#it's our biggest goal and probably the meaning of my life

[thedruidsforest]

The biggest thing that keeps me moving I think is my vision of the future, of waking up and drinking coffee every morning with my husband and our rescue dogs on our homestead in the forest, picking berries and fruit and veggies to preserve later, tending to the cows and sheep and bees, providing everything for ourselves and living in our own little circle of the world, away from everything and yet so absolutely entwined with everything.

[pucksandpower]

Max Verstappen x Leclerc!Reader - Social Media AU

formulagossip added to their story

f1wagupdates

Liked by lightsoutmax, verstappenupdates, and 152,836 others

f1wagupdates Max Verstappen spotted leaving his hotel with a mystery woman this morning after celebrating winning his third World Championship last night. According to sources, the two partied together with the team and friends at a club following his victory before heading back to the hotel. Her face is hidden but rumor has it this could be a new romance for the World Champ. Looks like Max is enjoying the spoils of another successful season!

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lightsoutmax probably just a random groupie, max isn’t the relationship type

dutchlioness no way that’s a groupie

f1wagupdates i’m inclined to agree, they look pretty serious!

formulanone am i crazy or does that look like y/n leclerc to anyone else?

redbulletin you’re crazy

gridgossip i mean i wouldn’t be surprised. i bet this has been going on for a while between them! it would explain how she got the CTO job out of nowhere

f1girlie or she got it because she’s qualified and was literally trained by adrian newey to take over for him? it’s 2024, leave the misogyny at the door

maddermax i don’t think max would get involved with someone from his team

circuitqueen she looks so familiar but i can’t place her! it’s driving me crazy

verstappenupdates whoever she is, i need more details! our world champion’s love life is suddenly looking very interesting 😍

survivetodrive you need to learn how to stay out of drivers’ business

rblover for real! let the man live

maxverstappen1

Liked by y/n_leclerc, redbullracing, and 2,094,617 others

maxverstappen1 Five World Championships!

This one feels extra special because I get to celebrate with the love of my life who has been by my side for over three incredible years now ❤️

So I want to dedicate this championship to Y/N

Seeing Y/N thrive as Red Bull’s Chief Technical Officer and pursue her passion for motorsport after everything she has been through has been so special. Her brilliance and determination inspire me daily, both on and off the track. And her contributions to the team have been invaluable to our success. I am so lucky to have such an incredible partner to share these championships with

Winning races and championships is great but sharing my life with someone as smart, driven and caring as Y/N is the greatest gift I could ever ask for. I truly am the luckiest guy in the world. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us both. Here’s to many more years of continuing to chase our dreams together!

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redbullracing our world champion found his perfect match! wishing you both continued success and happiness 🤩

christianhorner so proud of you two. the ultimate power couple!

danielricciardo i knew something was going on there. congrats you two!

maxverstappen1 you don’t have to pretend like you didn’t know about us

y/n_leclerc you literally third-wheeled our last date night … and the one last month … and the one over summer break

y/n_leclerc i love you with all my heart, champion! thank you for always being my biggest supporter. so blessed to have you in my life 🥰

charles_leclerc how could you do this, y/n? after everything our family did for you?

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verstappenupdates our guy is all grown up 🥹 you two are goals!

f1wagupdates omg! when did this happen??? why has it been a secret for so long?

lightsoutmax pretty sure they got together the year before y/n was hired by red bull

redbulletin and they probably kept it a secret because people would have found a way to twist it into something negative

officialorangearmy relationship goals to the max! you two are perfect together 🧡

y/n_leclerc

Liked by maxverstappen1, redbullracing, and 473,825 others

y/n_leclerc What a season! Winning a double championship for the second time feels so surreal. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my incredible team at Red Bull Racing who made this possible through their tireless hard work. We did it 🏆

And most of all, I am grateful for my incredible partner. Max, you’ve supported me every step of the way, encouraging me to follow my dreams and become who I was meant to be. You showed me what true unconditional love feels like

I am where I am now because of you. Your spirit pushes me to achieve greatness. Your kindness lifted me up when I needed it most. Your smile keeps me going on tough days. I couldn’t ask for a better teammate in life ❤️

The future is so bright for us. I can’t wait to see what we create together next. I love you! Let’s keep aiming for the stars ✨

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maxverstappen1 you make me so proud every day! loving and winning with you feels incredible. can’t wait for the rest of our lives together ❤️

redbullracing the ultimate teammate on and off the track! you two are unstoppable 👊

christianhorner red bull is lucky to have such a power pair leading our team. more glory to come!

danielricciardo you guys are relationship goals! congrats champs

charles_leclerc how long until you throw away this “fairytale” like you did our family?

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*this user has been blocked*

y/n_leclercfanpage our inspiring queen found her king! you give us hope that dreams do come true

f1girlie not me literally crying tears of joy 😭 they are so perfect together

womeninmotorsport seeing powerful women thrive in f1 gives me life 👏

[writingquestionsanswered]

Interested in Writing But Can't Seem to Write

Anonymous asked: I've been interested in writing since I was a child. Used to be a bookworm. Whole chapter books in one night, completely addicted as a form of escapism. My first real dream job was to be an author - I decided this at around 11 maybe. No matter how many phases I've had, I always return to wanting to be an author. I am 22 now. I have not written a single thing. I vaguely remember writing like, maybe 3 things at most. Incomplete works that I just had fun with. And this was before I even turned 14. But in all those years of "loving writing and books" and "wanting to be an author" I did straight up nothing. Didn't even contribute to fanfics for the fandoms I was deeply obsessed with (I do remember trying once but wasn't into it). At some point reading was out of my life too.

I'm going to start here, because of these conflicting statements:

-- "I have not written a single thing." -- "I vaguely remember writing like, maybe 3 things at most."

See the issue? ;) If you've written "maybe 3 things" you have written something. They may have been incomplete, and you may not even remember what you were, but that doesn't mean you should discount them. You have written. That experience is still in there somewhere.

One of my biggest pet peeves as a longtime writer is hearing newer writers refer to themselves as "aspiring writers." If you write, you're a writer. Period. It doesn't matter if you journal, write poetry, write fan-fiction, or wrote a middle-school round robin with friends where you all married your favorite K-Pop stars. You write. You're a writer. And, honestly, even if you're not actively writing right now, if you want to write--if you think about writing, are constantly jotting down story ideas and character names, and are eagerly gathering inspiration from all around you... guess what? You're still a writer.

Now I'm trying to take my interest in writing more seriously, but I just can't sit down and write. I'm good at storing notes and ideas and daydreaming what my stories are about, but nothing is ever produced. If I think about it I immediately lose interest - even if I am in fact still interested in writing and publishing? I'm very confused by my behaviour and I wonder if it's normal.

What you're experiencing isn't unusual. In fact, most writers experience it from time to time, though usually it happens at points further into the writing journey and not right at the start. But I still wouldn't call that "abnormal." It happens.

There are a hundred-million reasons why it happens, and the only way to figure out why it's happening for you right now is to do some soul-searching. At your age, I think a prime suspect would be that you're in the jumping off point for your adult life. This can be a tumultuous time for a variety of reasons, and your focus and energy may be naturally geared toward the things that help you explore and settle into this new phase of life. Even beyond that, if you have have a demanding job (including being a parent or caregiver), are going to school or studying for job-related tests/classes, or have a lot going on right now (multiple projects, lots of travel, lots of appointments and social commitments, etc.)--your focus and energy is probably running thin as it is, so finding a way to funnel what's left into writing is going to take some finesse. And that's if this is even the right time for it, which I'll get to later on.

Writing Stress = Writing Avoidance

One of the most mind-blowing things I've learned about writing is that writing avoidance often comes down to writing feeling stressful for whatever reason. If you're putting a lot of pressure on yourself to write, write a certain amount, meet goals or deadlines, that translates to stress. It makes writing stressful, and the problem with that is evolution has wired our brains to avoid things that are stressful. At its most basic level, stress is a response to danger--you hear a lion roar in the distance, it causes you stress, you turn and run in the opposite direction. Stress triggers the "fight or flight response," a defense mechanism that protects us from the impending danger. With writing, "fight" shows up as self-criticism. "Flight" shows up as avoidance.

So, if you find that you want to write but are avoiding it, it's worth considering if you're avoiding it because it feels stressful to you. If so, there are things you can do to de-stress writing. For one thing, let go of the notion that you have to write any particular thing or amount in order to be a writer. Set yourself a bare minimum writing goal to reach every day... like writing for 10 minutes. That can be any writing--journaling, writing prompts, working on a story, fleshing out story ideas, fluffy fan-fiction, poetry, writing down a favorite memory, doing a book or movie review, anything. Try to do it every day, but don't beat yourself up if you sit down and aren't able to write anything, don't write a lot, or never sit down at all. Just try, every day, do your best. Also, try setting up a writing routine that you do every day when you sit down for that little writing session. Try to pick the same or similar time each day, do a little meditation or stretch beforehand, put on some soft music or light a candle, get your favorite drink or small snack. If you do this almost every day, what you'll start to find is that the writing happens more and more easily. Eventually you'll be spend more and more time doing it.

