#and then revived themselves a few months later

[witchstone]

I also bought a calathea orbifolia 3 days ago! never had a calathea before, so i really hope i don't kill it because it's very pretty

they're stunning little plants aren't they!! i'm just mildly worried because i keep hearing people say they're quite finicky creatures

#if it dies i'll stick it outside in the calathea graveyard where the other two calatheas (ornata and something else) corpses were put #and then revived themselves a few months later #melodramatic #letters #anon

[k1ngdom-of-thieves]

Ok here's the request, how would Deity! Jamil, Leona, and Malleus discovered their temple was attacked and destroyed leaving the reader a priest or acolyte the only survivor. And they had to fend for themselves. At some point, they return and rebuild the temple, then train the new people how to protect themselves. I hope this isn't too complex.

Thank you so much for waiting, I feel terrible for making you wait so long. I hope you still enjoy this :)

Deity!Jamil, Leona, Malleus + Watching their sole acolyte rebuild their temples!

Jamil Viper

Jamil was deeply enraged by the fact his temples were demolished, that his followers were slaughtered, and that his image was made a mockery of. That instead of simply dismissing his work, -which would have still pissed him off, but significantly less so- those against him chose to go after the innocent followers needing a place to belong.

He watches as the sole survivor, his poor acolyte, run to safety amidst the chaos. At this rate, there was nothing that he could do other than bless them with his gift of knowledge and hope that they would one day return.

Those hopes rang true as he saw you return many months later; and not alone. You had come back with a handful of skilled followers willing to come rebuild what had been destroyed. In only a handful of weeks, plans to revive the temple were already on their way. He was quite proud to see you use his blessings in such a way.

For Jamil, he sees the idea of making physical appearances needless to his followers. They know he watches over them, and he’d rather not deal with the frighteningly high number of people that go mad after meeting a deity. But, since you showed such a striking display of loyalty to him, he is more willing to bend that rule and thank you “in person”. It was via a mirage but the point still stands.

“You have shown me that your piety is unwavering, and that you truly care for me as well as your fellow acolytes. For that you have my thanks and my offer to you: I will grant you any wish you have, you just have to say it. What do you have your heart set on?”

Leona Kingscholar

Leona is also quite pissed at the destruction of his temple, but shifts his focus to the sole survivor: you. As long as he’s able to assist you to safety, he knows the fate of his religion rests in good hands.

While Leona would like you to eventually return, he’s not holding his breath. Considering what you witnessed and experienced, he’d be very surprised to see you stay in that part of the city.

So imagine the shock he had when you came back, not some three weeks later, ready to reclaim what was thought to have been lost. Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how he feels as he watches you bring people from all over to assist. Especially since he definitely isn’t the most beloved deity in the pantheon.

Of course, he’s not gonna let you go unrewarded. And don’t even think about telling him that “working for him is reward enough” shit. He’s been around humans for long enough to know that they love their silly little gifts and trinkets.

“You. Let me talk with you. What is it do you want me to give you? Power, money, fame? Don’t get all bashful now, you did something for me and I’m not gonna let that go unpaid.”

Malleus Draconia

Malleus is completely heartbroken. For starters, his followers are very few and far between. So for them to be slaughtered to make a mockery of him shook him to his core. Was he angry? Yes of course, but he cared about the followers that he started to view as family more than anything else.

As he watched you flee to safety, he had convinced himself that you would never return to his temple. He didn’t blame you either. It was far too dangerous; his many enemies could be lurking anywhere.

When you do eventually return, whether it’s been days, weeks, months, or maybe even years, he greats you like you never left. With open arms and acceptance.

He works with you to rebuild the temple. Deities aren’t technically supposed interact directly with mortals, but it’s not a heavily enforced rule either. With his help, it’s restored to its former glory in a matter of days; alongside any additions you wanted to make.

“You came back to me. For that, you have my eternal gratitude. I will never forget your kindness, and swear that your actions will be rewarded handsomely.”

#twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst imagines #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland #jamil viper #twst jamil #twst leona #leona kingscholar #deity au #malleus draconia #twst malleus #jamil viper x reader #leona kingsholar x reader #malleus draconia x reader

[genericpuff]

Scamlords is at it again.

A few nights ago, there was a sudden blow-up in the /r/webtoons server showing a new announcement from Snailords -

For anyone unaware, Death : Rescheduled has been on mid-season hiatus since October. And it's now, and only now, that Snailords has suddenly decided the comic is ending after it returns, but readers can get an extra 20 episodes... if they fork over $1k in merch sales.

Now, this could be a lot worse. They could be threatening not to return to the series at all unless their readers hand over money. But considering it's practically just one degree away from that, it's still pretty nasty. Not to mention, the further they divulged in their reasoning around this "idea", the more confusing it got.

They also even revived their @snailordsrant account on IG which, for those of you who were there and can recall, was the same account they used to put one of their own fans on blast over some very mild criticism.

None of this makes any actual sense, for several reasons:

1.) I literally fail to see how getting $1k in less than 24 hours is worth shoving in an extra mini arc of 10 episodes if you don't even have it planned out. Why do that to your audience or to yourself? Why drag things out just to scrounge up an emergency $1k? Why not just be honest with your audience and run a GoFundMe or just say , "Hey everyone, I've run into some financial troubles, I would really appreciate it if you could FastPass my newest episodes or donate to my Patreon or buy some merch so I can cover the costs". It's really telling that this shithead doesn't have enough confidence in themselves or their audience that practically worships them that they have to resort to this kind of underhanded shit to get the money they need. I wanna make it clear that this is NOT like a Kickstarter stretch goal or anything that incentivizes readers to support their work, they're instead holding the length and future of their series over their audiences' head (which they've done before) for money. That's not an incentive, it's an ultimatum.

2.) Maybe I'm misreading / being stupid (someone pls explain if I'm missing something here) but I literally don't see how their comment about working 50 hours a week explains why they're suddenly getting their fans to pay out $1k worth of merch in less than 24 hours. For anyone who doesn't know, $1k per episode is an example Webtoons uses in its post discussing how they pay out creators (this came after the platform got called out 2 years ago for paying creators too little, there are undoubtedly creators getting paid less). And yet for some reason $1k is apparently the difference between 10 episodes and 20? How does that add up? And is the bit about them wanting to buy boba supposed to be a joke? Where's the punchline here?

3.) They say they have writer's block and they want to use the money to "motivate them", but then just a few slides later they say 10-15 episodes is what would make them the "happiest" so which is it? Do they want to write 10 episodes or do they want people to pay them to write 20 episodes so they can draw the fluff scenes that they apparently want to draw? If you have an ending planned out, why rush it or drag it out depending on how this "fundraiser" goes? Why not just write the ending you want to write that will serve your story best? Why shove in an extra mini arc that you don't even have full confidence in writing and then try to compare it to a "super expensive cake"? What are you doing? Speaking as someone who's had trouble getting motivated in the past, suddenly getting a month's rent worth of money to do it doesn't necessarily solve that, it just turns up the pressure, and if you're not someone who deals with pressure well, then you're more likely to wind up just burning out entirely rather than fulfilling that goal.

4.) The fact that they did, in fact, hit their goal just makes it all the shittier to think about because their audience is mostly made up of teenagers who worship the ground that they walk on. It's horrifying that they keep pulling these stunts with their audience, and getting away with it to boot - and Webtoons, as a company, keeps enabling it by allowing it to happen by hosting and promoting people like this.

Anyways, there's already a lot going on here that's sketchy, but then... they went and deleted their posts. At the time of this happening (as I was there to witness it all play out in real time) I assumed this meant that they had hit their $1k goal - especially as they had been showing their progress on their IG and they were already at $900 after just a couple hours - but it gave me a sinking feeling seeing them delete it because they had also been called out by some brave readers telling them that it wasn't exactly a good look to essentially blackmail their audience through their own content into giving them money.

Snailords deleting it gave me a stronger impression of "burying the evidence", especially now that they had the money. By all accounts, they could do whatever they wanted now.

So what did they decide to do?

. . . Huh?

Okay, take a second to actually think about what Snailords has done here. Because I know some of you will go "oh, it was for charity all along! that was nice of them!" but . . . I don't know about the legalities of collecting donation funds under false pretenses, but morally speaking, it's a really shitty thing to do. They stripped away the choices - limiting them to three - of what their readers could donate to, and what I think their readers don't understand - due to being mostly teenagers - is that they're tax-exempt individuals and they just unknowingly gave Snailords an easy $1k tax write-off. You really, really shouldn't collect donation funds like this without being honest, it's just a shitty thing to do, especially after you've already collected the money. It mostly just comes across as damage control on Snailords' part to make it seem like they were always planning to donate to charity, when in reality, if they wanted to donate to charity, they would have been honest about that at the start. Again, even if they wanted to do that from the start, it goes to show how little confidence they have in themselves or their audience that they have to stoop to methods like these instead of just doing it honestly.

And do you really think Snailords will actually do those extra episodes? Or donate that money? This is the same asshole who has manipulated their readers for money not once but twice, and now seems intent on doing it a third time just for the charm. This is the same person who practically sabotaged their own comic, Freaking Romance, because they apparently didn't like the romance genre and may as well have only done it for clout / views / etc.

What was especially odd - and I found this out from folks who actually read Death : Rescheduled (I do not) - was finding out that it wouldn't make sense for D : R to end in as many as 25 episodes, because apparently, the plot has basically just gotten going.

So it does seem like this is foreshadowing that D : R will wind up just like Freaking Romance, rushed into an ending that wasn't expected. And this, of course, has the people who read their work confused because D : R was supposed to be Snailords' passion project, their magnum opus, the project they wanted to do. So them holding the timing of an ending that shouldn't even be happening yet for ransom contradicts that original intention. Really, it just goes to show that Snailords has no passion, they're just in it purely for the money, to a degree that I can't even cheer them on for being a hustler because it's missing the honesty and integrity.

And of course, every single time Snailords finds a way to backpedal and take his audience for a ride, they hop right in without a single thought for themselves.

And no, none of this is to hate on the readers directly, I hold Snailords entirely responsible for this - they have an audience of impressionable, naive, gullible teenagers, and they know it, and take advantage of it every chance they get. It's why they weren't just honest about wanting to collect money for charity from the start. It's why they resorted to basically holding their own comic's progression for ransom during its midseason hiatus. It's why the deadline was 24 hours and why the posts are now gone.

Thankfully the Internet does what it does - any evidence that Snailords was trying to bury is now all over reddit, and hey, just for good measure, here's a post on Tumblr that's been sitting in my drafts for days now, days after people have already seemingly stopped talking about it. Don't let anyone bury or forget about the stunts Snailords is pulling on their audience, with a platform that they've been consistently given by Webtoons, because that's what they want you to do.

#snailords #webtoon critical

[mountsmason]

Conflicting Emotions; Part 1

summary: it was the world cup quarter-finals, with your national team England playing against France. so it was less than ideal to have a French boyfriend, as it would leave one of you completely dejected.

pairing: any French player x reader, slightly mason mount x reader

a/n: needed some angst in my life so I wrote this :))

The final whistle blew, signalling the match was over. A sudden heaviness overcame your body as you inhaled a shallow breath.

England lost the quarter-finals against France.

The atmosphere divided into two, with half the stadium erupting in sheer euphoria while the other half fell silent. Utter devastation spread amongst England supporters, as this was the outcome we were all dreading. You heard your heart shatter at the sight of your national team collapsing on the ground in anguish, trying to console themselves after having lost their chance at winning the World Cup.

You truly believed the England team gave it everything, so you were inexplicably proud of what they had achieved. All you wanted to do in that moment was hug each of them and reassure them that they played incredibly well with so much determination and passion. You glanced around the stadium, your eyes landing on your ex-boyfriend Mason, who had his face buried in his hands as the French team celebrated behind him.

