#then i'll be able to work on the events & finishing out the exploration and everything :3

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!! <3

[saint-vagrant]

we packed up my studio on Thursday night, so my residency in the burren is officially over 💔🌦 i'll miss it tremendously, including my fellow residents who have already dispersed— such a lovely group with whom i'm so grateful to have shared this time, they improved it tenfold. and i'm grateful to everyone who helped me make this possible.

i worked on pieces large and small, which i haven't had time nor energy to accomplish in the last few years. i didn't finish everything, mainly due to spending as much time exploring the mountains, woods, ruins, and Árann islands. the writing i paired with my work for the Open Studio event reflects my thoughts on being in The Land as someone (mac tíre) severed from the security of family, making space for my trans and queer body, a soft indentation in the sea grass. bithchuimhne ���� i introduced some of this in my comic for the HOME anthology— to be embraced in kind means more than words alone can say.

with unfinished pieces, i at least have something to look forward to once i'm settled in.

at the same time, going back to the core feels almost criminal. does it ever not? níl cara ag cumha ach cuimhne. i'm furiously sad at the absence of the Palestinian students who were meant to be here, Mohammed and Nadin. we held a bonfire in honour as a small gesture of committment and memory, and i've been in touch with Mohammed a little, only when he's able to access rare internet connection. Ireland, to be fair, is hardly better— hiding behind selective, vicious, cowardly "neutrality" that somehow continue pandering to the same colonising forces Ireland prides itself on rejecting. but on the ground, coalitions of people are ever here for each other and will not stop coming out in droves against the odds. in that way, israel will lose, as will its guardian the US, as will each languishing oppressor in this conflict and the next. at this moment i can't offer much more than that, but i do believe in it. it's the only thing i've ever believed in. from the plough to the stars, from the river to the sea, saoirse don Phalaistín 🇮🇪🖤🇵🇸 and around the world.

[askyourwritergrandma]

Hello there. I have a bit of a difficult question in the sense that I don't know who to ask about it. You seemed to be arguably the wisest source to consult on the matter, so I'm taking a chance.

I had an idea for a fic that I wanted to write and I was actually in the process of writing it for a bit. It was for a small fandom event in which I signed up for. I was almost done with it and was in the finishing stages of them when I was obstructed by people and circumstances that really ought not to have ever been and as such, I was never able to fully publish it. Ever since then, I have resented the people who did this as I not only failed to deliver the final product I was supposed to, but I also looked like a fool. I hated everyone and myself for this entire thing as this is not the first time I had been stopped from doing something that I chose outside of everyone else's jurisdiction. To an effect, I still do.

As a more notable effect, looking at the document in which all of my hard work sat made me physically ill and enraged. I had also stopped writing completely because of how strongly I felt (and still feel) about this entire situation. Soon after the fact, I also essentially erased myself from the online space for a month because I didn't want anyone to question nor point out that I hadn't done it as I did not want to explain why and doing so would have me spiral out of control and simply delete my social media as I would not be able to live with it. I have only come back recently because I was sick of being socially isolated and alone. You would think that this would be the end of it, but there's one thing that for some reason sticks around.

I still want to write this story.

Yes, I know I essentially left them high and dry but this premise and what I had been working on captivated me to such a degree that I'm still thinking about it when my mind wanders on its own. But I still get sick thinking about my circumstances that I can't change nor budge and as such, I still can't stand looking at the document nor the outline. I desperately want to get to work on it again, but there's so much negative emotional attachment to it that I can't bring myself to do it because I wonder why I ever bothered with it in the first place if everyone and everything in my life keeps stopping me from doing it.

I've tried to write other things in the meantime, but they too are suppressed as I am constantly reminded of my failure and my circumstances that are not only unfair but ridiculous as this is the only outlet I really have and to see it limited to such a degree is sickening and still makes my blood boil.

I love writing things and I love exploring these things, but I don't even know how to do it when all of it is accompanied by rage, despair, inferiority, and pure unadulterated hatred directed at myself as well as others.

So I suppose that my question really is this:

How do I bring myself to write when my entire being hates me for even trying, knowing that I'll never finish what I start because something will stop me?

Oh friend, this is just some shit right here.

Ok so important disclaimer is that I am not a mental health professional. Anything I say is based on personal experience or accumulated knowledge from the internet.

Its important that you know, and really properly internalize, that you did not fail. In fact my first thing directly related to writing that I would advise you to do, when you start to feel this way, is to say 'I did not fail' to yourself. Sometimes things happen that can't control and they affect us in very serious ways that takes time to get over.

Certainly it sounds like what you were working on was important to you and the circumstances that interrupted it were very upsetting. There's no surprise that your story has becoming a focal point for those feelings. Untangling how they are connected is something that you can only do with time and trying.

If you have a safe place where you can externalize those feelings, either through talking to someone, keeping a journal or writing the events but fictionalized I would suggest those things. Sometimes just being able to put it all out there and know that its safe helps you move on from it.

As far as people on the internet questioning you about where you've been, I can't say that wouldn't have happened or that it won't happen in the future, but as a general rule good, decent people extend you grace. Everyone has a life outside of this anonymous mosh pit we call the internet and most people are capable of understanding that. You don't need to compound these feelings of failure with any additional shame from anonymous strangers. Would they have loved to read your story? Yes of course they would have. If you were to finish it they would still want to read it. But they aren't angry or upset with you.

As you try to write, remind yourself that you have not failed. Imagine yourself as a professional athlete who has suffered a serious knee injury. You had to take time away but you're back on your feet now and you're working towards getting back on the field. Every time you sit and try to write, remind yourself that you have no failed, that you are recovering and that you will get better. Writing will get easier.

Send me as many asks as you want, if they help, I'll do my best to answer them promptly.

Good luck anon and take care of yourself.

[onyourowndaisymae]

blog update

hi! it's been awhile since i've posted anything substantial. some of you might have noticed that progress for the "when they fall in love" series has halted, that only little drabbles or shitposts have been posted as of late, etc etc-- i want to say my peace and get it all out there.

to make a long story short, blog posts will be slowing way down to accommodate for my declining health, but i am still looking to post drabbles and such until i am healthier. kink/flufftober prompts will be pushed back to a do-over kink/flufftober when i have the energy to do so. my "personal" blog is @oopsiedaisymae and that's where i'll be moving most of my reblogs, likes, mutual following, etc etc so follow there if you want to see my nonsense. this blog will not be shutting down. y'all are stuck with me.

to make a long story long... (cw for chronic illness, nausea, unintentional disordered eating, american nonsense)

last year, during finals season in college, i got sick as fuck with a stomach infection. since then, i have quite literally never been the same. i went from being a normal student to being plagued with abdominal pain, constant nausea (and i'm emetophobic so that sucked SO much ass) and being unable to leave the house some days. i've had ups and downs with my health since-- some days i can eat semi-normal, other days i'd be completely unable to stomach anything solid. as of now, we're on the worse end of that spectrum.

also around this time, i lost my health insurance. so the entirety of this calendar year i haven't had insurance, and although my primary care clinic is cheap, my issues are beyond what a primary care clinic can provide. because i'm in america, an uninsured trip to the ER would quite literally bankrupt me. so i've been waiting on insurance to get said proper medical care. i'm hoping that'll come sooner rather than later-- my birthday is next month and i'd like to not be in the hospital when it comes around!

with all of this, i have (understandably) not been eating well and have lost a significant amount of weight. eating hurts, and trying to eat a healthy amount makes me incredibly nauseated and in pain. the question every day is: do i want to not be in pain but be unable to think, or do i suffer physically to have some mental capacity for the day? it's a lose-lose situation.

this has really upset me bc writing has always been a place to escape to as my life falls apart, but now even stringing together words is hard. i want to write. before this most recent batch of hell i was stringing together a masterlist for kinktober, but i can't even finish the pieces i was already working on bc i can't think. shit sucks.

anyways. all this to say: once i get proper medical care, it's over for you hoes. i will start posting full-length fics again once i am able. in the mean time, expect little drabbles here and there. i will be hosting my do-over kinktober and flufftober events when i am able, even if that shit means i'm posting in may or something. i will be dicking around on @oopsiedaisymae, my personal blog, in the mean time. oh, and i'm into twisted wonderland now, too. so expect content for that when i come back in full swing.

i think that's everything. if i have anything else to say, i'm sure i'll mention it. in the mean time, feel free to explore my blog or my mutuals' blogs to get your writing content fill. thanks for sticking around :) mwah.

