#thank you to the folks who gave me ideas on that post also!!

[cogaytes]

@arson-anarchy-death @camelspit

tagging @aphelea who saw me beginning to think this out and @bronte-deserves-better because he doesn't get a choice <3

[yugsly]

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO BE KIND, MY NEIGHBOR...

It was easier to do this as a twitter thread, but hey, let's give it a shot here too.

It's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since my very first comic Be Kind, My Neighbor officially came out! INSANE! So, I would like to take the time to celebrate by making a funny little post.

First of all, I want to thank Silver Sprocket for taking a chance on me and publishing this niche crazy ass book. Y'all are such incredibly kind and cool people! I'm so happy to be working with y'all again on my next project, too.

Next, I want to thank everyone who read my comic... I've gotten so many sweet messages from y'all over the past year, and it warms my heart. Especially the messages from fellow trans folk who said they felt seen by my comic. You have no idea how happy that makes me!!

I ALSO want to thank all of you that made incredible fan-works this past year. I am FLOORED. Here is a selection of VERY special physical fanworks people gave me!

Dolls by @strangegutz (go here for better photos!), figures by @cadavercrafts, paper doll by @rockabillybun, and Viktor by @imp-panada.

Making BKMN as my first comic was def a learning experience- drawing 496 pages in under 1.5 years... whoosh! I won't lie, I definitely rushed myself super hard! I felt like I was running up against an invisible clock! And it shows- but that's okay, I've learned for next time! I'll take my time with things! I'm kind of rambling now... but YEAH! Thank you SO MUCH everyone, it's insane to me that y'all are still so avidly talking about it to this day. I love COMICS! I love MAKING COMICS. Can't wait for y'all to read my next one! PEACE!!

[tac-bat]

You know what I love? I love that the valley twins aren’t carbon copies from each other!!!

and you might be wondering, well how exactly? I’ll show you!!!!! (Because I’ve spent way to much time staring at them, also this post is very long) (and i use old concept art names to refer to them as such, its just what i'm used to, they aren't cannon)

Body types

different body types! Sah (spike hair) has more wide shoulders than Mekh (flat hair). And because of this, Sah has the most slay snatched waist I’ve ever seen JEBEJVDHE even mekh's waist isint as snatched

Prosthetic's

If you don’t already know (and I don’t blame you) the twins have prosthetic arms on where their eyes are missing. (They’re practically invisible in their cutscene, and even their pin doesn’t have them, I hate it.) anyways they both have different patterns!

Mekh’s, is more detailed, has a shoulder decoration and generally more to it.

And Sahs’ is more simple, it gets the job done. I feel like from the look on their prosthetic's alone you can get an idea of their tastes :3

Another quick think but it also seems Mekh’s uniform is sleeveless on the side of where their prosthetic is! Sah has both of their sleeves. I wonder why?

Gloves

Even their gloves are different! Sah’s glove (left) for their prosthetic is thumbless, the other fingerless. When both of Mekh’s (left) gloves are fingerless!

A detail i'm not sure off, but it also seems like the gloves on both twins prosthetic's are bunched up more compare to the gloves on their live arms.

Sticks

I noticed this on my recent eden trip that the sticks the twins hold when you complete the constellation are different too!! Mekh's stick on the ends have more width, and Sah’s is more consistent with width. Which is just— so fucking cool!! They have their own sticks!!!!! They’re not just copy and paste!!!!!!!!

Stances

this isint leaked, this was a wip from their orbit gift animation by Ari Flesch from his artstation account (who made the animation) which i've linked.

Anyways different stances!!! Mekh has their feet together when Sah doesn't! You can also see what I mean about the ends of their sticks having different width's much clearer!!!

Sah’s Cracked Mask

My fav detail is Sah’s mask (also not in the pin and invisible in cutscenes), they have a crack over their eye when Mekh doesn’t! This small detail has gave me so many evil ideas on how they got it and it makes me wonder HOW it even happened. :3

Cutscene Details

OH BOY CUTSCENE TIME, HERE'S THINGS IVE NOTICED!!

Sah seems to hold their paddle backwards when Mekh doesn’t. But Sah still ends up in the same position as Mekh despite that! (maybe to one up, who knows) But that show's that even here, their animations weren't just copy pasted, there's DIFFERENCES!!

Mekh is faster than Sah, and even shows Mekh being the first to leap up and land when approaching the player, when Sah is just starting to land in the 2nd image. This makes the timing of it intentional!!

okay i think thats it thats all i can remember atm!! Ofc there’s so much more, but this post is more focused on the details that can be missed by normal folks. So I thought I share the ones that might be interesting to see that you might’ve not known about.

but yes, thank you to the folks of tgc in charge of their character design's and animation's for not giving the twins the copy paste treatment. Thank you for making them have their own quirks, their own personalities, and their own differences!!!!

Thank you for making them their own person!

[stiffyck]

hello i am fuckin obsessed with the desert duo mer art u posted like an hour ago if there's any more lore u want to share I would love to hear it!

Copying a message here:

Mumbo is a prince, Grian is his royal guard. Scar is a lonely deep water fish of some kind living alone in a cave.

