#more standalone stories

[being-of-rain]

pretty covers!

[unproduciblesmackdown]

Lackadaisy Enrichment

[forcedhesitation]

this is going to be pure word vomit, but wow. okafor being as important to the entire story of the ones who live despite dying in the first episode was insane and incredible writing. the parallel between him and rick coming full circle at the end, with rick remembering the last thing okafor said before dying and not letting beale manipulate him at the echelon meeting. okafor retroactively being revealed to have never "died" as rick never really did, deep down, because he warned rick about the sword. the ONLY time he snapped was when rick insisted he had nothing, because he didn't have nothing. he always kept his wife's sacrifice in mind, just as rick always kept michonne in mind, even after he chose to "die," because he did this not being able to escape, but he could at least still build a better future for michonne and their children. rick switching sides, just like okafor did, and destroying the CRM's army to save everyone else. the story about rick's father and the burning crops...and okafor being someone who was someone who was researching and growing crops, whereas beale was stealing resources from other communities and destroying them. like okafor knew the CRM had to be destroyed so something new could grow, and he genuinely had a plan to do that and saw a future where more could grow, but beale only ever saw destruction in the future and used violence so that his own community could grow. beale telling rick that both the walkers and them are dead, whereas okafor told rick that all people are his people, everyone alive. beale had spies in other communities to help keep him informed and to help destroy those communities, whereas okafor trusted rick and told him the truth plainly, despite this going against beale's aims and potentially endangering his life, and rick finding his strength in trusting michonne, and lack of trust being what undoes thorne and jadis.

i'm just. wow. donald okafor the perfect morally grey character that you are ....

[puppyeared]

what if i snapped and made an oc carrd

[rat-withapencil]

I finished Bioshock 2, I wouldn't say I'm a fan but the combat was fun. Fanart be upon ye

[skrunksthatwunk]

frostbitten

(alt versions under the cut)

different color scheme:

full pages of both:

anyway haha. who's feeling normal about this scene. me probably

[whispers-of-masser]

Dragon's Tongue

✧ Nebarra x human!LDB, ft. Xelzaz & Khash ✧ Fluff, minor angst; 1300+ words ♫ "You And I (Stripped)" - PVRIS ✒ Something short n sweet today, I'm feeling soft

Nebarra was loath to admit it to himself, and he'd die before ever saying it aloud, but the Rift really was beautiful. Nothing compared to Alinor, to be sure, but... all the gold reminded him of home. And when he passed by a small, isolated farm, he could almost see himself on its porch, see his brother leaning against the door.

The illusions were younger, happier versions of themselves. So much more innocent, faces bright with naivety, eyes shining with plans for the future.

And then he'd gone to war.

He'd lost... so much of himself, in the deserts of Hammerfell. They had scorched and burned him inside and out, slowly bleeding him dry with every comrade he saw fall. And all that, for what? For all the Altmer's supposed superiority, the campaign had failed on all fronts – Hammerfell's walls and people defied them, and Cyrodiil remained in power, weakened but still unbroken.

How could the Thalmor still strut about, arrogant to Aetherius and back, when they had failed so miserably? How could they look at the faces of the families whose children and lovers they'd sent to die and only tell them they'd "served their purpose"?

Nebarra couldn't.

He couldn't face them at all. Not even through pen and paper, leagues away from ever having to look them in the eyes, ever having to see the pain and loss in their gaze.

Where the Thalmor were heartless, he was a coward.

