#the concept reminds me of damaged wings

[rkelspn]

cas dying in a glue trap

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 19/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

Another reminder that not all chapters are happening in continuous days. Sometimes a week or a month go by but I'm not gonna say that every chapter lajsdlajl

We are channeling our inner Lucifer who has no concept of time and feeling like the days are blending in with one another.

A short but SIGNIFICANT chapter

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Lucifer had never opened a portal so fast in his life. Hearing those outrageous words from Nifty made him sprung into action, not even caring that he's leaving Adam behind. He's pretty sure the guy will be fine even if he is bound within palace walls.

Maybe he should've asked Nifty to elaborate more because what the fuck does 'the sky is falling' mean?? But his daughter could be in danger so he'll figure it out there.

It was Charlie who calls for him as soon as he arrives.

Charlie: Dad!

Lucifer: Char-char! What's going on? I'm so sorry. Adam and I were busy and I put a ward on the palace and my phone was silent and why is Nifty saying the sky is falling?? Charlie-

Charlie: Dad! Just- come with me outside!

She all but drags him by the arm out the hotel doors to a sight he never thought he'd witness outside of Earth.

Lucifer: Wha- What in the unholy hell?

He feels breathless. It's horrifying but also.... so captivating.

From the heavens above, a cascade of meteors descended, their fiery tails of gold painting the skies of Hell. Each impact further damaged and eventually destroying the Pentagram barrier.

Screams ensue the moment the first meteor hits one part of Pride. Following that are continuous deafening crashes, the meteors struck with indiscriminate force, wreaking havoc on his denizens. Glass shattered, concrete crumbled, and chaos ensued as residents fled for safety, their once familiar surroundings now transformed into a scene of destruction.

One meteor veered off course, hurtling straight towards the hotel. Lucifer vaguely hears Charlie shouting for them to take cover and catches sight of Alastor putting up a shield for them.

He hears his daughter shout for him but he stays rooted in place as the object landed just a stone's throw away from where he stands.

When the dust clears, he feels himself freeze as amidst the rubble lay a figure, not of space rock, but an angel, a dead low ranking angel.

Now grounded in Hell and no longer have its majesty. It is mangled, burned, and broken.

Fallen.

Lucifer cannot speak as he keeps staring at the crumpled figure in front of him. Its once luminous wings now tattered and singed. He knows he should do something but what? His people are terrified and his city is getting the brunt of the mass Fall.

The King of Hell doesn't move when Charlie and the other sinners run to his side. He senses them freezing and someone vomiting (probably Vaggie-he can understand) because of the body. The angel bodywhatthe fuck-

Charlie: Vaggie! Dad!... why-what- is that an angel?!

Angel: Move, Vagina, I think I'm gonna be sick too.

Cherri: Way ahead of ya, Angie.

Husk is rubbing circles on Angel's back as the spider pukes out the his lunch. He wants to comfort Angel fully but he's all too distracted by the dead angel on the ground.

Alastor moves closer to poke the body, bringing his blood soaked finger to his mouth to taste.

Alastor: How peculiar....

Lucifer had barely begun to grasp the gravity of the situation when he felt something wet hit his face. He slowly reached up to the spot, fingers coming away coated in a golden substance. Confusion were written in their faces as they look back up as the liquid began to pour from the sky like rain.

His ears begun to feel like he's underwater- screams and choking sounds echoed throughout his city as the thick gold coats every single corner of Pride.

'No.'

He whispered, the realization hitting him like a delayed blow. As the metallic scent finally reached his nose, he collapsed to all fours, unable to stop his own gagging. He knew what this was, but he refuse to believe it.

'This can't be real.'

He could sense Vaggie in a similar state nearby, both of them struggling to breathe and think because this is angel blood.

Lucifer falls face first on the wet ground that's shimmering gold to the endless distance. He passes out from the smell before he knows it.

Heaven is falling.

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I feel like this is not what yall expected to happen as the beginning of the final arc.

A Supernatural reference? In 2024?

The blood rain is also inspired by that one quadrant in the 2nd Hunger Games movie. Because I, too, would gag and probably choke on my own vomit if I was suddenly rained on by human blood, or any blood for that matter.

We're finally getting there.

Let me know what you guys think so far!

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Daughter of the Rain and Snow

Concept: Around ten years after the events of Crooked Kingdom, 25-year-old Captain Inej Ghafa frees Maya Olsen from a pleasure house in Ketterdam. Maya is looking for revenge against the man who put her in her position, a man who she knows nothing about except his name: Kaz Brekker.

Tags: @wraith--2 @lunarthecorvus @just2bubbly @real-fragments7 @cartoon-clifford @origami-butterfly @lady-a-stuff @thelibraryofalexandriastillburns @inej-ghafa-deserves-the-world @thatdelusionalnerd

If anyone wants to be added let me know :)

Content Warnings: in more general terms I want to remind people to be aware of the nature of Kaz and Inej's experiences and relationship since even if I'm not directly addressing these things they tend to be implicit in any writing about them, but specifically to this chapter there's ptsd references, anxiety, violence references, blood, wounds, and fear of losing loved ones

Note: Oh my goodness we only have the epilogue left to go... this is insane I can't believe we've reached the end

AO3 link: Daughter of the Rain and Snow - Chapter 145 - She_posts_nerdy_stuff - Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo [Archive of Our Own]

Chapter 144 - Kaz

At least the Crow Club was back in working order. Beyond that things weren’t looking at their best. Kaz knew from Anika and Pim’s reports that the damage was mostly repaired and they’d reopened the closed wing a few months ago, but he also knew from the income reports Yara had been sending him  that they’d taken a hit. Her projections looked sunnier for next month, but Kaz wasn’t feeling particularly confident. There was a nervous energy about the Slat when he walked in, still as rowdy as it usually was in these early hours of the morning but with a slightly frantic edge. Kaz had known his extended absence would take a toll, but he’d tried to keep in control of what he could. 

“I assume there are rumours going round about -”

“Your mysterious disappearance? Yeah,” said Anika, “We’re treading water trynna cover up for you being missing,”

“Anyone get wise?”

“To the fact you weren’t here or to what you were actually up to?”

Kaz shot her an unamused glare. Clearly he needed to stop telling Anika up to 50% of the truth, because she was getting too good at picking up what the rest of it was. 

“I don’t think so,” she said, “Not with any proof you weren’t around. Few people here and there are convinced you’re dead,”

That didn’t particularly surprise him.

“Any attempts at territory grabs since you last wrote?”

“Liddies are still riled up, but nothing new except a pretty hollow looking threat from Black Tips,”

Kaz sighed. They weren’t staying in Ketterdam for long, he’d have to get through work quickly and make a few choice appearances if he could spare the time.

As far as Kaz and Inej knew, the plan was for them to drop in on Jesper and Wylan for the afternoon, then go to the house overnight whilst Nina stayed on the Geldstradt. They didn’t have the space to have her at the house by the harbour - especially when Alyssa was staying with them too - and anyway she would only be kept up all night by Sadja. But apparently Jesper and Wylan had other plans, as soon as they were through the door it was all but a demand they at least stay there the first night. They’d even set up a room for Alyssa upstairs, so she was close if Inej or Sadja needed her.

“How are you feeling?” Kaz had asked, watching Inej’s hand find the railing on the porch of the Hendriks house.

“I’m fine,”

Kaz shook his head, looking down at Sadja.

“Once you can talk I’m going to teach you to shout at your Mama every time she says that,” he told her, gently readjusting the sling in hopes of helping her settle.

Nina laughed.

Sadja had done well on the boat, Kaz thought, for a stubborn two month old who had never travelled further than the Grand Palace until a couple of weeks ago, but she hadn’t slept well last night and still didn’t seem to be interested in sleeping now.

“Kaz, really,” said Inej, shaking her head, “I’m okay. I’m just tired,”

Kaz nodded, but he and Nina had shared a brief glance. Inej rang the doorbell and Sadja immediately jutted out her bottom lip in indignation; for a moment Kaz thought she was going to cry but she settled again, still looking a little grumpy. He readjusted his cane so that he could remain balanced whilst he offered her his finger, and once she’d acknowledged it he gently rubbed his hand up and down her tiny tummy.

“Do you not like doorbells, Sadja?”

“I think it’s quite normal for babies not to like loud noises, Kaz,” said Nina, peering over the sling, “You’re okay, aren’t you Sadja? You’re a brave little muffin,”

“Brave little muffin?” asked Kaz.

“Hey, that is just about the highest compliment I’ve ever given anyone,”

“Well, you are brave aren’t you Sadja? You’re just like your Mama,”

She wriggled a little in the sling, as though she was trying to look up at him properly, and smiled. Kaz glowed. 

The door had barely been opened when they were met by the practically shouted words:

“Where’s my niece?”

“Well, hello to you too, Jesper,” said Inej, sharing his soft laugh.

She leaned into the arm he offered and he kissed her on the cheek, ushering her over the doorstep. Kaz followed, nodding at Jesper.

“Saints, I’ve missed you,” said Jesper, hugging Inej again.

“Oh, I’ve missed you too,”

Nina cleared her throat, glaring teasingly at Jesper. He threw an arm around her shoulders.

“I’ve missed you too, darling, obviously. And I guess I missed you Kaz,”

“Always with the compliments,”

Where’s Wylan?” asked Inej.

“Couldn’t get out of a meeting,” Jesper replied, shaking his head, “He won’t be long. Now, where’s this little Sadja you’ve been withholding from me?”

“Withholding-? She’s only been alive two months - and you were in Novyi Zem for one and a half of them,”

“Withholding,” Jesper repeated

Inej laughed. Kaz gently scooped Sadja out of her sling and into his arms, rocking her for a moment before he passed her to Inej so Jesper could lean over and greet her. He looked like he was about to burst with glee.

