#ill see in a week what the poll says

[ivycorp]

Have you ever thought about taking fic commissions?

Plenty of apologies; this has taken me a while to address - mostly because it's a bit of a two-fold answer.

Have I ever thought about it - as a concept? I won't lie because I have - accidentally I had been mistaken as someone else and thus I had the brief moment of thinking on that matter before it was quickly cleared up ;)

Have I thought about it - as actually opening up the option to commission me for fics these days? Maybe, but I already feel like my writing takes forever, my schedule is a bit of a pain - if one does not mind a wait, though...

Plus, honestly, I doubt there would be much interest - that said, I'm opening a poll to see if there is, and I'll decide the next steps based on that ;)

[ladyyatexel]

Friends, Romans, Tumblrites, lend me your reblogs.

I'm Xel and I live in a society! I think there's a solid chance you do also! So you may relate to the profoundly crappy thing that happened to me and that I once again need a community assist.

I lost a temporary job that was supposed to turn into a permanent job in June because no one there felt safe enough to retire. Only two of us in the apartment were under 50. One of the crew was over 70. Three were chronically ill/disabled. No one felt safe enough to leave in order for me to stay, so I was trained for basically 6 months for nothing.

I have survived on savings from that job until this point, but I'm at the point where I cannot pay rent. I'm looking into getting help from sources more local to me but the internet has always felt like people who cared about me more than the people I share DNA with, really.

Many of the social services that I was signed up for expired the day that I was supposed to be told that I would be a permanent hire, and since that didn't go down, now I have to start it all again from the beginning, and there are gaps in my security net.

I tell you all of that just to say that I am actually trying to do things, I'm not here to just beg and coast along on some sort of lavish lifestyle where I, uh. Keep living in this dodgy apartment with my cat.

I don't want to bore you with an itemized list, but like 2,000 US dollars would get me through September and October without being worried about it like every 3 minutes. My rent is 700 and change, if you would like to know that. So I'm looking for like September and October rent and money to renew my driver's license, pay a few utility bills, buy a bag of cat food, and refill my medications.

If you have the notion to toss help at an internet pal or the extended reblogged acquaintance of an Internet pal, as is more likely the case, probably, that would be super rad of you.

I'm an artist! You could get things with images on them from me! I sell buttons, prints, and commissioned illustrations if that's your thing. My commissions are going a bit slow as of late - I only recovered from being not really able to walk like 2 months ago, and so I'm doing a lot of catch up like everywhere else in my whole life and trying not to spend too much time at a desk since it aggravates the spine thing that was the problem in the first place.

To be honest, it would be a greater help to me to just receive some Aid rather than full-on commissions, but I completely understand feeling fishy about people getting something for nothing and also feeling bad for being a charity case on the internet, so I'm not opposed! If you want to chat about that, I have a commissions post on the side or top of my blog depending on where you're looking at this!

Ko-fi contains my buttons and is a good place to toss digital dead American presidents if that suits you. I will get hit by some PayPal fees in this process but, I'm willing to call that a call for help on the internet tax.

I promise I'm a real person and not a bot who has made up a cat and is pretending to have interests. My blog has been here since 2010! I've met people on this website in person and everything. I've had embarrassing obsessions no bot would bother coming up with. Speaking of:

Similarly to times before, I would like to be able to do something in order to feel like I have earned some kind of support, and as of my birthday last week I have resolved to try very hard in the next year to conquer my fear and absolute mortification about many of the things I make, so I will once again go digging into my archives for things I can post for you to enjoy as thanks and tribute! I also have a poll running right now to see what kind of buttons people want!

Thanks for taking a look! Be nice out there, take care of your spines!

[animeomegas]

Soulmates: Okay, you must have telepathy or something, seriously! For a couple weeks now I've been working on a soulmate series with the fandoms in mind being Naruto and One Piece for right now. Getting ideas so things aren't the same across the board has been difficult.

As for the poll... I honestly had a few in mind as a general "who'd like the idea of having a soulmate." Since it wasn't multiple choice I put Itachi but Naruto, Gaara, Kakashi, and Lee, with Neji in a close position behind them, would be really high on my list. It all has to do with their life situations from canon.

So Itachi, if we stayed with canon, I could really see him hoping to meet them especially after being forced to kill his clan. I'm of the mind the Uchiha clan loves deeply, if not so much quickly. Knowing he has someone out there that would love him platonically or romantically without judging his past at least TOO harshly would be something I could see getting him through things. I don't think he'd want to find them because of what he's done and then with being ill, and having Sasuke coming after him...I just don't see him wanting to put them through that. If it was a non-massacre AU situation though, I still see him really loving the concept but in this scenario he'd want to find them. They'd be his safe haven, his quiet place, the one who really knows him behind the mask he wears for family and village. I can even see him actively looking for them depending on how the soulmate connection worked.

As for Naruto, I mean the boy really needs 100% on the poll. After all he's put through, sacrifices, and gives freely for loved ones and village, the boy deserves a soulmate and the sooner the better! Being called demon and monster and shunned as a kid could have really put him on a darker path and if we looked at it logically, he should have. I mean I can really see him being the ultimate villain in the story. However, with a soulmate - if someone explained it to him properly - I could see this being a dream right up there with wanting to be Hokage. To know someone will love him for him, Ramen obsession and all 🙂, would be something extra special to him and boy, don't let him hear you bad mouth them! Before he finds them or not. And then of course, the fluff!!!

Gaara, after his seal is fixed or whatever we want to say happens between the chunin exam invasion and when we see him next as a kage (I may have forgotten if they explained this or not it's been a hot minute since I've seen Shippuden), is kind of in the same situation as Naruto in a way. He'd probably be afraid of finding them at first because of Shukaku and not wanting to know someone who's his fears him. That'd break him, I think. But once he sees they aren't afraid of him and how tender they are with him it would be his most precious treasure.

There's a Part 2 to this! Look for it. 😆

OH MY GOSH! THIS ASK IS AMAZING! Okay, okay, okay, let me give me thoughts a section at a time, and then I'll get to the other ones ;)

ITACHI

With canon Itachi, I think you're so right in that his soulmate story is a tragic romance. He yearns for them, it brings him peace on his worst nights to know that there's someone out there who could love him, even after everything. But he will never, ever try to find them. If they found him, he'd run away so fast.

He feels cursed. His soulmate doesn't deserve to be dragged into this. They may be sad to never meet their soulmate, but whether they know it or not, Itachi thinks they'll be happier if he's dead.

Where this is complicated a bit, is what happens if Itachi has already found his soulmate before he massacre's his clan. But I still think that he'd run. He thinks it would hurt them less if he doesn't drag them into it. And if they're also an Uchiha? Well, I think he would rationalise that they'd be better off dead, give them a nice genjutsu life before killing them... and then he leaves Konoha with his soul quite literally broken.

Non-massacre Itachi is exactly as you said! His soulmate is his safe space! They would be so cute. Itachi would be so smitten. He pretends to be all logical about it whenever his teammates or Shisui would tease him about eventually finding his soulmate. Acting all mature like 'it's effort that makes a relationship succeed' and 'my first duty is to my clan'.

But then. Then! He meets his soulmate and boy is gone, he's a pile of love sick mush. Sasuke is incredibly judgemental about the whole thing lol.

NARUTO

So, Naruto is actually who I voted for, so safe to say I agree with you haha. But you summed it up so perfectly!

Child!Naruto wants to be loved. He wants someone to see him and love him, that's his biggest wish. Wanting to become Hokage is actually a step to achieving that, so actually being loved is his number one goal. So if he knew he had a soulmate out there somewhere? Oh boy. Meeting them is his dream, his ultimate life goal.

He dreams about them, he even talks to his imaginary version of his soulmate when he's sad. If he has some kind of mark, he caresses it all the time. He's keeps a sharp eye out for his soulmate.

But what I think is so cute about a soulmate AU with Naruto, is he talks about them constantly, he's desperate to find them, everyone around him is like lol, poor soulmate is going to be bombarded by him.

And then Naruto meets them, and he gets shy. He's all blushy and starry eyed and shy, and it's literally the cutest thing in the world!

GAARA

I think your idea is very realistic for Gaara, in the sense that he needs to be in the right place, as an adult, before he's anticipating his soulmate.

I do think that he's way more cautious than Naruto though. While he believes in soulmates, I think he doesn't quite fall in love with them until he meets them and gets to know them. He's not going to fall in love with a concept like Naruto.

But once he finds them, he's so pro soulmates. With his own children, he encourages them heavily to find their soulmate, and will give as many resources as they need to make it happen.