[helloneighborfan]

Chapter 14: Meeting

Wow! Other blog from me again, hope you like the chapter!

"Caw, caw." For the first time in weeks, the crow we had in captivity, did not sound repeatedly like previous times (besides being irritating if you hear it every day). Why am I talking about the crow? Well, I'll say why: since I had the incident I had recently after discovering "a crow person" while exploring the tunnels of the house.

Thanks to the description we both made, we were able to generate several hypotheses and theories without arguments, but that served as suspicion about what it could be, as a couple of teenagers playing pranks in town, a person with strange tastes, a sect with unknown purposes and the last one is not even planned. I look behind me and look at Adelle with one eyebrow raised, her arms crossed around her chest, waiting for me to eat breakfast.

-Could we just for one day be people resting?

Oh, I forgot we had the day off.

-I'm sorry, dear, it's just that work consumed me," I replied frankly.

Adelle gave me a nice smile and went downstairs to serve breakfast. Before I go downstairs, I go to Ted's room to take him downstairs to the dining room. "Let's get you breakfast Teddy." I go downstairs and settle Ted in his chair. Adelle serves two plates of scrambled eggs with bacon .

-How delicious. I comment.

We both eat quietly while Adelle feeds Ted. This makes me think that Lisa will also live these moments of life. ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Having an empty cupboard, I decided to take on the role of "productive husband on a slow day."

-Don't forget dinner time," Adelle called from the kitchen.

-I'll be on time, dear!

Leaving the house, I headed for the only store in town, where Mrs. Tillman's is. Sometimes it's hard to come home with everything you set out on your shopping list because, as the groceries were sold out every week, they kept emptying frequently, but on the other hand, if you got there early, you went home happy with your purchases.

When I finished my work at the supermarket, I decided to go to work and let Adelle know that I would be a few minutes early. The day went by and the hours went by. Without any inspiration to continue with the research, I decided to go to the library to look for more information to see more details.

What could the raven men he saw be about?

Had the weather situation in Raven Brooks been going on for a while now and no one was encouraged to investigate its causes?

My questions were dispelled as I entered the large library in front of me. Huge shelves of books covered most of the room with chairs and tables. The smell of old wood gave it an old, studenty feel. Having the student and professional sections, I decided to look for geography and meteorology, but only a few books appeared. I guess Raven Brooks also has its own geography, because it has little outside data.

With the necessary books, I start reading and taking notes on possible key ideas for the weather situation and what the town is like geographically. They mention that it is a forested area and that there is a lot of land, plus it rains frequently (like the time we went to the weather station and on the way back it rained heavily), earthquakes rarely occur and they talk about Mayak 0-14, a natural phenomenon that occurs randomly and consists of the sky turning purple, illuminating with purple rays, plus crows squawking as they circle around in a circle. They do not give the causes or origins of this event, so it shrouds it in a mystical and mysterious aura.

The next few pages talked about how unpredictable the weather is in Raven Brooks, how a week can be cloudy, there are even days when the wind doesn't blow often. Flooding is also part of this but it is mentioned that it is very unlikely to occur as there is no sea nearby.

Another natural phenomenon unique to the town is "The eye of dusk", a climatic condition that occurs during the Christmas season. When the night sky is completely clear, the stars mysteriously align around the moon as a small cloud positions itself around the moon to form the blissful event.

So many phenomena occur in this town and so few answers.

As I was about to pick up a history book, a brown paperback was peeking through the others. Upon closer inspection, it was actually dark brown with gold edges. It had no name but as I flipped through it, the first leaf read:

"History of Raven Brooks."

Turning a few pages, it mentioned that the Tavish founded the town along with other people of power. The origin of the golden apple is also mentioned. Gammy Flo was the creator of this sweet invention, since, by combining chocolate and caramel, she made it known.

Later, the Tavish family inherited Gammy's invention and thus their empire began to grow, becoming the most powerful family in town. Many photos appear of them in their luxurious home. The one that stood out the most was one in which they were posing smiling while Mr. Tavish had a frown on his face, while Mrs. Tavish was smiling proudly. In the background of the photo were also some knight armor with a sword.

From book 4 (Bad Blood) of Aaron's trilogy

In the background of the photo were also some knight armor with a sword.

"So, they think they're royalty, huh?"

"They will regret their actions in the future."

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Having enough information, I left the library and, instead of going back to my place of work, I decided to call Adelle if I needed anything.

-Who is this?

-It's me, Roger.

-Hello, dear.

-How are you? Do you need anything?

-I'm glad you asked, I'm fine, I'm just… I had an unexpected visit from Rita.

-Rita?

I haven't seen her in a while, I'm glad she's well.

-That's right, come back when you finish your hour.

-I will.

-See you in a while.

-See you later.

I hang up the phone and go back to my work…..

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-It's nice to have you here with us, Rita. It's been a while since we've seen you," I reply.

-I'm glad to see you both, too.

-The reason why I didn't come those days was because of…- Rita averts her eyes and crosses her arms around her chest. -A situation I had that left me without strength, that's all.

We both exchange a puzzled look. Could it be what Adelle told me? Most likely yes.

-We understand perfectly well, Rita. The important thing is that you're here. Adelle put a hand on her shoulder.

She could only manage a small, sad smile. She didn't hesitate for a second to smile frankly and hug us tightly,

-We'd better catch up, hadn't we?

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-Let's get back to work.

"Have you ever heard of forest protectors," Rita asks.

We both deny, but we tell that we had a sighting of a person supposedly related to the "forest protectors", that we only met once. At that, Rita tells us the following:

"According to rumors, they are said to be a sect that is hidden in the shadows of the town, their purpose is uncertain but, it is mentioned that they are related to the Tavish family , plus they and a few people are in there. From what I came to hear, only those who have a name here, plus…. you know, swear allegiance to them and earn their respect."

-That's from what I've heard, from the locals here," Rita replies.

Adelle and I exchanged glances. What if that person was one of them?

-If they came across a person dressed like that, then he is one of them.

At that, with determination, Rita stands in front of us and holds out her hand: "Is there one more space? Because I'll be able to be of help to you on this, I'll be undercover."

Another extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt. We smile and take her hand in acceptance.

"Welcome aboard, Rita Ryland."

[mcalhenwrites]

Geckos, Automata

[I'm writing a huge word document on google of all my stories, but it's taking forever, so I'll post these separate on tumblr. If there's a category I should include, let me know!]

Status: Finished, going through one last heavy editing session before publication Publication intentions: I plan to self-publish this in the near future Significant Characters: Duncan, Kieran, Rosalia, Mortimer, Agatha, Julian Summary: It has been four years since the Upheaval. The necromancer, Julian Gilmore, behind it is believed dead, but his husband believes that he’s still alive. Using their automaton daughter and a series of data-collecting geckos, Mortimer searches for clues regarding his whereabouts. He suspects Julian’s cousin, Duncan, might have an idea about where to find him. Some fun details: Mortimer, Julian, and Simone (Julian’s mother) are recycled from another story, which also involved necromancy. That story was originally developed back in 2011. It was called The Dead Have More Worth (And Pose Less Risk) and focused more on necromancy being used to protect tombs, which were often raided for their treasure. All the characters were involved in controversial, career-ending decisions (including the tomb raiding) that had more dire consequences than facing necromancers’ dangerous traps, hence the title. I was frustrated with the original story and abandoned it for years before recycling characters and themes from it. In early 2020, I had the idea for four new characters. I wanted to create an RPG-like party, although none of these characters had names. A year later, I named three of them and wrote the first draft of Geckos in a single month (February 2021). Those characters are Duncan, Kieran, and Rosalia. The fourth one was supposed to be in a relationship with Rosalia, and he later became her unnamed ex-fiancé in a backstory that isn’t explored much in Geckos. In early 2021, right before I wrote Geckos, I was interested in writing something with wild west (USA) themes and steampunk. This worked out well with the original 2011 story elements, since everything took place in the desert. It also corresponded well with my desire to use geckos, since mine are based off leopard geckos. The city that became the epicenter for the Upheaval is surrounded by mountains and fresh water, but as one expands outward, there are dunes that later give way to plains much like the ones I come from, so that’s why many of the characters eat buffalo meat. The continent is nearly the size of North America, so there is room for a variety of geographically settings. Trains are the main mode of transportation. Mortimer once worked as a train inspector before the Upheaval, and he later joined Julian in making automata. The Upheaval mostly impacted a singular continent. It is the result of Julian’s experiment, which he conducted in the city of Pandion. His intention was to wipe out a large chunk of the human population and turn them into an army. He also brought souls back to the earth to use for such purposes. Julian succeeded in some of his goals, but he was still thought to have died during this catastrophic event. A body was even discovered and buried at his funeral. The massive loss of lives had global industrial impacts, resulting in food shortages and a wider gap between the rich and the poor. Certain technologies became unavailable/unsupported, cutting off widespread use. Most notably, however, is that there is a greater abundance of souls wandering the earth since the Upheaval. Between those killed during the Upheaval and those pulled from their resting place, they’re an unavoidable part of daily life.  Some are malicious and clearly still under someone’s control.