And he didn't know which was worse.

~~~

Night fell, and you called the group to halt, to make camp until dawn. Nebarra set up the tent as you argued with Xelzaz, trying to convince him that no, he shouldn't summon a flame atronach and then kill it for its fire salts, no matter how good it would make dinner taste. Khash merely looked on, muching on some clover she'd picked up somewhere.

At last though, you got Xelzaz to relent, though he asked you to gather some herbs in exchange, listing off the plants he wanted you to find.

"Ah... and take Nebarra with you."

The elf froze. Turned slowly towards the lizard. Demanded, "What? Why?"

"Two eyes are better than one," he shrugged, "and that much safer, as well. We don't know what's out there, and I'm pretty sure we passed a necromantic altar on our way here."

At that, you groaned, head rolling back like a teenager who'd just been told to do their chores. "Gods, not another one. Why do we always seem to run into those?"

"Luck of the Dragonborn? Anyway, off with you now – I have to get set up. Let's see, in whose pack did I leave my cooking pot...? Khash! Come help me with this!"

And just like that he walked off, leaving you and Nebarra alone by the campfire. A chuckle escaped you, and he glanced over to see you shaking your head. "I'm surprised he didn't tell us to hold hands, too, so we don't lose each other in the dark."

"Yeah, I'm not holding your hand," Nebarra snarked. And it was true. Absolutely true. Totally, one-hundred percent true.

"Oh wow, Nebs, that one almost hurt." Your soft laugh seemed to echo in his ears, his mind. "Come on, let's go – I don't suppose you heard any of the plants he wants?"

Blue and yellow mountain flowers, to restore and fortify. Purple for rejuvenation, and to give to Khash. Scaly pholiota for fiber and strengthening. Wild gourds and dragon's togue for flavour.

He snorted from behind his helm. "That would require paying attention to him."

"Should have known," you sighed. "Alright, listen up before I forget: blue, yellow, and purple mountain flowers, scaly pholiota, and dragon's tongue. And be careful with the purple mountain flowers, they're gifts for Khash. Oh, he also wants some wild gourds. Got it?"

"...Yeah, yeah. Let's just get going."

He definitely hadn't feigned ignorance just to hear your voice some more. Definitely not.

~~~

"Ah, back at last! Perfect," Xelzaz said, stirring something in a pot over the fire. "Now I can get the real meal started."

"Then what's this?" Nebarra demanded as Xelzaz handed him a bowl, in exchange for the plants the Altmer carried. Even through his gauntlets he could feel its warmth, and a rich, savory scent drifted up through the slits of his helmet.

"Something amazing, from the smell," you sighed, and Nebarra didn't have to look to know you were drooling.

"Just a little sometime to hold you over," the Argonian demurred, handing you a bowl as well. "Thought I'd experiment with some of the flora I've gathered thus far."

That gave Nebarra pause. "Wait – experiment? That's settled, I'm not eating this."

"If you don't want it–"

Your words were drowned out by Khash's eager shout of, "I'll eat it! I'll take your bowl!" She rushed over to him, red eyes trained on the food.

"Khash, you had your share," Xelzaz chided. "Any more and you won't have room for the rest of dinner."

"Yes, I will! I have room for anything you make."

"She's got a point," you laughed, and Nebarra slowly, wordlessly handed her the bowl.

"I'll go keep watch," he grumbled, turning away.

"Oh, don't be like that! Nebarra!" When he didn't respond, you sighed, calling after him, "Alright, go sulk! I'll make sure Xelzaz doesn't poison your share, though you kind of deserve it!"

His back still towards you, Nebarra raised his hand in a rude gesture, and your laughter rang through the night.

Some thirty minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching; he didn't need to turn to know it was you. Your tread was distinct from the others, weighted with determination and confidence, whereas Xelzaz's was soft and steady, and Khash's light and hesitant.

"Here. Eat." Despite the short words, your tone was gentle, and Nebarra looked over to see you holding a plate out towards him, laden with a slab of meat and wild berries to the side. "It's delicious, and unpoisoned."

"How would you know?" he sniffed, catching a whiff of the food in the process. It... did smell amazing. "Did you try it?"

"I did, actually. Stole some of your steak when Xelzaz wasn't looking. And since I'm still standing here pestering you, I guess that means it's clean."

Nebarra paused, eyes training on your face. Half of it was wreathed in shadow, only the gleam of your eyes visible; the other half was illuminated by the campfire, revealing the soft smile you wore.

You... had a nice smile.

And before he could stop himself, he mumbled, "You're not... pestering me."

Surprise flickered in your gaze – surprise, and something else. Something he told himself he didn't recognise, refused to recognise.

After a moment, you said softly, "That's... good to hear, then. Because I have something else for you, too." Reaching down with your free hand, you pulled something from your belt and held it out before him. "I saved one, 'cause it reminded me of you."

Nebarra stared. There, held gently between your fingers, was a dragon's tongue flower, petals open wide and colours vibrant in full bloom. "This... reminded you of me?"

"It's gold. Just like you."

"...You really do have trouble with your eyesight, don't you? These are orange."

"Eh, close enough." You shrugged, the smile never leaving your face.

Slowly, Nebarra reached out and, ignoring the plate of food, took the flower carefully, delicately from your grasp, cradling it in his palm. "...Am I supposed to say thank you?"

"You just did." As he raised a brow from the shadows of his helm, you set the plate on a nearby rock and tapped the gauntlet that held the flower. "You accepted it."

He couldn't deny it. "Think you got me all figured out then, huh?"

