#letter carrier; INTERACTION

[postbearer]

The decidedly unspectacular morning in Smeerensburg hadn't started off that much more differently than most others, although the exceptionally nasty weather did suggest that it was only going to get worse as the day progressed; the sun obscured by a thick, freezing fog, which dragged the already frigid temperatures down even further. Despite this fact, and with little else to do, the postman made his usual rounds as always.

Rounds, which were, as always, entirely unfruitful— at least so far as letters were concerned. Recently, the fair townspeople had begun leaving other things inside their mailboxes, such as rusty knives, assorted pieces of trash, and, even once or twice, the occasional small rodent carcass. Truth be told, Jesper couldn't say whether they were trying to threaten each other or him at this point.

Sadly, without proper postage, the troubling trinkets remained untouched. Sometimes, they were gone the next day, and sometimes, there were more. If nothing else, the experience broke up a bit of the monotony in his routine (while instilling a sense of some unappreciated paranoia on the side).

Around town, there had been talk of a storm. Later that afternoon, it had arrived.

It's still reasonably early, yet the sky is as dark as pitch. Because of this, a lantern on the makeshift desk is placed near the mailman, who's sat behind the post office's workspace. Legs crossed at the ankles and boots propped up against the edge, he gingerly picks at his fingernails with an old, discarded letter opener. Outside, heavy snow works on blanketing the island, and the wind that makes it through the cracks of the dilapidated building bounces the candle's flame around wildly. It's so bad that Jesper briefly considers just calling it a day and turning in when the front door flying open nearly extinguishes the light completely.

Before he realizes it, a yelp is startled out of him— feet hitting the ground while the letter opener is inadvertently and haphazardly tossed somewhere behind him. A moment later, an all-too-familiar form pushes its way inside.

"Heya, sport."

Mogens. Who at least has the good graces enough not to comment on the shriek prefacing this impromptu visit of his. And without giving the postman (now clutching at his own chest) time to respond, he carries right along, shaking the blizzard from his coat as he crosses the threshold. "I hope you don't mind, but I just picked up some, uh, interesting newcomers, and there's no other accommodations for 'em in town."

"Newcomers? What? No, that's not going to happen." Standing up, Jesper gives a quick outward sweep of his hands in a vague, dismissive gesture. "I'm not sure you've noticed; this is a post office, not a hotel. I'm sorry, but I can't just—"

"Great," clearly not listening, Mogens interjects, turning to address the darkness beyond the still-open door. "Come on in, fellas."

@nosomatsu, gets a starter. Signed, sealed, delivered— it's yours

[puppym3]

farmer!reader x writer!hyunjin who is her secret admirer and he sent her letters? the farmer is new to the town, getting away from the cities and hyunjin is the last person she met after everyone in town since he's always in his cabin near the beach

kind of like the game, stardew valley!

𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ dear farmer,

wc: 4.4k

warnings: fluffy cuteness, confessions, literally not much to warn you on this is just rly cute, mailman chan, fisher jisung, farmer reader, author/writer hyunjin, hyunjin refers to reader as his muse, (LMK IF I MISSED ANY!)

a/n: THIS IS TOO CUTE OH MY GOODNESS GOODNIGHT. i was literally gushing writing this i hope i wrote it the way you were imagining. i love stardew valley so tysm for suggesting this!!!

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

The small village you moved into was a far cry from the bustling city life you once knew. The quaint charm of the town, with its winding cobblestone streets and picturesque cottages, had drawn you in immediately. Seeking a fresh start and a simpler life, you had purchased an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town, eager to put down roots and cultivate your own land.

The townspeople had been incredibly welcoming, each of them eager to meet you. You quickly found yourself immersed in the community, sharing smiles and stories at the local market and lending a hand wherever you could. Despite the warm reception, there was one resident you had yet to meet.

You had heard whispers about him from the other villagers—an enigmatic writer who rarely left his cabin by the beach. The townsfolk spoke of his talent with a mix of admiration and curiosity, but none seemed to know much about him personally. It wasn't for lack of trying—the local mail carrier, Chan, had admitted defeat after only one attempt to reach out, grumbling something about a ferret with a temper.

A part of you had always wondered what his writing was like, and what kind of man would choose such isolation. Perhaps he was shy, or simply enjoyed being left to his own devices. There had to be a reason why the villagers hadn't tried to reach out to him again, and yet—

"Hyunjin isn't one for conversing," Chan insisted, taking the bundle of envelopes from his bag and sliding them into the mailbox outside your farmhouse. "You don't have to worry about him."

You glanced toward the direction of the beach, watching the sun dip down over the waves. Why did his isolation make him more interesting to you? You supposed you should be grateful for his lack of interaction; with the busy work on the farm and the number of people you already tried to help each day, you didn't have time for many social gatherings. Still...

"Well," you sighed, dusting off your hands and returning the empty milk bottles to the box on your porch, "thank you, Chan."

The mailman smiled, his dark eyes crinkling in the corners. "Any time."

Heading toward the field, you squared your shoulders, determined to focus on the day's tasks and push any thoughts of the mysterious writer aside. You still had some planting to do, after all, and a long walk ahead of you.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A few days later, you woke with a yawn, stretching your limbs in your bed. Sunlight poured in through the windows, illuminating the small room. The warmth was pleasant, a sharp contrast from the chilled breeze outside. You couldn't help but smile, thankful that winter had yet to roll around. The transition to farming was a busy one, and the prospect of facing your first snowfall was more than a little intimidating.

Rising from the mattress, you threw on an old, oversized sweater, not bothering to change into your work clothes before making a quick cup of tea in your kitchen. It was an easy routine to settle into, the steamy brew doing wonders for your motivation in the mornings. Once your mug was half empty, you changed into a pair of old, paint-stained overalls and made your way outside.

"You have mail today." Chan greeted you with a warm smile, already standing in front of your mailbox. "I wasn't sure if I'd catch you or not. It's nice to see you awake so early."

"Yeah, yeah." You grinned, nudging him in the arm playfully. "What's the big delivery?"

"Just the usual." Chan shrugged, sliding a few envelopes from his bag and setting them down in the mailbox. "Some advertisements and invitations to parties."

You paused, peeking inside. It looked like the usual bundle of mail—some from fellow townspeople and some from local companies looking to get your attention. You hummed in thought, glancing over the usual assortment before a handwritten letter caught your attention.

It was written in simple script, the envelope adorned with a tiny blueberry stamp in the corner. It stood out against the other, more formal pieces of mail. The sight made you pause.

"Oh," you said, your curiosity piqued. "This one looks different."

"Huh?" Chan followed your line of sight, his eyes widening when he spotted the letter. "That's... oh. Oh."

You blinked. "What? Do you know who sent it?"

Chan fiddled with the strap of his bag. "I recognize that writing," he muttered, refusing to meet your gaze.

"Really?" You said, curiosity piqued.

He paused, glancing around your front porch. "You know, I'm a bit busy today. I should head off," he stuttered, already backing away. "Goodbye."

Before you could question his reaction any further, the mailman was already hurrying away down the path to the next house.

Furrowing your brow, you took a step back. Had you said something wrong? Maybe it wasn't a big deal; you could always ask Chan about it later, anyway. In the meantime, you were eager to see what the letter held.

The moment you picked the letter up, your senses were overwhelmed with a comforting, earthy scent. You recognized it immediately. It smelled of the ground after a spring shower, or of the rich dirt after a hard day's work in the fields. You breathed it in, the smell quickly becoming your favorite. You had always associated the earth with a sense of peace, and this scent was no exception.

Smiling softly to yourself, you broke the seal with ease, unfolding the crisp parchment paper to reveal the same script. You were surprised by the neat handwriting; each letter was carefully drawn out, the author's focus clearly evident in their penmanship. You began to read, your smile growing as you devoured the contents of the letter.

To the farmer,

You know, I've always thought the sun is kind of funny. The sun rises and sets, and then rises and sets again. Sometimes the sky is blue, and other days it is white. But in every sunrise, there is one thing that stays the same. It's you. You always rise with the sun. I used to wake up when it was light outside, but these days I've started to wake up earlier. It's a good way to start the day. I know the sun is your companion in the mornings.

Your admirer,

H.

You stared down at the words, the heat of a blush rising up your cheeks. How sweet, you thought to yourself, holding the letter a bit closer. You had to admit that it was nice to read—to know that someone in town noticed the time of day you woke up and, what's more, noticed how much you liked to work under the early sunlight. You hadn't thought about the author much before, but now, you were eager to meet them.

Before you could think it over, you folded the letter with care, sliding it into the pocket of your overalls. You glanced up toward the sun, letting it wash over your face for a moment before heading to work. The sun was your companion, after all. You may as well take advantage of its light.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Over the next few weeks, the letters continued. Each day, Chan would deliver one to your doorstep. It became part of the routine, and you quickly grew accustomed to the extra attention. Every time you spotted the blueberry seal on your front doorstep, your heart leapt with joy, eager to see the new message written within.

Sometimes the letters were short; other times they were long. Occasionally, the author would ramble, describing a favorite memory from their childhood or sharing a silly joke. You read each word carefully, often smiling or chuckling as you read, already eager for the next message. The more letters you read, the more you wanted to learn about this mystery person.

A part of you wondered who this author might be. The only clues were the scent of earth on the pages and a few hand-drawn images. You had been able to rule out Chan; it would be near impossible for him to write a letter each day and still be on time to the next house. That left you with little knowledge of the writer's identity, though you hoped that the writer might eventually share their identity.

Today, a soft rainfall pattered down over your fields. You sighed to yourself as you entered the house, wiping the mud from your boots before sliding them off on the mat in front of your door. Another busy day in the fields was over. Tomorrow was a new day, one where you would finally plant a new patch of carrots. The prospect of the harvest kept you motivated as you reached for the envelope, eagerly tearing it open with a smile.

As you read the letter, your smile slowly faded. A hint of fear and excitement coursed through your veins, leaving you a little shaken as you absorbed each word.

To the farmer,

It's getting colder here. Soon, I'll have to wear a scarf every day, even indoors. I wish I had the courage to share more of myself with you. Maybe if we ever met in person, I wouldn't be so nervous. I can't wait until I'm brave enough to tell you more about me.

Your admirer,

H.

P.S. I hope the sun will rise tomorrow morning. You always end up rising, and I trust your routine.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The letters started to come with less often. Sometimes you would receive one per day. Other times, you might get one a few days apart, with only one letter on the weekends. You hated to admit that it left you feeling a bit sad, your mood growing darker as time passed.

"Oh, Chan." You tried not to sound disappointed when you spotted the mailman walking up your path one morning, a few letters in hand. "Any letters from H?"

"Hmm, I don't think so." He shrugged, sliding a few letters into your mailbox. "Let me see. Oh! There is one."

He handed you a new letter, a faint smile on his lips. You quickly broke the seal, not bothering to glance over the others as you eagerly opened the newest one. Your eyes widened at the words you saw before you.

My dearest,

I'm sorry that my letters haven't come as often lately. There was a big change at the publishing house I'm working for. I didn't tell you about that before. I've been trying to keep my letters shorter since I have less free time now, but I always find myself wanting to write more to you. I guess I can't help myself.

I'll keep writing letters if you keep reading.

Yours,

H.

P.S. Thank you for working hard every day. It helps to see that the world still spins, no matter what's happening in it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Have you ever thought about trying to meet H?"

The question made you pause. You were out by the docks, fishing with Jisung. The young man was your favorite fishing buddy, often sitting on the end of the dock in silence with a small smile. You both had been there for an hour, but this was the first time he'd spoken today. You blinked at him in confusion before setting your fishing rod aside, a curious look on your face.

"What do you mean?"

Jisung smiled. "It's obvious you enjoy their letters," he pointed out, reeling in another fish from his line. "Maybe you could meet them?"

You stared down at your reflection on the water, chewing the inside of your cheek. The truth was that you hadn't considered the idea, mainly because you couldn't decide if it was a good one. It wasn't like the writer had never suggested the idea—it was the whole purpose behind their first few letters, but something about that made you hesitate.

It was as if you were waiting for H to come to you when they were ready, and vice versa. It was a little scary, to be honest. The thought of finally meeting the person you'd been so connected to these last few weeks made you a bit nervous, to say the least.

"I guess I should." You nodded, casting your line again.

"Well, I'd like to meet them too," Jisung said, glancing toward you. "To approve."

You smiled at that, rolling your eyes playfully. "What's not to like? They write beautiful letters and draw nice little pictures," you laughed, watching the bait at the end of your hook. "Maybe I should meet them."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

That night, you made your decision.

"Chan! You have a moment?" You waved the mailman down the next day as he passed your house on the trail, a few envelopes in his arms.

He looked over in surprise, smiling as he hurried down the path. "Good morning," he greeted you. "How's the farm?"

You smiled back at him. "Great, hey, you seemed to know a little bit about H that you aren't telling me." You said, getting straight to the point. "Do you know anything more?"

The mailman frowned for a moment, before sighing. "Well, you should go to the beach." He said, gesturing to the coastline, visible over your house. "Hy—I mean, H, they live near there."

You blinked, looking to where the mailman was pointing. "They live near the beach?"

