#i always lose followers on that day too its hilarious

[ndlqzrz]

I’ve always loved you - Niko Omilana

Summary : You and niko were childhood friends, and as you grew older and Niko became more and more known, he found it harder to keep his true feelings from you.

Warnings : light smut

——

VERY HEAVILY inspired by @betasquads ‘Forgotten’ fic, please check them out its so good, actually love it sm!!

——

Niko’s Birthday

March 4th, 2019

——

Standing at the doorstep of the Beta house, anticipation bubbled within you as you held gifts for Niko's birthday. "I'm coming!’ his voice echoed from inside, a familiar rush of footsteps approaching. The door swung open, revealing Niko with that oh so familiar grin on his face.

‘Happy Birthday!’ Your laughter filling the air as you stepped into the house, carefully setting the wrapped gift on the floor. Niko's arms enveloped you in a warm embrace, both of you giggling excitedly and losing composure fast despite only seeing each other yesterday.

‘Thank you,’ he said, his smile widening as he looked you up and down, that familiar spark he felt the very first time he met you resurfacing within him. "Do you want to go upstairs and watch YouTube?" he suggested, an inviting tone in his voice.

Niko was a YouTube man. It didn’t matter what day it was, he’d enjoy nothing more than sitting down with you and bingeing YouTube videos. ‘Sure’ you responded with a giggle, following him upstairs making sure to bring his present with you.

——

It would’ve have to have been your 12th video when you and Niko burst out into laughter again, clinging onto each other, your stomachs aching in amusement. He carefully settled his laptop down onto the ground, ensuring it remained unharmed amidst the chaos.

As the laughter died down, you observed Niko launching into a passionate rant about the video, offering his opinions on its humor and his insights on how it could’ve been better. You loved listening to him rant, it was comforting yet hilarious the way he described things, never failing to make you laugh and nod in agreement with him.

However, it was here that you acknowledged his intelligence that shone through in these moments. It was evident Niko was made for this, and you knew with his personality and determination, he’d be going places.

‘You know your gonna be big like them one day’, you whispered, watching his face light up with excitement as he glanced at you. "Never," he playfully whispered back. "I know you will," you insisted. He chuckled, giving you a playful push, both of you laughing. "No genuinely, I know your gonna be big one day, just you wait.’

‘Sure, sure,’ he teased, his gaze lingering on you as you sat across from him on his bed, taking in your every feature. In his eyes, you were breathtaking, flawless. ‘Do you want to open your gift now?’ you suggested, snapping him out of his thoughts. ‘Oh yeah!!’

As he unwrapped the gift, his cheeks flushed under your gaze, but soon his eyes widened in shock. ‘No way you got me this,’ he gasped, lifting up a professional camera. ‘Well, you know, I thought you needed one to use instead of your phone,’ you explained as he looked over at you, his shocked expression unable to be contained.

‘I- How much was this? I swear I'll pay you back,’ he stammered, clearly overwhelmed. ‘Niko, it's your birthday,’ you hushed him, gently patting his shoulder. ‘Besides, you're going to need it if you're going to be famous someday.’ Instantly, he wrapped you in a tight hug, your giggles eliciting butterflies within him. ‘Thank you, so much,’ he whispered, the smile evident in his voice.

‘No problem Niko’ you replied, sharing a quick gaze before breaking the silence. ‘Anyways I should get going, I have a long shift tomorrow and I don’t wanna be home late’, he nodded, standing up with you as he scratched his neck, still too shocked after the gift to process anything. ‘Yeah yeah, no of course!!’ He replied hurriedly, both of you making your way downstairs as you put your shoes on, preparing to leave.

He observed you putting your jacket, a smile lingering on his face as you stood up and looked up at him. ‘I'll text you when I'm home,’ you assured. ‘Alright, thanks again,’ he replied. ‘No worries,’ you laughed, departing from the house, the sound of the door closing behind you, echoing in the quiet night.

For a moment, he stood there, absorbing the past hour and a half, lost in thought. Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him and swiftly glanced around. It was Chunkz, grabbing his shoulder. ‘She's the one, bro.’

——

2 years later

April 2nd, 2021

——

As you sat on the couch, a chuckle escaping you, watching Niko's announcement about running for London mayor, he sat beside you, eagerly observing your reaction with a contagious excitement.

Smiling, you sat the phone down and met his gaze, but immediately lost composure as laughter escaped both of you. ‘You know, when you first told me you were running, I thought you were joking,’ you managed to say amid the laughter, sharing the moment of amusement.

He grinned, saying, ‘You know it's after blown up, everyone's talking about it!’ with evident joy. ‘I can see why!’ you replied casually, as if it were obvious. ‘No sane person does that,’ you teased, feeling his arm wrap around your shoulder as he burst into laughter once again.

His gaze met yours, both of you absorbing each others presence. ‘If I win, I'm retiring you,’ he declared. You shot him a look. ‘You say that like I'm not younger than you?!’ he smirked, watching as you grabbed a pillow initiating a pillow fight. He quickly took coverage in the couch as laughters echoed through the house, luckily empty that day.

——

A month later

May 8th, 2021

——

You waited in the Beta house with all of Niko's friends, having just seen the news that he secured 5th place. It didn't take long for the lanky man to walk through the door. All his friends gathering around, offering hugs and congratulations to celebrate the outcome.

Locking eyes with you, he walked over, embracing you in his arms and lifting you up, both of you bursting into laughter. ‘You did it,’ you whispered. ‘I did it.’

In less than an hour both of you were running upstairs to his bedroom – him in tracksuit bottoms and an un-ironed shirt, you in jeans and a crop top.

Closing the door behind him, you and Niko exchanged smiles, both unable to contain your excitement. Settling on his bed, you snuggled up in his blanket, reading the comments on his recent Twitter post.

‘I can't believe you came 5th, you know,’ you whispered, attempting to contain your excitement as it was late. ‘I KNOW!!’ Niko, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. ‘Woah, be quiet, it's literally past midnight.’ You advised. ‘You can't shush me after I basically just won mayor of London,’ he gasped dramatically.

‘And you know what will ruin that? A noise complaint,’ you shot back playfully. ‘Fair enough,’ he replied, raising his hands in defeat. He glanced at you, a faint blush tinting his cheek as your eyes met. ‘Will you help me edit my video, please?’ he whispered. ‘Of course... in the morning,’ you replied. He rolled his eyes, ‘Fine...’

Both of you snuggled up in his blanket, still giggling but trying to keep it hushed. You rested your head on his chest as his arm enveloped you, your eyes shutting. Niko then finally realized the situation – you were in his bed, sleeping with him. It had happened before, but this time, something felt different.

‘I- are we going to get changed into our pyjamas...?’ he whispered softly. ‘It's fine, who hasn't slept in a suit once in a while?’ you reassured. He chuckled, nodded, and slowly shut his eyes. ‘Night, night,’ he whispered, but upon hearing your faint snoring, he knew you were already asleep.

——

1 year later

May 15th 2022

——

Seated on the counter, swinging your legs as you watched Niko's views skyrocket on his recent video, "I Pranked America's Most Racist Man," he sat beside you, that same grin you always loved plastered on his face.

‘I can't believe it's hit 10 million views in just two days, man,’ you said in awe, looking over at him. He stared back at you, his eyes meeting yours as he looked down. ‘Neither can I,’ he whispered, the weight of the achievement sinking in.

You did the same, looking down, realising that your best friend made it. You were so incredibly proud of him, and so glad at the recognition he was finally getting, and you were going to show that in any way possible.

‘I'm so proud of you,’ you said, his gaze immediately meeting yours, causing butterflies to flutter in his stomach. ‘You deserve this so much,’ you whispered, both of you locking eyes, sharing a moment of admiration.

He pursed his lips, attempting to withhold the words threatening to escape, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. ‘I love you,’ he confessed. Blushing, you intertwined your legs together to stop them from swinging anymore. ‘I love you too, Niko,’ you replied.

‘No, really, I love you,’ he muttered, your breath almost catching in your throat as you tried to maintain composure. ‘You've always been there for me and stuck by my side. I genuinely love you so much,’ he whispered, soft yet loud. Getting down from the counter, he held your hands in his. ‘Nikolas?’ you asked, almost giggling.

He locked eyes with you, then looked down, alternating between the two. ‘You’ve never left me, my ups and downs, highs and lows, you've been here. So I really...’ he paused, contemplating whether to say it now. ‘I really would like to spend the rest of my life with you,’ he finally let out, his gaze locking onto yours.

Your mouth opened slightly as you couldn't help but smile, overwhelmed with emotions. Niko quickly began scrambling to save himself, just in case you didn't feel the same. ‘I- I just meant, like, if you want, obv— you don't have to, you know, like—‘ he rambled on. You grinned, leaning in to shut him up, but this time, it was with your lips on his, doing what your words couldn't.

His eyes widened as you slowly pulled away, leaving him standing there in shock. Unable to process it, he went with the flow, his hands finding their way around your waist as he kissed you back. Feeling your smile, he giggled, caught up with the tension in the moment.

Your arms found their way around his neck as he pulled you closer, both of you alternating between pulling away, gasping for breath, and clinging onto each other.

Your hand caressed his hair, lightly pulling on it, making him groan into the kiss. He reciprocated by trailing his hands up and down your waist, the simple touch leaving you breathless as you pulled away again.

He took this as an opportunity to leave a trail of kisses all the way from your jaw down to your neck, a mix of sucking and gentle kisses covering the areas. It didn't take long for you to release a sound—a sound that Niko longed to hear, a sound that quickly became addictive to him.

Smirking at the sound, he sucked harder, his hands moving up and down your waist soothingly. ‘Niko..’ you let out, the call of his name making his chest fill with pride. His hands then found their way to your thigh, rubbing gentle circles on it.

You couldn't help but give him what he wanted, the small gasps, calls of his name, and the pretty sounds he loved so much. Smiling, he suddenly stopped, locking eyes with you. ‘Can we go to my bedroom?’ He asked as you nodded quickly, following him upstairs, the door slamming shut as he began to show you what yous both have wanted all these years,

so so much.

——

I like love this but also like feel like the ending could have been better from me, overall proud w it tho.

Its now the longest fic i’ve ever made help.

Also icl to u idk when niko’s birthday fic will be out this is a fic i’ve been working on and off for a while so I just wanted to get it out ykwim?

But yeah, hoped you enjoyed<3

If you want I can make a part 2 but it’ll just be smut icl 💀 ( I know thats what you want okay same here )

Im also thinking about letting requests open and just seeing what yous want, but I can’t promise I’ll do them icl.