Why can I say I'm interested in writing when I don't write at all?

I'm interested in traveling to England but I haven't yet and have no current plans to. Does that mean I'm not allowed to say I'm interested in traveling to England?

Being interested in something doesn't mean you have to do that thing right now or you can't say you're interested in it.

And even if you can't write right now for whatever reason, there are still plenty of writerly things you CAN do. Following writing blogs and vlogs is a good start. You can listen to writing podcasts and read writing craft books. You can keep a notebook full of plot and character ideas, setting inspiration, favorite quotes, interesting words, and overheard bits of dialogue. You can watch TV shows and movies (and read books, which includes listening to audiiobooks!) You don't even have to do these things all the time or everyday. Just periodically, when you can. It all goes into your creative well and will be there to draw from when you are able to write.

One final word...

You do not have to be in a hurry to be a writer or to be a published writer. The average age of first-time publication is mid-30s. I was mid-40s. Jane Austen was 35. Toni Morrison was 40. J.R.R. Tolkien was 45. Richard Adams was 52. Annie Proulx was 57. Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65. National Book Award winner Harriet Doerr was 74. Poet Sarah Yerkes started writing poetry at 97 and was published at 101.

So, be interested in writing. Own that interest. Figure out if and how writing fits into your life right now. If it doesn't, do the other things. Fill your creative well so it will be ready when writing does fit into your life. ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[respectthepetty]

Did you try your best, Kawi?

So . . . next week's previews weren't narrated by Kawi.

This is the first time Kawi hasn't told us to tune in next week to observe how he changes his future. This is the first time he hasn't pondered what will happen to him in the future.

Possibly because Kawi finally understands the time-travel assignment:

Remember when My School President told us that even when we try our best, we can still fail?

And remember when My School President pulled a Miley Cyrus and told us it wasn't about the destination but the climb?

Oh, and remember when My School President told us that we are stronger together?

Or do you remember when My School President told us we can't give up even when the goal seems impossible?

Well, in case you forgot the numerous lessons that My School President taught us in order to complete this assignment, Be My Favorite is here to reinforce them with some extra bonus lessons:

Lesson #1 - Be present.

Kawi is finally getting it. He needs to be patient. He needs to sit tight. He needs to put in the effort in the present, regardless of where that present exists, without trying to throw himself years into the future or constantly being stuck in the past.

He needs to live the life he has NOW, and not the one he wanted. He must be present, which is probably why he didn't narrate next week's episode previews.

Lesson #2 - We can't run away from our problems.

Pisaeng's mom is right. Life would be better for a gay man in a country with marriage equality, same-sex parenting recognition, LGBTQIA rights, and anti-discrimination policies. But that's not why she wants him to leave the country. Pisaeng's mom has 99 problems, and currently Pisaeng being gay is all of them. But what she doesn't realize is our issues won't go away if we hide (from) them. They will get bigger, and instead of just hurting ourselves, they will begin to hurt others.

Pisaeng tried to bury his feelings, and ended up assaulting Kawi while he was drunk on his wedding day after leaving Pear at the altar. Kawi is an alcoholic in the future who broke Pear and Pisaeng's hearts. Pear is unsatisfied with her life even though she keeps pushing to be the best and hurts her best friend by settling for a man unworthy of both of them. Problems are like bacteria; they can be good or bad for us, but either way, left alone, they'll quickly multiple until we can't ignore them.

Lesson #3 - Be honest with yourself.

The second lesson leads into the third because in order to stop running from our problems, we have to be willing to recognize we have a problem. Kawi didn't want to admit he had problems even before the drinking began. When Kawi asked Pisaeng if he should go to rehab, Pisaeng told him that only he knew the answer. Pisaeng learned this from Max who told Pisaeng that the answer to his queerness was within himself. Kawi doesn't want to answer any of these questions because that would mean he has to be honest about his issues. He doesn't owe any of those reporters the truth, but partly why Kawi hesitates is because he, himself, doesn't know what the truth is. Well, not until he is forced to.

Lesson #4 - Learn from your mistakes.

When the show started, Kawi believed his whole life was one big mistake after another. He went back to the past to correct those mistakes, yet his biggest mistake has always been pushing people away.

He stopped talking to Max. He didn't pursue Pear. He rejected Pisaeng. Max has called him out on this behavior, and Max told Kawi he was an alcoholic as well. Pisaeng didn't want to believe Max until Pisaeng subtly confirmed these issues. Then, Pisaeng left Kawi. Alone. Kawi doesn't have his dad there to guide him, but as much as Kawi pushed his dad to TRY to do better for himself, Kawi hasn't given himself that same treatment. Which is why being alone forces him to learn from his mistakes, and we see him stop drinking, even in the future. We see him accepting Pear's dinner invitation, going to Max's rally, and telling Pisaeng he likes him. We see him trying to be better.

Lesson #5 - Have confidence in yourself.

Pisaeng is Linda Evangelista. Kawi has confirmed this every chance he can. But Kawi sucks. Kawi thinks he sucks because he needs help, all the time, while Pisaeng never needs any help. Yet, episode eight explicitly told Kawi that he was The Brave Little Toaster of his friends. Max mentioned that Kawi positively impacted Max by telling Max to stay. Pear's perfect demeanor seems to be morphing as she realizes the dream life she had envisioned as the perfect girl isn't all it's cracked up to be. And Pisaeng told Kawi before that Kawi has changed his life because although Kawi needs his friends, his friends need him just as much.

The Assignment - Try Your Best

Doing everything right doesn't mean you'll win. Giving your all doesn't guarantee the prize. Trying your best doesn't equal success. Sometimes you lose no matter how much effort you put in.

But the lesson here is even if you fail, you won't have regrets.

To generalize my idol Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation, you can't half-ass the shit you care about. You gotta put your whole-ass in it. You have to be present. You can't run away from your issues. You need to be honest with yourself. You must learn from your mistakes. And you gotta have confidence in yourself. Because only then will you know you tried your best.

And even if you get to the end of the road empty-handed,

You'll have the friends you made along the way there to help you find your way back to the start.

No more half-assing, Kawi!

We deserve your best whole-ass effort.

[ognicho]

My audition script for @theshadowyalchemist

If someone's confused I'm a part of a project which's goal is to make our own fan Vat7k and I'll probably post a lot of stuff to do with that in the future.

Scene: Varian and Yong meet for the first time

A sunny autumn morning. VARIAN is walking through the kingdom of Bayangor for the first time, curiously observing how different life seems in the fire kingdom. Suddenly, he bumps into YONG who falls down and drops the explosive materials he was carrying. 

YONG (nervously) 

AH! I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't looking where I was going… 

VARIAN 

No, no, it's okay, I also wasn't paying attention. 

Yong crouches down to pick up his materials and Varian hurries to help him. He stops when he sees just what it was that Yong was carrying. 

VARIAN (under his breath) 

Carbon, potassium nitrate and sulfur? 

YONG (excited) 

You know what this is!? 

VARIAN (confused) 

Umm… Yeah? Why are you carrying this… ? 

YONG

I'm making fireworks! You know, for the contest. 

VARIAN

What contest? 

YONG

You never heard of the contest!? 

Yong looks at Varian, taking in his appearance which is quite different from the Bayangoran clothes and fashion. 

YONG

You aren't from around here, are you? 

VARIAN

Well, no… I'm from Corona actually. 

YONG

That's far away… What are you doing here? 

VARIAN

I'm looking for something… Well, it's not important. What's this contest you were talking about? 

YONG  

It's the biggest firework show in Bayangor! Each contestant makes their own fireworks and the one who puts up the best show wins!  I've always wanted to take part in that but my parents didn't let me, saying I'm way too young to be playing with explosives or something. This year, I'll finally start! 

VARIAN

Woah… A firework show? I've never heard of anything like this… And you'll be making the fireworks all by yourself? 

YONG

Pretty much…  Unless you want to help me. You seem to know some stuff about the materials so maybe you know how to make an amazing and outstanding firework. 

VARIAN

I happen to know some things and I'd love to help you but I have to find… this something I'm looking for. Yeah. 

YONG

And what are you looking for? 

VARIAN 

(Sighs) 

I don't really know. It could be anything…  

Varian takes out his mother's journal and quickly searches for something while Yong is looking at him curiously. 

VARIAN

Do you have a ‘pretty huge statue’ somewhere around here? 

YONG (confused) 

You mean The Dragon Monument?

VARIAN

You have dragons here!? 

YONG

No, no… From what I remember the guy who they built the statue for loved fighting with fire and they called him Dragon because of that. It isn't far from here actually. I can show you if you want? 

VARIAN

You'd really do that? 

YONG

Yeah! And maybe once you're done with whatever you're doing you could help me with the fireworks? 

VARIAN (laughing) 

Sure. 

[huggybug]

Hi, could you write something with sunshine x grumpy couple but the other way round than normal? Like sunshine trev x grumpy reader, I feel like it’s never that why and trev is sunshine!

something about the sunshine - trevor zegras

word count: 3.0k words

note: uh hi this ask was literally from so long ago so i’m sorry about that! i tried my best at this trope but it kinda just went off on its own little path so i hope it still does the request justice <33

“Y/n! How’s my favourite lady doing today?” You fight the urge to roll your eyes when Trevor walks into the room and plops down on your table.

