#this was supposed to be a quick thing but I went ham

[hellovivirose]

In this Beyblade visual novel you play as a bottle of mayo trying to win the Bladebreakers’ affections…while also trying to solve Tyson’s murder.

Based on this post.

I love the parallels between Tails and Max and Shadow and Kai ( ˙▿˙ )

[catscidr]

HIIII CAN I GET DOTTORE(WEBTOON VER) X READER (fluff if u want) PLS..... where ur his assistant (besides krupp, like reader and krupp are both his assistant) and he so clearly has favoritism towards reader, bro is SMITTEN. have a good day... :D

this is sorta taking place right when the manga starts, right before dottore and the gang have a meeting about fatui stuff n all. also spoilers for the manga kinda if u haven't read it already?? i threw krupp under the bus a lot but its to make up for the fact that he’s alive in this lmaoa sry to any krupp lovers out there (′ʘ⌄ʘ‵) also there’s a lot of buildup n world building kinda im sorry i got in the zone HAHA ALSO MB THIS TOOK A WHILE TO WRITE i was drowning in leftover dessert from the holidays and was in a food coma for a couple o days. forgive me nonnie but u can get ur food now ⸝⸝⸝⸝⸝⸝ cw: reader is overwhelmed, not proofread i just went ham. not too much dialogue it's mostly unspoken bc webttore is an "actions > words" kinda man includes: fem reader, webttore, krupp, diluc mentionned wc: 1,7k

The mission was a complete and utter disaster. 

All three of you were supposed to attend the Ragnvindr ball with a simple goal; blend in as much as possible, gather intel on the Knights of Favonius and leave without a hitch. Of course, that wasn’t an easy task considering Dottore’s eccentric and unpredictable personality and Krupp being a thorn in your side at best. 

Things started going downhill before you had even left your private quarters. While you were getting ready, carefully blinking as you brushed your mascara into your lashes to blend them in with your fake ones, you were startled by a loud, quick series of knocks on your door, making you smudge the dark pigment on your eyelid. Seeing the look on your face, Krupp had apologized (halfheartedly) before leaving you to your devices, seemingly forgetting why he had even interrupted you in the first place. You tried to convince yourself that it was fine, it was an easy fix anyways- but you couldn’t help but get irritated by your coworker’s behaviour at the very least. 

The next accident happened when the three of you had stepped out of the carriage in front of the Ragnvindr mansion. Masquerading as Dottore’s concubine, he held your hand to help you out of the caravan. That in it of itself was fine; the texture of his velvet glove was nice, the warmth emanating from his hand was even nicer and you swore you saw his face soften at the sight of you carefully stepping down the singular stair, leg jutting out as you balanced yourself on the cobblestone path on your heels. But Krupp just had to step on the back of your dress, a brown footprint now adorning the periwinkle frilly trail of your gown. The only good thing that came out of it was Dottore moving his hand to your waist and swiveling you to his side, fixing his assistant with a hard glare that could kill. 

Then, after you had gotten most of the dirt out of your dress (with the help of a kind butler), your trio stepped into the venue, splitting into two groups. Krupp would blend in with a group of nobles whereas you and Dottore, arms linked together, would speak to people in the Knights directly. Eyeing your coworker in the crowd, you saw him courteously kiss the back of a noblewoman’s hand; despite the slight look of disgust crossing your face, he seemed to be doing well with the mission. 

However, it seemed that whatever Archon was watching over you then didn’t appreciate the lack of drama. As Dottore introduced the both of you to a platinum-haired man, he had gotten his shoulder shoved by what had appeared to be a new hire from the manor (at least, you assumed so considering the way he had immediately gotten yelled at by a lady older than him). 

You yelped when the Harbinger spilled his drink all over the front of your dress, some champagne sliding down your chest leaving an uncomfortable, sticky feeling on your skin. Cheeks reddening from embarrassment and frustration, you brush away his frantic apology as you storm out, grabbing a handful of napkins on a nearby table while making your way to the closest bathroom. 

Thankfully it wasn’t hard to find, not with a maid offering to help you (she had gotten turned down but kindly pointed you in the right direction at the very least). Patting your skin dry, you burst into the surprisingly empty bathroom and assessed the damage. 

That’s where you are currently. 

Staring at the state of your previously pristine appearance you can’t help but tear up. Sure, this was just for a mission, and you could just wipe away the booze as much as you could and go back to do your job. But the one time you get to dress nice, the one time you can rid yourself of that ugly, stuffy uniform and feel pretty... had to be ruined by men. While it wasn’t exactly Dottore’s fault that he spilled his drink all over your dress, you still felt mad at Krupp for stepping on it when you all had first arrived. Was it petty to still be upset about it? Yes. Were your feelings justified? Also yes. 

Being the Doctor’s assistant was a chore. A challenge, sometimes. He was demanding, strict and you often had to walk on eggshells around him to avoid setting him off. Whenever it happened, he’d start ranting and raving about how incompetent everyone in the fatui was- although, he’d never point a finger at you, usually Krupp was on the receiving end of his bite (even if he wasn’t even included in the conversation). 

Knowing him well enough to understand his moods and personality had its perks. Unfortunately, it also had its drawbacks- those being how, naturally, your boss would also know how to read your mood surprisingly well. Dottore was known to be mean and ruthless to anyone he crossed path with, however, he’s always had a soft spot for you. 

Sometimes it was obvious that he did, but sometimes it was like he saw your coworker’s face instead of your own- scowling at your mistakes and scolding you harshly for mixing in the wrong powder in a flask. Whenever that happened, you could almost forget how he was able to hold you so gently, as if you were a glass sculpture ready to break if even the slightest breeze hit you. But if he were to be described with one word, you’d never call him dense- as entitled as he could be, the Harbinger was still (maybe surprisingly) quite well-versed in human emotions. 

You barely hear your name being called in the distance, muffled by the sound of the angelic piano and violin in the main area. Too caught up in your thoughts, you continue seething and aggressively rubbing away the sticky residue on your chest, muttering some choice words about your coworker and your boss. 

The door to the women’s bathroom flies open, revealing a frustrated but concerned Dottore, his curly hair a mess from how often he must have run his hand through it while he ran to find you. Uncaring of how he was intruding on your moment and how he was in the women’s restroom, he stomps over to you, gloved hands coming down to your shoulders as he closes the distance between you so he can look at the damage properly. 

He doesn’t speak for what felt like minutes, leaving your heart to pound in a mix of shock (who wouldn’t get scared at the sight of a Harbinger slamming a door open?) and nervousness. One of his hands come down to move your own that still held onto the (now damp) napkins as he stared at the front of your dress. 

The sweetheart cut of your dress was soaked, the edge and thin lace sticking to your skin, light indigo dye appearing darker because of the stain. Snapping out of your frozen stupor, you push his hand away and bring your hands back up to cover your chest, flustered from how hard he was staring with those blank, crimson eyes. 

“...You’re in the wrong bathroom,” you murmur, unsure of how to get him to leave you alone without possibly setting him off. Dottore’s eyes flicker up to your side profile, his expression still freakishly unreadable. 

You suddenly feel both of his hands on your cheeks as he manhandles you to look at him, your heart skipping a beat. Unable to bring yourself to stay mad, tears prick at your eyes, and you look down. Holding his gaze was impossible, not when you’ve been feeling humiliated since the start of the evening. He doesn’t comment on your sorrow, keeping on staring at you intently. 

“I can always buy you a new, nicer dress if that’s what you want,” you hear him say, voice uncharacteristically quiet, and maybe even... unsure? 

You shake your head softly, sniffling. 

“No? Why are you upset, then?” 

Hearing him so utterly confused, puzzled, perplexed made you even more frustrated. Furious, even. With your emotions all over the place and a newfound fury blazing in your limbs you snatch his hands off from your face and stomp out of the bathroom, shouting I’m waiting in the carriage! before stepping out into the chilly Mondstadtian evening breeze. 

Dottore stood there, brows furrowed and mouth agape in confusion as he blinked at your retreating figure. He didn’t have the chance to go after you because, as if on cue, Krupp interrupted the show. 

“I gathered some juicy intel, boss! Those Knights are incredibly foolish for being so loose lipped,” the mustached man declares proudly, acutely unaware of the stuffy atmosphere. Maybe not completely unaware, but he’s for sure ignoring it if he noticed it. Instead of hearing him out though, Dottore scoffs and walks into him, shoving him to the side with a scowl. 