Anyone who shows signs of being a necromancer is deeply hated and discriminated against. The average person might be able to see ghosts, but the better someone can hear, see, or speak to spirits, the greater chance they could be necromancers. Mediums and sorcerers often hide their skills to avoid persecution.

Duncan and Julian are first cousins once removed but are only a couple of years apart. Julian’s mother and Duncan’s grandmother were sisters. They actually met in school and didn’t know they were related at first.

Most of the chapter titles are either puns, wordplay, or references.

[hypnotisedfireflies]

Something I personally really enjoy about your take of Tess and Joel (but especially Tess in particular) is how morally gray you've made them, even before the world ended and before they really had an excuse. I feel like so often people try to make them into these really outstandingly great people pre!outbreak who had to completely start from scratch to adapt enough for survival, which is totally fine!!! am definitely not saying people can't see them how they want especially in regards to a chapter in the story that has no canonical basis. But I just.... really really really enjoy the version you've created where perhaps it actually wasn't that hard to adapt for survival because they already weren't all that great in the first place. It just makes them feel so incredibly human and i just love it so much. Like I never would have came up with Tess have a bit of a drug thing pre!outbreak. I never would have come up with them both being TOO comfortable with the idea of cheating on their loved ones. I never would have come up with Tess not being able to connect to motherhood and the difficulties of that. it's just so interesting and a rather different vibe than what I'm used to seeing in pre!outbreak tessjoel and I love it a lot

Also, I'm super curious about what tour writing process looks like if you're inclined to share! with how you weave your huge stories together so beautifully I'm just curious how you organize all that and all your thoughts, you know?

Honestly, I have the loveliest anons. 🥺💛 Thank you for sharing this with me! The feedback really does encourage and inspire me - I mean, I write what I like to read, so it's a huge boost to know that it is landing with readers, too.

I love writing grey characters because there's so many more places you can take them. Sure, it's fun to write about the white hats tumbling into/resisting darkness but we see that a lot and I don't feel there's much I can add to that fun trope. But grey characters? There's so much you can do with that moral flexibility. I also really like writing characters who are in flux in some way - nobody's ever finished cooking, there's ups and downs and progressions and regressions - exploring that is like crack to me.

I think giving my version of the characters that grey blueprint as a foundation to their personalities helps me to ground them realistically, because it's not such a fantastical leap for them to be able to do certain things or act in a particular way. I think if you're going to survive any length of time in this kind of situation you need to already have a certain set of tools at your disposal (whether that be an arsenal like Bill or a mindset like Tess) or you get lucky (Rachel).

My writing process is kind of ... organic?? I'll have notes for a particular story that I'm working on but I don't have anything bigger than that other than a piss-poor spreadsheet. That just lists significant events, when they happened and the season/year/story/chapter they occurred in. Most of it just lives in my head.

I don't want to sound like an asshole but I don't really have a big plan. Most of the time it just sort of happens. I think it helps that all the characters are fully mapped out in my head and I can reach back into them when I need something. There's so much that has never gotten to page that's in the background to give credence.

So for example, Ricardo might say something that's just a line in a story but I know why he's chosen that particular way to say it. I know Iotama's journey from Outbreak day to Sioux Falls. I know why Tess doesn't talk about her brothers (but that can't come out because Tess doesn't need to explain that to herself or think about why that is, and Joel just flat out doesn't know) but with those details cooking in the background everything is ... I don't know, bigger in my head?

So when it's time to write I just think about what I'd like to read and then build some basic structure around it, think about what I've written before and if there's any way to link it in (most of the time, that just happens when I'm writing) and then if there's any way to "power it externally" with the stuff that's in my head as per the previous paragraph. Then I walk my dog and everything starts to come together.

(Actually, "powering it externally" - you've made me realise something, anon. I'm always writing two stories at once. The one that makes it to page and then the one with that doesn't, all the motivations and backstory that are fuelling what's going on but are never articulated. I hadn't thought about that before, but I'm pretty sure that's what I do).

And then I'll get stuck somehow and think, "That's it! The magic is gone, no more words are ever coming." And then I just either go to bed or write through it, sometimes writing and deleting thousands of words until I find a pathway.

This is why I really like accepting prompts because it challenges me to consider things I might not have otherwise thought of, and stops me getting lazy and just writing what I think I like.

I hope that answers your question anon, and I don't sound like a total nut.

[inkofamethyst]

September 3, 2023

Okay okay alright now for a bit more positivity because I didn't actually spend the last several days in a slump, I promise (not that I'm trying to minimize my feelings or anything of course).

Had a virtual lab meeting on Monday but had to leave partway through to go to the airport. Somehow managed to eat something in the car. Worked on my braids in the airport, on the plane, in the uber to the hotel. Disinfected my hotel room, ate dinner at a diner next to my hotel which was entirely empty except for me and a geriatric couple (the food was just okay and I think the waiter might've been flirting with me but I was too drained to engage and the food wasn't nearly good enough for me to want to go back). Went back to the hotel and worked on my hair for another several hours. Spoilers, even though I finished them that night I wasn't able to find boiling water to set them the whole week. Gonna do that first thing tomorrow.

Tuesday was the major event day. Started with a 9-am departmental information session followed by lunch with most of my cohort (a new guy was added to my cohort (he was also affiliated with the department prior to applying (I think this is important to note not necessarily because I think this was unfair but because.. I dunno I just find it interesting and can't really articulate why (don't get me wrong he's got a crazy amazing CV)))) followed by the snoozefest that was convocation (it was kind of nice but the theater was dark and I just zoned out a bunch) followed by a resource fair (where I scored some free stuff). I took a break and recovered in my hotel before heading back out to a social hour where I met some chem people who were really nice. Then I slept.

I should note that immediately after lunch one of my cohortmates and I went to get our student IDs in the student center. The thing about the student center is that you need a student ID to traverse the student center. So. We waited for a passerby to swipe us into the elevator area because you need an ID to get to the elevators. We got into an elevator with no clue where we were supposed to go and were stuck in there because you need an ID to use the elevator. Someone called it up and we got off on some random floor. We googled the floor we were supposed to go to and figured we'd use the stairwell to get there instead. We enter the stairwell and reach the correct door but couldn't enter the floor because you need an ID to exit the stairwell. We called the ID office and they were happy to help haha.

Wednesday morning was super rainy. I had a conversation and a walk with my advisor which was very nice and reassuring. Got some keys, found my office, met some people. Walked back to the hotel and rested for most of the day. Walked to a Chinese restaurant and got stuffed steamed buns which were amazing even if I couldn't tell whether I was supposed to eat them with my hands or with chopsticks (the table next to me used chopsticks so uh I'll try that next time).

Thursday was beautiful. I got brunch at a little waffle spot and it was delicious. I sat on campus in the shade for an hour or two, just watching the people stroll by. I explored the grad student center (not the one that caused me trouble lol) and it was really nice. My parents arrived and we checked into a hotel closer to my apartment then got Thai (had the best pad see ew I've ever had) and rested for the evening.