You loved your job, really, being an athletic trainer for a major sports team was probably your biggest career goal and somehow you landed it as your first job. However, with it, you were under mountains of stress and out of everyone, Trevor always knew how to make it worse.

“Busy” You mumble, finishing the last few forms you had to fill out on your laptop before shutting it. “Do you need something?”

“Uh yeah, can you tape my ankle?” Your eyes dart up to look at him.

“You need your ankle taped?” You ask curiously.

“Yeah that’s why I’m here, jeez Y/n you should really try to keep up” He teased and you shook your head.

“Why do you need it taped? Practice is over” You were just about ready to leave actually, it had been a long day and the bottle of rosé in your fridge at home was calling your name.

“Yeah but… it hurts?” Trevor’s words came out in a questioning tone, like he was unsure why he was even asking.

“Okay…?” You got up, reaching for the roll of tape on your desk and making your way over to him. You were halfway through taping his ankle when he spoke up again.

“JD and I are going out tonight, you should come hang”

“I’m good” You mumbled, not letting your focus away from the task at hand.

“We’re super fun! I promise you’ll have a great time” You looked up to see him grinning widely at you.

“Trevor… we’re not friends” He froze for a minute before recalculating and his easy going façade was back.

“But we could be?” It came out more as a question than he initially intended.

“I’m just here to work, I have enough friends” You mumble, “Thanks though” Trevor’s smile faltered but he didn’t let it show for more than a split second.

It wasn’t that you didn’t like Trevor, in fact all the guys were great. You just didn’t love mixing your work like and personal life.

“You’re all done” You say as you lay the last piece of tape down. “If your ankle hurts maybe you shouldn’t be going out tonight” You raise your eyebrow at him which only makes him smirk.

“Thanks Y/n, see you tomorrow”

…

The season was well underway and you were busier than ever. You were down a few trainers and the Ducks staff had all been working around the clock to try and make up for it.

“The world isn’t going to stop turning if you take a break” You sigh, looking up from your computer to see Trevor and Jamie sauntering into your room.

“Thanks Trevor” You smile sarcastically. Over the past few months, you’d found yourself with both Trevor and Jamie more and more often. While you didn’t let it cross your self drawn boundaries by seeing them away from work, they seemed to find their way to your room frequently, whether it was because they actually needed something or just to come bother you.

“Aw cheer up sunshine”

“Don’t call me that” You bite back, annoyed with his presence already.

“Sunflower? Gumdrop? Sweetheart?” Trevor’s rattling off words like there’s no tomorrow, you glare at him until he stops.

“Are you having a stroke?” Jamie laughs at that but Trevor elbows him in retaliation.

“I’m trying to find a name that works for you babe, got any suggestions?”

“What do you guys need? I’m almost done for the day” You checked the time to see that you’d already stayed an hour past what you wanted to which meant you were way too late to girls night, meaning you’d once again have to ditch your plans because of work.

“Come out with us tonight. We’re meeting up with our friends from LA, you’ll love them” Trevor explained, nudging Jamie with his elbow which made him chime in as well.

“Yeah, Trev tells Alex about you all the time, he’s dying to meet you” Jamie coughs awkwardly when Trevor’s bony elbow hits him in the ribs.

“We’ve been over this before…” You answer, not even looking up from your work.

“Yeah but one of these days you’ll come to your senses and realize how amazing of a time you’ll have with us” Trevor grinned and you faltered. Maybe it was because your night out with your girls was ruined or maybe after months of Trevor asking, he’d simply worn you down.

“Fine” You finally caved and you swear Trevor does a little happy dance.

“I’ll send you the details, see you there!” Trevor is grinning ear to ear as he leaves the room, pulling Jamie behind him.

…

The bar Trevor chooses is exactly the kind of bar you’d expect him to pick. It’s packed, clearly a well-known spot in California, and you’re pretty sure there’s some sort of filtering system at the entrance which only allows people with over 1 million followers in. Luckily, you didn’t have to worry about that since you came with Trevor who somehow got himself on the list and your group is swiftly ushered to the VIP area.

“You look fantastic” Trevor grins at you once you’re all sat down at the table. He had already introduced you to his friend Alex and Jamie’s friend Quinton but he apparently hadn’t taken a moment to really look at you until now.

“Watch it Trevor, we’re still work friends of some sort” You point a finger at him and he laughs it off, knowing you’re only joking. To be fair, it was half a joke, half serious.

“I’m going for drinks, Jamie help me” Trevor practically drags his best friend away from the table with him and you shift awkwardly in your seat. Leave it to Trevor to ditch you with (albeit seemingly nice) strangers.

“So… you work for the Ducks?” Quinton asks and you smile awkwardly while nodding.

“Trainer” You mumble and both boys nod, pretending to be interested you’re sure. You fall back into silence for a few moments before the two boys start talking about something else between the two of them and you sink back into your chair.

You should’ve just stayed home tonight. Even though your original plans were wrecked, you shouldn’t have agreed to coming out with Trevor and Jamie. You were very obviously crashing their plans; you certainly didn’t fit in with a group of four hockey players.

You could only spiral so far before the boys returned, Trevor handing you a martini, your drink of choice. It took you a moment of staring at the glass before you looked at him, wondering how the hell he knew your typical order.

Trevor was too busy making fun of whatever it was Jamie said to the bartender so you didn’t say anything, just took a sip of your drink. Immediately, you started coughing which attracted the attention of the guys quickly.

“Woah, slow it down there Y/n” Trevor laughed and you shot him a look, hopefully playful enough to be passed off as a joke.

“You okay?” Jamie asked, offering up his bottle of water which you waved off.

“Fine. I just wasn’t expecting the gin” You drank vodka martinis. To be more precise, vodka martinis with a twist.

“Shit sorry” Trevor apologized, reaching to take your drink but you pulled it back. “I’ll go get you a new one” He offered and while it was very nice of him, you refused.

“I’m fine” You were firm enough that he didn’t bother to ask again, simply turning back to the conversation that had already resumed.

You stuck around for a respectable amount of time before you started planning your escape. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Alex and Quinton, they were actually nice guys and fun to be around. Just as the night went on, the more you felt like you were imposing. You waited until Trevor left, taking Alex over to say hi to someone they knew who was just across the roped off area; fishing in your purse to get cash to cover your drinks, you slide over to Jamie, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

“Thanks for inviting me, tell Trevor thanks too” You hand him the money, flashing a quick smile and Jamie smiles back, quickly waving your money away.

“We were both happy you finally said yes, you’re cool Y/n” Jamie was sweet, honestly a little too sweet for an NHL player in your opinion.

“See you tomorrow Drysdale” You say goodbye to Quinton before grabbing your purse and rushing towards the door, hoping you can get out without Trevor seeing you because you know exactly how that conversation would go.

You were almost to the exit when someone grabbed your arm. Your instincts kicked in and you pulled away quickly, freeing your arm roughly from the person’s grip. Preparing for the worst, you turn around, only to see Trevor.

“God Trevor, I thought you were some creepy dude” You roll your eyes, turning back around and heading for the door, knowing he’s following close behind.

“Nope, just me” He leans forward and you can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“Close enough” You retort and he pokes your arm playfully.

“Why are you leaving?” Trevor finally asks when your both standing on the sidewalk outside of the bar.

“I work in the morning” You answer, typing away on your phone, trying to get an Uber.

“So do I” You look up to see him grinning at you which makes you roll your eyes.

“Go have fun with your boys, I have to go” Trevor pouted and maybe if you were tapped out on your Trevor time, you would’ve seen it as endearing.

“Fine, I’ll see you tomorrow”

“Bye Trevor”

…

A few more months passed and you stuck to your rules, no more nights out with Trevor or Jamie and you were back to strictly work ‘friends’ only.

However, tonight was Dux in Tux, the organization’s annual charity event and while it wasn’t technically a night out with them, it was close enough.

“How great do I look in this? Scale of 1-10” You shake your head at Trevor who had been flaunting his ugly shirt-tuxedo all night for you.

“Go do your job” The players were all supposed to be serving the tables and while most of them had been following orders well, Trevor had spent a lot of his time at your table. The other trainers found it funny, they weren’t telling Trevor off but you had no problem in doing that.

“Is he bothering you?” You look up to see Max Jones behind Trevor, throwing an arm over the younger boy’s shoulder.

“Always” You answer with a smirk and Trevor sputters.

“Z, go help Jamie clear plates” Max points over to where Jamie is trying to pick up the slack where Trevor had been lacking all night.

“But this is my table!” Trevor pointed out and the table full of staff chuckled at the two grown men arguing about this.

“Go”

“Oh come on!” Trevor whined but trudged away anyways.

The rest of the night went smoothly, Trevor was kept busy, thanks to Max and you had easily avoided all the questions that had arisen from Trevor’s adamant presence at your table; the open bar had been a fantastic aid in that.

“Hey Sunshine, need another drink?” Trevor asks when you approach the bar later on in the night. The guys had just finished their little show so there was a group of them hanging around the bar.