So in a weird way, Gaara is more in love with the concept of soulmates after he's already found his own.

(I will get to part 2 when I've given my elbow a break from typing haha! <3)

[favcharacterpoll]

ROUND 5 MATCH 13: SCAR VS. SOUNDWAVE

Goodtimeswithscar from Third Life faces Soundwave from Transformers. Who do you like more?

Scar Propaganda:

"Swindling everyone is always great"

"The best time ever. Scitties. Jellie the cat. Mr Rizz himself. Ect."

"PLEASE THIRD LIFE SCAR IS JUST A LITTLE GUY JUST A LITTLE GUY WHO WANTS TO KEEP HIS SHIRT OFF AND CAUSE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION WITH HIS UNHINGED BESTIE AND HE LOVES WITH ALL HIS HEART HIS LLAMA NAMED PIZZA"

“scar is the server con man. he’s absolutely delightful. he’s got max charisma so he WILL sell you anything and everything. it will be useless but you will buy it anyway, sometime later this week he will also murder you. he tries to run a monopoly on sand whilst living in a giant desert. he sells “reputation points” to people under the promise that he won’t murder them if their scores are high enough (he’s lying), he will burn your precious tree down. he will turn and look to you with the sweetest voice and the most precious smile and declare that he’s going to murder everyone. and he will, you will too. and then he will let you beat him to death at the end of this brutal game. you won but at what cost? then you will jump to your death, because you cannot handle being the lone survivor.”

"VOTE SCAR OR ILL KILL YOU NOW in a chill and fun way tho"

"AWOOGA SCITTES"

"YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE GOOD TIMES"

"THAT FUCKING CACTUS CIRCLE"

"YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE GOOD TIMES"

"YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE GOOD TIMES"

"you are not immune to the good times"

"you are not immune to the good times"

Soundwave Propaganda:

"In like every show ever once he's not there/kidnapped/dead the entire Decepticon fucking faction goes to shambles. Ex: in transformers: Prime, (SPOILER!)

once he was "banished to the shadow realm" Megatron literally died and they lost the war 💀💀"

"Soundwave never loses in a poll"

"SOUNDWAVE MY BELOVED his back is so so sore from single-handedly holding up the Decepticon cause every vote for him is 1 more ibuprofen tablet given to him"

"Soundwave is the funniest fucking character in transformers because he's literally the straight man in every situation he's in with the decepticons, because all of them are absolutely incompetent at their job due to them being too focused on infighting. When Megatron died in FOC Soundwave was the one who literally put him back together and by extension, fucked everything over for everyone else because in this specific continuity Megatron just happened to be addicted to space meth.

However it can be so easy to see Soundwave as emotionless because of his straight-man role and his monotone speaking patterns, but Soundwave has plenty of emotions that he displays throughout the years, most notably being when he's dealing with the cassettes (aka his children), and can range from being soft-spoken with them, to full-out enabling their violent tendencies and letting them go ham at beating the shit out of teammates (shout out to that one g1 clip where Soundwave tries to hold back his kids for like a single second before saying "fuck it" and letting them go for the eyes).

Even outside of the cassettes though, he's very expressive in his own way. In fact, he's the KING of pettiness and sass when he wants to be. He literally plays his own supervillain music when walking the halls, he's not above insulting the other deceptions when their arguments are bullshit to him, even when faced with the destruction of the world he was like "nah" until he saw his boyfriend getting injured and went "REAL SHIT" (there's literally memes about this it's so funny). Speaking of friends, he actually has a lot of interesting dynamics with the people around him, especially when it comes to the decepticon high command. He's described as Megatron's most trusted advisor, he's somewhat amicable with Starscream (who's his own brand of frustration), and he and Shockwave even seem to get along pretty well (to the point they have a biologically fucked up tube son together?? It's been years since I've watched Siege but I swear that was what lead to Soundblaster), and did I mention he's gay? I'm pretty sure he and Cosmos are in a relationship together in the IDW comics or at least have a mutual attraction, it's cute.

Also speaking of IDW Soundwave: he likes elephants. They're his favourite animal and he loves them to the point where after he died in the comics, his kids specifically started targeting elephant poachers because they knew Soundwave would want that.

Have I mentioned he has a cat dad in the IDW comics. Like his dad is a literal robot cat that found him when he was having a sensory overload in the middle of the streets. Have these panels from when his dad died and he wasn't even there to see it! He just knew 💖

And have I mentioned he's met Fluttershy? Because he canonically met Fluttershy and let his cassettes play with her (while DELAYING HIS MISSION. THAT'S HUGE IN SOUNDWAVE LANGUAGE.)

There's also him being the reigning champion of best robot husband, but that's a whole other situation which is also really funny."

[friendship-ditch]

Wild girl - Pt. 1 (Ended)

(Katniss Everdeen x Fem Reader) ❀

Summary: While out in the woods, you see a girl, and then you see her again, and again. She’s not the friendliest of the bunch but you can’t help your fascination with her

Warnings: None! This is an interactive story—the poll at the bottom will be open for a week and will choose the direction of the next part! <3

(If the name says ongoing, voting is still happening btw)

Word Count: 1856

Spring in the Seam often came and went in the blink of an eye, over the span of multiple months. Some days it would be warm enough to take a dip in the small creek in the woods, and others it would be snowing.

Most people took advantage of the warmth and hid away in the cold, and you were no different.

Today was one of the warmer ones.

You had a small to-do list, mostly of errands and a reminder to grab dinner at the Hob. You dressed quickly in light clothing, grabbed your basket, and then headed to the outline of the woods.

Money was hard to come by living as a teenager on your own but you found a few ways to make a quick buck; selling herbs to the town's few medics, harvesting fruit when it was warm enough, and babysitting… but after your last experience, you weren’t sure you planned on doing that again.

The trees rustled with a fresh breeze and the birds sang their morning song. You approached the fence boarding you off from the woods, looked around to make sure nobody was watching–though it was no secret–and then climbed through the broken electric wires.

Around the edge of the forest, the mushy ground was bustling with plants full of green leaves and healing roots. You picked them eagerly, piling them into your basket until the woven edges were overflowing.

Normally you wouldn’t be so greedy but the clouds foretold of a heavy snowstorm coming soon and you didn’t want to waste anything that would die beneath the sheet of white.

As you picked as much as you could, you thought you heard a noise from within the woods. You stiffened and held your breath. The consequences for being caught in the woods by an ill-meaning Peacekeeper were not something you’d ever want to experience.

Finally, in the distance, you saw a shape. Your first thought was a deer but they never came to this part of the woods. Maybe a pheasant?

Curiosity getting the best of you, you quietly followed the noise.

You came to a small clearing where your eyes fell upon the most unexpected thing.

She was tall. Her dark hair was in a quickly thrown together braid. In her hands was a homemade bow, the string hitched to an arrow.

You couldn’t see her face but slowly lowered down behind some brush to watch.

With ease, she let the arrow fly into the head of a small rabbit and killed it on impact. You watched silently, half appalled and half amazed.

The girl removed her arrow from her prey. She wrapped it up in some cloth and then stood.

At the same time, you stood too.

She must’ve heard you because her head whirled towards you. She was gorgeous. Her eyes were a soft gray, almost blue. Her face was gentle, even with the splatter of mud on her cheek. She was a girl of wild beauty. She stood and stared at you for only a second, then turned and scampered away into the woods.

“Wait!” You called softly but your voice got stuck in your throat and the only thing that came out was a squeak. You’d seen her before but couldn’t remember her name.

What did it matter? This girl was gone.

After recovering from your surprise encounter, collecting herbs and roots, you checked your secret little orchard for bearings of fruits but returned empty handed. It was probably too early but worth checking anyway.

The Hob was your next stop.

The market seemed even more crowded than usual. Everyone was hoping to buy some smuggled seeds while they were cheap, or get a quick and easy dinner of whatever kind of illegal meat one of the hunters brought in from the woods. It was loud and overwhelming.

You stuck to the outside of the place, eyes narrowed and flicking from person to person, stand to stand.

When you eventually made your way to your usual medic stand, you set down most of your herbs on the table. “These are fresh, no rot.” You said. Usually you were the first there and got a few extra coins but today you had to wait in line, the worth would’ve gone down.

The young man working the table studied your plants for a moment and then nodded. He never spoke to you although you saw him quite often. To you, he was ‘herb guy,’ and to him… who knows what you were.

He gave you a hefty bunch of coins with a small smile that you returned with ease. You had a feeling you were one of his favorites.

As you were turning to leave, somebody ran right into your shoulder. You nearly tumbled over from the force and let out a grunt.