Friday was move-in day. Got even more keys. Transferred everything up, went to buy some things, and worked on construction (I built a set of ikea shelves!) until late that night. Set up wifi all by myself. We popped over to a latin american joint that was still open and I had the most amazing rice bowl with black beans and plantains and some incredible green sauce.

More errands Saturday morning until we had to return the rental car. Tried a vegetarian place and it was pretty good, though not a favorite. We took public transport back to campus and walked from there to my apartment. Unpacked bins and organized clothes until late evening. Several hugs later it was just me again (plus my roommate). Slept.

Today I'm thankful for the discord call with my photo- and cello- friends (with a brief cameo by my puzzle-friend). It felt really nice to laugh and carry on with people I know. I stayed on much longer than I should have. Very sleepy.

Lots to do tomorrow (meal prep, tidy, talk with roommate, set alarms).

[theplottdump]

12 and 13!

Ahhh thank you for the ask! :')

12. Do you actually play the game or do you just use it as a storytelling medium? I do play the game!! My Gens 1-5 were purely personal gameplay, and then things started to slowly snowball with more poses and more complex storylines when Val was in High School. The Pit was essentially a NISBI challenge where I just controlled Valerian barring the last fight and escape sequence which was more story focused. When Val aged up I used all the legacy funds he stole from his parent's Vault (legitimately) to pay for the house leaving him with like $30. The whole house is off the grid, there's a massive windfarm out back in the deco rocks, and he cloned a bunch of perfect dragonfruit he stole from his family and has a little underground bio-farm to pay the bills. He also legitimately built Leanne as a servo though gameplay. Because I'm impatient with how slow of a writer I am, I have also played through science baby's entire toddlerhood. They're ready to age up to a child but I want to go back and play with infants too. :') The Casino Heist is going to be pure story, start to finish because it wasn't even something I had planned on doing in the first place. But when @doctorsimcraft built the casino I got all excited about doing one final sendoff for some secondary characters and it provided the opportunity to have more of a spectacular resolution with Val and Chad's relationship. (The initial idea was just to have Chad roll up back on the island coming out of the ocean like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Val would have seen him coming and rush to climb down the stupid house, falling, and Chad catching him. Then they make a funny remark about having to put in a front door and the laugh track plays and credits roll.) But this arc gives me the chance to explore more of the relationship with Poppy and Chad, introduce some new characters and old faces from gen 5, and dive into the world and aesthetics of one of the members of League of Evil.

Honestly I would love to highlight all the members of the League in little pulpy spin off stories but that would probably kill me. 13. From basic planning to a finished post, how long does that take you?

This depends on a few things! Do I need to make CC for this scene? Poses? Am I recoloring anything? Who am I writing for? Why am I such a slow writer? Being able to make your own poses and props is a slippery slope. I think I've made like near 150 poses, 5 animations, a pistol, 2 massive conference tables, re-uved and recolored Val's helicopter, Made helicopter headphones, luggage pose accessory and poses, cc for the casino and so much just random stuff just for this gen so far.

BUT, I don't edit my pictures. Unless there's a special effect, everything is shot in game with my reshades I'm constantly tweaking.

Usually if it's a big story heavy event I'll work on poses after work throughout the week and dedicate half a Saturday to shooting the dang thing.

Ask me more things and get very overblown answers.

[raffimusiker]

Hey there! I just finished Picard and wondered if you could rec any Raffi x Seven fics that you particularly love? They got on my radar in large part because of your blog, so thank you for the introduction :)

hello! that's really cool and i'm very glad i was able to bring you into the saffi fold 😊

i read fic of all ratings, but most of these are M or E. i'll link them under a cut because this is gonna be long 😂

in general i love pretty much everything from the following writers because i love their overall style of writing and approaching themes, so i feel like you're bound to find something you like within their bodies of work!

Ericine

Daxs10thHost

bimichaelburnham

PepperSpicedLatte

here are a few of my FAV fics off the top of my head, in no particular order. this list is never ending and i am for sure forgetting a bunch. but i think it's a good starting point!

how shall i touch you unless it is unless it is everywhere? by Daxs10thHost (rated M) That whole night, there’d been no talk of the handhold; Raffi’s focus had been entirely on the game, and Seven, between stolen glances, had mirrored her concentration, deciding not to push her luck. But there, hesitant in the hallway, Seven suddenly recognized the look in Raffi’s eyes. or, Raffi invites Seven back to Earth to explore their relationship.

Mimesis by bodyinmotion2 (rated M) A silent retreat on Vashti gives Seven some new perspective and she comes home with a story to tell: Hers. Finally able to open up, she allows a hand written journal to tell the story of what happened to her when she left Earth after Voyager and the intimately manipulative relationship she held with Bjayzl. Raffi and B'Elanna, chosen to bear witness to the truth form Seven's support system as they navigate past trauma together in order to continue healing and move on.

supermoon spell by Ericine (rated E) "If anything, you've been saying it the whole time. I'm the one saying it back." Agnes and Rios break up (again), and three of the least likely people to hang out on Risa head to Risa for a month. All three are having relationship issues. All three work it out, as much as people like them can. (Or, you know, the one where they say "I love you")

perchance to dream by Ericine (rated G) "Her first night of sleep in fifty years would be with you." They have three days to set the future right. They sleep where they can. After the first long day, they can. Thing is, Seven hasn't slept as a human in decades.

A House Is A Home Only With You by bimichaelburnham (rated M) "It's not that Raffi doubts Seven has feelings for her, no. They are there. She would have to be blind not to see. It's in the way Seven wraps an arm around her waist in the morning as Raffi is fighting with the replicator to make them coffee. It's in the way she reaches for her absentmindedly when Raffi has been out of her orbit for a little too long." Or Seven makes a confession and Raffi is done letting it breathe.

Missing Seven by speedtrials (rated M) Due to the (20 years overdue) earth-shaking revelation that Seven of Nine is canonically queer (!!!) there is an immediate requirement for approx 10000 fics to be posted and I answered the call. This story features seven (get it?) missing scenes from Season 1 of Picard with Seven and Raffi Musiker, who are now officially established as the cutest, most badass, hottest, not to mention casually MILF, f/f couple in the galaxy. ✨ Get into it. ==Complete==

The slow walk towards a better life by changethenarrative (rated E) Raffi and Seven deal with their new but tentative attraction to each other as they’re caught in a web of sabotage and shifting loyalties while the planet Coppelius negotiates its place in the Federation. Set after the events of 1x10.

Getting Started (rated M) 'There were thirteen standard earth days between the beginning and end of Raffi’s endurance. Three hundred and twelve hours (eighteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty minutes), of virtuous, almost saint-like patience; stretching between point A, and point Z.' Raffi spends way too much time waiting for the right moment to move things along with Seven. Eventually, she makes her own opportunity.

it's not the weight you carry but how you carry it by Daxs10thHost (rated T) Seven looks over Raffi’s shoulder, out the window to where the setting sun has lit the desert sands in pinks and golds. “Read to me?” she asks, and as soon as she says it, all the tension drains from her chest. She looks back and sees her relaxation mirrored in Raffi’s pose. “These next few nights? Just until I fall asleep?” “Oh honey,” Raffi hums. “I would love that. More than you can ever know.” or, Seven and Raffi find each other in the pages of really old books. canon-adjacent, post-season 1.

Everything Carries Me To You by bimichaelburnham (rated E) "Raffi talks about the dichotomy of her human and Borg parts with poetry, as though she is praising art. She talks about their shape as if they are a natural happenstance and not born from a species' cruel desire to own every part of another. [...] It comes and it goes, the acceptance of herself." After time traveling to the past, Seven struggles with her old-new circumstance as well as reconciling both parts of herself. Thankfully Raffi is here to land a hand. Post-season 2 Canon compliant.

i also really love fics set in the confederation (the universe they found themselves in in s02e02). it's basically a what if president annika hansen and head of security raffaela musiker were a thing in that world. they're usually smut with a tinge of danger. it's a fun place for fic!

let my force just carry us home tonight by Ericine (rated E)

can I take you all the way? by Ericine (rated E)

Nothing Is Permanent (Not Ever Our Troubles) by bimichaelburnham rated E)

Ethereal by PepperSpicedLatte (rated E)

i hope you find something you enjoy in this list! there is so much out there already so whatever your fancy, i'm sure it's already out there.