“Don’t waste my time with your useless boasting. We’re leaving,” the Harbinger all but groaned, running a hand through his hair, stress emanating from him in waves. His assistant catches up to him, stuttering out a Of course sir! as he opens the door for him, his shoes digging into the cobblestone path. 

Dottore immediately looks at your sat figure, chin in your palm, looking out of the window. The sight would make him melt if it weren’t for his other assistant’s presence a mere meter away from him. He says your name quietly, softly enough that no one other than you can hear and Krupp steps into the carriage, shouting directions to the driver. 

“Can I stay in the lab next time?” you grumble, refusing to turn around and look at your boss and coworker. Krupp opens his mouth to scold you, but Dottore beats him to it, shooting him a sharp glare, lips curling down in a frown. 

“You can,” he answers you while still looking at his employee. “In fact, it’ll give me an opportunity to properly teach my other assistant some manners,” he adds, practically growling the sentence. Krupp swallows thickly and pretends to not be involved in the conversation, looking away nervously. On the opposite side of the plush seat, you hide the smile creeping its way onto your features.

Ignoring the way your heart swelled, you inwardly celebrate your small victory. Dottore could be brash and cruel, but you’ll always cherish the moments when he shows you some lenience. Especially when it’s at the cost of your coworker’s imprudence. 

[medusapelagia]

21 Merry Christmas

written for @steddieangstyaugust (prompt: Please ) and @augustwritingchallenge (Prompt: Absurd Tragedy)  Rating: Mature Relationship: Steve/Eddie TW: parents death, homicide-suicide, gun violence, tragedy Words: 1259

Steve has always known his father was a cheater. That’s why if his mom used to fly with him everywhere it was to surprise him, and not in a good way, but it was their routine, after twenty-five years of marriage Steve knew that his mom would stay at home the first days of school just to make sure to leave a good impression on his teachers and then she would have flown away toward Chicago, or New York, or even Shanghai. 

What he was not expecting was having both of them home for Christmas, a big ham in the oven, and some friends over. People Steve has met a couple of times in his life, but it almost felt like they are a normal family. A big Christmas Tree covered in so many lights and decorations you couldn’t even tell if the tree is real or fake, standing in the entrance, like the ones they used to choose when he was a kid and his father still drove him to the tree farm to choose the best one.

Being used to being alone in the huge home, the chatting of the people was a welcomed soundtrack to Steve’s day and he didn’t care if some of his father’s friends were commenting on the fact he didn’t go to college and he was working at the local video store, his parents were home, the house finally smelled like home and the table was full of food and people. Everything Steve has ever asked for.

Steve’s mom steps closer to him, offering him a glass of champagne to celebrate Christmas Eve, “You’re going to visit the Hendersons tomorrow, right?”

“I usually do, but I can stay if you want.”

“There’s no need, sweety. I want you to have fun with your friends. Your Dad and I can enjoy some alone time. God knows we never get enough.” She smiles brightly and her white teeth shine thanks to the Christmas lights.

The party doesn’t go on too long, just after midnight all the guests start to get back to their homes, knowing that the next day they are expecting to celebrate with their families and Steve goes to bed too, feeling extremely tired.

He wishes good night to his parents, eager for the morning to come to open his presents. The three of them haven’t sat in front of a Christmas Tree in years.

What he’s not expecting is being awakened by Jim Hopper, with his hat in his hand while he shakes Steve’s awake.

“Hop? What’s wrong?” Steve asks, looking immediately for his nailed bat, “Are they back? Demothings? I have the bat in the back of my closet.”

Hopper’s face is serious and sad, while he looks at him, “Get dressed Steve, the Munson’s kid is waiting for you downstairs.”

“What? No! I can’t! I have to open the Christmas present with my parents and go to the Hendersons for the Christmas lunch.” he complains, but Hopper shakes his head.

“You’re late for lunch. That’s why Claudia called me.”

Late? Steve couldn’t have slept so long, he went to bed just after midnight. But a quick look at his clock alarm tells him that it's already three in the afternoon. Why didn’t mom wake him up? She knew Steve was supposed to have lunch with the Hendersons.

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Get dressed, I’ll explain everything.”

“Let me get through! You fucking moron! Hopper called me! I’m his friend! Let me fucking get through!”

Eddie? His voice sounds panicked.

“Hopper, what’s going on?” Steve asks again, staring at the policeman in his striped pajamas.

“Trust me. It’s better if you get dressed and make a little bag with a few things. You’re going to stay with the Munsons for a little bit. We already talked and…”

“You, who? And why do I have to leave my house? And where are my parents? Mom! Dad!” Steve starts to scream, trying to get to the door, but Hopper stops him.

“Do as I told you!”

“No! I want to know what happened! Mom! Mom!”

“Stop screaming! She won’t answer!”

Steve turns abruptly, “What does it mean? Why won't she? Did they leave again? Without telling me? That’s why you are here? Well, let me tell you, I have lived on my own long enough that I can take care of myself.”

“Steve.”

“What? What are you trying to avoid saying to me?!”

Hopper plays with his hat for a bit before saying, “They are dead.”

“So… sorry. What?”

“Your parents are dead, your house is a crime scene and I need you to leave and stay at Munson.”

“That’s not possible! I saw them last night. We had a big party. They bought me presents I have to open and…”

“Your mom left a letter for you. Your dad was going to ask for a divorce to marry his new young secretary, and she wasn’t going to have it. She told him she wanted a last Christmas together, as a family. She drugged you and your father adding something to the champagne and then she shot him and then herself. Now can you fucking get dressed?!” the policeman yells, before brushing a hand on his face, “Sorry, kid. I… I didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Well, that’s what a very shitty way!” Eddie screams, finally getting into Steve’s room and immediately hugging him tight.

Steve’s shaking, shocked, standing in his pajamas and his sock feet.

“Why don’t you put on a pair of shoes and a jacket? Hopper will grab the things you might need and take them to the trailer, because we’re leaving.” Eddie declares, glaring at Hopper and the chief of police nods quietly. 

Steve is too astonished to do anything at all, so Eddie helps him sit on his bed and put on a pristine pair of white Nike, before grabbing the puffer jacket he finds in Steve's closet and walking him outside.

For a brief moment, Steve catches a glimpse of the moquette stained with blood, a white silhouette drawn on the carpet, and the flash of a photo camera, but Eddie is dragging him outside.

The air is crispy and Steve feels like he can’t breathe.

“Ready to go?” Eddie asks once they are both in his beaten van.

“Please.”

When Eddie starts the van, for the first time ever Steve doesn’t have to cover his ears to protect them from the music blasting from the stereo and he misses it. It’s way too quiet, but he doesn’t want to talk either, so he keeps staring out of the window.

It must have snowed during the night because the streets are covered in white and soft clouds. Some kids at the trailer park are having snowball battles. They hit Eddie in the back but he doesn’t join them, too occupied with dragging Steve inside the trailer. They don’t even make it to the door that Mr. Munson is already standing there, his arms extended and ready to hold Steve’s weight, and Steve does the only thing he can think of, throws himself into the old man's arms, crumbling like he has no strength left.

Mr. Munson doesn’t comment when he sees Steve’s still wearing his pajamas, he makes some hot chocolate and puts on some old country records that play softly in the background, one arm around Steve’s shoulder and Eddie sitting on Steve’s other side.

An absurd tragedy, that’s what the local news will call the event, but for Steve, is the end of the world.

[doctorbunny]

Just a quick thing, but I saw it noted the other day how season 2 is going really ham on the cat imagery and it made me think of something

We know milgram is basing some of its symbols off the Bible story the "Parable of the sheep and the goats" but I think the cat imagery is supposed to serve as a modern reinterpretation of this

The parable tells the tale of two animal herds, a group of sheep and a group of goats The sheep get up to generally virtuous things: clothing the homeless, visiting prisoners, feeding the poor ect But the goats get into all sorts of trouble, knocking over people's pots, stealing things, generally being a nuisance Then at the end Jesus (or god, I can't remember) comes in like 'Wow, the sheep were Really Good! that means you guys get to go to Heaven, but you goats have been very naughty, you guys are going to hell. Today's lesson is be a sheep not a goat, goodnight folks.'