(All of them are mermaids)

Grian gets chased and hurt one time by hunters/fishermen and manages to get away only to run into scar, a deep water fish everyone is scared of. People talk and say they’re all hostile savages basically.

So when Grian first meets scar he’s hurt and he’s terrified-

There’s a deep water fish with sharp teeth and claws and he thinks he’s gonna die. But scar is just overly friendly and keeps trying to be a good host- he never gets any visitors!

He doesn’t realise Grian is scared because he’s been alone for so long and he doesn’t read people well.

Grian maybe passes out at some point because blood loss and then wakes up once he's all fixed up while Scar is trying to make him some food.

After some time Grian realises that this guy is just. Living in this poor little cave that he calls home. And it looks sad. All his stuff is old and broken and Grian thinks to the luxury they live in and he starts to think…. Are the rumours true at all? Have they been treating the deep water folk so badly- when they didn’t deserve it?

Anyway Grian sneaks scar into the palace they have and mumbo has been worried sick because his favourite guard was attacked and then went missing-

So when he sees him with scar he panics of course

Another idea was that the bad boys are the royal guards and grian is mumbos personal guard.

Which would give us a great scene where Joel and jimmy find grian and scar and think scar is keeping grian hostage and they pull out their weapons- which is what makes scar very much defensive and something in griands mind clicks

The deepwater folk aren't hostile, they're defensive. Of course they're gonna act hostile when they come at them with their weapons raised.

Edit: forgot to tag the beloved @angeart who worked on this au with me

Also thank you to @wren-kitchens (everyone pls thank him this au wouldn't exist otherwise-) who made me brainrot over mermaids and gave me this idea with their own au

[slippinmickeys]

I got tagged by @wexleresque to post a snippet from a WIP. (Thanks for the tag, btw!) It’s a casefile that I’m pantsing called The Unseelie Court. Will probably take me forever to finish it, as it’s been in my drafts…also forever. Not tagging anyone because I’m terrible at it.

“I thought you’d be half done by now.”

“I got a late start,” she said, pulling the mask low. “I take it you’re still married to this fairy idea?”

“Personnel file lists me as Single, Scully, you know that.”

“Cute,” she said humorlessly.

“My mother always said so.”

She gave him a look, her mouth a long, thin line.

“The fae, or people like them, exist across nearly all cultures,” he finally said, tipping his cards so she could see his hand. “That kind of prevalence usually indicates at least a foundation in authenticity.”

“A version of Santa Claus exists in many cultures, Mulder, and I think we can both agree he’s not real.”

“I don’t know,” he replied, his voice a little husky, “I finally got what I wanted.”

Scully felt a flush rise up and spread along her collarbones. For a moment she could feel his rapacious mouth clamped over her vulva, his long, thick fingers curled into her, three knuckles deep. She leaned against the metal countertop behind her and inhaled before speaking.

“There is a theory that fairy folklore evolved from folk memories of a prehistoric race,” she said. “Newcomers superseded a body of earlier human or humanoid peoples, and the memories of this defeated race developed into modern conceptions of fairies.”

A slow, impressed smile crept up the corners of Mulder’s mouth. “…you’ve been doing some research,” he said.

“I may have spent a little time on the computer, yes,” she said, trying not to appear too pleased. “I think I pissed off my diener.”

“He’ll get over it,” Mulder said with a dismissive wave. He shuffled his feet and leaned back against the wall with an eager look on his face. “Hit me with it.”

Scully licked her lips before continuing, feeling a surge of sensual energy.

“Proponents of the theory find support in the tradition of cold iron as a charm against fairies, viewed as a cultural memory of invaders with iron weapons displacing peoples who had just stone, bone, and wood at their disposal, and were easily defeated. In folklore, flint arrowheads from the Stone Age were attributed to the fairies as ‘elfshot,’ while their green clothing and underground homes spoke to a need for camouflage and covert shelter from hostile humans, their magic a necessary skill for combating those with superior weaponry.”

“It’s a decent argument, but it’s not much fun,” Mulder said.

[writingseaslugs]

Azul Ashengrotto: An Octopus? Dope!

So I am very much a curious idiot, and as such, if I find out that one of my schoolmates was an octopus mer…I’d be running up immediately to play 20 Q. Automatically the coolest thing ever. So he’s an Azul not knowing how to react with that scenario. Also, since this meeting takes place before Book 3, aka it’s different from the main story, I guess this is a canon divergence one-shot

Disclaimer: All characters in this series is aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please do a quick read of THIS post.

Azul Ashengrotto: Octopus? Dope!

“Bro, hold up, step back.” You said, slowing down whatever Ace was saying. Ace looked at you confused, wondering what exactly was going on, “You said that there are mer-folk here? At the school? Who take potions for legs?”

“Ya, everybody knows that. Most are in Octavinelle, but there’s a few scattered through the rest of the dorms. One of our roommates is a mer.” Ace scoffed and Deuce looked over at how your eyes were almost lighting up. You loved the thought of mermaids existing, but why it had never acquired to you that they might be at the school? You had no idea. However, now you knew they were here and needed to know more!