“Hey!” You exclaimed once you studied yourself. You brushed your shirt off, looking around for who caused the collision.

She grunted softly and jumped back in surprise. Her eyebrows were firm and straight and so were her lips, eyes wide, then they darkened as if a look of recognition came over them.

It was the same girl from before.

You stood, staring at her speechless. You were making a fool of yourself and you knew it.

She seemed to notice it too and huffed. “Watch where you’re going.” She muttered, as if blaming you for the collision. Then she stalked off into the crowd, the rabbit now being replaced with a loaf of bread.

You remembered her name the second she vanished.

Katniss Everdeen.

The two of you had never… formally met, but you knew of her as… hopefully she did you? You had most of your classes together growing up and once dreamed of being her friend but she shut down the opportunities before they even presented themselves.

You hardly saw her around as often once her father died, assuming she focused more on her family than anything else.

Speaking of her family… you were supposed to meet her younger sister Primrose to trade some herbs for some cheese! She left earlier than the others did in the Hob so you’d have to hurry if you wanted to catch her.

You looked for the last time at where Katniss had been standing though the spot was now empty. You felt a little angry that she’d nearly mauled you over and you almost wanted to find her just to scold her but you knew it was best to let it go. You turned and made a dash for the other side of the hob.

Prim’s stand was empty when you got to it. She must’ve left by now, a few crumbs of cheese still on the table.

You left the Hob and decided since the Everdeen’s lived quite close to you, you could just… go over?

When you knocked on the door, you were half expecting to receive no response, but the door cracked open, then opened the rest of the way.

Primrose looked up at you with a surprised smile.

“Y/n?” She tilted her head with childlike confusion. “What are you doing here?”

“I missed you at the Hob, and I figured you and your mother would want to have these.” You pulled the remaining bundles of herbs out of your basket and held them out to her.

Prim’s eyes lit up with shocked joy. She took the herbs gingerly and grinned at you. “Thank you! I have your cheese still, just wait right here.” Then she darted off into the house.

You stood on the small, old porch and looked around. The wood was creaky and rotting in a few places. There was a small chair on the porch and–

Clank.

You spun around on your heels, startled by the sound. You slowly lifted your gaze from some dirty boots, up a body, and then to a face; Katniss’s face. And she did not look pleased.

“Are you following me?” Her voice was calm but cold, just as her eyes. She was holding the loaf of bread tucked under her arm and had also picked up some fruit.

You hesitated. This did look… suspicious.

“Actually, I think you’re following me.” You responded, trying to one up her. You were still a little pissed at how she bowled you over earlier.

Her nostrils flared and she stepped up onto the porch. Now beside you, you could tell she was definitely a few inches taller, not to mention stronger. You took a hesitant step back as her eyebrows furrowed into a glare.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

Just then, your savior, Primrose, returned with some cheese wrapped in a dainty cloth. She smiled up at you and handed you the cheese in exchange for your herbs.

Katniss eyed the exchange with suspicion, though she said nothing.

“Thank you, Prim.” You thanked the young girl and placed the cheese into your basket. She returned your thanks and then you left, eager to get out of Katniss’s piercing view that followed you until there was a house between the two of you.

Your home was quiet yet cozy when you returned, the last remnants of frost melting off your windows and a stack of wood sat by the fireplace. You dropped off your purchases on the counter and tried to focus on dinner, but something–no, someone else was on your mind.

In fact, she was on your mind so long that you dreamt about her, not that you’d ever admit it. This girl was… prickly, reserved, and clearly wanted nothing to do with you, but you couldn’t shake those cold gray eyes and the idea that maybe you could help warm them up. She was fascinating and you wanted to know more.

The next day, when you returned to the woods to squeeze out the last bit of money you could get from selling herbs, you weren’t sure if you were lucky or had the worst luck in the world as she was there once again.

Katniss stood further in the woods on the trail of a deer. Her hair was in a braid again and she’d traded out her leather jacket for a lighter, worn wool one.

She stalked the deer without knowing of your presence. She stood still for only a second, and then began to follow her unaware prey away from you.

You stood still, watching her. Your mind told you to ignore her, to finish what you came out here to do and maybe get an early bonus for selling herbs so early. Plus, if you were lucky, you could run into her at the Hob and maybe strike a conversation there…

…but your heart was practically climbing out of your chest to follow her itself. Maybe she’d be more willing to talk to you in the woods, maybe you could even help her hunt. Maybe you were wandering off into dreamland a little too far but there was nothing wrong with a little bit of hope.

You looked up again and Katniss was already beginning to follow the deer. You’d have to decide fast…

Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4

[inseasofgreen]

CHAPTER 1 - ZEMORRI

As promised, a chapter from Plight of the Oracle. The polls ended with Zemorri, Sciosa, and Gaelin. Which work out perfectly as those are the pov's of the first three chapters. Look out for the next two in the upcoming week!

POTO TAG LIST (let me know if you want to be added!)

@lord-fallen @inkingfireplace @rhikasa @leahnardo-da-veggie @satohqbanana

@real-fragments @the-inkwell-variable @tildeathiwillwrite @oldfashionedidiot

“I, Zemorri of Pyros, pledge my life and blade to you, Your Imperial Majesty. I take this vow in front of the Gods and Men, and I dedicate my life in servitude to the Crown.” The peppered stone floor of the throne room bit into the Songbird’s knee. The golden bells rang in his braid; grating to his ears.

I promise, on my father’s grave, that you will die by my hand.

“Arise,” the King’s voice radiated off the walls. The man before the throne did as he was bid. “You have proven yourself to the Crown. As such, I name you my champion and grant you the title Defender of the Empyrean."

“You honor me, Your Majesty."

If you were a smart man, you’d kill me here and now. But you aren’t, old bastard, and neither am I.

“Go to Nivra, join your brothers in arms. I will send word if I require you.” The king said, sitting back upon his throne. Zemorri gave a low bow.

“I am at your command.” The words came out with ease yet tasted sour in his mouth.

With that, he began his departure from the throne room. The members of the Court watched him, wary of his every move. I am on your side. Xorulth’s reign will come to an end. Is what he wished to say. To renounce this ridiculous war. And my reign will begin. He bit his tongue, even if the words did not come out. A dangerous thought, but one that no matter how hard he shoved away always crept up. And with it, an all too proud grin.

The belief that the royal House Naezhaar had gone extinct was the pretender's only claim to the throne. All heirs to the throne were slain in battle. The babe that emerged from the tower after the war was won was not in the arms of the Queen. But of the young maid Zevetta. Mikath was forty years her senior and had a heart of gold. The very notion of it hadn’t crossed anyone’s mind. But this was war, and war changed people. When pride and morals were tossed aside in favor of victory, no matter how bittersweet it tasted.

Zevetta, seven and ten, with a babe at her breast, proclaimed her loyalty to Xorulth. She did not protest her marriage to the Master of Dragons. Instead, she played him for a fool. She convinced him to let her bastard boy be raised with his true-born sisters. Keeping true to her word to her boy’s father. A very dangerous game, but one Zemorri had played since he was ten. He knew the path they walked could crumble out below them; he only wished to soften the blow.

He could hear five sets of silk slippers following him. He led them to a smaller corridor that gave way to a lesser balcony. Away from any prying ears, most who resided in the keep would be at court by now, but he wouldn’t risk it. The sun was blinding against the pale stone of Khaaj’mor. He turned to face his mother and her brood.

They wore disappointment on their faces. In truth, it made little difference to him; he was hell-bound to see his brothers to safety. That was his priority for now: get everyone he loved far away from the city. Be it Kings of Dawn or Zemorri himself, hellfyre would rain down on the capital, and he did not intend for his family to be trapped in it.

“So that’s it?” his mother said, placing her hands on her hips. She wore her husband’s house colors, the god-awful green ill-suited for her copper skin.

“Ivemaar and Qhuriex need me. If something were to happen to them, I would never forgive myself.” He shifted uneasily on his feet. Even in the safety of the capital, he felt like a target was on his back. Bouncing from rebellion to rebellion, battle to battle had taken its toll on him.

“And what if something befalls you?” Her voice cracked.

“Then the gods were wrong.”

Zevetta’s hands fell into fists at her side; she looked to her daughter-in-law to be for help. Zemorri prepared himself; his bride’s words often cut more deeply than his mother's.

“My father will take this as an insult," Ivyr said, taking a step closer.

“Then he can take it up with the King.” He replied, gesturing in the direction of the throne room. “It’s your father that funds the war. It’s only a matter of time before his coffers run dry and the Kings of Dawn extend their reach. He knows this and is still persistent in funding the wars and stopping rebellions for a madman.”