#beta squad #niko omilana #ndlqz #niko omilana smut #niko omilana x reader

[aydaptic]

I imagine that being a Gavin fan when the dbh fandom was in its early stages must have been exhausting. I've been scrolling through dbh blogs, just to catch up on what I've missed out on and occasionally I'll come across posts like "if you like Gavin you're [insert stupid insult here]" or "Gavin is the personification of evil and if you even watch a single scene with him in it without feeling hatred, then you're [insert another stupid insult here]"

Following you, I've realised that Gavin is honestly not a bad guy. Yeah, he's not the most positive/friendly guy in the world but that doesn't make him evil. The only time we've seen him in a bad light is when he's interacting with something he does not like ex. androids, hank (both of which he has valid reasons for not liking). When he's not with either of them, he's pretty alright. Even Neil has said that if you met Gavin in a bar or something, he, at the very least, would be polite to you.

I know it's been said before but people can dislike Gavin (everyone is entitled to disliking who they want) but looking back, I believe that the hatred he received was so unnecessary.

If any of those people could have just looked beyond "he hurt my fave/disliking him for moral points", they would have seen that too.

This is why I'm happy that reed900 became so popular. Not only because it showed that there were people who wanted to delve deeper into Gavin's character but it also created a huge headache for everyone who hated him.

As someone who has been a Gav fan since launch day -- May 25th, 2018 -- I can confirm that it was indeed exhausting. I admit I'm biased, though. It was worse for me for reasons I'll get into down below.

There's still a lot of undeserved vitriol towards him posted on the regular, but my having muted 90% of the fandom makes it not nearly as noticeable. Ofc I can't avoid them all bc the amount of shit he gets always slips through the net. His haters are that obsessed with him (...which is not only pathetic but hilarious as well.)

Several ppl have told me that I was the one who made them see the layers involved when it comes to Gav. Hearing that warms my heart. It makes me feel like I'm doing something useful in this fandom.

As for my personal bias, I've been told multiple times by multiple ppl that I remind them of Gav. It made me realize that's one of the main reasons why I defend the guy. If you don't like Gav, you wouldn't like me, so I -- in the beginning -- took the hatred for him personally. Thus it was extra exhausting to have negativity constantly aimed at me (in theory) as an individual.

I feel the same way he does. I'm pissed at Hank and wouldn't stay quiet knowing that he gets special treatment from Fowler. I dislike Con and would try to stop him in The Interrogation/Last Chance, Connor. I dislike AI. I wouldn't believe androids were alive. I'm terrified of losing my livelihood, etc. I could make a list with dozens of things he and I have in common (even the smallest/unusual things like being unable to wink with one eye bc I can't do that either, lol.)

I share your amusement on his haters having to deal with not only Gav's popularity, but also Reed900. I'd say that's karma.

#dbh #gavin reed #rk900 #reed900 #900gavin #gavin900 #900reed #g9 #detroit: become human #dbh gavin #dbh rk900 #long post #anonymous #Q&A #*aydaptic

[yrluvjane]

Sometimes things get Sirius

Sirius Black x fem!reader

(There is some slightly mature language to this.)

You grimaced as the pink and purple goo fell all over you and began spilling to the ground. You knew the glittery substance would take hours if not days to get out of your hair and uniform.

As the crowd around you began laughing loudly, you wiped some of the goo off your eyes and swiveled towards the four infamous boys, who have made the past four years hell for you.

You had believed that they would stop since it is your sixth year and they would be busy studying just like you and everyone else in their grade. However, it seems as though no amount of work and punishment could stop the mischievous boys from pranking others- and by others you mean you.

The four leaned back on the stone walls of the castle, falling over each other as they fell into hysterical laughter. “Oh merlin! I-I can't breathe.” James huffed out as he clutched his stomach.

“Oh I’ll make sure you lose the ability to breathe at all!” You snapped tripping once or twice while making your way to them, which only fueled your anger more. “You gotta admit, Y/n....That was fucking hilarious.” Sirius says and he high-fives the rest of his stupid group.

“Well I hope you'll find it hilarious when I choke the life out of you!” Shouting you lunged at Sirius, but before you could even touch him, light blue ropes held you back, and stuck you to the ground.

“What is going on?!” McGonagall's voice rings out the corridor, silencing all the students. Her eyes find your sparkling figure (as if it was hard to miss, you looked like a bloody pink disco ball) and then found the four troublesome boys.

“Run!” James shouts. He breaks into sprint, following by the three as McGonagall shouts out them. You knew even if McGonagall didn't let them off and decided to scold them and give them detention; all her words would go into one ear and out the other barely passing their brains (If they even have those).

“EVERYONE BACK TO CLASS!” McGonagall shouts as the crowd disperses leaving only you and her in the hallway. With a wave of her wand the blue roped disappear allowing you to freely move. You try to wipe some of the goo off but it doesn't work. You sigh tiredly, and somehow you feel helpless and small.

“Oh I'm sorry, dear.” The transfiguration Professor says. She tries to cast a cleaning spell on you but it doesn't work. As if The Marauders would let you off easily.

“Don't bother; I have been trying that for the past four years. I think I've memorized every cleaning spell there ever was.”

“I truly do apologi-”

“Its fine, Professor. Can I can take the rest of the day off, please?” You asked and were slightly happy when she agrees. The moment she leaves you begin making your way to the second floor bathroom, where you know no one is going to be there, considering the fact it was out of order, and was haunted by Moaning Myrtle.

Who better than a ghost to join your pity party? You thought sarcastically.

So for next two hours, you tried to get most of the thick and sticky slime of you as you ranted and rambled to Myrtle, who you found out, was a very good listener. “Why?! Why is it always me?! I have never not been nice to any of them!” You complained as tried peel some out of your skirt but only kept stretching the more you pulled.

“God…” You sighed as you gave up and looked at yourself in the mirror; even after hours of work you were still 80%  slime. Most of the slime was on your head, which meant you currently had pink hair that sparkled in the sunlight. You silently hoped that if the marauders saw you later your hair would blind them.

“Boys, I never liked them anyway. I always found them so mean and judging, they too liked to pick on me, the girls too. Although I can’t say my bullies were as…creative as yours.” Myrtle said in her hollow and eerie voice, floating behind you, looking you up and down.

“Oh I’m sorry Myrtle; I didn’t mean to bring up unhappy memories.”

“No it’s fine. It’s actually nice to have someone to talk too. Almost no one comes here, and when they do they never come back.” The dead girl said, she sighed and floated to her little window then look down at you from up there. “Will you come back?”

“I’ll try too, I’m usually quite busy with my N.E.W.T’s and all but if I’m free and have no studies to finish, I’ll come.” You said with a small smile that was met with big and happy one. “Oh how lovely, you should hurry up and finish, there isn’t long to lunch.”

“Thanks, Myrtle. Have fun alright, try talking to other ghosts. Maybe you’ll make friends.”

“Maybe…Have a good day or the rest of it anyway.”

You slumped you way back to the Gryffindor common, which made you: became the gossip to all of the portraits, Peeves new favorite victim, Filch’s latest catch and last but not least the laughing stock of any passing Ghosts and students.

Thank you, Marauders.

Apparently you looked so horrifying that Isabelle, the fat lady, let out a gasp so loud and sharp it woke any and every portrait that were hung on the large four tower walls that surrounded the staircases.

And as if your day got any worse, you were personally welcomed by The Marauders themselves.

“Wow, Y/n you look great! Do something to your hair?” Sirius says with a smirk as those scattered around the common room laughed.

“Thanks, Sirius…I’ll just go.” You replied, too tired to deal with any of them anymore.

“Oh but the fun hasn’t even started yet!” Remus shouts as you walk up the stairs gaining more attention than you hoped for.

“Oh God, I heard about what happened I just didn’t think it was this bad.” You turned around and faced your best friend and roommate, Dorcus, with a sad smile.

“Hey, how was Charms?”

“Tiring, I took notes for you.”

“Thanks, Dor… Wait, what are you even doing here? Shouldn’t you have Divination right now?”

“Not yet, Trelawney said some of us could ‘suffer great danger’ if we went now, the class was postponed an hour or so. Come; let’s get this stuff of you.”

So you had spent the rest of the day, running around the castle trying to find Professor Slughorn and Madam Promfrey.

To say you were exhausted the next day was an understatement.

Not only did you feel like shit, because of all the potions you ingested; but Professor Sinstra, the Astrology teacher, decided to have a pop quiz and then decided to pair you up with non-other Sirius Fucktard Black.

"I really have to, love. You look Gorgeous, stunning even. Done something new? Blush? Lipstick?... Hair?" He tried to hide a snort as he suggested the last word.

You silently glared at him with the heat of a thousand suns. "I know I'm breathtaking but it's still rude to stare." He said, with his smug face, which looked quite punchable at the moment.

You huffed and turned facing the other side. You angrily stared at the map under you. While astronomers saw rabbits, cats and lions, you saw a pan, an upside-down spoon and a triangle with hair.

You sighed running your hands down your face. Next thing you know the whole class was laughing. You looked up trying to figure out what they were laughing at only to realize it was you.

They were laughing at you.

Because someone had changed the natural color of your hair to the most vibrant shade of red.

You clutched the strands of your hair and looked up seeing Sirius's wand in your direction.

You slammed your head against the table and groaned as Professor Sinstra start to scold Sirius, who didn't even bother to pretend to pay attention.

"Y/n, darling, I have to say-" He began but stopped short once he saw you.

You had pulled out a hair claw, twisted you hair and clasped it.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at you with a suspicious look. You met his eyes and shook your head. "What?" You asked as Professor Sinstra finally managed to silence the class.

"What are you doing?" Sirius replied furrowing his brows at you.

"Nothing. Let's finish this; I've got a thing later."

"What type of 'thing'?"

"The 'None of your business' type of thing."

Even though you got back to your work, you felt Sirius's eyes burn a hole through your head the entire day.

The next day you had a bucket of ice water drench you just as you were leaving for breakfast.

The day after, someone had swapped all your writing ink with squid ink.

Then someone charmed all your notes into paper planes.

And today your quills mysteriously turned into birds in transfiguration.

And by 'someone' you meant The Marauders. But with every prank a part of you began building an immunity of sorts.

You stopped caring. It would only last a year or so. You thought. You'd graduate in a year and you'd never have to see their stupid, arrogant faces.