“Aight, where they at? I have some introductions to make.” You said, rubbing your hands together. Deuce and Ace looked over at one another before a heavy clunk was heard next to you. You looked over, happy to see Jack sitting down next to you guys. He normally avoided the table, but made an effort to have lunch with you four every now and again. Jack was another person you had been excited to meet when you got to Twisted; beastmen didn’t exist in your world either. The thing about beastmen though, is you could tell from outter appearances. The mer? No way you’d know it was them just by staring.

“Why are you so interested in mer all the sudden?” Grim asked between mouthfuls of food, and it clued Jack into what you four were discussing.

“You’re interested in the mer students?” Jack asked, a bit confused as to why you found them so interesting. You nodded your head vigorously at the idea before searching the tables. Maybe they’d have some kind of tell now that you knew they existed.

“I know a few of them…not personally…but I know which students are which. They smell different.” Jack explained and now you were grabbing onto his bicep and giving it a small squeeze as you tried to get the information out of him.

“You gotta tell me, I need to know. I have so many questions and so little time to do it in.” You said and Deuce gave you a weird look.

“So little time? You going anywhere?” Deuce asked and you, once again, nodded your head a bit too enthusiastically.

“I might combust on the spot if I don’t get this information. I need to know.” You said and Jack finally relented. He began pointing out students here and there in the cafeteria. You looked over and saw the Leech twins, recalling them from the incident over in Savanaclaw.

“Those two are also mer.” Jack said and you gasped. It made so much sense as to why they were so long, “As well as their dorm head, Azul.”

“Do you know what type they are?” You asked; sure you could always just run up and ask, but the Leech twins were a cause for concern with how Floyd wanted to basically kill Grim in his first meeting.

“I’m not sure…though Leona has referred to Azul as…Octopunk before.” Jack’s words had you pausing as you blinked and looked off into your almost finished bowl of stew. Octopunk…that could only mean he was…you gasped at the realization as you stood up from your chair. Your friends let out startled noises as your sudden movements, but you were already slinging your book bag over your shoulder.

“I need to find Azul, um you guys can split the rest of my food…and thanks for the information Jack!” You said; without letting them sk as to why you needed to speak with the shady dorm head, you were gone. You let your feet carry you with excitement as you searched for Azul. You recall seeing him once at orientation; he had helped catch Grim if you recalled right. He had the white hair, glasses, and drop dead beautiful face.

The college itself was huge and, knowing your luck, would take all day to find him. However, it seemed that the sigils of luck themselves decided it was a good day for you, and a horrible day for Azul. You spotted the white head of hair belonging to the Sophomore as he was making his way to his next class. Lunch would be ending pretty soon, and Azul was a straight A student. It only made sense that he would be getting to class super early.

“Azul!” You called out from the end of the hallway. Azul, not recognizing your voice as someone who would normally be searching him, paused and turned around. He watched as you excitedly bounded up to him, stopping right in front of him. You were, in his opinion, a little bit too close for comfort. Still, he knew about you, the Ramshackle prefect, and how you had already swooned two dorm heads within a matter of a few months of being there. Leona was no easy person to win over, so curiosity got the better of him.

“You’re the Ramshackle Prefect, I presume? Did you have business with me?” Azul began, giving you that practiced businessman smile. You sucked in your breath as you looked over Azul for a quick moment.

“Wow, you’re way prettier up close.” You managed to say without thinking. Azul’s eyes widened at the blatant compliment, seeing how you seemed to warm up at seeing him. You quickly cleared your throat, not letting your thoughts get the better of you, “Anyway, I heard from a little wolfie that you were an Octomer?” You asked, and once again, Azul was caught off guard.

The fact itself wasn’t hidden, but it wasn’t common knowledge. Especially not to a freshman who had no connections to him, or his dorm. How you managed to find out was curious, and he wanted to have a long discussion as to whoever told you. He shook off the awkward feeling and cleared his throat, “An interesting thing to ask a stranger, might I ask why you’re curious on this matter?” 

“First off, Octopuses are like the coolest sea creature. Hands down. Second, the absolute efficiency of having that many limbs is wild. You could do so much. Third? Tentacles are so pretty, words can’t describe. There’s a reason they appear in a lot of artwork. Dangerous, yet beautiful.” You explained, as though your reasoning should’ve been obvious for anyone.

Azul felt awkward under all the indirect praising you were shooting him, but he was a well trained businessman. He could reel it all together, “You seem passionate about this.” He commented and you chuckled.

“Of course, I got a tier list of sea creatures that are awesome. If given the opportunity, I can and will hug a moray eel. I saw a video of this guy doing just that, and it was so cool. Another video of this diver and an octopus who knew him and would chill with him during dives. Sea creatures are awesome and I can’t believe this world has mer people and I am just now finding out.” You rambled on and Azul couldn’t help but be amused with the eels. If you wanted to hug a moray so bad, he could inform Floyd and make that dream come true. You might be in pain, but you did say you wanted it.

“You never did answer me…are you an Octomer?” You asked, shifting a bit, feeling a bit embarrassed at getting so side-tracked.