[communitystudy]

Hey. (My academic life post-studyblr)

Been a while... 6 years, to be precise? Accidentally logged into this trying to find my main in morbid curiosity after the Twittering (TM).

For the purpose of wrapping this blog up, I'll do a quick summary of my academic life post-studyblr:

Finished my associate degree in liberal arts in December 2017

From what I can remember (it's been a while!), I had a handful of credits left to get an AA in design that would be able to transfer more credits. So I took those last few classes and worked on my portfolio in the meantime

I also got a paid internship in design/marketing around this time

Portfolio was just OK. Nothing special, absolutely not as good as the ones you see on Youtube lol

Accepted to state college, SVA, MICA, and another one I can't even remember anymore, waitlisted to Pratt, rejected from RISD

Went to MICA because it was the cheapest with merit

Had major "small pond syndrome" going from hot shit at local community college to nobody at MICA, cried a lot lol

Eventually got friends and got more comfortable. I got to have conversations with folks from Nike, the NYT, etc. Had a cool idea for thesis that my advisor thought could extend to exploration as an MFA degree (never going to grad school but nice thought!)

Left for senior year spring break in March 2020 and never came back. Thesis never happened

I got the maximum number of transfer credits. The community college classes were designed to be transferrable unlike some other colleges! I completed my junior/senior years on time.

My mom got sick and died of cancer around the time of my graduation. I know this is kinda weird to throw in here, but feels weird to not mention it as it was the biggest most impactful event in the last 6 years for me

Rejoined company I did my internship with. Company grew from like 40 people to (as of two years later) 600 people. New name, I rebranded everything and continue to work there

Based on my past experience, I would continue to recommend community college 100%. I work with many people who entered the workforce with AAs and have made a great careers for themselves. I got the same BA as my peers but did not graduate with any student loan debt.

I also got to spend an extra two years at home with my mom that I did not realize would be some of the last years of her life... obviously a hindsight benefit and not something that can be considered in your college decision without a crystal ball, but our relationship really mellowed out from my tumultuous teen years during that time and I'm grateful I had it.

Cool. Kinda doubt anyone will see this, but thanks if you did :)

[rpgsocialservices]

RPG Review: Fausts Alptraum

Fausts Alptraum is a horror rpg pixel art puzzle game available for free on Steam. As the title suggests, the game is heavily inspired by Goethe's Faust, although its not a retelling. We are told in the beginning that the deal has already happened, now we have to escape its consequences. This review is going to be largely spoiler free, because if I talked about spoilers it would make for an hour long video essay and I'm trying to keep this readable.

TLDR: this is one of the all around strongest rpgs I've ever played, please go play it its so good

Plot: While I said that the game itself is about dealing with the fallout of a Faustian deal, in reality the deal is rarely discussed except for when the demon—Mephistopheles—is trying to persuade Elizabeth to make a deal. Elizabeth and the player are both more concerned with escaping the very dangerous and very haunted (for lack of a better word) house that was left to her after her father died. The game begins right after the funeral in fact, and you visit the house with your aunt, stepping into a demonic trap as soon as you walk through the door. As you progress through the house you are given diary entries which give clues as to the past of this house and Elizabeth's family, and what events made it the way it is today. I'll admit, parts of the plot flew over my head, as the game doesn't go out of its way to explain everything to you and tie it up neatly the way some games do. What you get out of the story line depends on the work you put into it, and even then some things might not be clear. This is a decent summary if you finish the game and want a wrap-up of events.

The themes of this game center around the choice to stay and live in the past or to let go and let yourself grow beyond the events of your past. We are all shaped by events in the past, but we have to decide if we are going to relive them over and over again or if we are going to lay them to rest. If we are ever going to become someone outside of those events, we need to do be able to process them without letting them take over our lives. The game is divided into chapters, and each chapter is centered around a different storybook tale, like Puss in Boots. The stories serve as a vessel for conveying the events of the past, and this adds to the idea that you either stay in a story forever as a 2dimensional character or you close the book and be fully realized person outside of it.

Another theme of this game is the tension between reality and dreaming. To a certain extent, the plot of this game is up to interpretation. In the end, we are left questioning if we were actually in a demonic house and if there was ever a deal, or if it was all a dream of some kind. Elizabeth's mother had a period of severe mental illness, so this theme comes up more than once. Maybe dreams are how Elizabeth is making sense of all that happened to her and her family. Maybe dreams are just an easy escape from reality and we need to wake up if we are to escape the danger and the grip of the past. Maybe the stories were related to events that happened because relatable stories give us comfort and help us make sense of events that don't make sense, or maybe they were just stories. Personally, I like to think that the family is just that messed up and that what we see and are told is largely true, but you can also easily interpret much of it as metaphorical. If you wanted to. It would make for kind of a boring story though.

Gameplay: The mechanics are pretty simple in this game. There are some chase sequences, but no real fighting; it largely relies on exploration and puzzle solving. The puzzles themselves aren't easy but they're not impossible. You can figure them out if you keep at it, and if you're used to how video game puzzles generally operate. If you can't figure some out, or you don't want to spend too much time on them, I believe there are walk-throughs available in the community discussion on steam. There are a couple of frustrating puzzles, but only two that I genuinely couldn't get on my own and that was partially due to fatigue from playing, as they were about half-way through and at the end. There are rarely any hints if you can't figure out how to progress to the next area, which is a bit frustrating. Overall, it took me about 8.5 hours to play through with the use of a guide in the second half.

Extra: The art and music are both wonderfully atmospheric and create a vibe that is deliciously unsettling. The cut scenes are done in a kind of crayon/colored pencil drawing that, combined with the game element of dividing the game into story-themed sections, lends a sort of sad fairy tale vibe to the game, rather than the gothic vibe you might expect given the inspiration. The character design does a good job of telling you about the character. Mephisto is flowery to the point of ostentation; Elizabeth is a melancholic human child; the pigs (a la The Three Little Pigs) are incredibly creepy; and so on.

[isaacjaramillo]

Preserving the Flow: A Water Conservation Crusade

Definitions

Story: A story is a description of imaginary people and events, which is written or told in order to entertain.

Tales: A tale is a comparatively simple narrative, either fictitious or true, written or recounted orally in prose or in verse. A tale often recounts a strange event, focusing on something or someone exotic, marvelous, or even supernatural.

Science Fiction: Usually futuristic, science fiction speculates about alternative ways of life made possible by technological change, and hence has sometimes been called "speculative fiction."

Story

My name is Mark, it is the year 2130 and water scarcity in the world has reached unimaginable levels. I remember when I was young and pork was worth 10 times more than a bottle of water. However, due to limited access to water a bottle now costs about $90. Consequently, the world's governments found out that extinction was inevitable and the time to stop pollution by changing our habits was over, we had to resort to desperate measures. As a result, they decided to pool effort, resources and technology to create a time machine and rewrite history by traveling to 2050 to alert the world of the coming catastrophe. In fact, for more than 25 years I was working alongside scientists from around the world under the personal supervision of President Prescott himself. He took command of the nations of the world and came up with the idea that a time machine was the best option. Moreover, as a politician he is like a mentor to me.

Finally, the day came, I took the nearest rocket train and went to the laboratory where the time machine was.

- Today you will be the one who saves our world Mark, don't forget you must visit Belgium and later attend the United Nations Meeting, you will explore a world before you were born so things will be a little different - Said President Prescott

- It is a great honor, I will warn everyone and I will never allow humanity to suffer from the thirst we experience today. -Mark responded.

- I know you will, that's why I will send a backup team and my personal robot Calvin, he will help you project all the chaos we are experiencing to the nations of the world so that they can see it with their own eyes.

-I thank you for your president's help, I will not disappoint you.

At this time I felt very nervous but I knew what I had to do. I asked Calvin to project his images of our present and what I saw was absolutely heartbreaking, enough to convince the UN. Thanks to some perfect calculations we were able to appear in an empty office a few meters from the assembly. Later, when I was about to go in to tell them everything, Calvin stops me and says:

- I'll take care of it, since you're a human they may think you're crazy, but if they see a robot they'll know that we're telling the truth.