"Yeah."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It had to be the grumpy writer who lived alone that you hadn't met yet. That was your only option, right? He had to be H. Who else could it be? You sighed to yourself, gathering your things in a bag and setting off in the direction of the beach.

It was a bit of a hike, the ocean path curving and twisting to take you along a scenic route. You didn't mind the walk, though, pausing often to take in the scenery. By the time you arrived at the beach, you felt a little calmer. The beach was deserted; though that didn't surprise you. It wasn't too warm today. The air was cool and refreshing, with a few clouds rolling by overhead. It was the perfect day for a walk on the sand.

You scanned the coastline for any signs of a cabin, spotting one in the distance. It was nestled between the cliffs, overlooking a small patch of beach. It seemed a bit hidden, the sight making you smile to yourself.

The author had to be a loner, just like you were.

Taking a deep breath, you approached the cabin. As you came closer, you noticed a small, stone path that led to a patio on the beach. You spotted a wooden swing, rocking slightly in the breeze. A person sat on the seat, their head ducked in a book as they sat under a shady umbrella.

As you drew closer, you saw the mysterious person, his dark hair was a little messier than usual, with a few strands falling in front of his face. He seemed lost in the book in his hands. His eyes were glazed over and unfocused as he sat, oblivious to his surroundings. The sight made you smile, a sudden feeling of affection coming over you as you approached.

You recognized that messy hair and those dark, mysterious eyes.

It was Hyunjin. It was Hyunjin who lived alone near the beach. Hyunjin, the man you had only heard a few stories about from Chan and Felix, but he looked even better than you had imagined.

"Oh!" The man looked up and saw you approaching him. His eyes widened for a second before he cleared his throat, turning to face you with a hint of panic in his expression.

You paused at his reaction, stopping in your tracks. You suddenly felt very silly, not even considering that Hyunjin might not actually want you to visit him. You tried not to frown as you considered the possibilities. Had Hyunjin forgotten about your correspondence? Had you been a mistake? Was this a terrible idea?

"H-Hyunjin!" You stammered, cursing yourself for not planning this a bit better. You could already feel yourself start to sweat. "I'm the farmer, it's nice to finally meet you."

You held your hand out to Hyunjin, who eyed you up for a moment, his expression unreadable. You swallowed thickly, preparing to turn back around and run away—

"The farmer." The words sounded breathless. Hyunjin slowly placed his hand in yours. You couldn't help but notice how his eyes were trained on your face. His cheeks looked a little red as he held your hand in his own. It felt warm and a bit calloused, a clear sign that he was a writer. "It's nice to finally meet you too."

You felt the butterflies in your stomach flutter as you watched him, trying not to let the emotion show on your face. This was H. It was Hyunjin who wrote such beautiful letters to you and sent you drawings in the post. Hyunjin was your author, the person you'd connected so easily to through ink and paper, and he was so beautiful.

"It's nice to put a name to a face." You murmured, letting your eyes wander over Hyunjin. "You're just how I imagined."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"So," You sat next to Hyunjin on his porch, staring up at the sky above you. It was beginning to grow darker, the evening sky giving way to a more vibrant sunset. "How'd you get so good at writing letters?"

Hyunjin smiled a little to himself. He leaned back against his hands, his long legs stretched out on the floor. "I've always loved writing," he confessed. "But it was different before, when I was younger."

"Different how?" You asked, looking over at him curiously.

He let his eyes close. "Before I left the city, I worked at the publishing house." He explained. "I always wrote stories there, but they weren't really... mine."

You blinked, watching the way his long lashes fluttered against his cheeks. "They were stories that people hired us to write," he said quietly. "But I liked doing it. I felt like I was doing something special with the words, even if they weren't my words. I wrote all day and got paid for it. But there was always this... nagging voice in the back of my mind, wondering if it was good enough."

You felt a lump form in your throat. "It sounds like it was a good job," you whispered, not wanting to ruin the moment. "Why did you leave it behind?"

The author chuckled. "I got sick of it." He sighed, opening his eyes and looking up to the sky. "It felt so empty. I wasn't making my own decisions. I wasn't getting paid because the stories were mine."

You swallowed. "But here?" You gestured toward the beach, your heart swelling in your chest. "You can write about whatever you want?"

Hyunjin looked to you and smiled softly.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

As the days turned to weeks and then to months, the two of you fell into an easy routine. You visited Hyunjin every morning, bringing breakfast along with you, and Hyunjin always made sure to leave you a letter by your front door in return. Sometimes he would be waiting outside his cabin when you came, eager to talk about a new plot point that he came up with the night before. Other times, he would be asleep by the time you got to him, only stirring from his slumber when he heard you set breakfast out on his porch.

And he wrote to you every day, leaving letters on your front doorstep, each one signed off with a different nickname. Some days, the nickname was short, others, it was longer. But he always ended the letter with a promise of a new chapter, just as he had with the first one, so long ago.

On your fifth visit, this time you brought him a letter. He was surprised to see you hand it to him. He blinked down at the envelope in his hands, running a thumb over the words on the paper.

You were nervous, you were nowhere near as good as him, but you assumed that speaking in his language would gauge his appeal.

To my writer,

You are more talented than you give yourself credit for.

Thank you for always writing so beautifully,

Your admirer,

The farmer

"I wanted to send you a letter today." You whispered as his eyes scanned over the letter.

Hyunjin looked up from the page. His expression softened as he set the letter down. He held out his arms in invitation, his lips curving upwards as he stared back at you. You didn't need him to repeat himself, throwing yourself into his arms without hesitation. You leaned your head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. The sound made your heart race. It was as if Hyunjin's heartbeat had become a part of you. You could hear the rhythm and knew it was a part of you as well, just as much as it was him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Over the course of your visits, it was inevitable that your relationship evolved into something deeper. It began with subtle touches—a brush of your hands against each other as you sat together on the porch or the feeling of Hyunjin's gaze on your face as you read a story he wrote. As you began to notice his attention to detail, the way he was able to capture emotions with words you didn't know how to express, you realized how much he had given you.

You had never considered yourself an introvert, but something about being around him made you feel at ease. The thought made you blush. There was a strange warmth that settled in the pit of your stomach whenever you were around him. You began to crave it, yearning to feel it whenever you could, whether you were spending time together on the beach, walking the trails along the coastline, or simply sitting on his porch swing, talking about nothing at all.

And slowly, that warmth grew into something more. The more time you spent with him, the more you wanted to be close to him. It started with soft smiles and light touches, followed by gentle touches and lingering glances. It began as something innocent, but the longer you were with him, the stronger it got. You were becoming addicted to it, longing for the next chance you would get to see him, to touch him and feel that rush of electricity course through your veins.

You found yourself waking up in the early hours of the morning to watch the sunrise. You began to count the seconds until the mail came. You went to bed late every night, staying awake until your eyes hurt to stare.

Your visits grew longer, your conversations becoming deeper.

Hyunjin became your new favorite distraction.

"It's a book." He had whispered as you both lay on the beach, his gaze trained on the stars above you. "I'm writing a book, I think."

"You think?"

He had nodded, the hint of a smile on his lips as he spoke. "Yes, and I've started to wonder..." he had paused then, looking to you as his cheeks turned pink. "That you're my inspiration."

You felt your breath hitch at the admission, a blush creeping up your neck to stain your cheeks. "What do you mean?"

He had sat up and looked at you with those deep, dark eyes.

"You're the one that I'm writing this book for. It's yours, my feelings, my thoughts, everything in it is for you." He said, reaching up to cup your cheeks. "I think about you when I wake up and when I go to sleep and when I go for my walks," he had smiled shyly. "You're the only person that's on my mind and it feels so good to feel that way about something again."

The warmth that spread through your veins made you dizzy, but you found yourself smiling, a small sigh escaping your lips.

You wanted nothing more than to be Hyunjin's inspiration forever.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

And soon the book was complete.

It was the last page in Hyunjin's journal that had been filled with his scrawled words and thoughts. It had taken him months, but he finished it, his heart and soul on each page.

Hyunjin read it to you as you sat on the porch swing, wrapped in a blanket as the wind blew off the sea. He sat with you and held the book in his hands, turning the pages as he spoke. His voice was soft and melodic as he told his story. The words came easily to him, the sentences flowing smoothly together. He paused often to look up at you, his eyes searching yours. His voice grew quieter with each word, until finally, he was whispering the last page.

You felt the tears well in your eyes, threatening to fall as he closed the book and set it aside. The silence that followed felt heavy, your mind still processing what he had just told you.

The book was a confession to you, a way for Hyunjin to express all of the feelings he had been struggling to express for the past few months. He told you that you were his muse, his reason to wake up each morning. You were the person who made him feel whole, complete, and it was all he wanted in life to be by your side, to feel this way for as long as he lived.

The book was about the two of you. He wrote it all, the letters he sent and the drawings he drew, just for you, to tell you how much he loved you.

Your tears spilled over, a few trickling down your cheeks as you sniffed quietly, a smile spreading across your lips as you stared up at him. He watched you closely, waiting for your response. With a shaky breath, you closed the distance between you and Hyunjin, leaning in. His eyes widened in surprise, his breath hitching as he realized what was about to happen. Your lips met his in a tender, hesitant kiss, pouring all your gratitude, relief, and affection into that single moment.

Hyunjin made a quiet noise, almost like a gasp, but he quickly responded, his lips moving against yours with a gentle yet fervent intensity. His hands found their way to your cheeks, cupping them delicately as if you were something precious and fragile. He deepened the kiss, and you felt a wave of warmth and security wash over you.

Time seemed to stand still as the two of you stayed there, lost in the moment. The world outside faded away, leaving only the sensation of his lips on yours, his hands cradling your face, and the steady rhythm of your racing hearts. Every pent-up emotion, every unspoken word, all lost in that moment.

And there was something that you had never mentioned to anyone before, something you were embarrassed to admit, something you had been keeping hidden deep within your heart.

You loved the author who lived by the sea.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

taglist for my beauties : @loverbangchan, @reignessance, @imperfectlyperfectprincess1, @armystay89, @ihrtlix, @jiyeonslays, @lovestaysblogs, @jeyelleohe, @celebration88

[ashes-in-a-jar]

In my head, you’re a Magnus Archives blog. I mean, I know you obviously listen to other things, but In my mind it’s things like Welcome to Nightvale, Malevolent, Hello from the Hallowoods, The Sheridan Tapes, things like that, horror and supernatural.

So I had to do a double-take when I saw a Dungeons and Daddies post from you, I really didn’t know you listened to it. Then I see you reblog a Fawx and Stallion post, and now I’m just wondering how many podcasts you’ve listened to that I’ve also listened to.

Hahaha yes this blog has been mainly for tma stuff for years now, I still feel like I'm new to the fandom but honestly I've been here through a lot of it since the beginning of season 5

Buuuuut in the past few months I've stopped going into the tma tag regularly and been feeling a little detached from it, at least as opposed to before. My listen to tmagp has been way less interactive and I hardly reblog content anymore (which is something I like doing but because of various bad experiences on the internet recently I have yet to recover from I feel safer posting my own original posts rather than reblogging)

And that freed up a space in my mind to realize I've actually been listening to a lot of podcasts besides tma and it's honestly a shame not to talk about them more with others

I do listen to a lot of horror fantasy supernatural and science fiction podcasts! I also love a lot of dnd and ttrpg podcasts, I also love everything dropout and wish I could get into critical role but it's so big I don't think I'll manage it

I put under the cut a (quite long) list of the podcasts I have listened to and/or have notifications turned on

Anyone following me, you're welcome to send me an ask about one of them if you like them as well or want to hear about them!

I also put a list of podcasts on my to listen to list. Feel free to drop a recommendation for which them to listen to first!

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

Podcasts I'm caught up on (the lists are long so it's alphabetical without "the")

Ongoing podcasts

The Amelia project

Ask your father

A voice from darkness

Black box

Brimstone valley mall

Camlann

The cellar letters

Death by dying

Derelict

Eeler's choice

Ethics town

Fawx and stallion

Hello from the Hallowoods

The hundred handed

Levian

Lost terminal

The Magnus protocol

Malevolent

Midnight burger

The mistholme museum of mystery morbidity and mortality

Neon inkwell

New years day

Not quite dead

Old gods of Appalachia

The penumbra podcast

The program

Red valley

The Sheridan Tapes

The silt verses

The sound museum

Super suits

Tell no tales

Tiny terrors

Traveling light

Unseen

The vesta clinic

Victoriocity

The white vault

Completed podcasts

Absolutely no adventures

Archive 81

Borrasca

The bright sessions

Camp here and there

Descendants

Give me away

I am in eskew

Monstrous agonies

Parkdale haunt

The Magnus archives

Re: dracula

The secret of st kilda

Spirit box radio

Steal the stars

Time:bombs

We know none

Wolf 359

Wooden overcoats

Ttrpgs

The adventure zone

Campaign skyjacks

Chapter and multiverse

Dark dice

Dice shame

Dimension 20 (not a podcast but I listen to it like one)

Dungeons and daddies

Not another d&d podcast

Rusty Quill gaming

Worlds beyond number

Podcast on my listen next list:

The Alexandria archives

Alice isn't dead

Ars paradoxica

Believer

The Black tapes

Blackwood

The box

The bridge

Carrier

Counterbalance

The cryptid keeper

Darkest night

The darkroom

The dark tome

The deca tapes

The deep vault

Dreamboy (this one is nsfw so it makes me nervous lol)

Duggan Hill

The earth collective

Either

The far meridian

The fountain road files

The glass canon

Jar of rebuke

Kings fall am (I started but heard not great things about it)

Knifepoint horror

Kollok 1991

Less is morgue

The leviathan chronicles

Liberty

Limetown

The lost cat

Mabel

Maeltopia

Marscorp

Mirrors

Mockery manor

Next stop

The no sleep podcast

The orphans

The Orpheus protocol

Out of place

Paired

Palimpsest

The phone booth

Point mystic

Pseudopod

Rabbits

The right left game

Shadows at the door

Spines

Stellar firma

The storage papers

Stories from among the stars

Super ordinary

Superstition

Tanis

Tides

Unwell

Vast horizon

Victoria's lift

Video palace

Welcome to night Vale (I listen to this one very sporadically lol)

We're alive

Within the wires

Woe begone (I started but got stuck on episode 20ish but want to continue)

Wrong station

Ttrpgs

BomBARDded

Critical role (it's sooo long tho)

Dames and dragons

Dragon friends

Join the party

The lucky die

Queens of adventure

Realms of pearl and glory

Rude tales of magic

Skyjacks courier call

Three black halflings

[kitsquared]

Both directed at Phineas

The first image is panic over the news of what happened to Pereshati.