“I wonder…perhaps I am, perhaps I’m not. If you really want that information, I’d be willing to make a-.” Before Azul could finish his sentence, the bells of the school rang out, clear as day. It was time to head back to classes, and you had to go across the entire campus to get to PE. “Well, it seems our time is being cut short, a pity.” Azul said, tilting his head, “Perhaps next time we can discuss the terms of me giving you this information. Until then, Prefect.” Azul said, bidding you a farewell.

You could only stare as he left. If he was an octopus…that would be so dope. Maybe the deal could be a romantic date…you’d like that.

Are you a fan of Diasomnia like me? I bet you are if you read my content (we love the boys in this household). Want to support a visual novel that will feature Diasomnia dorm, has multiple routes and endings, as well as some spicy visual scenes? Check out @twstfournights and if you want info, check out their announcement post!

[milkweedman]

Hi Mr. Weedman,

Tl;dr: If you had a more convenient way to do it, would you give tablet weaving another shot?

Long time fan, first time asker. I actually got into textiles/fibercraft via tablet weaving, so even just seeing the warp for the blanket all nice and lined up got me psyched. Someday i wanna try spinning yarn for my own weaving.

While stalking your blog looking at your work I saw you gave tablets a shot, and I was sad to see it gave you so much trouble. Thus, my question.

I started out doing it exactly as you did (but with disposable chopsticks), and got just as frustrated with worse results. I was too deep in hyperfixation to do anything else tho, so after a ton of trial and error I've figured out some cool stuff, like this:

If you attach a weight to the far end of the warp (a partially filled water bottle is nice for adjusting tension) and drape it over something horizontal like the back of a chair, you can sit somewhere comfy and still attach it at your belt.

I'm hoping to make a demo post or video soon focusing on ADHD and financial accessibility. If you're interested I'd love to hear your take on it, either from a dyslexic POV or just as someone way more experienced with textiles.

Thanks for everything,

especially the dick positivity,

Birdie

I have actually been thinking about tablet weaving a lot recently ! i came to the conclusion last time i tried it that i'd need an inkle loom, which i do now have the tools to make (just not the time or the materials at this moment). but your suggestion of adding weight to the other end to achieve the tension necessary, rather than needing to pull against it with one's body, is such a good idea !!!

i'd be fascinated to see your demo on it--please do send it to me/@ me when it's done, and i'd be happy to try it out and tell you my thoughts on itl ! i think i plan on building an inkle loom either way, but i enjoyed the simplicity of backstrap so much, and if there's a way for me to do it without as much pain i absolutely wanna try again. if im understanding you, it sounds like you could have the weaving tensioned on the back of a chair but could also sit in a backed chair while weaving ? that would fix it for me. and even if that setup isn't possible, im still much more hopeful that there's a way to make it work for me.

it's really great to hear about other fiber folks who hyperfixated their way through stuff not working and having a cheap setup, that's how i end up learning everything too xD

this was a lovely ask to receive , thank you for sending it :D

[optiwashere]

What are your thoughts on comment etiquette? I never know if the writers going to take what I write the wrong way, so I'm always scared of commenting...

Oh, anon.

I'm sorry that some fandom experience has made you feel this way. I'm sure there are some folks out there that would react negatively to a comment that's otherwise benign, which I can only assume that's what you mean, but I promise you that the majority of writers are just ecstatic when someone engages with their art.

My thoughts on comment etiquette are mixed since I grew up in a culture of much more critical reviews. I will say that you should probably know what "constructive criticism" actually entails before leaving that kind of comment on a fic. Also, be prepared for someone to not really engage with your critique in fandom spaces. In writing circles, it's quite common to find people that want to "help" you with your writing, but really what they want to do is force you to rewrite something to fit their tastes.

Basically, engage with the fic as it is. I've done multiple writing workshops and I'm well-acquainted with how to offer useful constructive criticism, but I often don't say anything even if I notice something in a fic.

Why?

Well, for one, I'm nobody's editor. More importantly, most people are out here fighting to have their ideas seen by other people. To have their voices heard. These are amateur writers who most likely won't go on to try to become professional writers. Not everyone is here to "step up their game" so to speak. And that's OK. I don't get off on making people feel bad without their consent, so in the few times that I've offered constructive feedback it's been when someone tags/notes that they're open to it, and even then I'll double-check in a comment before I say anything to that effect. So I typically advise against this even if I'm personally a fan of constructive criticism, though my definition of that kind of criticism is a bit more rigorous than the typical reader's.

If you just want to share how you feel about someone's writing, I reblogged a post not that long ago which gives you a cutesy framework for structuring comments.

There are other valid comment styles, for if there's a language barrier or anxiety issues, etc.

I know folks sometimes think they must put colossal effort into their comments, but when I see, "I love this!" or "💜💜💜" or "kjadfhsdkjfhsdf" as a comment do you know what I do? I smile. I think that I gave someone a lil joy for the day, week, however long it lasts. I appreciate long, thoughtful comments that really delve into the thematic elements of what I write as much as I appreciate the short, sweet comments that remind me that I wrote something that somebody enjoyed.

