#a good balance of challenges and drawing things i'm familiar with

[beeindaclouds]

tw : caps

bee, i am BEGGING so badly, PLEASE! how would the mcyts react with being a wednesday reader, i just finished the series in one day, it was amazing AND PLSSS!

— 🎟

Ok, usually I would go in order of requests in my inbox, but I'm making an exception cause I had this idea since I finished the series yesterday

Soo, I hope you enjoy <3

P.s. hope you don't mind that it's C!DSMP, I just had an idea for them ready instead of the CC's. But if you want a CC's one, I'll be glad to make it ^^

C!DSMP react to a Seer!Reader Addams

Includes C!: Dream, Georgenotfound, Sapnap, Badboyhalo, Skeppy, Quackity, Karl Jacobs, Wilbur Soot, Philza, Technoblade, Nihachu, Eret, Punz, FoolishGamers, Awesamdude

Click here before requesting, please ^^

Reader: GN - They/Them

Disclaimer: contains some spoilers from the "Wednesday" series, you have been warned.

Obviously your family was very well known

Wherever you went you were quickly recognised as the "dark freaks" "the outcasts"

The Addams

If it wasn't already obvious by your lack of color in your clothing and just all around weird nature you gave off

But other then that you were known in the SMP as "The Seer"

See, like your mother and your sister, you had been given the power to see into the past or future with a simple touch

But, unlike them, you tend to have both positive and negative sights

"Owl" is what you liked to call your powers

You keep a balance between good and bad things, which makes you able to see much more then your mother or sister could

Upon moving into the SMP, the rumors of your powerful psychic abilities had drowned the town in a matter of hours

And many people approached your black and white castle for a talk

You only had 3 people give you very very negative visions: Dream, Wilbur and Bad.

In Dream's visions you got to see little moments of the man himself destroying the place and people he cherished and cared for the most, driven by a greed to have control over the people going against him;

In Wilbur's you saw the destructions of his masterpiece, L'manburg. And you also got to meet the many different versions to come of the man;

In Bad's you were tied up by red vines, as you gazed upon a growing red egg; it's aura almost putting you into a weird trance. You, unfortunately, got to also get a glipse at Skeppy's unfortunate future

You obviously had to lie to these three about what you saw. Who knows what would happened if you even mentioned a word about it. But you could tell that they were suspicious of you

George and Foolish both had a familiar figure in their future. You just told them that it was a positive sign, even if you didn't the get a chance to glipse at the familiar man;

The two appreciated your time ad thanked you for beinf honest

The rest of your visions weren't good but weren't totally bad

Sapnap, Quackity and Karl's definitely worried you, seeing at how close they were. You definitely kept your mouth quiet with them, but did advice Sapnap to keep an eye on the other two for safety;

Philza and Techno seemed to have a pretty smooth life, but only after the end of an era. They obviously weren't happy about whats to come, but for ready nonetheless

Niki and Eret had a pretty challenging journey ahead of them, so you just encouraged them to not give up. They appreciated the encouragement;

Punz and Sam on the other hand had pretty worrisome futures, from what you got to see, so you advised them to do what they think will be the right thing to do when the time comes. Very vague, but they definitely kept it in mind

Out of everyone you got very close to Karl.

The fact that you knew about his little time travelling secret was the rwason, but also cause you two seemed to weirdly hit it off

He was the colorful crayons to your black and white drawing

Niki and Foolish were also others who you got close to. They basically adopted you under their wing and decided you should be friends, you didn't really get a choice

Even with the amout of knowledge you had about the people in this town, you were pretty happy to be with them

And obviously help them with what their future held

Something you didn't know how to handle tho, was a certain blondes and brunette's future...

It getting more difficult with every vision you got of them

#dreamsmp #dsmp #mcyt #dream smp x reader #dsmp x reader #mcyt x reader #dream x reader #georgenotfound x reader #sapnap x reader #badboyhalo x reader #quackity x reader #karl jacobs x reader #wilbur soot x reader #technoblade x reader #nihachu x reader #eret x reader #punz x reader #foolish x reader #awesamdude x reader #beescenarios

[deadmomjokes]

Betwixt Christmas gift cash and Steam Family Sharing workaround shenanigans, the husband and I have finally started Baldur's Gate 3.

Went in basically blind except for knowing the names of the companions and the fact that Astarion is a vampire (couldn't miss that cultural osmosis).

We also came in on two different meta-levels as players.

He is very familiar with D&D, D&D-based games, computer games in general, and these sorts of games specifically. He's also that kind of person that plays things on Extreme Difficulty Mode for fun. He quits when something isn't challenging enough. His idea of relaxing, rewarding gameplay is ultra-hard-mode Elden Ring and Dark Souls.

I, on the other hand, am bad at games. Full stop. I have lost Wii Mario Kart to a 6 year old, repeatedly. I get hopelessly lost even when there's detailed maps, trackers, compasses, and flagged waypoints. I also panic in combat situations and have no strategic ability aside from "stand there, hit it, and hope it doesn't move." I'm more of a low-stakes visual novel sort of gamer. Stardew Valley is as intense as I get.

He is playing a Seldarine Drow warlock in a pact with an archfey. She's a noble with a ridiculously high Charisma score, a perfectly balanced spell loadout, and an even more balanced overall stat build. She's DPS without being totally squishy and helpless, and has advantage to almost everything. She also has an impeccable fashion sense and always looks put together, even when on death's door to a brain worm. Or, to put it in a way my husband would loathe, she got that drip.

I am playing a ginger himbo of a high elf fighter with -1 to Charisma and a -1000 to common sense. He's an impulsive maniac with, somehow, a +3 to intimidation despite being a truly gentle soul that believes every sob story he comes across. He's a sweaty, dusty, grubby little feral child (outlander background) with the world's messiest ponytail and greasepaint-turned-eyeliner that a 90s ex emo kid would be proud of. And that's him trying to look presentable. Despite having an impressive dexterity score, my natural disadvantage to dexterity (and Wisdom and Intelligence) as the player makes it so that this man bumbles his way into everything and only gets out by making horrifying threats he has absolutely no intention of following up on, or by being forced to stand his ground and take it on the jaw.

So this was going to be An Experience no matter what. And boy, it sure has been.

Thus far, we have:

Accidentally pacifism'd our way into every Goblin/Absolute aligned settlement we've encountered on the pure luck of husband's choice to play a Drow because he thought it would add an interesting dynamic. That interesting dynamic, he thought, would be difficulty. He thought being a Drow would make it harder because of the general hatred toward them. He's technically good-aligned, but, y'know, planet-of-hats racism means he was expecting it to work against him, which he likes because he likes when things are hard. Only now it's basically a free pass into all the areas we'd normally have to fight or sneak into. Great for our shared pacifist tendencies, but LOL

Lost a full hour of progress because my computer screen is tiny and bad at graphics and I hadn't learned all the controls yet, so while trying to investigate a hole in the floor of an abandoned church I tripped in face-first and got us into an unescapable, imminent-TPK situation, whereupon the game immediately autosaved for the first time since waking up on the beach. We have since learned to spam the quicksave button liberally.

Accepted a ton of mutually exclusive quests, half of which we have no intention of doing, just to try and get out of situations without combat, so now the mini map now looks like a cubist rendition of a simple sun drawing and I'm SO worried it's going to come crashing down and get us shanked in our sleep.

MET BEST BOY DOGGO I WILL DIE FOR SCRATCH 😭

Discovered husband's character is, build wise, a carbon-copy of Wyll. This was 100% unintentional and he's BIG mad about it LOL RIP

Impulsively pushed a button in a crypt without saving and woke up a bunch of skellies we weren't prepared for, but were somehow also saved by that same impulsivity because I had previously run around the entire area and looted every single skeleton no matter how useless it was to my character, so they all woke up without their weapons so HAH take that I TOLD YOU being a klepto would pay off

Immediately after this fortuitous stroke of fate, having learned exactly nothing, my impulsive maniac opened the shiny sarcophagus before consulting anyone or healing. Luckily it wasn't cursed or trapped or full of enemies (it was Withers, and I'm love), but I'm now not allowed to open or interact with anything bigger than a crate without announcing it first so husband has the chance to go NO WAIT LET ME SAVE FIRST

Sneaked into a secret underground passage, whereupon my husband sent his invisible'd familiar around to carefully scout the area, discovering the button that would turn off the overpowered guardian statue. My character then readied a crossbow shot to hit said button, but in trying to move out of the way of the other party members, stepped right into the statue's attack circle. I panicked, tried to move, but couldn't figure out how to unselect the attack I could no longer use, and tried to fix it by pausing. But all of that just resulted in me standing there, doing nothing, until I finally dropped dead. Luckily I passed my saving throws, and more luckily still, my husband managed to stop laughing long enough to eldritch blast the statue to pieces and come get me.

So anyway, we're having the best time. I know we're late to the party, but it really is so good. I may have even teared up a little during the dream sequence with the psychedelic neon light guardian warriors. This is going to consume my brain for the next few months, and I'm happy to have paid for the privilege. 10/10, absolutely deserves that GOTY and the $60 price tag both.

No spoilers please, we're only level 3 and just encountering the Goblin Camp. (We've met everyone but Karlach, I believe.) But rest assured, as we learn and discover more I will come yelling and seeking those who will screech with me. Probably mostly about my new sons that I've acquired, namely the lying purple sadsack trash wizard with some horrifying kind of chronic illness and/or addiction, and the prettiest most specialist murder machine who definitely won't admit it but is definitely gonna need a hug when I finish breaking down those obviously performative emotional walls.

Also, Lae'zel scares me. Please stop yelling at me, you cranky fish woman, I'm trying my best here 😭

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #no spoilers plz #also i love how the companions are: #scary women #and secretly messed up sadboi prettymen #i have so many sad sons

[shiny-meowstics]

squats over here, anyway i picked up a pmd romhack (PMD Explorers of the Spirit) on a whim since i'd seen friends talking about it here and there and i was curious. and hooboy. pmd brainrot is not back in full force but I Have Thoughts about this romhack and they are all good

ful stop, i will be talking about spoilers. they are spoilers for both pmd2 and the romhack, so if you haven't experienced either I don't recommend reading through any of this. the dialogue may be a little dated but i still wholly endorse pmd2 (vanilla or sky) as something that should be experienced blind, and this romhack is a neat little treat for people who have experienced all of what pmd2 had to offer story-wise in a lot of ways.

so, spoiler warning! you have been warned! cool? cool

so anyway i knew from second 1 that the protag was darkrai. my nerd-ass has played through pmd2 way too often and is too particular about word choice to not have picked up on that immediately. i was wary, but considering "hero is darkrai" is a neat fandom theory i decided to let the game cook and see what it had to offer

and holy fucking shit i love this approach to that concept. these madlads really made a stealth sequel that is faithful to the original game, still keeps the time travel shenanigans and has them make sense narratively (!!!), and gives a lot more depth and development to a good chunk of characters. ESPECIALLY the protag, i really really like the direction the game chose to go. writing a protag that's intense but still relatable can be a challenge, but protag hits a nice balance that isn't too intense but, again, also makes sense considering the circumstances

i'm only a little over halfway through (in the nightmare section, just did the unwinnable boss fight with grovyle) but i'm hella looking forward to how it ends 👀 two darkrais technically existing at the same time but one having a support system that the other lacked is just. chef's kiss. that's gonna be some tasty conflict later, i can tell

slightly relatedly it is Once Again Giving Me some heron brainworms bc 1) i am playing as "heron" and ramsay and 2) is kicking my brain with the "haha, heron and darkrai might've had a lot of similarities and the only thing that kept them down to earth were their friends."

considering my original idea for them was to make them affiliated with darkrai, i am just... sitting here thinking... i do kind of want to draw darkrai!heron, bc i'd like to imagine that even though they'd look really similar, there are probably some minor key differences that would make confronting "them" if you were familiar with them kind of uncanny

but yeah, we love a game that plays into my love of a) time travel stories b) meaningful doppelgangers and c) arguably morally grey characters that can just as easily be seen as bad if your perspective were slightly different

#rah rah random #pmd eots #but yeah! my regards to the person/team who worked on it! it's some real good shit and i am FEASTING

[quirrelli]

playing a Pokemon game for the first time in 2023

TL;DR: mixed bag, some strong aspects but also one big fat fatal flaw.

Even though I'm a 90s kid, the whole Pokemon phenomenon somehow passed my childhood by. Now, that isn't to say I'd never heard of the franchise and thought a Pikachu was the sound of 3.14159 sneezing; I have picked up some basic things through cultural osmosis. Like that you get one of three little lads to start with and then you go out and with your lad catch more lads, use them to fight other, evil lad catchers and then, presumably, save the world.

Anyway, I decided to see what all the fuss has been about these past 25 odd years and picked more or less at random one of the games I already had on emulator, Pokemon not being famed as a franchise that evolves (hah) drastically from game to game. I ended up with Pokemon FireRed, which turned out to be a stroke of luck because it's a remake of the original Pokemon Red and since I do sort of kind of know the names of some of the Gen 1 lad roster, there was bit of familiarity there.

I picked Charmander (named him Chomp) and off we went. First off, catching new Pokemon never stopped being exciting. I suspect it's a similar effect as Gatcha machines, where you'll probably just encounter another goddamn Pidgey but there's also a small chance it could be something cool. Like, I was super hyped when I caught a Pikachu very early on because I assumed, being the mascot and all, it must be super strong, so I named him Thor. I was only whelmed by his performance in the end but fine.