It was a valid argument so I let him come in, the other 3 stayed with me while we watched the rest of the meeting on a very old television. Then, we saw how Calvin approached the podium after another president's speech had finished. He was excited because after 25 years we managed to achieve our goal. Calvin presented himself to the world as a time-traveling robot who was going to give an important message. However, something very strange happened, Calvin began to show a video and photos of a perfect future, with a happy society, trips to different parts of the cosmos, a world without problems or crises, a future undoubtedly different from the real one.

- The course you have taken is the correct one, global warming never happened, and the world reached lasting peace thanks to the fact that it was governed under a single flag and a single government.

At that moment I understood that it was a trap and there was something more behind this trip, but when I wanted to quickly leave that room, the other 3 people who were accompanying me held me down and prevented me from leaving.

- You are so intelligent but at the same time so naive, Prescott only used you so that with the machine we could find his younger version and make sure that only he would be the owner of the drinking water companies in the world and one day become the oldest man. powerful in the world. And now with Calvin doing his job, we are only ensuring the success of our president.

I felt betrayed, whoever I considered my mentor was only manipulating me. At this point I knew that if I didn't do something they were going to kill me. That's why I started screaming with all my might and kicking things around to make noise. After almost losing consciousness, some guards came in after hearing the scandal. I managed to throw myself to the ground before they shot them down. I couldn't stay there, Calvin was putting the future of humanity at risk so I ran towards the assembly and when I saw him speaking on the podium I didn't hesitate for a second and lunged at him to stop him. The leaders of the world were stunned by what they saw, but I was finally able to show them the truth. Using a computer I was able to show the world the harsh reality that awaits them if they do not change their habits. That the ambitions of a few were going to lead the majority to ruin, that now more than ever was the perfect time to change our habits and take care of a resource more valuable than diamonds: Water.

References

Story Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary. (2023b). En Collins Dictionaries. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/story#:~:text=forms%3A%20plural%20%2Dries-,1.,less%20detailed%20than%20a%20novel

Definition of «Tale». (s. f.). https://www2.hawaii.edu/~davink/MYTHOLOGY%20CLASS/DEFINITIONS/tale.html#:~:text=Tale%20(defined)&text=A%20tale%20is%20a%20comparatively,%2C%20marvelous%2C%20or%20even%20supernatural.

Guides: Science fiction - Greensburg Campus: What is science fiction? (s. f.). https://pitt.libguides.com/scifi#:~:text=Usually%20futuristic%2C%20science%20fiction%20speculates,consistent%20rules%20and%20structures%2C%20set

Picture Related to the story

I got this image searching on Pinterest: Time travel capsule.

I created this image in an application called Leonard.ai with the prompt: Robot giving a speech at the United Nations.

Video Created in Tumlbr

Slides

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFw-Bcun54/EFIozTg0DG4hAQIuhxtwEw/edit?utm_content=DAFw-Bcun54&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

[demetris-cocksleeve]

Hello! I saw that you're doing matchups for a follower event and congratulations btw 🥳 I was wondering if I could have a quirk matchup for MHA please?

- I am 19.

- My favorite character is Hitoshi Shinso.

- My zodiac sign is Virgo.

- My Myers Briggs personally is ISFP-T (the Adventurer) and the summary given is, "Flexible and charming artists, always ready to explore and experience something new."

- I find it hard to describe my personality as sometimes I can contradict myself. I like to think of myself as a kind person, but I have a short fuse sometimes or can be very irritable by little things. I tend to keep myself, but I wouldn't say I'm introverted. I can have a conversation with a stranger and can easily make friends, I just like keep my social circle small. I struggle with being spontaneous and like to have a plan for everything before leaving the house which annoys my friends slightly, but I'm always prepared with extra snacks and a map and such. I'm very much the mom in the group, but I do have my moments of hyperactivity. I'm a pretty open-minded person and I love learning. I have a bad sense of curiosity and sometimes I'll hyperfixate on a certain subject until I know all about it. I'm a huge nerd as well and I'm pretty much tired all the time.

- I live by Harry Potter house, Hufflepuff.

- I am currently studying Criminal Justice for my bachelor's and I hope to get a job in forensics one day. The dream would be to get a job as a bloodstain pattern analyst or in DNA analysis.

- During my free time I play an unhealthy amount of video games, especially Overwatch. I recently took up cosplay though and I do like sketching or coloring in one of those "adult coloring books." I use to do a lot of writing, but I haven't had much inspiration for it as of late. I like reading on an occasion and I've recently started to workout more regularly.

- And yeah! That's pretty much it about me.

- I don't really know about what specific type of power I'd want. Realistically speaking, mental or telekinetic would work better for as I'm more of a brains than a brawn type of person.

Thank you, and congratulations again on 700!

Hope you enjoy~

Navigation

700 Followers Event

Quirk Match:

True Sight: user can see things as they truly are

This power is very useful for investigating or interrogation

You can also see the cause of damage

If someone destroyed something, you can see exactly how they did it

If a person you were interrogating has been brain washed or conditioned to actually believe their lie, you won't be able to see past it

Same thing if someone was brainwashed to use their quirk on an object

.

You and Hitoshi were the top underground investigative heros. Working as a team you were able to fight, subdue, and get answers out of dangerous villains.

You guys had just finished a mission that dealt with a new group of villains who had been hitting up small family owned businesses all throughout Tokyo and were out celebrating.

"To yet another victory!" You cheer, holding you glass up for Hitoshi to tap his against.

He begrudgingly did with an amused half smirk gracing his features before downing the rest of his drink, you following his lead.

"To another victory.." he echoes.

He didn't quite match you energy, but when did he ever? You knew, either way, he was just as pumped about your successful mission as you were.

[mimisempai]

When you kiss me, you speak to my soul

Summary:

5 times when Loki receives an unexpected kiss and once when he gives one. (or more)

______

This story inaugurates a new series.

"Together, for all time, always"

This series is my way out in case our boys don't canonically have a happy ending.Background: After the events of the TV show, all the members of the TVA are aware of their status as variants and decide to work together on a better TVA. The main team is composed of Loki, Mobius, Sylvie and Miss Minute. The rest will come as time goes by. The stories do not necessarily follow each other.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32203465

3123 words - Rating G

1.

"Okay Loki! You know that in order to get your time travel pass, you have to prove that you know the rules perfectly."

Loki, annoyed, rolled his eyes and sighed,

"Honestly, I'm a rehabilitated variant, god of mischief, who saved the TVA from its slavery, that pass should be granted to me without going through any fucking tests!"

Miss Minutes jumped in front of Loki and pointed her little finger in the direction of Loki's nose, "Ttttt a god don't swear! And when the new TVA administration, of which you are a part, put the rules in place, you all decided to start over. With a new, admittedly less rigid, but still regulated basis that you signed up!  Come on, only two more points to validate!"

Loki grumbled, itching to send the little clock flying.

Unperturbed, Miss Minutes continued, "Tell me the basic rules of time travel? "

Loki began to recite in a bored tone, "Do not interact with yourself, do not interact with your ancestors, do not interact with historical figures. Don't interact with the big events in history even if it means not being able to save everyone. Pay attention to small details and use your time wisely.

"Perfect my little Loki!"

"Hey, a little respect Miss Mimi!"

The little clock coughed and Loki noticed a slight flush on her little cheeks.

"Well, then explain to me the three major paradoxes of time travel."

Loki, keeping the same jaded look on his face, recited again, "The Grandfather Paradox, if you go back in time to kill your grandfather, you effectively kill your father, and therefore yourself. The Predestination Paradox is simply when your past self is the very cause of your need to travel back in time. This creates an endless loop of travel, which is why it is also called a closed causal loop. Finally, the Bootstrap Paradox. It occurs when something is returned, often to the traveler himself, negating the need for its creation in the first place."

The little clock jumped all over Loki's desk, clapping!

"Yay my little Loki! You'll be allowed to get your pass validated!"

Loki, happy but irritated by the little machine, asked him, "So that means I don't need your lessons anymore, right?"

"Absolutely!"

Loki rubbed his hands together as he said, "Perfect."