I'm sure that most people who write and post their lil stories feel the same way. The people that get up in arms about the "quality" of your comments tend to be the people you don't want to talk to anyways.

Thanks for the lovely question 💜

[givehimthemedicine]

"Max?"

"Hm." Her eyes wander El's dark bedroom ceiling.

"Can I know your secret name?"

Max turns her head on her pillow and lets a little hiss of a laugh out through her teeth.

El finds her arm and follows it down to her hand, hooking their fingers together loosely. "I would not tell it, I promise..."

Honestly, her middle name isn't that atrocious. She'd just hesitated to share it with the party when the topic came up, and the boys' deaths of curiosity got to be too much fun, especially Lucas, and now it's become a whole thing, and it'd be sort of anticlimactic to reveal it to them now.

El's the only one who hasn't tried to beg and bribe and threaten it out of her. She's just being soft and earnest, as if this is truly a huge deal, and that's why Max will tell her.

And also because the idea of acting miserable about any name to somebody who didn't really even have a name for most of her life, just seems shitty.

"What is so bad about it?"

"It isn't really, I guess. It just sounds like a name for like, a hundred year old lady."

"Then maybe when you turn a hundred you will like it a lot."

Max snorts. "I'll keep you posted."

El rolls onto her side, playing sleepily with Max's fingers.

"Max...? Are friends just for kids? Or can old people have them?"

"Yeah, you can have friends no matter how old you are."

"Oh, good." She holds Max's arm and leans her head against it.

Max looks down at her in the dark and kind of feels the urge to cry pass behind her eyes. El has that effect, sometimes. She gives her fingers a little squeeze.

"So we can still do sleepovers when we are a hundred?"

To anyone else, Max would give a more cynical response, but El brings out something gentler in her. "Sure," she smiles. "We can be roomies at the old folks home, and have them every night."

"What? Is roomies?"

"Roommates. Like, sharing the same room."

El gasps quietly. "That will be so fun."

Max laughs.

It's quiet for a minute.

"If you don't want it, can I have it?"

"Have what?"

"I am the only one with no middle name. I wish I had one. You wish you didn't have yours. So..."

"If you want one, you could pick any one you want," Max points out. "Is there some name you like?"

"Yours."

"You don't know if you like mine. You don't even know what it is."

"It doesn't matter what it is. My name is made of my favorite people.. they give me pieces. I would like having you in it. Even if it is a piece you don't like, I would like it. For being yours."

There's that feeling behind her eyes again, but Max doesn't know how to respond except with a little laugh.

"I mean.. yeah, sure, if you want it you can have it."

El hugs Max's arm happily. "I'm going to tell everybody my new name tomorrow."

"Oh, no you aren't."

"Why not?"

"'Cause you already promised you wouldn't."

"I promised not to tell yours. If you give it to me, it is mine instead."

"No, but it's still mine. Like, Hopper gave you Hopper, but he still has it? It'd be like that."

"Oh. Okay.... then... you and me have a secret middle name only we know. I like that too."

Max smiles. "Yeah."

"So what is it?"

An evil cackle bubbles up out of Max.

"What."

"I have way too much power right now. I could say it was like, Prunella or some shit and you'd-"

"IS IT PRUNELLA?"

"No, but what if it was," Max wheezes, "and you had to act all stoked about wanting your name to be El Prunella-"

"What if it-"

There's a thumping on the wall and a muffled "GO TO SLEEP!" and they curl up with laughter, smothering themselves with hands and pillows.

"What is it, really?" El whispers, still trying to get ahold of herself.

Max rolls her eyes and sighs, "Madeline. My mom was really into the M's... I dunno."

"Mmmadeline," El says, like seeing how it fits in her mouth. "It's pretty."

"You really don't have to say that. I told you, it's an old lady name."

"I don't know any old ladies. I only know you. And I like that it is an M, because that reminds me of you already. El Madeline Hopper..." she giggles. "Thanks, Max."

Max can't find any real enthusiasm for the way that sounds, but she supposes that's beside the point. She likes why El likes it. And it's okay, sometimes, to just be genuine for a second, especially with El, especially in the dark.

She smiles. "You're welcome."

A little later, Max is startled out of half-sleep by a sharp gasp and "OH!"

"Oh, geez. What?"

"Mad Max!"

"Pff," she laughs. "Yeah. Sounds a lot cooler that way, I thought."

She's kind of surprised nobody's guessed it because of that. It's right there in front of them, really.

"I like it both ways."

"Thanks."

"Max," El whispers again, when she's half asleep yet again.

"Hm."

"I would have been Prunellas with you."

Max laughs sleepily into her pillow. "That's probably the nicest thing anyone will ever say to me."

[shares-a-vest]

you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won't have to cry

My fic for #lexsspringfanworkschallenge hosted by @thefreakandthehair. Thank you so much Lex for putting this challenge together. And I really appreciate your kind words of encouragement when I was debating if I should sign up... and also again when I told you I wasn't gonna post in April 💖💖💖

(sorry-not-sorry about the Taylor lyric title, it was too fitting not to use it)

My prompt was 'Backyard'.