Now while real sheep can't donate to charity, this depiction isn't inaccurate to the real animals, sheep being more likely to follow along with where you're trying to herd them. Whilst goats have a reputation for mischief The bible really likes sheep, all the stuff about Jesus being the 'Lamb of God' and the story about the good shepherd ect The only other time I remember goats coming up (although they probably did a bunch) was when Abraham was told to kill his only son Isaac and the devil was like 'noo thats a bad idea maybe you shouldn't listen to god?' but Abraham went through with it and when he went to stab Isaac, god magically replaced the boy with a goat - this is where we get the term 'Scapegoat'

Anyway back to milgram, I think they have updated this concept of 'virtuous, loyal, sheep' and 'sinful goats' Into a metaphor of 'loyal dogs' and 'sinful, willful cats' Ever heard the expression "Like herding cats"? It's difficult to do Like goats, cats can't be forced into doing stuff, they're not aiming to please a master like a dog is, they'll knock stuff off the table, decimate local ecosystems and whilst I don't think Japan has a concept of a bad luck cat, in parts of Europe/North America, black cats are certainly seen as unlucky

[gaywatch]

So I started watching the first episode of The Sign, right? I'd had it on my computer for a couple/few days and couldn't immediately remember what it was actually about, but I knew it was a new Thai BL genre mashup thing I'd seen on my dash and that's good enough for me.

A team of special agents infiltrate a big warehouse/facility place at night. Okay. Cool. There are bombs and a hostage? Sure. One guy tells other guys what to do, so he must be the leader, and he tells a few guys to focus on the bombs and the others to find the hostage. They encounter bad guys when they get inside, and some of the fight choreo is cool and some of it is absurd, but I'm just happy to be seeing an action-oriented BL series and I've seen worse crimes committed by a low budget, no big deal.

But it's been a few minutes into the first episode now, and I'm starting to wonder a few things. We have stakes, technically: there are bombs and a hostage--it would be bad if the bombs went off while the team was inside because they would get hurt or killed, and by default we don't want to see a hostage harmed.

But we have no context. At all. I'm five minutes in and I know nothing. Who's the hostage? Who are the bad guys? What do the bad guys want? Why do I care? I'm assuming this is like some quick action-y beginning and we'll cut to a main character at some point to see the "real" first scene of the show, but now it's been like seven minutes and we're still here in this warehouse place. If the special ops team are supposed to be the cast, I haven't heard a single scrap of dialogue that wasn't about the task at hand. I haven't even seen anyone's face yet.

Tagging @bengiyo, @lurkingshan 'cause they were interested in a side comment I made about this in some tags.

Even when they finally start to pull up their masks and talk, it's all immediate business (which is somewhat understandable given they're in danger but we're still lacking important context). Who am I rooting for? Who are these dudes? Why is this one sequence taking over ten minutes without giving me anything or anyone to latch onto? Are they assuming I read a blurb on the premise of the show and then immediately hit play? Because that's a cardinal sin--you never assume that everyone who watches your show or reads your book will know the premise, even in this day and age. You always lay in the necessary exposition/context to immediately anchor the audience into the premise and main character (or cast). (The only time you can assume everyone already knows at least the broad strokes of a concept is in fanfiction, but even then there could still be changes you made that you need to clue people in on from the get go. )

Then Tharn got his first premonition about Phaya, and I was like 'ohhhh, this is a story about a guy with some form of precognition who's in some sort of special forces. I wish they could have brought this up ten minutes ago, but okay.'

And finally, the big reveal: it's all a test! They're trainees, not officers! Well, that certainly explains why we got zero context all this time, because they didn't want to give away The Trick. Except it didn't feel like a clever rug pull at all. Worrying that the audience will clue in to what's going on doesn't mean you get to just Not Tell Them. You mislead them instead. The team could have easily rattled off the necessary details and context about the mission--after the training reveal, we would have chalked it up to practice mission prep. And with no context or reason to care about anything, I sat there for fifteen minutes only to be told that I didn't have to care anyway because it was all staged.

I would have taken any context, even something super cliche and ham fisted. "Okay boys, remember: our old mission commander is being held hostage in there and they'll kill him unless we hand over their psychotic leader. It took us weeks to track them down to this warehouse, and if they escape again it's game over. Don't let me down!" or something, anything for me to latch onto besides Dudes Doing Things. It's okay to mislead the audience, in fact you pretty much have to in order to pull the well worn "it was all an exercise" trick in the first place.

And fifteen minutes to pull all that off was a rather astonishing waste of screen time. The opening scene in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek establishes a handful of characters, makes you care about them, takes them through an amazing high stakes action sequence, and has you in tears at the end as we watch a guy we've only known for a few minutes sacrifice himself to save what's left of the crew as the film's protagonist--his son--is literally born, and it does all of that in almost half the time.

Compare that to The Sign, where in fifteen minutes we know: dudes in black fight things, one guy has premonitions, and actually they're trainees. No complexity, emotional stakes, or context beyond that. I was floored.

But what really made my jaw drop came after that.

A first episode has a lot of heavy lifting to do. You're introducing a world, a cast, promising the type of fun that's to be had, kickstarting the central relationships, etc etc. One of the most fundamental aspects to all this set up is to let us know why the main character/cast is here, what they're trying to do, and why it matters if they fail. And the entire first episode of the sign doesn't have that. At all. Period.

Oh, we're introduced to characters, the harsh training, Tharn's gift, Tharn and Phaya's initial dynamic, but once again we're given no context or emotionally relevant exposition. Who are these dudes? Why are they training? Why do they care about becoming special ops? What's their motivation? Goals? Obstacles in the way of that goal? Motive/Goal/Obstacle is the engine of story, and we're not given a single one until--and this is what blew my mind--almost halfway through the second episode.

In episode two we finally get a line from Tharn's bff about how if Tharn doesn't get onto the special ops team he won't be able to investigate his dad's (parents? can't remember) mysterious death.

A goal! A reason to care about Tharn's training! Emotional investment! Except it's coming way, way, wayyyyyyyyyyy too late. We should have known about this in the first five minutes of episode one. They should've found another fake hostage, Tharn should've lifted his mask and said "shit, if we fail this I'll never have what I need to find out how dad died." THANK YOU, now I have a reason to care.

I was shocked at such a massive oversight, like I'm gonna remember it as a cautionary example for a long time 'cause that's just wild to me.

[nobedofroses]

December 10th

pairing: Joel Miller x reader

warnings: fluff, v soft

words: 1.1k

a/n: this one was prompted by the lovely @terryboot (little reminder that holiday/winter blurb requests are open this month 👀) wherein you and Joel are domestic

more Joel, Full List

🌨️🌨️🌨️

In Jackson, there were very few chances for injury. Occasionally during patrols if people came across infected there could be injuries from the quick pursuit, from falling or pulling a muscle. No bites or scratches in a long time, luckily. And sometimes other jobs would cause minor injuries too: a burn while cooking, a bruise from an animal, etc. But mostly it was the kids getting little scrapes and bruises from playing, which was a comforting and happy thought, reminding all of you that had grown up before of what a childhood was supposed to be. 

Which was what made Joel so grumpy when he sprained his ankle and was laid up for at least two weeks, as per the medic’s orders. 

“It’s like I’m a fucking child,” he had complained when he was first told, making the medic laugh, a woman named Jackie that you had met before for help with a rash which had come from the goat milk’s soap. Apparently you were allergic. 

“Plenty of adults get sma— mild injuries as well,” Jackie replied, catching herself on the word, correctly guessing that Joel would not like the word, “small.” 

“Yeah? Do they get ‘em walking across the fucking sidewalk?” he muttered. 

“Maybe we’ll have to ask about putting out sand earlier this year,” you suggested. “Last year, things didn’t get this icy until around Christmas.” 

Joel had no reply to that, laying his head back on the pillows you had set up for him. You rolled your eyes fondly and shared a glance with Jackie. 

“I’ll leave you two to it, just remember the RICE method and you’ll be fine. I’ll be back in a week,” Jackie said and then you showed her out of the house. 

When you got back to the room, Joel was still laying back but his eyes were open and he was watching you. You went over to him and brushed his hair away from his eyes gently, “Do you want me to stay here while you’re healing?” 

“You don’t have to do that,” Joel said, and you were a little surprised it wasn’t an outright no. In the time that the two of you had been doing… whatever it was the two of you were doing, he had never come this close to admitting that he needed someone else’s help. 

You decided to push your luck a little, try to get him to admit that he did in fact want you to stay, “Well, you could just rely on Ellie’s help for everything, I guess.” 

Joel processed what that would mean, how much shit Ellie would give him for every little thing, and he shook his head once, saying in a quiet, slightly pleading, voice, “Stay.” 

Your chest grew warm at just the one word and you nodded, bending down to kiss his temple and tuck the blanket around him better. “Why don’t you take a nap? I’ll go get something for dinner. I’ll have it ready by the time Ellie’s home and you’re awake.” 