The second one belies unspoken anger for suggesting she leave the Lapileons for her safety.

Two expressions a day or two apart from each other.

One has Therdeo going to his uncle for help. For guidance. Like he used to do when he was younger. (He's gripping the letter from the carrier pigeon in his fist in a previous panel. He went straight to Phineas first).

The other brings up his quiet resentment at Phineas for leaving the family. For Therdeo who had stayed and endured the family's burdens. To impose authority over his uncle's judgement.

I love how this image draws you into the authority he has with his height, pose, dress. The lighting, him centered and tall in a long vertical panel.

He looks older here ? And quite often he speaks to Phineas alone with his hair down and not parted, casual clothes; he always looks younger and more vulnerable, showing Phineas' role as the elder guardian.

It's sad because the reason Phineas did not leave the family again was for Therdeo, who asked him not to go and to help him.

Phineas has also been concerned over Therdeo obediently taking on the title of Grand Duke at such a young age and fulfilling duties without thought to his own desires.

And it is Phineas who was overjoyed and relieved to have lived long enough to see Therdeo find something he wanted and worth fighting for.

For Pereshati to become precious to him as well. For her to become someone past being of use to figuring out the family's curse.

But now Therdeo has even threatened him. (The shadow of the sword!!)

Which is excessive, and I think is an effect from a lot of the recent situations and fear of losing her to the point of near possessiveness (his way of dealing things about Harari).

more ramblings under the cut

#and you cant doubt that Therdeo is clouding his judgement of Pereshati's safety#there were 3-4 separate scenes showing his reaction towards the shackles on her feet#the relief he had when she said she was only thinking of him when he was the reason she went through this says a lot#he knowss.. but given how less composed and more erratic his actions are lately ( not surprising with the situations)#it's clear what lengths he would go to for her whether for better or for worse#and phineas' concern is extremely valid. we were all throwing our hands up when she got kidnapped man

(I wrote down these tags down and decided to keep them)

Truly, Pereshati did so much for them. It's interesting that her kindness and recklessness due to her kindness has been a thing since she was young and now resurfaces in her interactions with the Lapileons that have both Phineas and Adeus questioning her place in the family.

If she does so much for a stranger, how far will she go for the Lapileons? if the shackles are any indication

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 12

summary: two days later...some ish goes down and Bucky's protective side comes out

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: think twice - eve 6

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: this is a long one, enjoy! setting up for lots of fun!

chapter list/links - xo

______________________________________________________

The air was cold, the crisp breeze making it clear that fall had washed over New York City, with winter just behind it. 

Bucky had woken up earlier than usual and decided to go on his latte run alone. Sometimes he would wait in his hotel room for his phone to buzz, alerting him that Gianna had woken up for the day. They’d meet in the hall and trek to the nearest cafe together. Other times, he would anticipate her needing caffeine immediately upon waking up, usually the morning after travel days, and venture out to get it on his own. He loved her company, but something about the surprise and adoration on her face when she opened the door to see him in the morning that made him almost prefer solo runs. Almost.

He strode down the sidewalk, emptier than usual with the early hour. 

The last night hadn’t brought the clarity he’d hoped for, but strangely, Bucky didn’t mind. The game night at Avengers’ Tower was the day before last, and as much as he’d hoped to address the kiss with Gianna - not having the conversation prevented her from possibly calling it a drunken mistake. He was fine with that, choosing to live in the unknown for a few more blissful hours. 

The bell dinged over his head as Bucky strode into the corner coffee shop, the familiar scent filling the air. There wasn’t a line, so he stepped straight to the counter and ordered their usuals to-go. The barista eyed him for a second longer than usual, and his heart began to beat a little quicker. It had been months, maybe even over a year since someone had met him with public scorn. Since the trials and his official pardon, he rarely got more than an occasional dirty look. It didn’t stop the fear from creeping back up whenever he felt himself being recognized. 

“Here you go, sir.” The barista smiled warmly as she slid the drink carrier across the counter, the two hot beverages sitting across from each other. 

Bucky nodded. “Thanks.” 

As he turned the corner to walk back towards the hotel, he glanced down at the drinks and quickly realized why the barista’s eyes were lingering on him. 

In loopy cursive letters, the barista had scrawled “Bucky” on his cup and “Gianna” on hers, although he was certain he hadn’t given his name, let alone Gianna’s. There was even a tiny heart doodled next to Gianna’s name in thick sharpie. Bucky thought back to all the posts he’d seen online, with dozens of photos of the two of them in various cafes across the country. 

He’d even seen a few posts from baristas who’d served them, each giving their own recollection of how the pop star had interacted with her bodyguard. Some embellished, some made up entirely. One particularly shocking one alleged that Gianna had been wearing an engagement ring and that they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other the whole time they’d been inside the Starbucks. Gianna had laughed it off and assured him people make these things up all the time. It didn’t seem to bother her, so Bucky let it go. 

A vibration in his pocket snapped Bucky to reality. 

He slid the phone out of his jeans and saw Gianna’s contact photo across the screen. He tried not to be disappointed he wouldn’t get to wake her up, but picked up his pace anyways, not wanting the coffee to get cold. He clicked answer as he continued back in her direction.

“Good m-”

“Bucky!” Gianna didn’t wait for his greeting before hissing into the phone, her voice a sharp whisper. 

“What’s wrong?” His tone changed immediately. 

“Someone is here. Outside my door. I - I thought it was you, now they know I’m in here.” She fumbled with her words, still trying to be quiet. 

“Gianna, calm down, I’m on my way. Tell me exactly what happened. Is it a fan?” 

Bucky was all but running now.

“No, no, I don’t think so. They were pounding on the door, I thought it was you, I should have looked, ugh!” 

“Gianna, focus, please tell me what happened.” 

“I opened the door, it was two men, I was still half asleep but as soon as I saw it wasn’t you I slammed the door shut. They tried to stop it, force the door open but I panicked. I threw myself against the door and it shut, I locked the deadbolt but they’re still outside. I don’t know what to do-” 

Bucky heard a muffled pounding on her door through the phone.

“Bucky, please hurry,” Her voice cracked. 

The lattes fell to the ground. Bucky started running. 

____________________________________

GIANNA

I don’t know how long I sat curled up on the floor beside the bed, as if the king sized bed would somehow thwart whoever the hell stood on the other side of the door. 

My head pounded. Going from a deep, contented sleep, dreaming of all things happy - straight to being woken up by a brutal pounding on the door. From there, shock, fear, confusion, and a very sore right arm from throwing myself into the door. 

I pulled my knees closer to my chest and laid my head down, willing Bucky to get here faster. 

As if my wish had been granted, I heard his voice, so sweet and so familiar. 

“Gianna - it’s me. Just me. Can you open the door?” 

I heard the edge through his voice, even though I could tell he was trying to be gentle, trying not to scare me. I scrambled to my feet and around the bed, unlocking the deadbolt. He pushed the door in, eyes dark and cold. He looked over my head, scanning the room before laying his eyes on me. 

The darkness faded from his eyes and was replaced with concern. He put his hands on my arms and looked straight into my eyes. 

“Are you okay?”

“I knocked the hell out of my shoulder, Kate won’t be happy with the bruise she’s going to have to cover up.” I said sheepishly.

Bucky didn’t laugh at my feeble attempt at a joke. He wordlessly tugged the sleeve of my t-shirt higher so he could look at my arm. I followed his concerned gaze and saw that my joke wasn’t too far off. The molding of the door was still imprinted on my arm and beginning to purple. Seeing the swollen skin under his fingertips shifted something in me and I felt my throat begin to close. 

“Bucky…” My voice caught in my throat as my eyes welled with tears. 

He pulled me into his chest, holding my head with one hand and my back with the other. I could hear his heart pounding in his chest, and I knew it wasn’t from running here. His super soldier stamina meant he never got winded. He did, however, get angry. I didn’t want to know what was running through his mind. I didn’t want anything but to stay in this moment, in his arms, the only place I seemed to feel safe anymore. 

We stood like that for several moments before I pulled back, collecting myself with a shuddering breath. This time it was Bucky’s attempt to lighten the mood. 

“I dropped our coffees on the sidewalk.” 

I couldn’t help but laugh. 

“I appreciate the prioritization. Although I could go for some caffeine right about now.”

“That can be arranged.” He gave me a half smile that made my heart race for the second reason this morning. “Why don’t you shower and I’ll do some damage control.” 

I nodded, taking the hint that he didn’t want me to overhear all the details of whatever call he was about to make. Before I shut the door to the bathroom, I turned and wrapped my arms around him again. 

“Thank you.” I muttered, mostly into the fabric of his sweatshirt. 

He leaned down and kissed the top of my head, and I swear the world stopped spinning for a minute. 

_________

I stepped back into the hotel room, cool air wafting over me in sharp contrast to the steam-filled bathroom. Tousling my hair dry, I heard a flurry of activity waiting for me as I rounded the corner. 

“Gianna, sweetie! Are you okay?” Kate rushed over to me, enveloping me in a warm, albeit tight hug. Tom followed closely behind her, his silver brows furrowed in concern. 

“I’m good, swear. I shouldn’t have opened the door, I wasn’t even thinking.” I shook my head, looking down at my feet. 

“No, sweetie, you shouldn’t have to worry about maniacs banging on your hotel room door at 7am! Don’t worry - Mr. Barnes has it all under control.” Kate frowned. “Mr. Barnes? Sergeant Barnes?”

Bucky looked up from his phone conversation. “Bucky.” 

“Gianna, can you sit for a second? We want to have your arm looked at.” Tom gestured to the bed, where a familiar face was standing in a gray set of scrubs with Stark Industries printed on the lapel. 

“Long time, no see.” The woman smiled. 

“Less fun circumstances this time.” I smiled back, assuming Bucky had called the rest of the team. 

I sat on the edge of the bed and tugged my sweatshirt back over my head, thankful I’d put a tank top underneath the sweatshirt, given that the room was full of people. She began examining my right arm, fingers grazing over the bruise. Not wanting to cry again, I chose not to look down. It wasn’t so much the pain as it was the sobering reality of the situation. Seeing Kate and Tom’s expressions confirmed my decision not to look. I could only imagine the bruising had gotten worse over the past half hour. 

Tom snapped back into work mode. “Alright, Bucky spoke with the manager of the hotel and she’s pulling all the security footage for this morning. There’s a police officer on their way to take your statement and cross reference the footage against any active crime reports.” 

“I’ll send it to Tony, he’ll have them identified before the officer can even get back to the station.” Bucky chimed in.

Tom nodded, but didn’t address him. “Right. Okay. I called the record label and they approved additional funding for security in the lobby. From now on, we’ll secure the premises of every place we’re staying and restrict it to guests only. I’d suggest we put out a statement, get ahead of the situation a little. There’s already a slight buzz online.” 

I looked up at him. “What? How? There’s been no scene, no paparazzi, and this only happened like an hour ago?” 

Tom passed me my phone. Swiping past all the notifications, I went on social media to see my name beginning to trend. I saw photos of several police cars outside my hotel, and a small crowd formed around the entrance. The bad thing about multi-night tours in one city, word travels very quickly about where we stay. I scrolled again to see something appearing to be unrelated, but it caught my eye. 

It was a photo taken from behind the counter of a coffee shop, in front of dozens of syrups and whipped toppings. Two cardboard coffee cups had been positioned side by side, with “Bucky” written across one and “Gianna” scrawled across the other in girly writing. 

The caption said: ‘guess who’s coffee I got to make today! #fangirling’

I smiled, picturing Bucky walking the streets of New York holding a coffee cup featuring my name with a heart written across it. 

“I think we should cancel the show tonight.” I didn’t have to look up to know who they idea came from. 

“Well, I don’t think that would be necess-” Tom started to protest. 

“This is the second time someone has made an attempt to get to Gianna on this tour. We’re not talking giddy teenage girls here, these are grown men, dressed in tactical gear. We have to assume they’re not looking for an autograph.” Bucky said, his voice low. 

