my writing. If they're unconscious I'm there.

Love a good little stabby stab too, but a fun little trope I've tried to include a couple times if the knife to the throat and drawing a teensy little bit of blood. That visual in my head is always so great and the whumperflies are insane.

I also love soft fluffy stuff, team members looking after their Leader is a solid fav and the tough character cracking and becoming the fluffiest caretaker for whumpee is where it's at!

My writing contains my favorite whump tropes, I don't really write anything I don't like cause why would I? That being said if it was requested I would try my best, some of the prompts for JOD I didn't like turned out to be my favorite stories to write (Day 27 as an example might be my favorite story I wrote from the entire month, we might need to visit Enjar again?)

I also write different tropes depending what I'm studying at the moment! I recently started ~trauma studies~ so I hope it improves my physical whump a little more. (I'm a 2nd year uni student. Transferred from nursing to paramedicine at the end of last year and I have to do first year again yayyyy...) I was doing a lot of CPR as well as assessments for illnesses last semester (cardio-respiratory, abdominal and neurological) and last year did medications, life support and wound dressings. I have to try really hard not to do the step by step of aseptic non-touch technique or describe in detail how Rescuer inserts and OPA when I write lmao.

I usually resort to "And caretaker applied the dressing and went away" instead of "Caretaker lined up the dressing and using the fold method, applying the dressing cleanly to the sterilised skin" cause thats way too specific.

Anyway, the point of that ramble is that I use it to practice for my assessments, it helps me wrap my head around concepts I'm struggling with and it's good inspiration and fun to use my free time in an effective way. Whumpee fell over and broke their leg? Snail is on the scene! Whumpee had a seizure? Snail is doing AEIOUTIPS to figure out why! I love medicine as a science, that shits cool as fuck!

I don't tend to post those ones as they are kinda long, boring and kinda personal as the Caretaker is me. It feels like writing what is effectively fanfic about myself and doesn't make me feel right, I'm not a super boastful person really. I have posted a couple Cranky Whumpee is an example of when I did a mental check of how much I remembered about wound care and what I needed to study up on (the massage was just cause I wanted a massage). It keeps me interested in my more boring skills, prevents skill erosion and is good practice for writing and medical care, my two favorite things!

**I would like to clarify however, that I have a love for whump and a love for medicine but they are too seperate things. I don't get whumperflies for my patients and dont like to imagine scenarios in whump similar to what I have done irl. I got into whump as a thing after I began studying. I did not decide to study these things because of whump. I've always had an interest in medicine and almost everyone in my family are in the medical field in some capacity.** - thank you potential employersssssssssss :)

✨we love ethics here✨

damn thats a long answer sorry for the essay :) im coverin my ass lmao

4: Do you prefer physical whump or emotional/psychological whump?

It really depends on the whumpee and what's happening. Physical whump is more fun to write, but psychological whump is a close second. Love delirium and all that jazz. Emotional isn't as much of a favorite cause I just can't get into it as much as the others, idky. I guess it just feels mean which is weird cause I happily write about people smashing Leader's ribs or whatever. Do love an emotional moment tho, fluffy emotional caretaking is the best.

maybe its cause I was a touch starved child but hugging, cuddling, being close just is nice to write about and I love giving my whumpees something nice as a treat.

19: Who are your favorite whump bloggers? Tag them!

I love this whole community but a few favs are

@allthewhumpygoodness - it says it in the name folks

@whump-or-whatever - the prompts here are so good

@hufflepuffwritingstuff2 - I love the sense of humor in their writing

and last but certainly not least: @fallenwhumpee - Surprise!

I love your work it's awesome! I think we both like similar things which is so cool. You may have noticed me scrolling your blog a few times before sorry for the spam of notifs <3

I could list more but also I would be here all day. To anyone new in the community I recommend finding a tag you like and just going at it, find stories and prompts from people and just follow them all! the whole community is lovely and talented!

other answers

[glorified-red]

oooo a 5k? Are you a student athlete?is that how you got a full ride?

Yes, but no, but yes, but no.

I've been an althete for my entire school career up until my senior year of highschool, so I guess? Student Athlete?

For a year or so I was a gymnast. (My sister and I did it together, she stayed her entire life, I did not, obviously)

Then for a few years I played T-Ball (recently found out via my mom that I made the front page of the city newspaper because I hit the ball and then felt really bad so I went to go pick it up instead of like....playing the game).

Then I played soccer for, so many years, I couldn't tell you how many, I lost count. (I was offense most of the time, rip my ankles)

I almost did volleyball but chickened out last minute (wouldve been a setter or libero).

Then, being the band kid I was, I joined marching band my freshman year. (ah seven years of playing an instrument leads to this)

Got bored of that so I switched to colorguard for two years which was soooo much more athletically demanding my GAWD. (two years of ✨trauma✨ but I might buy a sabre soon, idk, feeling kinda silly)

And Senior year I did nothing and got a job to fill the void of having way too much freetime for me to know what to do with. How do you guys not do sports? What do you do with all the free time???

So yes, I was a "student athlete," kinda sorta, not really, but sure. If I kept playing I probably could've gotten a music scholarship but I haven't touched that instrument in almost 3 years. Same with maybe a marching band scholarship? Idk if my college does that tbh.

But how I actually got my scholarships? Tests and Parents pfft.