Eddie is summoned to Steve's house by... his mom! He has no idea what to expect. All he knows is he hasn't heard from Steve in three days while he helps his mother pack up the house ready for sale. All he wants is to be able to sit with his Stevie out on their picnic blanket in that gigantic backyard.

Preview and link below :)

Eddie hasn’t seen or heard from Steve in three days.

Okay, maybe that isn’t exactly true. Dustin called him after the first twenty-four hours went by, talking a mile a minute and saying Steve’s phone was disconnected. He was also (literally) radio silent over the walkies Henderson had insisted on distributing for emergencies post-Vecna. Not that the walkie system was even used for emergencies almost a year later. 

More like they were being used to facilitate endless bickering, gossip and everyday minutiae. 

So to placate the kid, Eddie radioed Steve, who brushed off concerns with a rushed explanation, peppering it with variations of “It’s fine” and “I’m fine”. Classic Steve. The conversation left Eddie with no choice but to take a deep breath and trust that his boyfriend was in fact, a-okay.

This gave Eddie the incredibly annoying task of answering to the dork brigade, now individually pestering him with phone calls. Phone calls that Wayne is most definitely tired of too. But that’s what you get after surviving an almost-apocalypse with a bunch of teenagers. Everyone tends to magically transform into an army of worrywarts at the drop of a pin.

Not that Steve’s parents announcing they were selling Castle Harrington was anything small.

Eddie cuts the engine of Wayne’s truck, parking so far down the long, winding driveway he might as well be at the Loch Nora bus stop. He clicks the walkie on, already dialled into Robin’s channel, static sounding as it springs to life.

“Eddie the Banished to Buckley, over.”

He waits, tapping nervously on the steering wheel with his free hand, regretting bringing Robin into this in the first place. Maybe he shouldn’t have even called her to say he was coming here.

Up until about an hour ago, he was respecting Steve’s wishes by not encroaching on him helping his mother pack their stuff up so his folks could move to Indy.

But then she called him. 

Steve’s Mom.

Continue on Ao3

[rosealena-4]

ESCAPE THE NIGHT S5 THEORY!!

So, by now we all know the whole instagram and tiktok thing, right? how they went dark only for them to post MULTIPLE THINGS?

I have a few theories and ideas. this post is me autism-ing over a show ive grown to love within a year. thank you joey graceffa

ANYWAY. I'm gonna focus on the emojis first! We already know that the season has SOMETHING to do with Pandora's Box ( the box with The Cursed God plastered on it from s4. First an SAE member opens it becoming Medusa, then Joey does at the end of the season . ) The emojis are :

An umbrella, a clock, a key, a wand, an eye, a door, and a house or home.

The clock is obvious -- the whole show is to escape the night (haha) before sunrise, or they'll all die. They all stump me, but i've seen people make kinda wild conclusions on what they could mean. I don't think they're connected to the past seasons though. On that topic, the key.

This is what's been said again and again on both instagram and tiktok. "A turn of the key and Pandora's Box opens once more." I think the key emoji connects to this -- opening the box and starting the season. The wand? Could be magic, like the Sorceress' , Carnival Master's, and Collector's.

For the eye, maybe it revolves around the villain? Or some kind of watch over the cast? Maybe it represents US, the fans, the people who WATCH ETN. But I got no clue. The house could connect to

season one, the estate

season two , the manor

or season five. maybe it takes place in an abandoned house, like the first two seasons?

The door and umbrella genuinely confuse me though. I got 0 clue.

I'll make another post for the other stuff we have, but for now this is what i'm fixating on because it's the most recent clue we have. OH, AND ALSO!! Before I post this , I want to turn everyone's attention to Joey's own instagram. He posted a story , saying ,

The season's villain could be the Box, OR, The Cursed God. Each season's villain has connected to him in SOME way. He gave The Sorceress her power -- and presumably Nicholas/The Carnival Master his too. He could've supplied the collector with the dead characters and monsters from the seasons. Who the hell knows with Joey and his silly ass show!! That's all, folks.

[ineffectualdemon]

Hello. I saw your post on tumblr etiquette, and well I'm like a lost cat on this site. So I was wondering if you could help me. But I don't know if you accept these sorts of asks so I'm sorry if I bothered you.

Say, I created a post and in the tags I wrote a question I wasn't expecting to be answered. But Person A reblogged with a comment and I found it useful.

Do I then reblog from Person A to express my thanks and add my thoughts? Do I write them in the tags or caption? Or are these considered unnecessary?

Thank you.

You're more than welcome to ask me questions on this site works! I am happy to help :)

You are not obligated to reblog to thank the person who gave you helpful information but it's not frowned upon to do so and it can be quite nice and a way to enter into a chatty kind of friendship

It can also help boost their helpful comment for more people to see

Like I have a post about autistic communication Vs allistic and someone replied with advice on how autistic folk can navigate conversation which I replied to because it was helpful advice!