Seeing Mason vulnerable like that reluctantly revived the memories of the Euros final— the same pain and heartbreak. You remember how Mason was inconsolable for days after the loss, taking a while to come to terms with how close they were to winning the final, but you were there to constantly reassure him. Despite it being a difficult time, Mason made sure you knew how much he appreciated you being there for him. A few months later, you two mutually agreed to break up and still remain good friends.

In an attempt to drown out the noise and memories, you squeezed your eyes shut while a stream of uncontrollable tears rolled down your face. Everyone’s hopes and dreams for England winning this year’s World Cup ended the second the whistle was blown. The noise didn't seem to quiet down, so you lifted your heavy eyelids, to see the French players sprinting chaotically around the pitch in a frenzy of celebration while the England players were consoling each other.

Your gaze drifted between different players, and that’s when you saw him. Your boyfriend had that perfect, irresistible grin tugging at his lips as he embraced his team; a sense of guilt washed over you. He is through to the semi-finals, so as his girlfriend, you should be ecstatic for him, yet here you are completely heartbroken at the result. Dare you say, you feel a slight resentment toward his national team. It's not fair on him, and you're well aware of it. He’s worked equally as hard as the England team to get to this stage, so you should be proud of him.

At that sudden realisation, you wiped away your tears with your sleeves before he noticed you. But it was already too late; he had seen your tear-stained cheeks, and his smile immediately faded from his face as his expression softened with worry. Under your breath, you muttered “shit,” knowing that you had ruined this moment for him.

Giving him a small smile, you pointed in the direction of the French team, telling him to enjoy himself and celebrate. He didn’t move. His gaze remained fixed on you as his brows furrowed, trying to study your expression. You gave him a more genuine smile and mouthed “go,” tilting your head towards where his team was. He slowly shuffled backwards in uncertainty, a small laugh escaping you, as he was still staring at you to see if you really were okay with it. And you were; at the end of the day, you loved to see him succeed, even if that meant winning against your own team.

The England players didn’t waste any more time on the pitch as they came into the stands, where their families and friends were waiting for them. You were also sitting here with Sasha, as you became close friends with her when you were dating Mason. While you were talking about the match with her, you saw some players trying to put on a brave face as they managed a faltering smile before completely breaking down when being comforted by their family and friends.

Mason dragged his feet up the stairs to meet his family, who were seated in the row in front of you. For a split second, your eyes met his red and puffy ones, and you knew he was in a worse state now compared to the Euros final. You watched him melt into his mum’s arms as she hugged him tightly, while his family members all took turns reassuring him and reminding him that he's done the nation proud, regardless of the result. Shortly after, Jack made his way upstairs, instantly looking for comfort in Sasha’s arms.

Mason stood on the stairs when he was finished talking to his family. He was covering his face with one hand, and rubbing his eyes while his back rested on the handrail. You took this opportunity to talk to him.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” You spoke gently with a reassuring smile as Mason moved his hand away from his face.

“Not too bad,” he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

“Really Mason? You’re forgetting I can tell when you’re lying,” you tilt your head in the direction he was staring, trying to get him to look at you.

“I’m okay,” his voice was frail and quiet as he continued to avoid your gaze. Mason’s eyes were glossy as he fought back tears, his bottom lip trembling ever so slightly.

"Just come here," you reach up to wrap your arms around the back of Mason's neck, pulling him in for a hug. That’s when he gave up his pretence of being fine, as he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around your waist to hold you close. He buried his head in your shoulder, letting out a muffled sob that only you could have heard. The sound of Mason breaking down was enough to flood your eyes with tears, so you had to bite the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from turning into a sobbing mess.

As your attention was fixed on Mason, you didn't notice your boyfriend watching the two of you. He was aware of your history, and because of that, he didn't know how to feel. From one perspective, he understands how a huge loss can be so devastating, so Mason will need everyone there for him, even if that includes you. But on the other hand, he can't help but feel a little jealous considering Mason was your first love and everyone knows you don’t forget them. So he was torn in that moment, the same way you were about England losing and France winning. But before his mind can conjure up the worst, his friend drags him back into the group celebration.

“You did great, all of you; you should be so proud of yourself,” Mason simply hummed in response, taking in rapid and shallow breaths as you felt your shirt dampen with his tears.

"You've given us so many amazing memories to look back on in the future. It wasn't meant to be this time, but there's another World Cup just around the corner," you reassured him, not knowing whether your words would make a difference to how Mason is feeling right now.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, because you've done us proud, you've done me proud," you felt Mason's breathing become more even against your skin.

The two of you stayed like that, with no-one interrupting you. Mason had forgotten how safe he felt in your arms, the way it silenced everything around him, and suddenly everything became more bearable. A few minutes passed before Mason lifted his head to look you in the eyes.

"How do you do it?" Mason asked, searching your eyes for the answer.

"Do what?" Your voice was barely a whisper as you brushed away the tears from his face.

"You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better," 

“It’s not difficult when I’m being honest,” you shrugged your shoulders, giving him a smile he found impossible not to return.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me that you are here," you pulled away from the hug as his grip on your waist loosened.

“You don’t have to thank me; I’m just doing what any good friend would do,” you replied, as your gaze wandered around the stadium, watching some fans begin to leave. Mason winced at this; for those few minutes, he forgot that you two were not together anymore.

"Yeah, friends," his voice was monotonous as he looks onto pitch to see your boyfriend still celebrating. You were about to say goodbye, but Mason had something else on his mind.

"Why are you with him?" His question caught you off-guard, an icy contempt flashing in his eyes.

"Mason—" you began before being interrupted.

"No, seriously, why are you actually with him? Do you guys even have anything in common? Surely you can do better than that," he narrowed his darkened eyes as they burned into the back of your boyfriend’s head in envy.

"That is my boyfriend you're talking about, and you don't know the first thing about our relationship. I’ll let your comments slide just this once because I know your emotions are running high, but next time I won't hold back," you scoffed, shaking your head in disbelief as you grabbed your handbag and explained to Sasha that you would call her later.

"Y/N, I'm sorry!" Mason called out as you walked up the stairs and out of the stadium.

➪ read part two here

#mason mount #mason mount x reader #mason mount imagine #mason mount oneshot #mason mount fanfic #mason mount fic #england nt #footballer imagine #france nt #mountsmasonfics #antoine griezmann imagine #antoine griezmann x reader #antoine griezmann

[yletylyf]

Mysterious Lotus Casebook timeline

I put this together for my own use while writing my fic, but haven't seen anyone else share one, so here goes!

This is live-drama canon, not novel canon. I don't speak much Chinese; I followed iqiyi's subtitles which are rather awful. Additions/suggestions/comments/corrections more than welcome!

As should be expected for a comprehensive timeline of all pre-canon events, this is not spoiler free. Below the cut, as it's long:

Timeline

130 years ago:

Princess Longxuan is born, in the year of Ren Yin, Wu Shen month, Geng Jia day, at the hour of Geng Chen. [It could be any year of Ren Yin, but since it has to be more than a hundred years ago, this one is the only one that makes sense.]

100 years ago:

The night before Nanyin was overturned, Princess Longxuan marries Crown Prince Fangji, the eldest son of Emperor Xicheng, granduncle of the current emperor. Princess Longxuan becomes Consort Xuan. Consort Xuan secretly initiates the revival of Nanyin and plots to use the Rama Vessel.

Prince Fangji conspires against Emperor Xicheng and fails. He is ordered to commit suicide. Consort Xuan is sentenced to be buried with Prince Fangji.

Princess Longxuan writes a letter to magician Feng A-Lu asking him to save her son at the bamboo forest. She tells him to contact Jin Yu Huang Quan and revive Nanyin.

Nanyin craftsmen build their tomb and Nanyin sorcery hides it for 100 years.

The throne passes to Emperor Guanqing.

Feng A-Lu does not meet Princess Longxuan's son. He goes to kill the imperial family and falls in love with Consort Ying instead. They have a son who Consort Ying passes off as the emperor's son. Feng A-Lu is buried in the collapse of the Pagoda of Bliss.

Jin Yu Huang Quan did not revive Nanyin. They used the amassed wealth for themselves and passed the Rama ices onto the next generations.

Unknown time:

Li Xiangyi's parents save Qi Mushan.

Bandits attack the Li family; Li Xiangyi and his older brother are the only survivors.

25 years ago:

Teenage Shan Gudao finds four-year old Li Xiangyi and his older brother on the streets. Older brother dies.

Qi Mushan rescues Shan Gudao and Li Xiangyi and brings them to Yunyin mountain.

20 years ago:

The Feng clan, having searched for Princess Longxuan's descendant for over a hundred years, learns that her grandson had a ten-year-old son who is presently studying under Qi Mushan.

[Note Shan Gudao is over twenty and Li Xiangyi is nine or ten at this time, but anyway:]

The Feng clan takes Shan Gudao as the long-lost descendant of Princess Longxuan.

Ostensibly 18 years ago, but probably more like 21 or 20:

[Note there is some debate about how old Fang Duobing is supposed to be. Di Feisheng claims he has a letter showing that Fang Duobing's parents broke up 18 years ago while He Xialan was pregnant, but other sources state he is 20 at the time of the show]

He Xialan was in a relationship with Shan Gudao. They break up while she is pregnant. Fang Duobing is born a few months later, and Tianji Hall announces Xialan has died of illness. Fang Duobing is raised by Xialan's older sister and her husband as their own.

15 years ago:

The Demon of the Blood Realm challenges Li Xiangyi and Qiao Wanmian begs him to give Li Xiangyi one more year.

14 years ago:

Li Xiangyi passes Qi Mushan's test. He receives the Shaoshi sword. He departs the mountain for the first time.

Shan Gudao and Li Xiangyi go to rescue the He family of the Changma Blade sect, who was massacred by Dongling Three Gang for the cloud iron. They find one survivor, a child, and take him to Louyang. Shan Gudao ditches Li Xiangyi and kills the kid.

Li Xiangyi defeats the Demon of the Blood Realm.

At an unknown time between 15 and 10 years ago:

Di Feisheng, Wuyan, King Bai of Fire, Four-faced Qingzun, and King Zunming of Yama found the Jinyuan alliance. Di Feisheng makes his first famous kill: the Monk of the Blood Realm, Kuang Jiezi. He removes the Golden Jade hoops from his staff and hangs them on his dao as a trophy.

Li Xiangyi fights with Wuyou and nicks the Shaoshi sword to avoid killing him.

The 12 Guardians join the Jinyuan alliance just before Jiao Liqiao does.

Jiao Liqiao was following Li Xiangyi around. A girl from Fengling Sword Sect provoked Jiao Liqiao and she massacres the Fengling Sword sect. Li Xiangyi stops her and attempts to kill her, but Di Feisheng saves Jiao Liqiao.

13 years ago:

Li Xiangyi establishes the Sigu Sect. Sigu sect makes an agreement with the court dividing the affairs of the people and the affairs of the jianghu. Everyone agrees to follow the legal code of Da Xi.

Scholar Sushou robs the imperial mausoleum in the south of the capital.

Di Feisheng rescues Jiao Liqiao from a gang led by Guishou Fenglie, whose martial arts techniques she tried to steal. Di Feisheng was just there to challenge the gang leader for his spot on the martial arts rankings.

12 or 11 years ago:

Just before Li Xiangyi turns 18, Shan Gudao gives him the Wenjing sword as a birthday present.

At the age of 18, Li Xiangyi acquires Yangzhouman.

11 years ago:

Sigu sect destroys the cult in Mobei and the sect's vitality is damaged. The Jinyuan alliance becomes more powerful. Di Feisheng and Li Xiangyi make a peace treaty: they won't interfere with each other or draw a war in five years.

The royal court agrees to ally with Shan Gudao.