“Oh my goodness, you two she’s so beautiful. Aren’t you? Yes you are, yes you are,”

Jesper looked up at Kaz and Inej, grinning.

“She’s wonderful,”

“She most certainly is,” Kaz smiled, pushing the door to behind him before they walked together towards the living room, “It’s good to see you, Jes,”

“You too. And honestly you with a baby is quite possibly both the funniest and cutest thing I have ever seen, so thank you for that,”

Nina snorted. Kaz glared at them both. 

“And how are you?” Jesper had asked Inej, as they sat on the sofa together.

It was about twenty minutes later and Wylan had just got back, all apologies for being late and overjoyed to see them all again. He was now sitting in between Inej and Kiada with Sadja in his arms, smiling.

“Well, I haven’t slept in about two months,” Inej smiled, leaning her head onto Jesper’s shoulder, “But other than that I’m doing pretty well. How are you? - How was Novyi Zem?”

“I’m good, we’re all pretty good at the minute, actually. And Novyi Zem was lovely, good to see my Da, and everyone did a very good job,” he squeezed Aimee’s hand lightly, from where she was perching on the arm of the sofa next to him, “There were a few moments where we thought we’d have to come home early - that was always in the plan as an option, if anyone needed it - but we ended up staying the whole time,”

“How’s Colm?” asked Nina, leaning forwards to pick her coffee up from the table.

The conversation floated on, and Kaz had drifted in and out of paying attention to it as he kept his eyes on Sadja. She started wriggling uncomfortably and Wylan passed her back to Inej, then a moment passed before she started crying. 

“Is she alright?” asked Kaz.

“She’s just hungry,” said Inej, looking at Kaz in a way that meant calm down, she’s a baby, she’s going to cry, you do not need to worry as she stood up and gently rocked Sadja against her chest, whispering to her in Suli, “I’ll take her upstairs,”

At some point, Kaz wasn’t exactly sure how long it had been, it was only him, Nina, and Jesper still sitting in the living room. Focus had switched freely: the trip to Novyi Zem - two weeks with Colm followed by a month and a half through in Weddle and Shriftport, then another two weeks with Colm - Kiada had struggled with the boat, Aimee had struggled on the farm, Kiada has struggled in Weddle; news on the Ravkans and their new little prince and princess, twins about three months older than Sadja; Clemmie Boscht had started renting an apartment in the city and came to the house to share roast dinner with the family once a month; updates on something Kaz had forgotten to pay attention to as he was wondering how long Inej and Sadja had been gone and if he should go upstairs to find them. Now Nina was asking about wedding plans - the original date should have been last month, but it hadn’t been set in stone when Kaz and Inej first went to Ravka so Jesper and Wylan had decided to postpone and visit Jesper’s father instead of him coming out to them. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Jesper was saying, “Nothing will ever make up for the fact that Kaz Brekker got married before I did,”

Nina flopped against the back cushions of the sofa.

“Yeah, it’s a real blow to the ego isn’t it?”

“Aren’t you two just the height of comedy?” said Kaz drily.

“To be fair, Jes,” Nina added, “I think we were all surprised you weren’t the first to get married. I mean how long had you two known each other before you moved in, two months?”

“No, well I really only joke,” said Jesper, glancing briefly at the door and lowering his voice, “Wylan told me ages ago he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get married, after everything with his parents he just kinda… lost faith in it,”

Jesper had told Kaz about it at the time. It was years ago, around the time of the Van Eck trial, and Wylan was having an unsurprisingly bad time of it. He said he’d burst into tears and told Jesper that it had been evil of him to trap him in a relationship that would never go anywhere, and that he could leave if he wanted to and Wylan would understand. Apparently Jesper had stared at him for almost a full minute, and then said:

“Wy, you’re seventeen,”

“Well, clearly,” Kaz had said, “You handled that well,”

“I helped him afterwards!” Jepser had cried defensively, “That was just my first thought,”

Now Kaz sat behind his desk at the Slat, flicking through the endless pile of papers laying in wait and watching the hands move on his timepiece. Almost five bells. He wanted to be back by six.

Sadja had woken up not long before three bells, screaming loud enough to bring the entire house down. Kaz fumbled in the dark, searching for his cane, before Inej turned on the gas lights and handed it to him, smiling and shaking her head. They sat next to each other on the side of the mattress as Sadja nursed, and for about half an hour afterwards Kaz was still rocking her slowly whilst Inej lowered the lights and lay back down. Sadja seemed on the verge of settling back to sleep and Kaz stood to return her to the cradle next to the bed, only for her to immediately start wailing again.

“Well I hope you’re not still hungry,” he said softly in Suli, giving her a gente bounce “I think Mama’s asleep,”

She flailed one of her tiny fists into the air and it whacked lightly against Kaz’s chest.

“Not bad form,” he told her, “But you need more strength behind it if you want to do real damage. We’ll work on that when you’re older. What can we do to help you sleep now though, hm?”

Sadja wriggled in his arm and Kaz moved to sit on one of the armchairs so he could set down his cane and support her more comfortably. 

“I don’t have anything new to read to you,” he said, “But I could tell you a story if you’d like,”

There was a pause broken only by Sadja’s impatient cries, before Inej’s soft voice came from the darkness on the other side of the room:

“You know the whole idea of us using one language each with her whilst she's still learning kind of depends on you speaking to her in Kerch, right?”

Kaz looked up.

“Inej? I thought you were asleep,”

“Kaz, if you think anyone could fall asleep through this then I have serious concerns about your hearing. And, again, you’re supposed to speak in Kerch,”

“I’m still not convinced that’s going to work,” he replied, “Isn’t she just going to hear us using both with each other anyway?”

Inej groaned.

“It’s three in the morning, Kaz, can we talk about this later?”

He laughed softly, nodding though he wasn’t sure if she’d see in the dark. He’d known that he needed to go to the Slat - the last word from Anika and Pim had been concerningly vague -  but he could stay here a little while yet, couldn’t he? What harm would it do, just to stay here for a little longer? He sighed.

“You need to go, don’t you?”

He didn’t know how she did that.

“It can wait until tomorrow,”

“You can’t,” said Inej, quietly, “Go on. I’ll get her settled, just don’t be long, okay?”

“Never,”

He really needed to stop watching the clock, or he wouldn’t get anything done and have to bully himself into staying longer. It was a good while past five bells when he left, ignoring the shouts for attention that followed him from the crowd. The Hendriks house was mostly still sleeping, though Wylan was unsurprisingly up and in the kitchen making coffee by the time Kaz arrived at six bells. Inej was awake but she was still upstairs, not long dressed and part way through brushing her hair when Kaz knocked softly on the door. She opened it slowly, pressing a finger to her lips as he slipped inside.

“Sadja’s asleep,”

Kaz stood over the cradle for a moment, watching her. She really was perfect. Inej appeared next to him, her arm slipping around his waist once he’d nodded confirmation. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

“She already looks like you,” she whispered.

Kaz shook his head.

“She’s beautiful. That’s all you,”

Inej shook her head then, her hand finding his and slipping beneath the rim so her fingers brushed his wrist. Kaz’s heart leapt, thinking of holding her on the floor almost a year ago, a knife in her gut and her blood soaking over both of them. He swallowed and she felt him tense, starting to pull away to give him space. His fingers tightened over hers, holding her to him. 

“We’ve not…” she hesitated, “We’ve not talked about a plan for where to live. For what to do next,”

Kaz had been avoiding the conversation, because he didn’t actually know what he was going to say. But it was a year ago when he couldn’t tell her everything he’d thought he should be able to say by now - 

Their happiness, together. In Kerch, in Ravka, they could move to the permafrost in Fjerda for all he cared. He would carve a life for her in the face of a mountain, if that was what she wanted.

- and so much had changed since then. He should be able to tell her that now. And he did.

Inej turned and leaned her face up towards his, glowing in the soft dancing light of dawn leaking through the window, her dark eyes shimmering. She lifted a hand up to cup his cheek, and slowly they leaned into each other. Their foreheads pressed against each other, Kaz’s hand slipped down Inej’s back, and their lips met in the warmth of spring and joy and a family that for so long Kaz had convinced himself he didn’t want, because he never thought he’d be able to find it. 

The entire world was golden.

[aashi-heartfilia]

Star Dress Combo #01: Mini Series Begins!

Let's do it!

So, welcome all to my mini series where I rank every SD and SDC based on their appearance, power and significance in the story. So without further ado, let's jump straight into it!

The first Star Dress Combo (SDC) on our list is LeoXVirgo.

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Appearance

My first reaction to this Star Dress was pretty meh and honestly, I'm still not a big fan of it. I know, I might be one of those few people in our fandom, but I just don't like it. Leo is very Queenly and Virgo is literally a maid so what LeoXVirgo gives us is pretty much fitting with its theme but the dress itself with all it's jewellery and frills and the apron isn't just doing for me.

And what are those wings for? Can she fly?

It's might be a controversial opinion but I think it could have been better. More creativity and thought process could have been applied to it but keeping my personal preferences aside and taking the fandom into account, this is my final rating.

Appearance: 8/10

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Now let's move on to the best part:

Power (DPS)

Just look at the damage it does! After Urano Metria, it's arguably the most powerful move in Lucy's arsenal and that's one thing for sure! I'm not counting AquariusxGemini here cause she can hold it for merely 16 seconds but more on that later.

The biggest nitpick however, I have with this SDC or probably all SDC in general is that it has only one single move! You would think that a SDC with such high DPS should at least have something better to offer, especially when we know how versatile and dynamic both Leo and Virgo SD are.

But no, we get one OP OHKO Move, which we thought was very badass until Kiria rendered it completely useless in the 'Battle between Women' when she cut through her Lion Maiden like it was nothing.