You can either put the thanks in the tags or in the text of the reblog but if you want to encourage chatting you can do it in the reblog

Tbh the idea that you can't ever comment unless it's in the tags is silly and not quite accurate

We do use tags to chat and to make dumb jokes but if you can build on or you have a question or a story that's relevant it's okay to add. If people don't like your addition they'll just go up the reblog chain

But yes you can reblog and give thanks in the body of the reblog or the tags or the secret third option of dropping them an ask and letting them know you found it helpful

All of those are acceptable :) hope that helps

[dujour13]

⭐ for The Lark and the Crow!

Ah thank you!! 💕💕 Permission to ramble!! It was hard to choose but I thought I’d go with Ch. 15 Crime and Punishment.

Some pwotr spoilers

I’ll skip over Seelah’s quest which imho is a strength of neither the game nor my fic, although I will say I thought it was funny to have Woljif pick the pockets of the wedding guests and then have a moment of panic believing he’s got jewelry containing demons that might possess him—when that’s what he’s had around his neck since Act I.

Oh. I will also say imagining Siavash dressing for a costume wedding was also a joy. (He went as sexy Lantern King. Aivu was a Jabberwock.)

One final note. At first I had Seelah marrying Elan, and then Jannah, and now I ship her with Arue post-Crusade, so I’m not even sure I want to stick to my idea of making this her wedding. Someday I may update the fic.

The point of all this (re the chapter title) is that Woljif pickpocketed Seelah’s wedding guests and she is ticked and he… feels bad about it?

And then his little sleight of hand comes back to haunt him: he stole a cheap-looking brooch from Siavash early in the Crusade, which turned out to be his Andoren Diplomatic Corps badge of office, and now he… feels bad about it?

A word about that brooch. The Andoren wood anemone, a flower that blooms in early spring before the trees can overshadow it, symbolizing how the common folk prosper when liberated from hierarchy, is an invention I’m kind of proud of. Andoran uses a lot of bird-of-prey imagery in the sourcebooks but it felt like the Diplomatic Corps needed something less aggressive.

The rest of the chapter is an original mini-story sending Woljif back to Kenabres to see if he can’t track down that brooch. He meets some old “friends” who are suspiciously glad to see him again and has a little run-in with Sister Kerismei – and receives a stark reminder of how far he’s come.

He’s making a break with his past, and something new is starting to take shape in his life. From street rat to mythic companion. From being alone in the world to having people he would actually feel bad stealing from. From Calistria to Shelyn.

On that note - I was touched how the Romance Mod gave him a special connection to Shelyn instead of Calsitria, so I developed that in this chapter, and there’s a reference to something along those lines in the sequel to Wandering Stars I’m working on now. This chapter is his quest for true love ❤️

That also gave me a chance to write some Sosiel! (Another wip on the back burner.)

[ghouljams]

hi if we're still sending in ur trademark tm, i think yours is how you write the "reader" in readerfic! when i first started reading your stuff one of my persistent thoughts was "hm, i don't think this is readerfic, i think this is oc insert fic in second person". and this was before i started seeing the ones where "you" have a name, like cowboy au, so it's just that noticeable. (ngl i got a good laugh when i finally read your blog desc and realized that was already written on there.) it's one of the main reasons why i read your stuff (the other reason is that you write good), because there was a handful of 2nd person oc-insert fics i read when i was younger that i loved so the way you do it is really nostalgic to me :')

oh and also i think your characterization is a big trademark of your writing! i actually don't know anything about cod (i just think the fic is hot) but i feel like i have such a clear image of the guys as characters after reading your stuff. i'm not saying i believe it's a canon understanding of them, but it's a CLEAR idea of who they are with you.

I always think of the "name" that my OCs are given in fic as similar to the callsign most readers have in CoDxreader fics. It's super common in the fandom for reader characters to have a nickname just so the author can avoid overusing "y/n"(which is also why I originally gave my darlings nicknames, because I hate using y/n)

It's fun hearing that my blog description continues to trip people up! Yes many of these pov characters are also OCs, I try to keep everything but personality vague though. I've even removed the one face claim post I had because it seemed to bother people, and I can't blame the folks that get tripped up by my, uh, rather niche approach to reader povs.

These are both lovely trademarks to be given, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE CHARACTERS!! I love writing about people and thinking about how different traits interact, I love characters. And I strive to be true to folks' character because I love them so much. If I wanted to write about someone else I would! I want to write about Ghost being a cowboy, so I better figure out how to make that happen and how his character would fit!

Anyway, I love you, thank you for sticking around through my weird povs and your not knowing anything about CoD. I respect that. I've read plenty of fic for fandoms I'm not part of just because it was good.

[fatalfangirl]

I have had lots going on, none of it writing (although I will get to do some of that this weekend). But I have been reading! Mostly listening really, via the app Natural Reader because most of my fic consumption lately is on the go.

Anyway, it's been ages since I last did a fic rec post, so I thought is was time!

keep on keeping on - Mature - by waveydnp

Oh. My. God. I love this fic SO MUCH. Written pre-AWTWB, it dives into explorations of intimacy and trust and love and family in a way that manages to capture similar vibes to portions AWTWB while taking us so much deeper. @cutestkilla recommended this fic to me and said it best that "it's like the author took the intimacy arc from AWTWB and stretched it out like taffy to take place over months instead of a week." It is so incredibly sweet and sexy and comforting with dialogue feels easy and real. One of my new favorite fics of all time.