Ten years ago:

[Depending on how old you think Fang Duobing is; he says this happened when he was ten] Madam He introduces Shan Gudao to Fang Duobing as her long-lost brother. Shan Gudao teaches Fang Duobing martial arts in secret before he can walk. Fang Duobing briefly meets Li Xiangyi, who gives him a wooden sword.

Li Xiangyi trespasses into the Royal Palace grounds on Mid-Autumn night to watch the Epiphyllum festival.

Lian Quan, Lord Of The Netherworld, is last seen in Shishou Village.

Shan Gudao tries to break into the Yipin tomb but cannot get past the Bagua (eight trigrams) Formation. The 14 Thieves of the Netherworld break into the tomb and die inside.

Li Xiangyi receives a message that the three kings of the Jinyuan alliance have besieged Shan Gudao in the Yangsha valley, the Jinyuan alliance's secret hideout. Meanwhile, the three kings receive a challenge from Shan Gudao but the letter was not his handwriting. The three kings arrive at the valley to find Shan Gudao already dead. Other members of the Sigu sect claim: they followed Shan Gudao to run some errands but were suddenly attacked by the three kings; Shan Gudao sent someone to go for help; Shan Gudao lured the three kings away to protect his subordinates.

Li Xiangyi cradles his shixiong's body and vows revenge. Shan Gudao's body is stolen in an ambush by the Jinyuan alliance. Li Xiangyi declares war on the Jinyuan alliance.

Li Xiangyi gathers Shan Gudao's belongings into a box in his room at the Sigu sect headquarters.

Yun Biqiu, at Jiao Liqiao's direction, administers Bicha poison to Li Xiangyi.

Jiao Liqiao and Fang Qing are working together. Someone from Nanyin purchases gunpowder from Thunder Hall in Jiangnan with funds from the Wansheng clan.  Ding Yun, Wind and Thunder Emissary and Wan Renshan, Star and Moon Emissary used thundering fire bombs to trap the Sigu Sect and blow up the Jinyuan alliance headquarters. The 12 guardians of the Jinyuan alliance die. 58 heroes of the Sigu sect die.

27th day of the 12th lunar month, year of Xin Chou: Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng battle at the East Sea.

Someone alters a corpse to look like Shan Gudao. He survives, under the influence of wuxin huai. Shan Gudao kills Qi Mushan and takes his inner power.

Li Xiangyi fakes his death and disappears. The Sigu sect disbands. Its surviving arm, Baichuan Court, rounds up the remnants of the Jinyuan alliance. Di Feisheng goes into seclusion for ten years.

Ten or nine years ago:

Xin Lie, Thunder Chaser of Jinyuan alliance, Five Poison Palm, escapes from prison.

28th day of the 5th month, year of Ren Yin: Shi Hun writes a letter to the Sigu sect to thank them for releasing him.

Unknown, between ten years ago and present day:

The Jinyuan Alliance surrounds Lian Quan's mansion for the Rama Heavenly Ice, he escapes with Li Xiao and Li Xiong to Xiaoyuan City to live in hiding.

Li Lianhua finds Scholar Sushou, helps him and lets him stay with him. Scholar Sushou passes away.

Li Lianhua saves Tiexiao, who jumped off a cliff and was buried; Li Lianhua heard him shouting.

Four-faced Qingzun dies in prison and gives the Rama ice shard to his wife, Liangyi Xianzi.

Fang Duobing takes bitter medicine; bathes in cold springs; pierces his 12 major acupoints every day and faints many times but refuses to cry. He can stand up, walk, and learn martial arts.

Five years ago:

The Hall of Wind and Flame took the Shi family's secret book as their own. This includes Qi Mushan's recipes.

Three years ago:

Fang Duobing takes the Baichuan Court entrance examination, but they refuse to accept him.

One year ago:

"Last March": Li Lianhua saved Shi Wenjue, third son of the Shi family (he faked his suicide because he wanted a career in public service and his family didn't approve, Li Lianhua saw it). The Shi family in Weapons Valley were the ones who forged Cloud Iron armor and the wind sword.

Present day:

The show begins sometime after the sixth day of the fourth month of Ren Zi year. [We know this because in episode 2, Wangfu is sixteen and we are given his birthday as April 6th of Bing Shen Year]

Red Mountains (Girls' Mansion episode arc) takes place on month 9 day 9 of Ren Zi Year.

Episode 37/38 is the ten-year anniversary of the dong hai duel, so it takes place on the 27th day of 12th month of Ren Zi Year.

#mysterious lotus casebook #reference guide #timeline

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Sir Sparklepuff: text and subtext

Canon:

Viren and Aaravos share a blood ritual where they cut their hands

Aaravos pulls a caterpillar out of his mouth

and uses the blood in the jars to send it to Viren.

Then, in Lux Aurea, Viren hides it from Pharos' scanning spell by swallowing it, and later spits it out so it can attack Pharos and give Aaravos a temporary body host

when Viren falls from the Storm Spire and dies, he spends 2 years wrapped in a cocoon to keep his spirit tethered. once Claudia is ready to start reviving him, the caterpillar spins its own web and begins to change.

A few days later, Claudia cracks open the chrysalis with magic, and Sir Sparklepuff emerges

And at the end of the month, Aaravos tells Viren that Sir Sparklepuff is "our child" in the same speech where he tells him to kill the homunculus to spare his own life.

Sir Sparklepuff is the equivalent of a donor child, born specifically to donate something of themselves to a living, dangerously ill blood relative. He is the spawn of both Viren and Aaravos, via whatever magics Aaravos used to make it happen.

Subtext:

Aaravos pulls a fat purple dick out of his mouth and gives it to Viren.

Viren manages to swallow, spit, and also give birth.

He's an attentive, if exasperated, dad who carries his worm son around everywhere, and he's also the dumb blonde who was failed so hard by a lack of sex ed classes that he has to ask "Is it mine??"

Unsupported:

"Aaravos was the pregnant one"

#no one was pregnant here. the fantasy genre can do whatever it likes. #but if you gotta apply real world thinking #(unusual display of hubris but very well) #and you end up with 'the sexy poc elf man was pregnant not the smart white human guy' #that's a choice with some layers there innit #i hope everyone sees them because there's some important stuff that's worth chatting about in there #buuuut that won't be me because i have several tags to block for my sanity now

[cevansbrat0007]

Real Talk.

Warning: the following post contains mature themes and references to drug overdose, death, and Fentanyl.

For the record, what I'm about to say in regards to NARCAN has nothing to do with me standing on a soapbox. Instead, I'm asking that people do what they can to educate themselves on the importance and necessity of this life-saving drug.

And I'll start by telling you a story:

This morning, I went to check on my roommate who lives on the floor above me. She had asked me to make sure she didn't sleep through her many alarms like she always did so that she could make it to work on time. She's a server at a steakhouse chain - and a damn good one at that.

She's also my friend. A friend who, just like myself, is nearly nine months sober.

Except this morning when I knocked on her door, she didn't answer. And when I opened the door and peeked in her room she appeared to be fast asleep. But she was half naked, and the fan she had borrowed from me the night before was set to full blast. Even though it was cold outside.

Her room was like an ice box. And she was so pale. And no matter how loud I said her name, she wouldn't open her eyes and look at me.

She wouldn't wake up.

So I poked her in the shoulder. I shook her. I yelled her name. And then I realized her lips were blue. Her body was stiff. And she was cold to the touch.

The only sound she could make was that of a low, almost eerie groan. If I'm being honest, it's a sound that I'd never quite heard before. And I don't want to ever hear it again.

What I would come to realize seconds later was that my friend had overdosed on Fentanyl. Possibly a few hours earlier. Which meant she was fucking dying.

I panicked, of course. Because I'm an alcoholic. I've never touched Heroin, let alone witnessed an overdose. I know what to do if someone was suffering from, say, alcohol poisoning...but this...this was brand new territory.

Because with Fentanyl, seconds fucking matter.

I sprinted to wake up another girl. Seconds later we were back with our friend where our worst fear was absolutely confirmed.

Fentanyl Overdose.

I'd never fucking seen this. Never. But we didn't have time to fall apart because from there we dashed down the stairs. She went straight for the NARCAN and I went for my phone to call 911.

Less than a minute later, she and I were back in our friend's room to administer the NARCAN, only for us to realize that she wasn't breathing anymore.

By this point, another one of my housemates had joined us as well. And the others were soon to follow. While I was on the phone relaying instructions from the dispatcher on how to revive our friend, the others were moving her limp body to the floor.

They were doing chest compressions. Two were racing to find more NARCAN stashed in someone's glove compartment. And then another was directing EMS on where to go in the house.

It was a team effort to make sure this girl fucking lived. We could yell at her for this tomorrow. But for now, all we cared about was her living today.

I had never been through this. But as much as I hate to say this, today I was grateful that there were others in the house who had been through this before. For those who knew how to administer NARCAN.

In total, we administered something like 28 milligrams to bring her back. Which is a lot. A cop may have mumbled out something about us not waiting long enough in between doses to see if we'd given her enough before administering another. But he can go kick rocks.

Because we did the best we could all while running on straight adrenaline and doing everything we could to save someone while not falling apart in the process.

In the end, what matters is that she woke up. She was in pain. And very ill. And has since been admitted to the hospital.

Now the rest of us are left to deal with the tears and the adrenaline comedown, along with the guilt of all the signs we may or may not have missed. And that is really fucking shitty. I am so mad at my friend.

But at the same time, I love her so damn much. And I'm grateful that I will hopefully have the opportunity to share all these feelings with her one day soon.

She was fucking lucky. And so were we.

I'm grateful we found her in-time - because the paramedics made it very clear that we cut it real close. I'm grateful I live with people who found it in them to unite to save someone's life.

I'm grateful for NARCAN.

And beyond that, I'm grateful that I now know what to do with it. I never completely comprehended the weight of its importance until today. I didn't quite understand why my friend kept a stash of it in her glove compartment when she had no intentions of getting high anymore.

But today that stash saved her life. I'm begging you, if you have a loved one who suffers from this disease, please consider keeping this life-saving drug within reach.

Read up about it. Talk about it. Even if it makes you uncomfortable. Even if you can't fathom why someone would think of or want to use. Even if the idea of having to use it scares you.

I'm sure if it ever came down to it, you would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Wouldn't you?

I've come to learn that many people who relapse, even after months of serious sobriety, don't plan it. It just happens. Impulsivity is a deadly part of this disease. One lapse in judgement - just one - could very well mean death.

It's really that serious.

Because with this disease, you're always guaranteed another relapse. But you're never guaranteed another recovery.

Thanks to NARCAN, my friend will have another shot.

That's all I've got for now, guys and gals. I'd be lying if I said we weren't all emotional wrecks over here. But it's all gonna be okay.

And finally, but most importantly: if you're struggling with anything, be it addiction or mental health, there is no shame in asking for help. Not now. Not ever. We're all human. We all need love.

We all deserve support to overcome our darkest of days.

Love, Britt

#britt's notes #addiction #sobriety #drug overdose #sobriety journey #narcan #substance abuse #today was a hard day #i love you all

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Ask and ye shall receive!! here’s a distraction 💕 If you want to, please share a few headcanons/thoughts that you have had recently on your fic, One Bad Day… I love that one!!

Oh yay!!! I've actually never had anyone ask for HCs for this series and I have a TON as well as a very intricate timeline with exact dates of major events! Thank you so much for both the question and the distraction 🥰💖

Bruce x Batmom:

Bruce never planned on having a real relationship with anyone due to his commitment to being Batman. Yet once he met Batmom, he couldn't help but fall for her.

Batmom and Bruce first met while they were both in costume and he stopped her just before she attempted a robbery (he let her go since she technically hadn't done anything yet). They bumped into each other a few more times in costume before finally meeting as themselves. Batmom figured out who he was almost immediately, but respected what he was doing so kept it a secret. Bruce didn't find out who she was until later (he had to save her from some other villains) and was temporarily conflicted about their relationship but was already too in love with her to end things because of it. Instead, he revealed his identity to her and was shocked to discover she already knew but hadn't told anyone. It was the final push he needed to know he could trust her.