DPS: 9/10

Not as powerful as Natsu's Fire Dragon Demolition fist but OP nevertheless.

Versatility: 2/10

Just one OP move combining Virgo and Leo's powers doesn't make it versatile.

Overall: 8/10

The DPS is solid but puts a heavy toll on Lucy's magic Power and leaves her very vulnerable to her opponent's attack if Lucy's attack somehow didn't work, like with Kiria and that my friends is more devastating than you think.

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Significance

Just 3 major appearances and it's already very popular among western and Japanese fans alike. With lots of fanarts and a very high DPS it might be the most popular Lucy SDC so far.

Plus, from the story POV it's one of Lucy's Trump Card! Whenever she found herself cornered by tough opponents this was the first SDC she could count on.

During her battle with the Strauss Siblings, she was able to OHKO Lisanna and damage both Elfman and Mirajane with just one move!

Even in the 'Battle between Women' this was her first choice to battle Kiria. No wonder it's Lucy's ultimate strength and one of the best SDC in her arsenal. It is strong and elegant, like Lucy herself.

Significance: 10/10

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Evolution

My series could not end without me adding my personal ideas and touches to it! So what other moves or powers could LeoXVirgo SDC have?

Earth Manipulation

I don't have an image for it, but it would be lovely to see Lucy manipulating a huge chunk of Earth and hurl it on her opponent or maybe even some mud rope that can bind the opponents from all sides?

Huge Quick Sand

Something like Azeel had, from the Alveraze arc if you can recall. It was said that it could swallow entire cities! If only Lucy had something like that....if the opponent cannot fly, there is just no escape! What's better is that Lucy already had a smaller version of this move with her Virgo SD and it's called pitfall. So what if she can incorporate the same thing just on a very large scale?

Flying?

Put her fairy like wings to some good use and make her fly!!! It reminds me so much of Erza's Heavens Wheel that I can't help but imagine her flying. Don't ask, just do it!

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My Overall Opinion

As far as the SDC goes, I think it was a very neat concept. Even before the 100YQ made it official, it was suspected by many fans that she should be able to use it sooner or later. I think the concept of SD itself should have been introduced earlier in the series, so that we could have seen it evolve more but anyways.

I wish we could get a more detailed explanation on how this thing works and what other moves she can use, if any.

Otherwise, I'm always up for Lucy getting some power ups to show how capable she really is.

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So with that, I end the part #01 of my SDC MINI SERIES! Make sure, to look forward to more!

~Thanks for reading

Cheers! Aashi🌻

[thesunshineriptide]

Hihi! I've recently been brain-rotting on this one au, and since you're one of my favorite twst writers, I thought I'd share it with you via request!

Basically, it's an au where all the twst boys have wings (except some are different because favoritism)

All the Diasomnia boys (minus Silver) have dragon wings, Silver has regular feathered wings (so do everyone else)

Jamil's wings were somehow damaged so he can't fly, bc his family sucks and also he would most definitely try or have tried flying away (they can't have that ig)

Riddle can't fly very well because his mom didn't teach him (rude tbh)

Octavinelle all have artificial wings, they're mostly for show/to fit it though. They can use them to fly, but don't really know how and/or are afraid to.

The rest is up to you! Hope this isn't too long of a request, I have a lot of thoughts lol. Have a great rest of your day/night!

Hi! This was a fun request, thanks for bringing it to me! You left a lot of stuff open for me to play with and I appreciate that a lot. Anyway, I’ve never really gotten into Wingfic but this was really fun to think about! Thanks for sharing your concepts, I hope I did some justice! Everything’s pretty short but I’d be glad to do more at a later date (depending on my mood tomorrow I might make some doodles? Riddle’s tiny cardinal wings will live in my head forever)

CW// wing m*tilation, angst, a little whump in Jamil’s, wings…stuff. Vil having feelings he hates/mental illness uuuh mentions of animal behavior? Idk if that’s a warning or not but it’s a thing! Oh also Riddle Mom angst. Characters acting a bit ooc

All the Diasomnia boys (minus Silver) have dragon wings, Silver has regular feathered wings (so do everyone else)

Silver curled himself deeper into his wings, the soft white and black plumage tickling at his nose. He sniffled and sneezed, eyes opening slightly.

Lilia was staring down at him, and he yelped in surprise.

“Morning, sleepy-head.” Lilia chirped, “I can’t say it’s my favorite time of day, but I made breakfast!”

Silver groaned softly, sitting up, “What time is it?”

“Four am!” Lilia said. He leaned back and stretched, his bat like wings speading with him. “I made pancakes with chicken!” He cheered.

Silver blinked. It didn’t sound bad, but he knew it would be. “What else did you add?”

“Strawberries and seaweed!” He said coming over. He pressed a kiss to his son’s head, “Now come on, before it gets cold, and we can begin training again.”

Silver groaned, but was cut off by the booming voice of Sebek and the sudden view of green, scaly wings in his doorway, “DON’T DISRESPECT MASTER LILIA IN SUCH A WAY!”

“It’s four am.” Silver argued.

“MASTER LILIA GRACIOUSLY MADE YOU BREAKFAST AND YOU GROAN?”

“Dude, shut up.” Silver said, finally getting up, “You don’t like to eat his cooking either.”

Jamil's wings were somehow damaged so he can't fly, bc his family sucks and also he would most definitely try or have tried flying away (they can't have that ig)

A servant is bound to their master through various methods. Money, convention, chains. Jamil looked over his clipped wings again, reminiscing on the days when he was far younger, then days he and Kalim could fly. Before he was punished and reminded of his place beneath him. Before he learned to hate Kalim.

Jamil fanned at the stoved, frowning at Kalim’s most recent failed attempt at cooking. The fire was soon put out - Jamil’s wings were undoubtedly powerful, despite them being clipped. They moved fast, the feathers of red and orange and blue covered in a thick layer of brown henna, standing their color.

“You cannot outshine Kalim.” He reminded himself every week when he had to reapply the dye, “Know your place, Jamil.”

When asked, you might think nothing was wrong.

“I simply prefer to walk.” Was something he said often. Vargas seemed to make concessions for Jamil, sending him on an errand conveniently at the beginning of any flight training and not commenting on how Jamil wouldn’t return until the class was almost over. Who would question the coach on that?

Few people knew about Jamil’s condition. It was considered barbaric - cutting or clipping someone’s wings was considered a hate crime in most places, something irreversibly horrible. It wasn’t something to be ignored. Especially not when people ask questions.

The last time Jamil answered honestly, the last time he let someone know, he’d nearly had his wings cut off all together as punishment. It besmirched his name, and worse, if someone found out the reason it happened was for Kalim…

“You cannot outshine Kalim.” He said, “And you cannot ruin his name.”

Riddle can't fly very well because his mom didn't teach him (rude tbh)

Riddle looked down from the ledge, nervously latching eyes with Vargas.

“Rosehearts, c’mon. You’re Easton’ precious time, just jump and fly across the field.”

The second year class stared curiously at the normally proud dorm leader.

It wasn’t too far from the ground - at least, not to someone who knew more. But Riddle’s wings were small, even for his age, and seemed more like a grand accessory than a body part. They puffed. He stepped back, frowning and shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, Coach Vargas, I can’t.”

A sigh of disappointment escaped Vargas, and Riddle winced. He stepped back from the ledge.

His chest heaved and he closed his eyes as he slipped behind a wall. He covered his face with his hands, rubbing at his eyes. He wrapped his wings close, finding no warmth gained.

He stayed like that for a while, ignoring the shouts of other students and even Vargas trying to get his attention.

They stopped after a while. He turned to find the class gone, and began to panic near immediately. Would he get a 0 for this? What would happen? Would he get detention? What if they tell his moth-

He felt a gentle hand clasping his shoulder, then moving down to rub his back in soothing circles. This was followed by a boisterous voice and the smell of sweat. He jolted, turning to look.

Vargas was standing in front of him, with Jade at his side. The second year gave him a soft smile and a courteous nod.

“Rosehearts.” Vargas addressed him. Riddle flinched again, and Vargas raised his eyebrows. He coughed, then said softer, “Sorry. Rosehearts, since you’re having a bit of trouble with flying, and Leech is as well, I’ve decided that you two will be taking private lessons with me after classes every day until you can do that test. Since this was your last class, we can start now.”

Riddle stares, wide eyed. “You…you’re going to teach me?”

“Tutor.” Vargas corrected, “Both of you. Frankly, you’re both abysmal at it right now. And remember, I’m taking time out of my busy schedule just to help you. No turning back now!” He grinned, gently patting Riddle on the shoulder.

“Let’s get started. Since you two seem so nervous,” Vargas grinned, turning to Jade, “We can start at a lower level. C’mon, let’s get flying boys!”

Octavinelle all have artificial wings, they're mostly for show/to fit it though. They can use them to fly, but don't really know how and/or are afraid to.

Azul stared at the giant three boxes sitting on the desk in his VIP room.

Idia shifted from foot to foot, watching him intently, “Well?! Are you gonna open it?” He blurted, then immediately looked like he wanted to sink in a hole.

Floyd grinned and laughed, reaching forward to take his box. Sliding the lid off of it, he was greeted with sleek, translucent wings that looked less like a birds and more like an insects.

Idia gulped and began to stutter an explanation. “Y-you asked for something interesting, so I studied flying fish in order to understand how they fly best. Th-these should fly just as well as organic wings, but they’re modeled after the m-modified fins of flying cod…” he said.

Floyd grinned even wider, “Fuckin’ dope as hell. Thanks a million firefly squid.” He said, letting out a delighted giggle. He turned, slipping on the wings to try them out. They fused to his back magically, and he let out an experimental flutter. “Hell yeah.” He said.