5.2 + 3.98 GPA (dont ask why its not a 4.0, I will literally start crying, went my ENTIRE LIFE with a 4.0 only for the lAsT sEmEsTer of SENIOR YEAR---full disrespect: fuck college Spanish), straight A's MINUS ONE CLASS (if I could fist fight college spanish I so would).

I was a dual enrollment kid so I was half a highschool student and half a college student, shot my GPA through the roof and got me to graduate with my AA the same year I graduated highschool. I was the Jason Todd, loved school, was great at school, never struggled, never studied, etc etc.

SAT scores and ACT scores got me a 75% scholarship to any college I wanted to go to in the area (I was only a few points away from 100% but I was too lazy to try again lmao). Then I got another scholarship for being a military brat. Then I got another one for having parents with post-military issues where I basically get paid to go to school. All of that just combines to a full ride, plus any extra money from the scholarships goes to me which is more than I need so it's in my savings acct.

First two years of college were completely free because I was in the dual enrollment program (free college woo), next three years are free because of multiple scholarships, I just say full ride cuz it's quicker to say and gets the point across.

As for the 5ks: My mom and I like to do them together and do at least one a month. This month we're doing an obstacle 5k where you physically cannot complete it without a buddy or a group. Army crawling under electricity, balancing on things by countering each others weight, ninja warrior wall where your team is at the top to catch you, etc etc.

My family (found moreso than blood) is going as Justice League members because there were too many of us to be the Power Rangers. We're doing another one of these in Dec. and then the 10k version of it next year and then hopefully the 15k version. I know my mom and I want to eventually do a marathon.

My main goal is to complete a triathalon. I've ALWAYS wanted to do one so we're gonna try to do it sometime late next year. Starting with the shorter triathalons and slowly working our way up to the more average/long ones.

Now don't get it twisted, I'm not like, a runner or workout junky. Quite literally the opposite. My mom is a runner and its her therapy. Mine? Meeting new people, getting some sun, getting the body moving, and maybe getting some nice scenary. I do run parts of the races, but for the most part I like a nice brisk walk since its healthier for my body than running (yay chronic pain and stupid ovaries!)

I hate the stereotype that you have to run the whole thing or be super fit to do marathons and races. No?? Anyone who wants to can. The point for me isn't to win or to place, its just to finish and have fun. Do I enjoy having a good time? Hell yea, I beat my time by 10 minutes last solo 5k I did. But I'm also the first person who will happily sacrifice a good time so I can enjoy meeting other racers and walking with them.

The last 5k I did was a forest one (it fucking sucked) where the terrain was sand and there were soooo many branches and hills. I watched a racer sprain their ankle right in front of me so we ended up walking the rest together and I carried them for some bits. So my time was terrible, but hey, I got to meet someone I never would've if I didn't stop---and that's more valuable to me.

[httpiastri]

https://www.tumblr.com/httpiastri/751266995217006593/i-need-to-tell-someone-sorry-for-the-vent

i relate so hard?? my friend once told me about her cousin meeting so many of my fav drivers and some team principals during the gp in my country last year and i was so jealous i had angry tears come up and i even typed out an angsty rant in my notes app that i still have to this date 😭😭 (also got my period the day after so)

like i personally wouldn’t want to meet them before races or quali because i think everyone’s stressed and might not want to be bothered but im also so jealous of the people that get to and when i worked for a bit after grad while waiting for my new school so many of my coworkers got free tickets from family members and stuff and i was so so jealous and then i found out my dad has also been offered tickets for many years but he never took them and i was like 😡😡

although im currently looking at friday grandstand tickets for this year and i might get them… idk yet because i have a few people telling me they’ll give me their tickets if they get free ones so i don’t wanna waste my money but also last year i viewed from an unpaid spot but got such insanely good quality pics from my friends professional camera and even my phone and i just remembered how light and happy i felt after everything and idk maybe it is worth it to go even if im alone, because F1 academy is also racing in my country and i do like some drivers!! and in my field of study i might get to pick the F1 exhibition in my country as one of my analysis studies (fingers crossed 🤞🤞)

UGHSHDD ik how this anon feels esp when it feels like everyone around you has been to races even when theyre not fans and you can barely get tickets because they literally sell out 10 months before the dates or youre just a poor teenage girl (me 😞😞)

- 🪷

pleasee sweetheart 🥲 i totally understand tho, if that had been a friend/family member of mine..... i would've been SO jealous 😶

i feel you so much tho, like i keep dreaming about meeting drivers on a race weekend but i would hate bothering them? i would be so scared that they don't wanna interact with anyone, just focus?? like i know they're kind and humble so they'll not just storm off but forcing them to say hi or take a pic.... also maybe because i hate pics but idk what i would do if i met a driver because i cant take a selfie with them ?? i would be so awkward????? (though i feel like pepe would make me feel so safe and calm AAAAA) but yea 🫠🫠 but god he was offered tickets but never took them ???? 😦

also ngl kinda upset that my dad took me to races when i was like eight?? like man did you think i was gonna remember anything from that?????? 🙃

awh that sounds lovely!! rlly wish i had a race in my country 💔 but aaa i hope you get a proper confirmation about the other tickets in time so you can make a good choice 🫶 but also oH you could find that good of a place without paying??? that's awesome 🥺 and f1 academy too, sounds like it can be a fun weekend 🥰 and even for your studies??? that's so cool wth, im so jealous 🥰

maybe we'll just have to get ourselves a sponsor who wants to pay for us to go to some races <3333 can't be that hard right????