The night Bruce met Batmom out of costume, she told him they could be each other's happily ever after. Bruce said he didn't believe in happily ever after, but she replied they would be the proof that it was real.

Batmom served a similar role to Oracle once she joined Bruce on the side of justice. While she sometimes went on patrol or assisted Batman in fights, she mainly stayed in the cave and helped on the Batcomputer. She wanted a more active role, but Bruce was afraid someone would recognize her from her old life and it would lead to discovering both of their secret identities. She reluctantly agreed.

Jason x Batmom:

Batmom loves Dick to death, but she has a special connection with Jason because she sees a lot of herself in him and his upbringing. Similarly, while Jason eventually came to love Bruce after they took him in, he had a much deeper and closer relationship with Batmom.

After Jason became more comfortable at the manor and learned more about Bruce's nighttime activities, he expressed his interest in becoming the next Robin but Bruce shut it down. However one-night Batmom caught Jason trying to sneak out wearing Dick's old costume. Instead of punishing him or telling Bruce, Batmom started training Jason knowing that he wouldn't give up trying to join Bruce on patrol. Eventually once she thought he was ready, she helped him convince Bruce to let him become the new Robin (something she would later come to regret).

Batmom slept in Jason's room every night from the night she found out he was killed until the night of his funeral (2 weeks). It was there after the funeral that she decided to kill the Joker since Bruce wouldn't and she spent the next two weeks planning it out. The night in the warehouse when she carried out her plan was exactly one month after Jason's death.

When Jason was revived using the Lazarus Pit, his memory was severely compromised. But the one thing he could remember perfectly was a hand softly brushing the hair off his forehead as he was drifting off to sleep and a woman whispering, "As you wish." It was this memory that kept him going until the rest of his memories returned.

I have a ton more so if anyone wants more or specific HCs, please let me know! 🥰

HC’s Part 1, HC’s Part 2, HC’s Part 3, HC's Part 4

One Bad Day.... Series Masterlist

#thanks! #anon ask #one bad day.... #hc #batman #bruce wayne #batmom #jason todd #red hood #bruce wayne x batmom #bruce wayne x reader #batman x batmom #batman x reader #jason todd x batmom #jason todd x reader

[mariacallous]

NOVI SAD, Serbia (JTA) — In the heart of downtown in Serbia’s second-largest city, nestled between brick buildings on a leafy street, sits a large synagogue.

With its 130-foot-high central dome and faded yellow brick facade, along with its Jewish school and offices on either side, the synagogue’s three-building complex has become a must-see tourist attraction, with multilingual panels in its courtyard explaining the area’s Jewish history.

The synagogue was built to accommodate up to 950 worshippers in the first decade of the 20th century. But like the city and Serbia more broadly, the building has clearly seen better days. On two recent days, a family was camped outside the entrance, begging passersby for money.

Before World War II, Novi Sad had roughly 60,000 inhabitants, 4,300 of whom were Jews — about 7% of the total population. Most were affluent merchants, lawyers, doctors and professors. Their wealth was reflected in the city’s opulent synagogue, constructed between 1906 and 1909 by Hungarian Jewish architect Lipot Baumhorn, whose work incorporated elements of the Art Nouveau movement.

Today, however, the prominent building serves a dwindling community that, like others decimated by the Holocaust and further eroded by the Balkan wars of the 1990s, fears for its future as residents disperse abroad. Only about 640 Jews remain in Novi Sad; others have sought a future in Israel or countries that offer more economic opportunity.

“We use our own shul only for Yom Kippur,” said Novi Sad native Ladislav Trajer, the deputy president of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Serbia.

“We get six to 10 people for Shabbat — maybe 15 — but fewer than half are male so we can’t make a minyan,” said Trajer, referencing  a Jewish prayer quorum of 10 men. He spent eight years in Israel and also served in the Israel Defense Forces. “Even in Belgrade, which is much larger, the rabbi doesn’t always get a minyan. And nobody here keeps kosher. You can’t get kosher meat.”

Novi Sad was a thriving center of Jewish life in prewar Yugoslavia and the city — now a metropolis of 370,000 sometimes called the “Serbian Athens” — was named a European Culture Capital of 2022 for its arts, food, architecture and other cultural scenes.

But most local Jews see few prospects for themselves in a country beset by economic turmoil. Between 1990 and 2000 — following Yugoslavia’s collapse; the ethnic wars in Croatia, Bosnia and later Kosovo; and the imposition of crippling sanctions by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations — Serbia’s GDP tumbled from $24 billion to $8.7 billion. By 1993, nearly 40% of Serbia’s people were living on less than $2 a day, and at present, the average Serb earns approximately $430 to $540 a month.

Despite those difficulties, Serbia agreed in 2017 to pay just over $1 million annually over the ensuing 25 years to its remaining Jews as compensation for property nationalized by the postwar communist regime. Half of that money goes directly to Jewish community organizations, 20% to Holocaust survivors and the remaining 30% to projects that aim to preserve Jewish traditions.

Since 2012, the Novi Sad community has also earned income by renting out its huge synagogue to the municipality for classical music concerts. In return, the city maintains the complex as a historic monument, and it is now repairing the synagogue’s roof and fixing leaky water pipes.

“These buildings were close to collapse,” said Trajer. He added that the city’s neglected Jewish cemetery can look like a forest. “So we are cutting the trees and struggling to put up fences.”

Although antisemitic incidents are not too common, Serbia, like most other countries in Eastern Europe, also contends with a strong nationalist streak. Trajer, who monitors antisemitism closely, said around 1,500 Serbs belong to extremist groups, of which perhaps 120 are active. Serbian Action, a small group of neo-Nazis, occasionally holds rallies and spray-paints antisemitic, anti-immigrant and anti-gay graffiti on public buildings.

“In high school, my history professor joked that Hitler couldn’t get into an art academy, and that’s why he decided to kill the Jews,” said Teodora Paljic, a 20-year-old Jewish university student. “I don’t talk about these things with people I don’t feel safe around.”

She said that “Life in Serbia is very difficult” because “all the prices have gone up, but salaries haven’t increased since 2019.”

Novi Sad is the capital of Vojvodina, an autonomous province that covers much of northern Serbia, and at the local Jewish community’s zenith, 86 synagogues flourished in the province. Today, only 11 remain standing, and most have fallen into disuse.

Mirko Štark, president of the Jewish Community of Novi Sad, said Jews first settled in the city in the 17th century, shortly after its founding in 1694 under the Hapsburg monarchy.

“When the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where most Ashkenazim lived, introduced new laws that restricted Jews from living in cities, many people ran to the border area, where these laws were not so strictly enforced,” Štark said. Later, when the Serbs captured Vojvodina, those restrictions were rescinded, and the Jewish community blossomed.

Following World War I and the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes — later Yugoslavia — Novi Sad’s Jews enjoyed a cultural and economic renaissance that saw the formation of a Jewish community center, athletic clubs, choirs and several Jewish newspapers.

That renaissance ended abruptly in 1941, when the Hungarian army, in collaboration with Nazi Germany, occupied Novi Sad, making life for Jews intolerable. Over a three-day period in January 1942 now known as the Novi Sad Massacre, the Hungarians rounded up more than 1,400 Jews, seized their property, shot them in their backs and threw them into the freezing Danube River.

After Hungary’s capitulation to Germany, armed guards herded the city’s remaining 1,800 Jews into the synagogue and kept them there for two days in deplorable conditions without food or water. On April 27, 1944, the Nazis marched their weakened Jewish captives to the train station, then forced them on a train to Auschwitz that took two months to arrive due to Allied bombing.

Only 300 of Novi Sad’s Jews survived the Holocaust, and rebuilt the community virtually from scratch in the ensuing postwar chaos.

“There were no religious people anymore, and no rabbi,” said Štark. “Many went to Israel in the first aliyah. The small number of Jews remaining tried to keep the community alive, opening a kitchen to provide food for people who couldn’t buy for themselves. My grandmother survived Auschwitz. She worked in that kitchen.”

According to Trajer, from 1948 to 2022, no Shabbat services were held. These days, Trajer conducts all religious services because he’s the only one who knows the Hebrew prayers fluently.

With 640 members, Novi Sad has the nation’s second-largest Jewish population after Belgrade. The capital is home to more than half of the country’s 3,000 Jews, out of a total population of 7.1 million. Smaller Jewish communities can also be found in Subotica, Niš and other cities. Only the synagogues in Belgrade and Subotica — the latter located a few miles from the Hungarian border — still function.

Most members of the Novi Sad community, including Štark, have married non-Jews.

“My wife is not Jewish. Neither was my mother. Only my father was Jewish,” he said. “After World War II, the choices for finding husbands and wives within the community was limited. For this reason, we accept non-Jewish spouses as members. This is the only way to survive.”

Štark, 70, is a retired professor of media production who worked for years at Novi Sad’s main TV station. He’s also the longtime president of the synagogue’s choir, HaShira, which sings in Hebrew, Ladino and Yiddish and recently won an award for its performances in neighboring Montenegro. Only three of the choir’s 35 members are Jews.

“When I began my mandate as president a year and a half ago, we woke up many activities in the Jewish community that had existed only on a small scale before,” he said.

Besides the choir, these include the Zmaya dance troupe as well as a Jewish culture club that meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss books and Israeli movies. There’s also a “baby club” for small children and another club for teens, whose activities are led by two adults. Hanukkah and Passover are celebrated by families together, and on Tu B’Shvat, the community plants trees.

The community is also investing in its members, and Paljic is emblematic of that hope.

Paljic, interviewed at the trendy Café Petrus, a 15-minute walk from Novi Sad’s Jewish cemetery, is the daughter of Jewish parents who met at a Purim party in Belgrade.

“My grandparents were killed in Jasenovac [a notoriously brutal concentration camp], but my best friend’s grandmother survived Auschwitz,” she said. “The problem is, people don’t talk about Judaism because they’re scared. There is still antisemitism. Last year, somebody drew a swastika at the entrance to the Jewish cemetery in Belgrade. We were all shocked.”

This summer, Paljic worked as a counselor at Hungary’s Camp Szarvas, which brings together young Jews from throughout Central and Eastern Europe. The camp welcomed 20 children from Novi Sad this year; the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee paid their tuition.

While she would like to be close to her family, Paljic said she must be practical.

“I want to go somewhere outside Serbia when I finish college,” she said. “I don’t see my career here. I love art history and photography, but there’s no money in that in Serbia.”

Despite the challenges, Štark isn’t ready to say kaddish for Novi Sad’s Jews just yet.

“We will keep the Jewish spirit alive here. We are working hard, starting with the children,” he said. “If we don’t, everything will die in five or 10 years. So it depends on us.”

[spritehouse]

no big deal (i love you)

moreid hanahaki wip based on this post

⚠️Content Warnings: emetophobia (coughing & throwing up flower petals), spencer's addiction & drug use

The first petals are white.

Small and delicate, white daisy petals crawl up his throat and decorate the pristine porcelain of his sink in the morning, not yet full or bloody, new enough to remain untainted by the torn tissue of his lungs.

Daisies, innocent and loyal love, holding his tongue, root in his chest, threatening to suffocate him if he leaves his feelings to grow, but the flowers don’t lie.

Call it innocence or naivety; Spencer won’t tell. He’ll hold his breath until he runs out of air, longing blooming like weeds, feeding on his life until only the flowers and a corpse remain.

At first, it’s slow, coming and going like the tide, feelings ebbing and waning with uncertainty.

He buries himself in books on the disease—hanahaki, hana (flower), haki (to throw up), a sickness that ails people who suffer from one-sided love, taking weeks to years to develop fully—and flower language, reading what every petal means about the longing ache in his ribs and how to cure it.