Jade opened his box next, being met with simple feathered wings in soft, slate grey with dark, dirt brown around the tips of them. He tilted his head, holding back a smile at the sight.

“You said you w-wanted an unassuming set of wings,” Idia began, “Statistically speaking, p-people tend to find neutral colors, other than blacks and whites to be s-soothing or unremarkable.” He gulped.

“Modeled after a finch’s wings, yes?” Jade said, running his hands over the feathers. “Your craftsmanship and attention to detail is commendable.”

“Thanks.” Idia whispered, then mumbled something to himself. He fidgeted with his hands before turning to Azul.

Azul, noticing his eyes, shot him a charming little smile before opening the box.

In his box laid a pair of large, sweeping wings, then when untucked would undoubtedly be near as tall as Azul himself. He looked back to Idia, quirking an eyebrow.

Idia began to relax, leaning forward, “I based the wing patterns of the bleeding heart pigeon, but you said you try and keep a distinct figure, so I made sure they were long. If they’re too long, I can always adjust them to the right length, I kind of had to guess with Ortho hovering near your height. Anyway,” he continued, running his own fingers across the feathers, “They have a shiny, blue-green color that I thought would match your dorm uniform, and some striping for intrigue.” He said. He looked up and grinned at Azul, who was smiling silently at him.

Idia gulped, retracting his hand, “If you don’t like them, I can-“

“I love them.” Azul said earnestly, “You did an excellent job. Your side of the deal is nearly finished,” he said. He lifted the pair, then slipped them on. Just like with Floyd’s, they quickly fused to his back and he turned, extending them slightly. He smiled. “I’ll have that file for you by tomorrow night. A deal’s a deal.”

The rest is up to you! Hope this isn't too long of a request, I have a lot of thoughts lol. Have a great rest of your day/night

Savanaclaw

I only added Savanaclaw due to the large beastman population. I don’t think they would have wings - naturally or artificially, for one specific reason.

They are creatures of the land. Born to run and stalk and hunt, not to fly. The merfolk of the sea might be content to galavant in the skies, or at least pretend they are, but beastmen have no such inclination.

Leona may have an artificial pair at home for political reasons, but it’s not something he would ever use.

It’s not as though they’re afraid, either. Broomsticks and magic carpets do exist still, and they aren’t afraid to use them, but it simply feels so unnatural to use wings in particular. It throws off the body weight, it’s annoyingly loud, and the skies always have at least five freshman thinking they own it, bumping into others and divebombing their pranks.

Pomefiore

Vil’s wings are reminiscent of the rainbow crow. Every movement and shiver, every time they puff, it looks iridescent. It changes from black to red, orange, green, pink, purple, and every color in between.

And yet still, despite the magnificence…

Every role is for a figure shrouded in darkness. A villain or a fiend, plotting and cursing at the sun. Every child in town coward away from him, whispering his name. Every time he wanted to play as a kid, the others turned their backs to him. Most of his memories of that time were of beautiful blush pink or soft grey or mottled brown or periwinkle blue wings, turned toward him as others said his name in hushed tones.

He preens at his feathers idly, fixing the few what wee slightly out of place, plucking those that were loose. He gazed at his wings disdainfully. They were soft, and fluffy, and contained very color he envied as a child, except for one.

No matter the years, black wings were still seen as evil. Every villain had them in every good story, and ever hero had lighter colored ones. Maybe they were a butter yellow or a soft silver or maybe a mix of colors. In any of Vil’s films, though, they were pearly white with grey tips.

It as perfect symmetry, wasn’t it? This idea of black and white, good and evil. Vil Schoenheit, destined to play a villain forever, and Neige Leblanche, the hero, the saint, the innocent.

Vil plucked a feather, glaring at it. He sighed, then dropped it. There were always potions to change it’s color. He could always cut them, and get artificial ones. He could change himself, fit every mirror image. Oil black feathers fell from his hands. He turned, walking silently away from the pile of them. He didn’t care to see how they would drift away in the breeze, or the way a child might gawk and cry in panic at the sight. It was simply too much to think about.

[everythingnerdyxoxo]

The Next Sarah - Jareth x OC - Labyrinth

Summary: Her life wasn't what she expected. After her parents death, she was the sole caregiver for her younger brother Oliver. She wanted more from life, if only the Goblin King was real, perhaps he could give her what she truly wanted.

Pairing: Jareth x OC

Chapter Two

The next day went the same, fry duty, nursery pickup. Oliver was playing with his toys in the next room, she could hear him from the sofa, making car noises and using the worn carpet as a racetrack. She looked between the two books in front of her, Harry Potter, or The Hobbit, which should she read next. She felt drawn back to the small red book on the side, Labyrinth. She was tempted to read it again, pull another all-nighter.

She reached for the small book, but before she had the chance, Oliver came running through, knocking the small book off the side as well as a few loose pieces of paper. ‘Oliver be careful!’ She said it more harshly than she had meant to, gaining the small boy to pull a pout and go back into the other room, resuming his game of cars. She was tired, she hadn’t meant to snap at him.   

She gathered up the paper, picking up the book that had landed open on a particular page. The page started with Sarah, in with Toby, the crying baby and the incantation to summon the Goblin King. She could hear Oliver in the next room with his cars, banging them into the wooden floor over and over again.

‘Oliver! You’ll damage the floor!’ Helena walked over to the small boy who looked defiantly at her. She sat cross legged on the floor beside him as he continued to play. ‘Oliver… darling why don’t we start getting ready for bed soon.’ She spoke sweetly to him, stroking the blonde hair growing on his head as he turned his back on her.

‘I don’t wanna go to bed yet, I’m playing!’ He was defiant with her all the time. Something they say would happen, a way of grieving for his parents. Their parents.

‘Why don’t I go and run your bath for you first, you can finish playing with your toys as I do that.’ Another attempt at being sweet with him.

‘No! You’re not mummy you can’t make me!’ He threw one of his toys, hitting her square in the forehead.

Helena stood angrily; she was losing patience with him again. She bit her tongue, reminding herself of his age and then heading out to the bathroom to prepare it.  

‘He’s just a child Helena, just remind yourself, he’s just a child.’ She spoke to herself as she let the water fill in the bath. ‘If only life really was a fantasy…’

Helena looked to her side, listening to the sounds of Oliver playing with his toys as she thought back to the book downstairs. She laughed at herself for even considering it.

‘One little sentence and my life could go back to normal…’ she laughed at the concept of it.

‘Goblin King, Goblin King… Wherever you may be…’ She smiled in amusement, almost singing the sentence. ‘I wish you would take this child of mine far away from me…’ She laughed again.

The bath was full, she turned off the taps and turned to convince Oliver to come upstairs, but she couldn’t hear him.

‘Oliver! Your bath is ready, come upstairs!’ Silence once again.

‘Oliver, I mean it!’ Helena descended the staircase into the living room, ‘I won’t ask you again!’

The room was empty, the toy cars scattered where he had left them. There was a flash of lightning outside and all the windows in her living room flew open all at once. Helena cried out, ducking down and pulling her dark hair around her face. The sound of wings flapping around her head brought her attention as she looked up.

In front of her, stood, who she could only imagine from the description in her book. The Goblin King.

[hermitcrossovers]

so double life destroyed me lol but the whole grian - scar bond reminded me of this concept ive had for the grian in lmaburg au since the start, basically, at some point scar finds his way back to grian, because of course he does, and grian, who last saw his best friend dead in a plile of sand refuses to let him die again, so he makes a deal, well, a ritual actually, and links their life essences together, he gives scar a part of his soul basically, and while it leaves him incomplete, it makes scar a lot more resistant to death, seeing as grian is the only one of phil's kids to inherit the wings and the mess of code that comes with them

with the extra durability scar takes a liking to archery and with the new lighting changes mobs are spawning less so his only real enemy is fall damage!

would scar also be linked to mumbo since in a elaborate machine mumbo ate(?) grian’s soul.

[sweetswesf]

Hey hey, y’all.

I’m mad Tumblr STILL hasn’t responded to any of my support tickets to get my messaging back. As an engineer, I am criticizing the app in a different way than most lol. There’s a lot of cool things with the UI, but the way you can’t separate primary & secondary blogs, some of the playback, the slow or no responses on support tickets is kinda getting to me. I didn’t think it’d frustrate me this much, but it does…Maybe it was protection…

I made a lot of progress last week. I feel like I am making strides and getting stronger with concepts. I had 2 onsites and a practice technical and I felt I did pretty good in all of them. Rejected from one in less than 24 hours, but that 1 involved a lot of semi negative back & forth with the recruiters for over a month, so I felt the decision was made before I even did the interview.

I was exhausted, but felt like I was detaching from the pain of things and just telling myself get through it. Even in my workouts. My body was tired but it felt like it was moving without my mind. I know it’s only God…I spent less time on social media, I spent less time procrastinating, and I can get through most 12 hour days without needing a nap. I am completely wiped out on my break days (Sundays) and take 4 hour naps then lol but I remember a time during my early months of being laid off where I couldn’t get through the day without a 3 hour nap.

I am about done with the sections of the API YouTube course I want to go over. It is a really good course and it’s at a good level of detail I need. I was familiar with the material, but this was good to solidify understanding of certain concepts. I think I have like one more day left that I’d like to spend on it for prep for my interviews. A lot of things make a lot more sense. I wanted to get past it so that I can focus more on system design and algos, but it was necessary to go over. I’m trying to balance learning quite a bit of topics: system design, APIs, DS&A, OOP, behavioral questions.

For you that have been commenting on my posts encouraging me, especially @mythgrippa-blog & @tenaciousdeveloper, I want to send a particular word of appreciation. Whenever I get a bit discouraged, I remember your comments, so thank you so much.