So what if you got drenched, you'll dry.

If they switched your writing ink to squid, you could switch it back.

If they transfigured your stuff you could just reverse it.

You sat on your bed, dressed in pastel blue pajamas with five books scattered in front of you.

You sighed, looking down on your notes (which you had to rewrite) then staring up to your reflection in the wardrobe mirror.

Tired and distracted you decided to get some fresh air. It was around 11, your roommate was asleep snuggled in a large soft-looking blanket.

You piled your books over the nightstand and slipped on your slippers. You tip-toed down the stairs quietly avoiding making sound as much as possible.

The last thing you needed to top of your week was getting caught sneaking out after curfew.

The breezy night provided a beautiful and much -needed change of atmosphere. In the night with swaying trees and the sound of waves, you felt un-caged.

For the first time this year, you didn't feel worried or stressed or sad or as though you failed in life.

You felt free.

You walked around the edge of the forest for a while before deciding to head to the lake.

But the more you walked, the more you had this weird feeling someone was watching you.

You sat across the lake throwing small rocks at it, watching as they made small circular waves.

The castle was a good distance now, which meant there was an almost impossible chance someone would know sneaked out.

You took a deep breath, inhaling the salty and earth-y yet refreshing scent of your surroundings.

As you stared up at the crescent moon, you thought of your future life. You wanted to become an Unspeakable. But because Unspeakables weren’t allowed to speak of their job or life (Hence the name) you didn’t know what to take.

So you were faced to take all the O.W.L’s and all N.E.W.T’s, which caused multiple challenges and problems for you. You had to study most of your subjects on your own, since you couldn’t actually attend all the classes and that led to you not being able to go to Hogsmede or hang out with your friends.

There had once been a period were you were so stressed that you skipped meals and barely ate and ended up unconscious as you left the common room. Ironically, it had been Sirius Black that found you and carried you all the way to Madam Promfrey and called Professor McGonagall.

According to Poppy, Sirius had spent the whole night at the infirmary, refusing to leave; even when McGonagall threatened him with various detentions.

When you found out you were shocked and thought this was his way of turning over a new leaf, However; that went down the drain when he and his little group thought it’d be funny to hide your stuff all around the castle.

Your thoughts were abruptly frozen when you heard a noise come from the forest. It was so dark that you could barely make out the branches of some of the trees. You cursed yourself for forgetting your wand.

You narrowed your eyes at the sound, trying to focus your vision to make out a shadow of the being that was intruding on your ‘me time’, as the Muggles say.

You raised your palm, ready to cast a wandless incendio if anything dangerous came out. You weren’t exactly frightened, you came to this spot a lot and so Hagrid gave you a few private lessons on all the main things to know about the forests.

The dark figure was getting closer and you narrowed your eyes further, daring them to come closer.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Sirius Black says with his infamous smirk as he walks out of the shadows, like a level 10 psychopath.

“What are you doing here?!” You whisper-shouted at the boy. “Have you gone insane?! I was two seconds away from roasting you!” You say outraged as he calmly sits down next you, legs stretched, leaning back on his palms.

“Lovely night, isn’t it?”

You stared at his face with wide eyes before you threw your hands up in the air in defeat.

“Yeah, it’s a great night.” You said sarcastically.

“This is what a guy gets when he tries to be nice.”

“Nice?” You scoffed, “I think it would physically kill you to try and be civil let alone nice.”

“Is it so hard for you to believe that I can be nice? Yeah, I know. I can be a twat. And I don’t always want to prank you-”

“Then why do it?”

“Because it’s the only way I can get your attention?” He said looking at you as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’m sorry?”

“Ever since third year, where you chose all the classes, which I didn’t even think was possible, you been like a ghost. You’re either in class, in the library or in your room. And even when you’re in the great hall you’re like a mindless zombie.” He turns to you, his eyes boring into yours with sadness roaming in them.

“Remember in first and second year, where you actually spoke to us. When you went to our games or you hanged out with us in the courtyard or helped us with our homework. Where’s that Y/n? At first we thought of the prank as nothing but a joke, hoping you would come back.”

You swallowed, not expecting how this conversation turned out. “You left and never came back. You left us after you promised you wouldn’t…you left me.”

“Sirius…” You took a few seconds to look into his eyes, getting lost in the depths of his grey orbs. Your face is inches from Sirius’. You find yourself completely captured by his gaze, eyes boring into you and holding you prisoner, refusing to release you from the trance you’re in.

You felt guilty and sad and there was another emotion swirling in the pit of your chest. You couldn’t help but truly look at him. This was Sirius. He looked so vulnerable, so open. Even if you haven’t had a civil conversation with him in years.

You knew Sirius had his mask on. Always.

A mask of happiness even when he was sad.

A mask of courage even if he was scared.

A mask of safety even when he was hurt.

But this Sirius, the one in front of you, was mask less. He looked broken, sad and hurt. And somehow it pushed you back to second year. Right after the sorting, you remembered Sirius crying and whimpering on the ground.

You remembered cleaning the wounds his father caused, you remember him telling you he was threatened to not speak a word to his brother, that if he did his little brother would suffer worse.

You remembered holding Sirius the whole night promising you will never leave.

You remembered promising yourself you’ll never let Sirius feel like this again.

When you looked up at him again he was much closer than he was before. Your nose was brushing his as his eyes settled on your lips before facing yours once more. You were sharing breaths and you were gasping softly, both of your breaths felt as if they weighed a hundred tons.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers, wetting his lips with his tongue.

“Please,” you breathe, already leaning in.

Fireworks exploded in your head as your lips meet his; he keeps a firm but gentle grip on your face, a great contrast to the kiss, which was heated and desperate.

You let yourself be carried away by the moment, losing yourself in his mouth and in the warmth of his body next to yours. Without parting your lips with his, you climb on top of Sirius swiftly, hiding your fingers in his hair. His hands were quick to rub your thighs up and down eagerly.

“Y/n!” he moaned into your mouth.

Sirius planted a kiss on your neck. It started as something innocent, a mere brush of his lips on your skin, but it intensified as the seconds passed.

His lips caressed every inch of skin within reach, sucking and biting delicately until they left marks that would not disappear quickly. You closed your eyes enjoying the waves of electricity that coursed through your body at his assault on your skin.

Your grip on his hair tightened and he let out a low moan that vibrated against your neck and went straight to your core.

Sirius' wet kisses trailed up your throat until they reached your mouth, where he joined your lips once more in a desperate kiss. He trapped your upper lip between his, his tongue exploring your mouth expertly.

And so you got lost in Sirius, you fell and fell deep; entranced by his stormy eyes and suffocating lips.

 The light hit your lidded eyes, beckoning them open. You turned to your side desperate for more sleep. You tried to fall back into your dream a deep chuckling caught your ears. You snapped your eyes open, horrified when you saw Sirius laying next you, shirtless and a smile on his face.

“Morning.” He said but your head was still in shock. You blinked stupidly and tried to desperately remember what happened last night. You sat up quickly rubbing your eyes only to realize you were only in your underwear. You snatched the blanket you were sleeping on and covered yourself.

“There’s isn’t really anything to hide after last night, darling.” Sirius said amused, sitting causing his blanket to trail down. Your face flushed red as you shot him a glare. “Screw you!”

“You already did but I won’t say no to a round 2.”

You looked at him with wide eyes. “We didn’t…did we?” You asked your voice rising in pitch.

“Not all the way. I would never to that, not like this.” He said seriously, surprising you.

“I’m gonna go.” You said awkwardly as hid behind a tree and put on your pajamas.

“Y/n wait!”

You turned and faced Sirius, your face growing redder as you caught him dressing. He took his wand out and transfigured the blankets back into his shirt before putting on.

“You transfigured your shirt into blankets?”

“Well I couldn’t exactly let you sleep on the ground or get cold.”

“I…”

“Let me walk you back?…Please?”

“Sure.” You said as he smiled and jogged up to you.

You walked in awkward silence, or at least it was awkward for you. Sirius, on the other hand, looked as if he was having a mental battle in his head. “Penny for your thoughts?”  You questioned.

“Oh, sorry. Um…What- Are you free next Hogsmede?” He asked, stepping in your way and pausing you.

You looked at him surprised. Was he…going to ask you out? You wondered with a tilt of your head.

“I wasn’t planning on going.” You said and felt slightly bad when you saw his face fall. “Oh. Okay…uhm.” He said.

“But I guess it’s not too late to free my day. Why?” You asked hoping he would take up the opening. You bit your lip, nervously; you weren’t sure but there was a part of you that did want Sirius to ask you out.

“Would like to go to Hogsmede…like on a date?” He asked nervously, “With me.” He then clarified.

“An actual date? Not a hook up or a prank?” You asked, fiercely staring him down.

“No! No! No! A date. A real date with me. We don’t have to go to Hogsmede…we could have a picnic here at the lake. Or go flying at the Pitch Or-”

“Yeah, Hogsmede sounds nice.” You said as he looked up at you with wide eyes. He was about to say something but you held a finger up, shutting him. “But…If this ends up being a prank or a way to get into my pants. I will hurt you.”

“I wouldn’t- No! I want, I’ve wanted to for three years.” He said, genuinely.

“…Don’t play with my heart. Not like you do with others.”

And with complete sincerity, Sirius’ replied, “I would never play with something so priceless.”

.

.

@twerkforsheep, I hope you liked it and is what you asked for.

#sirius black x reader #sirius black #harry potter x reader #marauders era #sirius x reader #sirius x you #sirius orion black #sirius black x fem!reader

[purpleandstarlight]

@hateweasel it's time for yet another part. I'm kinda trying to space them a few hours at a time so as not to spam but if it bothers u still lmk and I'll just go like 1 or 2 a day?

-DLTD: "Chapter 259: The Messiah is Among US"

Me: ...Sus.

-Me: This happened before Among Us was even released, wich makes it funnier...

My friend: The real messiah is the author...

Me: Immagine being the messiah but writing a fanfic longer than the bible that is all about demons.

-A villain was talking to a minion named "Bigby" but i somehow?? misread it as "babygirl" and it was hilarious to me.

-Copypasting this meme from a message:

DLTD:"The blonde giggled almost uncontrollably as he pulled away to see Ciel blushing from being hugged in front of his arch-nemesis; a hue that only darkened, spreading to his ears when the blonde kissed him. All the Hellsing woman did in response was roll her visible eye and climb back into her car."