He goes to work—it isn’t bad enough to affect his performance—he profiles, coughs up petals, takes down unsubs, spits up his innocence, and flies home.

His case is slow; months pass before single petals turn into two or three and longer until the dull itch in his chest grows into a light ache when he exerts himself, his lungs reflecting his gradual, timid love.

The flowers change in Georgia.

The daisies stop coming, the drugs numbing his mind and body—his heart—concealing his love deep in his chest, buried where Charles Hankel and Raphael can’t reach.

They return in full bloom when Tobias revives him. 

Spencer hacks up entire flowers on the cabin floor, belladonna, butterfly weed, cyclamen, and blood splattering against the ground, and even in its state, a part of his drug-and-death-addled brain recognizes the buds.

Silence, letting go, and goodbyes; flowers from the beginning of his gardener’s almanac burn like the fish hearts and livers in his soul as Tobias Hankel hauls him back from the dead.

He isn’t sure if the team sees the splashes of color, overfilling adoration through the camera, focused on sending a message, desperate to get out before he can cough up more symbols of regret, spilling his secret to his coworkers and friends– his family.

He argues when Hotch climbs into the ambulance beside him, feeling more flowers clawing at his throat, but the older agent wins, remaining by his side as the EMTs check his vitals, staying silent, even when the blooms come.

Bittersweet nightshade (truth) spills from his lips by the bushel, spurring one set of hands to hold a bag by the heaving agent’s chin to catch the fragile foliage, the others asking him a barrage of questions he doesn’t hear over his painful wrenches.

Hotch keeps the rest of the team out of his room at the hospital, telling them Spencer isn’t up for visitors as he chokes on pink camellias (longing), never bringing it up until the young brunette gets discharged less than 24 hours later.

He drives his agent home, offering to help him to his apartment, which Spencer refuses before the two linger in the car outside the building for a few seconds of petal-like, fragile silence.

“We’ll talk when you return,” He finally speaks, watching the younger brunette shift and fidget anxiously, clearing his throat and coughing into his elbow. “Take care of yourself; we’re only a call away.”

Spencer nods, silky petals and the taste of iron sitting on his tongue, and disappears into his lonely home.

The flowers stop while he’s on leave, too high for their stems to reach, losing time on the bathroom floor, buds withering with the body they’re feeding on.

The dilaudid numbs the fire in his chest—in his lungs and heart—eating away at the tissue the roots of his love buried themselves in until he can’t feel the stems in his organs, pollen in his blood, petals rising in his throat, and swallowed like his words, burning in his stomach.

“I love you” doesn’t linger on his tongue, waiting to spill past his lips with white chrysanthemums for truth, an admission after over a year of obstructed breathing, and when he’s high, he can almost convince himself that his garden died with Spencer Reid in the cabin in Georgia, at rest in the grave he dug with bouquets of daisies, of belladonna, butterfly weed, and cyclamen, nightshade, and camellias on the fresh mound of upturned soil.

Spencer tries to get sober before he returns to work, but there isn’t enough fertilizer—enough of his body, his dying cells—to sustain all the flowers he regurgitates in those 48 hours of trembling and heaving, purple hyacinths for sorrow and marigolds for grief; blood and bulbs litter his bathroom floor until he can’t breathe, darkness swimming in his vision, and the shell of Spencer Reid, a glass vase with everything on display, succumbs to his cravings, losing himself in oblivion.

He sits in Hotch’s office, pinprick pupils, and tells his boss the flowers and his feelings are gone, that it was the stress that made them bloom, not his genuine, heart-wrenching adoration for his best friend squeezing his organs like a sponge for every ounce of love, threatening to bleed him dry.

Spencer returns to work, profiling people who have experienced everything he’s gone through—enough trauma to break the human psyche—because he can think clearly for the first time in over a year, flowers and genius dying together as poison courses through them.

“I’m struggling.”

Despite everything—his team telling him they have his back, that they’re there for him, that they’re profilers, and Spencer is too high to hide his habit most of the time—Emily is the only one to call him out.

“Reid.” She approaches him after New Orleans, trained eyes seeing through him.

“Look, Prentiss, I’m sorry for snapping at you, but I’m not in the mood–”

“I’m getting waffles and milkshakes. Come with me.” It isn’t a question or an invitation as the older agent steps into the elevator, turning around expectantly, her gaze practically daring Spencer to run as carefully neutral eyes observe him.

He follows Prentiss with a heavy huff, shoulders sagging, his body too exhausted to fight, a familiar itch building in his throat as the doors close.

#criminal minds #spencer reid #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid fanfiction #angst #moreid #derek morgan #emily prentiss #hanahaki #hanahaki disease #hanahaki au #hanahaki fic #drabble #writing wip #writers on tumblr #writing #spencer reid fic #shortmc

[mimiwrites2000]

Hello!

My name is Mimiwrites2000, you can call me mimi.

I’ve been writing in the Attack on Titan fandom since 2020, and I mainly write AruAni.

I have all of my fanfictions on Archive of Our Own, and some of them here on Tumblr.

I have one ongoing fanfiction, called Legends, and it’s my pride and joy.

Anyway, here is a masterlist of all my fanfiction up to February 2024.

Hope you enjoy!

MASTERLIST

Legends {M}

Archive of Our Own

A legend that was unveiled by a miracle.

These miracles sometimes are better forgotten, left in the past where no one can go back. But Armin engraved his name into the folds of her mind, tear a piece of him and gave it to her, following her everywhere. Annie ran away, to the edge of earth, but when she closed her eyes, she saw his blue eyes. They danced around a legend that made them encounter each other over and over again, a time in crimson blood, a time in a cold night under the stars, and a time in an embrace.

everything happens for a reason

The Last One To Reach The Tree {G}

Archive of Our Own

If the tree could speak, it would’ve cried. If the tree could speak, it would’ve sobbed and wailed and mourned humanity, mourned the death of humanity in every human’s heart. If the tree could speak, it would’ve begged to be burnt, to be cut down. Mikasa was eager to meet with Eren, she was eager to reunite with him. And so was Armin.

Post Canon story about the theory that Armin is the last one to reunite with them.

Attack On… Podcast! {T}

Archive of Our Own

As the Attack on Titan series comes to an end after ten years, the cast is reunited in hosting a podcast, talking about their times on the set of the filming, their friendships, and all in-between. And well, shenanigans are inevitable.

Attack on Titan acting AU, as the cast host a podcast, and interview the rest of the cast.

What Does White Mean? {M}

Archive of Our Own

The ocean lulled them to sleep, and the sun woke them up with mild kisses. Tangled with each other, in their cabin by the beach. After the war ended, they moved together, ever since, they faced obstacles, issues, and misunderstandings. One of them was Armin’s seashells. Stubbornness got in the way, but no matter how much they tried, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.

Heal Me, and I'll Heal you {T}

Archive of Our Own

Annie decided that she had enough of fighting And as she waits on the ship, watching the ocean, she visits memories from years ago, up until the night before, when she saw him for the last time. He waved at her, with a shiny, silver ring around his finger. They were separated with an unspoken promise, and healing wounds

A fanfic about Annie giving Armin her ring, and all the events leading up to it~

*Chapter 131 and up spoilers

I Don’t Want to Let You Go {T}

Archive of Our Own

The rumbling started, titans were stomping people to death all around the world. The world was ending, But they were on a sailing ship, trying to save whatever they could reach, they were on the desperate mission of stopping Eren. But Armin found himself tangled in Annie's embrace, inhaling her scent, feeling her warmth.

Chapter 131 one-shot.

When I Was a Human {M}

Archive of Our Own

The boat sailed in the middle of the ocean, trapped within a repetitive blue patterns of waves and glistens of sun rays adorning them. On it sat two lost souls, that forgot what it was like to be human.

Armin told Annie many tales when she was in the crystal, however, there was one story he never got to finish… Annie asks about it, and Armin finds himself in a swirl of memories of how he was revived four years ago…

Betrayal {M}

Archive of Our Own

They met in an alley, a narrow, foul-smelling passageway, in the middle of a cold night A few months later, he found himself walking to that place, the place where his life crumbled and was reborn, and just like last time, she was waiting for him. a journey of lies and deception, desires and emotions

What If I Kiss You? {G}

Archive of Our Own

‘What if I kiss you?’ He asked, and she answered.

“My Love” {M}

Archive of Our Own

On a boat, in the ocean, when the sun is the only witness of their love, the only one who knows about their secret.  Content, joy, satisfaction, a combination they never thought they could live, until they met each other, until they loved each other.

tell me, what’s on your mind? {G}

Archive of Our Own

On one particular evening, at a dinner for the ambassadors, the serene night was too loud. Her chest closed on her lungs and her thoughts fogged her mind. Her thoughts weren’t the only thing troubling her.  On that night, her father joined her silence, and pieces fell into place.

A fanfiction about Annie’s feelings, and her father helping her accept them~

Blue Meeting Blue {G}

Archive of Our Own

When Annie looked in his eyes, the world stopped spinning, time froze, air halted. The waves in the ocean quietened, the forests' rustles ceased, and the wind subsided. For a moment, peace engulfed the world, the chaotic place wrapped in a fragile silence. To witness the blossoming love in the youthful hearts.

the day of their wedding was finally here, Armin and Annie, the world waiting for them, and they were ready to face it, as one. Husband and wife. a one-shot about Aruani wedding, based on fanart by Bella (_superspicy on twitter)

Red Eyes See Grey World {M}

Archive of Our Own

He realized that he knew the ocean long ago. When he first looked into her eyes. She held the ocean and the sky in them, colliding and harmonizing to the waves. If only he knew, he would’ve held the ocean in his hands, never letting it go. But she was slipping away from him, Away she drifted, far from him. Wars never held happy endings. But the universes shifted and clashed. The constellations reformed in the sky, and life was reborn again. And maybe, just maybe, he might be able to fullfil his promise to her, in another life, in another universe.

When Champagne Is Served {M}

Archive of Our Own

His feet glide through the hall, meandering between fancy dresses and tuxedos, a shiny tray in his hand. The servant of the Leonhart’s mansion, at yet another annual ball. But then the grandiose gates are opened.

She steps in, shoulders back, chin high.

He looks away, a smile pulling at his lips.

all the things that could have been {M}

Archive of Our Own

There’s a first for everything. A numb mind and a loose body. A light head, free of conflicts and thoughts. But a blessing only lasts for short, fleeting moments, before intruding parasites attacked his mind, bringing him back to himself. An invader of far-fetched wishes and unrealistic hopes, circling around a person far away from his reach.

A story of Armin drinking with his friends for the first time while they were in Marley, Annie not leaving his mind~

Trust {G}

Archive of Our Own

A one shot about Armin and Annie finally having a moment after they met in chapter 126

*spoilers for chapter 126

Kiss (Blue) {G}

Archive of Our Own

*spoliers for chapter 125 Armin had set off with Gabi by his side, trying to catch up with Connie, who wants to feed Falco to his Mother's titan form. However, on their way, they meet with someone...

Continue On Being You {G}

Archive of Our Own

It could take him years to compose imaginary symphonies in his head, but one speck of reality to break it all. Four years are enough to change a person from the inside out, but the core might not change, the core might be as solid as a crystal, if the person continues on being themselves.  For four years. He was trapped in his mind. She was caged in crystal. But the shields will break off, and the two oceans will collide.

A fic about Armin finding Annie after she breaks out from the crystal~

A Quiet Witness {M}

Archive of Our Own

A candle sees more than it could ever tell. And as it witnesses the lifetime of two miserable souls, maybe some stories are better left untold. 

A story about Armin Arlert and Annie Leonhart... and a candle.

Fire and Rain {M}

Archive of Our Own

Fire Igniting from within herself Rain Pouring, cold on her skin And just like any other human, she has a limit as well. She cries, on their bed, alone. Until the door creaks open, and he walks in. Annie is facing a new feeling that she never experienced before, jealousy, and her insecurities only fuel it. However, Armin knows exactly how to blow these insecurities away. And so he does.