“I understand the concern. Truly. But you arrived hardly three hours ago, and now you intend to just leave? I haven't seen you in months,” anger laced her words, “Go to them, as commanded, but give yourself time to refresh and recharge. Your braid’s a mess; you look as if you’re fighting a war this very moment.” Sighing, Zemorri gave in to defeat. He could not argue against her reasoning. He missed her terribly; he missed his bed even more.

“One night. I leave at first light.” Zemorri could allow himself this. Even his brothers-in-arms would want him to rest.

“The matter is settled then,” Zevetta clapped her hands together; she had gotten her way. “You’ll join us for supper? Both of you?”

His mother gently touched Ivyr’s shoulder, the younger woman forcing a smile on her face. His bride looked to Zemorri to answer.

Hells have mercy.

“We would love to, Mother,” Zemorri answered, actively avoiding the icy glares Ivyr gave him. She would have rather had him all to herself tonight, not that he would argue in any other circumstance. But this was for his family as much as it was for them. Tomorrow he would be gone until gods knew when.

The water was warm against his skin. Ivyr had helped him undo his braid; they had gotten most of the tangles out, but it would need another comb through after the bath. The golden bells placed in his hair didn’t help the matter either. With each breath of steam filling his lungs, he felt more relaxed by the moment. Almost enough to lull him to sleep. He allowed his eyelids to close, if only for a moment.

Blood. Lots of blood.

Screams from mothers losing their young, of husbands losing their wives. That was Xorulth’s command, and that was Zemorri’s rise to power. On the backs of bloodied peasants who couldn’t defend themselves.

Tears rain down his cheeks.

He could not save them all. And who knows how well those he did would fare.

Zemorri scrubbed at his face, his hands, his arms. Grabbing a rag, he scrubbed even harder, but the feel of the long-gone blood remained. The cloth stuck on the golden scaling on his forearms and ripped. Only that could bring him out of it. Back to the room before him.

“My love.” Ivyr pulled up a wooden stool and sat by his side. He tried to hide the evidence of his outburst, even if it was no use. Ivyr grasped the side of his face, pushing sobbing black hair out of his face.

She was beautiful. Only growing in beauty in their time apart. He found solace in her eyes, filled with warmth and worry. He cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing his thumb over her plump lower lip.

“I’m fine.” Is all he could bring himself to say.

Lie.

“Come lie with me? If we must attend the feast your mother is no doubt planning, I want to be alone a bit longer.” She set a delicate hand on his chest.

Easing out of the bath, Ivyr studied him over. Zemorri didn’t wish to know what she thought. Brushing her hand over the newest of the scars he earned while visiting tax collectors and the would-be faces of rebellion. It ran from his right lower ribs diagonal to his navel. It was gruesome, even with healing at work. She took a sharp breath.

"You have more scars than when you left.” Her cat-like eyes widened, with a slight shake in her voice.

Zemorri grumbled and wrapped himself in a towel. He didn’t need her gawking at him.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” she pleaded for his attention once more. Gently pushing past her, he made his way to his bedchambers, “You’re not very talkative.”

“No.”

“I thought,” her voice followed him, “I don’t know. You’d have more to say.”

“About what?” His tone was harsh, perhaps a bit too harsh. He turned to look at his bride. She looked at her feet, refusing to make eye contact, “Don’t do this. I have had enough of this act with my mother; I do not need it from you too.”

"I—" a sigh, “I just want things to be back to normal already.”

Zemorri let out a croak of laughter.

“Normal? Nothing will ever be normal again. I will never be normal again; I can’t afford to be carefree. Not when—" He bit his tongue.

Not when he makes a muck of my empire.

“Not when what, Zemorri?” 

“The things I’ve seen, the things I’ve done. They change people, haunt them in their sleep until they’re suffocating at their own hands.” Zemorri was shaking; dragonfyre burned within him.

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing for him? In the King’s name? I know you will never be whole again, but don’t expect me to not mourn what I’ve lost.”

“What have you lost?” he couldn’t believe his ears, “What about what I’ve lost? What I have and will continue to have to endure? I did not ask for this, Ivyr.”

“But you accepted it," she said, so matter-of-factly.

He needed to get out of this room, away from her. Taking two strides to the wardrobe closest to him. Throwing open the doors, he grabbed a pair of riding leathers. He tossed them on the large bed.

“Where are you going?” she snapped.

“I need air,” he said, going to the next wardrobe over and selecting a shirt and tight breeches. He dressed quickly and pulled on a new pair of boots his mother had made in his absence. Better to break them in now than in war.

“You’re just going to leave?” Ivyr was furious, but he found it hard to care. He wished for open skies and the wind in his hair.

“I’ll be back in time for supper. I promise.” He walked over to her, forcing her to look up at him. “I love you.”

She rolled her eyes but reached up to kiss him.

Her breath was warm against the heat of his. He felt her shiver under his touch, bringing a small grin to his lips. Her touch was soothing, though not enough to quench the flame within. He broke the kiss too soon for both of them and left.

Indiss lay on the outskirts of town. He had outgrown the Dragon Hall, much to the relief of the handlers. He was a sharp contrast against the black rock beneath him, his scales stark white. Zemorri hadn’t ever seen snow, but he imagined his mount would be nearly impossible to see. Though the worry of someone climbing on the white’s back and taking him for themselves had been a fear, it was quickly dismissed.

The white was hatched and raised far from any influence of the Zrato; and as such, had more free will. Zemorri was able to claim the beast only because the beast allowed him. Indiss only answered to two things: blood and power.

As the Songbird neared, the white began to sing out to him. A deep, low chipping. Earning a laugh from his Zrato counterpart, the dragon, pleased with himself, flashed his many rows of razor-sharp teeth. Zemorri smiled back.

“We leave for Nivra tomorrow,” Zemorri spoke to the dragon in his mother’s tongue, a bastardized version of the Haivran the Dragon knew. “But I can’t stand having a roof above my head, the quietness that lets thoughts wander in. They don’t understand, not those who matter, at least.”

Black eyes met golden ones, and Zemorri could’ve sworn there was sympathy in them. The dragon nudged his rider’s chest with his massive head, though not enough to knock him off his feet. The Songbird never voiced the observation. But Indiss seemingly understood what his rider was saying, no matter what language it was in. But dragons were wise, their knowledge of the world greater than that of the Zrato, even those who yielded to the Zrato’s commands. If the great white beast did understand, it was far beyond any mortal explanation.

Grabbing a tether of the saddle, Zemorri pulled himself up on the hard cartilage of the wing. With careful footing, so as not to step on any delicate soft tissue, he climbed onto the saddle. As he leaned forward, the great white began to rise and take position.

“Vhaziek.” Zemorri’s voice called out.

The dragon pushed himself off the ground with enough force to shake the mortal plane. The glint of the lavender sheen in the webbing of his wings caught the sunlight. The wind whipped around Zemorri, making a mess of his nearly dry hair. He did not care. He couldn’t bring himself to. The empyrean was vast and unexplored, and his for the taking. Even the ringing of his golden bells was no longer bothersome.

Lifting himself into a low crouch, the air around him threatened to knock him off. A thunderous laugh escaped him. The great white shrieked alongside him, the rumble of it felt throughout his rider’s body. The Songbird grabbed the reins as the dragon flew higher and higher.

This was where Zemorri was meant to be, among the clouds, to soar like a bird freed from its cage.

Home.

Home wasn’t Khaaj’mar, the Dragon Hall, or even the small manor of the Dragon Master where he was raised. It was the open sky and wherever it might take him.

Looking down, he saw the Glistening Sea’s water below and made out the shape of a few fishing boats. Rising into a squat, Zemorri pulled on the reins, bidding the white to slow.

No better place. Give the fishermen something exciting to talk about for once.

“Gihra, Indiss. Gihra.” Zemorri shouted over the wind. The dragon did as commanded and halted, keeping a steady rhythm of his wings to stay in place. Standing up on the saddle, Zemorri dropped the reins. He stood, looking north. North to Ivaenia, to Zenier.

Nivra would not fall. It couldn’t.

Not when so much was at stake. Zemorri’s family, his friends, and the innocents who had no part in the King’s war. They were victims. Victims who would face the wrath of the Kings of Dawn for a crime that was not their own. Nivra would be spared, as much as it could be, and perhaps with enough support Zemorri could challenge the would-be usurper. If people believed the word of a bastard and his mother, they might rally to his cause.