I winced at the implication. Tom wrung his hands, the side of him that was concerned for me warring with the side that was concerned for the nightmare of canceling one of the biggest stops on our tour. 

“I don’t want to cancel.” Everyone turned to look at me. “I don’t want to call off the show.” 

Bucky opened his mouth to argue but I cut him off. 

“If we do, I’ll just sit here all day and worry and make myself sick. I want to keep busy. I don’t want to disappoint the fans, I don’t want to cause concern over something that almost happened. Plus, that’s why I have you.” I smiled at Bucky, doing my best attempt at puppy eyes. 

He scowled, not loving the idea but considering it anyway. 

“Fine. If you don’t have any serious bruising, and we don’t find anything of concern between now and tonight, the show can stay on.” 

I breathed a sigh of relief and know Tom did the same. Canceling tonight’s show would have caused him a logistical nightmare. 

“But,” Bucky spoke again, a warning in his tone. “I want the entire venue swept beforehand. I want decoy cars driving to the venue in ten minute increments for the hour leading up to the show. I want double security here and at the venue. Get metal detectors at every entrance, including the service entrance. I want a personal report from anyone on the security team that sees anything out of the ordinary at all, and if I decide, at any point, that it’s no longer safe, I’m taking Gianna and we’re canceling the rest of this goddamn tour. Are we clear?”

Tom swallowed. The room had gone silent, even the nurse looking at Bucky. I’d never seen him so intense, so…commanding. In any other circumstance, I’d have found it wildly attractive. Given the circumstances, I just felt grateful to have him here. 

“Yes, uh, yes that sounds good. I’ll go make a few calls.” Tom scurried from the room with Kate trailing behind, still in her robe. 

“Sweetie, call me if you need anything, I’ll be just down the hall.” She blew me a kiss as she followed my manager out the door. 

“Alright, it doesn’t look like you did too much damage.” The nurse spoke up, reaching into her bag. “Just a deep bruise. We have a steroid injection that’s still in beta stage, but it’s been clearing all tests with flying colors. If you want to try it, it’s been showing expedited healing up to 400%.”

“After last night, I’ll take anything Tony Stark manufactured. That IV was literal magic.”

“Are there any side effects?” Bucky interjected, eyeing the nurse. I opened my mouth to protest, but realized that if anyone had the right to be wary of experimental injections, it was him. 

“Only mild burning at the injection site, but it usually goes away after ten or so minutes.” 

Bucky narrowed his eyes, thinking, before turning to look at me. “It’s your call. I doubt Stark would offer it if he had any concerns.”

I turned to the nurse and nodded. She pulled an antibacterial wipe from her bag and began to wipe my shoulder, sterilizing the injection site. 

“Okay, you might feel a little pinch.” 

I squeezed my eyes shut. The little pinch was no big deal, but the mild burning was a slight understatement. The skin around my shoulder lit up as if someone was putting a cigarette out on my skin. I sucked a breath in through my nose, willing myself to keep it together. 

“Looks like it’s working already.” The nurse marveled. 

I opened my eyes and followed her gaze down to my shoulder. The burning sensation dulled as I realized she was right. The purple coloring forming on my arm was actively fading to a green, even yellow around the edges. It was literally healing as it formed, right in front of my eyes. 

“I have got to send Tony Stark a thank you note,” I breathed. 

________________________________

Several hours later, the room had cleared out, and only Bucky and Gianna remained. The police officer had come and asked a barrage of questions, only leaving at Bucky’s firm reminder that Gianna needed to rest before the show. Then the security team had come up for a debriefing from Bucky, who snapped back into the intensity Gianna witnessed earlier. This time, with the shock of the morning having subsided slightly, she could fully appreciate the way he took control. 

His eyes would darken when he spoke, every word punctuated with intensity. His jaw was clenched, making it even sharper than usual. He had a no-nonsense air about him that reminded Gianna of when they first met, before he’d begun to reveal his more playful side to her. This was a new level of protective, even for him. 

Gianna’s heart fluttered as she realized all of this was for her. Not in a “oh, all this fuss for little ‘ol me” kind of way. In the way that every time Bucky clenched his fist in anger, it was for her. Every time he gave a command, it was to protect her. Every move he was making, every thought running through his head today…it was all for her. 

Gianna blushed, ashamed of her selfish thoughts during this intense moment. Luckily, Bucky had his back turned to her, talking to who she assumed was Steve on the phone. 

She was thankful for the quiet after the endless stream of people in and out. They only had another hour and a half until the inevitable call for soundcheck would come, and Gianna assumed they’d need to leave even earlier with the extra security precautions in place. She sighed, leaning back on her forearms. 

“You okay?” Bucky tucked the phone into his pocket and strode over to the edge of the bed, where Gianna sat. 

“Yeah, just…overwhelmed I guess.” 

“It’s uh…been an overwhelming day.”

“Yeah…” She breathed, eyes seeming to glaze over as she continued to process it all. 

“Are you sure you want to perform tonight? I think people would understand if you canceled, given the circumstances.” 

“No, no, I’m sure. I’m already getting stir crazy in this hotel room, I need to get my mind off of things.” Gianna sat up straight. “If I stay here, I’ll just start spiraling, thinking about those men and what they wanted, and what would have happened if you hadn’t come back and -” 

Bucky’s brow furrowed as he heard the ever so slight break in her voice.

“Hey,” He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It had air dried, showing the natural waves that he was always partial to. “Don’t think like that, okay? I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever.”

Gianna looked up at Bucky with watery eyes. She tried so hard to be tough and funny and low-maintenance about everything, but he could tell the recent events were bringing her close to a breaking point. 

“I mean it. I’m in it for the long haul, G. Whether we stay on this tour or not. I go wherever you go.”

Bucky’s words hung in the air between them for a moment. Taking a deep breath, Gianna laid her head down on Bucky’s shoulder. 

“What if I said I wanted to run? Take a lighter to the sheet music and the lip gloss and those damn sequined outfits?”

Bucky shifted, causing Gianna to lift her head and look over at him. Sitting in his open metal palm was a plain silver Zippo lighter. She looked up and locked eyes with him. 

“Then we’d run.” 

[ensaladaaa]

“Letters” Malleus x Reader

A/N: only wrote this bc i feel like malleus would be those poetic mfs who writes his letters in fancy cursive, use the most leg kicking and giggling love language and sends them carrier pigeon(?) so um this is just malleus describing his love to you i think

Warnings: slight spoilers for the masquerade event but not too big, maybe some cringy lines idk but fluff!!

Includes: loving malleus. i love malleus. y’all r in a relationship. but these are letters malleus would send to you if you both are in a relationship and he’s deep in love with you!!

Around the beginning of the relationship:

“Dear my Child of Man,

I am still over the moon of you accepting my love and sharing the same feelings. Before I thought of proposing my love to you, I’ve always wondered how you caught my eye.

Ever since we’ve met at your home, with you catching me studying the gargoyles on built on your home, I have had my eye on you. Then, I never knew why.

When you accepted my love and returned yours to me, I suddenly knew why.

Since the beginning, you’ve never seen me as a monster. You were a simple human wondering what I was doing outside. Yes, you didn’t know me. You were simply a human who had the unfortunate event of washing up into Twisted Wonderland.

That was the very first thing that caught my eye but you still continued doing things that I couldn’t help paying attention to.

I’ve noticed that I admired the calmness in your voice to me. Others would stutter and stumble over their words, but you simply conversed with me as if I was just another student. A student who didn’t have such a high reputation, a student with no higher power than anyone else. As if I was your friend.

The way your eyes would twinkle over simple uses of magic, was the world you’ve came from so magicless? When you first touched my horns, I was felt with a warmness I’ve never experienced. Everyone would cower at my horns, yet you claimed you had a fascination of them and they fit me perfectly.

The name you’ve decided on, Horton, was and still is one of my favorite interactions. I understand I didn’t reveal my name, but you deciding to use such a name on me — a person who other tremble at the mention of — was like uncovering a hidden need for a breath of fresh air.

Even when I revealed my name to you, you didn’t cower nor tremble. You only took note of it. Everytime you treat me like a friend or just a normal being, it always shocks me and it seems like it shocks your friends as well.

Then, I noticed that I wanted to be more with you. The feeling of wanting to touch you, friends wouldn’t feel that way, right? Yet, entering the field of love was something entirely new to me. But you still accepted me, held my hands and promised you’ll help.

How was I so lucky to cross paths with you? If I had the option to relive our developing relationship, I would do it over and over again.

I love you, my Child of Man. I’d like to bask in your presence soon, please talk to me if you’d like to do that as well.

I’ll see you soon.

- Malleus Draconia.”

———————

Around the “y’all finally get comfortable around each-other” and always being around each-other part of the relationship:

“Dear Y/N,

It’s been 8 months since we’ve been together and it’s been one of the most joyful times I’ve ever had.

I’m glad that I’ve ever met you. You’re so admirable, I’m lucky to have you as my partner.

I know you prefer to have our relationship hidden until you are ready to reveal it, but I believe some of your friends and my Diasomnia members are starting to suspect something.

Please talk to me when you are ready to reveal it. I’d love to announce it to everyone, even my people back at Briar Valley. I’m sure they’ll accept you, despite being magicless.

It’s so hard to not boast about how wonderful and loving you are. At the topic of you, I hold myself back from proudly exclaiming that you’re my partner.

Though, I will wait for you. Give me the signal and I shall let everyone know.

Also, I’d like to invite you to come with me back to Briar Valley. We do not need to meet my parents, I’m only intending to sightsee the environment with you.

Did I ever tell you I have a pet crow back home? His name is Diablo, I’d like for you to at least meet him. My mother claims that he was helpful with her past duties as Queen and helped her by keeping an eye on me when I was a child. I’m sure you’ll love him as well.

If you do accept, I’m planning on returning there after going to the Shaftlands. The headmaster did choose you and Grim to attend to the school exchange while I was personally invited, let me know during those 3 days of your choice.

If not, I’ll still be returning to Briar Valley unfortunately. Having your presence around me is always like breathing fresh air and I’ll miss it. I will send letters and photos when I can, maybe even bring my pet crow back. I still want you to meet him.

I’m joyful that we both got picked for the school exchange in the Shaftlands. A masquerade ball I heard. I hope you’ll accept my hand to dance.

The trip to the Shaftlands is around 2 days, I’ll see you then, Y/N.

I love you forever.

- Malleus Draconia.”

———————

During the trip at the Shaftlands, after the first day of being there:

“My Dearest Love,

Im sorry to only leave this letter on your bed of the room you are staying in, I wish I could speak to you before you fall asleep. Azul had decided to gather Idia, Riddle and I at nightfall, speaking of a Houswarden meeting. Unfortunately, I will not make it to you to kiss you goodnight.

I shall make it up to you when we tour around again tomorrow morning, I still want to make more memories with you on this trip.

You look lovely in your outfit that you shall wear on this trip. It took everything in me not to kiss you right in front of everyone, even at the festival. The way the fireworks I conjured up with my magic had looked like in your eyes and had highlighted your face, I was absolutely mesmerized.

The only thing my eyes had seen was you and only you.

Though, I couldn’t help but notice when Rollo Flamme had begun talking to you when the students started using fireworks they had conjured up with their own magic as well.

You looked awkward and nervous, with the way you fumbled with your fingers a bit and your eyes always glancing down at your feet. I’m worried about what he said to you. Please talk to me about that tomorrow night, if you would like of course.

I love you dearly, please remember that. I shall buy you a souvenir when we go out again tomorrow, maybe a few small snacks. I’m so lucky to have you by my side.

I’m sorry to cut my letter a bit short than usual, Azul is currently trying to gather everyone when I’m writing this.

I shall see you tomorrow morning, my love.

- Malleus Draconia.”

[causenessus]

[ 💌 ] INCOMING MAIL !