Hellsing: [Insert the Queer People Ciel meme here]

-The start of me realizing Dan is fruity, and my friend beginning to ship Dan x Kris because of me...Its the beginning of a tragedy.

-Me being rightfully upset about the love potion and hating DaffyDuck even more. I HATE the concept of Love Potions. They're creepy. I'm grateful of the fact that you recognized that and incorporated how creepy they are into the story.

-In a one-off chapter, Ciel had to babysit Luka and was like "Oh well he's just gonna watch the TV I can mind my own business" wich concerned me greatly at the time because YOU DONT LEAVE KIDS ALONE!!! EVEN IF THEYRE JUST WATCHING THE TV!! THEYRE KIDS!! THEY ARE A DANGER TO THEMSELVES!!! thankfully Ciel followed Luka soon after and I calmed down.

-i kept calling professor Irons "The iconic professor", as we all should. Then at one point I called him "Iron" and my friend corrected me. My friend. Who has heard the name once or twice from me long before that happened vs me who was actually reading the fanfic for several hundreds of chapters. I am really bad at names.

-When Ciel was scared for Oliver in the "found a dismembered foot while on a school trip" arc I was losing it too bc I was, and always will be, an Oliver Midford Stan.

-I at this point in the past told my friend about the Travis-tells-everyone-he-discovered-the-truth-ages-ago scene, wich caused present me to remember something that I should probably tell u in the rereading commentary, and I have a tumblr post about it already anyway, BUT. THE WAY THAT HAPPENS LIKE 20 CHAPTERS IN, BEFORE TRAVIS WAS EVEN FRIEND OR INTERACTED MUCH WITH ALOIS. AND STILL WENT "Okay so my new classmate is actually a Demon who eats souls but you know what? That's his business." AND THEN BEFRIENDS SAID DEMON. ICONIC. LEGENDARY. HILARIOUS.

Like I think you just forgot that they weren't really friends back then yet (i think this happened before the haunted house, or maybe slightly after, but way before they were actually pals?) but?? It's funnier this way.

Mate saw an acquintance he barely spoke to make a deal with another schoolmate and promised to eat her soul in exchange and he went "This is nothing to be concerned about." and moved on with his life.

#DLTD Thoughts #i wish i was as chill as Travis sometimes

[azikarue]

MayBlade 2023 : Day 2 : School

TyHil | FFN Rating: K+ | FFN Link ❖ “I know you’re going with a spring theme, Hilary, but isn’t the canopy of cherry blossoms a bit much?”

Tyson realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. He didn’t need to hear Hilary’s annoyed sigh or to see that he’d asked right as they crossed the halfway point of their time-consuming task. No, he’d known Hilary long enough to know he messed up without any physical evidence to prove it.

“You know what, forget I said anything,” he amended, taking an obedient step forward as Hilary’s legs flexed twice against his neck.

“Smart,” Hilary said dryly and ruffled his hair before reaching up, from her perch on his shoulders, to pin more flowers to the ceiling.

Tyson squeezed her knees in response. “And I’m not even the one in college.”

While Tyson had taken a more relaxed approach to his future – beyblading, working hand-in-hand with the BBA in whatever capacity he could, and training under his grandpa to one day take over the dojo for him – Hilary had always been destined for higher education.

She was a couple of years into her university experience now, and had recently run into Miss Kincaid in town. The subject of Hilary’s future career had come up in discussion and, one thing leading to another, Miss Kincaid had invited Hilary to help out in her classroom for some hands-on experience.

Hilary leapt at the chance, and put her all into it, like she did with everything she set her mind to.

Tyson felt a little sorry for the students and Miss Kincaid alike when he thought back to his own time with her in school. In fact, if their old teacher knew that Tyson was here, alone in her classroom with Hilary, helping drape chains of fake cherry blossoms from the ceiling, she’d probably fear for the integrity of the building.

In Hilary’s own words, she’d nearly had a heart attack when she found out her most memorable set of classroom rivals were a couple.

“If I’m getting too heavy for you, just say something, Tyson.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve told you to move three times now.”

Tyson snorted. The familiar annoyance lacing her voice took him back to the eighth grade in a way the classroom by itself could never.

“Aye aye, Wicked Witch. Your dream is this lowly flying monkey’s command,” he teased and stepped forward.

“Ha ha,” Hilary answered dryly, unwrapping a length of flowers from around Tyson’s neck and reaching up to attach it to the ceiling.

They kept at it, in a constant rhythm of Tyson pacing and Hilary unwrapping and pinning and urging him forward again. Once they reached the edge of the classroom, they started on another row, with a fresh chain of flowers, and so on and so forth.

Tyson behaved for the most part, only pretending to lose his hold on her or pinching her thighs when it wouldn’t mess her up too badly. They had less than a dozen rows to go when he noticed Hilary was beginning to slouch.

“Let’s take a break,” she groaned, pinning one final flower. “My neck is killing me.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice.”

Tyson was strong enough to hold her, but they’d been at it so long that his muscles ached when he switched positions to help Hilary off of his shoulders and onto a nearby desk. When he turned around and held out his arms, she took the hint and fell forward into his embrace so he could lower her safely to the floor.

His hands lingered on her waistline afterwards. She didn’t protest.

“Thanks,” she sighed and rolled her neck to get the kinks out. “Just let me get a drink of water and then we can get back to work.” She slid out of his grip, almost apologetically, and fetched her water bottle from the teacher’s desk.

“Well, I could use a deep tissue massage.” Tyson said, as he stretched his sore muscles and followed her. “You might think its easy maintaining peak human form and maximum strength, but even World Champions need some upkeep every once in a while.”

Hilary rolled her eyes. “Let me guess: that ‘upkeep’ includes no fewer than five square meals a day?” she asked sarcastically, holding her water out to him in offering.

“Not including snack breaks,” he confirmed with a wink. He took a couple gulps of water, before setting the bottle aside. “You know, I think I’ve missed one of each since we’ve been here. So, you’re welcome.”

“Thank you for your noble sacrifice.” Hilary rolled her eyes and hoisted herself up to sit on the desk. “Remind me and I’ll buy you lunch on the way home.”

Tyson grinned and hopped up next to her. “Thank goodness you’re nicer on the other side of eighth grade,” he said, unable to keep the smirk off his lips.

“Thank goodness the swelling in your head went down so you could fit through the doorway to help me today,” Hilary countered.

“I’m just gonna say ‘you’re welcome’ so you don’t revert back to your old ways and rescind the lunch offer.”

“Well, what do you know – I guess you did learn something here, after all.”

Hilary was teasing, but her voice had an oddly nostalgic note to it that made him do a double-take. She was looking out at the desks, and he had the strange feeling it wasn’t the present-day classroom she was seeing. Slowly, so he didn’t startle her, he reached out and covered her hand with is own.

“Maybe we both did.”

Hilary turned to face him with a question in the crease of her brow. Before she could ask it, Tyson captured her lips with his.

She relaxed into the kiss almost immediately and Tyson took the chance to pull her closer over the polished surface of the desk. Miss Kincaid’s name placard got wedged between them and he knocked it to the floor in his haste to get it out of the way.

The clatter made Hilary jump. She opened her mouth – to scold him probably – and he took that as his invitation to deepen the kiss. He was rewarded with the feeling of her hands curling into the front of his shirt and a tiny squeak from the back of her throat.

It was weird, Tyson thought, that the person he would have given anything to be rid of when they first met, was the backbone of his life a few measly years later. And how now, he was back where they first crossed paths, making out with her on their teacher’s desk. Hilary tangled one of her hands in the hair at his nape and he decided it was a really good weird.

“Tyson…” she whispered against his lips, when they finally parted for air.

He kissed her again, chastely, then once more for good measure, not quite ready to give up the taste of her entirely. She hummed against his lips the second time, and he knew he had to stop if they had any hopes of getting out of the school before nightfall.

He pulled back, brushing the tip of his nose against hers on the way, and asked, “Are you ready to finish?”

At the mention of hanging more blossoms, she winced and rubbed at her neck. “You might have been right about it being too much.”

Hilary’s brown eyes met his, sheepishly, from under the sweep of her eyelashes. Her cheeks were flushed, hair and clothing more ruffled than when she’d first let them into the classroom. The overhead lights shone through the tiny paper flowers, dappling her skin with pink.

Tyson’s mouth went dry.

“I actually think it’s perfect,” he said and, against his better judgment, pulled her in for another kiss.

#beyblade #mayblade 2023 #TyHil #I knew it was gonna have to be TyHil for this prompt as soon as I saw it #think it turned out cute ♥ #azrfic #azikarue #azikarue394

[maddstermind]

I'm crying at some of these titles - but also Lemon Demon is making more sense now knowing you know Homestuck (this is a compliment btw, I'm adding some of their songs to my list (Knife Fight)) ANYWAY - pls tell me more about howie dies dot jpeg and 999 999 laughing for real right now- On a more serious note - we're doing it man, we're making this happen You've been updated to Warheads cause my face currently resembles sucking on one I'm losing my fuckin mind rn

Yes, YES, I highly recommend pretty much everything Lemon Demon has every done. Listen to Bustin', it's hilarious. (As far as I know, Lemon Demon/Neil Cicierega has nothing to do with Homestuck, but they do have a similar vibe lmao. Also I'm honored to be upgraded.)

OKAY WRITING THINGS YEEHAW.

howie dies dot jpeg Snippet:

President Howard Goodman sat at his desk in the Oval Office, alone. The orange light of the setting sun filled the room, silhouetting him with his back to the window. He was alone. He kept telling himself that.  There was no one else in the room, hadn't been for hours as he demanded to be left alone for the rest of the day, but he could not convince himself that he was actually alone. He felt watched. Every shadow out of the corner of his eye looked to be a person, or a beast, or some horrific fusion of the two. It was worth mentioning that Howard hadn't been sleeping well lately.

About: The other (joke) working title for this was "Howie's Hot Girl Summer." The real title was "I'll Find You In The Next Timeline." It was meant to be for the 2023 Hatchetfield Big Bang (which I host!), but I got swamped and wasn't able to work on it for long. It's a timeloop story about the (fictional) President of the United States, Howard Goodman. And also he's in love with the mysterious military man, General John McNamara. I'll probably eventually get around to finishing and publishing it. Someday.

999 999 laughing for real right now Snippet:

"When I meet my soulmate, I'll tell you about all the colors, okay?" Light teased her about how she'd be able to describe colors without using examples, but she was stubborn. She swore she'd tell him what colors were like. "Alright," Light ruffled her hair, "you better keep your promise, then." "I will!" She grinned, though he didn't see it. He didn't have too, though. He just knew.