If The Stars Could Speak {T}

Archive of Our Own

One life time is not enough. Maybe two or three. They would relive their lives, over and over again. As long as they met again, under the same sky, beneath the same stars. But the stars sometimes opted to play, and one time, the stars entertained them being enemies in one of those lives. However, it is said that fate can pivot the stars malicious plots, deciphering them and blowing them apart in the vastness of the black sky. With a careful eye at the clear sky, reading between the glimmering dots, fate found the way to bring them together, where they belonged: by each other’s side, in that life, and every following one.

This is a two chapters fanfic, written by mimiwrites2000 and XianKar, it's a part of the Summer Fic Exchange (July - 2021), under the prompt: Stargazing in a Field

This Is Goodbye {G}

Archive of Our Own

He decided that today was the day. The day he'd turn a new page, a new beginning, and start over. And for someone to head into a new path, they might need to let go of their past.

This is goodbye.

‘stop saying my name like that’ {G}

Archive of Our Own

She looked around the room, as if she wanted confirmation from anyone or anything around her, to confirm that what she was hearing was true. Her eyes darted at the bookshelves, at the wooden chairs, at the photo frames, at the bottle of wine on the desk— but they didn’t speak, they just watched her bleed out.

That Christmas and That Necklace {G}

Archive of Our Own

It was Armin’s first ever Christmas, and for Annie, it was her very first one after the war. To say the least, they both were looking forward to spending this occasion together. Faste But, if there was something they learnt from the many wars of army and wars, was that nothing goes as planned. And that Christmas was no exception.

#aruani #aot #snk #armin arlert #attack on titan #armin x annie #shingeki no kyojin #annie leonhart #fanfiction #eremika #eren yeager #mikasa ackerman #masterlist #writing #portfolio #I took too long to update my masterlist #and now it’s done #I have 24 fics #I spent hours just copying the links and descriptions #damn #cheers tho!

[hexed-padlock]

So I completed Curse of Strahd over a year and a half ago. I was just thinking about how my Tav, a white dragonborn named Iudex, can actually be my old D&D character Clatter the Kenku. Clatter was always impulsive and it’d make sense if they died during an adventure because they got cocky. So now it’s canon that Iudex was a Kenku back in their Barovia days. They died around a couple years after killing Strahd because of their own idiocy, got revived through the Reincarnate spell, and a few months later found themselves kidnapped by mindflayers.

Imagine Iudex’s reaction, whose adventuring career peaked at slaying Count Strahd Von Zarovich himself, learned that Astarion is a vampire spawn- how Astarion was mistreated and abused, and how he doesn’t believe anyone could kill Cazador.

Now they gotta face Cazador and Iudex is just completely trying not to name drop Strahd or their old name and party. Like “oh look at this loser. He’s got nothing on that Dread Lord I killed lol”

Anyway, post-Cazador and maybe post-game discussions with the party where Iudex off-handedly comments “If I had a gold for every time I killed a (tyrannical) Vampire Lord and an evil ‘god’ within the same week, I’d have two gold” and Strahd’s name is casually dropped somewhere there. Cue the party absolutely losing their shit. They don’t believe Iudex of course, and Iudex nonchalantly calls up this lich (her Barovia party’s wizard) who has taken up residence in Castle Ravenloft.

Other fun facts about my Tav:

Iudex’s patron is Neferon himself lol- this was before I tweaked their backstory to include the reincarnation bit. But now it’s just funny.

Clatter nearly died several times during her time in Barovia because she had zero brain to mouth filter. They learned from this of course, and is now very careful as Iudex though will still blow up if someone insults them.

Iudex fucked around somewhere and swapped their class from Druid to Warlock because “New body, new me” and made a whole backstory they tell everyone about never being able to wield magic so they made a deal with a powerful devil when in reality they’re just blackmailing Neferon somewhat.

#baldurs gate 3 #tav bg3 #bg3 #curse of strahd #reincarnate spell dnd #bg3 shenanigans #bg3 tav #astarion ancunin #vampires #strahd von zarovich

[ayamari-no-goshi]

Chasing Shadows (9)

AO3 -> first, last, next

Fandoms: Danny Phantom (DP) / DC universe

Summary:  THIS IS A CROSSOVER.  As Bruce Wayne begins to slowly recover from the loss of his son, two   separate mysteries open up old wounds. Who is the unknown leaving clues   hinting at a return to Gotham, and who is the phantom pretending to be   his lost son? Is it just a coincidence they’re active in Gotham at the   same time? Or are they connected?  

Warnings: rated T for violence, mentions of death, and questionable mental health

Parings: none

Notes: originally uploaded to AO3. Cross-posted to tumblr

“Daniel Fenton (14) has been declared dead after being rushed to nearby Amity Memorial Hospital after receiving severe injuries from an accident involving one of his parents’ dubious inventions. His parents, doctors Madeline and Jack Fenton, infamous parapsychologists and inventors were working on what they stated would be a portal to the land of the dead. This so-called portal was being built in basement which had been converted into a laboratory which violates several local and state ordinances. An official investigation has been launched by Child Protective Services to determine if a case of criminal neglect led to the accident. Their surviving daughter has been placed in protective custody…”

Bruce could feel the migraine starting. Even with Constantine being able to give him a general area where he believed Phantom might have originated, he still had to pour over thousands of missing persons cases and death records. But, he believed he finally found the identity of the meta.

According to the publicly available records, he was dead. However, the information from the hospital provided a different picture. He’d been brought in unresponsive with severe electrical burns, but he had been resuscitated and stabilized. Although his vitals did not appear to be conducive to living, but his charts suggested he was alert and recovering in the following days.

The various specialists heavily documented Daniel’s information, most likely believing his recovery would require study. Most of it fell within what would normally be found in a patient’s charts, but there were a few strange mentions of the IV ports falling out and abnormally quick healing. Possible early documentation of the abilities he would end up developing.

But what was strange was how the charts ended. There was just a mention that the boy was found dead in his room and attempts at reviving him failed, but there was evidence of editing and possible tampering several hours later. Though it took much longer than he hoped due to the lack of Oracle’s equipment, he found the source, something called the Ghost Investigation Ward which was under the control of the Department of Extranormal Operations.

They must have been monitoring his parents’ research and swept in to grab him when they caught wind of what happened. A month after Daniel’s “death”, the charges against his parents were suddenly dropped, but their research and equipment had been seized. From what Bruce had seen of their various blueprints, Fenton tech could have multiple applications for military use. The government’s interest in them made a lot more sense after accessing them.

Frustratingly, their data had little information about Daniel. They had a few documents outlining the theories they had regarding what happened to him and whether or not he was to be classified as living or dead. If he ended up classified as dead, the list of experiments they wanted to run were enough to make him sick, but he couldn’t find any records of Daniel ever being at any of their facilities.

Was it possible someone else got to him first? Metahuman trafficking was a known issue, and traffickers preferred to grab them as soon as their powers manifested as it was harder for the metas to defend themselves. Or had he escaped in his own and somehow fled? He hoped it was the latter.

Frustrated that the boy’s trail went cold, Bruce turned his attention to his parents. It was difficult from him to determine whether or not they may have tried handing over their own son. The handful of photos he could find of the family together suggested the parents cared about their children, but with their profession, there was a chance they could have rejected him. Perhaps he should reach out to the daughter, Jasmine, first. She might be able to help him determine whether or not Daniel should be reunited with his family.

“Is this him?” Dick approached the computer on his right.

“I have a strong reason to believe that’s the case.”

His son chuckled. “Unreal. Jason managed to find another kid with the family traits.” Before his accident, Daniel Fenton did bare a superficial resemblance to Dick, Jason, Tim, and even himself due to sharing the same hair and eye colors before his accident. “Do we have any idea where they might have met?”

“I’ve lost Phantom’s trail after his reported death. He may have gotten picked up by traffickers. I’m in the process of starting to piece together possible reports on that end. As for Jason, I’ve tried to contact Talia. I have reason to believe she might be funding him.” The timing of her appearance in Gotham during the Hush plot bothered him. If she was assisting him, it helped explain how his coffin had been replaced and where he might be getting his funds and equipment. But the question became why? What did she gain out of turning his son against him?

“Let me guess, she’s being less than cooperative.”

“Correct.”

“As weird as it sounds, I’m thankful to Phantom.” Dick glanced up at the computer screen. “However they met, he seems to be helping prevent Jason from completely losing himself to the whatever the Pit and the League did to him.” There was something left unsaid.

“But?”

“I just can’t shake this feeling we’re going to end up losing him again when this is all over. Maybe it’s all this talk about ghosts, but I keep remembering all the legends I heard about as a kid about the undead.”

“Dick, we’ll bring him home.”

“I’m not sure he wants to come home.”

…

“Pick any place you’d like. It’s my treat!”

Tim shared a quick look with Stephanie. In the wake of Gotham’s gang war and the realization the Red Hood was Jason, Dick had been a little clingy. They all knew he felt a great deal of guilt over what happened to Jason, and in the wake of both Stephanie and Babs getting into situations where they could have been killed, Tim couldn’t blame him for wanting to spend time with them and make sure they were okay.

Right now, he wanted to treat them to dinner. Cass had been invited too, but she declined in order to help Babs set up some of her surviving equipment in the Batcave. To be honest, Tim didn’t really want to go either, but maybe the distraction would help him think better.

The confirmation Jason was back brought a great deal of confusion. Before the hints and the reveal, he used to think that having Jason back would fix everything. His death was the reason for Bruce’s downward spiral and the pain that nearly tore the Wayne family apart. Tim was just a bandage, a placeholder, while they healed. But Bruce and Dick hadn’t chased him away once they got used to the idea of him being around. Instead, they seemed to care about him and want him as a part of their family, and Tim loved being Robin.

But, Jason had returned as someone barely recognized by those who knew him. Though he initially thought maybe Jason would want the position of Robin back, that didn’t seem likely, especially with how he said Bruce had brainwashed them. It was so strange to hear that from someone who had the same training he did. Jason had been such a shining light as Robin. Did he regret ever having donned the cape? Was he upset to see someone else wear the colors he died in? Or maybe he didn’t think teens should be heroes?

Then there was trying to reconcile the fact his childhood hero nearly killed him. If Jason had pressed that knife against his throat a little harder or had placed it in a different spot, Tim would have bled out in minutes. But he hadn’t. In fact, he had even mentioned he just wanted Bruce’s attention as opposed to doing harm. He also didn’t make any move to fight Phantom or try to get him back once he’d been freed. There was also the admission Dick recorded. Jason seemed troubled by his actions towards him, at least that’s what Tim hoped.

“Earth to Tim!” Dick waved a hand in front of his face. “Where do you want to eat?”

Steph snickered. “Have you been spacing out this entire time?”

“I honestly don’t care…” Catching sight of Dick’s slight frown, he decided it would be best to humor him. Glancing around, he was going to pick whatever jumped out of him when he caught sight of a tall man with dark hair and an unusual white streak on the opposite side of the street. Beside him appeared to be a teenager with the same dark hair. “Dick, look!”

“Jason…”

“Who’s that with him?” Even on her crutches, she wasn’t going to let anything get in her way of getting a good look.

“I think it’s Phantom. Come on!”

They followed on the opposite side of the street for a couple blocks. It seemed strange that Jason would be so willing to walk around in broad daylight, but, legally, he was dead. No one would think to connect the man currently walking down the street in slacks and what appeared to be a blazer with the teen who died years ago. If it hadn’t been for his hair, Tim didn’t think he would have recognized him either.

While they moved, Dick quietly explained that Bruce believed he had ID’ed who Phantom really was. If this new teen was Phantom, it helped explain why they had such a hard time finding him.

The two came to a stop at a small Chinese restaurant at the edge of the Diamond District. Where they seriously just going to go to dinner?