A LETTER FROM REE — TO — NESS HAS ARRIVED BY CARRIER PIGEON ♡ °⋆ 🕊️🕊️🕊️📮

ANYONE WHO ISNT NESS DNI DNR DO NOT LOOK. SCROLL AWAY I’M ABOUT TO GO TO SAPTOWN AND I AM EMBARRASSED THESE ARE MY DEMONS DO NOT PERCEIVE ME OR THIS ASK EVER. THIS IS FOR ONE PERSON ONLY. AND IT’S SUPER LONG ! YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THIS OR READ IT. LEAVE. THE DOOR IS THAT WAY.

ask/note: the last time I logged on I saw that you weren’t doing so well and attempted to write a suna + noya how they comfort you style fic and failed…MISERABLY. this is probably late and might not be of any use to you but the ghost of letters came over me and it’s spirit is whispering in my ear to write this (it’s my forte: letters, and I’m sure I could do it way better than writing when writers block is hitting more than it’s ever…. hitteth ,,,, <- ignore that)

dear ness,

first of all ! when I say you’re THE sweetest I mean it, so so so genuinely. you exude warmth and kindness and I truly believe without you tumblr would be a dull and soulless platform

second of all ! whenever you say something self deprecating about yourself I feel like knocking someone out. deep desires to harm someone or break something and just violence. crimes of some kind

I KNOW IT MIGHT NOT SET IN FOR YOU BUT IF I NEED TO SAY IT 100x FOR IT TO SEEP INTO YOUR BRAIN PROPERLY I WILL!! I KNOW YOU’RE AN OVERTHINKER!! I’M GOING TO HOLD YOUR HAND WHILE YOU OVERTHINK!!

there is nothing you’ve put out that I’ve ever disliked in the slightest if not loved entirely — when you said wdo inspires a lot of try again, to say I’m honored is a huge understatement and I believe you are out of everyone’s league; you’re an incredible writer and we don’t deserve you (I’m glad we have you though)

besides your writing, I cannot imagine a world nor a universe where I would enjoy tumblr as much as I do without you existing. I hate to mention wdo so much but it’s hard not to seeing that it was the first time we properly interacted sorry 😭 ..by the time I got to working in that fic I didn’t feel like I belonged on here and you made me feel welcomed :) I don’t think I would still be here or have met everyone that I did without you and I can’t ever thank you enough — you are kind and down to earth and so considerate, and I would give you the world if I could <333

third, last but not least, IT IS OKAY TO NOT BE AT YOUR BEST ! if you need a break we’ll be here when you come back !! you were the catalyst that made tumblr my home and if the apocalypse happened and wiped out everyone on the planet I’d be the last one standing — my motivation to survive was to be there for every causenessus post

IT IS NORMAL TO NOT UPLOAD EVERY DAY OR UPDATE FICS !! EVEN PUBLISHED AUTHORS GO MONTHS WITHOUT TOUCHINGN A PIECE OF WORK !! FANFICTION AUTHORS SHOULD BE SPARED!! ESPECIALLY YOU!! you’ve grinded and given us all these great fics, anyone impatient can take that time to go and reread ur other works instead of complain, I’m sure cold kisses and new grounds wouldn’t mind

I hope that no matter what happens outside of this silly little app: ur aware that my dms are open 24/7 and I mean that when I say it. It won’t require an apology or small talk — if you need to vent or a boredom cure I’ll always be here !!! always !!! I’m a no judgement zone and I CARE ABOUT YOU IMMENSELY AND I WANT YOU TO DO WELL ! I WANT YOU TO BE WELL ! I pray this letter feels like a bouquet of flowers on your doorstep with handmade chocolates from and a real sized suna placing it down there to give you the biggest hug of the century because it’s the bare fucking minimum for all the hard work you do (and before you say anything about slacking off, living is hard work — and I think you’ve done a spectacular job <3) ! this ask is the longest I’ve ever sent I think I set a record 🙂‍↕️ at the very least I hope it made you smile :)

with all my love,

ree.

REE THE MOODBOARD???? THE PICTURES???? REE I AM GOING TO SCREENSHOT THIS AND FRAME IT ON MY WALL /GEN I DON'T WORK IN FRAMING FOR NOTHING!! THIS IS SO SO SWEET <3 AND DW OMG :( THANK YOU FOR TRYING TO WRITE COMFORT AND IT'S TOTALLY OKAY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT!! (i am looking at the five discarded fics in my drafts rn)

ree i cannot i'm going to throw up /pos and i've only read the first paragraph!! REE I THINK YOU'RE OUT OF EVERYONE'S LEAGUE <3 you are genuinely so so sweet and creative and just have the most beautiful mind ever the way that you put so much effort and creativity and imagination into every single thing you do like look at this letter!! look at how you formatted it and matched color palettes and i just cannot tell you how thankful i am for you thank you so much ree <3

and omg no don't worry about mentioning wdo too much at all!! REE IT WAS SO GOOD I COULD NEVER NOT BE HAPPY TO SEE A REFERENCE OR READ SOMETHING ABOUT WDO!! and i'm so so glad that i could help you feel more welcome BC YOU'RE LITTERALLY OUT OF ALL OF OUR LEAGUES!!! IT'S LIKE IF I?? IDK LIKE OPENED THE DOOR AND GREETED UMMMMMMM TOM HOLLAND AT THE DOOR?? AND TREATED HIM LIKE A STRANGER AND THEN HE WALKED INTO THE PARTY AND BUSTED IT DOWN AND EVERYONE LIKE KNEW HIM AND CHEERED HIM ON YK??? like you are so amazing!!! you didn't need an introduction you just needed to come into the haikyuu fandom and bless us all with your writing yk !! (i'm so sorry i cannot find the words in my head to describe my vision for what i'm trying to tell you and i have no idea why tom holland was the first person that came to mind but i hope you get what i mean!!!)

and omg please ree thank you so much for reminding me of how okay it is to take breaks and not post everyday <33 you are so so sweet and i hope that you've been doing well after taking your breaks and everything!! i am so sorry it took me so long to get to this BUT I AM SO HONORED TO HAVE RECEIVED THIS LETTER AND I CANNOT BELIEVE I AM JUST NOW SEEING YOU MOVED BLOGS?? BUT I THINK I FOUND IT AND WILL BE FOLLOWING IT ASAP AS SOON AS I FINISH SAP YAPPING IN THIS ASK!!!

ree i cannot tell you how thankful i am for all of our interactions and the memories we've made and for helping me with the stupid "a (technically an)" or "my" struggle during the makings of love notes and for literally just always being there for me!! please know my dms and everything are always always open to you too and i love you so much!! i hope you see this despite already moving blogs 😭 and i'm so sorry i'm just now finding out about it!!!! but you are the literally the best ree i am so thankful for you <33

[dat-carovieh]

In dire need of change

Ship: Geraskier

Rating: T

Wordcount: 5.8k

Chapters: 5

Tags: Stardew Valley AU, Farmer!Geralt, Elliott!Jaskier, musician Jaskier, Getting together, Fluff, First Kiss

Read on AO3

Chapter 1

The city was loud, like it always was and Geralt should be used to it, he grew up here but the longer he was working in this office, the worse it was getting. Nearly daily he had a headache, it started when he got up and got worse over the day. He did the same thing every day and he couldn’t handle it anymore. He had never known what he had wanted to do with his life. Vesemir had tried everything to help him find his calling but maybe for some people this just wasn’t a thing. He got up from the couch and went to his cupboard, somewhere there his phone charger was buried. He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out the cable. His eyes locked onto an envelope he had nearly forgotten. He remembered, he had gotten it from his grandfather, Vesemir’s father, shortly before he had died. He had told Geralt to open it, when he felt crushed by his life and needed a change.

He took the envelope and went back to his couch. He didn’t believe, it would help him at all. What could a letter do to change his life? Roach jumped on his chest as soon as he had thrown himself back onto the couch and cuddled against him, purring. He ripped it open and started to read the short letter.

“Geralt,

If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So, I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong. I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Kaer Morhen Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life.

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my boy.

Good luck.

Love, Grandpa”

Geralt looked up. A farm? What was he supposed to do with a farm? Probably farming, he thought with a sarcastic laugh. Roach looked at him offended at the movement of his chest. He petted her head apologetic as he reread the letter, before he called Vesemir.

Vesemir seemed to think it was a great idea for Geralt to move to Pelican town and take over the farm, Vesemir grew up on. It had been empty for a while now but he was sure, Geralt could make something great out of it. Vesemir had promised him to take care of his flat and getting his furniture to the Valley soon. Apparently, he knew some people living there and made some calls, to make sure he would be welcomed to the town as soon as he arrived.

He had packed his bag and convinced Roach into the cat carrier. It had nearly cost him a finger, but now she was safely secured on the bus seat next to Geralt, sleeping through the bus ride.

He stepped out of the bus and was greeted by a redhaired woman with a bright smile. Vesemir had mentioned he would be picked up from the bus stop. He wasn’t sure how he felt about interacting with people just after arriving but he would suck it up and it would probably be good to have someone showing him everything.

“Hello! You must be Geralt!” she explained happily.

“Hmm,” Geralt replied and nodded, hoping he didn’t come off too rude.

“I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home.” Carpenter sounded nice to Geralt, he liked people who did work with their hands.

“The farm’s right over here, if you follow me.” She didn’t seem to have issues with him barely replying, worked for Geralt. True to her words, the farm was just around the corner.

“This is Kaer Morhen farm,” she announced as they arrived at a house. Geralt looked around and his stomach dropped. The house looked fine but the land was fully grown over. This would be a lot of work. Good thing his grandfather had left him some money as well to get him through the first couple of weeks until he hopefully could make some money. That was if he didn’t give up on the farm before he gotten along far enough to actually plant something.

He had quit his job for this so he should probably try to make it work.

“What’s the matter?” Robin asked as if she wasn’t seeing the mess. “Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s some good soil underneath that mess!” Geralt surely hoped so. He didn’t know jack shit about farming so that whole thing would be a fun experience. “With a little dedication you’ll have it cleaned up in no time.” No time sounded a little too positive for Geralt but he suspected, manual labour would be good for him. “And here we are, your new home.” It looked cosy, maybe a little run down but much better than the crap apartment he had lived in before.

An old man came through the door of the farmhouse, he had an impressive grey moustache and wore a brown hat.

“Ah, the new farmer!” he said cheerfully, as he looked at Geralt. Geralt nodded at him. “Welcome, I’m Lewis, the Mayor of Pelican Town. You know, everyone’s been asking about you,” he explained. Geralt raised an eyebrow.

“They do?” He should have expected in a small town like that people would talk about everything. That was a thing he would miss about the city. He couldn’t vanish between everyone. People usually found him weird and here everyone might be talking about this soon. He immediately felt the anxiety rising.

“Oh yeah. It’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite the big deal! But I assure you, everyone is really nice, I’m sure you will fit in greatly,” Lewis assured him. Geralt hoped so.

“So… you’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage. It’s a good house… very rustic.” They all turned to the house, that surely could use some work.

“Rustic? That’s one way to put it…” Robin answered. “Crusty might be a little more apt, though.” Geralt couldn’t suppress a small snort.

“Rude!” Lewis exclaimed. Robin also laughed. “Don’t listen to her, Geralt. She’s just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades,” the mayor explained. A business woman, Geralt could respect that and who knew, maybe he would take her up on that if the farm would run smoothly.

“I might think about this,” Geralt answered. Robin looked happy about this.

“Anyway… You must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest,” Lewis tried to steer the topic somewhere else. He also was right, Geralt felt tired and a little overwhelmed with everything. “Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that.”

“Alright thanks,” Geralt answered, nodding.

The introducing was something Geralt really dreaded but he would have to get through this. Before they said their goodbyes, Robin explained to him, she had left some tools for him inside so he could start working tomorrow. Finally, they left Geralt alone. He took a full turn looking at everything that now belonged to him. He would not panic right now. He would manage somehow, he would.

The door creaked as he entered. The cabin looked incredibly cosy. There was only one room but he probably wouldn’t need much more. There was a small bed, a TV, a table with benches and even a fireplace. To the left there was a small kitchenette. Just a fridge and a small stove and a counter. One more door was there, probably leading to the toilette. He threw his bags to the ground and let Roach out to explore their new home.

In the fridge he found some food, the mayor must have kindly left for him and after a quick dinner, he went to bed early so he was ready to start working early in the morning. It had been exhausting and he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Read the other chapters on AO3

[chirons-mortar]

Breath of the Wild Fanart: Minish Settlements

These are concepts for Minish Settlements. Since Minish can talk to animals (Link could talk to dogs while Minish sized though that could be the Jabber Nut's doing), I figured they would tame animals to carry their homes. This way they can move large quantities of cargo they could not on foot and have a way to more effectively interact with larger beings. These are some example homes:

Horse/Donkey: This would be the most common settlement encountered. They have attached wooden homes to the donkey using a modified saddle. They would serve as a trading community who would haul valuables across Hyrule.

Hawk: The hawk carries around a simple home using a grip on its roof. Only a few Minish would live inside but they could make a decent living serving as messengers and letter carriers.

Fish: This home is a small floating houseboat. They would use a fishing line to have a tamed fish pull them across lakes and rivers. They would explore the riverbed looking for small treasures.

Wolf: This is not really a home so much as a tamed wolf used by warriors. The home is just a simple barrel attached to the collar for the rider to sleep inside of. The Minish has trained the wolf to carry a sword in its mouth (silly Dark Souls reference) and directs it in combat. When not fighting it might pull a sled like a sled dog which would contain the larger warrior community.

Most Minish communities are mobile but I figure they can congregate into groups for mutual trade during which times they all settle around a makeshift camp. I figure the Minish "capital" would shift around the world map and have all manner of tamed animals running about.

[ponds-of-ink]

Notre Dame AU Chapter 5: “An Evening in The Castle”

Hey, here’s a quick head’s up before we start: Expect two more chapters tonight and Thursday morning.. Unless Ruin news hits me in the head at break-neck speed. Then there’ll be a bit of radio silence until further notice.

..Even if I do end up posting on time, there’ll still be radio silence because Ruin teaser.

Anyway, let’s see how Gregory’s doing before I start making less sense...

A couple of hours passed. The bells rang with a more melancholic air as Gregory sat there in a distant section of the hall. A few visitors came and went, but none were allowed to interact with the boy in the corner. An expected result of his plea for safety.

So there Gregory stayed. Alone. Contemplating the boy dubbed “46”.

...For a couple more minutes, at least. With only one clear audio recording and not much speculation to glean from, the topic was getting dull by now. “If only I could talk to someone,” he thought as his eyes lazily drifted up to the tinted windows. “Then maybe I wouldn’t be so bored.”