About: This fic is from [claps] 2017! I always meant to get around to finishing it... It's called "Prism of Light," and its a Zero Escape soulmate AU, the one where you start seeing color when you touch your soulmate for the first time. It's Light/Aoi (Snake/Santa) and I only got about two chapters in, but it is on AO3 for the curious. (It's not very good.)

we're doing it man, we're making it happen Snippet:

At age nine, Max saw a picture of Mothman and decided that was what they wanted to be when they grew up, and they've been working towards it ever since. Their desire to discover the bizarre often led to them believing too easily — luckily for them, Lizzie was always there to balance the scales. While she also had a keen interest in the weird, she was more skeptical, thinking things through more thoroughly before deciding whether or not to believe them. Together, the two had spent their years of friendship exploring the island town of Saint Hazel, following every possible lead in hopes of finding any scrap of strangeness in the sanitized town. They'd had their fair share of successes, even if it was never anything as grand-scale as Max hoped.

About: The actual title of this one is "The Conspiracy Gang," and it almost belongs in the "mix of both" category. It's an original work that is based on a roleplay of Starkid's Hatchetfield series done by me and my friends; the main characters are/were our OCs for the universe, but I love them so much I wanted to write a version of their story on my own (with my friend's permission, of course!) Max is my character, and Lizzie belongs to my good friend @cosmic--static! I haven't gotten that far into writing it, sadly, because I've been so heavily focused on Auberon. But someday!!!!!! OH ALSO ITS A COSMIC HORROR STORY FORGOT TO MENTION LMAO

#ask game #novel work #writeblr stuff #the-grim-and-sanguine #hope you find these fun lmao

[haeroniel-doliet]

Bonus content: heres the super speed summary of how I struggled through the dinluke big bang piece I started over 80 days ago! More thoughts and details on my process below to cut

- Overall wanna post this with all the flaws galore for my future self, not at all because I've just left the record function on, forgot about it and now I have this!

- Good reminder that the worst thing is blank paper and just getting something down okay, rough simple lines convey ideas its all good!

- Drawing on an airplane produces questionable results (the first more refined lines, not NEARLY enough references in use)

- Speaking of, never regretted following a reference over trying to improvise. I feel like it always looks better (that smoke is one good example!)

- Redrawing and redrawing sometimes is so worth it, other times you should just let it be and move on (those first trees before the yellow dotting were kinda okay honestly!)

- Less all sorts of different brushes is better, for consistency :')

- Theres many parts I'd forgotten that in hindsight maybe look better than the end result (like overall composition being bigger and with better feeling of space) but choices were made and I gotta choose to be happy with and proud of the completed piece, afterall its better than all the dusty never finished wips.

- Definitely didn't quite follow the big bang deadlines, I'm sorry :') in general I'd consider that greyscale to be 20% sure (proof of idea and a layout figured out!) But hilariously after what I posted for even 80% I went and redid all that work. (Maybe its not actually totally redoing if you're making the same just improved! All the ground work took its own time and I wasn't starting from scratch at all.)

- At the very end it gets abruptly cut off, despite asking the program to leave on the last frame for a bit... Then I remembered the panic I had just yesterday, because the file for these screenshots took up too much disk space and caused Krita to crash, losing all the progress of like good bit of little adjustments and corrections. I guess I never turned the recording back on, so the very final few hours are missing, but thats okay! This is not professional! (Spot the absolutely tiny differences with the final image posted :p)

-Also realizing after many a rewatch, there's been some glitch with it not recording me recolouring the characters entirely!! How sad, but you can see the difference from when they pop up around the time I'm redoing the trees and at 02.53 and when they return all redone at 03.07

- Theres a lot I don't love, theres a lot that could be better if done differently, but I really have to start being okay with being done rather than perfect!

- Really proud of myself for dedicating to doing a more involved and detailed background/scene than i've ever done before digitally. I've pushed beyond my comfort zone of just characters with a hint of a background, it will get better from here!

- Did I need to post this with all sorts of bits missing? No, definitely not, but hopefully someone will find this interesting, and my future self feels that this was helpful!

#Haeroniel draws #art timelapse #art progress #krita timelapse #anyway this is mostly a personal post for future reference and for venting out the struggles I had along the way #but hey maybe someone finds it interesting and thats cool! #kritas suggested settings would've made this timelapse over 30 mins long.... so you're welcome! #I won't even have a guess how many hours this all took #still have to go finish the other pieces oop maybe those timelapses will be better?

[nonexistent-introvert]

Tony's last birthday

2-3 days ago was this legend's birthday. It was also the day I realised I had 200 followers and it means so much to me THANK YOU, EVERYONE!! The fact that I had reached this during his birthday means all the more but because of a hectic schedule, I didn't get the time to post this.

Tony Stark was the first fictional character I had grown attached to. (Yes I'm basic.) Judge me all you want for being attached to a fictional character (If you're on Tumblr you probably are too)but looking through social media and seeing all the edits and posts for him made me rather overwhelmed with emotions.

Iron man was the first ever superhero film I had watched/ I was a child then, barely understanding what was going on but I still went around pretending I was him (like a kid). I watched him become a better person without losing his charms and shape the MCU. I cheered for him in battles, laughed at the jokes he made, and cried when he met his eventual doom. He is the person who grew my interest in sciences and technology, he is the same person who encouraged me not to give up on these said interests when I was doing badly in school for these subjects. Therefore, tony stark is not just a fictional character to me. He has shaped my decisions and made me who I am today.

On another side note, I had this iron man keychain for the longest time. Its no official merch but I always had it on my pencil case. It was my lucky charm for the longest time, I brought it with me through national exams wishing that things work out for the best. He was there with me while I struggled through questions and fought my own battles. The keychain reminds me of the good memories and times I had in school with my friends. But I lost the keychain because one of the parts broke off with time.

I did get a replacement. It wasn't the same original one but I would like to think that it carried the same luck. It definitely still makes me reminisce about the memories I had. I recently met up with my old friends and they did mention that a distinctive feature they remembered about me from school was that I had an iron man keychain on my pencil case which was rather hilarious.

Tony Stark has always been an inspiration to me and to many people out in the world. Losing him in the MCU was like losing a close mentor figure and friend to me. He brings me comfort on bad days. I don't know how else to express these emotions as I realize that this year is his last living year and he had just celebrated his last birthday with the people that matter most to him.

It feels surreal that this year was the year where he supposedly passes away. I miss him and I love him 3000

and RDJ, bless him for bringing tony stark to life.

All good things have to come to an end.

I just wanted to express how much Tony Stark as a character means to me. So sorry if this is abit out of the blue. Anyways, THANK YOU EVERYONE who has supported my fics, even anyone who took the time to read and enjoyed it. It means a lot to me. I love yall <3

#tony stark #iron man #mcu #marvel

[sinceileftyoublog]

billy woods & Kenny Segal Album Review: Maps

(Backwoodz Studioz)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

The prolific billy woods’ second album with beat mastermind Kenny Segal is centered around touring, inspired by the idea that the road--or the lack of home--is, in itself, home. On Maps, places where people reside are as constantly changing as the landscapes that pass as you’re on the highway. It’s the perfect fodder for woods’ neuroses and pessimism, the low thoughts that occur when you have too much time on your hands but still can’t make sense of your surroundings. He’s constantly searching for stimuli--weed, food, drinks--to distract himself from the human condition. Like the titular “Houdini”, Woods escapes, even if temporarily.

Segal’s hazy production is, often by way of contrast, the perfect complement to woods’ spirals, and the two work beautifully in tandem. Segal interpolates gorgeous strummed guitars and Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” as woods looks at the birds, sun, and breeze on “Soft Landing”, lamenting that their magnificence doesn’t match his own mood. He’s more straightforward on the beat-switching “Babylon By Bus”, distilling his ethos into a declaration that, “People don’t want the truth, they want me to tell ‘em grandma went to heaven.” It often feels like he’s playing tug of war with himself, on one side his perceptions--feeling pastoral dread on the devastating “Agriculture”--and on the other, the objective, bleak truths of the world, from colonialism to police brutality. The two sides, along with Segal’s intelligent contributions, come to a head on “The Layover”, a paranoia-addled tale of no fly lists and surveillance. “Finally got it to where lies is the truth and the truth is a ruse,” woods raps over a piano line, the song sporting an ever-steady groove as if to emphasize the eternal nature of his internal struggle.

Of course, and perhaps thankfully, it’s not all dark, and Maps wouldn’t be a great album without some fun. Segal’s production from track to track feels like a road trip, passing the aux cord between friends with related, but unique tastes, the piano-looped “Rapper Weed” followed by limber free jazz bop “Blue Smoke”, the industrial “Year Zero” by the gentle, lilting “Hangman”. The guest verses include woods’ usual jaunts with Armand Hammer bandmate E L U C I D, and an unexpectedly soulful chorus from Future Islands’ Sam Herring on “FaceTime”. Yet, it’s Quelle Chris and Danny Brown that steal the show, boastful, hilarious, and intense in what ironically brings moments of levity to the record. Chris brags on “Soundcheck” that he’s so good the audio engineer should have to pay for a ticket, while Brown hasn’t sounded this manically dialed in since Atrocity Exhibition. Of course, woods himself shines alongside them, as plainspoken in his sorrow that his “taxes pay police brutality settlements” as he is uproariously confident in the adage that “You can’t fix stupid.” That Maps is filled with more than just variance, references within references, synaptic, weed-influenced connections among society’s ills, is a feature, not a bug. 

woods’ modes of thought all seem to be influenced by death, the lurking presence of it, the survivor’s guilt he feels, that his son, too, will die one day. “No need to ask who sent you, it was always just a question of when,” he raps on “Hangman”, accepting even a premature fate. It’s a desolate attitude, sure, but it’s ultimately an acceptance of the chaos of the world, one that allows him to seek out and enjoy expensive Vietnamese food and cocktails even when their very existence is a product of a losing class and racial struggle. “Death in a top hat dance a jig in the street / Don't get it twisted boy, the city wicked, it'll crush you with its feet,” woods raps on “NYC Tapwater”. With Segal behind him and a Mezcal Negroni in hand, Maps is the sound of woods dancing back.