___

About two hours later, Ellie came banging into the kitchen through the back door and you intercepted her. 

“Joel’s asleep on the couch, hun, can you stay in here until dinner’s ready?” you asked, finishing up the ham, cheese, and lettuce sandwiches you were making. If you were cooking at home instead of eating at the cantina, you made simple fare so as to not waste electricity or fuel. 

“No he’s not, what are you hiding?” Ellie asked with a laugh, heading towards the living room. 

You caught her gently around the arm and shushed her, “He is, you can look if you want, but be quiet please.” 

Ellie tiptoed exaggeratedly, but you could see the curiosity on her face. She returned ten seconds later with a straight face, “What’s wrong?” 

“Oh, honey, nothing’s wrong,” you hurried to say, remembering that because of their history, the sight of Joel vulnerable must’ve been terrifying for her. “He sprained his ankle, so he just has to stay off of it and get rest.” 

“Sprained his ankle, huh?” Ellie asked, the grin on her face very close to evil. 

“C’mon, you can’t torture him. Well, not too much,” you amended when you saw the incredulous look on her face. “Besides, he sprained it when he was bringing me coffee this morning, so he was being sweet.” 

“Yeah, to you. I didn’t get any coffee,” Ellie pointed out, making it clear that him being sweet to you did not preclude him from any teasing on her end. “Anyway, I don’t know why you even go back to your place at night, you should just stay over. Not like I don’t know what you’re up to.” 

The tips of your ears grew hot as you turned from Ellie so she wouldn’t see your embarrassed face as you said, “If we’re too loud—” 

“No, I don’t hear you, thank fuck, I’m just not five years old. I know that you’re dating or whatever and I know what people do when they date or whatever.” 

You smiled at that, put at ease that if nothing else, you and Joel weren’t too loud when you had sex. “You know, if you ever want to talk about you dating or whatever, you can always talk to me. And then I can talk to him.” 

Ellie gave you a small smile and then grabbed a completed sandwich and an apple, mumbling, “Yeah, cool.” 

Happy with where this conversation ended up, you started to head into the living room to wake Joel when you remembered you hadn’t told her, “And actually, I’ll be staying here while Joel recuperates, so I hope you meant it when you said I should just stay here.” 

You heard Ellie’s little chuckle and quiet, “I did,” as you passed into the other room. Joel was awake on the couch, but looked freshly so, still blinking heavily, but he hummed when he saw you. 

“I take it the terror is back and— it’s time for dinner,” Joel mumbled, yawning halfway through. 

Smiling, you touched his cheek, rubbing your thumb over it gently and saying, “Yeah, but you can keep sleeping if you want to. Ellie and I can entertain ourselves.” 

“I don’t doubt that, but I doubt she can do so quietly enough for me to keep sleeping,” Joel said and you tilted your head in agreement. He grabbed your hand and pulled you to sit next to his hip on the edge of the couch, “You tell her you’re stayin’ for a while?” 

You nodded and tried to keep from smiling too wide, being too excited about her acceptance of you, “Yeah, she um, she seems kinda happy about it.” 

Joel’s mouth quirked up as he said, “Course she is. Anybody’d be happy to have you, sweetheart.” 

It was implied, not explicit, Joel’s sentiment, his own happiness at you staying at his place, playing some kind of house together with Ellie. But that’s all you needed, and this time you couldn’t help your grin.

🌨️🌨️🌨️

[skullamity]

Got a fountain bowl to convince Ham, now the most expensive cat in the house, to drink more. Ham is afraid of it, Dusty views it with contempt. The only cat who is super into it is Parsnip, and he will only drink from it like this????? Congrats little buddy, that's the worst anyone has ever done it! Bonus Ham photobomb at the end.

For anyone wondering about Ham, he's fine, but also I now want to take a minute to shout out Pretty Litter. I have always been apprehensive about owning male cats, because I know they are infinitely more prone to developing crystals in their urine, and that it can happen at any age. I have known many people over my lifetime who have had beloved (and still pretty young!) cats just drop dead, because crystal blockage can kill them very rapidly if you don't catch it until it is a Capital P Problem, and we all know how good cats are at hiding their pain.

Up until Ham, we have only ever had female cats, and one of the reasons why I wanted to switch to Pretty Litter (aside from the fact that it mummifies everything, kills the smell, is super light weight and can go longer before being changed out) is that it changes colour to alert you to changes in your cat's health that you might not otherwise know are happening.

So imagine my surprise when I was scooping out the litterbox on Sunday when Ham, ever the bastard, hopped into a freshly cleaned box while I was cleaning out the next one, was in there for a very short amount of time and when he left, the litter where he has peed was bright red, which indicates the presence of blood. We immediately switched him to wet food only and the vet was able to fit him in on Tuesday morning.

They didn't end up having to sedate him to get a sample (they took him to go do that and he helped things along by taking a giant piss e v e r y w h e r e on the walk to the back), and very quickly discerned that there were crystals present in his urine. The vet told us outright that vigilance, the colour changing cat litter and our quick action to get him into the vet definitely saved his life, and any apprehension I had about forking out the money for a subscription for this slightly more expensive cat litter immediately went out the window. It did exactly what it was supposed to do, and my one year old marshmallow of a cat is already no longer turning the cat litter red now that he's on specialty food (specialty wet only for the next month as the partial blockage fully breaks down, and then specialty dry with any brand wet food for the rest of his life).

I do find it kind of funny that my expectation that Parsnip, our deaf, snorty, extremely inbred hoarder situation cat, would end up being the most medically expensive animal in this house was apparently dead wrong, but I'm also incredibly relieved that we caught this so early.

[jeongyeonluvr]

what about little!sana throwing a tantrum? the girls are not used to sana being bratty because she's always a good girl while regressed, but some days she's just in a bad mood all day

little monster

|| cg!Nayeon little!Sana

•CW: temper tantrum

Sana was tired.

Sana had been fighting sleep for hours, and the tantrum had already started near the end of dance practice into her bedtime.

"I know you're tired, hun." Nayeon said, closing her eyes and willing away a headache. "Do you want Mama to rock you before sleep?"

"No no no no NO!" Sana screeched, shaking the house, leaving Nayeon in a shocked state. "I not sleepin'! I not tired! I not I not I not!"

Sana wept after her little scream, kicking away toys and loose crayons Nayeon had been too tired to try and put away anymore. Nayeon wished there was more she could do for her baby, but it was pretty hard when the only thing said baby seemed to know how to say was synonyms for not sleeping.

"I am." Nayeon mused, finally sitting down in Sana’s rocking chair in defeat. One sleepless night couldn’t be too bad. She’d just have to wait until Sana tired herself out.

Nayeon strapped in for a long night.

She gave short answers to Sana’s fit as she continued on her rampage, crying about not being tired even as she said it through a yawn. Nayeon could only guess why Sana was so against sleeping all of a sudden. She wished she knew more, but Sana wasn't making any of this easy.

"I know, I know. You're not tired at all." Nayeon said sarcastically, absent-mindedly beginning to rock in the chair. Her eyes stayed closed despite Nayeon’s attempts to will them open. She didn't want to fall asleep on Sana, she needed to make sure she didn't get into any kind of trouble.

"Not!" Sana sounded off, and threw yet another soft toy in Nayeon’s direction. Nayeon wasn't offended by the tantrum. In fact, a part of her was relieved Sana was getting it out of her system whatever it had been weighing her down. She just wished maybe it could have started a bit earlier in the day…

This time, Sana’s bunny landed at Nayeon’s feet. She spared a glance down at the toy, before rocking forward, bending down to pick it up and put it in her lap.

Nayeon wouldn't admit a part of her caregiver side was aching seeing Sana in so much distress. She wanted nothing more than to hold her baby and rock and coo until all her tears dried up and she would fall asleep right in her arms. But Sana had refused almost all of Nayeon’s comforting tactics. The only thing she'd allowed Nayeon to do was get her changed.

Nayeon hugged Sana’s bunny gently, before she began petting the stuffie. She slowly began to rock once more, only occasionally peeking her eyed open to check that yes, Sana still was throwing a tantrum.

Except, after a few minutes, the room grew quiet, save for the soft squeaks coming from the rocking chair. Nayeon opened one heavy eye to observe, and found Sana staring at her.

"W-wha do?" Sana asked, looking up with watery eyes.