He rose to his feet and observed his surroundings. While these windows were not as grand as the church’s, their towering height and naturally sunny glow left an impression on him. Same went for the golden-flamed candles strewn about the walls. Both of these things provided a sense of warmth in this otherwise bleak and cold chamber. “At least there’s something here to keep me busy, I guess,” he thought as he walked towards an empty booth littered with themed attraction brochures and era-fitting props. “I’ve been to every other place in this mall, but I guess a little reading wouldn’t hurt.”

As he skimmed through the list of locales, one of them seemed to weasel its way out of its holder. His eyebrows raised as he watched it break free and float on its own. He backed up slowly, then stopped. “H-Hello?” he asked the unseen pamphlet carrier, weakly waving. “You, uh, want to read something too?”

The brochure froze in mid-air. It slowly lowered itself back onto the table. Then, after a few seconds of tense stillness, a small door beside the counter quickly opened up. “Hey, wait!” Gregory called out, following after with both papers in hand. “You don’t have to ditch your stuff! Come back!”

Agonia raced up the spiral stairs. “Should not have done that,” repeated over and over in his head until he reached the bell tower. He gripped one of the pillars in a panic, swinging out of a normal person’s view. “What do I do now?” he asked himself in his mind, burying his head in his hands. “It was not supposed to go like this!”

“So do most of your plans, but that’s a given,” quipped a mature voice.

Agonia lowered his hands. “Henry, please,” he snipped towards a man that seemed to be around his age. “I need help. Do I talk to him or run?”

“Well, judging from how fast that kid is, I’d say get ready to start talking,” Henry noted, pushing up his thick-rimmed glasses as he looked over his listener’s shoulder. “Hope you how to use contractions in a sentence.”

Agonia shot back an exasperated look. “But how?” he asked, subconsciously clutching his marred throat. “My voice is–“

“You’ll do fine,” Henry insisted, walking towards the edge of the railing. “Just do that miming thing you’ve been doing with Glitchtrap. Or that funny little letter system you had once.”

Agonia slumped. “I suppose I could,” he murmured as he approached the door. “However: if this goes south, this is on you.”

“Have fun,” Henry smiled jestingly, giving one parting wave. “I’ll be out here enjoying the view if you need me.”

Agonia shook his head as he entered back inside the castle. He listened as he traveled along the maze. “Where is he?” he wondered as he surveyed the empty landscape.

A loud “Boo!” from behind answered that question very quickly.

Gregory laughed as the bell-ringer “yelped” and whirled around. “I got you good, didn’t I?” he grinned slyly.

The other rolled his uneven eyes and bobbed his head to one side. Yes, yes, he did.

The scarer’s smile weakened. “So, um, here’s your thing back,” he said sheepishly, handing out the brochure. “Sorry if I made you think I was going to rat you out to that dumb rabbit guy.”

Agonia placed his hand on top of Gregory’s, then patted it gently. “Does.. that mean it’s all good?” Gregory asked slowly, repeating the gesture with his own hand.

The elder’s face lit up. He nodded rapidly with a wide smile.

“Huh!” Gregory exclaimed while he removed his hands from the bell ringer’s frail grasp. “I did not expect to be this good at ‘Guess What The Ghost’s Trying to Say’! ...N-No offense, of course. I get that your voice must be pretty messed up with.. what you’ve got.”

Agonia nodded despondently, putting a hand to his throat yet again.

“But hey!” Gregory spoke up, walking over to the sad ghost’s side. “You can ‘talk’ with these while you show me around!” He then held up his sliver of paper with a proud smile. “They should have all the words you need,” he continued as he gave both pamphlets to the ghost. “Just let me know when you’re ready.”

Agonia stared down at the papers in his hand. He eyed both titles, then flipped through one of the two. After a few moments of skimming, he motioned for Gregory to start walking.

Gregory quickly started, strolling alongside his newfound tour guide. His head turned this way and that, only stopping when something caught his eyes– Like a random knight in armor or a huge hole-like imprint in the floor. “This must be part of the Princess’ Challenge,” he mused as he looked back at his guide. “I don’t think I’ve ever been up here before, so this is a first for me.”

Agonia lowered his paper for the boy to see. “Really?” he ‘asked’, pointing to the exact word wedged in a lengthy paragraph.

“Yeah,” Gregory admitted casually, shrugging his shoulders. “Didn’t really think it was all that neat. I don’t mind escape rooms, but the description in the ads did not do this place justice. Made it sound like it was for really little kids.”

Agonia nodded with a mutually irked expression. Suddenly, he stopped in front of a tile puzzle guarded by four LED torches. “Wait here a moment,” he ‘instructed’, his finger darting to the words. Once he knew he got his point across, he hobbled over to the tiles. It took a bit of effort, but he managed to move the squares into their correct places. The door thunked as he returned to the dumbfounded boy. “To be fair, these are easy when you know the trick,” the guide ‘explained’, gesturing to the solved puzzle as they passed by.

Gregory glanced at the solved puzzle. He bobbed his head as his eyes skimmed the pattern. Then, realizing that his acquaintance had gone into the next room, he hurried after.

Agonia grinned as the boy rejoined his side. “Did you figure it out?” he ‘asked’ with a wink.

“Maybe,” Gregory confessed with a hint of embarrassment. “Something about some of triangles lining up with the edges of that square.”

“Pretty close,” ‘replied’ the bell-ringer. “But I can’t spoil it for you. It would ruin all the fun.”

Gregory gave a look of acknowledgment, then continued his tour. His observing of this room was very quick, save his curiosity about the two golden doors with the carved arch above. However, unlike the puzzle, neither said anything about them.

Instead, both entered the next room with little trouble. “This is where I was earlier,” Gregory explained, motioning to the ‘bridge’ on the floor. “Somebody already solved this one, so I didn’t have to do anything.”

Agonia faintly hummed in thought, slowly moving ahead of the boy and walking onto the bridge. He stomped his foot on it, then hummed again. “I’m surprised that it hasn’t reset by now,” he ‘mused’, staring at the torches nearby. “They usually do that after someone completes the challenge.”

“Maybe they’ll be reset tonight,” Gregory shrugged as he left the bridge and headed for the door.

“Maybe,” ‘repeated’ Agonia, joining the boy’s side. “In the meantime, this is it. The last section.”

“Aw, already?” Gregory pouted, crossing his arms as his guide propped open the door. “We were just starting to know each other!”

“We can still talk outside,” the bell-ringer grinned as they entered into the porch. “Besides, you need all the fresh air you can get.”

“‘Says’ the guy who doesn’t need fresh air,” Gregory retorted, half-smiling. Both went quiet as they neared the balcony’s railing. The boy took in the sights with an amazed, but wistful expression. The ghost, meanwhile, looked at the world down below with a thoughtful gaze. This silence continued for several minutes, as if both had unintentionally forgotten that the other was still there. Not really surprising since the dawning sunset made everything below look more inviting and pleasant– Empty though the streets currently were.

Gregory glanced over at the clock tower. “Looks like it’s about time for you to ring in the hour again,” he said, breaking the silence at last. “At least you won’t get in trouble for being late, huh?”

Agonia chuckled hoarsely. “Yes, no worries there,” he ‘answered’, nodding to the boy as he limped to the adjacent railing. Without another word, he jumped onto the railing and cautiously clambered back into the bell tower itself.

Gregory watched in wonder as the bell-ringer prepared for his duty. The lantern flickered as Agonia put aside the papers and lifted the rope into his hands. He watched the clock, then the boy. “Plug your ears,” he said aloud, though it was so frail and broken that you’d be forgiven for saying otherwise.

Though the voice took him off-guard, Gregory wasted no time in following that order. He blocked his ears with his hands. His body fought the urge to crouch as Agonia pulled the rope. Thundering clangs followed suit. Their sheer force almost knocked the poor boy off his feet. Seven chimes in total, but they sounded like twelve or more thanks to the kickback of the bell’s clapper. They sounded beautiful, sure, but now Gregory was starting to learn why many people preferred admiring the bells from the ground level.

As soon as the bells finished, Agonia let go of the rope and stumbled into a bow. “I’d clap, but I think those bells knocked all the energy out of me,” Gregory laughed weakly, prying off his hands from his head. “That’s gotta do something to your hearing, right?”

Realizing that they were back to having a proper conversation, Agonia hurriedly scooped up the papers. “Not if you’re a ghost,” he ‘responded’ with a slick grin. “The only thing this bell usually does to me is make me tired.”

”Huh,” Gregory responded simply, gripping onto the railing for support. Before he could form any more questions, he felt himself getting hauled up by the shoulders. He yelped in shock, but the sight of Agonia’s calm face eased him a bit. His body floated as he slowly lowered onto this new floor. “Guess I got you too, didn’t I?” the ringer ‘asked’ slyly, winking for a second time.

“Yeah, you did,” Gregory sniggered as he laid himself down on the stone floor. “Good job repaying the favor, I guess.”

The words “repaying the favor” caused Agonia to look deep in thought for a moment, but he shrugged any ideas off. “I really just did that because you looked so disoriented,” he ‘clarified’, now sitting down next to the boy. “Didn’t want you to faint next to such an unstable section of the railing. You could’ve fallen.”

“Well, thanks for looking out for me..” Gregory murmured sleepily, trying to stop himself yawning. “I had no idea.”

Agonia simply patted the boy on the hand. “How about I teach you some Latin while you try to doze off?” he ‘suggested’ before opening the other brochure.

“That’d be great, but not right now,” Gregory yawned. “I think I’ll stick with.. I dunno.. Maybe a lullaby?”

“But my voice isn’t the greatest. I thought my little warning would’ve taught you that.”

“I said ‘maybe’,” Gregory snickered softly. “Lullabies don’t.. need.. that much.. to..”

Agonia watched as the boy finally drifted off to sleep. He contemplated afterwards, peering up at the pillars and roof just above him. Then, as he looked back at the peacefully-resting child, he sighed deeply. Feeling the need to honor this request, he sung as softly as he could. A simple lullaby, but a lullaby nonetheless.

Gregory heard traces of the raspy-yet-timid crooning, but all went dark before the song finished. He found himself in a dreamless void. Unable to feel the stone floor. Or hear the hum of that ever-invisible air conditioner. An eerily comfortable solitude that flew by.

Slow, metallic footsteps broke through that void.

“Freddy?” he asked groggily, beginning to stir back into reality.

“No,” the same ragged voice answered as a hand lightly touched the boy’s shoulder. “Not Freddy.”

Gregory opened his eyes. The world had now gone from a warm golden light to a cool bluish nighttime. He had also been moved from practically underneath the bell to a doorway right outside the open chamber. The bell-ringer sat beside him, his features showcasing a mix of joy and tiredness. “Look,” the man said slowly, pointing to a corner of the door.

Mildly confused, Gregory got up and looked around that corner. To his surprise, a mishmash of metal and gunk loomed mere inches above him. “What.. is that thing?” he asked uneasily.

“Your way out,” Agonia grinned, patting the robot on the back.

“My way out?” Gregory repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, going back outside this place would be great. But isn’t that.. I dunno.. breaking Sanctuary?”

“I will take the blame for that,” ‘assured’ the ghost, finally remembering to use the pamphlets. “You need to eat, and there’s no food up here– Among other things.”

“I guess that sounds like a good reason,” Gregory shrugged. He cautiously approached the strange contraption. “So, uh, what do I do with it?” he asked, craning his neck to get a better look at its face.

“Climb onto its back.”

Using the railing like a step ladder, the boy clambered onto the machine’s shoulders. “Okay, now what?” he questioned again.

Agonia placed his hand on the thing’s head. He shut his eyes. Purple sparks flashed from its rabbit-like ears as he vanished into thin air. “Hold on tight,” it answered mechanically, looking back to the boy with its violet pupils.

Gregory wrapped his arms around its neck for dear life. The robot climbed up the nearest pillar like an acrobat ascending a large ladder. It steadied itself once it was on the roof. Its head swiveled this way and that as it crawled near the edge of the roof. Then, once its analysis proved satisfactory, it swung itself down onto a ridged side of the building. It looked back at the still-clutching Gregory, nodded to itself, then proceeded to climb down.

“I don’t mean to break your concentration or anything,” Gregory piped up quietly, “but I gotta ask: Have you done this before?”

The machine stopped, carefully shook its head, then kept descending– even as Gregory quietly griped “well, that’s comforting” directly into its ears. It continued its descent until the ground was merely a few yards away. “Going to jump,” it explained calmly. “Stay close.”

Without any other warning, the robot leapt off the building’s facade like a squirrel. It twisted its body mid-air, ensuring that it cushioned the impact of its land from the alarmed boy. Its body thumped onto the astroturf with a metallic rattle. “You are free now,” it said warmly, getting up onto its feet gingerly. “Go.”

Gregory got off the rabbit-like being’s back. “Thanks,” he replied, shaking it’s hand. “Maybe after I get everything cleared up, we can meet up back here. Hopefully with less chaos for you to deal with.”

Agonia sniggered, his voice filtering through the robot’s box. “Maybe,” he answered as he began his ascent back up the wall. “We shall see.” He paused to give one last parting wave, then kept climbing.