#album review #billy woods #maps #kenny segal #backwoodz studioz #armand hammer #e l u c i d #future islands #sam herring #quelle chris #danny brown #atrocity exhibition

[writtenonreceipts]

Heyyyy bestie, could I made a request? Stting here with icepacks and leftover anesthesia and all I really want is some short &sweet fleysand fuff to feel better. If I got dwon on my kneeees and beged, could I please have some? Even if its’’ just like ten words? Even if it’s angsty? Or if its a tiny snippet yup could share? 🥺

(But rally no pressure I am 100% A-okaas with you saying kno because life”s absolutely crazy❤️❤️)

my friend, I would do anything for you. Have a random little not finished thing that I found in my docs, it may make an appearance in Feysand month.... ALSO, give me an hour or two and I have a sweet little drabble for The Things We Cannot Say!

Recover well!!!! <3 <3 <3

They are eight years old and knee deep in a patch of mud that will most certainly not wash out of their clothing.  But they can’t seem to stop laughing as they trudge through the dirt and grime of the little stream that crawls through the forest.

It’s an early summer day with the sun shining blissfully down through the branches of the trees overhead.  Feyre is doubled over laughing while her best friend is desperately trying to pull his shoe out of the mud.  His black hair is splayed over his face, lip tucked between his teeth.

“C’mon!” Rhys growls.  

“You’re gonna fall over,” Feyre gasps.  She knows she shouldn’t be laughing so hard at him, but the image is far too hilarious.  Her best friend who is usually the best at trapezing over fallen logs and jumping over creeks is stuck in the mud just like her.

“I was trying to help you,” Rhys says desperately as he yanks one final time.  His foot comes free but there is no saving him.  With a yell, he loses his balance and pitches forward face first tin the mud.

“Rhys!” Feyre calls.  Though, she can’t help the giggle that escapes her mouth.

Her friend slowly pulls himself from the mud and wipes off his face. “Dad’s gonna kill me.”

“Hold on,” Feyre says, she manages to squish her way to the edge of the stream and pull herself onto dry ground. “I brought a towel from home.”

Rhys answers by spitting gunk from his mouth.

As Feyre crawls back up the bank of the stream, she maneuvers to the little path that led them down to this part of the woods.  It’s an easy enough path to follow, starting just off from the large field next to the Elementary School.  

It’s not as though this stream is completely secret, most of the school kids, the teachers, everyone knows about the stream and the trails down here.  But it’s the first week after school let out meaning everyone is off on vacation or at a camp.  Everyone but Feyre and Rhysand.  Like always.  But Feyre has stopped feeling sorry for herself.  Not when she gets to spend more time with her best friend.

She hurries up the path to the spot where they left their bags full of snacks and the extra towel Feyre brought for situations just like this.  She smiles to herself.  She knew that Rhys would get stuck in a desperate attempt to tromp after a frog. Nests had said that they wouldn't be able to catch anything and the two were desperate to prove her wrong.

With the towel in hand, one of the old ones used in tie dye experiments, Feyre clamors back through the trees and down to the stream.

#thegloweringcastle #hey friend! #feysand snippets

[nightwingshero]

6, 11, 16, 21, 25, 29 + Wren & Leon?

Thank you!!! I'm lowkey obsessed with them. It gets a little nsfw towards the bottom!

6. What is/are their love language(s)?

I think touch is the big one honestly. Wren is big on touch, its her top love language. She loves to touch and while she absolutely hates to be touched by mostly anyone without her permission, she wants her partner to touch her to reassure her and show her that they love her, and Leon is absolutely there for that. And that honestly even goes back to that night in Raccoon City, because in that hellhole, that was all they had for comfort. Holding hands, her hand on his arm as she followed with him, his hand on her lower back to guide her. Acts of service are also one, mostly because they get to the point where yes, words of affirmation are great and appreciated, but Wren and Leon are very much "show me, don't tell me", and so doing things for each other goes a long way. And of course, quality time. Just having the time to be able to be together means everything to them, since it can be sometimes hard to have it with their line of work. But they enjoy spending time together, I think they just like to be close and in each other's company. There's a comfort in it and I think that also ties into their time in Raccoon City, they had each other, they stuck together, so they enjoy staying that way.

11. What causes them to fight?

Leon wants Wren to step away from the fight and find a way out before there is no coming back for her, and she wants the same for him too. Its honestly very much a "I will if you will" or "why don't you quit?" kind of scenario that just...honestly, it just keeps going. And they've been through all of the "you don't trust me to be careful", "you don't think I can handle myself", "I don't understand that I have to quit and you don't", all those little things....they're all said on multiple occasions. And its honestly none of those things, they both know that. Its about the fact that Leon is all Wren has left, he's the only one that's been there since she lost her dad because of what Umbrella did, and while she hated her dad and had a very hard relationship with him, she doesn't want that to ever happen to someone else ever again. And Leon isn't much different, he's lost so many people and feels like he's failed them, he can't stand the idea of that happening with Wren--the one who has had his back from the very beginning. At the end of the day, its because they're both so scared to lose each other, they're willing to carry the brunt of it in order to shelter the other.

16. If they broke up, what would be their opinions of each other?

Honestly, it would be kind of interesting to see play out. There would always be a respect there, no matter what, though it would probably be begrudging. They would be so bitter, it would be borderline hilarious at just how petty they would be. The banter would be taunting and Wren, being that little wrathful shit she is, would constantly challenge him in any way she could that wouldn't risk life or mission. But they would probably focus on the flaws, like any jilted lover would, and point them out. Wren won't always listen to orders, Wren thinks she's always right, Wren is too stubborn Wren is a sarcastic asshole (he loves it). And then of course Leon is too reckless, Leon doesn't take things seriously, Leon is an arrogant bastard that always has to have the last word with those stupid one-liners (Wren has A LOT to say about that--though that's part of the thing that charmed her damn pants off in the first place). Its the "we're toxic ex's that work stupid well together even though we hate to admit and we end up hate fucking in the end" because honestly, they can't fucking resist. They would absolutely get back together because they just can't get enough, love and hate are just different sides of the same coin.

21. How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse?

This is probably going to sound lazy, but honestly, they're so grounding for each other. They are the reason they still have trust and sanity. Wren brings a light to Leon (despite her aesthetic being the way it is of course), its a reminder that while "the cop died in him that day" in Raccoon City, he's still Leon and he's good. Wren brings that out in him, she shows that even through all the bullshit, all the bad shit, its still him that's in there. She makes sure he still has that heart. And for Wren...while he also makes sure she stays true to herself and has that heart, Leon helps to make sure Wren doesn't give up. He reminds her that there are still things worth fighting for, even when he himself has a hard time with it later on (and she uses that opportunity to turn the tables). Throughout the betrayals and the losses, there are still people with her. Leon also helps Wren feel enough, which has always been an issue for her because of her father. As far as bad goes, I think that there's a bias that develops with them to be honest. While they're so good for each other and they ground each other, they're also each other's weak point. Wren is honestly more likely to choose Leon above all else and is actually super insecure and jealous when it comes to Ada. She doesn't like that they had a moment and that she keeps showing up the way she does, like she's connected to Leon like Wren is. Even though Ada does in fact kiss Wren too. And as for Leon, he feels the need to protect Wren to the point that its a too easy weakness to exploit. Leon folds way too easy when it comes to her being threatened. He also has a tendency to blur the lines of justice and revenge a bit more than he ever did and his emotions make him a bit more reckless than they used to, especially when it involves Wren.

25. What moves do they know work on the other?

Leon is very aware that if he moves close to her and drops his voice a little, it has an affect on Wren. He'll give her this little smirk too that just makes her knees go weak. And if he needs to up the ante, or if he's really feeling a little more mischievous about it, he'll make it to where she can see him flex or does something with his hands. Just enough that it would bring attention to his arms or hands, he's not actually going up to her and flexing, Wren would make fun of any man that would try that. No, I'm talking like...he will do something mundane that he knows is gonna show it off, and Wren...she's gotta thing for hands, so if he's working on something (like cleaning his guns or something), it definitely works. Or, of course, if he wants to be more straightforward, he'll put his hand in her back pocket to pull her close (or hugs her from behind), then immediately start nuzzling her neck with little kisses and bites. Either way he goes, little tugs on her hair is a sure way, he'll pull on it and if its in a ponytail, he's wrapping his fingers or hand before tugging, and it gets her every damn time. For Wren, it depends on if she wants the chase or not. If she does, she's gonna strategize with what she's wearing and what she's doing. Like for instance, girl likes to workout and do yoga, so she'll make sure she's perfectly placed and wearing some athletic gear that will definitely help her situation, or if its not a workout situation, she's gonna wear clothes that will definitely make him look her over. She's gonna play cat and mouse, she's gonna get close then back off, an then do it again and again while also giving him looks from under her lashes. Subtle touches on his arms, shoulders, and leaning in to whisper in his ear when to talk to him, just to see how long it'll take for him to snap. if she's feeling particularly feisty and wants to get straight to the point, she's gonna pull him in by his pants or start running her hands slowly up and down his chest before kissing the corner of his lips or brushing her lips against his. An extra bonus if she talks a little dirty, boy has no control over his actions when she throws out "wanna/let's fuck?"

29. What are each of their signature foreplay moves?

For both of them, as ridiculous this is, their banter can actually be something that uhhhh, yeah. Mostly because its downright flirting a lot of the time, and it will EASILY turn dirty and taunting. So I guess the banter or dirty talk is something that they're both known for doing, though its more Leon than Wren, both are bad about it though. They both tease the hell out of each other too, but Wren likes to strip for Leon and will even do a little dance for him. If she gets on his lap, she grinds too. Leon likes to start out of the bedroom honestly, he finds it so fun to just shove things off a table or prop her up on a counter and kiss his way up and down her body. Leon takes things slow, because again, its the teasing factor. He'll tie her up or retrain her if he can, and Wren goes nuts for it. And of course, biting and scratching on Wren's side when she can. I feel like its obvious to say oral too, but just in case, I'm adding it on here. Leon likes her sitting on his lap, but he likes her better on his face or when she's on a table or counter for him, or the bed of course. Wren likes to tease with oral when she's in charge, and both take their time with it. They'll also build up through the day where notes are left with sexy promise or messages are sent back and forth, or even just quick whispers to each other in passing to build that anticipation.