“Sunshine?” Troy asks and a few of the other guys chime in as well.

“Don’t call me that” You grit out. Trevor knew your boundaries but he liked to push them. He loved to bend your rules to see how far you’d let him go, how long you could stand him annoying you before you put an end to it.

“Oh c’mon babe don’t be like that” Trevor grinned, throwing an arm around you and pulling you into his side. You groaned, trying to push him away but he wouldn’t budge.

“Woah woah woah. What are we missing here?” McTavish asks and you shake your head, slipping out of Trevor’s hold.

“Nothing, Trevor’s just a dick who likes to piss me off. Now if you’ll excuse me” You retrieve your fresh drink from the bar and hightail it over to your little group of staff, glad to hopefully be in a safe zone away from Trevor.

It doesn’t work, in less than 15 minutes, Trevor’s excusing you from your own conversation and pulling you away from the event and into the hallway to the locker rooms.

“What is your deal tonight?” You ask, exasperated from all the antics he’s been pulling tonight.

“Does it really piss you off when I do that stuff?” He asks frantically.

“What?” You’re confused, crossing your arms over your chest, suddenly feeling very trapped in this hallway.

“Why I call you sunshine and when I hang around you, do you really not like it?” Trevor asks, his gaze is heavy and you feel hot underneath it.

“What do you think Trevor?” You raise an eyebrow, honestly curious as to what he thinks you feel about him.

“Answer me”

“I…” You trail off, unsure how to explain what exactly it is that you feel. You’re not even sure yourself how you feel about Trevor. It started off as pure annoyance. You didn’t like when he hung around your room at the rink, how he’d play with the rolls of tape you had on your desk (and how he usually stole them for himself). But somewhere over the course of the season, it changed into tolerance which the. shifted into fondness. And now, you honestly missed him on the days that he wasn’t around for practice or a game for whatever reason.

“Because if it really bothers you I’ll stop. I thought we were friends and had that kind of relationship but I might’ve read it wrong and I’m sorry if I did, that’s on me” Trevor was rambling and you let him. It was cute. When he finished, you finally had collected your thoughts enough to speak.

“I don’t hate it” You pause as Trevor grins so wide you’re afraid it’ll crack his cheeks. “But the sunshine thing has to got stop around people at work”

“Is that you saying you want to hang out with me?” Trevor was smiling so hard it made you want to laugh. “And is this a friends hang out or a…” He winks over dramatically, “hang out”

“You’re so gross” You laugh while shaking your head.

“You love it”

“Ehh” You scrunch up your face and Trevor rolls his eyes.

…

After a couple months and many dates (most in Anaheim and then some when Trevor flew you out to visit him in New York after he went home for the summer) you found yourself with a boyfriend. It was probably breaking your ultimate rule but you didn’t care. That was the thing about Trevor; when you were with him, nothing else mattered.

It was a weird adjustment at first but luckily, you had officially started dating during the off-season so you weren’t exactly forced to come to terms with how this affected your work life just yet. Trevor always pushed it away, promising you that nothing would happen or change, that he would take care of it and that you trusted because how could they afford to make their star player upset?

After spending the summer travelling to and from Anaheim, you were both officially back for the season and you couldn’t help but think about how things had changed just over the course of a few months.

“That night we went out, how did you know I liked martinis? Or was that just a random guess?” Trevor looked down at you from where he was sitting on the couch while you laid with you head in his lap.

“Uh… I don’t remember” He cleared his throat then looked back at the TV which was playing the highlights of whatever baseball game was on today.

“You’re lying” You said flatly.

“No I’m not” You narrowed your eyes at him as he played with the short hair above his ear, twirling it as best he could around his finger.

“Yes you are, you’re doing the weird thing with your hair” Trevor’s hand freezes in it’s spot.

“Okay, I’ll explain but you have to promise you won’t think I’m creepy” He sighs, nudging you off his lap so you have to sit up next to him.

“What? Trevor-” You turn to face him, draping your legs over his and his hand automatically falls in place over them.

“Promise!” He insists.

“Fine, I promise” You roll your eyes.

“At every team event, I’d kinda… watch you. That sounds so creepy. I wasn’t like stalking you, I’d just happen to look for you every once in a while and every time I saw you, you were drinking a martini with a twist. Obviously I didn’t know you only drank vodka martinis” He grumbled and you laugh.

“That was the worst martini I’d ever had” You gagged, thinking back to that night when you stubbornly finished the whole martini because you wouldn’t let him get you a new one.

“Well I didn’t know! Vodka and gin are both clear!” Trevor whined, his head falling back against the couch cushions.

“At least you’ve learned, hm?” You reach to play with his hair, combing through it with your fingers as a smile makes its way onto his face.

“Yeah, thank god for that” He answers sarcastically which makes you smile.

[justsomestoicguy]

What Now?

So, imagine this: you wake up one day, and boom, you're in the world of My Hero Academia. 

Well… technically I was reborn into this world and became conscious of the fact when I reached five, but still. 

And as any self-respecting nerd would, you immediately start freaking out. 

Not because you're in a world full of superpowered teens (although that's pretty wild), but because you know what's coming. All For One. Big bad boss. The villain of all villains. 

And guess what? You're expected to help take him down. So, there I am, hyperventilating in my new anime-ified body, thinking about all the ways I could die horribly.

That's why, first thing's first: research. I head straight for the internet. Because even in an alternate universe, Google, or in this case 'Moogle', is still my best friend. 

I start typing "All For One" into the search bar, expecting to see news about his latest atrocities or a dramatic showdown with our beloved heroes. 

Instead, I get this headline: 

"All For One's Defeat by a Noble Vigilante's Sacrifice. What Comes Next?"

...

Wait.

Hold up. 

WHAT?!

I had to reread it three times just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. But nope, it's real. 

Some vigilante named Scourge had already taken down, and by taken down, I mean obliterated the big baddie. Did some martyr stuff and strapped a bomb to herself before caging All For One inside a barrier she created. 

Next thing you know…

BOOM!

Okay, that was insensitive. My bad.

Getting back on track, and to basically top it all off—

I have no idea who Scourge is. 

Naturally, my first thought is that Scourge is probably a side character I forgot about because she wasn't memorable.

But then I remembered my current age, which was ten. And if my plot knowledge isn't wrong, the first All Might versus All For One fight should've happened already.

Yet it didn't.

Instead, a different major event occurred.

Before I was even born.

They called it the Villains vs Heroes vs Vigilantes Incident (or VHV for short), where All For One died and All Might came out notably less injured than in canon.

And guess who led the vigilantes to not only get involved, but insinuate the whole thing in the first place?

That's right. Motherf*cking Scourge.

How the hell did I miss someone as pivotal as her?

Answer is: I didn't.

So I got to thinking again and came up with a more plausible explanation. Maybe Sourge is like me, another poor soul who got yeeted into this universe ahead of me. Maybe she knew the plot, jumped in early, and bam—no more All For One. 

So here I stand, in the middle of this bustling city, feeling this immense wave of relief. I don't have to worry about the biggest, baddest villain in town anymore. No epic battles, no life-or-death struggles. I can just…live, right?

But then it hits me. Like, really hits me. What am I supposed to do now? I mean, defeating All For One was the endgame, the ultimate goal. And now, it's already done. No more stress, sure, but also no more purpose. 

Why then was I brought here if the biggest threat is already gone?

Here I am, a guy in a world full of heroes and villains, with knowledge of a future that will never come.

What now?

—

Next Chapter

[bloggingboutburgers]

Hi there! I've been following your comics for a while and they're very educational imo ^_^ it's helped give me thoughts about aro/ace concepts....

Um, I wanted to ask about how you and your partner handle your long distance (QPR) relationship? I know you two are from two countries that are pretty separate. That must get tough sometimes--I know many people find it hard. How do you two stay connected and easily very close without getting lonely or "out of it"? Do you think it'd apply to romantic ones too?

-- the crunchy fish stick! (yum, but don't eat me pls lol also yes I put that there in case I wanna follow up on this)

Hey crunchy fish stick!^^ And sorry for the late reply TwT

I've already answered a similar question like this before so I'll link it here in case it provides some insights, but to give the jist of it :

Maybe it being platonic and sexless might be helping our case (I have no idea how much people who like sex and romance actually miss physically being with the person) but whether it does or not, I think that those things always depend on everyone's individual personalities, experiences and what they want in life. Due to my past experiences I've grown up biased towards the thought that close = scary and far away = good, sincere and trustworthy, so it probably doesn't affect me as much as other people. That and the fact that I could also NOT be in a QPR at the moment and be perfectly fine. When it happened to me, I didn't miss it before it happened. It was just all nice good luck all around and I'm extra happy now that it's there, but it's a bonus in my life, not a requirement.

That said, we also have a fairly strict-ish routine we commit to to keep each other posted, and we'd visit each other every year whenever we could, which also helps a whole bunch. And we get the comfort that the other exists out of it, no matter where we are. And we get words out of it, we get connection out of it. Just because we're not physically together doesn't mean we can't connect and communicate at this day and age, heck, that's how we got to KNOW each other to begin with.