"Oh, nothing. Certainly not cradling this bunny." Nayeon slightly teased, giving the stuffie another hug before she went back to petting it. "It's no cuddlebug, but I suppose it will have to do." She said with a fake sigh. She peered back at Sana, and saw her sniffle.

"She wanted to go to bed, asked me if I would rock her. I figured since I didn't have any other baby in my lap, I might as well." Nayeon hammed it up, once she realized that maybe this could work…

Sana whimpered again, before standing up. Nayeon almost jumped out of the chair when she saw Sana try to stand on her wobbly legs, but eventually she got herself up.

Then proceed to stomp her foot.

"No! No no! My Mama! My Mama!" Sana cried, before hurrying over to Nayeon. Nayeon had just enough time to move the bunny out of the way and prepare herself for impact. Sana was quick to jump into her lap, kicking and tossing about until she was sat comfortably, barely avoiding smacking Nayeon a few times. But even despite that, all Nayeon could do was laugh.

"You're such a little monster." Nayeon teased, cradling Sana close once she was settled into her lap. The bunny was gently placed down on the floor, Nayeon not wanting it to suffer Sana’s jealous wrath.

"M' big monster." Sana helpfully reminded, letting out a low rawr while rubbing her eyes. Nayeon knew as soon as she was cuddled she'd immediately start to get sleepy.

"Oh, my apologies." Nayeon cooed, getting her arm to gently draw her thumb across the apple of Sana’s cheek. Her other arm reached around them and pulled out a pacifier from a nearby counter.

"There there, you're safe. Mama's here." Nayeon soothed. Sana’s eyes didn't stay open long, the swaying motion and the exhaustion finally catching up to her terror tot.

"My Mama." Sana mumbled, nearly incoherent, but Nayeon had good ears. She swiped away at a few tears that still clung to Sana’s face.

Tomorrow they would have to talk, figure out what had triggered her so badly that night, and stress the importance of trusting Nayeon to know what's best for her when she says she needs to go to bed. They'll probably end up in a similar position afterwards. Holding her baby, assuring her that of course she wasn't mad. Of course she still loved her.

But that was tomorrow.

Tonight Nayeon closed her eyes, and soon her snores were matching with Sana’s.

[inkabelledesigns]

📚 for Auran, Loraine, Manny and any other character of your choosing from your nutcracker stuff, go ham my guy

📚 BOOKS — what level of education has your oc most recently completed/is currently in (GED, undergraduate, grad school, phd, etc)?

Okay, so this is a tough one. All three of these characters are dolls and wouldn't have had access to a formal general education like you and I do. Or at least, I haven't developed what that looks like in this world. Like, obviously all of them would need to learn math, they use math every day for stuff like sewing, counting beats, battle strategy, measuring out magic dust for combinations, calculating travel distances, etc. But where did they learn it? As young dolls, did they have school, were they required to go through some basic training to be well rounded? Or is that just magicked into them from the start? Can you even do that?

I think Captain Dieter would be really impatient with the guard and have them go through maybe an intense month of schooling that covers most things (probably skimps on anything regarding literary analysis, can't have too many thinkers to challenge him, which feels horrible when I say that out loud). The royal guard likely has up to a basic high school level education, but it's a touch incomplete. This is what Auran would start out with before transferring to the ballet.

Odette and Siegfried by contrast would be very thoughtful about schooling their dancers, there's probably a great deal of lessons in typical subjects besides what they need to learn for ballet. I can imagine there's an emphasis on history given that's really important to them, but there's also a lot on language arts. If any of the dolls of my world could speak a different language or have a vast understanding of English, it would be the ones at the ballet, given music has a myriad of terms that derive from French and Italian. I think they'd also encourage exploration into other subjects. Loraine takes an interest in studying magic and science, and it's ultimately what lands her in her position of studying magic dust to understand its intricate properties. Auran by contrast has more of a focus on ballet and music, but as a side hobby, he enjoys books on gardening and learns a lot from those for his small vegetable garden.

Manny....Manny is probably the one who got the shortest end of the stick, but he's probably more educated than both Auran and Loraine, who mind you, are fairly smart. Manny had no education beyond math and textiles, his employer simply didn't value it. So he went to great lengths to homeschool not only himself, but his fellow employees, using tools from Equinox 's rich library system. While his employer was almost quick to forbid it, Manny is incredibly smart and managed to convince them that this was really in their best interest so that their business would be run more competently, and it worked out. Manny manages to get himself through a high school level of education, but he's also got what's effectively a college level education of business, as he was secretly studying to get out of his bad situation. Though one may argue that he also has a strength in street smarts, he knows how to play the game of life. I can imagine he's also taken at least one acting class in his life.

That was a lot for all three and their respective peers. XD I suppose after Captain Dieter is no longer running the guard, there is probably an emphasis on better education and easing the guard into things ala Queen Clara. She would want her soldiers to have those tools after learning Dieter was being deliberately foolish. Especially in making sure they knew their history and had some extracurriculars outside of preparing for battle. This is probably how Minstrel achieves his dream of having a proper band for the guard rather than just playing a war drum.

[cottoncandy-cult]

You Get Sick (ZFBFS)

(Y/n) had been curled up in her bed, cover pulled tight around her as her cheek rested on an ice pack tucked under a rag. Zack had been pissed the first day she got sick, but now it was day 2. Having been caught in the rain 2 nights before had been what lead her to this place, her overseer dropped off an apology bag of medicines. Zack was currently in the kitchen, making the first and only thing he knew how. Microwaved chicken noodle soup. He could read a little now, it made it easier for him to actually make his own food. Now he could eat a ham sandwich, after spending a month eating bologna. He didn't like bologna.

Once it was warmed up, he grabbed a bottle of water and went up to her room, the tv was on and playing some kind of fish documentary. When she saw him, she gave a tired smile, he placed the bowl on her nightstand alongside the water bottle as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey, you need some help sitting up?" This made (Y/n) giggle and sit up, she only had a small fever and an upset stomach, but he acted like she was gonna die. Then again in the orphanage most the kids who got sick never got better, so she couldn't blame him for his anxiety. "I'm ok Zack, just relax. I can take care of myself; besides I don't want to get you sick."

He huffed and looked away, rolling his eyes as he spoke. "Shut up and let me take care of you, now you're supposed to take that pink shit before you fucking eat." He got up and left to go over to the top of her dresser where the medicines were sat up, she cringed a bit knowing exactly what he was going to grab and was quick to hide under the cover with her fever. Zack growled when he turned with tiny cup in hand, he hated having to fight with her to get her to take the medicine. "I swear you're such a fucking child, now get the hell out here!" He kicked the edge of a bed, a tick mark forming when he heard a soft "no".

"The fuck do you mean no!? Do you want to stay sick!?" His eye twitched as he sat the tiny cup on the nightstand and began the tug of war for the cover, when he did get it from her, she covered her face with her hands. Making him growl and huff, before he had an idea and grinned. Before (Y/n) knew what was going on Zack was kneeling over her, his hands on either side of her head. She peaked up at him between her fingers, raising an eyebrow at his smirk as she slowly lowered her hands. "What the hell are you planning dumbass?.." Once her hands were lowered to a point he dived in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She was surprised and relaxed a moment before filling his tongue on her lips, she parted her lips right as the thought occurred to her that he might get sick from this. But it was too late. His lips parted and the medicine spilled down her throat, she either had to swallow it or shoot it out of her nose. Needless to say, she swallowed it, that was when he sat up and began laughing hysterically as (Y/n) pouted beneath him. She flipped to her side quickly, launching the male off of her and the bed and onto the floor. "Asshole..." She pulled the cover up off the floor and over her head, listening to her boyfriend groan and curse from the ground.

[dcpbybia2024]

DCP day 1-2

March 18-19

arrived yesterday morning, my check in was supposed to be 0815 but I was late and didn't end up getting to check in until like 0900 but that wasn't a big deal at all.

met a girl in line, she was nice and we exchanged instas so I hope i get to keep in touch. Check in was basically:

a form that I filled in off a QR code from the housing company

then they put us (~100ish of us?) in a room to watch the housing policies/intro video.

getting my picture taken for my account

received my welcome ticket for the parks

received my room keycard and parking pass (I registered/paid for the parking pass in advance when I registered for housing)

the next thing on my agenda was the background check, which was super quick they just scanned my ID and took my fingerprints.

then i began to move in, i was by myself so it took a few trips to get my stuff from my car to my apartment, but it wasn't too difficult. I brought a folding beach cart thing which was a lifesaver and I would recommend.

i got to my apt and there was nobody there, so i just moved my stuff into my space (I have a 2x2) and found my roomie had left me a sweet little note and some candy/snacks for me, which i really appreciated.

i was free to move in until 4, when i was scheduled to go to Making the Most of YOUR Program, which was pretty much what it says on the label, about 40 mins of tips and guidelines alongside some inspirational/curated videos on how to use the resources in the program.

afterwards I met my roommate, and she showed me around the apartment and gave me the low down on how things work with the program.

my mom arrived later in the evening and i grabbed dinner with her and we went for groceries and stuff at the target and tjmaxx nearby.

last night my roommate invited me to meet her friend group at the hot tub so i hung out with them for a while, then took a shower and went to bed to get up for my swim test the next morning.