I will say, up until maybe the second gym, the fights are quite well balanced and I felt challenged but not overpowered. This being a JRPG I had braced myself for a lot of grinding but I ended up needing to do very little, which is nice. Also nice is the manner by which I, as a new player, got eased into systems like type matching, items, etc. Sure, literal sign posts with "trainer tips" are a bit on the nose but overall I appreciated not having an encyclopedia chucked at my head first thing. There is in fact an encyclopedia in game but I rarely used it and had a lot of fun drawing my own little diagram with the types and their interactions as I figured them out.

Progressing onward, I would describe the game as monotonous yet absorbing, at least for a while.

Whoops, that loaded sentence needs unpacking. Right, so, while your lads are still levelling up frequently and you're still constantly encountering new species on the road, the travel and various battles are a way to pace out the excitement without ever allowing it to die away entierly. Cool, works for me. However, this stops being the case in later dungeons, when, in a spectacular display of misplaced confidence not seen since the Virtual Boy, the lvl12 Rattatas of the world still think it's a good idea to spit at my lvl32 Machoke's feet (named Chad obvs). Simple fix I can suggest there, weak ass baby pokemon should just automatically stop coming at you and not require a consumable item to avoid.

On a vaguely related note, in that even random encounters are unnecessarily drawn out, this game has too many text boxes. You can't scratch your ass in this game without 5 text boxes describing the smell of your butt sweat. It really needs turbo text rather than just fast text because every time I get into a fight or go into a pokecenter to heal my nigh expired Meowth (Marx, bc she redistributes capital by throwing it at ppl), after I once again forgot you're not supposed to use bite on Nidoran, I have to read through the nurse's unedited life story first. It's almost as thumbnumbingly tedious as navigating the PC and every other menu.

As a final criticism on the topic of monotony, I'd like to mention that the overworld trainer battles could have been handled better, fancied up a little, arranged with more care than the spoons in my cutlery drawer. How it usually works, is that they're copypasted in groups of 5-10 along a path and you just fight one after another. I feel like the same effect could have been achieved by just having, like, 3 unique trainers and they all just give you 3x as much XP.

XP distribution is of course an eternal sticking point in party-based RPGs but since you usually fight all of these trainers in a row you'll have the same team anyway. In general, the limited XP distribution means that to avoid grinding you pretty much have to limit yourself to one team (+ a couple of situational swap outs) that counters more or less every type, irrespective of whether they are your personal faves. On the other hand, this does help you get emotionally invested in those particular pokemon and their growth in an organic way, but then on the other other hand... well, we'll come back to that.

To be clear, none of these criticisms are dealbreakers, just quality of life issues and maybe signs of age, which I should hope have been adressed in the meantime. Do let me know.

Overall, I made my way through the game without too much trouble. The only gym I temporarily got stuck on was poison mcninjaman, which might have been because it was the one thing I did slightly out of order. I was generally surprised with how linear the game is but I really didn't mind that so much. It allows for more control in levelling and exploration. Speaking of which, one of my favorite features is how your lads can learn certain moves to make new areas accessible. It massages my metroidvania brain and is a neat way of letting the overworld and the "battling dimension" blend together a bit.

Finishing the elite four and absolutely trouncing my rival one last time was perfectly serviceable as finales go. Honestly though, it was the battles before that, on victory road, that were the most engaging because it contained some of the only trainers in the whole game that have diverse teams, not just four ambulatory flowers that fare against my pet flamethrower the way a white couch fares against a toddler with permanent marker.

Regardless, I got my title as lord high champion master trainer of all the strongest lads in the land and was actually excited to dive back in and fill out my Pokedex, fully explore Kanto and continue evolving my team (and maybe some of my benchwarmers). It was then, when I finally took to the internet to look up how to most efficiently turn Nosferatu, Haunter extraordinaire, into Nosferatu, Gengar spectacular, that I was delivered a gut punch which instantly obliterated any desire to keep playing or any recommendation for this game I might have made. See, you can't evolve some Pokemon (i.e. about half my team) into their final form without trading them with other players. Combined with the fact that you apparently can't get the other starters at all, you have no chance to even get remotely close to completing your Pokedex if, say, you're playing the game 20 years after it came out and it's on an emulator and thus not multiplayer compatible. This is a problem, to put it mildly.

I understand that nintendo wanted to encourage players to use the multiplayer features, but in a game that is still designed 99% around a singleplayer experience, it is just not ok to lock players who don't happen to have anyone to trade with out of crucial content like this. It clashes directly with the idea that you grow attached to your Pokemon through your adventures and that they will grow with you when eventually, no amount of rare candies, items or love you can bestow upon them will help. It's the much, much worse flipside of the limited XP problem, first forcing you to focus on a core team to the detriment of all the others and then putting a hard stop on that team's development. It would be possible grind XP if you really wanted that Alakazam but you can't magically conjure a friend (trust me on that). I could bear, like, one super special rare pokemon being exclusive to multiplayer but this is just bullying lonely kids and any astronauts who might be playing.

To summarize my overall opinion with a metaphor: Pokemon FireRed just about manages to squeeze into the crowded bus to Good Video Game town choking in Earthbound's musky armpit, only to be shoved out again on the second to last stop and faceplant into a concrete bench.

I would give Pokemon another chance if it didn't have that irredeemable anti-loner feature. Having said this, I've come to realize that, although I don't dislike the trainer battling, it was but the complementary bread rolls of this meal. I much preferred finding new Pokemon, figuring out how to best fight them without accidentally killing them/having them escape and exploring new areas. So I guess my ideal Pokemon game would be one where trainer duels are kept to a select few and instead the mechanics of finding and catching new lads as well as taking care of them are made more intricate (and less reliant on RNGesus).

Like Monster Hunter meets Nintendogs. Does that exist? Someone let me know if that exists.

#pokemon #pokemon firered #text post #my stuff

[blueempty]

Theres a weird little light line in the second pic that was only in the sky for like 2 seconds earlier but it was super cool

I did a big floor and carpet cleaning today like a big responsible guy. Afterwards I got on Barony which i've kinda slowed down on recently, but they rolled out a private beta for the January update so i started a new Conjurer run. Theyre adding a bunch of new hats and face accessories which sounds kinda trivial but if youre familiar with the games balance this is something it needed. I guess less than balance its just been needing more Stuff in it. Right now if you play a magic class its pretty much always gonna end up looking the same by the end, and the same pretty much goes for any other type of class. There's ways to guarantee good equipment for most classes in the game. But the hats and accessories do weird stuff like increase trap resistance, or make you friendly with incubi and succubi. Its really cool so far. They also snuck in new tree models in the swamp so I'm excited to see if theres other surprise changes further in. The other thing theyre adding that isnt in the beta is daily seeded dungeons that are the same for everyone so you basically do like a score challenge for the leaderboards. I'm excited to get back into that game soon. Although idk how the fuck I'm gonna balance that and two monster hunter games and drawing and hiragana

I did start drawing more again today. Its weird because I am feeling motivated to do it but at the same time I'm kinda doing it because I really really need to commodify my hobbies because money is super fucked right now and I can feel the depresso wave coming up again. I'm harnessing the power of the Dragon and I'm gonna do a Dragon Dance and I'm gonna immediately regret offering commissions on this website. I dont even know what I'd offer. I think tomorrow me will worry about that

I'm aaaalmost done with Fairune 2, I know I say that every day but I'm literally in the last area. I got neurodivergent about the maps because they get a little crown next to them if you fill them out all the way and theres an achievment so I'm on the path to 100%ing this run. Then I'll probably have to do it again but faster which is scary cuz that game is fuckin huge for what it is. And its confusing fairly often. But related to that, I'll share one of the things I started working on today since I got no night pics

Dramos run

Peace and Long Life

#skyposting #thoughtposting

[oliviap]

Reflection

Overall this course as taught me a lot of skills in all three programs. Coming into this course we were asked to rank our skill level in each app. My original rankings were:

Illustrator: 7

Photoshop: 3

InDesign: 0

If I was asked to reevaluate my skills now I would say my Illustrator has changed from a 7 to a 9.5, Photoshop has changed from a 3 to a 6 and InDesign from a 0 to a 7.

Even at the start of this course, I was already very comfortable with Illustrator as it was the main program I used for design in high school. I was familiar with most of the tools we learnt so that learning was really just developing and mastering them. At the start of the course I bezier lines were frustrating and while I could draw reasonably well with them, I avoided it at all costs. I now really enjoy using the pen tool and bezier lines. I used it in so many of the tasks through out the course and I found every time I got faster and better. One thing I wish I knew in high school was the short cuts for the selection tool (v) and direction selection tool (A). This would have saved me so much time!

I knew very little on Photoshop when we started this course. I had done some drawing and image manipulation in digital technology at high school but that was the extent of my skill. Even now I don't feel I know a huge amount of what Photoshop offers but I'm very comfortable with what I learned in this course. I have used the adjustment tools were learnt outside of class numerous times as it was so simple to understand. I also found selecting and mask images was really fun and easy to pick up. I missed week 5 originally so I had to catch up later so I didn't have the chance to do it before week 6. It was explained to me in class and I found I grasped it pretty easily. I admittedly did forgot some of the stuff I learnt but I was able to refer back to tumblr and it was easy to remember after a quick recap.

Before this course, I had never heard of or used InDesign before. We used InDesign in our graphic design class as well while learning it so this made it way easier to learn as I was using it for around 9 hours a week in classes. I found that InDesign was really easy to use and especially helpful for text layout. The columns tool was really helpful in creating even, balanced layouts in my graphic design class. This also taught me a lot about general text, like a lot of the terminology (e.g. kerning, tracking, leading).

I think the program I found hardest to work with was Photoshop. While I enjoyed fixing the images, I've never had a very good eye for photography so it took me a while to be happy with my results. It was also frustrating how a lot of the commands didn't overlap with Illustrator. In Illustrator you hold down shift to restrict when resizing where as in Photoshop it morphs and manipulates it. This pissed me off quite a lot. But with time this became more natural and I just learnt it and did it without thinking.

If I didn't understand something in class I was able to go back and find the instructions on Moodle or Teams. This really helped me keep up to date and properly process what I was doing. I also used videos on Youtube to help me if I couldn't figure something out. Often they were on older versions of the programs but they were still mostly the same.

I think my favourite task was the two illustrations we had to make in Illustrator. For my first one I decided to make a bike. I used the pen tool as well as pathfinder to do this. Once I was done, I decided I wanted to add to it as I didn't really find it challenging. I decided to add two parrots to the bike because why not? To challenge myself, I didn't trace them from the reference I just tried my best to make the right shapes and then used the direct selection tool later to edit it after. I really loved my second illustration, I got quite carried away and just kept adding and adding to it. I decided to try recreate my original drawing as a challenge and I wanted to see what I could produce when using Illustrator.

Overall I was pleased with my final booklet project. To be honest I don't think it was the best display of my Illustrator and InDesign skills. I decided to procrastinate this booklet a lot as we had a lot of other projects due at the time. I started the booklet on Wednesday night which in reflection was stupid. I really should have chipped away at it over the days prior so I wouldn't have had to do so much work on Thursday night. But for the time period I did it in I'm pleased. I do like the actual book. I really enjoyed researching all about the different meanings behind common nursery rhymes. I decided to make my book a book for adults rather than children. I kept the cartoonish style of nursery rhyme books but added some much more disturbing imagery.

If I was to repeat this I would have liked to make some more vector images so showcase some more skills but I'm pretty happy. I definitely shouldn't have put it off. I really liked my drawing for 'Ring Around a Rosie'. I'll probably end up adding more detail to it once this course is finished.

[navyinks]

Hello! This is a final thank you to the Silmarillion fandom

Within ten days, you guys collectively raised $967.56USD to aid the covid crisis in India. I know it’s a small and chill fandom, but there’s obviously no shortage of kindness and generosity here - the response has been overwhelmingly amazing and exceeded my expectations by miles. To everyone involved in donating, sharing the commission post and helping spread the word - thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I had a puny desire to help, but you guys are the ones who made a difference out there. Thank you so much for donating to help India, and thank you for giving me a chance to put my silly hobby to do something useful 😂 

I would not insist that I knew what Tolkien thought regarding anything involving his work, but in this case - I really think he would have been proud :)

#the silmarillion #Charity Commissions #if i were to be honest i expected like #two? three commissions at most? #my goodness i made 17 this month #right now i feel like butter spread out over too much bread but i'll be alright after some actual sleep LMAO #anyway i feel like a lot of these commissions came from discord #i'm not on there so i can only speculate #JUST A GUT FEELING #but thanks guys you have all been the best commissioners any artist could ever ask for #a good balance of challenges and drawing things i'm familiar with #i got to draw a LOT of characters i usually don't draw too #and i enjoyed drawing every single one of them #still not really comfortable with the idea of opening up commissions for myself #tbh i'm not sure if i'll have time to do this kind of stunt again #i might look into making prints to make the process a little less stressful for me though! #if anybody would be interested xD #anyway i'm out for tonight THANKS GUYS

[minaslittleone]

Fission & Fusion (Part 4)

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Summary: How did the refined and proper Wilhemina Venable end up working for two coked-up tech bros out of the back of a van?