And all of that said tho, the early 2020-late 2021 travel ban that made it extremely hard an expensive for me to visit them (because I had to spend 2 weeks in another country before I even could) was one of the biggest hardships in my life; and when we're not together physically we miss not being able to hug or hold hands or no; and ultimately, y'know, knock on wood, we won't be long-distance for that much longer since we're in the process of trying to get me a fiance visa so I can go marry them. So that's another thing. Having that goal helps us hold on because we know if everything goes well, it won't be a permanent thing.

[wishful-seeker]

The complete guide to black mirror scrying: how to interpret visions, how to make a mirror, and beginner advice.

The biggest issue I had when I first started scrying is that there are no set correspondences for the visions you see. Unlike other divination methods: like tarot with card meanings, or pendulums with yes/no/maybe, this method of divination is deeply personal and tailored to the person scrying. Scrying is similar to charm divination where to assign meanings to your charms, the difference is you have no idea what you will see and must come up with your own interpretation each time. I have some tips for accurately deciphering these visions.

Main things you need to know:

1. The feeling you feel when you see the images is IMPORTANT in deciphering what they mean, and your personal interpretation trumps everything else.

For example If you see an eye, and you have a good feeling about it, take note of that.

Next, try searching the symbols common meaning on Google. If the common meaning doesn't feel correct, dig deeper, ask what it meant to you.

The symbolism of an eye according to the internet says "Dreaming of eyes can be considered a very symbolic image connecting us to our soul. Similar to many ancient cultures the eye is understood to be a symbol of good, evil, protection, vision, knowledge, wisdom and mystery."

2. If you can't find the meaning of a symbol try searching it as a dream interpretation. Ex: "what does dreaming of an eye mean." Dream interpretation websites have extremely specific symbols and meanings.

3. Symbols around the world have different meanings depending on location and culture, one symbol may have 2 completely different meanings.

For example, the eye can symbolize both good and evil, this is when personal feelings and associations are important. Did seeing the eye feel good, or bad?

4. You will occasionally see things that cannot be simplified to one symbol, for example, seeing a scene unfold, like a stereotypical idea of a vision. When this happens, break it down into multiple symbols, and combine the meanings.

For example, I saw myself in a forest, looking up at the night sky and stars through the trees.

My personal interpretation of a starry night sky, and a common dream interpretation of it is: A clear starry night sky symbolizes dreams and hopes coming true, happiness and good fortune, relaxation , and achieving goals.

The meaning of trees is: trees have been used to represent life, growth, wisdom, prosperity and more in legends, poetry, literature, and religion.

However, i have my own meanings associated with trees, so trees are also a symbol of peace, strength, stability, and resilience, according to me.

Now you ask yourself how to connect and relate these meanings together. This scene is telling you these symbols go hand and hand in your life.

Personally, I would interpret that as saying through nurturing myself, and growing, and persevering throughout my life, has and will lead me to my goals and peace. I'm on the right track.

I find scrying is the best divination for me because I've also noticed in my experience, even when I see something "negative" my brain shows me in a gentle way through the visions.

For example, once I saw a willow the wisp, I LOVE willow the wisps, I think they're beautiful, but they represent a warning that danger is near. But somehow my subconscious knows how to show me comforting images, despite the negative connotations. I really struggled with tarot cards because the "negative" cards would easily trigger me. It always felt like tarot cards were yelling at me instead of gently guiding me, and I find scrying to be gentle, at least for me.

It makes a big difference to already associate a scrying mirror with good peaceful vibes, just like how if I had a comforting feeling with cards, they'd probably trigger me less.

Everyone will have some divination methods that work really well, and some not so much. I hope this guide can help you learn if scrying is the divination method for you or not.

Some people can be pretty scared of scrying mirrors specifically, because new agers put a lot of fear mongering rules on to those mirrors. Some will say allowing others to look in the mirror is bad luck, or that you should always cover and cleanse it when you're done. I don't follow any of those rules except for veiling it when I'm done, and only because I have a pretty cloth. I've used it for over a year and I have NEVER had a bad or scary experience. I've showed it to friends, I leave it uncovered sometimes, I never cleanse it. I meditate before using it, and I do a very short sheilding visualization, and it's an extremely calming experience. I do it to calm my anxiety after a bad day.

So if it's as peaceful as I say, why is there so much fear behind scrying mirrors?

Well it's actually the same reason why people are terrified of ouija boards: kids act like it's a toy, they do things wrong, and their own fear invites a negative experience.

Here are some tips to avoid a scary session, and general first timer info.

1. DO NOT look at yourself in the mirror! This is only for experienced people. If you do this your face will morph and melt and it'll be scary to someone who has no experience! The mirror should be angled in a way that NOTHING is reflected in it, you want it to be a completely black void in the dark, with a candle far away so it's just light enough to see what you are doing. Angle the mirror towards your blank ceiling. This will allow the mirror to act like a TV screen where you just watch pretty shapes and pictures go by.

2. You have NOTHING to be afraid of, and if this scares you, don't do it! The more calm and at peace you are, the better the experience will be.

3. If you want to scry, but you're afraid of the mirror, you can scry on any blank surface. A black or white one is best. You can use a dark computer screen, you can even scry with your eyes closed! The darkness you see when you close your eyes is perfect for seeing visions, I have a friend who does this.

4. It'll take at least 15 minutes of staring WITH A VERY SOFT FOCUS to start seeing visions, if you want to try making this go faster, try meditation with your eyes closed before hand. When you start seeing things, time will move by fast, what feels like 10 minutes could be 40. Be careful not to lose track of time.

6. Remember that Scrying is best done in the dark with a candle just bright enough to illuminate the mirror, but not bright enough to make the mirror cast reflections. You want a black void unless you're doing the looking at your face method.

7. You may need to listen to trance music, meditate, or do some type of small ritual activity to get you in the zone so you can see things, everyones way of doing this is very different.

Lastly, I know some of you might be wondering, where do I get a scrying mirror?

Well you can easily make one yourself with a picture frame, black acrylic paint, or black spray paint!

First, get a pretty picture frame

Then take out the glass and backing

Paint one side of the glass with black paint, do multiple coats until when looking from the unpainted side, you can't see through it.

If you can still see through it after multiple coats, paint the inside of the frames backing black too, so that when it is up against the painted side, all you see is black.

Put the glass back into the frame UNPAINTED SIDE IN THE FRONT. This is the reflective side.

That's it!

This is one I made:

However, you can probably tell it's not a picture frame, it's a mirror frame. If you want to use a mirror frame you can, but you NEED A CLEAR GLASS PANE that fits it. You cannot paint on the mirror glass and make it reflective.

P.s. I keep a hagstone for protection and connecting to the spirit world, and celestite for spirit guide communication when I scry.

Good luck guys, I hope this helps.

[burninlovebutler]

GAH i didn't wanna do this bc im a gemini & i talk a lot if im unsupervised lol BUT YALL WERE POSTIN SOME SAPPY SHIT SO I WANTED TO JOIN (so sorry this is gonna be so long i apologize in advance)

this wasn't initially the road i was gonna take while talking about this but ofc if u read any of my writing or know me in any capacity, it shouldn't surprise you that we're getting sad lol

as i stood next to my partner watching the midnight fireworks last night, i had a fleeting thought -

16 year old me didn't think i'd still be here at 26 -

i didn't expect to still be on this earth in 2023

when i was around that age my home life was really shitty and abusive and lonely and my only saving grace at the time was the family i found within the one direction/5sos fandom. there were so many times then that my fandom friends saved me, literally.

i wouldn't be here today without them.

i stopped being in fandoms around 2016 and while i still have MANY long term close friends from that time, we all have gone our separate ways interest wise.

I didn't realize just how much i missed being a part of a community until i joined tumblr again. the austin/elvis fandom welcomed me with open arms & filled me with that same youthful joy and connection as i had when i was 16. and even BETTER bc this fandom has blown me away with how kind and gentle and loving it is

point is - i’m grateful that i AM still here, that i’ve been here long enough to meet you and experience this amazing fandom.

it's insane to me to think i would've never met some of the brightest stars of my days without walking into that theater that day. my year would've been so empty, lonely and sad without you all, so thank you all from the bottom of my cold lil heart - you all showed up in my life when i needed u the most

(something weird about this 1D -> Elvis/Aus pipeline is that when i went back to see the day i saw the movie the first time it was on July 23, aka the 1D anniversary 👀 lil weird)

i initially made this blog solely for my fanfic but i'm glad i branched out - though i still wanted to take the time to anyone who's interacted w my writings, even if it was just help with plot or moodboards. my heart skips a beat when my writing is a point of conversation.

thank you to the beauties who grace my dash everyday, even if we don't talk often 💖

@feverkitten @p-oolshark @pearlparty @avengen @presleys @mrsniallhoran505 @missmaywemeetagain @marooosa @eliseinmemphis @elvisabutler @lovininapinkcadillac @aconflagrationofmyown @austinsmutler @heartbrake-hotel @dre6ming @flwrs4aust @rosaminny @presleysdarling @woundmetender @rainydayz101 @ggwritesstuff @golden-kiwis @lattedreamer @weak-aesthetic @bcofl0ve

and of course to my almost daily babes, my days would be so empty without you all and my heart would be so deflated - i never thought i'd end up with a group like this