Dick must have been thinking the same thing because he apologized to Steph for a moment before scooping her in his arms and running across the street. Tim followed, trying to ignore the honking vehicles they dodged.

“Table for two, please,” they heard Jason tell the older waitress as they entered.

After gently putting Steph down, Dick walked up behind his brother and patted him on the back, making Jason stiffen. “Make that five.”

For a moment, Tim was convinced Jason was going to punch Dick. The way he glowered at him combined with an unnatural green flash in his eyes quickly reminded all of them he was just as dangerous, if not more so, than the other rogues of Gotham. Yet, as quickly as that look came, it vanished, replaced with a more neutral and guarded expression.

“It has been a while that you’ve both been here.”  The waitress gave them a knowing smile. “Follow me. Just make sure you don’t break anything during your talk.”

“Same as always,” they said at the same time catching them both by surprise. Dick’s smile brightened while Jason’s expression turned stormy. Nothing else was said as they followed the waitress to a back room that only held one table.

“What’s the deal with the waitress?” Phantom asked after everyone was seated with menus, and she left the room. His voice didn’t have the odd distortion to it. There was another difference. His skin didn’t have the greenish tinge to it either. Instead, he looked a healthier shade of pale.

“We’ve been here a time or two in the past. Usually after fights at the Manor,” Jason explained as he glanced back at the doorway and frowned. “I’m surprised she recognized me.” He almost sounded troubled.

“I recognized you.” Dick’s voice was surprisingly soft, though his eyes narrowed in offense when Jason snorted. “What?”

“Not until I took off the helmet. If I hadn’t done that, you’d still be convinced I was just an imposter and that the real me was still a pile of bones. Or whatever other bullshit alternative Bruce came up with.” He flipped the menu over. “I honestly thought you figured it out that day in the warehouse, but I gave you too much credit.”

Tim watched the interaction with a growing awe. While Jason’s posture remained guarded, there was no hostility aimed at his brother. Instead, they both spoke with an ease he hadn’t expected. While it was too soon to tell, whatever animosity Jason held towards Bruce didn’t seem apply to Dick.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Phantom interrupted as a mischievous grin crossed his face, and if Tim wasn’t wrong, his eyes literally seemed to light up with amusement. “Jay was disappointed it took you that long.”

“Do you really want to start this?” A pink tinge appeared on Jason’s cheeks even if he kept his expression neutral. “I have a very distinctive memory of how…” He didn’t have a chance to finish.

“No. No. No! That’s okay!”

“So not fair! Don’t you know the hero community thrives on blackmail?” Steph complained. “Anyways, it’s nice to officially meet you two. I’m Stephanie. Thanks for saving my life.”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up. He he not expected her to thank him? Or was it her friendly attitude? But he recovered quickly and gave her his name. Dick then introduced himself for Phantom, and Tim followed suit but squirmed as Jason stared at him. There was something unsaid and turbulent in his eyes, but he didn’t seem angry. But that didn’t mean much from someone trained by Bruce.

When it came time for Phantom’s turn, he glanced at Jason, who in turn nodded once and gave a slight motion of his right hand. Was that some code for ‘don’t give away too much’? “I’m Danny.”

Dick tilted his head. “Your parents wouldn’t happen to be inventors, would they?” Phantom, Danny, flickered so violently that Tim thought he’d vanish for a moment. He stopped when Jason put a hand on his shoulder, but the teen continued to look panicked.

“How much do you know?” Jason’s eyes flashed green as the air around them seemed to drop several degrees. The information they received from Constantine suggested Jason might now have abilities, but none of them knew with certainty what they might or might not be which made all of them uneasy at the display.

Dick held his hands up in a placating manner. “Just the basics. A bit about his family, that an accident happened, and how there was a coverup.”

“Do you… do you know what happened to my parents?” Danny’s voice was quiet, and he was glancing down as he fiddled with his shirt. The temperature started to go back to normal.

“From what we can tell, they’re doing fine. I bet they’re missing you though.”

A small smile crept onto Danny’s face as he looked up. “I’m glad. They threatened to hurt them if I didn’t do what they said.”

Before anyone had a chance to respond, the waitress announced herself as she came back into the room. “Dumplings on the house! No, no arguing. When was the last time you ate a good meal?” She shook her finger at Jason before pointing at Danny. “This one is all skin and bones. Eat and grow big and strong like these two, okay?” She nodded at the brothers. “Can you believe this one was this tall last time I saw him?” She gestured to show Jason wasn’t quite five foot tall before his death. “Anyways, time to order.” A few minutes later, the waitress was on her way.

“I was not that short.”

Dick gave his brother a knowing smile. “Jay, you were tiny.”

Before Jason could say anything, Steph decided to speak up. “So Danny, who’s idea was it for you to pretend to be Jason?” She took a bite of dumpling. “Oh! These are good!”

“It was my idea!” Danny’s eyes seemed to glow in delight as he also grabbed a dumpling.

They all looked at Jason for confirmation. He didn’t reply immediately, but instead pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. It was something Bruce did all the time, and the familiarity of it made Tim do a double take. “It was his idea. Started off as a joke, but it ended up giving Bruce enough pause to not immediately chase Danny out of Gotham.”

The meta nodded in agreement. “Gotham’s probably the safest place for me right now. There are so many other ghosts around making me hard to detect.”

“Gotham’s haunted?” Tim had heard the stories but never really believed them.

“Yep.” Danny popped the p but didn’t elaborate.

“You’re still going to need to stay low for a while between that stunt at the Clocktower and Bruce sticking his nose in places it doesn’t belong.” Jason mentioned as he moved his hands in a slight but unfamiliar movement. When Danny made a similar one, Tim realized they had some form of unspoken either code or language. It didn’t look familiar to him, but Dick’s eyes had narrowed slightly suggesting he might.

“If you let us, we can help,” Dick offered.

“Thanks, but I’m not interested.” All of them, except Jason, stared at how matter of fact Danny said it.

“I know we might not be your first choice, but we have a lot of resources, especially Bruce.”

The air around them seemed to drop several degrees again as Jason leaned forward. His eyes took on an unsettlingly green tint. “If you ever gave a shit about us being family, then promise me you’ll never take Danny into that house.”

“Jay…”

“You know better than anyone what he’s like.” There was something unsaid in that statement, something Dick seemed to understand as his expression turned grim.

The waitress announced her presence again. She seemed to have a knack for knowing when things were getting tense. Was it just a coincidence? Or had she been listening?

After setting the food down, she wagged her finger at Dick. “Don’t argue with little Jay. Spend the time catching up.” She then smiled at Jason. “Good to see you back. We missed your visits. You finally grew up, but your hair makes you look like a punk.” Laughing at how he started sputtering, she gave him a fond pat on the shoulder. “Can’t wait to tell my grandchildren how the good food here helped you grow so tall.” She then vanished back through the door.

Tim quickly took a few bites as Jason sulked. He actually sulked as he tugged on the tuft of white hair. “It’s not like I can do anything about it.” That meant it wasn’t likely it was dyed. Tim had heard stories people who went through trauma sometimes went prematurely grey, so maybe that’s why he had it. Jason noticed his stare and raised a questioning eyebrow. “You used to follow us,” he stated after taking a bite.

“You saw me? Bruce didn’t even know. Wait…” Every once in a while, when he was taking photos, it seemed as if Robin was posing. He figured it was just coincidental, but if Jason knew, then he had specifically done that for Tim.

“I think he sometimes overlooks kids, wants to believe they’re innocent and all that,” he explained after taking a bite of his own dish. “It was too dangerous for me not to do that growing up. Kids were sometimes used as lures for more nefarious things. OW!” Danny had elbowed him in the rib before making a ‘get on with it’ gesture. “Alright, alright. Tim, are you okay?”

That question caught him off guard. Jason must have sensed his question as he gestured to his own neck. Oh! “Yeah, Selena helped patch me up.”

“Good.” It wasn’t an apology, but Tim could sense Jason’s unease. Maybe he really hadn’t intended to hurt him.

An uneasy silence fell between them as they focused on their dinner. Eventually, Dick decided to speak up. “Jay, what are you planning? You’ve been killing people. Unless you were framed. Have you been framed?”

“Nope.” Jason just smiled at the donning horror on his brother’s face. “It’s not like I don’t have morals. There’s a reason I didn’t kill Scarecrow.”

Dick’s phone rang, but he ignored it as he leveled a look at the younger man. “Jason!”

He rolled his eyes. “Do you really think His way is working? The so-called treatment at Arkham is a joke, and don’t get me started on the security there. Blackgate’s not much better.” Contempt briefly crossed his face. “Fix the revolving door. Then maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider stopping.” His chair scraped across the floor as he stood, “Are you ready Danny?”

“Yep! It was nice meeting you. Thanks for the meal!”

“Wait!” Dick tried to follow them when his phone rang again. It had to be Bruce, otherwise, he wouldn’t have answered it. Strangely, Jason stopped in the doorway to watch. “Can this wait a minute? I’m kind of busy here…” He listened for a moment before staring at Jason. “What did you do?”

“What? Can’t a guy leave flowers on his mother’s grave?” The grin Jason gave him made Tim’s hair stand on end. “Oh, you’re talking about Shelia’s grave. Maybe ask Bruce what really happened that day. ‘Loving mother’, my ass.” He gave a slight salute before shooing Danny through the door. “See ya later, Dickie-bird.”

==================================

Notes:

Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO) - Originally introduced in Action Comics (Superman) #775, but recently popularized in the Supergirl TV show. The role of the DEO is to monitor those with extranormal superpowers and to prevent any threat to the general public. To me, it makes sense that the Guys in White would be under their jurisdiction.

I accidentally decided I loved this waitress while I was writing her. I hope she comes across as motherly and a bit pushy as she sounds in my head

There are 3 different and official heights for Jason regarding when he died. 4’6, 5’0. 5’4”…. I’m going with just under 5’0”. Jay just looks so tiny all the time as Robin.

I know this gets murky in both the later comics (especially during the batshit crazy days) and in the fandom, but Jason does have a very specific moral code in the comics regarding who he will and won't kill. You see this in the Red Hood: the Lost Days and even in Under the Red Hood.

#Chasing Shadows #fanfic #Danny Phantom #Dp #dp crossover #dp fanfic #dp x dc #dpxdc #dp x dc crossover #Danny phantom AU #Odyssey AU #dp au

[aboutanancientenquiry]

"The 1821 revolution saw the creation of the Greek national state and the emergence of a strong Greek sense of national identity. Professor Vrasidas Karalis explores the political and historical significance of the revolution of 1821 and its relevance to our contemporary times.

Professor Vrasidas Karalis 23 March 2009 12:00am

When the Greek Revolution broke out in the early months of 1821, it brought with it the revival of an idea that seemed to have gone astray after the French Revolution.

The Revolutionaries themselves stated in their declaration of independence that they were fighting for liberty, equal rights and human emancipation. “We are fighting against tyranny, despotism, and the darkness of slavery,” they declared.

A few months later, in their first constitution, the French [my note: obviously the author means the Greek] ]revolutionaries abolished social distinctions and redistributed wealth, gave equal rights to poor and rich alike, established a functional system of distinct authorities and declared that reason and freedom go hand in hand. A slave cannot be a thinking human being, they proclaimed.

It was indeed a momentous event after the undisputed victory of the conservatives against Napoleon and the consolidation of the political status quo in Europe with the Council of Vienna in 1815.

No change in borders nor any change in the political regimes throughout Europe was the decision taken by the nobles and the diplomats of the all great dynasties of the period.

Even the Russian Tsar insisted that there should be no change in the political map. Paradoxically, this included Russia’s major enemy, the declining Ottoman Empire, which secured its shrinking borders and its sovereignty over its subject nations.

So when the Greek Revolution broke out, the conservative European alliance found its very authority questioned and challenged.