DAY 2

this morning i got up around 0645, made some eggs and ham for brekky (yum) and went down to the buses to go to Mickey's Retreat for my lifeguard swim test. i met some people on the bus but didn't exchange info but i hope i can catch up with them :/

the test was pretty straightforward and consistent with other coaching/lifeguarding assessments i've done prior. the deep water test was as follows:

200yd continuous swim

10lb brick retrieval from 8ft depth

2min tread no hands

hearing test (they blew a whistle)

vision test (read from an eye chart)(you can keep your glasses/contacts on)

they said we will test again on location, and i got my training schedule for the next couple weeks which includes a 3 day lifeguard course back at Mickey's Retreat which i suspect will align with the standard guard classes i am familiar with. the schedule has some costuming info included, but i'm not sure if i should be wearing a guard suit underneath or what bc its a shirt/shorts combo. it includes shoes tho so that's cool.

after i got back i checked out the gym in the community center and it looks really nice! i went on the treadmill for a little before coming back to the apartment and putting up the rest of my decorations.

I meal prepped some greek salad/rice and then accidentally knocked out and napped for like the entire afternoon (oops)

after I woke up I came back to the community center to putz around on my computer and that brings us up to now and I'm about to go back to the hot tub with my roommate's friends and hang out :)

[jimbleswrites]

Pantheon 2022

Chapter 7: The Hatchet, Unearthed

A/N: Finally wrapped up editing my previous chapters, so now this is the most recent thing I wrote! Still working on Chapter 8, but should be soon!

I caught Mrs. R up on the call, and she insisted on coming along. I tried to argue against it, but she had her mind set on it. We quickly made a doorway to Dan & Pat’s apartment, stepped through, and found it more chaotic than usual. Loose papers thrown about & upturned desks, a clear struggle had happened and Dan & Pat were nowhere to be seen. I started to make my way up the stairs to the roof when Mrs. R spoke up. “So when we get up there, I’ll aim for their right side and you stick to the left.”

I looked over confused. “What? You just want to start swinging when we see them?” She nodded, and I sighed. “No, whoever did this was intentional. They want to talk. I want to know why.”

Mrs. R groaned. “Listen, some champions are kinda nutty. It might be safer to swing first and ask questions later. Plus, you’re… you know…” She trailed off.

“I’m what?”

“Kinda green. You can’t control your aura as smoothly as someone who's been a champion for thousands of years. You have less combat experience. You don’t know half of the current active gods. You-”

I cut her off. “Thanks for the pep talk, but you offered to back me up. So I'm asking you to work with me. Please.” I was already on edge with everything happening, and having her list all my shortcomings was not helping. We turned one last staircase, and reached the door to the roof.

“OK, but if they make a move, I'm going in.” Mrs. R conceded. I opened the door to see Dan & Pat, knocked out, and a mysterious figure. She turned to face us, and gave a wide grin.

“There he is! Vida’s new plaything.” She taunted. She was imposing, over 7 feet tall with a muscular build, barely contained in a leather jacket and jeans. Long white hair formed what seems like a lion’s mane, making her seem even larger. She looked over my shoulder to see Mrs. R. “and you even brought a friend with you. Too afraid to come alone?”

Mrs. R took a step forward, but I put out my arm to stop her. “We happened to be together when I got your call. But you wanted to talk and I'm here.”

“So you are.” She stepped forward. “I’ve come to issue a warning. Vida’s last champion was a constant thorn in my side. I want to make sure you aren’t.”

I looked over to Dan & Pat. They were a little bruised, out cold flailed over each other, but seemed OK otherwise. “So this is blackmail? You get to do whatever you want and I’m not supposed to interfere?”

“Clever little thing, aren’t you?” she mocked. “You catch on quick.”

“If I say no, you hurt my friends over there.” I held out my fist, forming a golden sword from my aura in its grip. “No. I will stop you here and now before you threaten someone else.”

She laughed at me. A howling laugh that seemed to mock me directly. Mrs. R stood next to me on my right, forming gloves over her fists. The intruder finally stopped laughing, and stood there. “Fine, I tried to reason with you. Now, I'll just kill you.”

She rushed forward, her mane of silver hair flowing behind her. I swung at her left arm as she ran up, only for her to reach up and catch it in her bare hand. She smirked as she snapped my blade, it fading into nothing as she continued her attack. She punched me square in the chest, sending me back through the door and down the stairs. I struggled to my feet as I saw her throw Mrs. R in front of the door. I felt pain stinging inside my chest, but pushed through as I went back up the stairs. I came to the top to see this opponent now wielding a hammer as tall as she was, made of a red aura. Mrs. R was quickly moving around her, landing blows as she could. I re-formed my sword and ran back into the brawl. I put myself on the defensive, dodging the hammer swings and chipping away when holes opened up. Despite the blows I could land, this large woman was not even responding to any hits. She swung the hammer again and knocked away Mrs. R, sending her back towards Dan & Pat. She punched me with her other hand and then threw her hammer at the trio. Mrs. R blocked it head-on, shielding the brothers but knocking her out unconscious. I tried harder to land a stronger hit, but she was able to simply bat my sword away and grabbed me by the throat, choking me. I tried to break free, only to have her tighten her grip. I gasped for air, and she simply laughed again.

“I gave you an out, but you goodie-two-shoes never learn. Maybe after I kill another of her champions, Vida will learn to mind her business.” she mocked. She suddenly stopped, seemingly listening to something. “You sure? I could do it now.” She was arguing with no one I could hear. I continued to struggle as she thought. “OK, we’ll just send a message.” She lowered me down so I could barely stand, then kicked my knee. It shattered immediately, breaking the bones connecting it. I screamed, falling hard to the ground as she released me. I could breathe again, but couldn’t move, just laying there on the roof. She squatted down beside me, and grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her. “You got lucky, boss decided not to have any unneeded deaths. But next time, I may not listen to them. Consider this your last warning.” She slammed my head back into the concrete floor, knocking me out.

***

“Robert? Come on buddy…”

I heard a vague voice calling me and opened my eyes. I saw sterile white walls and a figure in green next to me. Vida. I tried to sit up, only to realize my foot was suspended in the air in a sling. I awkwardly wobbled in place as Vida put her hand on me.

“Hey, stop moving, you’ll hurt yourself more.” Her tone was subdued, unlike her normal sarcastic self. She looked like she had been crying, tear stains on her green suit.

“Mrs. R…” I started to speak, still woozy. They must have put me on some medication, it was hard to put thoughts together.

“She already recovered, she’s waiting outside. Along with the other two.” She put her hand in mine. “How do you feel?”

I groaned. While everything was numb, I still could feel pain from my leg. “Leg hurts.”

The door opened, and a doctor walked in. “Good evening, Mr. Paladin. I was just coming in to check on you. How are you feeling?”

“Leg hurts,” I repeated.

“I imagine so. The kneecap was completely shattered. You’re lucky Banks called Vida when they couldn’t find you.” He formed an orb of pure white energy in his hand and pressed it into my leg. I felt something shifting inside my knee and the pain fell away.

“Thank you, Akos.” Vida thanked the doctor as he removed the cast and put my leg back down from the sling. I felt as good as new. Akos walked out as I sat up. “Now, you tell me what happened. Why are you battling people on rooftops?”

“I was trying to help Dan and Pat.” My mind had cleared up as Akos had seemingly healed my injuries. “I got a call while I was out with Mrs. R. Someone had them as hostages. Silver haired woman with a big hammer.” Vida seemed concerned as I continued describing the fight we had. She looked down at the floor, avoiding my eyes.

“I’m sorry, Rob.” she muttered. “I should have been paying more attention. If I had noticed you going after her, I would have intervened.” Everything about her slouched posture told me she was genuinely upset with herself. I sat myself upright and turned to face her, swinging my now-healed legs over the side.