@succsessions @lllsaslll @cryingabtab @elvisfatass @loving-elvis @nora-nexus-34 @lavenderelvis @luluthesandgoose @powerofelvis @bisexualwvtson @samfangirls @lindszeppelin @infatuatedharleys @ab4eva @sagesolsticewrites @slowsweetlove @areacodefan @jelliedonut @steph-speaks @star-shard @foreverdolly @purejasmine @oh-my-front-door

and how could i ever forget the two that really roped me in @karamelcoveredolicity @troubleinapinksuit - even though it was through war, violence & lawsuits (lol) that our love was carved from, it is the most magical. i am so honored and so grateful to call you friends

one of my biggest goals for 2022 was to make new friends - ones who are reliable, kind, like-minded, supportive, generous, loving - because i was feeling so lonely & unloved, and to my surprise this goal was met ABUNDANTLY by you all, i really can not stress how much you all mean to me

extra special shout out to @bisexualwvtson for setting up the christmas card exchange, it was probably my favorite part of this holiday season - those cards made my whole christmas and i will cherish them forever

i love you all so much its DISGUSTING how much i love you - i don’t know how i would’ve made it through this year without you all - and it makes me so fucking sad when i think about all the memories that wouldn’t have happened without austin/elvis/you guys - it is because of you all that i have some of the best and happiest memories of this year, thank you ❤️

i hope that we are together for a long long time - i know that i am, i’m here for the long haul 💗 pls be in the nursing home with me breaking hips to Elvis songs

love, mel xx

(I APOLOGIZE IF IVE MISSED ANYONE I TRIED MY BEST TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING MY BRAIN IS TRASH SO IM SO SORRY PLS DONT BE OFFENDED IF I MISSED U I LOVE U)

[silverskye13]

I don't remember if you ever explained this or not, but what's up with Tanguish saying he is killing Tango? I am guessing it is something to do with the skulk?

I know I've talked about it before, but it's probably been scattered across a lot of different shortfics [and talked a little bit in chapter 2&4 of the whole Redstone and Skulk fic in a somewhat blink-and-you'll-miss-it way].

I'm going to go ahead and lay the concept out in full, but like, warning: spoilers for all of the helsmit fics and shorts [Wels/Hels, Tango/Tanguish, and Ren/TheRedKing]

So in my little set of universe, helsmits au... Stuff... Basically the universe doesn't like that the hermits make helsmits.

Helsmits are made when hermits start to face a dark side of themselves, an inconvenient truth, or a dichotomy they don't like. For Wels/Hels, it's their idea of knighthood. Wels is the idealized white knight, Hels is the gritty, holding to your tenents even if it means killing people knight. They are a clash of ideals, and by definition both think the other is Being A Knight Wrong. Together they encapsulate the idea of "Sometimes to do good, very evil things are justified in the process."

For Tango/Tanguish, it's toxic codependence. It's being alone because you're sure of yourself/a little introverted vs being alone because you're self-isolating/filled with social anxiety to the point it's hurting your friendships. Together they encapsulate the idea that you can genuinely care a lot about someone and still be toxic, and that care and toxicity can be mutual. Humans weren't made to live in tiny 2 person isolated groups. We can, but there's a lot of angry psychology that tends to happen when we do.

[Ren and Red are a bit fuzzier. I never really hammered them out. Mostly it's Red thinks Ren is a coward for handling 3rd life the way he did, and Ren thinks Red is just a scary jerk. Something something appreciating the life you're given, something something remember your mortality something something friends make our short lives worth it. It was very hazy and existential I was coping with things when I was outlining those]

What happens when the hermits face these issues is, eventually they get past them. And since the hermit was there first, that generally [9 times out of 10] means the hermit grows as a person and moves on, and helsmit stops existing. It's like a physical incarnation of the "growing and changing through the plot" thing that happens during most character arcs. I wrote a short [Voices of Hels? I think it was called? Something like that] where Cub talks about absorbing his hels version and that's why his skin changed from old man to young dude. I used to have a list? Of hermits that didn't have hels versions anymore? I think Zedaph and Doc were on that list. And Gem. I need to find that list again. [In my funny little world I also justify Xisuma having so many helsmits (Evil X and Evil Beezuma for example) because he basically runs from his issues for so long he fundamentally changes as a person, and this he makes a new helsmit wholecloth once the previous issue no longer applies. I also feel like there are probably circumstances where a helsmet can disappear and then reappear later in life when someone faces an old or similar problem again. (Well well well if it isn't the consequences of my actions back again-- [gets tackled by my evil clone]).

For Wels/Hels, Helsknight has pretty solidly accepted his fate is to disappear into Welsknight at some point. His biggest goal until that happens is to, basically, make Welsknight strong enough to actually do good in the world. It's not an altruistic thing. He things Welsknight is weak, is a bad knight, and represents the kind of slothfulness that happens when you live a relatively carefree life. He makes Wels miserable on purpose, because he thinks that's the only way it'll make him stronger. And if Welsknight is strong enough to do good in the world, then hey, Helsknight can disappear into the aether knowing he didn't die for nothing [I feel like you kinda have to have a martyr complex on some level to be a good knight, RIP all the knight characters I've ever written].

For Tango and Tanguish though, Tango isn't trying to be a better person. He's not trying to get over his codependency and social anxiety to reconnect with his friends. He's feeding into is isolation bad habits, and in so doing, is feeding into Tanguish. If he keeps going at the rate he's going, someday Tango will collapse and stop existing, and Tanguish will be the only one left standing. Tanguish doesn't want this [he is just as codependent on Tango as his hermit is on him] and he's also starting to figure out he doesn't like the self-feeding cycle of never having contact outside of each other. He's decided he's going to break their cycle by forcing Tango [and also himself] to branch out.

In Chapter 4 of the Redstone and Sculk series, where Tanguish corners Helsknight to ask him for help, and Helsknight says stuff about "how rare it is that one of us wins", that's what he's talking about. Tanguish could be the last man standing and he's actively choosing not to. Helsknight, who doesn't think it's physically possible for him to win against Wels, thinks it's really, really stupid that Tanguish would just give something like that up.

So! Yeah! Hope? That answers everything? Clears things up? Most of this was supposed to come out either:

A) In the next couple chapters of Redstone and Sculk

B) When I finally got around to writing that Wels/Hels body swap fic I started writing and then stopped writing because MSH is my baby right now and I can't focus on two things at once

[greenapricot]

2023 fic year in review

Doing my 2023 fic year in review in February bc that's how things are going in 2024 so far.

Total number of fic: 5 (1 still in progress)

Total word count: 24,217

Fandoms written in: Lewis (3), Endeavour (1), Our Flag Means Death (1)

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? Less. Though I didn't really have any specific expectations about quantity, just that I wanted to write things I enjoyed writing regardless of the reception, as opposed to past years when I was fixated on the idea of writing a certain amount of fic per month. 2023 felt much more relaxed writing-wise and I'm also about halfway through a super self-indulgent fic that is probably going to end up being around 20k and I'm very pleased with that.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? The Names of All the Winds (Lewis, James/Robbie, magical realism au, alternate meeting). The aforementioned fic that's half done. I am having so much fun reliving my own holiday on Lake Garda by sending slightly alternate universe Robbie and James there and also writing magical realism which I hadn't done in a while.

Did you take any writing risks this year? I wouldn't call it a risk exactly, but Patterns Unfamiliar (Lewis, James/Robbie, hurt/comfort) was a fun challenge. My writing is usually very visual and it was interesting to have to describe what was happening in the story when the POV character was in complete darkness.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? Finish TNoAtW, which I'm actively working on and hope to manage by the end of March.

And I've said this the last two years running, but I really do want to finish the sequel to Lead me wild to your dark roads my Lewis/Shetland xover (currently titled The last place we left off). I did do a fair amount of work on it before I entered the fic challenge that spawned TNoAtW, and wrote a good portion of the Shetland fic interlude that I've realized needs to go between the two stories. So both of those are next in line after TNoAtW.

Then there's the Blackbeard's Building & Renovation fic idea that was spawned in discord, in which Ed is a builder and Stede an interior decorator (each with their own crews) and they are both hired to work on the same house at the same time. Some kind of OFMD/Grand Designs-ish fusion. And, as ever, those three Lewis casefics that are mostly plotted and not anywhere close to completion.

Most popular story of the year? One thing at a time (Lewis, James/Robbie). It was spring, I had allergies, so I wrote a fic in which James had allergies. It seems to resonate with folks :D

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Nothing like poetry (Endeavour, post-s6 Ronnie Box angst). It has the least number of comments and kudos, but I don't actually think it's under-appreciated. Ronnie Box ruminating on the terrible mess his life is post-s6 is just very niche.

Most fun story to write: TNoAtW for all the reasons I mentioned above and adding my own photos to it. And it remains fun.