And even if they didn't—

Zemorri pushed the thought from his mind. This was treason, and yet. And yet what? Had Xourlth not been treasonous in his fight for the throne? Had he not killed Zemorri’s half-siblings and his father? Had he not pushed the king to such desperation as to sire Zemorri onto his mother?

This was war, and a greater war was still yet to come.

Anger boiled within him. Anger, grief, and his own desperation. All it threatened to tear him apart.

And so, Zemorri leaped from the top of the dragon's back.

Zrato and Dragon stood side by side, watching the sun hit its apex. Zemorri tried his best to tame the wild, wind-blown mane on top of his head. Riding without his braid was one thing, but free-falling was another.

Twenty

Twenty-one

Twenty-two

With a sigh, he let his arms fall to his side. The bells were put in before his appearance before the court, and gods knew when they would fall out. Perhaps they never would. Zemorri was not one to anger Zhareem; the god was merciful but not that merciful. If his deceit was to be so plain for all to see, he would wear them with pride. Or perhaps a shroud.

The wind began to pick up, tousling Zemorri’s hair. A twig snapped behind him; spinning on his heel, he instinctively went to unsheathe his blades. However, to his disappointment, they were back in his chambers. Surveying the small beach, he looked for any signs of someone, even looking at the dragon who was watching Zemorri.

Nothing. Nothing and no one.

Zemorri could sense something even still. Magic. Strong magic; he wasn’t sure where it was coming from. It was all around him, and yet there was no source. A shadowy figure appeared before him, beckoning him forward. An aura formed around the figure of a woman cloaked in darkness. Zemorri blinked and then blinked some more.

The world around him changed; he stood before a large window, and in the center of it was the woman, uncloaked in her full glory. Her chest heaved. The jewel-encrusted bodice of her gown glimmered in the light. She looked in awe at where Indiss stood, and Zemorri followed her gaze. Only there was no dragon in sight.

The woman took two steps towards him. Her hair was pale, paler even than her skin. Her ears pointed like the Zaentiraeal, though her eyes, however beautiful, were not of her kin. Zemorri’s breath caught in his chest. She was ethereal, perhaps even a goddess. She spoke, though he could only make out a few words: Zrato, Friend, Fate.

Not very helpful.

“Who are you? Where am I?” He spoke to her in the common tongue, betting by her appearance that she wouldn’t be well-versed in Vuli. She took two more steps closer, and he took two steps away.

“Friend or Foe?” Her voice clearer now, she eyed him warily. The light green of her eyes pierced into him. Zemorri looked at her; though against his better judgment, he gave her an answer.

“Friend.” He softened his tone. She took one more step closer, taking in the sight of him. The corner of her lips twitched up, revealing dimpled cheeks. She was shorter than he was, much shorter. And the allure of her, something so foreign, and yet so familiar. As if he knew her from some forgotten time.

“Are you—" Zemorri tried to translate, but the common tongue was so rarely used in his day-to-day life, “Hae’var? From the Gods?” She didn’t answer; instead, she stepped closer once more. Looking at him as if he was some oddity. She looked out behind him, and he followed her gaze, only to meet with a bedchamber filled to the brim with all sorts of comforts. A large bed, larger than his own, a small seating area, and bookcases from floor to ceiling. It felt too mortal to be the home of a Hae’var, at least from how he imagined the God-given guardians to live.

The woman took a step closer to him, and something lit inside him. Something he wasn’t sure had a name, but he felt it. In his heart, radiating to his entire body. Whoever she was, he had to protect her. Or perhaps she was to protect him. He reached out to graze her cheek but was met with nothing. He blinked, and it was all gone. He felt the sand return beneath his boots, the sound of the tide coming in.

His heart thundered too soon. She had vanished too soon. Zemorri turned to Indiss. The dragon flashed his teeth as if to smile. Looking between where the women had been and back to the dragon, a heaviness sank in his chest. Whether gods, fate, or some otherworldly being, he wasn’t sure, but one thing remained certain. Zemorri was being called upon to fulfill some greater task. A chill went down his spine.

Gods and Hells have mercy on me.

[intervex]

Poll: what model of disability would you associate with the colour green?

[Poll at bottom of post]

A a few months back, I proposed new meanings for the Disability Pride Flag that was designed by @capricorn-0mnikorn in consultation with a bunch of disabled folks. For those unfamiliar, it's this rockin' flag:

I proposed instead of having the coloured stripes being associated with categories of impairment (red for physical disability, yellow for neurodivergence, etc), we could instead have the different colours refer to different models of disability. I proposed:

Red: disability due to injury / the debility model of disability - e.g. injury due to armed conflicts caused by colonialism, injury due to gun violence in a country which fails to regulate gun safety, preventable illness due to sociopolitical neglect 😡🩸

Yellow: disability due to natural (beneficial) differences / affirmative models of disability - e.g. autistic people who lead lives that take advantage of their autistic traits, DSPS folks who are able to work night shifts and take pride in doing so 😄🌟

Blue: situational disabilities / critical models like the social model, e.g. a Deaf person who feels their only disability is that people don’t speak their signed language and don’t provide captions/etc 🗣️♿️

Green: disability due to illness / biomedical models of disability - e.g. people with conditions like ME/CFS and Long Covid who actually do want to be treated/cured 🤢🦠

White: disability caused by unknown or other factors / other models

I'm pretty happy with all of the colour-model associations except green, and would like input on if there's a more suitable colour to use instead.

👍️ Advantages of green for medical model: - green is associated with disease, sickness, poison, etc - it is a major model of disability, even if it is one that disability organizing tends to be organizing against

👎️ Disadvantages of green for medical model: - the original meanings had green down as meaning sensory disability, and a lot of folks with sensory disabilities like the Deaf community reject the medical model quite strongly - from what I've since seen of other disability-specific flags, green is the most common colour used for neurodiversity (e.g. this autigender flag), another group that strongly rejects the medical model - there are almost no flags that embrace the medical model, and the only two I'm familiar with - the Crohn's flag and the transmedicalist flag - both use *white* as the colour of medicine. Lab coats etc. - rolling the medical model into the white stripe ("other models") would fit both the medicine-as-white association and how invisibly disabled people are often those fighting for care

Some weeks back I posted asking for alternative ideas for a model of disability for green. These are the options sent my way:

⚖️

Option 1: human rights model. Disability is viewed as a natural part of being human, and humans should have basic civil rights. This is a legalistic framework. It's used for advancing legal protections, gaining workplace accomodations, etc. Unlike the social model it can be kind of (but not entirely) individualistic: a given individual has their rights infringed, so laws need to be created and enforced to protect them.

Green is a colour used sometimes to represent humanity (though teal/cyan I think is a bit more common.) It's a model compatible with the neurodiversity movement and Deaf pride. People who are sick and want to be treated are also compatible in that they deserve a right to medical care.

🧬

Option 2: biodiversity model. Disability is beneficial for the gene pool because genetic variety makes for more resilient populations. Unlike the affirmation model, this doesn't see every disability as actually good to have - for example, sickle cell disease sucks for those who have it, but the heterozygosity advantage it provides for the population makes it a net asset.

Green is a colour associated with nature. I'd say this is also compatible with neurodiversity & Deaf pride + sick people.

✊️

Option 3: radical model. Disability is entirely a social construct. There is nothing wrong with any of us (Withersaj, 2012). The social construction of disability was created in order to marginalize segments of society - such as how IQ testing and the idea of "intelligence" was created by eugenics to rationalize slavery. This model is strongly connected with mad pride (Ralph, 2018)

This one probably isn't compatible with sick people who want care. Many neurodivergent & Deaf people would resonate with it, but I suspect some folks who feel their neurodivergence can be at times legitimately disabling may push back on this.

🕸️

Option 4: political/relational model. Any discussion of disability is inherently political. Rather than disability being an individual problem or a macro-societal problem, this is a hybrid: "disablement as something that occurs because of ideological systems that disenfranchise disabled people, not individual needs or choices." (Price, 2021). This model pushes back on the disability/impairment dichotomy from the social model: "This model recognizes that it is not the environment that disables us, but our own bodies and minds (e.g. chronic fatigue or pain)." (Accessible Academia)

Green is a colour often used for symbolizing relationships. I think this is compatible with neurodiversity & Deaf pride, while also being open to sick people who want treatment.

🍃

Option 5: eco-crip model. This is in some ways the opposite of the political/relational: the environment is disabling. For example, many environmental toxins are known to cause disabilities. Many disabled people are particularly vulnerable to changes in the physical environment, especially climate change: smoggy air, power outages, evacuations from disasters, are all things that hurt disabled people much harder.

Unlike the radical model, this model views disability as not (only) a social phenomenon: even in a world with universal design everywhere and accommodations in place, a paraplegic still can't hike most trails.