I even caught a butterfly by its wings! I’ve always wanted to do that, but I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I won’t forget how surprisingly strong it was wriggling to get free. I quickly released it when I realized I could be hurting it’s wings! I’m sure I did though and the thought makes me sick. I never meant to hurt it. These are sentient beings. There was no need for me to do that. I didn’t realize I would hurt it before I did it. I was on break from an on-site, feeling good, listening to this song, and intrusive thoughts took over.

It flew away fine, but still…I’m sure I damaged the wings just by touching it. I felt a similar guilt when I thought my car would clear and not hit this cat that was laying in the middle of the street. It didn’t and I killed a little collar-less white kitten 😔. This was almost a decade ago. I don’t even own a car anymore but I still think about it & feel guilty.

I took a Cruise autonomous car ride. That was my 3rd time in an autonomous car ride, but 1st one by Cruise. After it, I was inspired. This is the type of things that drew me to tech in the 1st place…

School loans start accruing interest again at the end of this month, and I would like to pay those off. I haven’t looked into deferring my payments because I’m hoping I can pay them off before needing that option. It is humbling to go from having a lot of autonomy with spending to relying on government assistance. Life comes at you fast…I can’t judge anyone. I do, but I shouldn’t and I try not to. I am reminded everyday, with every new experience or challenge, that you truly don’t know what people are facing or what the heck you would do if in a similar scenario. Ideas & history are different from reality.

Pastor at church today said, “You think you have strong faith until something happens that tests it,” and I related hard. I reflect on everything. Sometimes I just sit and stare like, “I’m tired and I’m ready for a different reality.”

My mom comes at the start of September too, and I would like to fully enjoy that with her with my dream job. I will enjoy it regardless though.

I order from DoorDash less, to save money, and also, because there’s not that many options that are healthy, and regardless if the meal is healthy or not, I’ve had it so many times that I’d rather just try to make a replica of my own if I have time. Some things I just can’t replicate, but I do like that I’m empowering myself to have some control over that. I’m often negotiating between saving money and saving time when it comes to this food stuff.

Also, food at this point is one of the only break aways from work that I’m allowing myself to enjoy right now. A LOT of my community has left the city or don’t reach out despite my efforts of trying to maintain the relationship. I don’t want to forge new ones right now, because the emotional and financial investment is… a lot right now. Anytime you want free time outside these days, you end up spending like $50 at minimum! I also feel like I need to find someone to help on Sundays. Sundays are for rest though, and so far, I’ve taken up the whole day washing my hair, going to church, grocery shopping, cooking, eating, napping for 3 or 4 hours, reflecting, and YouTube video watching. I don’t study, I don’t do any chores, and I don’t even like cooking those days. I appreciate my Sundays for what they are for: rest.

A few people close to me asked me again this week if I wanted to keep doing this and I was audibly annoyed. They don’t think I’ve made success in the way I should, but they don’t know much about the industry or how things typically go on this side. They also don’t know my plan. They don’t have to, but it does because it kind of feels they don’t believe in my abilities. I don’t want to be struggling forever, but I don’t think I should give up. I want to do this. I mean, I even get the question a lot in interviews. Like, I transitioned about 3 years ago. Why are you still asking me why I transitioned? You’re wasting time when you could be asking me about my qualifications for this role. I’m sure non-career-transitioners (people with traditional backgrounds) don’t get asked why they chose that field. Does it matter WHY I’ve chosen it if I’ve been gainfully employed in it for years and am applying to keep doing it? It shouldn’t. This question is totally valid outside of interviews. I appreciate answering it then. It just feels invasive when asked in interviews. I could see if I was fresh out of my old career, but I’ve been working as a full time software engineer for more than 3. It almost feels like, “well duh!” at this point when it comes to choosing tech. Look around you. Why not?! EVERY industry damn there has been elevated and can’t survive without tech. It’s really hard to cover your basic needs and a lot people on a 6-figure salary are living paycheck to paycheck given how outrageous rent is. At least tech gives you a fighting chance. Look at me! A tech worker still with debt who’s now had to rely on government assistance…It feels similar to interviewers asking why I majored in something. It doesn’t matter at all when you should be looking at the work I’ve done for money.

It was recommended, and I agreed, that I should stop interviewing with startups and start interviewing with companies I would like to work at, so I’m doing that soon. I feel a bit impatient and when I do, I try to refocus and remind myself that I shouldn’t give up and potentially blow the progress made thus far (another word of encouragement from y’all reading, so thank you!). I just need to keep going, stop feeling rushed, be fearless, be strategic, have confidence, and know that God will give me something great in due time that’s fit for me that exceeds my expectations.

I’m grateful for vision, dexterity, my mental health, my education, having hot water, still being able to afford a gym membership and to never go hungry. To spend on organic groceries. I also still have quite a bit of savings. I didn’t realize but my high yield savings account has been kicking me back about the amount of a week’s worth of meals & groceries every month. Praise God. I also am still able to tithe and be generous to people who need help during this time.

The things that I wanted months and even weeks ago, like purses, shoes, etc. all seem so frivolous now. Thousands on these things? I’ve never spent that much on purses & shoes. I’ve never been that girl, but I HAVE bought a lot of excess before, or bought things, albeit cheap, that I thought I would use one day. I even imagined that once I get a job, I would treat myself on one of those $1k+ purses, just because I’m a 30 and never have bought anything designer. Now, I don’t even care about taking a vacation. I just want to wake up employed. I WILL take a vacation, but I don’t mind just visiting something local. I miss NYC like crazy! I’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta (my 1st visit was at night and was too short, I had to drive back to Nashville in the morning). Those purses and shoes are still NICE but, I don’t HAVE to have them like I once felt…Imma still treat myself, but the treats won’t be as extravagant/often/out of my honest price range.

Fashion blogs seem so DUMB to me now. The THOUSANDS people will pay and still be in debt or not own any assets seems CRAZY now. But it took this to open my eyes. I’ve been unemployed before when I was fresh out of bootcamp, and I went into super frugal mode, and promised myself to maintain those habits. I did a lot, but still made dumb decisions after I got employed again. Freeing myself from want this time around, I hope it sticks.

There were days this week where I woke up wanting to contact a particular dude from my past. Just thirsty and lonely and craving a hug. I kept saying, “I just want a hug.” It’s really just me. Day in & day out. Friends & family only call. Everyone close to me I have to talk to virtually through a screen/over the phone. It gets to me…someone will love me hard and give me the affection I crave one day. I need to rely on God’s love though and remember not to put too much dependence on people, but it’s okay to want a partner. God honors marriage and says a spouse is to supply the other’s needs for affection. Not one way: this is for both partners.

I’m grateful for everything this time has taught me and I don’t know if I would have learned it without this. I shun fear of not getting what I want. I refuse to believe that my efforts will go unrewarded. I chase away the devil that made me believe I was less than. In the meeting with my mentor last week, he said, “I’m going to be candid: the team did NOT like that you were let go. We all felt that you had made so much progress and we actually had a rant session about it.” That almost made me cry, because I felt like the weakest link on the team at that time, but to know that people respected my work and felt like great things were coming for me, confirmed my suspicions too that I KNEW things were looking up. I had finally felt comfortable, and then it felt like my progress was stopped. But I know, and I knew even when I got laid off, even without my next position, it wasn’t a mistake. God tends to shift things when you’re feeling comfortable. He’s trying to elevate me. I will be in a higher position my next role, potentially making more than double what I was. More than what I could have gotten if I stayed. I don’t fear getting let go as much anymore because I know how to do these algos, or, I know where I can go to refresh my understandings of them. I lived in fear before this and couldn’t truly enjoy anything because I knew there was a huge hole in my understanding of things in the interview & my career that I felt I didn’t have the time to learn. Nothing is by mistake and I’m grateful to Him. Amen!

I hope y’all are well too. Be blessed <3

[omniseurs-blog]

Blog post - Concept of intelligence, the cultural belief of intelligence/learning as bad or embarrassing socially, and the association of labels for intelligence or interest in learning with the right wing

I've always been interested in learning, and I've always been uncomfortably aware that this made me lame, but I never cared because I was placed in special Ed at a young age and whether I was also interested in learning or not, I was still a social outcast. Still, it's always made me wonder why.

As I grew up, I've realized most people DO love learning, they would just never call it that. How many hours they put into learning how to play each and every new game they came across, learning how to play sports and how to get better at them, learning how to use the machines at the gym, learning how to love their partner, which drinks taste what way, the best way to smoke weed, they all love learning. It's a cultural belief that if they learn the wrong thing, they'll become like the nerds who don't know how to socialize, and not that they hate learning. It's saddening. In a way I get it, I would never show anyone my hobbies because I am the socially inept nerd who talks literally and can't understand social cues to save my life, but on the other hand, learning how to do origami isn't going to turn you into a sword wielding kimono wearing weeb over night, and if your friends care about it that much.... Fold them a middle finger and find better friends.

It's so, unfortunately, common to come across people who have no hobbies other than scrolling social media and playing video games. No hate to people who's hobby IS playing video games (and more than a little hate to the people who uh... only scroll social media on their free time... Cmon, start a blog or making videos at least) all because their peers killed their curiosity and labeled all of it as lame and socially unfavorable, with the exception of things that are popular and fun (video games were once a nerds hobby, which is why the older "I was once popular" crowd makes fun of them), and help you be reminded of the "in crowd" (social media).