Most unintentionally telling story: I should probably make up another question to go here bc I never have a good answer for this, but The Most Remarkable Thing (OFMD, Ed/Stede, domestic fluff) was basically me putting my love of gardening and living a quiet life in the woods into fic form.

Biggest disappointment: I wouldn't say it was a disappointment, but I really did think I was going to finish the Lead me wild sequel in 2023. I think I'll finally finish it in 2024 though (this time for sure).

Biggest surprise: TNoAtW growing into what looks like it will be the third longest fic I've ever written.

Tagging people just for the fun of it (no pressure though): @bryndeavour, @thankyouforbeingsowrong, @vita-s-west, @mcgstarroar, @mr-iskender, @ronniebox

[theawakenedstate]

3 Shocking Lessons on Life Purpose I Wish I Knew From the Start

I wanted to share with you 3 Lessons that have shocked me over the years when it comes to my Soul Purpose so you can benefit from them too!

I feel like this concept of finding our dharma and learning how to figure out our life purpose is probably one of the biggest questions that come up post-awakening besides “when does awakening end?” or “how do you really reach enlightenment?”

But our concept of true Purpose is closer than we think.

If you’re having trouble with the question:

“What is my life purpose?”

“I’m confused on what even that really means…”

” Is life purpose just ego talk?”

or maybe you’re even feeling a bit of simply….

I’m just feeling lost on my path, soul searching and when I discover my soul purpose everything will feel RIGHT – I’m suddenly be abundant, I’ll have everything I want – etc. etc.

Does any of that sound familiar?

It’s common to have these thoughts post-awakening and YET –

STOP PUTTING SO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOURSELF

When you’re constantly looking around not filling fulfilled or torn on what direction to go because you know you’re meant for big things – yet

The ascension symptoms coming up keep making you feel like everything is far away and ‘you’re not there yet’

here’s the shocking truth.

1. YOU WILL NEVER BE “There”

Do you ever catch yourself going “But when i get there I will….” When I …. Then I….

When i finally reach enlightenment…

when i finally get the money…

When i Finally reach ASCENSION…

When I finally Heal I will….

This is an egoic pursuit. Functioning from a ‘means to an end goal chase’ that is NEVER ENDING.

One that makes you constantly thirsty for MORE. MORE MORE. And it’s normal – it’s called growth 

Just like my kids play pretend grocery store with fake credit cards and phones because ‘they’re not there yet’ as an adult. This longing we have to be somewhere we’re not is a normal part of our brain’s way to process GROWTH.

Even when you think you got your soul purpose figured out, there will inevitably be another layer even after enlightenment.

There will always be another LAYER..

Just when i think i got it – There’s another layer, because life is like an onion (just like the shrek anology lol)

Instead the Shocking Lesson:

Accept you will never get “there”, It’s about allowing the unfolding of the path on the journey. It’s always about co-creating in the now and being present on the journey.

2. Your Life Purpose is always rooted in your Authenticity and you have to dig to find out who that person is beyond conditioning.

Want to discover your Life Purpose? It’s rooted in YOU BEING YOU.

Your Authentic Self is within you, but chances are due to conditioning, suppression of our intuition, or true gifts – we have lost touch with this part of ourselves.

I’m sure most of you go ” But i do know my authentic self?!”

Most people actually don’t, it’s buried under layers of past conditioning of your identity where people told you ‘WHO TO BE, WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO BUILD YOUR CAREER”

One of the most eye-opening conversations to have with yourself is to ask yourself,

“Which beliefs are actually MINE?”

Because a lot of what you believe just comes from your parents or caregivers, a lot of what you believe comes from your past thoughts, beliefs, habits, actions and behaviors.

That’s why this month in the membership, we’re kicking it off with:

Soul Purpose work through the chakras, we’re doing an EXCAVATION – Digging into the Truth of who you are.

#2 The Shocking TRUTH AND LESSON:

Your authentic self is within you, but you need to be digging within to find out who that person really is beyond your past conditioning.

That’s WHERE YOUR PURPOSE LIVES AND BREATHES. It’s inside your Soul Blueprint within you.

#3. Your Mindset is Everything and it will reveal your Purpose to You

One of the reasons i switched from just “Energy healer/Teacher” to Mindset Coach is I began to Realize – I’ve been teaching Mindset the whole time…and watering it down with words in the new age community.

Your Mindset is a Vibration you’re emitting.

Every word, thought, action, habit has a vibration behind it.

Have you ever asked yourself, where do my thoughts come from?

I used to never have the answer for this – then I studied how the mind works.

Your thoughts come from your beliefs – and your beliefs create the Paradigm of your Identity.

So If you REALLY want to change your negative thoughts,

You need to start learning how to change the Beliefs that are powering those thoughts, to begin with.

Your mindset holds the vibration.

Your Beliefs dominate the thoughts.

Your Actions are influenced by the Feelings that produce those thoughts.

And your Paradigm is established on a rocky inauthentic vibration that is made NOT EVEN FROM YOU!

Shocking Lesson on Purpose:

Your Inauthentic Vibrations are stopping you from Seeing your Soul Purpose.

What you believe, think and even habits you have are not even YOURS – Your Purpose lives inside the person who is BEYOND CONDITIONING.

How you find it – Lives in understanding your Mindset.

So What do you think? Shocking right? Let me know how this lands for you by dropping a comment!

that’s why we’re kicking off the brand new Monthly membership: The Soul-aligned Life Academy immediately with

SOUL PURPOSE THROUGH THE CHAKRAS!  Going Live this Month!

A Soul Excavation into uncovering the depths of Your Soul’s Authentic True self.

When we tap into this place inside of ourselves, we begin to wake up our Authentic Self and step more into our Spiritual Alignment in our daily lives.

We walk forward with clarity, confidence and conviction of tapping into our Life’s Dharma or Soul Truth inside of us.

Learn in 7 Lessons How to easily begin covering, excavating, and unlocking your Soul’s Dharma or Life Purpose

Learn more about the new Academy at the Link below! theawakenedstate.net/the-soul-aligned-life-academy-membership/

psst enjoy this Blog? Do me a favor and Share it on your fav Socials or Pin it! (I love Pinterest! )

https://www.theawakenedstate.net/3-shocking-lessons-on-life-purpose-i-wish-i-knew-from-the-start/

3 Shocking Lessons on Life Purpose I Wish I Knew From the Start

I wanted to share with you 3 Lessons that have shocked me over the years when it comes to my Soul Purpose so you can benefit from them too! I feel like this concept of finding our dharma and learning how to figure out our life purpose is probably one of the biggest questions that […]

[multifandom-worlds]

Ding! 💌 Incoming Message! 09/07

12:00AM from Cassie☀️💕

Hi my love! It’s me, Cassie. (Your favorite person in the whole entire world and definitely NOT Victor!) I know you’re probably sleeping already but since it’s midnight on a certain someone’s birthday…I wanted to be the first to tell you…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! 🎉🎊🥳 I have the biggest adventure of all time planned for us! We’re gonna get some coffee, go do some shopping (online, of course!), find some duckies and kitties to play with, mayyybbbeee get matching tattoos if you’re up for it, annnnnd have some delicious food that I prepared! (Spoiler alert! It’s all your favorites!!)

Hehe.. all that aside.. I just want you to know that you mean the world to me. You’re so special to me and words cannot describe how grateful I am for you! You came into my world and made it brighter. You are amazing, beautiful, brilliant, and funny. And although you can be a stubborn pain in my ass sometimes you have a big heart and I’m so happy you gave me the opportunity to share it with me! Your special day comes once a year and I get to make it the best day as possible for you! I’m so grateful for your existence. I’m so happy you were born and we crossed paths. Thank you. For everything. I love you, beautiful. So so much. See you tomorrow bright and early! ❤️

Ding! 💌 Incoming Message!

12:01 AM from Victor❤️

Hey sweetheart. I’m sure my sister beat me to this message already but I still wanted to send you something. Happy birthday my love. Another year has passed and it has been amazing watching you grow and become the best version of yourself. I know that with mine and my sisters help, we’ve helped make sure that you’re the happiest when we’re together and seeing you so happy makes me happy.

I love you. So incredibly much. Words cannot describe how much I love you. You are my everything. My soulmate, my greatest love, my forever. And I’m so grateful to get to wake up to you every single morning and lay beside you every single night. I’m so proud of you. So so proud. You are a beautiful, talented and thoughtful woman and I’m so lucky that you’re my wife. Thank you for being in my life. I know I say the same sappy stuff every single year on your birthday but I truly mean every word I say. You’ve made my life better than I ever could have imagined. You made my sister so incredibly happy too. Something I’m so grateful for. I’m glad she has you to support and love you almost just as much as I do (although, she will always argue that she loves you more than I do..) I’m so grateful for your existence. Thank you for being so special. Thank you for being the love of my life. I will always need you and love you until the end of time. No matter what universe we’re in, I’ll always be drawn to you. You are my end goal.

I know I’m not there with you right now, and I’m sure my sister has planned something for you but tomorrow night, after all your adventures with Cassie are done. I intend on taking you out on a date to your favorite restaurant for dinner where I have all your gifts waiting for you. I love you my beautiful dove. Sweet dreams. ❤️

(Happy birthday my gorgeous girl! Hope you had an amazing birthday just as amazing as you are! Thank you for the last couple of chaotic yet wonderful years together. I cannot wait for the rest of our adventures together! Love you!!)