An origin story of sorts, dedicated to the amazing @lucyintheskywithxanax  who has developed such a beautiful and nuanced depiction of Mina. This was inspired by her incredible story “And I failed to climb the mountain”.

Word count: ~3300

Wilhemina woke lazily the following morning to the warmth of sunlight on her face as it peaked through delicate lace curtains. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and to identify the source of the insistent scratching which had roused her. As she rolled onto her right side towards the bedroom door she caught sight of Miko's white dipped paw batting beneath it, scrabbling and scratching at the obstacle that dared to impede his free reign. An affectionate smile pulled at her lips as she watched his antics as she sleepily scrubbed at her eyes. His scratching stilled as she let out surprised gasp as her knuckles made contact with her bruised cheekbone, which was now undoubtedly swollen and probably a fetching mottle of red and purple. Now aware that she was awake, Miko's insistent scratching was replaced by a disgruntled meow. Wilhemina tried to ignore him, not really sure if he was allowed in the bedroom to begin with, but she was powerless to resist him once his meows were replaced by what could only be described as plaintiff cries. Who could resist that?

As she eased herself to her feet the full effects of the previous two days began to make themselves known. Her back was undoubtedly stiffer than usual but whether that was the result of two nights in unfamiliar beds or from crashing face first into concrete she couldn't be sure. Likely a combination of the two. The throbbing ache in her right wrist and hand as she supported herself on her cane was definitely a result of the concrete she rued, as she transferred the loathesome object to her uninjured left hand, her back complaining instantly. Today was looking like such a promising day.

Miko continued to make his displeasure known as she slowly made her way towards the door, his cries becoming increasingly insistent now that he could hear her moving. The moment she cracked the door the slightest distance ajar a flash of grey fur shot past her, heading directly for the patch of sunlit warmth at the centre of her recently vacated bed.

She tried valiantly to keep her features schooled as she scolded the cheeky feline who was currently in the process of kneading the covers into an acceptable state of comfort.

"Are you really meant to be up there, Miko?" The grey tabby cat shot her a questioning look as if to say "really human? You're the guest in my house and you're going to question if I'm allowed on the bed" before promptly turning his back on her and curling into a ball on his appropriately fluffed portion of the quilt.

She shook her head fondly, slowly making her way back towards the now occupied bed. Miko raised his head to study her as she gingerly lowered herself back onto the mattress, easing herself forwards to retrieve her book bag from beneath the bedside table. With practiced ease she flipped the lid on the amber pill bottle, dispensed two pills and threw them back dry. Normally she would muscle through the discomfort while the pills took effect but today, she reasoned, she had nothing to do and nowhere to be so for once she could actually listen to the pleading ache in her bones. It also helped that there was no one to witness her indulgence, other than Miko who had made his way across the bed to her and was currently standing about a foot away from her with his head cocked to the side, still not entirely sure what to make of her.

As she returned the pill bottle to her book bag she noticed the glass of water, which had evidently been left for her earlier that morning, and the handwritten note peaking from beneath the coaster on which it sat. She relished the way the cold glass dulled the ache in her hand as she raised it to her lips, pointedly ignoring the way her stomach churned at the tenderness behind it. Miko seemingly sensed her unease, trotting over to her and curling into a cosy ball against the side of her thigh. Her left hand rested against his tiny head, thumb stroking absentmindedly against the side of his chin, while her right hand returned the glass to the bedside table and retrieved the hand written note. She still could not place the feeling of unease it produced in her but she was emboldened to push past it by the comforting warmth of Miko pressed against her thigh, his rhythmic purring easing her nerves.

Good morning dear, I wanted to let you know I was leaving but I didn't have the heart to wake you, you looked so peaceful. I hope you slept well, I'm sure you needed it. I should be back around 6 baring any disasters but help yourself to anything in the meantime. And don't worry about Miko, he has been fed though I'm sure he will try to convince you otherwise. My office number is by the phone if you need anything. Try to take things easy today and be kind to yourself my dear. - Elizabeth

Wilhemina silently tested the shape of her adviser's given name, lips tentatively forming around the sounds. Of course she had seen the name Professor Elizabeth Thompson written for years but the explicit use of her christian name felt scandalously personal. A voice in the back of her head chided that thought - you spent last night in her guest bedroom and you're worried about using her given name? Ridiculous. Evidently in her preoccupation her left hand had stilled for Miko let out a sleepy chirup of annoyance, drawing her attention away from the complexity of her current relationship with her Professor. Elizabeth she reminded herself.

Having already disturbed Miko she took the opportunity to reposition herself to lay back down. The grey tabby was initially unimpressed to have his pillow so rudely removed but forgave her in short order, gently clambering up onto her chest as soon as she was laid flat. Miko stretched himself languidly, face contorting in a gigantic yawn that Wilhemina couldn't help but chuckle at. His little face came to rest upon her sternum, head cocked to the side, eyes watching her intently. Gently he lifted one paw, tiny pink toes pads coming to rest against Wilhemina's unmarred cheek, tenderly inquiring "more scritches, please." She happily complied, arm draping loosely across the little ball of fur who had wormed his way into her heart and her bed. As she began to scratch affectionately under his chin Miko craned his necked back in contentment and began purring again in earnest. Wilhemina smiled to herself as she allowed her eyes to close, the warm weight of the purring feline ensconced upon her chest lulling her to sleep. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to rest, just for a little while. Besides it would be cruel to disturb Miko when he looked so comfortable.

It was several hours later when she awoke again, judging by the way the sun no longer shone directly through the bedroom but instead created a bright indirect glow from further overhead. Wilhemina's stomach let out an indignant growl at the late hour, rousing Miko in the process who glared at her from beneath half lidded eyes. She scratched behind his ears in an apology which was evidently accepted as Miko began to nuzzle into her hand in response.

As she tentatively began to lever herself from the mattress Miko jumped down onto the bed and began to stretch out the kinks from his nap. Wilhemina looked on jealously as his spine extended as she slowly convinced her own vertebrae to support her weight. As she brought herself upright for the second time that day she noted gratefully that the painkillers seemed to have worked their magic, leaving her only slight tender even after the events of the past few days.

Navigating her way down the stairs proved to be somewhat challenging not merely from coordinating her balance with her cane in her left hand but also because Miko refused to leave her side, wending his way between her legs as she focussed intently on not breaking her neck. Having successfully reached the landing she made her way into the kitchen in search of breakfast, or whatever meal this now constituted. She noted gratefully that an assortment of cereals had been left on the kitchen counter, alongside a bowl and the necessities for tea and coffee, saving her from rooting through her professor's cupboards. She set the kettle to boil before preparing herself a bowl of muesli. As she set her tea to steep she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the mug Elizabeth had selected for her which proudly displayed the figure of Little Miss Stubborn, she couldn't really argue with the assessment but for once felt like such a gesture was meant as an affectionate jibe rather than an outright condemnation.

Miko stayed pressed against her ankles throughout the entirety of breakfast and whilst she cleared her dishes afterwards. He trailed behind her as she made her way back up the stairs, intending on changing out of her loungewear and into some proper attire. And he stopped beside her as she caught sight of contents of the room beside hers peaking through the door which had been left slightly ajar. The walls were painted with the most tender depictions of rabbits, squirrels, owls and deer, each peaking from amongst a lush forestscape. She found herself magnetically drawn to the scene, fingers ghosting across the hand painted figures on the plaster. Unfazed by her exploration Miko made himself at home on one of the two child-sized beds clothed in crisp white linen. An old oak bookself sat in the far corner of the room, practically bursting. Wilhemina's eyes skipped over many of the brighter, more modern spines, instead drawn to a shelf higher up full of older, more battered volumes whose titles she recognised from her own childhood. Familiar names jumped out to her like old friends - Blyton, Potter, Milne, Dahl. Far too many hours had been spent alone save for their company, whether alone and immobilised in a hospital bed or hidden beneath her bed clothes by torch light trying to block out her parents arguing, these had been her constant companions. She tenderly retrieved Matilda from the shelf, thumbing through the well worn pages, allowing the little girl she kept so securely locked away a moment to breathe, smiling fondly at the words which had given her hope in those moments of darkness.

So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone.

She remembered vividly the delicious taste of revenge the first time she had partaken in Matilda's retribution against all those adults who had tried to squash the precocious young girl. More than once she had allowed herself to imagine what it would have felt like to exact similar vengeance against her mother. How sweet it would have felt to bleach her perfectly coiffured hair, to place newts in the punch at one of her horrendous soirees or terrorize her parents with ghostly reminders of their failings. How she longed to make her mother feel an ounce of the pain to which she herself had been subjected.

Still clutching the much loved volume she curled up next to Miko and allowed herself to retreat to a world of childhood comfort in which the underdog could triumph, in which I'm big, you're little could be usurped, in which Miss Honey might reach tenderly from the pages and adopt her too.

That was where Professor Thompson found her several hours later, relishing in the climax of the novel as Matilda vanquished Ms Trunchbull. She smiled fondly at the young woman she had always known to be so controlled and regimented curled lazily against the wall on her granddaughter's bed, Miko lounging against her thigh and contented smile playing across her lips behind a curtain of firey red hair. The floorboards creaked beneath the older woman's feet alerting Wilhemina to her presence. Her cheeks flushed furiously as she sheepishly met the older woman's gaze but found only genuine affection in her grey-blue eyes.

"Don't even think about apologising, my dear. I told you to make yourself at home and I meant it."

In spite of Elizabeth's assurances Wilhemina still felt the need to explain herself. "I didn't mean to end up in here" she began, "I saw the paintings and I only meant to look at them but then I saw the books and -"

"Wilhemina," the older woman cut her off kindly, "stop apologising. You've done nothing wrong, you needn't justify your every action. Not to me at least" she added knowingly. "My daughter will be flattered that you liked her paintings, though I really should show you photos of the masterpiece she created in the children's room back east. She works as a children's illustrator, though I think she would much prefer to do larger pieces like these if there was the work in it."

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful" Wilhemina whispered reverently. "Their little faces are just so sweet."

"I'll be sure to tell her you think so. Now, I should leave you to finish with Matilda, dinner should take me twenty minutes or so which, knowing the speed you read at, should be ample time."

"Oh no, it's fine" Wilhemina interjected, "I know how it ends, I've lost count of how many times I read it as a child. I should come and help you."

The older woman sighed, of course Matilda would be a favourite of hers. "Nonsense dear, finish your book. I'll call you when it's ready." And with that she was gone.

Wilhemina was indeed finished with the book when the older woman called her for dinner twenty minutes later, her voice floating up the stairs as if Wilhemina's presence at her dinner table was the most natural thing in the world. The simple meal of pasta Alfredo was passed in companionable silence between the two women, with Miko dividing his time equally between them. He remained under their feet as they cleared the dishes, with Wilhemina bracing her weight against the kitchen counter through her left hip to grant herself two free hands with which to dry the clean dishes as the older woman handed them off to her. Elizabeth shook her head fondly at the young woman's stubborness, once she set her mind to something there really was no stopping her.

Wilhemina was drying and putting away the last of the cutlery when the older woman disappeared momentarily, only to return with a manila folder which she placed atop the freshly cleaned kitchen table. Wilhemina eyed it warily. The older woman placed two cups of tea beside it and gestured for Wilhemina to join her. She did so cautiously.

"No need to look so nervous my dear, it's nothing bad. I just brought home the list of available casual positions from the careers centre on campus, I thought you might like to take a look to see if anything interested you."

Wilhemina froze. Of course it was too good to be true. Of course the kind older woman had grown sick of her already. Why wouldn't she, when she was nothing but a useless burden? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. How could you think that anyone would actually put up with you?

Professor Thompson caught the way Wilhemina's shoulders stiffened and how her jaw tensed, as if preparing herself for an attack. She reached out and took the younger woman's hand in her own.

"There is no pressure dear. This is not about me getting rid of you. I simply thought you might be interested, I know you must be anxious about what comes next, you've never been one to be without a plan." Wilhemina suddenly felt very small and seen in a way she never had been before. It was simultaneously terrifying and yet so, so safe.

"It can wait as long as you like" the older woman continued, "but I'll leave it here for whenever you're ready."

"No, I mean, I'm ready now" Wilhemina blurted, "I just thought you meant-"

"I know my dear, I know" the older woman cut her off with a firm squeeze of her hand, earning her a shy smile from the younger woman. "Would you like me to stay or -"

"Stay" Wilhemina affirmed, "please?"

"Of course dear, now where do you want start?"

"Well, I suppose law or business makes the most sense" Wilhemina sighed, "at least I have some experience there."

"I didn't ask where you should start dear, I asked where you wanted to start - there's a difference. You said your parents chose law for you, what would you have chosen? If you could start over and choose for yourself what would you do?"

Wilhemina froze at that. She had accepted so long ago that she would simply follow the path her parents had set out for her that she had almost managed to convince herself that she wanted it too. It did no-one any good for her to pine after a future that could never be hers.

"I don't know" she stared at the older woman, eyes wide with the realisation.

"What do you miss from highschool then?" the older woman tried. "Is there a subject you enjoyed that you had to give up?"

She considered that for a moment. "Science, maybe?" she added shyly, "I liked that it was predictable, that I could know what to expect."

"Ok" the older woman prompted, fingers rifling through the folder, "any particular area?"

"Electronics or computers, maybe?" She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, as if waiting to be punished for daring to express her own desires.