The fear of ostracism is, mostly, very dumb. It prevents us from reaching our full potential, doing what we enjoy, what we are or would be passionate about. Nobody (Of the people with a disgust of what they perceive as learning) wants to be a microorganism marine biologist because.... the public image of a scientist in a niche subject is "lame", even if you could be the one to find a cure for your grandfather's Alzheimer's in the form of a previously unknown bacterium only found in the waters off the coast of Chile (though, the myth of a cure of anything is another discussion). The only way to make it cool, or interesting is, well, cool, or confident, or funny, or captivating, or "attractive" (or fitting a society's' or large groups' beauty standards) person to be a popular mascot for the topic, ie. (I am going to avoid the term attractive in my examples because it is subjective and anyone could argue anyone is "hot" or "ugly") Bill Nye, confident, funny, and captivating, Steve Erwin, confident, captivating, and cool, Michael from vsauce, funny and confident, hacker stories, cool and captivating nearly every time, Electroboom, funny, captivating. These people make other people who previously would've been afraid of ruining their public image interested in having that public image and thus feel safe in exploring similar topics to the ones the cool, funny, or confident person shows. Confidence goes a long way, but if you have none, humor goes just as far.

Now on to the topic of "intellectuals", polymaths, and people who call themselves modern day renaissance men. These people are doing more damage than good to motivating people to learn things. Sure, they're funny, confident, and/or captivating, but they're usually also sexist, racist, anti-lgbt, and "traditionalists". They're so interested in learning so many things, yet bigoted or hateful. They gatekeep what they consider to be smart and dumb, parrot right wing talking points on eugenics or phrenology or talk about ubermensch, not Nietzsches ubermensch, but the Nazis ideal of the ubermensch. To them you're as good as worthless if you can't fulfill or strive for "attractive, intelligent, muscular man" and you might as well not exist if you're a woman, disabled, or BIPOC. They have an air of superiority as if they're smarter and better than Leonardo Davinci, or for a more modern example, they're smarter and better than those pesky scientists, Einstein and Hawking. They always list off a giant laundry list of everything they're studying and doing, learning 5 languages at the same time while reading 5 books a day, meditating for an hour each day, journaling AND writing a book for 30 minutes a day each, AND drawing, AND taking a course in philosophy, anatomy, and astronomy, AND working out for an hour each day, AND going for a walk every day, AND working an 8 hour job on top of it all ALL DAY EVERY DAY and their only proof is "well, there's my proof, I told you, isn't that enough?". Even just a picture of you at the gym next to a picture of your art, no matter how bad, and maybe throw in a screenshot of your Duolingo streak and I would already be impressed by one of those alone, but then if you did all that, it's all ruined as soon as you utter the words "lookmaxxing", "mewing", "traditional", "JB Peterson", "*insert color*pill" or "ubermensch" even once.

For this, I suggest if you're interested in learning and your goal is to become proficient in multiple subjects... Tell the truth of what you do, SHOW people what you do, remember that you DONT know everything EVEN IF you know a lot for one person, don't exclude people, encourage a welcoming environment, encourage learning, tone down your ego, and maybe, just maybe.... Being a gigachad super polymath intellectual supreme being won't be so lonely and people might ALSO listen to what you have to say AND look up to you.

[briasfreespace]

TYSK: I´m gonna try and be consistent

🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞week of 3.22🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞🗞

Insight

3.19 Insight: Beyoncé has released the official cover for her forthcoming album ¨Cowboy Carter.¨ I am so blessed and excited to live in a world where incredible talent keeps improving. As an artist, I fear I will eventually run out of things to share and ideas to expound upon. Yesterday, I was working on some new collages and I felt this fear for the first time. What happens if I run out of gas? I experienced the worst burnout of my life from late 2022 to early 2023; it was the scariest experience of my life. How do I avoid that as much as possible in this shit world? I do not know. The coolest thing to me is that Beyonce is one of those very cool and talented artists who understand taking in the world with a filter and asking how you fit it all in. HOWEVER, I wish she would speak out about the violence happening across the world. She and Janelle Monae released these incredible pieces of art about liberating ourselves, yet their distance and silence saddens me.

3.20 Azelia banks tore. These were critiques I had never thought much of. Please read the screenshots down below. She also spoke on her Instagram story if you catch it in time. She also called us boring bitches, valid. Also, she said someone is castrated and is trying to force meaning where there is none. Let Azelia remind you of the importance of art criticism and deciding how you hope to engage with art. Is it what you engage in mindlessly, or does it garner evolution and self-evaluation? Do you engage with art for its virability or the ability to connect legacies and expound on concepts, making something new?

News to know!!

¨Brett Cross, the father of Uziyah Garcia- a 10-year-old who was murdered at Robb Elementary school has been camped outside of the Uvalde PD for SEVENTY-TWO HOURS...¨ read more on Twitter and support Brett Cross

Aljazeera reports that Israel responded ¨negatively to Hamas official Osama Hamdan´s request for a truce proposal. They have concluded more than 100 aid workers were killed and dozens wounded over the past week... read more on Aljazeera; this is a live page with updates

The violence in Haiti is escalating. It is mostly regarded as gang violence and there are talks to open the US borders for Haitian citizens. I have my opinions on what is happening here but I am not nearly as read up on this as I should be. On this matter, please engage in non-US, non-capitalist news sources that can garner numerous points of view. Here are articles by Hood Communist and Aljazeera.

An Arizona state senator discussed her own experiences with reproductive health and abortion in the state of Arizona. Watch below...

At a St. Patricks day celebration at the White house the Irish Prime Minister said to Biden: "We see our history in the eyes of the Palestinians, a story of displacement, deprivation, a denied national identity, forced migration, discrimination, and now hunger." Link down below

https://x.com/QudsNen/status/1770060641685917902?s=20

Engagement

I am currently reading 3 books. Two from the library and one I bought two or three years ago. I´m not discussing anything about the books outside You all need to read, whether with an audiobook or a physical one. You need to engage words separate from your own, your friends, and your general bubble. VISIT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY FRIENDS!!!!

[saturniiinae]

today, i feel like rotting.

i am discombobulated over accepting this body stretching & gnawing & bloating like a corpse in the midsummer indiana august heat amongst the cornfields; or the potential risk of coming apart, falling apart, & refusing the sewing needle to piece the quilt together.

a long time ago, i accepted the concept of death & dying.

a bit ago, the idea of breathing & living stopped sounding very appealing.

there is a numbness that creeps in alongside the food i shovel down my greedy, gluttonous maw. i am a disgusting thing, a monstrous thing.

i keep tracing old scars on my thighs like the rings on the burnt tree stump. a line for every time life felt a lot a ghost haunting. they are white now, disappearing now, barely seen now. i want to flay my back open, scalpel in hand, my shoulder blades turn into moth wings.

the fridge is no longer my alter.

the toilet feels like brain damage.

cosmic vomit full of cherries & chocolate & the entire cabinet in the kitchen.

i wish my mom would put locks on the fridge again.

i can not control myself & the lack of control makes me hate who i am more than anything.

to be reminded that this body is one like a statue of aphrodite, to have the pearl kissed, the seafoam creeping around my feet caught in seaweed, is to be reminded of something that never felt like a masterpiece to me.

i miss feeling like a dog stuck outside.

barking, yipping, yowling for a meal that will never come.

i am not allowed to destroy myself, but by god, do i want to.

sometimes, i feel like i deserve the destruction.

sometimes, i wish i felt like i deserved redemption.

[kvb227-n11044144]

I was with a group of friends, and we ended up talking about another Biblical passage in 1 Corinthians 12 about the idea of the church or community as a body, with each part having a different role and function to build success. The passage goes on to discuss what could happen if one person decides that they need to be a certain different role to be a part of the body etc. I found myself connecting this passage back to hands. As the part of the body most often associated with taking action and creating, associated roles can often seem desirable, but when a whole group of people wants to work together on the same project and they all want to be in charge of the creation of things for the project, it can end up creating something distorted, and it can damage the group from the inside out. I started by just sculpting a lot of hands to see where inspiration would take me. In the end I spent over a day sculpting and posing dozens of varied tiny hands.

I was researching artists who used representations of hands, and I was reminded of an artwork I saw online a long time which I discovered was called 'The Wings' by Xooang Choi. I found it reflected a lot of what I wanted to see in my work. I realised I wanted to make the hands come together into the shape of a body to reflect the concept in the verse of the body as the community.

I realised that as much as I loved the sculpture as a standalone, the piece meant a lot more when it was paired with the text. I decided I wanted the sculpture to stay the centrepiece, so I wrote out the words in a circle radiating out from the character in a light grey so it would be subtle but still add to the piece.

[mzemo0]

Christians must not dance with Israeli apartheid under the guise of fighting anti-Semitism

It has been revealed that major Christian Churches in the UK succeeded in forcing former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, to reconsider earlier thoughts of moving the British embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

According to news reports, the Church of England, the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church strongly urged Truss to reconsider her ideas in this regard.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, reportedly sent a letter to Truss warning her against moving the British Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which, according to international law, is considered an occupied territory.

Cardinal Nichols probably reflected the views of his fellow clerics when he warned that the relocation of the embassy would seriously damage British interests throughout the Muslim world: “A relocation of the UK Embassy would be seriously damaging to any possibility of lasting peace in the region and to the international reputation of the United Kingdom.”

Moreover, the chief cleric in the Church of England, Justine Welby, expressed a similar attitude in a newspaper interview.

Predictably,Israelileaders reacted furiously, accusing Christian leaders of ignorance and adopting an immoral stance toward the apartheid Israeli entity.

Furthermore, one right-wing Israeli writer lambasted the three Churches which objected to the idea of relocating the British embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, claiming that the churches didn’t represent Christians around the world. He hinted that a Christian cannot be a true Christian unless he or she embraces the Israeli apartheid regime in the West Bank where non-Jews, e.g. Christians and Muslims, are treated as children of a lesser God, or using the biblical terms, as water-carriers and wood-hewers!

Interestingly, most extremist Israeli leaders subscribe to the silly concept that the only authentic Christians are the evangelical groups, or the so-called Christian Zionists, who believe that the creation of Israel in Palestine in 1948 was a fulfilment of Biblical Prophecy and a precedent to the second advent of Jesus.