My perfect girl! Oh my god I love you so much 💕

[bisluthq]

I agree that it is kind of naive to say, "Their relationship doesn't have problems." However, it is not our job to create/assume problems for them or their relationship. We will only learn about it if they decide to talk about it or Taylor sings about it. Plus, the people who say shit like "they won't be together forever" disregard the fact that they are clearly trying to be in a committed relationship together. Like, Taylor has met and been around his little nieces multiple times. I'm sorry if I didn't think a relationship was serious you're not meeting my under-10-year-old nieces.

Also, it is ridiculous to ignore the undercurrent of what the implication of a serious relationship and its progression means for both of them. Now, does that mean that when Taylor showed up at the game and after what happened in Argentina, meant I thought they are absolutely getting married/being together forever? ABSOLUTELY NOT and I still don't! Shit happens and changes. However, as a fan of Travis before Taylor came along, Travis has made it extremely clear about what he wanted. He wanted to get married and have kids. For goodness sake, he said on the podcast that he couldn't wait until he could make a baby!

However, I was initially resistant to assume anything about Taylor's long-term goals and plans. First, because I don't want to put on, specifically a woman, the assumptions they want to get married and have kids. Second, there wasn't any clear or recent evidence of her desires. It was contradictory/ambiguous - Lavender Haze/Bejeweled music video and You're Losing Me.

But, after listening to TTPD, I think its pretty clear one of the biggest issues was around Joe not wanting to move the relationship forward and how she felt stuck. I also think the big undercurrent is the fact she felt like her biological clock (hate this term but alas) was running out, Joe made no indication of trying to move, and that made her very frustrated. Does that mean Travis fixes all her issues/problems? NO, but he probably shares similar long-term goals about where they want their relationship/life to go and she just wasn't getting that from Joe.

well yeah - 100% agree. We don’t know their problems, we DO know they’re very committed to one another and very serious, it’s fair to assume they are planning for forever and that’s very “cute”good for them” iykwim? I don’t think anyone has challenged that here. I just don’t like it when people act like Travis has magically fixed every problem in her life (and other way round because idk THAT much about him but obviously he has his own issues) and she’s “finally” ridden off into happily every after because that is not how… real life works. Hopefully they manage to make this work as long as it suits them both 🤷🏻‍♀️ and I think that’s a healthy position to take. They do seem good rn. It seems like a loving and happy relationship 🤷🏻‍♀️ And we won’t know their problems until/unless Taylor decides to share them in her music.

[kyurilin]

I had so much fun making posts about my stories I did in 2022 last December that I've decided to do a post about the stories I've done in 2023 today! Unlike last year I'm not breaking it down by story so sorry it'll all be one post lmaoooo. And today's the perfect day to do it because this is the third year anniversary of when I started Stray! I'll throw it under a read more because it's a long post lol

Ironically I'm not starting this post off with Stray

FIRST UP

I actually did this one for a secret Santa event I was in a discord for at the time and it's the only instance of a story I've written that didn't have one of the rooftop gang as the main character

technically since the erasermic cats are named Present Meow and Fog this can count as a sneak peak into erasermic post Mic's Bullshit Life where they're now at the dorms lol

Also the Thirteen and Midnight bit of friendship in this story is kind of a subtle hint of where I'm taking their friendship in Crumbled Rooftops

NEXT

STRAY MY BELOVED

ya'll should thank @shabby-blog extra special for this one because they are 100% the reason this story even got dropped this year. They are also the driving force behind the fact I'm still working on it

as an extra special 3 year anniversary gift and because chapter two is taking so long to finish (it's a beefy bitch) everyone's Christmas present is access to the OG doc that was started on this day 3 years ago. Meaning this doc is from the era I was still writing Mic's Bullshit Life

the version on ao3 was started in October of 2021, then I don't think I touched it again until AFTER I had done the BNHA big bang and written some percentage of crumbled rooftops since that was THE focus

Genuinely one of my favorite things about Stray is the relationships. Emi and Shouta being exes and yet still close best friends. Nemuri showing up in Hizashi's apartment like "WAKE UP NERD". Oboro professing his love for Tensei and five minutes later hoping that Present Mic dropped nudes on Twitter. There's some great relationship things coming up in chapter 2 that I know you guys will love but writing the way these characters interact is a treat

I'm so glad that there are people who like this one and I'm so sorry it's taking so long to get more of it done but i promise. The next chapter will be worth it. And then chapter 3 will be extra worth it (even though I haven't even started that yet)

NEXT

This is so far my only published cloudnight story and it's also mistnight so it's obviously first and foremost the best thing I've published

I count this story as an apology for what I did to people in chapter 6 of crumbled rooftops

I LOVED writing this one so much. Particularly the opening bit where Kurogiri is like stunned into silence by Nemuri just being Nemuri.

Obviously it takes a lot of cues from the way I write Kuroboro in Crumbled Rooftops in regards to the dynamic between the two of them as well as introducing how late story Kuroboro will probably behave. Getting to go ahead and write Kuroboro where both parties are in agreement that this situation is permanent and are fine with that was a lot of fun since that's the end goal for CR.

And obviously it's always fun getting to write for Nemuri, particularly since the story I gave her the biggest role in is also one of my saddest. Getting to write a dynamic between Nemuri and Kuroboro was WONDERFUL. Obviously a lot of it is pure headcanon because, at most, in canon Oboro definitely crushes on her.

And on that note it's not that Nemuri has an easier time seeing Kuroboro as he is now compared to the Oboro she knew than EraserMic, it's just that the circumstances in this story are different. I didn't get to delve into it so much, but Kuroboro is on far better terms with them as well since he's not competing with them losing Nemuri. Obviously it's still hard on all of them to cope with Kuroboro as he is now but it's EASIER since theu'de not also grieving for Nemuri

obviously this is one of my favorites I've written this year but then again all my stories are my favorite

AND FINALLY

YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT TWO CHAPTERS OF CRUMBLED ROOFTOPS HAVE COME OUT THIS YEAR

Listen. I KNOW it takes me forever to update this one. And I'm once again going to say that shabby is a fucking godsend because they are the reason I managed to get chapter 5 done after I had to rewrite basically all of it just to get it to a point where it was good enough

This story is my BABY, OKAY. It takes a lot of cues from Mockingjay and the entire Hijacked Peeta storyline that I didn't realize until I reread that book earlier this year. And it WORKS.

We hit two pivotal points in this story this year, one of which has been in my mind since the story was originally outlined for the BNHA big bang last year and the other that I kind of happened into.

So to go into chapter 5 first- the Tensei reunion is one of my favorite parts of the story. The way Tensei interacts with Oboro was so GOOD. He is open and honest with Oboro (with the exception of exactly one moment) and it gives Oboro a perspective on things that sets into motion what happens in chapter 6

Not to mention the Eri and Oboro bonding in this chapter is absolute perfection. Eri dropping "your quirk hurts people too doesn't it" and Oboro realizing how similar they are is. Just. One of my favorite things.

BUT CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER. FUCKING. 6.

I am genuinely not lying when I say that one of the first scenes in my head for this story was Oboro confronting Hizashi and Shouta about Nemuri. I wanted the story to get to that moment so bad and I didn't know when or how I was going to get there

So obviously when I started chapter 6 and knew in my heart that THIS was it, it was going to happen in THIS chapter, I knew I had to do it right. And judging by the comments I got for it I feel like I nailed it (LET ME HAVE MY CONFIDENCE)

giving Oboro the single happy moment of finally being called Uncle Oboro was my apology to him

And I want to give a shout-out to the ending of that chapter specifically, since it's one of the few times I acknowledge the manga storyline that's currently ongoing rather than sticking to anime only information. Considering how long it's taken to write this story, when I knew for sure I was going to make Nemuri's death a pivotal part of the plot, that was going to be the major manga spoiler. But the anime beat me to it and suddenly before chapter 6 came out, the audience reading it was more likely to have the same information that everyone but Oboro had- that Nemuri was gone

HOWEVER while it's not particularly a big part of the plot character wise, the original ending to chapter 6 was going to be Oboro alone on the rooftop of UA. That had been set in stone since the reveal scene happened. But at some point in the final arc, at least two of the towers of UA get destroyed. Whether it's ACTUAL UA or not (thanks @machiroads for planting a doubt in my mind lol), my immediate thought was 'oh SHIT my FANFIC'. Because it was absolutely important to me that Oboro warp to the roof of UA, since in his mind it's safety. But suddenly that wasn't there and it changed how that last little bit of the chapter had to go and HONESTLY. IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER.

I have no idea how long it's going to take me to get the next chapter out but I can tell ya'll this- we're entering the next arc of the story now. The biggest secret is on the table, and what happens next is going to define a lot of how the characters interact with each other and I am so looking forward to sharing it with everyone

AND THAT'S A WRAP. Last year I mostly did trivia bits but this year I just kind of went all over the place lol sorry everyone