"Ok, there are a couple here that could fit." The older woman traced her finger through the list of positions. "This one looks interesting. A couple of graduate students from the engineering faculty are looking for someone to help with data management and organisation for a start-up. They seem to be interested in bionic limb development" she added, sliding the paper towards Wilhemina, finger marking the appropriate notice.

Wilhemina scanned the brief description greedily, trying to temper her expectations. It sounded perfect but she daren't allow herself to even begin to hope that it might be possible.

"I think you would be perfect for it."

Wilhemina scoffed in response, "I don't know the first thing about robotics."

"But they aren't asking for that dear, they're asking for someone to help with organisation. They want someone who is meticulous and logical to help keep track of their data - that is you to a T. You would be brilliant at that. And it would allow you to see if it's an area that you like and maybe later you could transition into a more technical position, or go back and study more about it if you wanted."

"Look" the older woman reached out to tap the paper in front of Wilhemina, "it even says they have patents filed and a company formed. It seems to have all the makings of a long term prospect."

Wilhemina could feel her heart start to flutter at the possibility, that maybe, just maybe it wasn't too late for things to change. She scanned through the notice again, Elizabeth was right, it did sound perfect. And try as she might she couldn't help but look at the company name printed at the end of article with the hope that maybe it also inscribed her future.

Kineros Robotics

A/N: there is one more part to come after this, though I think I will likely dip back into this universe as one-shots from time to time to explore some of the key moments between here and apocalypse. If there are any particular things you would be interested to see feel free to hit me up

#sarah paulson #wilhemina venable #baby mina #mina #gif: sussoria #lucyintheskywithxanax

[gerrydelano]

okay i am normal now and i will try to Speak!!!

for one thing: corruption!sasha is almost never done and i love it so so much.

2. i guess i’m numbering these now idk but i kind of resonated with tim in this chapter?? idk something about needing to break something and to get all the feeling out and being practically unable to not do so? feels familiar.

3. i liked how gerry’s DID wasn’t even hidden throughout the fic (i reread the fic yesterday haha), and it just needed a little push (the tape) to be pretty obvious. that’s just me saying ur super good at writing!! i do not have DID so i cannot speak on rep i am literally saying that you are great at writing and hinting at things!! and

4. last one i’m super excited for where u take this and getting to know more characters better (and the secret martin ship. i think abt it so much.) okay i lied

5. this is just general but the way u wrote jon w pots in the whole series is just *chefs kiss*. i adore jon and i have pots so i am just ‼️‼️ the whole time he has similar experiences to me okay bye i hope u have a good day!!

I'M normal now so i can REPLY to this YEEEEAH! under the cut for rambling!

01. thank you!!!! i wanted to do some fun Entity Swap type stuff with this and challenge myself, sort of? to make it make sense. corruption!sasha was partly done because of how the two entities that played a massive role in her canon death were that and the stranger, and i wanted to avoid the stranger for her. and with the corruption, i want to focus on the more existential/thematic sides of it rather than... JUST the gross stuff, i actually don’t plan to literally have Bugs Inhabiting Her, it’s more they flock to her and she has no idea where they come from or where they go when they leave, at the moment. 

her themes are grief, guilt, family, and wilfully ignoring/hiding things? which goes along with the backstory we gave her and tim (so building from THAT was easier) and also how she just. DOES THINGS in canon and doesn’t TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT KFJNDKJ. there are things happening in the archives that ARE a little because of the effect she’s having on them as her mark worsens! this part in her statement lays it out:

“No one wants to smack a butterfly, but moths are easy. The comparison is fairly simple. You don’t want to step on a rosebud, but once it’s a dandelion? No one cares. [...] How do we decide what deserves to live? Where do we draw the line between a house moth and a rosy maple? I think a lot of it is the fuzz. I think the bigger they are, the harder it is to reconcile. The harder it is to pretend it’s insignificant, and justify it.”

you don’t want to smack a butterfly, but you also feel worse about smacking the Bigger, Prettier moths that aren’t as visually insignificant - you feel GUILTY if you hurt something like that, so you freeze or try to hope they’ll go away before you have to. no one wants to hurt sasha, and - maladaptively - they also don’t want to criticize her or even consider that something might be wrong, because they’re scared to confront it; like gerard said.

it’s going to come to a head very soon :’-) she’s got a pretty full arc in the works and i’m SO excited to explore her and get her the recovery she deserves, too.

02. i really love writing tim expressing anger, honestly? like. i have such a huge problem with how he sometimes gets reduced to nothing BUT his anger, but the thing is... anger is an ordinary, healthy human emotion, not a failing or a weakness inherently. Poor Behavior is a choice. tim didn’t WANT to just grab something and break it, what the hell would that say about him? but he needed an outlet for the horrible things that keep happening to him, and the support of the people around him means the World when it comes to being able to express that frustration in a way that helps take the edge off so he can calm down. tim is honestly a really considerate and caring person, i like finding the balance between when his emotions get away from him and how hard he TRIES to make sure he’s still able to watch out for other people when it starts to look like he’s going to reach his limit.

03. gerry’s DID has never been a secret, yeah! i’m really touched that you would go back to reread and see where i left those Super glaring clues it means a lot to me fhdkjfh. i don’t want people thinking i’m sensationalizing my own condition by making it be an active part of the story i’m telling, like... we deserve to tell our stories and see ourselves in things, too! incorporating it as naturally as i could without using it for Shock Value was really important to me and i’m so glad it’s been received well so far. 

it’s not a plot twist! just “ohhhh, now i get it!” which is exactly how it feels, sometimes, to realize you’re a part of a system in general. for me, it wasn’t Shocking as much as it made everything make sense!

gerry has always struck as one who not only Very Likely has it (people acting like this shit is rare make me laugh. It Seems Rare Because It’s COVERT And You’re Not Supposed To Be Able To See It, Dipshit!) due to how he was raised, but i also took the notable discrepancy between how people describe him in statements and how he is when we hear him speak. sure, that’s just normal “persona for the situation” type shit that everyone does! but his entire story is nothing but trauma. i think it makes sense, and it opens up opportunities to give him some catharsis, support, and recovery.

04. i’m excited for the next steps, too! changing face is going to be focused on sasha and martin predominantly, so it’s funny you should bring up the secret ship :-) but i will say, there’s still a while before that comes into play. he’s gotta get integrated into the story more fully first! THEN i have to bring in [redacted] in one of the most fucked up arcs i have planned jhbkn.

05. POTS JON! he faints so much in canon, it only makes sense he’d have that complication along with his EDS. honestly, i’ve written more about GERRY’S POTS than jon’s so far, but i’m going to amp it up a little bit! i’m :’-) happy you see yourself in him. (sidenote, he’s going to have so much wild development here that canon and come what may jon would look at him and go ;A; why does HE get to be so cool... wtf... :-( and i’m so excited jhdfbkdjn)

THIS GOT SO LONG SORRY JHVBKN thank you for this ask, i am so glad you like the story so far! <3

#pbr tag #asks #oliverbanks #reviews

[sophi-s]

Cost of Kindness

Chapter I: Chance encounter

By: sophi-s

Fandom: Darksiders video games

Words: 6,471

Characters: Original female character (OC), Raphael

Warnings: Graphic description of corpses, blood and injuries, disturbing imagery, swearing

Summary:

Life of a human after the apocalypse is difficult. The world seems to always be against them. Still, they keep on living. But one day something unexpected happens to one of the inhabitants of Haven. A woman named Nicola discovered something... or rather someone... who seemed to be in equally as sorry state as her entire race put together. Nothing was the same ever since. It's curious how one seemingly random event can change everything...

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Nicola got lost again. All the promises she made to both Ulthane and Jones have gone into trash when with a pang of worry she's suddenly realised she does not know where Haven is. It was supposed to be a short supply run, a little trip to some ruined store in search of food and maybe some medicine if luck wished to be on her side and it turned into a whole day long journey. She hadn't been careful enough and ended up getting spotted. She was too fast for that Trauma to get to her before she disappeared into a narrow alley but she successfully lost her orientation.

Navigating through the city used to be so easy before all this apocalypse nonsense. Nicola knew her way around better than anyone honestly. Now everything looked different. What once was her home now seemed sinister and the animosity could be felt in every, even the tiniest speck of dust. All streets, previously so familiar to her, looked exactly the same, often cut in half by obsidian spikes and pits of boiling magma which made moving around even more troubling. In short words, the entire place was a wreckage. With each moment of aimless wandering, her panic was growing. Inwardly cursing, thinking about all the reprimanding she would get after she somehow finds her way back and the fact that she's most likely going to get grounded forever, she tried to move through the street as quietly as possible, without causing any unnecessary noises. Becoming an evening snack for a pack of Goreclaws or a Trauma wasn't a very attractive fate. The latter could still be around here somewhere and the blood spilling from a cut on her forehead she got when she accidentally ran into a wooden beam protruding from a wall wasn't going to make it harder for it to eventually find her again.. It was very unlikely that the Trauma could've gotten stuck in that alley after it tried to get to her. They are dumb. But not that dumb. Though the mental image alone was quite hilarious now that she thinks about it.. To some extent imagining a Trauma helplessly shuffling to try and unstuck itself from a narrow pathway made her feel a tad better, even crack a little smile. Still, she had to think of something. She'd already lived through too much to just die at this point.

Evening? Clutching a shotgun in her shaking hands, Nicola looks out at the amber sky and her heart hastens when she realises that it really is getting late. The last rays of sun were slowly sinking behind the horizon, slowly turning the sky from warm orange to indigo as the tall buildings bathed the city in deep shadows stretching over the ground like dark omens. Just perfect. There was no other choice for her than to hide somewhere and wait until dawn and resume her search tomorrow, hoping someone will start looking for her. Going anywhere after the dusk was an equivalent of a  suicide. Demons and the Wicked tend to be especially active after the nightfall.. Nicola would rather not bump into one of the Suffering either, those things are especially nasty. Hulking, four-armed abominations melded with bodies of the dead, bringing back all those poor souls who weren't lucky enough to get away… she shudders at the thought and hastens her pace.

Most of the houses were already destroyed and usually infested with all kinds of detestable creatures she'd rather avoid - from Wicked, through all kinds of demons and Duskwings, to enormous spiders ready to cocoon any unfortunate passerby for a snack - unfit to be a shelter. But honestly, what wasn't crawling with Hellspawn these days? They were everywhere, as far as the sight can reach. Heaving out a long suffering sigh, Nicola decided to hide underneath the city, hoping she won't find any monsters there.

That was not one of her most brilliant ideas but in truth whatever she chose, it would be just as bad and she hardly cared at this point. Her legs felt as though they went a couple of inches up her arse from all day of walking and running and her empty stomach growled hungrily as she didn't get a chance to stop and eat a sandwich hidden in her backpack. It didn't take long to find a lid of a well leading to the sewers below. Just in case, Nicola dug some new shells out from her backpack and shoved them into her pocket to have easy access to them before pulling the lid out and uncovering a stinking hole in the pavement. The strong "aroma" that drifted out hit her like a brick to the face.

"Ugh.."

Nicola groaned, pinching her nose. Even after the literal armageddon, she still found sewers to be one of the grossest things ever. Like, come on, that's where all the piss and shit goes and a person who enters the sewers for even a minute comes out coated in this stench. Oh well.. It can't be worse than getting torn to shreds by a Goreclaw, can it? Up here was definitely worse than below. Everything she'd met so far - except for Ulthane, Yarin and Elanya - was trying to kill her lately. At least there was no sign of the Big Bad anywhere… Nicola had seen the so-called Destroyer only once and it was enough to last her a lifetime, considering how close she'd been back then. The fact that he didn't spot her, she probably owed the fact that she was somewhere to his right and from what she'd seen his right eye wasn't exactly in good condition. Though, she couldn't deny that the dragon did look sick as Hell - she cringed inwardly at the bad joke her mind produced - and if she wasn't scared shittless and in danger of getting eaten or burned alive, she probably would've taken out her notebook and tried to sketch him. Not often does one see a dragon up this close and Nicola had a habit of drawing anything even remotely interesting she sees. And the more challenging the thing is, the better. In her sketchbook, she already had Ulthane and his younger companions, Vulgrim, some other demons and a Fallen. The last thing she did see pretty damn close. Too close for her liking.

Pulling her stained, dark-blue neckerchief up to her nose as a mostly useless mask against the foul smell, she crouches down and with a loose piece of a brick scratches out a message on the ground, hoping either Jones or some other survivor will find it.

I'M IN THE SEWER

NIKA <3

Just to make it clear, she tears a piece of her already ragged sleeve off and places it under the aforementioned brick next to the message. It's not much but it has to be enough… Without further ado, Nicola slid inside the dark hole and closed the lid above her head. Utter blackness immediately closed around her like a thick coverlet. A quiet sound of dripping, echoing through the tunnel was all that she could hear.

Plip. Plop. Plip. Plop.

Should've thought about taking out a flashlight before cutting off the only source of light.

Grumbling under her breath, Nicola jumped down from a small ladder. But instead of landing on the hard and straight ground, her feet connected with something soft and uneven. With a small yelp, she lost her balance and fell flat onto the actual floor with a wet "Thwack!". Please just be regular water… She begged the puddle underneath her as she scrambled to her feet and pulled the backpack from her shoulders. For a few minutes, she blindly searched through her things, probing for the light source. When her fingers found the flashlight and she turned it on however, she nearly screamed.