The Hitler of Bethlehem

By the way, it might be appropriate to remind readers on this occasion that the Israeli government which claims to tend to and protect Christian interests in Palestine is the very same government that pays hundreds of millions of Shekels to vehemently anti-Christian Talmudic colleges (Yishivot) that teach the filthiest possible hate literature, like Hesronot Shas, against Jesus Christ. I am not going to mention passages from this filth out of veneration for Jesus himself and as a gesture of respect for Christian brothers and sisters around the world. My ultimate goal behind these stunning revelations is not to incite Christians to hate Jews. In the final analysis, truth, not hate is my craft.

Before leaving this thread, I want to remind readers of an incident that occurred several years ago. Then I met an ostensibly moderate and respectable rabbi. And as we were speaking about monotheistic religions and the common grounds between them, the rabbi surprised me when he referred to Jesus, a figure I love so much as every other Muslim does, as “The Hitler of Bethlehem.”  The repulsive remark shocked me from head to toe, to say he very least.

Noticing my reaction, the rabbi said: I know that you Muslims venerate and sanctify Jesus, I am sorry if I have inadvertently caused you any offense.

Venomous anti-Christian Hostility

Nonetheless, not all rabbis, especially in the West, are as honest as my interlocutor mentioned above. In fact, Zionist rabbis and other manifestly dishonest propagandists hysterically strive to distract attention from this colossal shame.

Hence, they concoct all sorts of lies and disinformation about an alleged persecution in the Holy Land of Christians by Muslims and even by the unreligious Palestinian Authority (PA), which is absolutely and completely at Israel’s beck and call.

The truth of the matter is that the apartheid Israeli entity and Talmudic Jewish circles (the Pharisees of our time) are the only sources of harassment and persecution of al Palestinians, Christians and Muslims alike.

This unceasing persecution assumes many forms, including:

Seizing land and real estate belonging to the churches, either by coercion or through suspicious purchase deals.

Routinly harassing Christian clergymen in the streets of East Jerusalem by spitting on them,  verbally abusing them or even bad-mouthing Jesus.

Denying Palestinian Christians in the Gaza Strip access to Christian Holy places in the West Bank such as The Nativity Church in Bethlehem and the church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

Occasionally vandalizing and setting churches on fire by anti-Christian Talmudic fanatics who often act on instructions from their government-paid rabbis.

Constantly seeking to stir Muslim-Christian tension, using Shen Bet agents to carry out this filthy feat. Fortunately, 99% of these toxic efforts have utterly failed, due to the exemplary vigilance of the Palestinian community.

An Australian Blow

A few days before the resignation of Liz Truss, the Australian government decided to reconsider its erstwhile decision to relocate Australia’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The decision was warmly welcomed by the Palestinians and the PA, which described it as consistent with the rule of international law.  However, the Australian decision drew much anger and consternation from the Israeli government and jingoistic media, with former Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu blaming current Prime Minister Yair Lapid for the reversal of Australian policy.

Conclusion

Nonetheless, Christians are expected to show some justice toward the tormented Palestinians.

We all know that thanks to the grossly unethical and illegal western policy toward the Palestinian question, Israel has been given a carte blanch to murder, torment, savage and dispossess the Palestinian people. This utterly unfair and unjust policy by western governments, particularly the U.S. and UK, effectively condemned the Palestinian people to an unenviable situation that is similar to those proverbial orphan kids, sitting for dinner around the table of the cruel and the mean.

Hence, the gesture of the three churches in England is highly appreciated. We also sincerely hope that Church leaders will continue to raise their influential voices in defence of the virtually abandonedPalestinians. This would be consistent with the lofty Christian ideals of siding with the oppressed.

[cryingtulips]

My DSMP Poems

-0-0-

i bite the hand that feeds me

It’s been documented that some animals will bite off their limbs if entrapped and threatened. 

Quackity finds he’s not so different from these animals.

c!Quackity and his trauma and relationships told through cannibalism

-0-0-

Do you still think of me? (like how I still think of you?)

Tommy thought Tubbo cared for him, they were best friends after all! But after his time in exile, alone with no one but Dream, Tommy comes to the conclusion that Tubbo never cared for him. Tommy hates Tubbo, and Tubbo probably doesn't even think of him.

c!Tommy and codependency except it’s c!clingyduo

-0-0-

DSMP Poetry Zine

My parts include a cDream, cFundy, and a cTommy poem. The zine is free and features 20+ talented artists/writers

-0-0-

perfect statue (perfect mask)

Wilbur will not allow himself be anything less than perfect

Wilbur has to be perfect. He has no other choice

-0-0-

the monster within your walls

There’s a monster hiding in Tommy’s walls, and it won’t let him go.

c!discduo but it reminded me of childhood monsters and the fears they caused

-0-0-

a dance between brothers

It’s been thirteen years since Wilbur has last danced with his brother.

c!crimeboys poem about dancing and healing for Flufftober Day 25

-0-0-

all that remains

When Tommy was younger, Wilbur had promised to stay.

When Wilbur died, all Tommy was left with was his ugly trench coat.

Now he’s back and all that remains is the coat, and the promise they made

a c!crimeboys poem for Flufftober 2022 Day 1 & 12

-0-0-

There was a butterfly

There was a butterfly with an injured wing.

Tommy tries to save it, but that’s hard to do when Dream destroys anything Tommy loves.

CDisctober Day 7: Bugs

-0-0-

the red means i love you

73 words

Green isn’t Dream’s favorite color.

It’s red.

It’s everything strong and powerful.

It’s everything he’ll shape out of Tommy

cDiscduo told through the color red metaphors

-0-0-

the stars made a home with us

97 words

Legend tells the story of how the stars were made from a wish to have a friend.

In the safety of Techno's home, Tommy reflects on what the legend was actually about.

A c!bedrock poem about the stars and finding home

-0-0-

There’s a Ghost Haunting These Woods

144 words

There's a ghost haunting these woods.

He looks so much like Tommy.

Tommy is dead and Technoblade is in denial

-0-0-

i still have your hoodie

157 words

Years spent apart, Tommy still has Techno's hoodie.

c!Bedrock poem about loosing connection with family and wanting to speak again

-0-0-

Take Aim

121 words

Tommy never did learn how to aim

c!Tommy and archery

-0-0-

thrill of the chase

70 words

The weight of the ax is an old friend, and so is the frightened glare he sends your way.

A c!discduo poem

-0-0-

hero or brother, you choose

176 words

There are no heroes in this story, but there are two brothers and a villain

A c!crime poem about the concept of heroes, villains, and brothers

-0-0-

The Warden’s Key

145 words

The Warden’s Achilles heel

A poem about c!Sam’s spiral downhill all because he wanted to protect Tommy

-0-0-

quiet night

120 words

Death can be so quiet yet so loud at the same time

A c!Jack poem about the night of Tommy’s murder

-0-0-

Butterflies and Acceptance

208 words

Butterflies are attracted to dead things, does this include things that were once dead?

A poem about c!Tommy and death

-0-0-

ghostly reflections

259 words

You stare at the mirror in front of you. You stare and stare and stare. Hours pass by and you don’t move. It’s always like this. Either you feel nothing. Or you feel everything.

A poem about c!Tommy and his trauma

-0-0-

puzzle pieces

126 words

You used to fit together like pieces in a puzzle. Life used to be simple when the pieces fit. But now pieces are missing and broken from time and damage. Now you force what once was perfect to be just like before.

A c!crimeboys poem using puzzle metaphors

-0-0-

Dying With a Broken Heart

209 words

Tommy knows one day he will die by Dream’s hands, he can only hope it’s a peaceful death

A poem centering on Tommy and his thoughts on dying and Dream

-0-0-

purple was home (purple was you)

115 words

I can’t think of purple without thinking of you / Because purple was you / It was care and gentle hands / It meant home and hope for a future

A reflection on allium duo and its importance to Tommy. It follows the events pre-exile to post-exile when Tommy was getting better

-0-0-

I’m not him (I’m not Wilbur)

170 words

I am not him // I am not Wilbur // My name is Ghostbur / I am a being that should not exist / but does anyway / I am what should not be / but is

I never did make a Tumblr post about this one, but it’s a ghostbur-centric fic centered around Ghostbur and Phil’s relationship

[stoic-whumpee]

Monster/Inhuman whumpees please ❤

Hi! Thanks for the ask :D Here's some broad concepts :D

Whumpees being hunted/captured and kept in chains.

Whumpee being collared: fancy, pretty collar for a treasured "pet"; leather, unassuming collar that still constantly reminds them of their treatment; heavy metal collar that weights on their neck and keeps them subdued like a wild animal.

Whumpee forced to hide their inhuman/monstrous features, to the point of damaging those features or bringing them constant pain and ache.

Whumpee's nonhuman body parts (horns, wings, tails, etc.) are used as a point to restrain or subdue them.

Weapons made specifically to hurt certain inhuman whumpees, maybe even without damage to human hunters.

Inhuman whumpee is treated like an animal and not a person. Monster whumpee is abused heavily due to their scary appearance.

You can check out my #inhuman whumpee tag for more detailed and specific prompts, and I'd recommend @whump-galaxy multitude of monster whumpee prompts if you want to see more!

Let me know if there are something specific you'd like to see :)

[plus-size-reader]

Just a Kid

Daryl Dixon x Plus size!reader

Word Count: 2453 words

Warnings: none

Summary: Taking Lydia in as your own with Daryl

Hi, I couldn’t get this concept out of my head. 

—————————————————————————————————

“She’s just a kid, D” you hummed, carefully working at the knot in his neck that he’d been complaining about for days.