When the Greeks declared their independence they gained the hostility of the established European powers and the admiration of the common people.

Indeed this was a revolution of the common people against despotism and the oppression of an autocratic ruler who could not understand the changes that were happening around him. Most historians insist that the Greek Revolution was a nationalist movement for the establishment of a Greek nation-state. In reality it was a grass root movement for human rights and freedom, a vertical movement that united most social classes under a common goal: the establishment of a public sphere in which human beings could interact with equal rights, dignity, justice and solidarity.

It is interesting to remember that public opinion was immediately favourable to the revolution, and the press, so heavily censored, could not hide its deep admiration for the confused news emerging from the region.

Indeed other historians have presented the revolution as being organised by the middle class merchants for the Greek Diaspora, who had formed secret societies, on the model of the Masonic lodges.

Yet all these societies disappeared the first day of the revolution; we have no information about them after the day the Greeks emancipated themselves from the role of the enslaved nation.

Others have insisted on romantic philhellenism that permeated the post-Enlightenment Europe; yet these were contributing factors, not the fundamental reasons. The first declaration by Alexandros Ypsilanti stated “Fight for Faith and Motherland! The time has come, O Hellenes.

Long ago the people of Europe, fighting for their own rights and liberties, invited us to imitation … The enlightened peoples of Europe are occupied in restoring the same well-being, and, full of gratitude for the benefactions of our forefathers towards them, desire the liberation of Greece.”

It was a wake-up call; Greeks were not simply fighting for faith and motherland but for their rights and liberties; indeed these ideas coexisted in the mind and the various trends amongst them and later caused enormous trouble and disunity.

After so many centuries of enslaved existence, freedom was an unfeasible dream for those who grew up in conditions of repression and fear.

The father of Greek nationalism, Adamantios Koraes, from his diasporic position in Paris, sent his own edition of Aristotle’s Politics to the revolutionaries with a long letter recommending a program of social reforms and the introduction of a system of checks and balances in order to regain, as he stated, “our human nature”.

He suggested that our humanity was in its expression a political issue, a question that had to be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

It is obvious that the Greek revolution was a great promise in an era of conservative rule and diminished expectations.

It was not simply a nationalistic movement; it was predominantly a political and social uprising which disruptuted the domination of autocracy and totalitarianism.

It renewed the great promises of the American and French revolutions, and brought their ideas for the first time into Eastern Europe and the Balkans, accelerating thus the process of fragmenting the surviving medieval empires by introducing the ideas of self-determination and self-government.

Like any other revolution however the Greek revolution remained incomplete. It established an independent state which in its function undermined and finally abolished the promises of the revolution.

Most revolutionaries were imprisoned, or died in utter poverty. The Revolution itself became a national myth, de-politised and de-radicalised, with racialist undertones and quasi-religious character.

Today we can critically revisit the legacy of the early days and years of the revolution; we honour the visionary projects and empowering ideas; we admire the courage and the self-negation of the individuals; and yet feel rather sad with what followed.

But the legacy remains declaring again and again that the struggle for human freedom, dignity and justice never ends and we have to carry it on from generation and generation and win again and again what the great people of the past have struggled to achieve for us."

Vrasidas Karalis is Professor of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia.

I don't agree at all with the anti-Syriza (the main party of the Greek Left) takes of Professor Karalis in the recent past (although for sur he is not a right winger). However, Karalis is an important intellectual of the Greek Diaspora and this article of his is enlightening and thought provoking.

My remarks are firstly that, if it is true, as he says, that the Greek Revolution was a vertical movement that united most social classes under a common goal, this does not mean that the traditional and new elites of the revolted Greeks did not have also their own particular goals and strategies for the post-revolutionary Greece, their main goal being obviously the perpetuation and consolidation of their hegemony. Secondly, the Greek Revolution was perhaps first of all the revolt of a subjugated and oppressed ethno-religious group (the Christian Orthodox Greeks), a thing which had consequences on the nature of this Revolution. But I think that Pr. Karalis is totally right when he stresses that the Greek Revolution was also a continuation of the American and French Revolutions and a struggle for freedom and human dignity which shook the conservative domination in Europe and inspired other movements for national, political, and social liberation.

#greek revolution #greek war of independence #1821 #vrasidas karalis

[jander-sunstar]

Jander’s Expanded Guide to Vampires: the Dwarven Vampire

Hunter’s Rating:  🦇 🦇 🦇 🦇 🦇

Dwarven Vampires are a rarity even in the dread domains, although I’m inclined to attribute that to their habit of staying far, far underground, and eschewing the company of even their fellow undead. Few hunters will ever hear of a true Dwarven Vampire, much less encounter one directly. Their high rating here is given less as a measure of their capacity for bloodshed and evil (though both are still quite high), and more to illustrate how damned difficult they are to dispatch. 

As with most Vampires, undead dwarves retain their skills and aptitudes from their living days, and quite naturally prefer to be found well below the surface of the earth. They lack any real vulnerability to sunlight, but find it distasteful nonetheless; and being above ground causes discomfort and reduced regenerative abilities, so it’s often a moot point. They also have also exchanged the charm ability common to other Vampires for a fearsome gaze, similar to the one sported by true Elven Vampires, and lack any real skill at shapeshifting. A Vampiric dwarf can summon and command a number of burrowing animals, but moles and badgers lack a certain finesse, in my opinion. 

No, what makes the Dwarven Vampire so dangerous is a level of durability much greater than other variants of comparable age. Only weapons bearing significant enchantments or blessings can hope to harm them, and magic seems to abhor them altogether; spells often ricochet off the creature, and magical items will outright refuse to function in their hands. Stone and earth are the Dwarven Vampire’s preferred roads, as they possess an innate stonewalk ability, and fighting one underground is just asking to be grappled and drawn into a solid stone wall. As if this wasn’t bad enough, upon a would-be fatal blow the dwarf assumes the same state and vanishes into the nearest earthen surface, much as a common Vampire would dissolve into mist to escape. The creature is destroyed if prevented from reaching its coffin within minutes, but because of this a Dwarven Vampire is rarely far from such a sanctuary. How is a hunter meant to fight an enemy that laughs at most weapon blows, and can simply melt away into the environment whenever he likes?

By getting very, very lucky. Powdered metal can create a barrier the Dwarven Vampire cannot cross, and natural spring water acts as holy water does on other varieties. Dwellings constructed entirely without the use of stone or earth are impregnable fortresses against Vampiric dwarves, but those with stone floors or walls pose no hinderance whatsoever. And the one surefire means of incapacitating the creature is by impalement with a natural stalactite or stalagmite. Once paralyzed, the dwarf’s heart can then be removed, soaked in oil for three days, and burned completely to ash. Anything less than this runs the risk of the Vampire reviving at a later date, and you’d best hope that happens long after your children’s time.

The one saving grace of the Dwarven Vampire is that they seldom make themselves a problem requiring a hunter’s solution. The creatures tend to sequester themselves far underground, and don’t make a habit of amassing power and social influence the way many Vampires of other races do. Apart from the necessity of feeding, which they do by draining the living vitality of their victims, they tend to live almost entirely solitary existences -- much as I myself once did. Through some quirk of unnatural nature, the dwarven strain of Vampirism requires a more active participation on the part of the sire and is incapable of crossing species lines to infect other humanoids. Thus, a Vampire of this type will only create spawn intentionally, only from other dwarves, and only for a specific purpose. Oftentimes such spawn are destroyed by their maker after a bare few months or years, out of a lingering sense of sorrow and compassion for what has been done to them.

If you absolutely must fight a Dwarven Vampire, do so with the utmost caution and preparation. Expect heavy casualties. And whatever you do, do not target the one that lives in Castle Avernus. Azalin has very, ah, definite opinions about people who attack his staff...

#ravenloft #vampires #jander's expanded guide to vampires #dnd #dnd 3e #dwarven vampire #seriously that stonewalk ability is OP as hell lmao #at least elven vamps' treewalk has limitations

[lilac-cat-draws]

anyone fun facts you have to share about your ocs 👉👈

Oooohh, you don't know how much I've been waiting for someone to finally ask this, I want a reason to ramble about my OCs cuz I love them so goddamn much.

I'll try to talk about a small few cuz I have like written almost 50 OCs so I'll stick to the ones on the previous post I made moments ago

This might be a long one so brace yourself for all the stuff I might ramble about

Also please, feel free to ask more about this stuff. There is so much I'd love to share about these characters I put so much love and care into writing about

Andreas:

Leader of a band of thieves called "Iron Claw" named after his main weapon

At night he's a thief leader but at day he's a bureaucrat

His main goal is to climb to the top of power and gaining as much wealth as possible

Has a fondness for roses as that was his late wife's favourite flower so he has a dedicated rose garden for her

His only family left is his son Trevor

Neil:

Used to live in a poverty stricken area with his father, until one night where he suddenly vanished from his life forcing him to survive on his own

Neil despises what his father has done

Was taken in my Andreas due to his skill in stealing and combat

On his first day with the group he was partnered up with Elliot as they were both recruited in the same day

Andreas gave him a special dagger that can change the form of it's blade depending on what the current wielder wants

He was informed that he is now the new master of the blade as the previous has died of suspicious causes

Neil has issues with his relationships, he had one unsuccessful one in the past but was lucky enough to at least end it on decent terms

Elliot:

They grew up into a cult that worships a long forgotten god and their goal was to revive them into a new form

Elliot was born from unnatural methods

Their mother who was a member volunteered to bare the the child with the help of dark magic, she later died after the birth

They were confined in the same space for years, raised to be a vessel for this god

Elliot's birth resulted in gaining the curse of bearing the old god's powers

Years later they escaped the cult once their powers were fully in form

They can only maintain some control on a small percent of their ability, anything beyond that is considered dangerous to both them and to the others around them

They greatly dislike the smell alcohol as the place where the cult kept them in was under an old tavern which reeked of alcohol

Prefers to not talk a lot so they prefer conversing with people only they are acquainted to

They saw themselves as non binary after being with the group for a while as they were able to have some self reflection

Neil and Elliot became close friends after months of working together

They would have each others backs in the most dire of situations

Vinny:

Vinny is a shape shifting demon and the eldest of the whole group

He joined the group as a form of repayment for Andreas after he saved him from being killed

He is Andreas' right hand man who would provide him with any "confidential" matters that he looks into

His reason for why his main form is a young boy is to look less suspicious in the public eye and that it also matches with his mischievous personality

Vinny only does what benefits him but can feel empathetic on some occasions

He is close acquainted to a woman named Edith

Vinny enjoys messing with Neil with little pranks just to amuse himself

Edith:

I don't have recent drawing of her as she was a very old OC I did and I was planning on redesigning her whole design, know that she is a crow hybrid that wears a plague doctor dress

She runs a pharmacy that used to belong to her late husband

She developed a fear of germs due to an incident where everyone in her family died of an illness

Edith wears a specially tailored outfit to help her comfortably walk outside again

She has knowledge on plants, hunting, and medicine

Hunting is a favourite pass time in her family to the point where it's considered a tradition to her

Edith wore the outfit so much that the towns people who know her forgot what her face looks like

She met Vinny by chance and Vinny's curiosity decided to converse with her and it became a routine for them to regularly meet and talk over some tea

She never questioned Vinny's origins, she's just glad to have some sort of company in her life

Ophelia:

The medic of Iron Claw, she's skilled in her work

Was blacklisted from working in any medical field due to her origins as a snake hybrid and a poisoning incident that she was falsely accused of

She dreamed of working in the medical job for years as she grew up in a community who can't have this sort of treatment, relying on more ineffective methods

After encountering Andreas she joined the group when he offered her the thing she desired

Ophelia was able to mingle with the other members of Iron Claw as she is the most reliable person to go to for medical assistance

#I warned you it was long #you can tell how passionate I am about these characters #oc #ocs #original character