That thing she landed on wasn't a mound of garbage like she previously assumed but a body. Body of a dead Phantom General. Its skin was in an unhealthy pallid shade, misty eyes were bulging out of their sockets. And the squishy bit she landed on was its face. Nicola nervously laughs to herself

"Maybe the stench killed him?"

The thought of a large demon dying in a sewer just because it smells bad was kind of amusing and a little comforting. But then she realised that if that was the case, then there's nothing to laugh at. What if there are some poisonous gases in here? Hydrogen sulfide, for example? If it killed a demon, undoubtedly much more hearty, then why shouldn't it do so with a human?

"Shit.. I hope not…"

Nicola curses and immediately presses the neckerchief closer to her face like it would do her any good. Well, no point in wondering about it now. If she were to get poisoned then she probably already was so… Father would be so disappointed if he found out she died in a sewer by inhaling toxic gas. I should've paid more attention to chemistry lessons…  Anyway.. Standing here will not make it any better. She might as well find herself a place to rest for a while or forever. Unless healing shards work on that stuff, she had nothing on her to help should she get poisoned. Flinging her backpack over her shoulder, Nicola turns away from the corpse and peers into the dark pathway which opened before her like a gullet of a gargantuan monster waiting to swallow her whole. Having absolutely no idea that this choice would change her miserable life forever, she takes a breath and bravely moves onward.

The Phantom General wasn't the only one. As Nicola walked deeper into the dark, stinking corridor, she noticed more bodies. Goreclaws, Wicked, Phantom Guards, even a couple of Duskwings and - this was the most unsettling discovery - the serpentine Shadowcaster… all of them pale and wizened. An unnerving feeling grew in her stomach. Nicola had seen much death as of late but this… this was horrifying. It was like walking through a tomb or a mass grave. Up close she could see something she hadn't noticed before. Something that made her mouth turn sandpaper. All of the bodies seemed… dried for the lack of a better word. As though something had drained them of their blood, leaving only shriveled husks behind. But there were no wounds, no markings. Nicola gulps at the thought that whatever killed them might still be down here with her.

Backing away, she takes a turn into another section and curls up in a corner by a metal grate blocking the way ahead. Nicola turns the flashlight off and hugs her knees to her chest, trying to control her fearful breathing. Climbing down into the sewers wasn't such a good idea after all. What if… what if there are things far worse down here than the demons she'd already seen? Her parents often scared her with stories of monsters lurking in the dark pipes and winding tunnels when she was a child but those were only supposed to keep her away from the sewers. The true reason was always the toxic miasma drifting through them. Or so she thought as she grew older. Now it seems that the former turned out to be true… And if it murdered a Shadowcaster just like that, then it was a creature to be reckoned with, no doubt.

Whatever it is that hides in here, Nicola didn't want to meet it. Whether it was a classic sewer monster, grotesque, with teeth and tentacles, or something else it didn't matter. Looking down at her left wrist, where her blessedly still working electrical watch with sun batteries was, she squinted at the numbers it showed.

7:48 P.M.

This was going to be a long night… If she survives this, she would get out and return to the Tree, and tell Ulthane she will never leave again. Essentially, she'd ground herself for him. If she could find her way back, that is.. And this might prove rather tricky. Maybe if she could find a Serpent Hole and bribe Vulgrim to take her to Haven, it would be much easier. But then again, she will have to give him something. Aside from her soul, she had nothing he would be interested in and that she could still make use of. Damn it, why is it so cold in here? Pulling the zip of her vest up to her chin, she curls up even more and hides her hands in her pockets to seek any warmth she could find. The stench wasn't even phasing her anymore. Nicola got used to it after the first few minutes. Besides, her fear was what she was mostly focused on. At least she didn't feel anything that would hint at being poisoned.. Whatever deadly stuff was down here before must've dispersed some time after the apocalypse after the disuse of the sewers. And thank God for that..

Meow…

Her head snapped up at the echo coming from the tunnel she backed out from. It was very weak and quiet but she definitely heard something that sounded vaguely like a cat. A very small and very scared cat.

Meow…

There it was again. This time accompanied by a barely visible flash of light coming from the tunnel further down. Cursing her innate curiosity, she pulled herself up to her feet and snuck towards the entrance to her little hidey-hole. The light appeared again before slowly fading. It looked a little like… like someone was coming here with a broken flashlight. Could it… could it be someone from the Tree? Maybe another survivor lost their way in the sewers? Picking up her shotgun, she decides to check it out, the thoughts of a monster not forgotten per se, but definitely pushed to the back of her mind. Wary of every step she makes, she follows the light and the sounds of a distressed animal. Sleep was never an option anyway..

As she walked onwards, the lights were getting brighter, the meowing louder and the pounding of her heart faster. There were more corpses in various states of decay and skeletons strewn about the further she headed but she decided to stay brave. Should anything attack her, she has the shotgun at the ready. Something in her head laughed at her hysterically. How can she be so naive to think that if there's a monster down here her pathetic shotgun can do it much harm? It didn't have a problem with killing all those things. Why would it have a problem with Nicola and her weak human weapon? Besides, even if she did manage to defend herself, one shot from that thing would bring half of the city down on her head. And that was something she definitely wanted to avoid.

Meow!

Another flash. Her surroundings were slowly starting to change. The bodies were left behind and she started to notice wooden crates lying here and there as though someone meant to hide the passage further down. Was this a hide out if some sort? Flash again.

Meow!

And then…

"Hush, little one… I won't let them hurt you again…"

Nicola's heart hastened when a shaky voice reached her. There really was someone down here! However, she doesn't let her ecstasy control her. They don't necessarily have to be friendly. Everyone is permanently scared and paranoid since the apocalypse and if she jumped out from a dark sewer without a warning she's more likely to receive a bullet to the face than a warm welcome. A flash, very bright this time. Before, she didn't notice it but the light was actually… green? Soft, soothing shade of green. Who uses a green flashlight? Someone who didn't have any other. We're in an apocalypse, for God's sake. Shrugging, she sneaks up towards the turn and carefully peeks into the new corridor, unable to take the anticipation any longer. And she freezes.

There were many things Nicola expected to find. Even the sewer monster was higher on her list of possibilities. But not this. Before her, approximately fifteen feet or so, in a makeshift shelter made out of ratty curtains and wooden boxes sat a humanoid figure. They were wearing some sort of metal shoulder pads on their ragged, dark green clothing, worn and stained, once undoubtedly fine knee-high boots, and a tattered and dirty hood. The gilded edges of their pauldrons were smudged and tarnished, as were the clips of the belts on their hips and across their chest. A pair of disheveled, dusted grey, feathery wings was closed around them like two shields protecting their sides and keeping the warmth in the resulting heat cave. Through a gap between the feathers, she noticed strands of long, white hair in the similar state as the wings spilling from under the hood.

This was one of those… those angels who came as the apocalypse began. Only… This one didn't seem like the rest. They didn't look like one of the warriors. And were unarmed at that, she realises once she doesn't catch a sight of any sort of weapon nearby. 

Meow!

Nicola heard it clearly now, and trying to track down the source of the sound, her eyes wandered to a hand of the angel, one which they held close to their chest. And there, on their large palm rested a tiny ball of fluff with its fur clogged with blood. The angel was hunched over a wounded kitten, and from time to time they brought up the other hand and gently ran their trembling fingers wrapped in stained bandages over the jagged claw mark along its spine. The green light flared up from angel's fingertips as gradually the wound was stitching itself. A sorcerer then. If meeting Shadowcasters was any indicator, then it would be better not to mess with this one.

Meow!

The kitten cried again and the angel, now she was pretty sure it was a male, spoke with a soft and calming, but shaking voice that reached to the depth of her soul.

"Fret not… it will be over. Soon enough."

In honesty, Nicola really had to stop herself from making a loud "awww" noise as she watched this angel treat a tiny injured kitten. How did he get here in the first place? Shouldn't he be with the rest of his buddies? She honestly never thought one of them would ever fall so low as to hide in a sewer of all places. Unless there was no other option. He must've gotten lost or something.. She thinks, almost snickering at how similar to hers this situation was.

To make no mistake, she didn't want to approach the angel, especially after what she'd seen during the apocalypse - most of them didn't give two shits about what happen to her race - and so Nicola decided, even if slightly disappointed that it wasn't another human survivor or someone looking for her like she previously assumed, to go away and leave him be with his kitten. The angels the apocalypse has shown to her were hardly the kind and thoroughly good creatures the image of she grew up with.. But then, nature decided to play a cruel prank on her and a horrifyingly loud sound of her stomach rumbling was carried over the immediate vicinity.

Nicola cursed inwardly at her stupid stomach - really, she would've eaten that sandwich but the smell of the server was very unappetizing - when the angel quickly looked up before gently placing the cat down on a piece of folded cloth and snapping his fingers to produce a small wisp of normal, white light. Now, his face wasn't obscured by the shadow of his hood. It was just like a face of a human, especially with all the grime smeared over it, just more… how to describe it? Features were more apparent, simultaneously sharp and smooth. Like those of a sculpture. Almost overly perfect. However, he looked ill, emaciated with his cheeks collapsed like this and sunken eyes, seemingly too large for his head. His eyes… brilliant white with faint silvery pupils, glowing like two wisps, opened wide in an absolutely blank, emotionless stare, not unlike that of a man in feverish delirium. How long had he been down here?

"Who.. who's there..?"

His lips barely moved as he spoke, his wide eyes darted around in panic as he searched for intruders. Not that she could blame him. Her stomach sounded like a starving demon and as far as she's concerned, his kind isn't really fond of those.. The angel looked a little like a terrified, wounded animal that had been cornered by predators with no apparent way out. It was… sad somehow. Since she'd already been heard, Nicola carefully stepped out of her hiding spot. The reaction she got however, was far different from what she's been expecting. The angel gasped, his wings shot up like two enormous flags as he lifted his hands. Green magic crackled along his slender fingers with most of the nails broken and bloodied as she froze where she stood.

"G- get away! Back off, foul creature!"

He stuttered but didn't attack just yet. Swallowing a lump of fear Nicola forced herself to very, very slowly and carefully take a few steps closer to enter the illuminated area around the scared angel to make him realise this is a misunderstanding and she means no harm. She even left her gun on the floor not to make him feel threatened and kept her hands up, palms forward where he could see them. He squinted but this hollow look in his eyes remained. Disturbing… Even more so when he started to mutter nervously to himself, rubbing his eyebrows with his thumb.

"No… not a demon, nor an angel, a human perhaps…? Yes, yes… has to be… But that's not possible.. They're… they're all gone. Dead, killed, stone dead… Who is this and what do you want? Your tricks won't work on me.."

"I- I'm not trying to trick you, I swear! I am a human. I'm Nicola.."

She assures the angel, hoping that giving him her name will make him feel a little less threatened. A quiet sigh of relief slipped past Nicola's lips when the magic in his hands faded as he curiously - a little like a small, inquisitive puppy - tilted his head to the left.

"Nic… ola…"

He breathed, mulling over her name, testing it on his tongue but his wings still remained aggressively flared above his head. The kitten meowed again, too weak to stand up from the bedding the angel made for it. He seemed to calm down a bit as he glanced down at it and with a flick of his finger made the animal lazily blink before it curled into a ball and immediately fell asleep. The wound on its back wasn't so large anymore and it wasn't bleeding so the black fluff with white feet and collar wasn't in any immediate danger. Angel's attention shifted back to her. But Nicola was the first one to speak.

"Who are you? How'd you get down here?

"Don't know… Human… a human. How did you get in my study? You really shouldn't be here. What is it you want from me? I'm working on improving my shards…"

"I-... Wait, your what ?"

Nicola's face scrunched up in confusion. Get in where? Working on improving his what??

"No, this isn't right… they need more energy…"

At this point she had absolutely no idea what the angel was rambling on about but she could clearly see he was completely out of his mind. Frankly speaking, she wasn't actually sure if he knows what he's babbling either.. There was only one thing that came to her mind when he spoke of shards and so she dug into her pocket, trying to find the one she'd been carrying with her just in case as he clutched at his head, tangling his fingers into his hair under his hood…

"It worked… I did it, I can… but it hurts… Creator, how it hurts… Cold.. so cold…"

His voice was starting to break as his unsteady breathing turned into something akin to sobbing but no tears were shed and he started to rock back and forth, still muttering something unintelligible. Something in Nicola's gut squirmed - or maybe it was the hunger again - as she looked at the scrawny angel mercifully. Whatever happened to him, it must've been horrible. It takes a very traumatic experience to bring a human to such a state but an angel is a different story. Seeing anyone like this saddened her. Finally, her fingers found what they were searching for and she extracted a small healing shard from her vest.

"You mean like…"

At the gentle, green glow the shard was emitting, the angel looked up astonished and let his mouth fall open. He stopped shaking and grasping his head.

"Yes… yes, my shard. I need… My blade. Where's my blade? Who…? My name? My name… I remember, I swear."

This talk of a blade was mildly unsettling to say the least but something in her chest twisted with pity and all fear left her. A little more bravely, Nicola approached the murmuring angel who attempted to scratch something out on the floor beside his knee but only successfully broke one of his nails again and hissed quietly. What happened to you, you poor thing? When she crouched next to him, he stared at her as though he'd seen a ghost when she realised he isn't looking into her eyes anymore. But at her forehead.