You knew that this thing with the girl, and Jesus, and all these people wearing faces was really starting to wear on Daryl’s nerves.

You could tell, because every night when he came back to your house, he was even more tense than the last and at this point, you were really starting to get concerned that he would burst a blood vessel.

There was just too much going on right now.

...but you knew what you had to do.

Lydia was just a child, and even if her people were the purest evil you could ever imagine, that didn’t mean that she was. If nothing else, she was little more than a battered little girl who had never known any better.

That was how you saw her, and you knew Daryl did too.

He just wasn’t ready to take on so much yet, and honestly, he didn’t know if he could. It was hard for him to have to take over all this at Hilltop, and that girl they’d brought was only making it worse.

“You still on that?” he grumbled back, really hoping that you would have gotten over this pipe dream of yours already.

The two of you had talked this conversation to death, and while you knew there was a good chance that nothing was going to change, you would continue to do so until he changed his mind.

Ever since she had come to know this group, you had gotten it in your head that the two of you could give her the home that she had never had but Daryl wasn’t so easily convinced. 

It just seemed like more than you were ready for.

He saw that look in your eyes, when she was finally safe behind those gates, but then you’d gone and made it even worse.

You met her.

Maybe it hadn’t been the greatest idea, and maybe it wouldn’t help but you knew that at least you could try to understand better.

You could only imagine how a girl in her position would be feeling. You knew that if you were her, you would have been absolutely terrified.

After all, she was surrounded by strangers, in an unforgiving and new environment.

It was possible that one friendly face would make all the difference to her and as it happened, you had one of the friendliest faces around here.

If anyone was going to get through to her, it was you.

Course, Daryl was against the idea from the start but you knew that no one else was going to stick their neck out for her if you two didn’t. That made it more than worth it to you, even if no one else understood.

She didn’t say a word for the first few days.

Lydia had nothing to say to you and frankly, you couldn't blame her for that. You were a stranger, the enemy as far as she knew, and there was no reason she should have trusted you at all, but that wasn’t always going to be the case.

The more you came, the more she realized that you may have been the only person willing to stick their neck out for her. Once she decided that you weren’t going to kill her, or sell her out, it was pretty much settled.

You needed to help her.

It wasn’t up for debate, but for some reason, convincing Daryl was proving to be an even more difficult task.

“We aren’t her parents, it ain’t our place” he tried, desperately hoping that you would see how insane what you were proposing was. Still, you weren’t letting up, and he knew you well enough to know what that meant.

You were invested.

You were going to do whatever you could to get through to her.

Perhaps it was because you two found yourself comparing her to Daryl or perhaps it was your own soft spot for kids.

In any case, the damage was done.

“She doesn’t have parents D, that’s why she needs us” you sighed, leaning down to rest fully into his back, your head nestled in the space between his shoulder and his neck. It gave you just enough leverage to look at him.

It was hardly up for debate.

Lydia’s mother saw her as little more than an asset, something to abuse and control. After all the things you’d endured with Daryl, it made her well being that much more personal, for both of you.

It took months to get Daryl to tell you about his past.

He trusted you more than anyone else in the world, and his greatest pain was still too difficult to share until he knew you weren’t going anywhere.

You had no doubt that the hold this girl’s mother had on her was even stronger.

At least Daryl had Merle, he knew how much of an asshole his dad was.

Lydia was brainwashed.

You would be lucky if you were ever able to break whatever her mother had done to her, due to the extreme circumstances, but you knew that you had to try.

No one deserved the way she had been treated, and you wanted to make sure that she understood it wasn’t her fault.

Her mother was cruel, and there was nothing more to it than that.

The best way to prove that to her would be giving her a real home, proving to her that not everyone was going to treat her the way that she did. Maybe, if she felt safe, she would finally start to open up.

When the two of you first met, Daryl hardly spoke to you and when he did, it was always in a gruff, unfriendly tone. It took him some time to warm up to you and once he had, that tone warmed up to one of love.

It just took time.  

The same thing could apply to Lydia, if you just gave her some time.

If nothing else, it had to be worth a shot.

She was worth it.

“You really wanna do this?” he hummed, after what felt like an eternity of silence between the two of you.

Daryl heard you, he got the message, he just couldn't be sure that being with you, and him, would be enough.

He knew what it was like to be in her position, and he knew how hard it was to let people in. It was possible that she would never allow herself to be cared for in the way you wanted to, and he didn’t want you getting your hopes up.

You would be crushed if she rejected your offer, but it couldn’t hurt.

Even if she wanted nothing to do with either of you, at least you tried to give her something. That was much more than anyone else in the world had ever done for her.

“Yeah, I do. I really do” you smiled, not even bothering to hide the wide grin that spread across your face at the idea of what he was saying. It wasn’t exactly a yes, but it was as much of a yes as you were going to get from Daryl.

It was more than enough.

At the end of the day, even if it was a bad idea, Daryl knew better than to argue with you. What you were suggesting was crazy, but it was so very you that he couldn’t even worry about it.

He fell in love with you and that heart of gold of yours, so if this was what it was telling you to do, he owed it to you to let you do what you thought was right.

You had to, just as he had to.

...and of all the crazy ideas you’d ever had, this was hardly the most dangerous one.

All you wanted to do now was give a little girl a place to live and a family, it wasn’t like you were suggesting some kind of suicide mission. You and Daryl had faced far worse than a child, desperate for belonging and acceptance.

What you were doing was new for all of you.

~

Lydia wasn’t sure, at first.

After all, she had never really had parents and you and Daryl had certainly never been parents.

It just wasn’t something you had any experience with.

However, with all that you’d lost recently, it didn’t make sense to turn her away too. She was a product of her circumstances and nothing more. It wouldn’t be fair to make Lydia pay for the sins of her mother.

Instead, you chose to put all your effort into making sure she never felt like a burden again.

You knew that she blamed herself, in part, for what her mother had done. Henry was gone, Tara was gone, Enid was gone, it was just too much.

You’d lost too many people in the months it had been and you weren’t interested in losing any more.

You certainly weren’t interested in letting a little girl take the blame for what her people had done, not when she first arrived, and not now.

Lydia was good, she was trying, and that wasn’t something you were going to debate.

Thankfully, that was something you and Daryl could both agree on, without all the initial back and forth.

You were both winging it, of course, but you knew that you had to try and stick up for her. Even the smallest gesture would make a world of difference.

She deserved to feel safe for once.

When you and Daryl had decided to take her in, it wasn’t supposed to be perfect. You weren’t going to move into a little cottage surrounded by a white picket fence, with flowers and a dog.

It was making the best of whatever shit show situation you’d been dealt.

It was all you knew to do.

“You wanna help me with this?” you hummed, addressing your words to the young girl at your side.

What you were asking wasn’t really all that much of a question but considering that you were sewing up a huge hole in Daryl’s button up, she wasn’t interested.

“D does it himself, mostly, but he’s clumsy about it. The stitching always comes undone” you reminded, thinking about the last time he’d offered to stitch up a hole in your jeans, and it had unraveled by the end of the day.

He meant well, he really did, but he had never really had the patience for more delicate things like this. Sewing of any kind, even stitches in flesh, had never really been his foray.

...but that was okay.

You told him that you would take care of this, and he could pick up the slack somewhere else, making dinner or cleaning blood and dirt out of the laundry.

“I don’t know how” she tried, looking at you in the way she often would when she ran into something she had never done before. The two of you’d had this same conversation when you suggested she go to school with the other children.

She didn’t even know how to read when she came to you, and now, she is making great progress.

It was just a matter of learning what she had never had a chance to learn before.

“I’ll teach you, it's easy” you smiled, handing her the garment with one hand, and the needle with the other.

She looked unsure, lost even, but she took it nonetheless.

“Hold the fabric with this hand, and move the needle with the other, up and down in as straight a line as you can manage” you instructed, keeping it as simple as you possibly could until she got the hang of it.

You knew this was probably a tad bit overwhelming, and if she didn't go it right the first time, she would get discouraged but luckily, years by Daryl’s side had taught you a patience that nothing else ever could.

You could sit here all day if you had to, as long as she got the hang of it.

Lydia had been living with her pack of skin walkers all this time, only doing what she was told, but that wasn’t the life she was living now.

She was part of a community, and she had a family, but that also meant that she had to learn to protect and provide for herself when you weren’t there. If something ever happened to you or Daryl, she still had to live.

Her clothes couldn’t be ripped or ruined, her wounds couldn’t stay open to fester, and eventually, she would need to cook and clean for herself too, but for now, a helping hand was all you needed.

People were what kept your communities running, and your home was no different. You and Daryl were a team, communicating without words most of the time, and she was part of that now.

She was part of the team.

“Like that?” she tried, hoping that some part of what she was doing was right. There was no real way to tell but you didn’t seem upset so that had to be a good sign.

It was a strangely domestic task for her, one that brought back memories of her people, her old people, sewing up masks of tanned human skin. The motion was the same, the idea was the same, but there was something normal about this.

She was just fixing a shirt.

There was nothing volatile or aggressive about this, and it wasn’t for anything other than someone she cared for. That made it a little easier to stomach than any other chore may have been.

This was for Daryl after all, and if anyone had earned something like this, it was him.

Lydia wasn’t blind.

She knew what the two of you had done for her, always making sure she had something to eat and sticking up for her when the others got a little too comfortable with their distaste for her.

“Exactly, just a little closer together” you prompted, smiling when she did just as you asked. She was a quick learner, and you knew that she could do this.

This was normal, real, and the sooner she learned that she could live a completely normal life, the sooner she would really adapt to life in a community like this one.

“Once you’re done, you can help Daryl with dinner. I’m sure he’d love the help”

It was hardly where she expected to be, but it was more than where she’d been. At least, with you and Daryl, Lydia knew that she was safe.