I put a hand on her knee. “I should have called. I just got worried about Dan & Pat, and I had Mrs. R with me. I’m sorry.” She looked up at me, with a small smile. I was glad she felt better, but I needed to ask about the mysterious woman with a vengeance against us. “I want to know. She said that your previous champion was an obstacle to her. Who is she?”

Vida sighed. “I was hoping to talk about this during the culture lesson, but then I got busy with some other stuff.” She sighed, clearly distraught. “Her name is Thora. She is… was a champion for an ancient god. Long before I was a goddess. The records of back then are not super clear, but the god she served was struck down in an old war, and it’s believed she absorbed all his power. A champion with no god to serve.”

I was shocked. “Wait, she absorbed his power? Wouldn’t she just be the next god of whatever?”

“Gods don’t really work by succession. You probably wouldn’t get my position if something happened to me. It’s part of the mystery.”

“The mystery?” I remembered the first time she explained things to me after the diner, she seemed so confident. Now she was deflated.

“Gods kinda just… exist. I woke up with a voice in my head declaring I was the goddess of justice, and then just nothing. I was laying in an alley by myself, with no direction or purpose. Just a lone person with new abilities I didn't understand. After a long time of wandering, I was found by Arinya, who gave me a basic rundown of what was going on. I started acting with a champion just in time to help with the American revolutionary war. Arinya has a rough timeline of events but no one ever knows why they became a god.”

Her defeated look made sense now. The same sense of being lost I felt when I first was chosen, but with no guide at all. It would be something I wouldn't be eager to remember either.

She continued. “When a god dies, their power moves on to a new candidate. There seems to be no pattern that we can tell. Sometimes the champion gets the power, and gets to be the new god. Sometimes a random soul gets the power. Sometimes the power just… goes away. No new god. And then there’s Thora. She got the power of her god, but not the title. There was a new god. With new powers. But Thora remained. A champion without a god to serve.”

I was bewildered. The idea that there were no rules to determine something as large as this was bizarre. “But she could just be the new god’s champion right? Why has she gone rogue?”

Vida looked up, looking distraught. “Because not all gods are kind. The old god she served was bitter, and aggressive. He used Thora like an attack dog. She was mistreated, and no one knew until then. So when she finally had freedom, she ran. Then she realized she had the power to stand up. She began attacking champions and gods. She…” Vida trailed off.

I put the pieces together. “Thora… killed your previous champion.”

Vida nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “I tried to pull her out. She was losing the fight. Thora was feral. I… wanted to interfere directly, but I could only watch.” She stopped, trying to gain her composure.

I put a hand on her leg, trying to comfort her. I couldn’t fully understand her pain, but I wanted to help somehow. Even if it was as simple as being there, I wanted to help Vida through this. We sat there in silence for a while. The hum of the fluorescent light filled the air as we sat there.

“I want to stop Thora.” It came out of my mouth before I fully realized I was speaking.

Vida wiped her eyes. “You don’t even know what you’re saying.”

“Thora is hurting people. People I care about. And she will hurt more. I may not be able to stop her right now, but I want to be stronger. So others won’t suffer.” I spoke deliberately, wanting Vida to fully believe what I was saying.

“Thora is a god in all but name. You wouldn’t stand a chance.” Vida had looked down, avoiding my eyes.

“Then why does she answer to someone?” A detail just popped into my head. “When we fought, she was going to kill me. Then she heard something. Someone told her not to kill me.”

Vida stared at me, surprised by this detail. “Thora has no master. We looked time and time again for a way to stop her, but we found nothing.” She pondered this for a moment. “If we can find this master, or accomplice, or whatever she is working for, we may have a weakness.” Vida had renewed hope in her eyes as she stood up. “If this is truly something you want, I will assist you. But you need to know that this could very much be a suicide mission. You will need to train, be stronger, and have a good amount of luck on top of that.”

I realized this. “This is what I want. I want to bring her to justice.”

Vida smiled. “Then let’s get started.”

[tkitten16]

hlvrai but Benrey’s a cat (forgot to upload this here too oops)

[cryspymf]

YAKSHA LORE !!!

spoilers : 2.7 quest stuff in general

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In case anyone is wondering, my favorite part of genshin lore is mostly the Liyue related stuff, yakshas in particular. I love angst, it’s the first thing I look for in game storylines, books, fanfics, characters ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Gives me a nice fuzzy feeling lol The whole story of the yaksha and Xiao’s ✨traumatic✨ life draws me in so easily. I have a whole google doc that’s all just my yaksha theory stuff (a lot that was either confirmed or debunked(?) when I did the quest today lol) BUT that’s not the point! THIS EVENT FILLED SOMETHING IN MY HEART IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR AH I love the yakshas so this entire event has been a blast knowing what it’s about.

I very much so enjoyed each tiny cutscene, all the characters I never thought would interact interacting. I’m sad Itto and Xiao didn’t have a bigger interaction. I love Itto’s whole big brother vibe towards Xiao and I would enjoy a relationship with them where Itto kinda fills a bit of the hole that Xiao’s yaksha siblings left behind after they died.

I really felt like the whole time Xiao was kinda just over it. He wanted to either save or have closure with Bosacius leaving. He didn’t want his friends (a word I think he’s slowly getting comfortable with once again) to die, so he felt like the easiest solution was to sacrifice himself.

I feel like I shouldn’t be saying this because it’s literally Xiao contemplating death but uh he looks so fucking pretty at this part. The way he looks up, lowkey majestic, I love him.

That aside you can tell he thought for a quick moment, probably more “I wonder if I can do it.” rather than “I wonder if I should sacrifice myself to do it.” Mans do not care about himself and he makes it obvious to everyone.

I really enjoyed the moment when Yelan just went ham on him for even considering to sacrifice himself. She didn’t hold back and didn’t try the whole “bUt PeOpLe WiLL miSs YoU!” shit. She said it like a slap to the face and it clearly got through to him. Your sacrifice isn’t worth it if everybody can’t get out, including you. She even pointed out his whole tough exterior being a cover up. While it’s obvious Xiao is a strong much more elite being than others, despite not being a human, he’s still a person, someone with thoughts a feelings and Yelan indirectly pointing that out did make me appreciate her character a little more. She has an interesting approach with those she cares about and knows she can trust that I can somewhat respect.

For some context, I don’t enjoy Yelan’s attitude, her whole “I’m better than everyone because I have experience and trauma” vibes bothers me, but there are things here and there that make me appreciate the tiny details in her character. I’ve yet to do her story quest so mayhaps I will change my mind if it gives us a bit of a better glimpse into her character.

That also brings me to this. WHEN I TELL YOU I ALMOST SOBBED- Again, I don’t like Yelan, but this look on her face made me b r e a k- She barley knows Xiao, but the thought of losing an ally, someone she recognizes her friends value, makes her crumble. It felt very unusual to see her make that face, even though we the players also haven’t known her very long. Xiao u heart breaker smh

The entire cutscene was fucking gorgeous, I loved every moment (kind of, the red blobs were kinda confusing and I was like bro ok I get it they’re fighting while doing this, move on). Aether animated in cutscenes always makes me happy lol he’s so bouncy and excited, ready to fight. Paimon just chillin cause she don’t know wtf to do. Zhongli saving Xiao actually didn’t happen how I thought or wanted it to,,, I had it spoiled for me that he saved him but the way he saved him was kinda lackluster to me ig. While I do think it was really pretty and well done, still a great way for that scene to end, I was still kind of hoping for a lil more dramatics on Zhongli’s side. I suppose he’s not much of a show off anymore  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think the whole Xiao’s father figure being Zhongli was in my head and I was like “What? No coming to his aid and heroically rescuing him in the same manner he saved us?

I do think it’s quite poetic to see the way he made no effort to prove it was him who helped other than looking down on Xiao before leaving. I bet he had a tiny smile on his face just as Xiao looked over at him. Xiao’s face looked so sweet. I can’t put a word to the face he made honestly. There was a hint of confusion, disbelief, surprise. Many emotions running thru his tiny little brain. I like seeing him properly animated, it’s nice to see actual expressions rather than the dull face he has as an npc most of the time. I hope we get some sort of scene where we (or even just Xiao) have another interaction about the whole event.

I want to say it’s my favorite part but it’s not lol The story of the yakshas just fueled my love for them though and it was so excited to actually get to learn more canon information about them. Watching theories get confirmed and sparking even more in the process was neat. I hope we eventually get to learn which yaksha is which other than Bosacius and Xiao of course. My favorite has to be the geo yaksha. Don’t know why ngl I actually thought he was quite ugly the first time I saw him and I was obsessed with the pyro one for the longest time but now he’s growing on me. I think he’s quite pretty and his voice is very calming (despite that we only got like a second of a voiceline from him, I tell you I overanalyze anything and this guys voice is included).