"You're… injured…"

He stated as matter of factly. Oh. Right. That was true. It barely hurt anymore though… and wasn't even bleeding. She's certainly had much worse. It will heal on its own in no time.

"Let me just-"

Suddenly he leaned forward to grab at her, making her heart leap up to her throat as she cried out in fear and jumped away from him. Instinctively, Nicola booked it for the tunnel she came from when she heard a heavy thud and a pained groan behind her.. It was her good hearted nature what ultimately made her stop in her tracks and look over her shoulder. To see the angel on the floor, weakly propping himself on his elbows and breathing heavily. He was very weakened. It's unclear how long he'd been down here but it certainly has taken its toll. Nicola looked out into the dark tunnel. Whatever awaited her in this darkness and out in the city surely isn't nicer than this poor sod behind her. She wasn't even sure if he actually meant to hurt her or not. It was a reflex. Then she turned to look back at the angel shivering on the wet floor.. Her throat tightened. God, she couldn't just leave it like this, could she?

"H- hey… are- are you okay?"

Nicola approaches the angel warily and squats before him as he lifts his head to look at her. And in his eyes she sees pain. Horrible, unimaginable pain, somewhere deep within, that made his crusted lips tremble. Such a sight would be enough to break even the coldest hearts. And definitely more than enough to break hers. He eyes her hands when she hesitantly takes him by the arm - careful when she notices a rag stained with fresh blood above his left elbow - and tries to pull him up to his feet or at least to a sitting position but he doesn't recoil. He simply kept staring at her hands in bewilderment. To her surprise, he was much lighter than he looked, probably because of how thin he was, and she managed to do what she intended but she could see that his legs won't uphold his weight as meager as it is. The angel glanced at the cut on her head and once again, albeit far more cautiously, reached out towards it.

"I can… I can heal it. Just hold still.. It will take a second.."

And in spite of herself, Nicola gives him a chance this time. He extended two fingers and as their tips started to glow with green, he gently tapped against her damaged skin. It felt… odd. It wasn't painful but still strange. The edges of the wound grew numb and prickly as the patch of comforting warmth fell over her forehead. And what was even odder, the angel smiled slightly, whispering

"There… It is done.. I.. remember. Was it…? It was, wasn't it… Raphael?"

"Wh- what? What are you talking about, who's Raphael?"

Nicola asks, probing the new, thin scar that was now formed in place of the cut. He really did heal her. Curious. And it did take a second.. For a moment, his face scrunched up in confusion but only for this second before he brightened and some of the strange mist fell from his white eyes as he brought both of his hands up and repeatedly poked his chest with all of his fingers.

"Me.. Raphael is… it's me! And you…"

He extended one finger and aimed it at her head.

"You are Nicola. "

"Y- yeah. Nice to meet you, I guess…"

She hesitantly replies as the circumstances of this meeting weren't exactly "nice". In a dark, damp sewer filled with stench and corpses with a possible monster lurking nearby? Far from nice if someone would ask her.

"What.. huh. What is this place?"

Raphael unexpectedly asked, looking around with his large, white eyes, blinking in confusion. Nicola pulls a face, unsure how to tackle the odd angel.

"You… don't know? You've been living here."

"Have I? Hmmm.. Strange…"

He murmured thoughtfully, scratching at his white goatee also painted with blood that surely spilled from the cut on his lower lip. Then his face shifted into concern as he tried to pull himself up with a strained grunt, clutching at an old, but not healed yet, gash over his ribs.

"I… I have to get back.. they need me in the White City…"

As she was expecting, he collapsed back onto the floor with a tired sigh not even a second later. Where and what was the "White City" he spoke of, she had no idea. What she did know however, was that in his condition Raphael isn't going anywhere. Even if he managed to get up, she could bet her right hand that he would make ten steps at most before collapsing again. Nicola winces and tilts her head to the side.

"Pal, I don't think you're in shape for walking or flying right now.."

"No, I suppose not… they cannot see me like this. I cannot return.."

At this point she wasn't surprised that Raphael kept muttering to himself about things her human brain couldn't hope to comprehend. Nicola got long used to this however. Ever since the armageddon there were very few things she could understand. It wasn't a normal day if something new and weird didn't happen to her or one of her remaining friends. Any hostility the angel showed before has faded now, his wings folded back around him as he leaned over the sleeping kitten to continue treating it. The gentleness he did it with, the uncertain smile on his face were making Nicola's heart melt. Raphael didn't seem like his friends indeed. He was different somehow. Kinder, softer. Less aggressive. More fitting the image of a stereotypical angel. But also definitely not quite… right. Up in the head.

Oh, well. Who is totally normal these days, honestly?

She wants to chuckle to herself when something gives her a pause. A horrifyingly familiar sound coming from the tunnel behind her. Panting, scraping and growling. Inevitably getting closer and closer. Her heart plummets to her heels. This sound… she would recognise it everywhere. The sound that haunted her dreams ever since the demon tore her twin brother, Nicholas, to shreds. This demon.. a Goreclaw, as Ulthane called it. Whipping around, she just managed to spot the quadrupedal monster - the size of your average Caucasian Shepherd (which was still awfully large for its kind), with long, lashing tail and sharp fangs constantly bared in a disturbing grin - appear in the entrance, cutting off the only escape route.

It must've heard Nicola's startled scream and followed it all the way here, hoping for an easy prey. Her breath caught in her throat as she stands paralyzed by the blood-hungry glare of multiple red eyes. This ugly mug, covered in blood of her sibling was still fresh in her mind, keeping her absolutely petrified. Unable to do anything, she kicks herself for leaving her shotgun behind. Now it was resting between the clawed paws of the demon who screeched in excitement as it prepared to pounce at her. Though honestly, with how rigid her body turned, she doubts she'd be able to aim, not to mention pulling the trigger.

This is it. She thinks, feeling blood leave her face. I'm gonna die. After all she's been through.. Killed by a single Goreclaw, ripped apart in a stinking sewer like an ungrateful little shite. Ulthane did so much to rescue her from the claws of that Fallen and now all his efforts are going to go to waste.. Crying out in dismay, she shields herself from the oncoming attack with her arms and shuts her eyes.

Something shifted behind her as the demon jumped at her and… nothing happened. Opening her eyes, horrified and shocked, Nicola almost gags when she sees the Goreclaw standing before her and just… gawking with its jaw slack as though it got hit on the head with something heavy. Faint golden light running around its body like tiny veins didn't escape her attention. That's when she noticed that the demon was trying to move, straining with its own stiff muscles and growling. But couldn't. It was completely paralyzed. A quiet, barely audible thrumming filled the air around Nicola and she began to feel something strange. Something she could only describe as magic. The arcane static began to nip and the bite at her skin like miniscule locusts when a green haze enveloped the Goreclaw before her. The same light fell onto her back, laying her quivering shadow out at her feet. A realisation hit her.

Raphael. He's still there.

After the apocalypse, Nicola had no delusions that angels, even the kindest ones, are ever defenseless. Before she could turn to face the angel, her would-be killer suddenly let out a soul-rending shriek that yet again almost made her drop dead or simply puke out of pure fear. Freed from the paralysis, it fell to the floor, writhing, clawing at its own chest and screeching the most ungodly noise Nicola had ever heard. What's happening?! Absolutely petrified, she watched as the demon's skin seemed to dry and wrinkle as its eyes were nearly popping out of its skull. Life - and color - was frighteningly quickly seeping out of the demon as it squirmed in agony, wailing, unable to fight the power that got a hold of it.

All this looked like taken straight out of a horror movie. And Nicola, on the contrary to Nicholas, was never a fan of those… It all took merely a few seconds of unimaginable torment before the unfortunate Goreclaw wheezed and eventually fell still with its jaws opened and tongue lolled out, wide eyes dull and unblinking, and didn't move ever again. Dead. The memory of all those corpses she has found passed through her head. The Goreclaw looked just like them… Afraid to move a muscle, she stared at the light that moved away from the dead demon, following its movement to the sight that made her back up aghast.

Raphael. The same seemingly gentle angel who healed a small, hurt animal - who healed her - was suspended in midair, tattered robes and disheveled hair billowing, with his wings flared and bristled. This soft smile was replaced by an absolute lack of any expression whatsoever as his wide eyes burned with the whitest white of unbridled anger she'd ever seen. Green streaks of magic - the same green she found so soothing before, now ominous and frightening - bathing the surroundings in brightness, were swirling around his arms, hands with fingers curled into vicious claws. For this moment he looked much stronger, a little younger… and far more dangerous than he seemed before.

"As long as I live.. I shall not stand suffering !"

Raphael bellowed at the corpse at her feet even though it was long dead and already turning cold, caring very little about how horrified she was. He didn't even seem to care how much suffering the demon had experienced before it blessedly lost its hold on life. Not that Nicola thought it didn't deserve that but still it was… pretty gruesome.. Raphael's wounded and weakened body absorbed the life-force drained from the demon and only then did he slowly descend onto the floor and landed on his feet, breathing out with relief. The magic gradually dissipated along with the sharp prickling sensation until only the tiny golden wisp hovering next to Raphael's head remained. His wings fell into their place against his back, this furious light faded out of his bright eyes before he turned to Nicola to shoot her a disarming, awkward smile as though nothing had happened at all. This tiny smile was hardly comforting.. Quite the opposite in fact. It chilled her to the bone like the coldest winter wind.

Oh fuck.

Swallowing thickly, Nicola looked up at Raphael, now standing on his own legs, clearly revitalized by the stolen energy, and felt a little fearful tear roll down her face. Then she shifted her gaze to the demon. Then back to Raphael, who seemed so small and weak before but stood at least two, maybe three feet taller than Nicola - her head reached the bottom of his sternum. I was wrong. She realises with a pang of panic, feeling a little sick in the stomach at the mere thought that this kind healer was as capable of killing her where she stood as any demon up above her head. All he had to do was flick his wrist and look at her and she wouldn't have been able to do a thing to defend herself. It suddenly made sense. There was no sewer monster down here. No beast that would threaten her. No foul creature that could suck the blood from her body and leave ber as a mummified corpse. All this death, all these bodies… The horrifying monster Nicola was expecting to find...

It was him.

--------------------------------------------------

So yeah. That was the chapter I. I'll try to make more but I don't promise anything XD

The moral of this story? Don't piss off/spook angel sorcerers. Especially the crazy ones.

Also, the art at the end was once again inspired by @coloredgravity 's rendition of Raphael (I drew this mostly out of memory 😂). In addition I gave him a symbol of virtue from Darkest Dungeon over his head. He's mad, true. But he still tries to hold it together :3

#darksiders #darksiders 2 #darksiders 3 #my fic #fan fiction #darksiders oc #nicola #darksiders raphael #raphael #my art #fan art #I suck at summarizing XD #Cost of Kindness #CoK

[kopikokun]

also omg besides the dy ask maybe u could do a ship 😣 with nct i'm an estp, really loud and open, i like making new friends but its hard for me to be close to people. i love physical affection and cookinh for other people. i am really smart, and quite good at languages doh im majoring in bio-engineering. im not sporty but im quite active (my balance is bad so im quite clumsy) i draw a lot and its one of my charms, i still watch adventure time everyday like a kid but 😛

— :: 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃.

Wow babe, bio-engineering? So, you smartsmart, huh? And you still watch Adventure Time? What do you mean, like a kid? You mean like an absolute ICON! Right? Honestly, I didn’t watch Adventure Time a lot as a kid, but I know that I went NUTS for Marshall Lee. Like absolutely INSANE. Anyway, enough about my weird childhood crushes (because I could go on for ages about that), I think you and Winwin would be amazing for each other!

»» ──────　[*:. ☁︎ .:*]　────── ««

— GETTING TO KNOW DONG SICHENG.

Unlike you, Sicheng isn’t someone who’d like to be the center of attention.

At a party, he’s more the type to teeter along the edge of the room, sticking close to those he’s already familiar with.

You, however, are a completely different story.

Being an ESTP, you’ve just got a natural charm which people gravitate towards.

Wherever you go, there’ll always be at least a few people surrounding you, finding themselves drawn in by your witty humour and eccentricity.

So when Sicheng first meets you, he’s quick to try and distance himself from you.

Honestly, at the beginning, he thought you were just way more than he could ever handle.

You start to gradually integrate yourself into Sicheng’s friend group.

You start to especially click with Ten, since he’s so similar to you.

Despite what Sicheng had first thought, even Kun seems to warm up to you.

He had been the most reluctant to open up to you, but you’d been persistent, whether you had realised it or not, which you probably had.

There were times where he’d be irritated by you.

But once he finally gave you a chance, just like everyone else, he was absolutely enamoured.

You just had this undeniable air about you, and Sicheng was weak against you, like a moth to a dancing flame.

He grew fonder and fonder of your personality, your wit, your personality, your vibe.

He finds you to actually be someone with depth.

You’re smart, like really smart.

He thinks it’s impressive that you know such a wide range of languages since he knows first-hand how challenging learning a foreign language is.

He didn’t think he’d fall for you.

You two are complete opposites.

You’re a free soul, unbound by traditional rules, wings spread as far as the eye can see, while Sicheng is grounded, a fish in a bucket, unable and unwilling to adventure any further than the confines of his plastic home.

He knows that he’s fallen for you.

He won’t try to convince himself he hasn’t.