#x: my little dark age #oc: wren blake #ch: leon kennedy #resident evil #my ocs #asks

[hiraya-rawr]

Hi hiraaa! Its coffee anon, its been so long since I’ve last sent an ask but my life has been really hectic and i wasn't really in the right mental state for a while which is why I haven't sent an ask in so long! I’m trying to come back to my usual self and I wanted to let you know that I’m still reading and loving all your works ever since I last sent a message and I think it's about time I sent my gratitude hehe sooo here are my thoughts and all my love on all the works I didn't comment on during my absence, I’m sure I missed a bunch here and there so I hope you can forgive me for that but know that I love everything you write and it brightens my day :DD without further ado, let's start!

From what I remember, the last post I wasnt able to comment on was the last part of I love you so which is such a shame because I was sobbing crying and grinning by the end of it all. I love that you included all the parallels at the beginning because it added just the perfect amount of pain in my heart before even getting started. AND THEN THE DRAMA HIT! I distinctly remember holding back a scream bc i was reading pt 4 at like 2am in the morning and when she ran out in the rain i had to take a breather before I actually burst and THEN DILUC RUNS AFTER HER AND I JUST LOST IT, AAAAAAA WHEN HE WHEN HE WHEN HE JUST im still feeling the tingle of excitement and thrill when reading that part to this day and it just felt like i was there at the time and i honestly started sobbing when he finally confessed bc i was just so happy that THEYRE THERE! THEY FINALLY GOT IT! LIKE YES BESTIES YOU LOVE EACH OTHER! I'm really glad we got to see what happened after but kaeya’s part had me holding in a big sob cause that's my comfort husbando right there, like ilysm kaeya pls im sorry but im just glad the dearest couple finally had there happy ending bc they deserve it and i just love them okay?

The next one seems to be Diluc’s big family 1 but I'm gonna talk abt the whole series here bc i dont want to overshare hehe, for some context i don’t really like kids except for a select few, kids seem to like me well enough but Ive always been a little annoyed with them growing up but this series has me rethinking everything honestly. The first part had me all smiley bc of how sweet it would be to see diluc coming home and just 4 kids hounding him as a welcome touches my heart. Part 2 had me cackling bc i love the reactions of everyone and i can just imagine the overwhelming look of surprise and disbelief on their face when they see the ragvindr family. Then part 3 was just wholesome sweet chaos and a perfect mix of the last two parts AND THE KAEYA APPEARANCE AT THE END? Totally see him doing that i love him sm pls, anyway i love all the kids and i would do anything for them

Up next is another angst with diluc but this time it's with my newest comfort character, ayato. When i first read this one I knew that I was going to be hurt but i did NOT expect it to hit me as hard as it did AHAHAHA when it got to the goodbye part I IMMEDIATELY thought of that scene in little women (i havent watched the movie but ive seen the scene multiple times bc the acting and emotion is just amazing) i was surprised to find out that i was actually right! Anyway, this drabble broke me bc i just know that having this perfect connection but not being able to follow it is so painful for both parties and i cant help but cry for them

The next one is the kid! Kamisato! Reader having a crush on thoma and when I tell you I cackled so hard I might have hit my hand a little bit too hard on my desk. The situation is just so hilarious and I love the idea of young Ayato losing control of his emotions bc his little sister decided that she likes sweet thoma more than him and I cant get his cute little pout out of my head which is why I keep laughing a lot. I actually had a crush who rejected me so gently that we actually became friends after and i liked them more because of how sweet they were honestly so i can totally see thoma as the type to let someone down so nicely that you cant even be sad! The ending made me lose it again though AHAHHAHA the poor boba (1/2) ~coffee anon

I've gatekeeped this ask for a month but NOW THAT I FINALLY KNOW HOW A PERSONAL TAGLIST WORKS (and I have a reblog acc!) I CAN KEEP THIS FOREVER

I cant even begin to believe that you remembered my works and kept comments for them while you were giving yourself some space!! 😭 I'm so glad to hear you're feeling much better now, a hectic life really does take its toll so it's good you're back!! coffee you're literally so sweet im dhjsdhiejdid this is my happy box

#hira love letters #hira coffee #hira replies

[chonacas]

How Two Millennials Went Viral - Griefcat

Griefcat: From the German word Kummerspeck or in English “grief bacon,”  

the weight you gain from emotional eating or, in this case, the cat you get after a breakup. 

  Annie Nardolilli: Singer, Songwriter, Guitar

Louisa Hall: Singer, Songwriter, Ukulele

  What does a Mormon ex-sheriff and an Atheist tech employee have in common?  No, that’s not the beginning of an elaborate joke and Griefcat isn’t the punchline.  Instead, Annie Nardolilli and Louisa Hall, the masterminds behind Griefcat, are a duo that you can’t easily categorize or file into a neat little genre. They are mutually perpetuating forces in matching outfits who together create beautifully blended harmonies and brilliant lyrics, with an unpredictable twist.  They’ve been compared to Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, Norwegian duo Ylvis, and Garfunkel and Oates by fans, but if you ask Annie to describe their sound, she’ll say “We’re like if Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton, and Bo Burnham met up at an Olive Garden and wrote a song while eating unlimited breadsticks. Does that make sense? Probably not.” 

  On their brilliant album Late Stage Capitalism, the nine tracks range from flat out hilarious to unexpectedly thought provoking, each with a unique sound and lyrics to tickle the soul.  An amalgamation of musical talent, these troubadours of the modern age display immense songwriting skills and infinite humor, with topical songs that not only dazzle but also make you smile and laugh while making fun of the world in which we live.  The musicianship stands out on its own too; traditional instruments abound but you will also hear slide guitar, ukulele, trumpet, trombone, violin, and cello peppered throughout the album.  The album explores how unbridled capitalism has invaded every facet of modern life, from workplace politics to interpersonal relationships, and even our most private moments. 

  They came up with the title in early 2020 when they wrote arguably their most well-known song on the album to date, “Revolution (Poop At Work)” which catapulted the duo to viral infamy and a strong following with over 25 million organic views of their videos, more than 15 million of those views for that song alone.  Even Questlove commented on the song, saying “LOL I feel seen, I see my version as a political act.”  They’ve also received likes from SZA and actor Alan Tudyk for their posts, among others. 

  “Revolution (Poop At Work)” is a song about how even the smallest acts of defiance can be revolutionary. “So much of the 2020s feel like the 1920s all over again - the income inequality is staggering, and the rich are getting richer while others are struggling,” says Louisa.  “Late stage capitalism is at the core of our entire album, but this is the song that most explicitly calls this out. We always tell audiences it’s our most cerebral song, then we dive into a 1.5 minute poop joke.  Life can be crappy, but it’s so much more fun to laugh your way through it!” 

  Other songs on the album include “I Just Want To Get Inside (Your Bank Account),” an unanticipated, ‘90s-style love song with a hilarious contradiction between two women looking for two different things when it comes to a new relationship.  Are they looking for love or money? It also shines a light on dating culture and how much sensitive personal information we share online every day.  “Crytpobro” is a traditional country tune with all the makings of a hit song.  It’s a melodic, catchy, and current, and a breakup song about losing love, in this case to the cult of Cryptocurrency and the church of Elon Musk.  The opening track, “Benevolent Billionaire,” featuring standout vocalist Jarreau Williams along with many of Washington, DC’s brightest musical talent, is loosely based on ‘80s supergroup charity singles like “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “We are the World.”  The song begins with Jarreau singing, “Tired of being broke, ‘cause of all of these rich people,” which is a thesis that applies to the entire record. “Love The Sinner” was written while Annie was working as a deputy sheriff and was inspired by two narrow-minded coworkers she didn’t get along with.  “One of our favorite details in the song occurs when we describe the colleague as having a ‘trash bag full of farts’ for a soul,” says Annie.  “Fun fact, you’ll hear a quick whooshing sound on the track of our drummer Ben Tufts whipping open a trash bag.” It’s one of two songs on the album that is based on true events, the other being “Hey There Girl,” a rapid fire duet skewering predatory MLM, boss babe, get-rich-quick-on-the-internet culture.

  These songs would never have existed if it weren’t for the mind-melding of the opposites attract duo.  Annie, from Arlington, VA is a Mormon and former sheriff’s deputy while Louisa, from Alexandria, VA (now lives in Reston VA), is a long-time lapsed Catholic and a career tech employee.  That dichotomy in perspectives has been the key to the duo’s success both in songwriting and in their friendship.  They met at a DC-based variety show in 2015 and were the only musicians in a group of comedians performing that night. “Louisa played a song called ‘Barista Boyfriend,’ about a barista she had a crush on, and I played a song called ‘Hot Park Ranger’ about a park ranger I had a crush on,” says Annie.  “We both realized we liked hot people with jobs!”  They felt an immediate kinship.  After continually running into each other in the singer-songwriter scene in DC and admiring each other's work, they joked backstage at the 9:30 Club in 2018 about how they should form a band together. They scheduled their first rehearsal in 2019, and wrote a song about vaccines and egg rolls, and the rest is (recent) history.

  Now, with Late Stage Capitalism, Griefcat has all the potential to be more than just a musical act.  With each live show, they invite their audience to step inside their world, creating a fun and exciting atmosphere that becomes a universally shared experience.  “We want to take away some of the seriousness of the day and help people remember that though life may be chaotic and nonsensical, it’s still good. Life is hard and it’s okay to laugh at it together,” says Annie.   But the greatest messages they receive are from fans who say their music provides a cathartic experience.  Says Louisa, “We’ve had folks reach out who couldn’t get out of bed due to grief, and they’ve found us, and it brought them enough joy to get out of bed that day.”  Ultimately they want people to enjoy the music, not just because it’s funny, but because it’s good – they want fans to feel it in their souls, to love the lyrics, and to have fun singing along.  People often tell them after a Griefcat show that they haven’t laughed that hard in a long time, and that’s a compliment that inspires Griefcat to keep making music every day.   

  Stay Connected: Website: https://www.griefcat.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/griefcatpartytime TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@griefcat

Music videos: Cryptobro: https://youtu.be/zOrEZ0I_B2c?si=QP3URS2OXbCbAw-1 I Just Want to Get Inside (Your Bank Account): https://youtu.be/J-fyM3Bylgw?si=VaURz5pzZKQAYm9D Revolution (Poop at Work): https://youtu.be/mN6GXjZ1odg?si=fD7UPXb-c1cD9AqzS

    Katie Chonacas 

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#arts podcast #entertainment podcast #web3 podcast #nft podcast

[sortyourlifeoutmate]

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as they say.

I always enjoyed the position of the lasgun as the Kalashnikov of space in 40k – rugged! Reliable! Ubiqutious! – but I enjoyed it even more after learning a little bit about the ins-and-outs of lasers. Of course I’m not a physicist or an engineer or anything like that, and applying too much real-world stuff to 40k is always a fools errand, but it still amuses me a little.