Something in your smile shifted, your gaze flickering. "No. Not yet, anyways. But... I think I'd like to." And with that, you turned on your heel and walked away, leaving him alone in the dark, stunned.

And that night, as he sat in the shadows of the campfire, he stared at the flower for a long, long time.

[fracturediron]

I was already half-expecting them to not stick the landing on the ending as it felt things were getting a bit rushed, but I wasn't expecting them to try and hook a second season with a bullshit cliffhanger

[yiangchen]

i'm actually so obsessed with the sequencing on guts. we start off with all american bitch, which is all about the frustrations of being a girl and feeling boxed in by society. it's the perfect intro into the album. then bad idea right starts off the story, where olivia is aware she's making a mistake reconnecting with an ex but does it anyway. in vampire we find out why it was a mistake and that this person was just using her and taking advantage of her innocence/naivety. part of the reason that she fell into this person's trap is explained in lacy, which introduces her struggles with worshipping girls that are prettier than her, causing her to seek the validation of an older guy. with ballad of a homeschooled girl, the downward spiral continues and she's listing all of her mistakes (but in a fun way), and by making the bed, she admits that she's partly to blame for what's happened (but in a sad way). she's choosing to party and hang around people that don't give a fuck about her, and she's pushing away her real friends who would want her to snap out of it. she's aware she's fucking up, but she can't bring herself to do anything about it, so she keeps on making the same mistakes and blaming herself. logical continues that train of thought, about how she's partially responsible for her pain, but specifically in relation to (who i assume is) the same guy from vampire. she gets angry again in get him back, and she's so conflicted, wanting to hurt him and be with him again all at the same time, which is kind of embarrassing, leading into love is embarrassing, but in grudge, we learn that she's just not ready to let go yet. pretty isn't pretty brings us back to her insecurities aka the reasons why she's let societal expectations and boys hold so much power and control over her. finally, teenage dream ends the album with her wondering if she's wasted her teenage years yearning to be older and wiser, and fearing that "it will get better" is a myth, which is literally the reason for her struggles throughout the album, bringing everything full circle i-

[not-another-doctor]

1 and 3 are the clear best starting pointts for Classic Who and I've been trying to watch both but I think I like watching 3 more and I feel bad cuz I DO plan on eventually coming back but I might go through 3-7 before then and do 1-2 so it feels like not giving 2 a chance.

Do I just watch a couple of his serials and see if I can avoid any big arcs? Or does 2 have a good starting point that I can watch knowing only a bit about 1? I'm okay with coming back but I wanted to give both 1 and 2 a chance before I did ya know?

[theflyingfeeling]

Thirteenth Day of Gift-Giving: Characters

Prompt: A student who keeps falling falls asleep in the library

Ta-da! It's a University/College AU! With a surprise guest! 🥰

~

With a mix of horror and worry, Aleksi watched Robin sip his at RedBull: as far as he was concerned, the guy didn't need any more energy than the amount he was born with.

“So! The deadline for the project is…” Robin said, scrolling on his computer mouse vigorously. 

“In four and half weeks,” Aleksi filled him in with a subtle sigh. He knew Robin preferred to take his sweet time due to his dyslexia, but even still, Aleksi thought starting the preparations for their upcoming presentation a month in advance was a tad too early.

“Brilliant! We’re right on schedule. Should we start with collecting the background literature? I recently discovered this amazing database with audio aids that I think we could definitely–”

Robin’s sentence was cut short when the door to the study pod they had booked for the afternoon opened and in walked an exhausted-looking character who Aleksi had longed to see the whole day – never mind the fact he had woken up right next to him that very morning.

"Oh! Hi there," he greeted the newcomer, who proceeded to move Aleksi’s backpack on the floor and almost collapsed on the bench Aleksi was sitting on, making himself a nest of the flannel jacket Aleksi had laid there. Without saying a word, the silent character rested his head on Aleksi’s lap and nuzzled his cheek against Aleksi's thigh before exhaling deeply and closing his eyes.

Looking back up to his coursemate, Aleksi saw Robin’s eyes round with confusion at the sudden appearance of the intruder.

“My boyfriend,” Aleksi told him. Only then it occurred to him that during the many discussions he had had with Robin about their lives in and outside university throughout the semester, the topic of relationships had never come up before. Mentally Aleksi crossed his fingers and toes in hopes of Robin not having a problem with Aleksi dating a guy, even if nothing in his behaviour had ever implied such a thing.