📊

This brings us to six options for models of disability for green. Tumblr lets you only vote for one, but if you like multiple (or you're AGAINST one or more) let me know in the replies/reblogs. 💚

[v3nusxsky]

Can I request a Larissa x reader, reader is a teacher, where reader has a soft spot for cats, and Larissa says she can't bring another cat home, but she finds another kitten near the school, and she starts teaching the students with the cat on her lap, or R is picking it up like a baby, and Larissa goes to the classroom to give her something and sees the kitten, but its a cat, and she can't just leave a lonely baby in the woods without its mother, so she takes the kitten, and now it's like a school pet, everybody loves the cat

Thanks, have a wonderful day

Fur baby| fluff

*Authors note~ I absolutely love cats so this was an absolute joy for me to write and I just love Larissa Weems so what a perfect combination*

Trigger warnings~ none?

Prompt~ see ask^^^^

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Cats always held a special place for you. Your childhood cat Twinkle, you got her at eight years old, had got you through some shit. She was single handedly your best friend and when your ability showed itself it all made sense. You had the ability to communicate with animals, it made sense really and that's why her death hurt so much. She told you how she loved you and how you'd been the best owner you possibly could've been for her. How she wanted you to love another pet when your heart was ready. And always know she'll be with you, but her illness was tiring and she needed to go now. She told you of how she would join her sister and didn't blame you for what you had to do. As well as hearing the animals thoughts you had the ability to feel them too. That's why the day she went over that rainbow bridge, you're heart broke, you felt everything.

Teaching at Nevermore was something you truly adored. It was rare for you to find other outcasts that had similar abilities so being able to teach classes based on all different types of outcasts was truly thrilling for you. It was truly fascinating, you loved learning and passing on the knowledge to others. When you joined the school Larissa had explained that pets weren't something that could happen here. Purely based on the fact if a teacher had one, a student would want one and so on and so on. So your heart broke ever so slightly in the recognition that a pet wouldn't be on the cards while you were teaching here.

On the weekends you'd taken to strolling through the woods near the school, there was a lovely clearing that was home to the most beautiful flowers. It was one of your favourite places to relax, you often brought a blanket and laid there soaking in all nice weather and calming vibes. Nothing out of the ordinary, until you heard a cry. Similar to the one your Twinkle use to make as a kitten. Instantly, you were up following the small cry's, mind flooding with images of your calico baby. Her white ginger and grey coat was the softest fur you'd ever felt and something you missed dearly.

Soon enough you found the source for the cry's and your heart instantly turned to mush. This beautiful tiny creature, desperately crying and looking alone. Roughly by the size of the kitten it was about 8 weeks old, so truly just a baby. The fur a beautiful white with ginger splotches all over, a little ginger mohwak and ginger cheeks, the kitten was simply stunning. You'd been stood there for god knows how long when the kitten came towards you and started to nuzzle against your legs.

Slowly you bent down and allowed the kitten to sniff your hand before gently scooping them up in your hands, checking the gender confirmed the cat was a girl. You could hear her thoughts and feel how safe she felt in your arms, which is why you weren't shocked to see the kitten curling up and sleeping in your hold. There was absolutely no way you could leave the poor baby out here alone. Right?

You'd managed to keep the kitten a secret now for a few days, you and your classes had done a poll to make her, the name chosen reminding you of your first childhood pet. After explaining to the classes just how special she was to you they all instantly knew, that would be her name. So you had your Twinkle and now you had your Star. During lessons she would curl up in your lap, softly purring away as you'd occasionally subconsciously scratch behind her ears or under her chin. The past few days making you realise just how much you truly missed being a cat momma. The most perfect few days and that's why you were determined to keep Star hidden.

You forgot your meeting with Larissa due to having Star occupying your busy mind, so when Larissa had come to find you she most certainly was not expecting you to be bending down and picking up a kitten. "Darling?" She murmured breaking you from your trance, Star instantly nuzzling into your chest and purring away as you self soothed by stroking her fur. "I'm sorry Larissa I really am, but how can I leave her out there all alone, she was abandoned scared and cold, and truthfully she reminded me of Twinkle" your words faulted at the end of your speech. Larissa knew of your Twinkle and just how special she was to you and she knew your abilities and how hard that would be for you to just walk away from the kitten. But could she allow you to break the rules?

"Can I ?" She gestured to the cat and you instantly gave her over, watching as Larissa seemed to instantly fall in love with Star just as everyone else had. Star seemed to like Larissa and purred the whole time she was with her. Larissa cooed down at the cat and right here and now you were sure you hadn't ever seen anything so damn pure. The smile that adored those ruby red lips is worth more than it's weight in gold.

Safe to say that day, you and Larissa had started something beautiful. Star was well loved around the school and acted as a service pet for those students who had extreme anxiety and other issues. Every night Star would make her way to Larissa's office and curl up by the fire until you would join them and settle on the sofa with Larissa and a glass of wine. Only then would she come and curl up in between you both. Life really couldn't get any better.

Word count| 1119

[discord-emote-customs]

ive decided to change what im doing for the 400 follower milestone . instead of a line of polls , im going to do something else ;

this weekend only (saturday/sunday) i will take any requests regarding characters from media .

this does NOT include ocs ; this is only characters that are from a widespread media (undertale , hazbin hotel , etc)

at the end of today , i will be turning off the ask box in order to hopefully clear up space for the character requests . it will turn back on friday night so its on for saturday .

once it hits saturday , you can send in any requests you want to see about your favorite characters . on monday , i will shut off the ask box and will continue to have it shut off so i can finish every request gotten to me so far . i cant say when it will turn back on , but i am estimating hopefully two weeks (this time frame because i am getting my wisdom teeth removed next week wednesday , so things might slow for that)

if youre hesitating on a request , i suggest you send it in before the shut off tonight or the shut off monday morning , as ive got 20 requests backed up currently and with the character requests opening for the milestone , itll probably be more which means itll take longer .

the character requests will not be prioritized over other requests , so dont worry about waiting longer for those .

no character requests will be taken before the weekend and theyll still be deleted , so dont send any in now thinking ill still take it . set a reminder .

thank you guys so much for 400 followers . i never thought this blog would even grow to 200 , let alone twice that so quickly ! you guys dont know just how happy this makes me that people enjoy my art so much 🫶

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Been seeing quite a bit of "Biden and the Democrats were masters at changing the narrative and turning it back on Trump", and truthfully even though it'd sound cool enough, I'm not entirely convinced that's the case.

(THE FOLLOWING IS STRICTLY SPECULATION)

What I think happened was that even after his debate issues, Biden was very much planning on staying in the race, even after his party panicked and tried to pressure him to stand down.

What I think convinced him to change his mind wasn't the polls, but him getting hit by COVID. a head cold mixed with severe exhaustion was already bad enough, but COVID's nasty even if you only get the milder versions. If that was enough to do something to him, say it results in him losing even more stamina or anything like that, then that probably might have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

And given just how sudden the whole change was despite his earlier insistence on staying mere days before, the fear of the Democratic Party falling into shambles as a result of this illness, especially given the sheer doom and panic people were in as a result of biased media and the memory of his performance, was probably enough to convince him to change.

As for the transition to Harris, I don't think he planned that out either like some kind of chessmaster, but I DO think he did have a plan in the event that something happened to him that incapacitated him as President and resulted in Harris needing to take over as quickly as possible. Biden strikes me as the kind of person who'd have really taken that into consideration, and thought ahead, and thus why the transition over to Harris was so smooth so far; it's just a modified version of the procedures that were likely there to begin with.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the last few days involved him talking things over with the necessary people to at least give Harris as much of an edge as possible, to ensure that she'd be the nominee and give everyone someone to immediately rally behind and ensure some degree of party unity.

The fact that his change happened right after the RNC (and thus ensuring that Trump and his team are stuck on the wrong kind of narrative and Vice Presidential nominee for their opponent) and RIGHT before the 2024 Paris Olympics (thus possibly giving Harris a chance to form a strategy in the 2 weeks since people aren't really gonna be paying attention to the GOP wailing during one of the biggest international events in the world) also likely helps in her favor.

Honestly? I find it plausible. They could have lived down the bad debate, but if they found something genuinely concerning I can see why they’d quietly work to give Harris the lead.