As Gregory hurried off into a nearby alley, the bell-ringer-turned-bunny reached the clock tower. He leapt off the railing and landed on the stone floor. His body quickly sprinted to the other side of the chamber. He leaned over the edge. Relief entered his soul. It was only thirty minutes to nine.

As small lights dotted the streets below, Agonia ensured everything was returned to normal. The bare-bones robot was put back in its place. He cheerfully returned to his duty of watching and waiting for the hour to strike. The lantern itself had its ever-glowing flame restored. Though this meant that the day filled with both misfortune and merriment was almost over, these things also meant that nothing else was going to interrupt his routine– And, more importantly, Gregory’s bizarre mission.

Of course, as he completed his task, this was a bit too much to ask with three hours left. Somehow, someway, he fumbled into a living person. A person with armor plating, no less. “So, apart from bumping into me, how are you doing?” she asked with a chuckle, brushing back a loose strand of blonde hair. “I’m looking for this boy named Gregory. I think you saw him at the festival earlier?”

Agonia double-checked the lantern. It was currently flickering, which deprived him of one concern. The other concern, however, had to be dealt with a bit more.. forcefully. At least more than the other knights that dealt with him while Gregory was being chased. He couldn’t afford to make that same mistake here.

Carefully moving around the intruder, he walked back inside the maze room. He listened as Vanessa nervously followed, but his plan was already in motion. His footsteps stopped in front of the guarding suit of armor on display. With some effort, he pried the sword off the dolled-up mannequin. He held the blade defensively as he faced the knight. “Sanctuary,” he mouthed, tilting his head towards the spiral staircase. “Out.”

Vanessa raised her hands in front of her chest. “I know this is a dumb thing to say, but you really do need to relax,” she answered, backing towards the entryway. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just here because of Freddy. That’s it.”

Agonia lowered his sword. His eyebrows raised. Freddy? What did that have to do with..?

He raised his sword again. He shook his head.

Vanessa drew out her own weapon in response, but still watched her step as they descended. “It’s not a bluff,” she insisted as calmly as she could. “You can see the reports for yourself later. Freddy’s worried about Gregory just as much as you are.”

Agonia swung his sword, but Vanessa countered. Both stood on their respective steps, anticipating another try. However, Vanessa had something else in mind. “If you don’t believe me, then how about this?” she prefaced as she slid her blade back into its sheath. “The only reason why Gregory called for Sanctuary in the first place was because I made him. It was the only way I could save his life.”

Agonia’s eyes widened. He glanced over at the twitching hand, then back at her weary expression. He nodded slowly, then retreated up a step. “Still an out,” he reasoned solemnly, letting his arm drop a little. “Sorry.”

Vanessa bobbed her head as she turned away. “Just tell him that Freddy says he might stop by later,” she relayed, her eyes focusing on the rest of the staircase. “Something about upper management making him do one final check before the mall shuts down for the night.”

Agonia gave a sign of affirmation as he started back up the staircase. However, Vanessa’s final words made him stop right before reaching the top step: “Hey, while you’re at it, tell him he’s pretty lucky. I know I’d be if I had someone like you around defending me like that.”

He dropped his sword and whirled around, but Vanessa was gone. Dumbfounded by the compliment, he picked up the sword and put it back in its slot. He shook his head as he processed the words. There was no chance that he was actually defending someone like some genuine knight of old... Was there?

Feeling even more worn out than before, he hobbled back into the bell tower. He leaned against the railing and thought back on his day. In a span of several hours, he became: a king of jesters, an object of pain and ridicule, a subject of interrogation several times, a tour guide, and now a supposed protector of the innocent. His body slumped as he gazed at the night sky. Perhaps, in a few hours more, all he would be was a bell-ringer again. While gaining new titles had been fun and all, the amount he gathered from this day alone was a bit too ridiculous– Even for him.

[postbearer]

When the other man speaks, it becomes increasingly justified exactly why Jesper had deliberately placed the mailbox between himself and the mysterious stranger. Although all at once, this attempt to keep that distance there feels woefully inadequate once his uniform is easily grabbed, arms reflexively pressing against the edge of the flimsy structure, still in a desperate bid to maintain some semblance of personal space.

Miraculously, the postman manages to bite back the brunt of his knee-jerk reaction to this most unwelcome intrusion; only the curl of his lower lip and the slight jut of his chin suggest that it's all a very fragile facade indeed. It's not so much bravado as it is sheer indignation at this point— despite the little voice in the back of his mind begging him to give it up already.

"If it was so easy, then why am I still here." It isn't a question because he doesn't want an answer, considering it was luck, pure and simple. Luck and a coincidentally well-placed horse.

@intodivergence, continued from somewhere over the rainbow

[misakicchi]

?

Alpha Activation Letter || June 15

You did not reply to the last sent message, did you not receive it or are you just not available?

I brought you the keys of the motorcycle and had them transported to you through the transport carrier back to Babylonia. The motorcycle is parked where you last mission ended. Why, wondering why I know where your mission w last located? I will tell you when we actually meet.

Don't be nervous, this journey has nothing to do with our position in the Ascendants or Babylonia, I just wanted to go out with you, just the two of us.

It's inconvenient to say too much in this letter, this kind of 'unknown source' has always been easy to intercept. I'll be here, waiting for you all day.

From: Unknown

Invitation Letter: Alpha

Title: %^&$ [UKNOWN EMAIL] [BLOCKED]

I haven't seen you for a long time, greetings... You people seems to greet each other like this when they write letters?

I used to think that there would never another interaction with you, Commandant of Babylonia, just like the two meteors that never looks back to where it came from, that would gradually drift away to their designated paths after an accidental intersection.

But even so, you also said that in a limited time, with each other's traveling companion, it is enough to go on a common journey together.

Hmph, you may not have thought about what it means to me when you said that, but... maybe that's okay, it's not fun to travel with too many considerations, so I... will go to you.

From: Unknown

[dankusner]

GOING POSTAL Reward up to $150K offered for info on robbery of USPS letter carrier in Fort Worth

A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in a recent robbery of a USPS letter carrier in Fort Worth.

A reward of up to $150,000 is being offered by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in a recent robbery of a USPS letter carrier in Fort Worth.

The incident took place on June 8 at approximately 10:40 a.m. on Big Creek Court in Fort Worth.

If you have information related to the robbery detailed below, report it at (877) 876-2455.

USPIS-Fort Worth

@USPIS_DFW

June 13, 2024

The first suspect was described as male, about 5’11” and possibly a teenager, with a thin build.

He was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black face covering and gloves at the time of the robbery.

The second suspect is also described as male, approximately 5’11” and possibly a teenager, with a thin build.

He was wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, a blue face covering and gloves.

Authorities have issued a warning urging the public not to take any action to apprehend the suspects themselves.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455, saying “Law Enforcement” when prompted.

Please reference Case No. 4325195-ROBB.

All information provided will be kept strictly confidential, the Postal Inspection Service said.

Data shows dogs are a danger to letter carriers in D-FW

For at least 86 years, The Dallas Morning News has printed a similar story.

In 1938, the paper reported a superintendent of a post office wanted mail service suspended at homes with vicious dogs.

Two or three United State Postal Service letter carriers were bitten each week, he said.

He cited an instance where a letter carrier had died from a dog bite-induced infection to support his argument.

In 1967, The News spoke to Don R. Antoniello, who held the “dubious distinction” of being the 84th letter carrier who was attacked or bitten in Dallas in the past year.

From July 1974 to June 1975, the paper reported 61 mail carriers were bitten.

In 1982, a dog bit letter carrier Kathy Delmar, and her story earned a spot on the first page of the Metro section.

In 1995, dogs bit post workers Vangie Navarro and Don Doherty. In 1997, an unidentified Fort Worth letter carrier.

The pages of The News in the 2000s and the 2010s recount similar anecdotes.

But data from 2023 shows that after all these years, parts of North Texas continue to face the same issue.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area was one of the most dangerous in the state for letter carriers when it came to dog attacks last year, according to the USPS.

Dallas had the second-most dog attacks or bites on letter carriers in the state, and Fort Worth ranked fourth.

The cities had 39 and 23 attacks or bites, respectively.

“That’s their main threat … ever since the existence of a letter carrier. It hasn’t changed,” said Kimetra Lewis, president of the Dallas branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers. “Now, and we have to be more aware of other things, but dog bites are just like No. 1.”

In early June, the USPS held their 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign.

The postal service holds a similar campaign every year to educate dog owners and promote safe interactions between dogs and postal workers, said Lecia Hall, a USPS strategic communications specialist in Plano.

“Dog owners can help protect the carriers,” Hall said. “Our [campaign] for this year was, ‘Don’t let your dog bite the hand that serves you,’ you know, and the letter carriers are the people that are out there serving the customers.”

In 2023, there were more than 5,800 dog attacks on postal workers nationwide, which was an increase from the prior year.

Of these, 411 occurred in Texas.

Four cities in Texas are on the USPS’s list of the top 20 cities with the most dog attacks on letter carriers.

According to a letter to the editor written by Dallas Postmaster Daniel Reyes III, dogs bit an average of 15 letter carriers every day.

The USPS began campaigning about dog bite awareness in the mid-1980s according to a Dallas Morning News article written June 19, 1995.

About the time the campaigning started, the service counted 7,000 bites or attacks each year, the article said.

Both pet dogs and stray dogs can pose a threat, but Lewis said stray dogs are more likely to attack letter carriers.

Stray dogs are more common in certain parts of the city, such as the southern side of Dallas, Lewis said.

Letter carriers are advised to call animal control through the city’s 311 number to report stray or loose dogs.

Lewis said animal control needs to spend more time in the streets looking for stray dogs.

Marlo Clingman, the Dallas animal services marketing coordinator, said the city has 41 animal services officer positions, though five are currently vacant.

The organization uses data from phone calls, online forms and an app to set up patrols based on the volume of reports in certain areas, she said.

Animal services will then round up these dogs all at once.

In the month of May, animal services had about 7,000 calls, and they picked up 1,487 loose dogs, she said.

While Clingman did not comment on whether she thinks an increased animal service presence would lessen the number of stray dogs, she did say that people should call animal services through the city’s 311 number if they see a loose dog.

The city also has a survey about loose dogs that’s running through the end of July, she said.

While Lewis said these stray dogs pose a bigger threat to letter carriers, pet dogs can still be problematic, she said.

“I do think that the owners of the dogs are being real lax and not making sure that they’re properly contained,” Lewis said. “I’m a dog owner, so I don’t believe in a dog being on [a rope] or something tied into the backyard, but I do think that the customers need to be made more aware of making sure the dogs are contained.”

How to prevent bites, and what to do once they happen

As part of their yearly campaign, the USPS highlights measures dog owners and postal workers can take to prevent dog bites.

Owners should keep their dogs behind a fence, away from the door or in another room or on a leash, the USPS said in their news release.

Pet owners should remind children to not take mail directly from the letter carrier because the dog may view the letter carrier as a threat to the child.

If a dog does attack, letter carriers are trained to stand their ground and protect their bodies by placing something, such as their mail satchel, between their bodies and the dogs. If necessary, letter carriers will use dog repellent.

However, if a letter carrier feels their safety is at risk, they can bar delivery service to sections of a neighborhood until the dog is deemed safe. In these instances, mail will have to be picked up at the local post office.

When a dog bites a letter carrier, the postal service is obligated to pay injured workers for the 45 days following an injury if they opt for continuation of pay, Lewis said.

They can also file for federal workers compensation after suffering an injury on the job, according to Brad Parker, a Bedford attorney who has been working in personal injury law for almost 40 years.

They can also sue a third party — the dog owner — for the injury.

“One of the things that we really focus on on these cases is the fear, the sheer terror of being attacked by a dog,” Parker said.

According to the most recent information available from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555.

When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee, the USPS said.

“I am grateful that [the postal service does] take out the time to, you know, to talk to the letter carriers, to have safety talks, to advise them on ways to avoid being attacked and what they need to do in the event that they have they do get attacked by a dog,” Lewis said.

[artdecco531]

Following the Basics: Creative Designs for Paper Bags

When it comes to packaging, paper bags have transcended their conventional role and evolved into dynamic carriers of brand identity and style. This blog delves into the realm of innovative paper bag designs that go beyond the basics, transforming these utilitarian items into works of art that leave a lasting impression on customers. Let's explore the world of paper bags, where creativity knows no bounds, and design becomes a powerful tool for brand expression.

1. Artistic Embellishments: Turning Paper Bags into Masterpieces

Discover how paper bags are becoming canvases for artistic expression. From hand-drawn illustrations to intricate patterns, explore how brands are elevating the visual appeal of their paper bags.

2. Interactive Designs: Engaging Customers Beyond the Purchase

Explore paper bags with interactive elements that go beyond mere packaging. Uncover how augmented reality, QR codes, and other tech-driven features are creating immersive brand experiences for customers.

3. Origami-inspired Elegance: Folding Paper into Functional Art

Origami isn't limited to paper cranes. Unearth the elegance of origami-inspired paper bag designs that combine functionality with a touch of artistic flair, showcasing the potential of folded paper in packaging.

4. Die-Cut Delight: Creating Patterns and Shapes with Precision

Dive into the world of precision with die-cut paper bag designs. From intricate lace patterns to company logos, discover how die-cutting techniques are redefining the aesthetic possibilities of paper bags.