“Ah!” The creases on Robin’s forehead disappeared the instant he heard Aleksi’s explanation. “Right. Anyway! The database I found is suuuuuuuper helpful, I think you should take a look, hold on, let me email you the link…”

Aleksi couldn’t hold back the relieved smile and let Robin babble on about this new ‘treasure trove’ he had discovered. In the meantime, Aleksi slid a hand under the table and into his boyfriend’s hair, giving his scalp a few gentle rubs.

“You alright?” he asked under his voice, glancing down at Olli.

“Tired. Headache.”

Olli’s answer made Aleksi easen his touch on Olli immediately, softly caressing his head instead of massaging it.

“Hungry?”

Olli nodded.

“There’s a Tupla bar in my backpack.”

The prospect of getting some sugar in his system had Olli sitting up with sluggish movements to rummage Aleksi’s backpack in search of the promised chocolate. Once he had located it, he tore the package in half with a snap and gave the other half to Aleksi. 

On the other side of the table, Robin was looking at them, his eyebrows tilted with concern. 

“Do you wanna take a break or…”

“No, it’s fine,” Aleksi reassured him, then nudged Olli. “We’re working on an assignment, so I can meet you later if you wanna go–”

“Can I stay?” Even with a mouth full of sweet chocolate, Olli’s voice sounded downright miserable.

Aleksi glanced at Robin, who shrugged. In Aleksi’s books it was as good as yes.

“Sure, if you’d rather. I don’t know how long we’ll take and how comfortable you’ll be able to make yourself here though, but–”

“Would this be of help? For lack of a blanket.” Over the table, Robin was passing his woollen scarf, so large that one could barely see his face when he had it wrapped around his neck.

Touched by Robin’s gesture, Aleksi flashed him a small smile. “That’ll do, I think. Thanks.”

Aleksi turned back to Olli just in time to witness him licking his fingers clean off melted chocolate. The sight was mesmerising, but for Robin’s sake, Aleksi forced himself to look away and open the email Robin had just sent him to keep himself focused on their project instead of daydreaming about tending to his boyfriend later that night.

Having finished his snack, Olli unfolded the scarf Robin had offered him and pulled it on himself as he lay down on the bench again, using Aleksi’s thigh as his pillow. If Aleksi hadn’t scheduled this group-work meeting with Robin weeks ago already, he would’ve ditched his coursemate on the spot to take Olli home and laze about in bed next to him until he’d feel more like himself again. Now, with Olli already on the verge of dozing off on him, he had to settle for just playing with Olli’s soft curls until he could feel Olli’s breathing becoming deeper and less frequent. When Aleksi was sure Olli was sound asleep, he caressed Olli’s temple one last time with his thumb and went back to business with Robin.

~*~

It was ten minutes to the closing time of the library when Aleksi finally had the heart to nudge Olli awake – or rather pamper him awake, by stroking his forearm with enough force to rouse him, yet gently enough to not alarm him too suddenly.

Rubbing his eyes, Olli turned to his back and looked up at Aleksi.

“Feeling any better?”

“A little.”

Aleksi moved his hand to pet Olli’s belly as the man’s sleepy eyes travelled around the study pod.

“Where’s your friend?”

“Robin just left.” Aleksi didn’t think it necessary to tell Olli that ‘just’ in this context meant ‘nearly an hour ago’.

“He forgot his scarf.”

“Yeah, I’ll give it back to him tomorrow.” In truth, Aleksi had tried to give it back to Robin earlier, but Olli’s grip on his makeshift blanket had been so tight that Robin had told him not to worry about it. To make up for having Robin walk back home in -10 degrees with no scarf, Aleksi had insisted Robin should take the remaining half of his chocolate bar, having to practically throw it at him when the man kept refusing the gesture, overly polite (and just frustratingly nice) as he was.

Still visibly minding his head and neck, Olli sat up, his curls all tangled from Aleksi’s fingers having fondled them for hours. His face was sleepy and soft, and Aleksi would’ve pulled him in for a kiss if he hadn’t just seen the campus library guard doing rounds at the other end of the corridor. He gave Olli a quick peck on the corner of his mouth instead. 

“Home?” he suggested. A light lit up in Olli’s eyes; a small smile tugged on the corner of his lips where Aleksi’s had just kissed him.

“Please,” Olli answered, stealing a kiss from Aleksi in return.

[fiddles-ifs]

will this be a standalone?

Nope! Greenwarden has two books planned!