[writers-ex]

a night with itzy: choose your prom date

classmate!reader x classmate!2shin

a/n: hannie here :] welcome to another choose your ending ff, i put a poll asking what genre everyone wanted and while i was washing my hands yesterday i thought of the idea and blam here we are, thanks for your patience with me in school and life this story along with your asks will be uploaded with time, prom season is coming and for those of us who are, never went, or don't want to go then i invite you to sit back and relax while you enjoy a night with itzy

warnings: switch!itzy, car sex, praise kink, being tied up(?), horny teenagers being teenagers, oral, exhibition kink, dom!reader, sub!yuna, dom!ryujin, dress up kink, more will be added if i forget to mention <3

it was another regular day here at itzy high school, yuna pulls up next to your parking spot and winked as she waves you over. lately she has been parking near and talking to you since you both had classes together. you began talking and walking to class before realizing you had a lot more in common than being lab partners. ryujin your oldest childhood friend began to tolerate her presence in your life as they both helped you navigate the jungle that is high school.

this week was no different until you noticed on the way to bio as usual a tap on your shoulder caused you to turn around and cup your hand against your mouth gasping. there behind you was yuna holding a bouquet of daisies on one knee as she gives you the brightest grin you’ve ever seen. peers crowd around the two of you as she clears her throat and takes a deep breath. 

“i won’t beat around the bush but i want to take you to prom and i won’t take no for an answer. i’ll literally stalk you around school and back to your house until you give me a reply and-“

“YUNA??!?” whisper yelling your cheeks redden as you accept the flowers from her smug face. “I-ILL GO WITH YOU IF YOU PROMISE TO GET UP!!” standing up yuna shoos away the crowd as the flow of the hallway and students continues per usual. arm in hand she guides you to your class humming the whole way. 

“remember love prom is next week so let me know the color of your outfit and we’ll coordinate.” turning her head to the side yuna takes a look to the left and a look to the right before placing a light kiss against your cheek. “i promise to be there so we can dance all night, don’t worry about a thing other than looking even more amazing than you already look.” waving goodbye her figure leaves your sight as you clutch the flowers close to your chest. 

during class, you begin thinking of outfits to wear when the bell rings signaling for lunch. making your way to the cafeteria your best friend appears at your side making you feel relieved and not alone. 

“hey ryujin~ you’ll never guess what happened to-“

“yuna did a promposal to you in the hallway before bio right?”

“damn word travels fast around here.”

“you’re going to say no right? i mean she’s yuna the unreliable, always leaving class randomly, getting odd grades. you should be going with someone that’s stable, someone who makes you feel comfortable and loved automatically. someone like your best friend maybe or-“

“-you?” finishing her sentence ryujin stops wide-eyed in the middle of the lunchroom frozen in place. “ryujin? hello? what’s wrong what are you-“ mumbling to herself ryujin takes a bold step forward and holds your hand in hers. with the bouquet on the other hand, you look up and see your best friend the coolest and most confident person in your life looking scared.

“this is not how i wanted to ask you, but i’ll take it.” inhaling ryujin stares into your eyes giving your hand a slight squeeze. “yuna beat me to the punch but i wanted to surprise you in my room when you come over after school today with balloons i blew up and the rose petals spelling out prom on my bed and then-“ stopping ryujin you place a finger on her lip and blush.

“ok ok ok i’ve heard enough!! i’ll have to consider the two of you and decide tonight, i promise i’ll let you know first ryu who i pick.” removing your hand from hers you nudge toward the exit. “if it’s ok with you …i’d like to eat alone today. i’ve had an exciting first half of the day.” she nods and watches you leave outside to sit by a bench alone with your thoughts. the rest of the day you ponder over this morning’s events- the most popular girl in the school and your best friend since childhood asked you to prom. who would you choose?

as you get home and go about your day you’re about to unwind for the night when your phone vibrates and both their names appear on your phone, you read both their messages and decide to reply back to one.

"so love i'm thinking we could coordinate and go shopping this weekend are you free for a date?"

"hey...i wanted to check on you and see how you're feeling, want me to come over with your faves for a binge and therapy session?"

[azaablue]

and if this is how i started my "5 years after aang's death" fic...

Excerpt from Republic City Times  BREAKING NEWS: THE AVATAR IS DEAD November 14, 131 AG  Avatar Aang, 43, has passed away. In an official statement from the United Republic Council, the Avatar had been battling a long illness for some time, and had informed all world leaders of his condition as it progressed. Sources close to the Avatar say that he was surrounded by friends and family, including prominent leaders in our new Republic: Councilman Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, the Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, General Suki of Kyoshi Island, and Fire Lord Zuko. Avatar Aang, the lone survivor of the massacre of the Air Nomads, the hero of the Hundred Years War and founder of Republic City, is survived by his wife, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, 45, and their three children: Lieutenant  Bumi of the United Forces Navy, 23, Master Kya, 21, and Master Tenzin, 17.  The Avatar and Master Katara’s son, Tenzin, is now the only living air bender.  Representatives of the family have asked for privacy at this moment and those close to the Avatar have declined to comment. The Avatar’s obituary, written by Master Katara, will be published in the coming days. There will be a funeral where the public may pay their respects next week.  While it is nontraditional, all of us at Republic City Times are wishing the Avatar’s family the deepest condolences. Many of us here at the paper owe our lives to his heroic efforts and all of us are able to write freely without fear of prosecution in the Republic because of his work. Thank you, Avatar Aang. You will be deeply missed.  Any efforts regarding the search for his successor have not been announced. 

Excerpt from Republic City Times  BREAKING NEWS: NEW AVATAR FOUND IN THE SOUTHERN WATER TRIBE December 14, 135 The White Lotus has confirmed that the new Avatar has been found in the Southern Water Tribe. In the four years since Avatar Aang’s death, which was commemorated last month with a number of celebrations across Republic City, an elite team selected by world leaders has been hard at work searching for the next Avatar. Though we were braced to anticipate at least a decade of waiting before the Avatar would be announced, the search was officially declared over just after midnight.  Currently, the world knows little about the new Avatar, and according to sources close to the White Lotus, this may remain for several years. Through the White Lotus, the new Avatar’s family has asked for privacy, and will not be disclosing their identities for sometime. However, given public research into the Avatar cycle, it is likely that this Avatar is a girl around the age of four.   Avatar Aang’s family has declined to comment on this matter, but is reportedly going to meet with the White Lotus in  the Southern Water Tribe the coming days, along with Councilman Sokka, Fire Lord Zuko, General Suki, and Chief of Police, Toph Beifong. People across the world can breathe a sigh of relief tonight knowing that the Avatar cycle has continued, though our solace is not without its complexities and hesitations. We have only known a world with one Avatar, the one who led us into an era of peace. To many, it feels like tonight the sun has finally set on the age of Aang. As a new dawn emerges, it is rational to be worried for what the future holds. To say that she has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. Even so, recent polls have stated that many Republic City residents are cautiously optimistic.  All of us at Republic City Times would like to be the first to say, welcome the world, Avatar. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do. 

it would have more ofc, but beginning and end of first chap????? idk im procrastinating other stuff bare with me ty

[bopinion]

2024 / 33

Aperçu of the week

“All we have to do is call our opponent a communist or a socialist or someone who will destroy our country.”

(Donald Trump. We'll see about that...)

Bad News of the Week

Since the end of the coronavirus pandemic - although there hasn't actually been one - I've been waiting for its successor in a slightly anxious mood. Another rapidly infecting virus that spreads worldwide, is potentially deadly and, above all, restricts all our lives again. Now it's here: Mpox. For the first time since Corona, the WHO (World Health Organization of the United Nations) has declared the highest alert level, a “public health emergency of international concern”. Because of the virus that was previously called “Monkey Pox”. Discovered in Congo at the end of 2023, it has now also broken out in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.

The initial figures spoke of 14,000 suspected cases. Based on the usual 50% rate and the reported 500 deaths, this means that one in twelve people who become infected will die. That's a lot. So it's certainly a virus that should be taken seriously. One day later, it was reported that the first case in Europe had emerged in Sweden. Then the first three in Asia in Pakistan. It's the usual pattern: on the one hand, every infectious disease spreads faster and more uncontrollably in times of international travel. On the other hand, specific cases are only discovered when they are specifically sought or tested for. So the numbers will now quickly go through the roof. Because the spread is already more advanced than we know.

What will happen now? What will the states do? How will society react this time? And above all: what have we learned? There is a lot of talk in Germany about the need to come to terms with everything that has happened around COVID. Also to learn from the mistakes. There is a lot of need for clarification - for example with regard to the procurement of masks, the closure of schools, compulsory vaccination, curfews and unequal treatment in the retail sector. And what has happened since (drum roll please!): Nothing. What applies to politics also applies in private life. Some friends turned out to be conspiracy theorists, others were law and order hardliners, most were simply irritated and unsettled. There were even rifts right through families. Rifts that still exist.