He began to move his hand, thinking of a spell to cast on the annoying little clock.

A voice whispered in his ear, "Loki... what did we say about spelling those weaker than ourselves?"

Loki turned to Mobius with a pout, "but Mobiuuus, just a little spell!"

Mobius bent down and took the hand with which Loki was about to cast his spell.

He said softly, "These hands do such beautiful magic, it would be such a shame to make them cast second rate spells."

He laid a gentle kiss to the back of Loki's hand and then walked away with a quiet step.

Loki, slightly surprised, touched lightly with his other hand the place where Mobius' lips had lingered.

Then he got up quickly, knocked over his chair and ran behind him.

Miss Minute, who had witnessed the scene, raised her eyes to the sky and returned to her screen.

2.

Mobius was waiting outside the elevator.

"Mobius!"

Mobius turned around, Loki was coming towards him with a quick step. He looked at his watch and said with a slightly reproachful tone, "You'll really have to learn to be on time!"

Loki, with a cheeky grin on his face, replied, "I find I'm making progress, yesterday I was 13 minutes late and today only 11."

Mobius rolled his eyes and was about to answer him when they were interrupted by the voiceover from the elevator.

"The elevator is momentarily out of order, please use the service stairs."

Mobius walked to the door next to the elevator and held it open, waving his hand towards Loki.

"After you."

Loki walked past him and began to descend the stairs.

Almost arriving at the bottom, Mobius, on Loki's heels, put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face him.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked him, surprised.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine," Mobius replied softly before taking his face in his hands and leaning in to kiss him.

A few moments later, they separated to catch their breath.

Loki gasped slightly, asking Mobius, "I'm not complaining, but what was that for?"

As they finished descending the stairs Mobius replied, "It was the perfect opportunity to reverse the roles, for once I was the one who had to bend over to kiss you."

Loki was still smiling as they walked through the door.

As they passed by the elevator, the door opened to reveal the other members of their team.

"Huh? Is the elevator fixed yet? We took the stairs because they reported that the elevator was momentarily out of order, like... three minutes ago."

"What? But we got on it three minutes ago, four floors higher than you."

Loki looked back at Mobius with a little doubt.

Mobius replied, "Just because you're the god of mischief, doesn't mean you're the only one who can use it."

3.

"Argh, for crying out loud, dates, more dates, always dates!!!"

Loki rubbed his eyes trying to fight the fatigue that was overtaking him.

He stood up, took a few steps to stretch his legs before returning to his seat and continuing to flip through his files.

"Need a helping hand?"

Mobius put his hand on Loki's shoulder and gently squeezed it before sitting down across from him without waiting for an answer.

He continued, "I know this isn't your favorite part of the job, Loki, but it's part of it and I'm glad to see that despite your reluctance, you're not afraid to pitch in.

Loki grunted, "I just don't think it's fair, Sylvie never has to do this kind of work. She's always out there."

"Have you been traveling through time, through all kinds of apocalypses like her for that long?"

"Hmph!Always the voice of wisdom huh?"

Mobius snickered, "Me? No, of course not, but the wiser of the two of us, that I am."

"You prick!" muttered Loki.

"Hey, I heard that!"

They both immersed themselves in the files.

After two hours, Mobius saw Loki get up.

"I'm going to stretch my legs for two minutes."

"Okay."

Five minutes later he saw a small bowl of salad appear in front of his eyes.

Loki said to him as he sat down, "to make up for my bad mood of earlier."

Mobius put his hand on Loki's forearm, "Loki, there is nothing to forgive.  You are allowed to have mood swings. I'm not asking you to be someone else. But thank you for the consideration."

He ate the salad Loki had brought him while the god got back to work.

A little later, he was disturbed in his research by a light snore, he looked up at the familiar sight of Loki asleep, his head on his crossed arms.

He had a fond smile. He knew that this kind of work must seem tedious to someone like Loki and yet, even though he grumbled and acted like a drama queen on a regular basis, it didn't stop him from working seriously.

Looking at the time, he thought they had worked enough for today.

He stood up and whispered in his partner's ear, "Loki, wake up. It's late. We're done for the day."

As Loki slowly opened his eyes, Mobius placed a kiss on the top of his head before getting up and going to put the files away.

Loki straightened up and was stretching again when Mobius returned.

"Was I dreaming or did you kiss me on the head?"

"Unfortunately my sleeping beauty's lips weren't accessible so I had to settle for kissing the top of her head to get her to wake up."

Mobius winked at her and headed for the door.

He turned and said again, "Are we going home?"

Loki, who still hadn't gotten used to the warmth these few words provoked in him, quickened his pace to join him.

4.

When Mobius arrived at the cafeteria, he saw Loki concentrating at the dessert counter.

He joined him, placing his hand on his lower back to signal his presence.

"You look completely absorbed in the contemplation of these desserts. Do you have a favorite?"

Loki turned his head toward him and grumbled, "There's always so much to choose from. And every time there's a new kind. I don't even know what to choose. In Asgard there was fruit and... fruit."

Mobius was amused every time Loki was faced with this kind of problem. He made it an insurmountable challenge. This time, Mobius offered to help him.

"If you want we'll take several and share."

Loki nodded, " You choose, because I don't know what to take."

"Okay, go sit down, I'll pick and join you."

Mobius took a sample of several desserts, located the table Loki was sitting at and joined him.

They spent the next hour sharing the dessert plate. It was just the two of them left in the cafeteria. Loki was finishing the tiramisu while Mobius was bringing a last spoonful of chocolate mousse to his mouth.

"So, have you made your choice? What's your favorite?"

Loki licked his lips and replied, "Undoubtedly the tiramisu."

He put his spoon down and asked Mobius, "What about you?"

Mobius, who was sitting next to him, moved closer and looking at Loki's lips, murmured softly, "I'm hesitating between the chocolate mousse and the tiramisu."

He closed the distance between them and placed his lips on Loki's. Loki parted his lips and let Mobius explore his mouth with his skilled tongue. Mobius finished the fierce kiss with a light bite on Loki's lower lip, soothing him with a final lick. Then he moved back.

"I think in the end, tiramisu is my favorite."

5.

They had just returned from the mission and were in the locker room.

Loki was putting his things away in his locker. As always after a successful mission, he was so excited that he was talking non-stop.

Replaying the events in detail, and because he was Loki, he didn't hesitate to emphasize the moments when he and Mobius had been particularly good.

The rest of the team was used to it and listened with one ear.

Mobius smiled fondly.

Continuing to babble, Loki followed the rest of the team for the post-mission debriefing.

As he walked out the door, he felt himself being pulled back. Then a hand reached into his hair and pulled out the tie that held it together.

He looked back at Mobius who was putting the rubber band in his pocket.

"Mobius?"

Mobius walked over to him.

"Why did you do that?"

Mobius replied with a mischievous smile, "Because when you have your hair tied back, I can't do that."

He raised his hand, and pushed behind Loki's ear the strands of hair that fell over Loki's face, letting his hand linger on the god's neck.

" Neither this."

With his hand on the back of Loki's neck, he ran his fingers through Loki's hair to comb it before gently grabbing it and pulling his head back slightly.

Having cleared with this gesture the throat of Loki, he deposited a rain of butterfly kisses.

Loki sighed, his lips parted, "Mobius..."

Mobius moved back again leaving his hand in Loki's hair.

"Nor this."

He raised his second hand and joined it with the first on the back of Loki's neck, tangling his fingers in the long black strands before pressing gently, forcing the god to tilt his head forward. Their lips were so close that each could feel the other's breath. Mobius pressed his lips to Loki's, his fingers clutching his hair as the god's hands found his waist.

Their kiss was long and slow, and when Mobius pulled back, nipping at Loki's bottom lip, He saw that his eyes were clouded and his mouth wide open.

"That's exactly why I like you better with your hair loose."

With a smile, he kissed Loki briefly on the cheek and headed for the locker room door, the bouncy step of one who has just won a victory, oblivious to Loki's hungry stare.

+1

Loki had had enough.

Mobius obviously enjoyed starting fires with Loki and never extinguished them.

Loki was on edge.

Not that Loki didn't appreciate Mobius' spontaneous displays of affection and kisses, the man was extremely inventive and talented, but he felt like a ball of clay in his hands.