Tbh Bosacius ugliest sibling- no shame. The rest of them are so pretty and Bosacius....... pyro yaksha got me on my knees I swear. The hydro one is cute too I love her she sounds like a sweetheart.

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Alright I’m lowkey tired so that’s all I’ve got to say about the quest. I enjoyed it a lot and hope we get another yaksha centered quest to learn more!

[blackacre13]

Heyy! Could you do where Debbie is mad at Lou who can't figure out why. And when Deb finally tells her she says she was hitting on other girls in her dream and Lou finds it adorable takes Deb out for a date❤️

x.

“Here,” Debbie sighed, passing a mug full of fresh coffee to Tammy, her eyes not even meeting the blonde’s beside her, before she was walking away, back towards the kitchen.

“Didn’t you—“ Tammy frowned, motioning to the mug as she met Lou’s eyes instead.

“Yep,” the blonde sighed, snatching the mug by the side from Tammy to take a quick sip before passing it back with a look of utter disgust. “Extra cream? She did that shit on purpose.”

Tammy didn’t comment, pursing her lips. “Do you want me to bring you a cup or ask Deb if she—“

“She didn’t forget,” Lou smirked. “She’s mad at me.”

“She’s mad at you?” Tammy laughed. “And this is new because…”

“I didn’t do anything this time,” Lou insisted, taking another swig from the mug as she thought before she groaned in disgust. “God, grow up, Tam. Drink it black. This is practically a cup of milk.”

“Back to your fiancée who’s mad at you,” Tammy raised an eyebrow. “Instead of criticizing the way I drink my coffee. Why don’t we focus on why Debbie brought me coffee when you’re the one who asked?”

“She won’t tell me.”

“And you’re fine with that?”

“It’s Debbie. I probably fucked up in some secret way only she knows.”

“Then how are you supposed to ever fix it?” Tammy muttered.

“Exactly,” Lou winked. “It’s leverage. It’s nothing. It’s not a big deaaaal, baby. Until it is. And then she can throw it back at me. Like remember that time five years ago you did that thing that I hate?”

“What’d you do five years ago?” Tammy grinned, hiding behind the mug.

“Shut up,” Lou hissed, before mumbling to herself quietly for a moment before she looked up again. “I swear I didn’t do anything this time though and she won’t tell me.”

“Want me to find out?”

“You could waterboard her and I doubt she’d tell you, Tam.”

“Please,” Tammy snorted, turning her head to call into the kitchen. “Debs, why’s Lou in the dog house?”

“For being a snake,” Debbie called.

“Ooooooh, a snake. Lou, come on. You can tell me. I won’t judge.”

“On the contrary, you seem to solely exist to judge me and Deb,” the blonde rolled her eyes, standing up just in time for Debbie to grace them with her presence as she strolled into the living room. “Debs.”

“Trollop,” Debbie coughed.

“Trollop?” Lou raised an eyebrow. “Now, color me officially utterly confused.”

“You know what you did.”

“I don’t think I do, honey,” Lou laughed. “Maybe you can clue me in.”

“Maybe you should rein it in,” Debbie huffed, flopping down dramatically on the couch. “She had women all over her, you know. And we all know what a flirt she is already. But she was really hamming it up.”

“Who?” Lou laughed, half-choking, truly confused as she stared at the brunette in bewilderment.

“That bar,” Debbie rolled her eyes. “In all those skimpy skirts with their stupid hair and those stupid heels and their—“

“Deb, when was this?” Tammy asked, turning to her friend as Lou shot her a look of betrayal.

“Last night,” Debbie sniffed.

“Last night?” Tammy exclaimed, enraged. “And you don’t remember?”

“Last night we stayed in!” Lou yelled back, defending herself. “We ordered in take out. And we started to watch a movie but Deb didn’t feel well so I gave her some NyQuil and we went to bed early and—“

“Debbie,” Tammy exhaled, already shaking her head. “Do you have weird dreams when you take meds that make you drowsy?”

“Yeah,” Debbie scoffed. “But Lou was—oh.”

“You’re mad at me for your own NyQuil dream?” Lou snorted.

“You were flirting with everyone but me,” Deb is pouted, crossing her arms.

“In a dream…”

“Oh, so I’m crazy right?” Debbie snapped.

“No,” the blonde smirked. “You’re adorable.”

“Shut up.”

“Tam, I’m gonna need you to head out,” Lou smiled.

“What?” Tammy sighed. “So you can hate fuck your way out of this?”

“Course not,” Lou grinned. “I’m gonna take Debs out on a date to makeup for nightmare Lou. Remind her what a charmer I am,” Lou winked.

“And then we’re gonna fuck!” Debbie sang, kissing Lou fiercely with a loud smack and a whispered “I love you, baby.” Before dancing away up the steps.

[extremecuddlingdragon]

A Predator’s City

So I decided to write my own little v0re story with my favorite spider, Noir! It’s rough but I wrote it as practice and a little drabble.

TW: safe vore, unwilling prey

With a groan, Noir held himself against a wall as his stomach wiggled in protest. Inside him was a random citizen of his city. He didn’t know who but all he knew was that they needed protecting. They had been targeted by some robbers who saw them as an easy target. Someone who could be killed for some money. Or eaten for a quick snack. Noir didn’t want them to experience either option. So when he saw a robber dangling the citizen above their mouth, he jumped into action.

Maybe he could of protected them in another way. Maybe just holding them in his pocket while he fought would of been better. But his predatory instincts took over and he swallowed them. Snatching them and immediately stuffing them into his mouth. He was sure the citizen thought that they were swallowed by the other robber. The struggling coming from his stomach all but confirming that.

“Please…” Noir began to say to the person. “Calm down. I don’t want to hurt you.”

The citizen just struggled harder. Noir felt horrible in more ways than one. Him, the one thing almost everyone feared, eating a person he was supposed to protect. Didn’t look good on his record. But he pushed down the feeling as he rubbed his stomach. This didn’t calm them down like he had hoped. Only gaining a punch to his stomach walls. Ouch.

Noir just sat there against the wall, thinking of what the other Spider-people would do in this situation. The youngins were not old enough or didn’t even want to eat someone. Miles thought the idea was gross and Gwen was terrified of the idea. Peni didn’t even know it was possible and said that no organic being like herself could ever do it. Then there was the older ones. Ham did it all the time with just about anyone. His cartoon body not caring about logic or physics. Peter B rarely ever did it. Only if someone asked or was in serious danger. But Miles did have some information about how to keep prey comfortable. Even if the kid didn’t eat anyone, he kept it for friendly preds that needed the info or if he himself ever got eaten.

That didn’t matter though, Noir was going to try his damnedest to calm down his prey. Mentally going through the list, he decided to try pressing against his belly and talking quietly.

“Hey,” he said calmly. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’m only helping you. I promise I’ll take you back home or somewhere safe and spit you out.”

The prey stopped wiggling and seemed to listen. Good. His stomach growled as he felt the person relax.

“Where would you like me to drop you off?”

The air hung silently as Noir waited for a response. He then finally heard a meek voice answer him.

“I…I was heading down to my house down the street. It’s the one with the wreath outside.”

Noir nodded before telling the person he was heading there. Before he could start swinging though, he stopped himself and began to think. Swinging would completely jostle the poor person and maybe make them even more afraid. But he didn’t want people to see his now noticeable gut full of a small prey. He thought about the choices before deciding on walking with the prey. Opinions be damned. Maybe the city would actually become curious about this.

As he walked, he kept an eye out for any reporters or bad guys. The person in his stomach exploring a bit inside. Noir had never been prey before so he was sure the experience was extremely different for them. Without thinking, Noir rubbed his stomach before his spider sense went off. He quickly jerked up his head, hand still to stomach, and saw a flash from an alleyway. Footsteps then followed as he saw someone runaway with a camera that had taken a photo of him. Great. He didn’t care though. Soon he got the small person back to their home. Spitting the person into his hand, he brought them up to the front door and placed them down.

“T-Thank you,” the person said to him. “I-I appreciate the help.”

The person then ran back inside where Noir heard them greet whoever else was in the house. There was a gasp and a voice asking what had happened to them. Noir didn’t stick around to hear what they had to say. He quickly swung off into the night. Now with a new plan of saving people.