And now we could all be facing the same situation, just as ill-prepared. And if Mpox doesn't develop into a pandemic, perhaps swine fever will spread to humans. Or bird flu. Or something else entirely, be it from the South American jungle or from the secret laboratory of some deep state. Or a revenant from the past spreads again - cholera still exists after all and first cases of polio are reported from Gaza. No, I'm not panicking. But I do have one or two worries. After all, humanity has shown itself more than once to be incapable of learning from the past. I would love to be wrong about that.

Good News of the Week

Venezuela is not giving up. It is wonderful to see how the people are fighting for democracy, no longer wanting to put up with the corruption of their “elites” and finally wanting to have a perspective worth living in. Just under a month ago, elections were held in the Latin American country, which could actually live in prosperity and peace but is suffering from dramatic economic decline, inflation and poverty since years. Or as investigative journalist Sebastiana Barráez says in the news magazine Der Spiegel: “Maduro has couped!”

Initially, the state electoral authority declared President Nicolás Maduro Moro, who has been clinging to power since 2013, the winner without providing any evidence - as is actually required by the constitution. The opposition has now had access to more than 80 percent of the printed protocols of the individual polling stations and has made them public. According to these, their candidate Edmundo González won with around 67 percent of the vote - compared to 30 percent for the incumbent head of government. So did Maduro commit electoral fraud? It looks like it.

The United Nations and the Carter Center had sent election observers to Venezuela. They have now criticized the election authority's actions and declared that the official result was not achieved democratically. The panel of experts speaks of an “unprecedented process in recent electoral history”. No wonder that most Latin American countries as well as the USA and Europe did not recognize the “official result”. And Maduro? He doesn't give a damn. The despot has further intensified the repression against the population with the help of the military, the National Guard and other state organs loyal to him. According to the independent rights organization Foro Penal, over 2,000 people have been arrested since the election. These include opposition politicians. And journalists. That speaks a clear language.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the US government has now offered Maduro and close associates of the regime an amnesty if they relinquish power. I wish the Venezuelans would keep up the pressure. And the international stage too. Until Madura and his clan really abdicate. Because then the country, which has already been abandoned by 20% of its population in recent years, could return to better times. In a survey conducted by the Gallup polling institute in December 2012, the country's inhabitants were among the happiest people on earth. It would be nice if this vague memory could become reality again.

Personal happy moment of the week

“Your application for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has been approved. You are now authorized to travel to Canada by air.” Nothing more to add here. Taking off this sunday. Boy am I excited...

I couldn't care less...

...about the discussion that Germany “only” came 10th in the medal table at the Summer Olympics in Paris - behind hosts France and Great Britain, even though their populations are smaller. “What does it take for more medals?” asks the Tagesschau news channel. That is of little interest to me. Much more important is the charisma of athletes as figures of identification for a nation, the role model function for children, the motivation to surpass oneself. After all, it's not for nothing that the Olympic motto is “Taking part is everything”. In that sense, Eddie the Eagle really did fly.

It's fine with me...

...that the Democrats' party conference is now turning into a coronation mass. Because the most important decisions have been made: Presidential candidate and his (better in this case “her”) running mate. Normally, I would now say that political program content should not be completely secondary. But I don't care about that at the moment. The main thing is momentum. The main thing is optimism. The main thing is not to go back. The main thing is that Donald Jessica Trump doesn't triumph in November. Harris Walz!

As I write this...

...we're trying to catch a mouse. Apparently it was raining too hard outside and it wanted to get out into the dry. Now she's hiding behind a bookshelf and is afraid of us - even though we want to rescue her and set her free. Update: we've got her and she's fine. Second update: there seems to be another one...

Post Scriptum

It's good when someone doesn't look away but points. Even if it's about Israel committing an injustice. After all, you are then almost reflexively vilified as an Anti-Semite. In this respect, I am pleased that the European Union is showing more and more backbone in this regard. In this case, I am not referring to the maltreated Gaza Strip, but to the West Bank, where the Palestinian population is suffering more and more from brutal attacks by militant Israeli settlers - who can be sure of the backing of Benjamin Netanyahu's increasingly right-wing extremist government.

Once again, there have been attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on the population of the West Bank. And now EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has had enough. He will “present a proposal for EU sanctions against the supporters of the violent settlers, including some members of the Israeli government”. Including the government! That's a bombshell. I very much hope that he finds the necessary support for this. Because this massive problem is currently all too easily overlooked in the great shadow of Gaza.

[wyked-ao3]

poll for my spn fanfiction omens

ill be done editing it either late tonight or early tomorrow 0_o with one or two spots that need a line but I already know what's going there.

So my question is should I post omens at the 140+k word monster that it is with a cliffhanger ending or wait until finish Apokálypsis which is part two and will probably be 30k-120k depending on how stubborn a few issues are to resolve and post both at the same time?

i personally hate cliffhangers so if y'all vote for it to be posted then chances are part two will be posted as I write it (chapter ones mostly done so it would remove the cliffhanger element lol) I can say I can probably manage one or two chapters a week on it until it's finished

[frenchgremlim1808]

Results from the shinnie test

So reminder for anyone who forgotten or didn't see it a week ago i made a test for shinnies, to know what and who is the average shinnies. This is my first one but i do intend to make one about other character one day. The results came and i made some silly math and schematic representation of the vote.

Question 1: What is your gender identity ?

We can see that the poll was one in majority by enbies. I've counted and more than 64.2 % of the poll is constituted of queer identity without counting the questioning poll because if we count it too then that would make 77.4. One thing that shocked me was the lack of trans women, where were you girls?!!!

Winner: Nonbinary

Question 2: What is your age ?

So i predicted it, the yttd fandom consist mainly of teen and young adults, but i'm happy that a majority of the shinnies are between 15 to 18, but still there is a majority of 10 to 15 years old in the shinnie fandom since they are second. Also to the two fetuses that voted here(under ten) vanish, please you newborns!!

Winner: 15 to 18

Question 3: Are you neurodivergent ?

I mean were talking about shinnies, like people who relate to shin, so mostly autistic goobers. And the big maybe part come from the fact that a lot of them are on the younger side so they didn't get an official diagnosis.

Winner: yes

Question 4: Do you have a physical illments ?

Just gonna say it i don't have physical issues i just have no muscles and i suck so hard at sports. I know most shinnies are just like me, don't lie. Also for a minute i thought of doing a "do you have a iron/vitamins deficiency poll", it would have probably have a higher vote in yes since i mean....... shinies you know.....they....we.. You know.

( i have iron deficiency........😭)

Winner: tie between yes and no

Question 5) DO you have a job?

If you said yes as adults honestly where are you working? I know most of the no adults are probably in school considering the 18 to 25 ratio in the second question. And to the minors who work already kudos to you, you are the superior shinnie!

Winner: no i'm a minor

Question 6) Are you on the geek/weeb/ tech savy spetrum ?

The thing that chocked me in that poll is the people who aren't any of these. I'm a big geek so a niche rpg video game is exactly my style, weebs can appreciate the mix of original ideas with some anime archetype in the game, but the people that have none of this like how did you find this game ? Yttd is pretty niche honestly, so normies finding this game is pretty insane

Winner: Two of them

Question 7: Are you good at sports ( lmao)

This is a shin poll what did you think?

Winner: No (lol)

Question 8) Are you a dumbass like shin in social situations?

So personally i'm like him in some situation but most of the time i have learned something he clearly did not get, backing down instead of doubling down the stupidity and lies.

So in conclusion: The average Shinnie is a nonbinary, 15 to 18 year old, neurodivergent, either physically ill or not,doesn't have a job ( since they're teens), is a nerd, sucks at sports and of course is a little dumbass like shin.

This was pretty interesting to do! So if you have most of these traits you ARE the average shinnie.

Here the link to the polls if somebody wanna watch the exact results

And if you have an idea for another character please inform me.

[oukabarsburgblr]

seriously hungry for ur works... 👾 so we need to wait till sep to enjoy 'em?

Most likely😔 i cant give an exact date since i really want to focus on my studies but ill post a drabble every two weeks or so. The list is getting longer, i think it has over 14 drafts? All i can say is to join the taglist so no one misses out on anything huwa

One of the reason im glad the poll pushed it to september was because i noticed the fluctuating quality in my fics, my best is oils and incense while the worst is the aftermath of YBC and filthy drabble

I want to put more feelings in my fics rather than actions, or what theyre doing although the rsn i didnt put more feelings is bc i want to save it for sousukes official storyline debut! So theres the dilemma haha see you in september