His pride as a god of mischief was at stake!

He had to regain the upper hand, just a little, just a few moments.

"Hoho miss Minutes, looks like someone needs to get laid!"

"Hey Syl! I'm just a pure little watch. I don't want to know anything about your sex lives!"

Sylvie sitting with her feet up on Loki's desk fluttered a paper cutter in the air and snickered back, " Which sex life Mimi?"

The watch returned to the screen and grumbled, "Never mind, Loki and Mobius's love life is none of my business! Hmph!"

Loki with his hands on his hips and a dark look in his eyes, muttered to Sylvie, "Don't you have a job to do instead of gossiping with that piece of junk clock?"

"Hey jerk! I heard you!" Shouted the little voice from the monitor.

"It's so much more interesting to watch you mope about your mustachioed prince."

Loki slumped into the other chair, a sulky look on his face.

"It's not so bad though?" asked Sylvie, studying him, her chin on her hand.

Loki told her everything, from the kiss on his hand to the fiery kiss in the locker room.

"And you dare to complain?!" Sylvie asked him, quite irritated, "You have a man who is completely devoted to you, and full of attention for you.  Do you realize how lucky you are?"

"Wait, Syl! It's not that I don't like it. On the contrary, but... argh" Loki tugged at his hair, "I don't know how to say it, before, the Loki before the TVA, I've always been a hedonist who enjoys the pleasures of life, who takes and throws, but now, even though I'm still a hedonist, I don't just want to consume anymore, I want to give too. And right now I feel like I'm the only one receiving."

"Aw, you're cute you know."

"Hey! Don't make fun of me!"

"But no, well just a little bit, but really Loki, the fact that you're thinking about this, shows how much you've evolved right? Have you even tried talking to Mobius about it?"

Loki shook his head, "You know me, I often talk a lot to mask my insecurities and also because I like to listen to myself talk, but anyway what I mean is that when it's serious I'm unable to express myself properly."

"And show him?"

"How?"

Sylvie rolled her eyes, "Loki, are you the god of mischief or not? You are capable of seducing anyone! Don't embarrass me!"

A few moments later, alone in his office, he thought back to this discussion.

How could he surprise Mobius?

Mobius who knew how to read all his tricks...

Of course! The answer was obvious!

What better way than a direct approach!

He waited for the right moment and went to Mobius' office, sure to find him there.

As he walked through the door, Mobius looked up, a smile blooming on his face as he saw Loki.

"Loki!" He wanted to stand up, Loki stopped him by waving his hand. With one hand he locked the office door and with the other, using a flick of his wrist, he turned Mobius's chair around before walking towards him.

Then, without warning his lover, he straddled Mobius' lap and framed his face with his hands before throwing himself on Mobius' mouth.

Mobius pushed him back slightly and managed to articulate, panting, "Wait, wait, wait Loki! What's the matter with you? Not that I'm against it, but I'm surprised, pleasantly surprised, that you'd take the initiative like this."

Loki with his forehead and lips against Mobius' replied, equally breathless, "The problem is that my lover has been teasing me all week, kissing me everywhere and at any time, and hasn't given me a chance to return the favor, so now you shut up and let me kiss you! It's my turn!"

As Loki resumed the interrupted kiss, Mobius decided, with the last fragment of coherent thought he possessed, that all he had to do was enjoy it. He just ran his hands over Loki's hips pressing him closer until there was no more space between them.

He tried to control the kiss, but Loki would not let him, and finally, after a brief struggle, he gave in to the kiss and the shivers of pleasure that ran down his spine.

He believed to be out of air when Loki moved back slightly and fixed him, the eyes shining with satisfaction, licking his lips like a cat which had just devoured a pot of cream.

They slowly caught their breath and Mobius couldn't help but gently tuck a lock of Loki's hair back behind his ear in a gesture that was becoming more and more familiar.

Loki leaned into Mobius' hand.

"Hey Loki, more seriously," Mobius told him softly, "does it bother you that I'm acting like this? Because you know you can tell me."

Loki sighed, "It doesn't bother me per se, it's just the lack of reciprocity, the fact that I'm receiving a lot and giving nothing."

Mobius shook his head with a smile, "Sweetheart," he couldn't help but notice that Loki seemed to appreciate the endearment, "that's not how it works. When you kissed me just now, did you feel pleasure?"

Loki, indignant, protested, "Yes, of course I-"

Mobius put a finger to his lips.

"It's the same for me, you know. I am aware that in your head the gears are spinning wildly non stop, but in such cases, don't think. Just enjoy it, there's nothing selfish about it."

Loki nodded, then passionately kissed his lover once more, until they were both out of breath again.

Then Loki traced a path of kisses from Mobius' chin to his ear and nibbled on his lobe before whispering, his breath making Mobius shudder, "The rest is for later my love..."

He stood up and headed for the door while swaying his hips, fully aware of the gaze that followed him.

Then before he walked through the door, he threw over his shoulder, with a mischievous smile, "I too can light a fire and make you burn for me."

_________

Not beta'd I hope you enjoyed it 🥰

[idolcandy]

I finished Kindred Spirits on The Roof and I have so many thoughts and feelings. Overall, it was a really great game and while there were some aspects I didn't enjoy, it's still pretty fantastic

Things I liked:

One aspect of the game I like is that you can unlock previous scenes but then view them from someone else’s perspective. It really gives depth to some of the side characters when you get to hear their own thoughts and feelings. For instance, Nena is portrayed as this lazy, sleepy girl who gets dragged around by her friends, and she is definitely those things, but when we see her perspective, we see her friendships realized more, and we see that she’s sharp and has clued into how one of her friends has a crush on the other, and how she’s trying to give them the space to explore that, but they’re too glued together as a trio for that to happen

I liked that there were a lot of different types of crushes and personalities involved; a younger girl crushing on her senpai, a girl crushing on her best friend, a rocker crushing on the girl on the disciplinary committee cos she likes them stern… (mood)

And I liked the unique challenges presented in the relationship and character arcs; two best friends start going out and they worry about their other friend ending up a third wheel and left feeling lonely, an established couple have very different attitudes and anxieties about potentially getting caught. It’s realistic and not full of ‘but we’re both girls’ cliches. Anything along those lines is actually more of a confusion about how lesbian relationships work because they’ve never seen models of it in real life

I liked our main characters; Yuna and the kindred spirits Sachi and Megumi. Yuna is the only person able to see the kindred spirits on the roof and starts off as this errand boy for them. Gradually we see more of her and she develops new friendships and relationships through intervening on the ghosts’ behalf and it starts to lift her out of a depression she’s been in for a while.

Sachi is a ghost who died in an accident in the ’30s. She’s mature and level-headed but can get a little excited and awed by modern things. Megumi is a ghost who died of an illness in the ’80s. She’s decidedly less mature than Sachi but she’s a free spirit (😉) and head over heels for Sachi. They both died never having experienced love and want to help other lesbians realise their feelings and take the plunge and confess to their crushes.

One thing I loved and appreciated was a certain questioning character. I won’t spoil who she is but her worries are so real and raw that it really got me in the gut. It was realistic enough that it brought back some of my own memories and it

And there’s a certain event that left me bawling.

Things I didn’t like:

There’s a student-teacher romance. I’m not completely anti the trope, but I didn’t like it here. The teacher is a tiny, cute woman who is mistaken for and kinda acts like a child too, and that’s the exact kind of character I don’t like. She’s one of those, yes she looks like an 8 year old but she’s actually an adult characters.

At first, the teacher rejects the student and assures her this is a misunderstanding, that many young girls confuse adoration and love but the ghosts and the student in question do not appreciate having her feelings dismissed as her being confused. And I started to think that would be the issue here; the teacher realises she handled it the wrong way and that she could’ve let the student down without essentially calling her sexuality a phase. But no, you get the teacher’s perspective and she loves her back and they start going out. They have sex in the school and everything. Honestly, I just started skipping through their scenes after a time because I truly do not care. If that wasn’t there I would have loved the game so much more.

There are also some silly actions from a supposedly mature character that I can't really elaborate on without getting spoilery, but I'll just say it was kinda dumb and I got annoyed with it.