But he is hesitant to tell you about it since you two are polar opposites and Sicheng feels like he’d only hold you back (aww poor baby).

At first, he thought you and Ten maybe had something, so one day he pulls Ten to the side, face tense and asks him if you two are a thing.

Ten laughs at him, saying that no, you two could never be into each other like that, you’re just too alike for that. He’ll smilefondly and tell Sicheng something along the lines of, “Go get her.”

Sicheng will confess by buying you something you’d like, (courtesy of Ten after he’d badgered him about it for ages) a resolute edge in his eyes but a shy lilt in his voice. He’ll bring you out for a picnic, basking in the sight of you enjoying the view and smiling to himself.

— DATING DONG SICHENG.

Ten is the only person who’s caught on so far (and Kun has a gut feeling) since Sicheng isn’t very obvious about his feelings towards you.

So when the two of you show up, Sicheng holding your hand in his, a timid smile playing at his lips, the rest of the members are shocked.

Actually, shocked is an understatement.

Lucas is very obnoxious about it, letting out exaggerated gasps and, “What????????”

Hendery is all smug, acting like he’s known from the very start although he had practically no idea.

Xiaojun is patting Sicheng on the back and happy that you two are together.

Yangyang is so soft for you guys, like “Aww, that’s so cute.”

Kun is just a whole ass proud dad, yet he still is a bit protective over you and warns Sicheng that if he does anything stupid, he’s gonna get it. Though, Kun knows that Sicheng could never do anything to hurt you, not on purpose anyway.

Ten’s just smirking slyly in the background, teasing Sicheng about the way he was so serious the other day.

Sicheng is just so happy you accepted and reciprocated his feelings for you.

Once you two start dating, his favouritist thing ever will be your cooking.

If you cook him a little meal, he’ll be so happy.

He’ll get that signature Winwin smile, as his eyes glimmer in pure adoration for you.

He’ll pass out if you pack him a cute little lunch/bento box for practice.

He’ll lowkey show off to his friends, but he won’t be loud about it. That’s not who he is.

He’ll just munch on what you’ve made for him, feeling his chest bubble with warmth as he imagines you over the stove, humming softly or grinning toothily as you cut his sandwich into cute shapes.

Is very much teased about it, especially when you make he food in the shape of little animals or a heart.

Makes him feel like a little kid, but also really appreciated.

He’s the type to just subconsciously be the sweetest boyfriend ever.

He doesn’t even think about it, it just happens.

When you try to steal his food, he’ll just feed you it instead.

Holds your hand as you cross the road and wipes off your makeup if you accidentally fall asleep in it.

Isn’t into PDA, he doesn’t like flaunting you too much and he’s a private person, so he prefers to be intimate behind closed doors without any prying eyes.

He doesn’t mind if you initiate contact, but he’s not shy to do it first either. He likes to kiss or nibble your ears. He thinks it’s cute when you squirm.

But it’s not like he doesn’t get shy either. If you find his sweet spot, he’ll definitely crumble and give into you easily.

Since he’s not an extroverted person, he won’t be keen on going out in a large group too often, so he doesn’t mind if you’re out with your friends for long.

He trusts you, and why should it bother him? You’re not doing anything wrong and he doesn’t want you to feel like you’re being trapped in a cage.

Which relates back to that initial fear of his that he’s holding you back.

So, make sure to reassure him that he’s not.

Thinks it’s really cool that you’re studying bio-engineering (though he doesn’t know a single thing about it).

He understands your schedule can be hectic and he respects that sometimes you need time to yourself.

Sicheng is not a clingy boyfriend. He respects your space and hopes you respect his too.

Since he’s quite active, he’s glad you are too. If you’re down, he’ll invite you to work out together.

Likes to look at you draw, though once again, he doesn’t know much about it.

Is glad that you and Ten can vibe over that since he can’t, so he likes when you invite Ten over since Sicheng can talk to him too. Overall, just glad that you get along well with his friends.

Honestly, Sicheng’s a little rigid around your friends at first, but he tries his best to warm up to them.

His favourite routine with you is watching you study or draw as you nibble on the small bowl of fresh fruits and nuts he got for you and cuddling until you two fall asleep while you watch Adventure Time together.

He will subconsciously murmur the songs :)

»» ──────　[*:. ☁︎ .:*]　────── ««

— 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧. | 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬.

#toaster asks #toaster ships #nct ships #winwin ships #sicheng ships #tHIS GOT SO LONG AHHHHHHHHHH #IM SO SO SORRY #can u tell i really like wayv

[thesagedahlia]

💔 Apryl Jones & Lil Fizz: The Re-Up💔

Gone for a minute, now we back with the jumpoff...no, I'm not talking about Apryl 👩🏾‍🦲☻

When my prediction of their break-up came to past, I wasn't as excited of my skill, as I was indifferent about the loss of this "relationshituation". I pulled cards the day it was announced as well, & I keep getting the tower card (for those that don't know, the tower is faulty foundations that come crashing down, or even self realizations, & a lot of the time is triggered by the powers that be), so I felt they were done-zo, like not for 'play play'. I also picked up on her deflecting the relationship & downplaying what really happened (like, I can't get the tower multiple times & NOT think there was more to the situation). My interest was dying down however, so I almost didn't do this whole project. Thanks to a tip from one of my followers, who spotted Apryl & Fizz together & speculated that she was with child, my 'nosey' nose started itching. Come to find out, it seems their 'paradise' blew up right in their faces, & it was in ways that I both did & didn't expect...

By the way, they still unfollow each other till this day 💅🏾

**DISCLAIMER**

I am not declaring, nor am I insinuating, that anything I say in my predictions are true accounts of any of the parties involved. This reading is for entertainment purposes only, & should only taken as such. All in good fun, folks 🤷🏾‍♀️🧿

💔The state of Apryl & Fizz's relationship energetically❔

I feel like their break-up was triggered by some reckless or careless behavior out of boredom or lack of fun. I feel like one or both people started to become discontent & dissatisfied within the relationship. Undelivered promises may have caused some loneliness as well, which is pointing to a possible infidelity. Their foundation wasn't as strong as they made it seem to be, & if feels like Apryl was who created issues outside of the equation. I also have reason to believe whoever she 'slept with' (if she did) led to a pregnancy scare/unwanted pregnancy. I feel like there was confusion as to who fathered the child. I feel like there was a separation to were Apryl probably didn't tell this everything, or she did & it wasn't believed. It feels like there is a complete lack of clarity or illumination regarding this possible pregnancy scare. I also feel like if Apryl was pregnant, she may have had fertility issues or as she may have contemplated an abortion or went through with terminating the pregnancy. I feel like they argued a lot of about what happened & it caused a lot of stress. I don't think there in the best place & Apryl may be remorseful & apologetic, but I also feel like she is defensive of her actions. Fizz feels like he has a chip on his shoulder over this, & he firmly believes that she's repeated negative patterns out of boredom. I feel like Fizz has also found peace within his solitude, & I don't feel like he is looking to fix things with Apryl. I feel there was a reality check of the stagnation they were experiencing, but I think it put a damper on their actual friendship. I'm also getting a strong feeling that whoever it is that she is being accused of sleeping with feels like an old friend or an ex of hers. Until there is ability to assert control or to receive some sort of revelation, there is an energy of uncertain outcomes or playing the waiting game. Fizz may not have been as active regarding her 'pregnancy scare', because of the overwhelming possibility that it could have been someone else's. This could honestly be a case of unrequited love or challenges to let go of a heartbreaker I'm also getting the feeling that they tried a long distance stent and their relationship but it still wasn't enough to bring things into balance.

💔 Did they break up/why❓

I'm going to say yes, they did at that time it was announced that they did, & it was a case of possible infidelity. Apryl comes off as the 'party girl' type, so she definitely has doing some overindulging, but it led to some confusion in the relationship. Apryl was being recognized around the streets, if you dig what I'm saying. It feels like it was a friend, or ex of Apryl's, that she may have been rumored to have hooked up with (I'd say it was either a friend of Apryl's, Fizz's, or this can be a mutual friend of both) that seemed to be a 'one night', if you will. I feel there was a clinging on to this relationship after a while, & a shred of it does seek the attention that comes with being together, but the connection got a little routine & burdening. It did feel like someone was searching outside of the relationship, but it didn't seem intentional; it felt like it happened naturally. Apryl is wanting a happy family life, but she is looking for in all the wrong ways out of loneliness. I feel like her children with Omarion became a priority when custody was awarded to him. I feel that dealing with that became more important than her relationship with Fizz, so plans have changed. I also feel it was hard for Fizz to process if Apryl was dealing with the friend or not, & I think the whole situation of that changed the dynamic of their relationship as a whole. There was a realization that they weren't going to grow from this, as there was no real direction. I feel like it not only drove a wedge into their relationship but also the friends relationship with each of them.

💔SINGLE LIFE💔

💃🏾 How is Apryl Jones coping with the single life ❔

She seems like she is focus on her foundations & achievements namely her family/children. It's also a strong energy of her focusing on herself & not looking to deal with love or a relationship. This is the age of someone who is single, but I do feel like she hooks up from time to time; single, yet mingling. I certainly don't feel Apryl in the house every night, & she does deal with men (or it can be a specific water sign man) that aren't emotionally mature, are emotionally manipulative, & comes off as the non-committal types. I don't feel her wanting to commit right now & it may be from discouragement or fear of uncertainty. She has a blocked heart chakra so emotionally she may be unstable herself. I do feel her really being hung up on what she went through with Omarian, but I also feel she still wanting a happy ending with someone. She's not in the right emotional state right now, so anyone she gets involved with will be unorganized or unconventional. I feel like her relationship with Fizz was a way to lash out through what she was feeling. I see her being attached from her emotions & love as well, & she may be attracting non emotional men to 'tame her beasts'. I feel like this is her way to cope, but it doesn't stick for her. She doesn't open up about how she may be suffering, & she copes in silence as well. I feel like she doesn't want to have relationships/friendships because I feel they have caused her a lot of drama & stress in her life in general, as well as her love life. She's operating on inner conflict & pain, so she is in the mindset of not allowing friends/partners into her life for too long if they begin to cause her stress.

🕺🏾How is Lil Fizz coping with the single life❓

Fizz feels like he isn't making any decisions or movements to be committed to anyone, as I feel he is getting over the relationship with Apryl & I felt that to have been taken as a failure or an embarrassment to him. I feel he felt good about his relationship with her in the past, at first, & he felt it to be fulfilling his wishes. I think really committing is a challenge for him, so I don't see him being open to a relationship anytime soon. I do feel like he's not sitting at home either & he is also in much of an in-&-out player energy with women. They both seem to be lacking introspection, but with Fizz, he seems to be coming out of his emotions as opposed to them. I do feel like he is coping with the same methods as Apryl, but he seemed to be content with this function (or so he is making himself believe this). I feel he will open up intuitively & spiritually when he begins gaining clarity on why love hasn't worked out for him in the past, & a lot of the time he would either be mismatched or we he would attract very logical or cold women. For him, this may be a slow discovery/recovery from this, & it will be a matter of gaining illumination to patterns. I also feel Fizz really does want to find someone he has genuine feelings towards & someone he would be willing to commit to, just like Apryl, but he needs to understand why he attracts certain women. I also feel he gets wary of women who gets involved with him because he's 'Lil Fizz'. He wants security & stability with someone he cares for, but he has to start getting serious about the type of girl to be with. I feel like these types of women are familiar to him & he may have a hard time implementing these expectations right away.

💔 Do they ever plan on getting back together❔

Right now, their relationship is in a state of conflict regarding some gossip or misinformation about an affair, & it is coming up as an accident that they are both aware of, but I don't think the details or as extensive or as clear. Despite this knowledge putting a wedge into their relationship, the spark went out in their relationship rather quickly as well. Also I think Apryl was trying too hard to force a family with Fizz, which also cause discontentments further promoting the connection has run its course. I feel like in their relationship, Apryl was drawing a lot of negative attention to herself, & it also felt like she is the source of a lot of drama & conflict. I feel Fizz was committed to a fault, but I think he began to become discouraged about the security within their connection. I feel that day felt it was best to close the cycle out & separate, & it feels like deception may have resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, or scare (or at least that is what's speculated). Whether there was issues with the pregnancy fertility issues or mis carriage was experience fertility is coming up a lot; which coincides with Apryl being the permiscuous type. Moving forward, trust issues came up more often than not; even though there was loyalty to the friendship, it feels like an issue of letting go of the past. It feels like they would need to be open to healing the past, but I don't think they are in this space just yet. It may be hard to overlook Apryl's alleged actions, & I feel Fizz is fearful of being cheated on or rejected. This break-up feels final & it feels like there needs to be a mutual effort & desire to be together, without it coming from and unhealed place. The alleged cheating was kind of what called everything off & turn the desire off. Overall, I think the ship has sailed since the situation isn't healed all the way.

💔What lies in the near future for both parties❓

💃🏾 Apryl will be focused on her own stability, or lack thereof, & I feel like she isn't in the best place financially, or in the coming months it will get to an uncomfortable place for her. I'm not sure of her living situation, as it seems she either has roommates, or she is living in between places, but I feel she is dealing with someone she may be dependent on. It's giving me the impression that her only claim to this man is financial stability, while he is only attracted to her for physical appearance. I feel her focus will also be recovering her reputation after the backlash of dating Fizz, which the attention from that was a possible reason why she dealt with him for that time, other than how she felt about him. I feel like she is wanting to build herself back from her relationship with Fizz, as she has had a strong fall from grace with all that has happened, & it may be difficult to recover her respect from the public eye. She has the energy of an underachiever & hasn't got into a place in her life (yet) where she can genuinely say she's financially stable or happy.