Firstly, the thing about lasers is that they are hilariously, monstrously inefficient. Whatever energy you’re putting into the thing to make a beam come out, most of that is wasted. The energy that ends up on target is generally a fraction of whatever it took to make the laser in the first place, the rest generally becomes heat (which, in turns, makes subsequent operation of the laser more difficult, but that’s by-the-by).

So following on from this two of your primary concerns when swinging a laser around would be keeping it cool, and keeping it juiced. Neither of these are concerns for any Imperial Guardsman in 40k. Heat, I think, is only ever mentioned as a problem for whatever lasgun it is the Krieg guys use, and their solution is cooling fins around the barrel (that ain’t gonna cut it, guys!), and also just general mentions of barrels getting hot. Heat management is not a problem with lasguns!

And keeping it juiced is also not a problem. Lasgun charge packs are famously generous, and also famously easy to recharge – just stick it out in the sunshine! Or, notably, chuck it in a fire! A battery powerful enough to supply sixty or so lethal laser shots and you can fit it in your hand and charge it with sunshine. People would kill for that these days!

Now, as said, applying real-world standard to 40k is stupid, and you’re really not meant to think about it so much. Lasguns are reliable and everywhere, boom, that’s all you need to know. Don’t ask what the engineering requirements would be to get a laser cannon capable of punching holes in tanks (and why all that energy couldn’t be more efficiently used in basically anything else), just accept the aesthetics. And that’s fine.

But I also like to imagine – as it tickles me – that mankind (and subsequently the Imperium, by inheritance) just managed to, during its technological golden age, produce perfectly efficient lasers that basically lose no energy and either create no undue excess heat or somehow use it. A miracle of science bordering on fucking magic and no-one cares or even notices. Just build more of them! We need three million lasguns by dinnertime, there’s a dozen wars on!

Yes, amuses me.

[teacherintransition]

The Wordy Ramblings of A Weak, Weary, Wimpy Texan Wandering Winter

No, really …a REAL winter

Ahhh …how everyone tingles with excitement to hear the braggadocio and bravado of the Texas man! With rapt attention all humanity bends their ear and focuses full attention when a rough and rowdy Texan starts a sentence with, “by god …why back in Texas we got it all!” “We got us mountains and rivers and forests and beaches and deserts and wild horses and longhorn cattle and the ‘by damn’ Alamo and the best ‘by god’ barbecue in the whole damn world!” He won’t stop there; oh no …he will go on ad infinitum! “We got us Merica’s team …THE COWBOYS, we got us the Astros and everything is bigger in Texas!” And, with no forethought or sense of restraint will bellow, “AND ITS BY GOD 120° EVERY DAMN DAY!” It’s too late now, with foot firmly planted in the loud mouth, he must respond to the inevitable question asked by any thoughtful citizen of the forty nine other states or the rest of the Northern Hemisphere; “that’s amazing big Texas fellow, but how are the winters down there?’ “How do you fellas handle cold weather?”

At this point, excuse making and stuttering and stammering most likely follows. The bigger than life Texan will most likely be overcome with a sense of feeling inferior and attempt a subject change. I got them feels. I know that the entire state will panic and shutdown the moment a gray sky fills the horizon and a few gentle snowflakes make their way to the ground. Cars run off the road whether it be a farm road or interstate highway and sand is poured on aforementioned roads to avert vehicular disaster. It’s a real scene man and would be hilarious if it was for the mismanaged disaster of the 2021 “snowmaggedon” where hundreds of Texans froze to death. That’s all I’ll mention about the criminally bungled handling of our major winter storm; we can’t lose the light hearted frivolity of this article …what would the reader say? What would sensitive Texans say? What do I have to say beyond the rambling?

As a lifelong Texan, the last two weeks of our time in Kansas City, Missouri, I must say I’ve been humbled, nay I’ve been rattled, disconcerted, why in a tizzy even. We arrived January 5th to a light dusting of snow and we “ooed and awed” at the lovely sight. We were being set up for what followed; and what was that you may ask? Two weeks of -15° temperatures (I couldn’t bring myself to look at the wind chill factor) ice on roads an inch think and up to a foot of snow. It HURT, I couldn’t get a semblance of getting warm, my doggies wouldn’t step onto the iced over porch to do their business.(let your imagination wander on that one) Driving became precarious, cabin fever set in, I felt stir crazy, the sun disappeared; and, with proper …uh props to Dr. Peter Venkman, sleet and ice falling from the sky, rivers freezing, forty years of darkness, earthquakes, volcanoes, human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together….MASS HYSTERIA!* I exaggerate, but just a little because as I write this tale of woe, a gray squirrel just slipped off of an icy limb and fell twenty five feet into a snow bank. He brushed himself off and climbed back up the tree. Obviously not a Texas Squirrel. What is even more frightening to consider is that bar mates of mine who have lived in Canada, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota wave their hand at this weather saying, “oh,this is nothing!” It is beyond my comprehension!

We’ve had people question us with incredulity as to why in the world are we there? Geez, we’ve asked ourselves the same questions. It’s a metaphor for a life well lived …in a sense. Life ain’t always sunshine and warm tropical breezes my friend, sometimes it’s cold and harsh; but aren’t we better off for the experience? The experience… life is all the more richer when you have a variety of experiences. No one wants just vanilla all the time and the hardy nature of the folks we’ve met and the beauty of the snowy cold has been fantastic. We know we can handle it; another new challenge overcome, yea for us! Memories and stories and anecdotes will be packed away with the others we’ve collected since this traveling adventure began two years ago. Variety is the spice of life whether it’s served hot or cold. All of us on this world carry their own struggles, triumphs and challenges, with the more of them you see yourself the better human you can become. Look, it’s snowing again …

*From the lines of the immortal Bill Murray in GHOSTBUSTERS

#open mind #retirement #coffetime #stress #change #teacher #i need friends #health #writing #education #winter #missouri

[kimothyroll]

Day 1

Day Total: +1 Theoretical & +1 Practical

1:  The Magician

Of course, eager to impress, and be accepted, as always,  the first thing I did following our welcome meeting, was to attempt master a new spell. The lesson guidance was just to prepare something small to showcase what we knew prior to coming and to highlight what strengths we might have.

After diligent practice and unwavering determination, I successfully mastered the elusive and powerful "Aetherial Chronomancy." This intricate spell allows me to manipulate the threads of time and glimpse into the past or future, offering a profound understanding of the temporal tapestry.

Trust me to try something ridiculously complex as my first task of the semester! I know I've been working on this spell but it's still really advanced! This could have gone really wrong and set a tone for the rest of my time there.

+2 Theoretical

Four of cups

Attempting to master Aetherial Chronomancy got me thinking about the consequences of magic. What if I had gotten myself, or worse, someone else, lost in time. Though perhaps if Oberon got lost for a period that wouldn't have been too bad!! I'm not sure yet what I think about that boy. He was really outspoken the whole class. Kinda reminds me of me a bit, and that's not necessarily a good thing.

I know this time it was ok, but I do need to be more cautious. Whilst I was successful this time, my pondering led me to reflect on the time where I didn't quite get it right. Back in Tranmere, following the passing of beloved resident, Elowen Runescape- My grandma- I decided, in all my youthful naiveite, that, despite not being know for the same green thumb and magical touch that Grandma brought to any and all nature, I would attempt to carry on her legacy by enhancing the community garden that she so lovingly cared for right until the end.

Fuelled by youthful exuberance and a touch of magical impulsiveness, my experiments took an unexpected turn. Instead of merely enhancing the garden, the magic imbued the plants with a heightened form of sentience. The once orderly rows of flowers and herbs gained a mischievous consciousness, resulting in a garden that seemed to have a mind of its own.

I feel so bad still! But I know Grandma would have found my…results…hilarious. I certainly gave her eyes a workout whilst she was alive! At least the residents love it. The garden, now playfully mischievous, has become a local legend, with stories circulating about flowers rearranging themselves and herbs seemingly responding to whispered secrets.

+1 Theoretical

Page of Swords

Our next lesson of the day is combat training. I find it interesting that there is such a focus on combat. What is it that they are expecting to happen? I don't mind because it's all skills to add to my repertoire but, right now at least, I don't find the thought of it as interesting as learning new magic (thought I suppose, if I think about it, that probably stems from a fear of failure- I can't stand the thought of losing a duel). 

Today were are analysing combat strategies, of course my mind wanders. I think I've come up with (in my opinion) an ingenious tactic. I named it "Temporal Mirage". Leveraging my mastery of Aetherial Chronomancy,  this tactic involves utilising the threads to time to create illusory duplicates strategically placed across the battlefield. The duplicates mimic my movements with precision, disorienting and confusing opponents. I really want to try this out!

+1 Practical

Justice

The second I had a chance to explore, I did.  I came across a "hidden" chamber- honestly, I suspect that nothing happens by accident. I would not be surprised if the whole court is setup like a giant escape room with puzzle and secrets everywhere you turn. Anyway, I digress.

I the chamber I discovered a potent artifact that I suspected could greatly enhance my magical abilities. However,  further investigation revealed the artifact to also be a guardian preserving the magical balance of the school. Faced with a moral dilemma, I grappled with the choice of personal gain versus upholding the magical sanctity of The Midnight Court. I know that I will struggle to fit in, and wielding such power could give me an edge, but ultimately, I would never take any actions to upset the balance, particularly this early on in the year.

-1 Theoretical

Five of Wands

The final lesson of the day started off as an introduction to the upcoming terms learning, we were put into groups and given the task of considering what "type" of magic would best solve the problem our groups were given.

Unfortunately Oberon was assigned as one of my group members. Another girl, Celestia, was in my group along with a few others. That girl is a godsend and it feels like fate that we were put together.

We started off by considering how best to approach the task with everyone stating their specialisms. This soon descended into a debate on the merits of certain types of magic over others. Honestly, I don't think any are superior and don't really have a specialism yet, but everyone was asking me my opinion and trying to get me to answer. It was so overwhelming, I began to question whether I was wrong for not mastering one "type" over another. Am I not actually as good as I think?

Oberon was making it so much worse with his certainty. Bur Celestia, the absolute star, noticed how overwhelmed I was and diverted the group's attention away from me and back onto task, whilst simultaneously ensuring I was ok. I really hope we can be friends. I need someone like that in my corner.

-1 Theoretical