Hold You Close Just Like a Photograph - Explicit - by @skeedelvee

I actually read this fic a while back, but I still think about it all the time. Watford era fic set over the summer, it takes us through Simon awakening feelings toward Baz in such a clever way. It makes me really feel for Simon as he moves between lashing out at the idea of Baz to finding comfort in him to accepting he wants him. Looking back on the fic now, I ended up doing a double take at the word count because in my mind there was no way this much story could happen in 3.5k but the numbers don't lie. It's a quick read that will stay with you!

true love, and other curses - Teen - by fizzingwhizbee

I have never seen Practical Magic, but I didn't need to in order to fully fall in love with this fic. Recommended to me by @shrekgogurt as a fic to keep me company on a travel day, this witchy AU finds Baz helping Simon bury a body and falling in love despite his best efforts not to. There's a climax action scene that is incredibly well written and had me on the edge of my (airline) seat. The boys are so soft for each other in this and by the end I just wanted to wrap them up in a blanket made of Baz's jumpers and whisper "you both deserve happiness."

Eight Months (forever) - Explicit - by @facewithoutheart

It's mpreg. I love it. Christina is a gift to this fandom and never ceases to amaze me with her range. The story takes us month by month through Baz's pregnacy and does such an amazing job of telling a fully fleshed out story even while a good chunk of it happens off page. I binged it while having a stressful week and it gave me the exact dose of "everything will be alright" that I needed. Shout out to Fathers and Suns by @captain-aralias for bringing this fic to my attention (and also for being an mpreg I am loving).

Coming to a Head - Explicit - by imjusthereforthefreefood

I love the way this author writes about connection through acts of intimacy. Like, I love it so much. Their fics always feel so human - there's so many layers - and this AU featuring caterer Simon working a dinner at Baz's family home. So much is explored in this story. Fears, loneliness, bitterness, longing for acceptance and understanding. And it all takes place over a single night. A single meeting of two strangers who let themselves find open up about the sad and accept a moment of something good.

Thank you to the folks who tagged me today (@rimeswithpurple, @martsonmars, @hushed-chorus, @larkral, @wellbelesbian, and @blackberrysummerblog) I look forward to diving into your posts!

It's getting late, so just tagging the folks above and waving hello to a few others: @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @moodandmist, @bookish-bogwitch, @aristocratic-otter, and @artsyunderstudy.

[digitaldoeslmk]

I just have to say I love your art and your AU! As someone who is a big fan of LMK, but also reading JTTW right now (Anthony C. Yu Abridged Version since thats all I have access too right now), you have effectively mixed two of my favorite things right now!

I enjoy LMK because it's a fair intro to the stories while still being altered for the enjoyment of the viewers (and a younger audience). Things are definitely far from being one to one with the books, but I see it as a good starting point for people who have no idea about the culture or original story. I will admit Macaque is one of my favorites in the show, I'm a big fan of bastard characters, but even I can see that the mischaracterization of him is quite heavy since they altered the story so much. It's why I separate LMK!Macaque from JTTW!Macaque.

That being said I do also absolutely love JTTW. I'm from America so I'm used to westernized versions of stuff, but reading JTTW has been a blast. I love the characters and the story because it's a way for me to learn about a culture that's not my own. That also being said it's not the easiest read I've ever had, just because it isn't my culture and I went into reading it havign very little knowledge of the religions they touch on in the books. All the same it's still amazing. I also enjoy Macaque in JTTW. I mean who wouldn't love the cannibalistic and antagonist monkey who's actually super intelligent?

All in all I love your AU and I love that it still holds that ability to tell the story more in-line with JTTW's events (also give Macaque a more predominant role and characterization) while still holding the behavioralisms I loved to see in the characters of LMK.

- Lycori 🌸

thank you so much!! i'm happy that you enjoy my au! :DD

personally, i think that some of the changes made by the series go too far, or make it harder to get into jttw rather than easier, but i can't deny it has introduced a whole lot of new people into his wonderful novel! i think if they have kept some buddho-daoist cosmology fundamentals rather than westernizing it, maybe folks like you wouldn't struggle as much with some of te cultural contexts, yknow? and most importantly, chinese fans wouldn't feel alienated from the western fans.

still, i'm glad to hear you're able to separate the two, and that you can enjoy them both in their own merits!! i think that lmk has a lot of good qualities, not just the animation and voice acting, and hopefully my au can make a compelling point for how it could have been an overall stronger narrative if it had leaned harder on the source material and culture without cutting off those good qualities :D

if you'd like, i can always offer some good articles and meta posts i've come across related to jttw! i'm also working on a post of my notes and annotations of Oedipall God by Meir Shahar, which gave me a lot of cultural context that helped me make sense of a lot of plot beats in both jttw and fsyy (Investiture of the Gods), so people can't read the book can have access to some of its material :D

again thank you for the ask, it was very sweet! <33