🕺🏾 Fizz feel like he is in a mentally entrapping situation that feels like it has to do with Moniece because I'm picking up mothering energy. It feels like he keeps her at bay (or tries to), but I feel like it may start to become difficult to keep her happy, let alone be able to cooperate or coparent with her. I feel this is a never-ending cycle with Mo for him, but I think he is really needing to focus on bringing positivity & optimism to this situation. I feel like he feels a lot of hostile energy, but the only reason for her hostility is due to the lack of forward movement & his lack of discipline/commitment to coparenting. I would even go as far as to say that he can be a absent father at times, or he may wait too long to take any action because he got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Mo. He really tries to keep any monetary advances away from her but that is putting a wedge within his relationship with his son. In layman's terms, Moniece is gonna fuck around & take his ass to court, which will put him in an even more financial bind.

💔BONUS QUESTIONS💔

👶🏾 Was Apryl ever pregnant by Fizz/is there a child promised to their relationshituation❔

I see the possibility of a scare, but I feel Apryl either had complications or had the pregnancy terminated (or it was just a scare). I feel like she & Fizz had already been broken up, & it is coming up that the scare was revealed after she was separated from Fizz. I also feel Apryl had an affair around the time they separated in a may be a source of reference within a timeline of conception. I get the feeling of reluctance on having to come clean about what was done in the dark because they seem to have been already in a tight space I also believe there was gossip of Apryl being unfaithful that seem to be getting around through mutual friends & that that was where the scare stemmed from, rather than the fact that they were seemingly separated at that time. I also feel like there was even some run-ins regarding these parties. I also feel Fizz was good friends with the man she allegedly had an affair with, or he may have been familiar with him by way of a close knit network. I feel like this hurt Apryl's reputation even worse in private, yet I don't feel there will be a baby to come out of this relationshituation.

🤳🏾 Why have Apryl & Fizz unfollowed each other on Social Media❓

I'm getting the energy that it was obstacles & challenges in regards to continuing to be able to see what one another is up to. Their break feels indefinitely, & it was a combative situation that was lacking balance, even now. I also feel they were needing to understand what they were doing in their relationship together, & things were dying down as a result. I'm also getting the sense that they were beginning to recognize the lack of stability & immaturity that seemed to cause disharmony between them, & I'm also seeing that monetary issues played a part in their break-up as well. It also feels them unfollowing each other was ego-driven as well. It seems to have been a lot of conflict that seemed to be bringing out toxicity in both of them; basically they need to separate physically & visually. I don't think they are on speaking terms either, since communication is coming up with what needs to be organized.

💏 Did Apryl ever cheat in Fizz when they were together❔

It feels like it was a situation where there was misinterpretation or disillusionment regarding what is & what isn't. It feels she was focused on asserting her truth, which led to a need to control the rumors of this. In her inner truth, that is coming up that there WAS an opportunity to cheat that she did not seize, with the same individual that I kept picking up on a regards to this allegation. With that said I'm going to have to say no, she didn't cheat on Fizz. I feel like this was a rumor that blew up & caused strife between her & Fizz but the exchange of this information is what needed to be organized. There already seemed to be some boundaries in place against the possibility to cheat, by way of her own rejection. I do feel like this has had a profound effect on their relationship, & I don't think Fizz was able to trust her the same after that.

#tarot community #witchblr #tarot #tarot readings #ask sage #tarot conversations #witch community #divination #readings by sage #energy readings #celebrity culture #celeb news #celebrities #celebrity #celebs #celebrity relationships #celebrity breakups #celebrity psychic readings #celebrity request #celebrity reading #celebrity requests #celebrity readings #celebrity predictions #hollyweird #hollywood #apryl jones #lil fizz

[shadowetienne]

Hello! I was wondering if you could point me to any skaters that are similar to Daisuke Takahashi. I'm not super familiar with the sport, so I wanted a more experienced person's knowledge. I just watched some of his performances recently, and I just fell in love. Whenever I've seen other skaters they're technically advanced, but it doesn't quite have that oomph factor. With Takahashi, he's so fluid and natural, like the ice is catering to him rather than trying to accommodate for the ice.

This is a bit of a hard one.  I loved Dai as a skater, but he was never one of my absolute favorites (during the time where he was one of the top skaters, I was more of a Lambiel and then a Tatsuki guy).  That being said, in men’s skating some top skaters that you would probably appreciate right now:

Shoma Uno of team Japan is probably the obvious answer in that Dai was his hero and he in many ways has tried to emulate Dai.  That being said, he’s completely his own skater, but he came into his own not as a jumper and then developed the jumps to carry him farther.

Vincent Zhou coming out of Juniors (Team USA) is someone you might also want to take a look at.  He’s got a lot of expression and a lot of artistic merit tied in with good tech quality.

Then in men’s skating some “lower level” mostly because they are coming out of small feds without much funding and don’t have the ability to get training that higher funded skaters do:

Julian Zhi Jie Yee of team Malaysia is definitely an interesting skater to watch who I’ve had my eye on for a while.

Michael Christian Martinez (of team Philippines) is better known but is also in that same sort of bracket.

Both of them definitely has something special that draws me in and grabs my attention.  As far as who my favorite men’s skaters are right now:  Shoma Uno, Vincent Zhou, Denis Ten, Keiji Tanaka, Julian Zhi Jie Yee, Lee June Hyung, Jin Boyang (but for reasons that having nothing to do with why Dai is awesome), and quite a few others.

In the grand scheme of things though, I watch all the disciplines of skating, and you might find some really awesome skaters by looking to ladies and pairs and ice dance as well.  In ladies, here are some people I’m currently really excited about:

Satoko Miyahara (team Japan) is an amazing well rounded skater, and I love that she keeps challenging herself with new things.  She’s artistic and technically sound.  (And she’s coming back off an injury so watch out for her.)

Kaori Sakamoto is a skater coming out of juniors to seniors this season and is one of 7 Japanese ladies with a solid shot at the Olympic team.  She’s really well rounded, and has some programs that I really enjoy.

Wakaba Higuchi (also of team Japan) is a skater who might actually appeal to me more than you, but she’s an amazing balance of speed and tech stuff with working at her artistry and connection to the audience to the point where it’s awesome.

Mirai Nagasu (of team USA) is a brilliant all rounder who has been going strong for a long time and has wonderful compelling programs.

Elizabet Tursybaeva (of team Kazakhstan) is a wonderful rising skater who shows a lot of strength of will and breadth of talent.

Dabin Choi (of team Korea) is a wonderful artistically interesting skater who has very emotionally compelling skating.

Some of my favorite skaters in ladies:  Satoko Miyahara, Rika Hongo, Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi, Karen Chen, Mirai Nagasu, Elizabet Tursynbaeva, Dabin Choi, and many others.

As far as pairs and ice dance go, well I have strong opinions about pairs, and far less strong opinions about ice dance, but I feel like we’re straying farther from the original topic.  No one else will ever be Dai, but there are a ton of amazing skaters out there right now trying their hardest and bringing awesome new things to the ice.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[therealestatesparkblog]

The Stupid-Simple Budgeting Trick I'm Using to Stop Blowing 5 Figures a Month

Ill set the stage for you. Every Friday, the credit card balance email would arrive, and I would be physically sick and terrified to open it. It was like the Russian roulette of email, wondering how horrible of a job we did this week at following our budget. Oh my god, how did we spend this much money? *Insert the throwing up emoji.* I felt like a complete failure. How did we do this again? Didnt we figure this out finally? The Background Having a clear budgetand a clear process for where the income goesis essential. My wife and I have worked together on our budget for years now. But its also easy for the lifestyle creep to begin, to get shiny object syndrome. Wed had the blessing of our income steadily increasing for a number of years, but for a time, our skills and diligence with saving, budgeting, and knowing what to do with the money had not grown with it. You may be thinking, Tough life. The trolls of the internet are literally digging their way through the interwebs towards this post as we speak. The guys complaining about having all these bucks to blow on whatever. Let me suggest instead we put the focus on this adage:Its not what you make, its what you keep.

The Excuses For multiple months in a row, my wife and I would have these weekly conversations about sticking to our budget. We would then take turns arguing back and worth about what we had or hadnt done. Where we spent the money and whose fault it was. There were lots of great reasons why we had made the decisions we hadand how it would be totally different the following week or month. The problem is, these were all excuses. This dinner. These things for the kids. Some hunting crap. The thing on the counter. That lunch. These toys for the kids. That tractor part I had to have. That little flight across the country. Fancy new shades. These Lululemon pants. Anyway, you know what all of that really is, right? Excuses. No ownership of the problem. Related: 4 Steps to Buy the Car You Want Within the Budget You Can Afford The Results At the end of the game of your favorite sports team, its easy to see the score, right? There is a winner and a loser. Back then, our budget, savings, and investments were the big fat losers. And our credit card, the stupid crap we were buying, and our bad behavior and habits were winning. Although we were making awesome money on a regular basis, I was feeling literally broke. Our system and our budget wasnt working. We were literally paying these credit card bills in increments and could blow more than five figures on a monthly basis. So embarrassing. Something had to change. The Conversation My wife and I were texting back and forth. I believe that conversation went something like: Me: Hi love, hope you are having a great day [adorable kiss emoji]! Mrs.: Thanks love, you too. Awesome day with the kids here. Im sure youre out there crushing it, you amazing man you. What an adorable beard you have, too. Ill have a whiskey waiting for you on the counter with one of those cool round ice cubes as soon as you get home tonight. [Some embellishment here may be possible.] Me: Oh yeah, thanks love. Crushing it ALL. DAY. Me: BTW, have you happened to look at the credit card today? Mrs.: No, been busy with the kids at the library and the grocery store, then taking care of your stuff, then cleaning, and then school with the kids, and then Me: Yeah, its like $4k. THIS WEEK! How in the world did we do this, AGAIN! Mrs.: Wow. Me: What in the world are we going to do? This is such a nightmare. Mrs.: Its time. We need to go back to the envelope system. Me: Holy cow, why didnt I think of that? The Transition to the Envelope System Ill point out, its not an easy transition after you are used to doing whatever you want. And believe me, I was at least 50% if not more like 70% at fault for the spending in the household. Its fun to get whatever you want. But it also has its downsides. Like blowing all your money, leaving you feeling broke and stuck. If you arent familiar with this, Dave Ramsey and many others have spoken at length on the envelope system. The premise is, you write out your budget for how you will spend your money monthly. Anything that is paid directly, like a car payment or a mortgage, is accounted for, which would then be paid via bill pay. Then, everything else budget-wise, such as eating out, clothes, groceries, fun money, kids sports, toys, whatever, is paid out by cash from the envelopes. No exceptions.

The Execution Usually, I have a monthly draw from our business around the first. So, after having my draw completed, I walked into the branch of the bank and walked up to the teller I knew by name. I handed her my check and then asked, Id like to deposit this check, and Id also like to withdraw $4,000 in cash please. I had this feeling she was thinking to herself, Is this dude really taking that much to the strip club? Wow. I got a pretty good chuckle at that thought. I let the pause go for another few seconds, and then said, We are doing the envelope system at home now. Have you heard of it? Related: The Foolproof Monthly Budget: How to Save Up Money to Buy Investment Properties It fun to share what we were doing as she gathered everything together. She stepped back over to the teller station with this giant stack of cash. I was thinking, did she do the math wrong here? Its like 2+ inches think, made up of $20s and $100s. She counted it once (with a machine in that quantity) and then walked over to me to count it out. I swear it felt like five minutes counting these bills out. Every few minutes, I would look around to see if there were other people around wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. I was thinking, I wonder if this is what the drug dealers feel like? And now I have to walk out of the bank with this. The cash doesnt fit in the bank envelope. Or two. So I just carried the stack out and walked directly to my truck. When I got home, I showed my wife this same stack of cash and said something funny like, Giddy up, momma. Im sure she was impressed. And I was seriously hopeful this would finally get us back on track. The Outcome The previous time we used the envelope system, maybe four or five years ago, we used them for well over a year, with great success.We have now been doing the envelopes for two or three weeks. And just like the last time, I have felt an immediate sense of calmness in our decision. If we want to eat out, we do. If my wife needs something for the kids, she gets it. But we know that the money in the envelope is what is budgeted, and we have to work together within the categories to make sure we are on the same page. Its a lot harder to spend a $100 bill out of your wallet than it is to pull out your credit card and swipe it. So, I will do a follow-up on this in another six to nine months and give examples of what we have run into, what was working, what we had to tweak, and some of the results from savings and spending. Final Thoughts Its my goal with this post to tell the truth. Making money is actually the easy part. Keeping it, investing it, and not raising your lifestyle every time you make more money is hard. No matter if you make $2k a month or $100k a month, you need a budget. You need to tell your money where its going and to hold it and yourself accountable for the outcome. No more excuses. No more email roulette with the credit card statement. Own the outcome, and lets get after it.

How do you budget in your householdwhat has worked, and what have the challenges been? Comment below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/how-not-to-blow-5-figures-a-month/