5. Transparent Sophistication: Incorporating Clear Elements

Explore the trend of incorporating transparent elements into paper bag designs. See how strategically placed windows or clear sections add sophistication and visual intrigue to packaging.

6. Minimalistic Marvels: The Beauty of Simplicity

In the pursuit of elegance, many brands are embracing minimalistic paper bag designs. Delve into how simplicity, clean lines, and subtle branding can create an understated yet powerful visual impact.

7. 3D Textures: Adding a Touch of Tactile Luxury

Take a tactile journey with paper bags featuring 3D textures. Whether it's embossed patterns, raised lettering, or textured finishes, discover how these designs enhance the sensory experience of packaging.

8. Upcycled Chic: Breathing New Life into Old Materials

Witness the rise of upcycled paper bag designs that champion sustainability. Explore how brands are repurposing materials creatively to craft eco-friendly and stylish packaging solutions.

9. Pop Culture References: Infusing Bags with Personality

Uncover paper bag designs inspired by pop culture. From movie references to trending memes, explore how brands are infusing their packaging with a touch of personality and cultural relevance.

10. Whimsical Shapes: Breaking Free from Rectangular Conformity

Break away from traditional shapes and sizes. Discover how brands are experimenting with whimsical, non-traditional shapes to make their paper bags stand out in the crowd.

11. Dual-Purpose Designs: From Bag to Another Function

Explore innovative paper bags that serve a dual purpose. From transforming into posters to unfolding into reusable items, discover designs that extend the utility of these bags beyond the point of purchase.

12. Cultural Fusion: Infusing Heritage into Design

See how paper bags are becoming canvases for cultural expression. Explore designs that celebrate heritage, incorporating traditional patterns, colors, and symbols to create a unique brand identity.

Elevating Branding through Innovative Paper Bags

In the world of retail, paper bags are no longer just vessels for carrying purchases—they are a canvas for artistic expression and brand identity. As we've explored these innovative designs, it becomes evident that paper bags have the potential to transcend expectations, leaving a lasting impression on customers and enhancing the overall retail experience. As brands continue to push the boundaries of creativity, the humble paper bag evolves into a powerful tool for communication and self-expression.

[conundrumoftime]

Dear Unsent Letters Writer

Hello and thank you so much for writing for me! Please think of all my prompts for the tags as suggestions rather than things I’ve got my heart set on - as long as you avoid my DNWs, I’m happy if write whatever calls to you. I’ve got a broader likes/DNWs section here and then some specifics for each fandom.

Silmarillion: 

Melian and Sauron - Maiar bickering calls to my very soul. This could be during the time Melian's in Doriath (maybe Sauron is trying to formally negotiate on Morgoth’s behalf? Or maybe he’s just annoyed that she gets to have her own kingdom in Middle-earth but he’s in the Velar’s bad books?) Maybe Sauron's writing a report on Melian and her activities for Morgoth, or maybe they both keep diaries about their existence in Middle-earth. Or maybe a later Sauron is writing something to about Melian after she's left Middle-earth for good? 

Maedhros & Any of the Sons of Feanor - I’d love a glimpse into Maedhros’s mind when he’s still trying to get an alliance together to fight Morgoth - how frustrating must it be when your own brothers are making life harder? Or maybe something later, letters to or diary entries about brothers that have died (this can include Amrod (or Amras!) dying when the ships burn if you want). Or maybe it’s a last letter left behind for Maglor.

Fingon/Maedhros - Maybe Maedhros writing something about or unsent to Fingon after the Feanorians arrive in Beleriand, and Maedhros realises they are not in fact sending the ships back for the others; maybe Fingon writing something from the ice during the same time. Or maybe an exchange between them later on? I’m more into angst than fluff for them, but I am more than happy with them genuinely loving each other and saying so despite all else that is happening.

Babylon 5:

Delenn & Susan Ivanova - love them both, love angst and tragedy, love anything that dives into Delenn’s somewhat turbulent past and how she feels about that (or how she feels about anyone else learning about that). They must have so much to talk about after Sheridan’s death. Or maybe it’s a letter sent in s5, after Ivanova leaves? Or maybe earlier on - what if Ivanova had found out some of what Sinclair was looking into (what does ‘Satai’ mean, etc) - what would Delenn do or say?

Marcus Cole/Susan Ivanova - while a big fan of the tragedy here, I am also 100% up for a canon-divergence happily ever after in their case, whichever you’d prefer!

For All Mankind:

Margo Madison/Sergei Nikulov - I’d love something early on when they’re not admitting their feelings but still trying to find out whether the other one stands. Or perhaps later on in the lead to the end of Season 3. (I haven’t yet seen all of Season 4, so if you could keep canon events as s3-and-earlier timeframe that would be lovely!)

Ghosts:

Margot Fawcett/Julian Fawcett - would love any take on Julian writing to her after his death, especially if it mentions the political career of their daughter (good for you, Rachel!)

Star Trek: DS9:

Elim Garak & Odo: Anything, at any point, Terok Nor era or DS9 era. I just love their canon interactions.

Jadzia Dax & Kira Nerys: I love Dax’s interest in matchmaking and getting a bit too involved in other people’s relationships, and I’d love to hear more about what she thinks of Kira’s.

Baldur’s Gate:

Dammon & Karlach, Dammon/Karlach: I’d love her to write back to him after the version of the epilogue in which he writes to her. I’d also love to read anything before that - maybe he’s writing to her to find out more about her engine works while still trying to fix it, and gets to know and like her better as they exchange letters that way?

Gale & Tara: Assuming Tara has some way to send a message (maybe that’s why she ended up catching the carrier pigeons), what would she write to Gale when they were apart? What does she think about Mystra, or about Gale’s plans? 

Original works:

Here I’d be happy to receive whatever strikes you as interesting and fun to write! I love anything that includes people having different angles on the past; rivals having more in common than they like to admit; people dealing with guilt; people dealing with the weight of their own history or the expectations of their role/culture/world; or all forms of bickering.

Likes, DNWs, and ‘everyone DNWs this but I love it’s:

General likes: Angst, complicated feelings, stories that dive into a character and what motivates them, questions of loyalty and of how the past affects the present. Happy with any degree of smut from ‘none at all’ to ‘E-rated’. Other things I like in fics: parenthood/kidfic (prefer if it’s about the emotional feels of the adult characters rather than cute kid things); canonverse AUs of the ‘what if this thing happened differently?’ variety; worldbuilding in fantasy/sci-fi fandoms; and established relationships being complicated. 

DNWs: Non-canonverse AUs (canon divergence is fine); bashing of characters or ships (individual characters can like who they like but I’d prefer the narrative wasn’t weighing in behind them); traumatic birth or pregnancy loss; noncon as a major plot element (dubcon is fine); heavy dom/sub dynamics with a male dom and female sub; underage; watersports and scat.

Things that are often DNWed that I like and you are welcome to write for me: Infidelity, preferably in the sense of overlapping pairings and feelings for multiple people (not if it’s infidelity to get one ship out of the way); first- and second-person POV; ambiguous endings; pregnancy; sibling incest.

[divyaastro-ashram]

Chanting Your Way to Success: Manifesting Dreams through Numerology in Your Name

In the mystical realm of numerology, your name becomes more than a mere identifier—it becomes a potent tool for manifesting your dreams. Unlock the secrets hidden within the letters of your name and harness their vibrational energy with the wisdom of astrology.

Meaning of Numbers in Name

1. Leadership and Independence

Individuals with a prominent "1" in their name exhibit leadership qualities and a strong desire for independence. This number signifies innovation, originality, and a pioneering spirit.

2. Harmony and Cooperation

The presence of "2" reflects a penchant for harmony, cooperation, and diplomacy. Those influenced by this number often thrive in partnerships and collaborative efforts, valuing balance and unity.

3. Creativity and Expression

"3" signifies creativity, self-expression, and a vibrant personality. Individuals with this number in their name often excel in artistic pursuits, communication, and social interactions.

4. Stability and Structure

A name with a significant "4" suggests a preference for stability, order, and building a strong foundation. Individuals with this number value practicality and seek to establish solid structures in their lives.

5. Freedom and Adaptability

Those with the influence of "5" enjoy freedom, adventure, and adaptability. This number signifies a desire for exploration, versatility, and the ability to embrace change with enthusiasm.

6. Nurturing and Compassion

"6" embodies a nurturing and compassionate energy. Individuals with this number in their name often excel in roles that involve caregiving, family dynamics, and creating harmonious environments.

7. Wisdom and Introspection

A name with a significant "7" suggests a pursuit of wisdom, introspection, and a deep understanding of the mysteries of life. This number is associated with spiritual growth and analytical prowess.

8. Abundance and Power

"8" is linked to abundance, material success, and power. Individuals with this number often possess strong business acumen and the ability to manifest prosperity in various aspects of life.

9. Humanitarianism and Compassionate Leadership

The presence of "9" signifies humanitarianism, compassion, and visionary leadership. Individuals influenced by this number are often driven by a desire to make a positive impact on the world.

 

Understanding the numerical composition of a name provides insights into the inherent qualities and tendencies of an individual. Each number brings a unique set of characteristics, shaping the personality and guiding the life path of the person associated with that particular vibrational energy.

Deciphering Your Destiny Number

In numerology, numbers hold profound significance, serving as energetic symbols that influence various aspects of life. Each number is associated with unique vibrations and qualities, shaping the characteristics of individuals, names, and words. The study of numbers, or numerology, involves decoding these vibrations to gain insights into personality traits, life paths, and even potential outcomes. From the pioneering energy of number 1 to the humanitarian essence of number 9, each number carries its own set of attributes. Numerology enthusiasts analyze the numerical composition of names, dates, and events to unveil hidden meanings and better understand the cosmic energies at play in the universe. The recognition of numbers as symbolic carriers of energy is a central tenet in numerous spiritual and metaphysical traditions, providing a framework for self-discovery, guidance, and a deeper connection to the mysteries of existence.

The Harmonic Resonance of Letters

Every letter in your name resonates with a specific numerical value, contributing to the overall vibrational composition. Analyzing these vibrations unveils potential imbalances or blockages that may impede your journey.

1 (A, J, S)

"A," "J," and "S" all correspond to the number 1, symbolizing leadership, initiative, and individuality.

2 (B, K, T)

"B," "K," and "T" reflect the qualities of harmony, cooperation, and balance associated with the number 2.

3 (C, L, U)

"C," "L," and "U" carry the numeric value of 3, representing creativity, self-expression, and sociability.

4 (D, M, V)

"D," "M," and "V" align with the number 4, symbolizing stability, practicality, and a solid foundation.

5 (E, N, W)

"E," "N," and "W" hold the numeric value of 5, representing freedom, adaptability, and a dynamic approach to life.

6 (F, O, X)

"F," "O," and "X" correspond to the number 6, embodying nurturing qualities, compassion, and a focus on family.

7 (G, P, Y)

"G," "P," and "Y" align with the number 7, symbolizing wisdom, introspection, and a quest for deeper understanding.

8 (H, Q, Z)

"H," "Q," and "Z" carry the numeric value of 8, associated with abundance, power, and material success.

9 (I, R):

"I" and "R" correspond to the number 9, embodying humanitarianism, compassion, and visionary leadership.

 

Understanding the shared numerical values of similar letters provides insights into the common qualities and energies associated with each group. This grouping allows for a simplified approach to interpreting names and words in numerology, providing a clearer understanding of the vibrational influences they carry. 

 

Mantras as Cosmic Frequencies

 Numerology advocates the transformative power of mantras associated with each number. Chanting these mantras creates a resonance with the cosmic frequencies aligned to your aspirations. For instance, invoking the "Shri Lakshmi Gayatri Mantra" (linked to number 8) may pave the way for financial abundance, aligning your energy with the desired manifestation.

Name Adjustments

While changing your legal name might be extreme,  numerology suggests subtle adjustments to amplify its cosmic potency. Incorporate middle names with favourable numerical values, adopt nicknames resonating with your Destiny Number, or use specific names for different aspects of your life's journey. These adjustments act as a fine-tuning mechanism for enhancing the influence of your name.

Empowering Intent through Words

Craft personalized affirmations rooted in the numerology of your name. If your name harbours strong communication elements (number 3), affirmations like "My words carry power and influence, attracting my desired connections" amplify your confidence and intention. Regularly affirming these positive statements reinforces your alignment with the energetic blueprint of your name.

Remember

Tool, Not Guarantee

 Numerology serves as a guiding tool, not a guarantee. Success in manifesting dreams requires sustained effort, a positive mindset, and aligned actions tailored to your unique numerological composition.

Consultation Matters

Seek guidance from a qualified professional for personalized insights and recommendations specific to your name and aspirations. Their expertise unveils nuances that enhance your manifestation journey.

Respect the Essence

Understand the limitations of your Destiny Number. While adjustments can refine your path, attempting to alter your core essence is counterproductive. Embrace your unique vibrational makeup as a foundation for growth.

 

The Bottom Line

By harmonizing the numerological vibrations embedded in your name and embracing conscious practices aligned with wisdom, you transform your name into a powerful mantra. Let the energies encoded in each letter guide you on a journey of manifestation, where your aspirations dance in rhythm with the cosmic vibrations charted by astrology.