[vaguely-concerned]

This is a really interesting panel with the developers at Summerfall studios, giving some cool insight into how the process of making the game worked! it helped me put some words to the thing I maybe loved the most about Stray Gods -- the way that every single character in it feels very deeply loved, in all their messiness and struggles and stuckness, all the way from the writing to the art to the music. They're very different but all feel like they were somebody's favourite character, and it's nice to hear that that seems to be because it's basically true lol

Austin Wintory also has some great videos on his channel breaking down the nitty gritty of how on earth you make an interactive musical that works, as well as looking deeper at different songs and explaining things like why there're four official versions of the soundtrack (!)

[just-horrible-things]

The Pursuit of Understanding

By the time Melis works up the courage to say anything, Tess is almost done. She’s bent over the limp body with the laser focus of an artist, stitching closed the crude incisions and tying the threads off one by one.

Melis feels a little queasy, watching.

“I don’t want us to do this anymore,” she says flatly. Tess doesn’t look up. “You don’t want me to learn medicine?” she asks, soft voice melodic as ever. “Not if it means — cutting live people apart.” “It’s not cruel,” Tess responds. “She didn’t feel anything. She’s not conscious.”

Indeed, the first thing Tess did when they recovered the injured pirate was feed deeply, until the crying and struggling stopped and the warm undertones of the woman’s skin turned to a dead, greyish hue.

“You don’t know that,” Melis challenges. “What if she’s still feeling it, but just too weak to move?” “She’s feeling no pain,” Tess responds with placid confidence. “I know, because I can fix that.” “What do you mean?” “We were engineered to be battlefield medics. I secrete a natural injectable opioid. I can show you, once I’ve finished these stitches. If you’d like. It won’t do you any harm.” “I don’t know why you’re bothering to stitch her up,” Melis grouses. “She’s going to die anyway.”

She does know why. Practice. 

“She has to die,” Tess points out. “She’d have killed us if she had the chance.” “Doesn’t mean you have to…. treat her like so much meat. I don’t like it.” “Okay.”

A shrug, and the would-be surgeon puts down the needle and thread. She lifts her victim’s arm, and puts her mouth to the inside of the shoulder. Her jaw moves as she bites down, and then swallows, and swallows.

Melis swallows too, trying to clear the bile from her throat. 

At least the poor woman is dead now.

Up close, Tess is almost impossibly slender – besides the slight swell of her engorged stomach. Her wrists are narrow as a child’s, her shoulders barely half the width of Melis’s. She looks like she should break in a strong wind. But Melis is acutely aware of the sharp talons that curve from her fingertips, the fangs behind her perfectly sculpted lips.

“I have to bite you,” she says softly. “The painkillers are injected like venom from a snake. But I won’t hurt you.”

Melis wants nothing less. It’s not consent but a panicked freeze that stops her from pulling away. Tess takes her wrist ever so gently and carefully pushes the sleeve back to expose the skin. Her claws touch lightly enough to leave no scratches. 

She can’t still be hungry, Melis tells herself frantically. She’s just fed, she can’t still be hungry. She’s never been anything but friendly towards Melis, there’s no reason to turn on her now…

The points of those killing teeth brush across the skin, then there’s a pinprick of pain, and then – 

– then a warm, tingling, intensely pleasant sensation that washes across her wrist and starts to creep back up the vein towards her heart.

“Oh,” she says, “oh, I don’t –” I don’t like that, she wants to say. She didn’t consent to this.

But she does like it.

It’s like soaking in a hot bath at the end of a hard day’s work, it’s like silk sheets against clean skin, it’s like – like nothing else.

In mere seconds it washes across her entire body. And with it comes the most profound sense of peace and well-being and oneness with the world.

“I’m not cruel,” Tess says softly. Her eyes are aquamarines, soft and lovely with gentle concern. “I’d never hurt anyone who didn’t want to hurt us. And they don’t suffer. It’s like they die when I bite them. They don’t feel any of the rest.”

Melis wouldn’t mind dying like this. Nothing could be bad, when the world is so beautiful.

“I’m just borrowing the bodies. I’m doing it for us, Melis. I want to be able to help you, if you’re ever hurt.”

Tess cares for her, and Melis can’t understand how she ever doubted her.

“Okay,” she whispers. “I can do it where you don’t have to see. I never wanted to upset you. But you understand, don’t you?” “I understand.”

Of course she does. Anything for Tess.

[amarillokidding]

nobody's ready for my new original story I've been working on. It's craazzzeeyyyyy...

[waterloggedsoliloquy]

my next two tentative graphic novels are A Tragedy and a monster movie lol