#i know its edelweiss

[fireandspiceland]

Teacher au with teacher Switzerland and parent Austria would work too. He just knows Basch has been crushing on him since the first teachers-parents meeting and if he has to take advantage of it to make his son pass the Swiss' boring class, he will.

Switzerland would act all stern and horrified at first, probably threatening to report the situation to the principal or the police but we all know he's been (begrudgingly) dreaming of this since the beginning of the year.

I don't even ship it but somehow I had this scenario playing in my mind 🙈

I FEEL YOU ABOUT THIS I also don't really ship it but honestly?? Yes?? It works and I love it for them.

Switzerland: Do you want me to report this?! I'm going to do it!

Austria: Okay? Then do it (coward).

Switzerland: *continues to find excuses why he doesn't report it right away*

#me: i dont really ship it #<- and its a lie every single time I always end up liking the ship sooner or later smh #aph austria #aph switzerland #swissaus #edelweiss pair #teacher au #wfsn #hetalia #theres so many good ideas for this already im collecting them in the tag :) #maybe we should add some lesbians to this as well #like nyo pruk or fruk.. #also did you know that i kinda like the idea of austria being trans? #a friend of mine has that headcanon and I immediately liked it too

[literary-motif]

Hear The Bluebells

Zaros Ahta'lin x Reader

The last of the trials makes you search for a flower on a mountain with Zaros. It does not go as planned.

“How does it feel being so close to the throne?” you asked teasingly, only slightly out of breath as Zaros stumbled over yet another rock. He was breathing heavily next to you, the steep path to the top of the mountain more challenging than he would have thought. “Savor it while it lasts. After today, the succession will be settled.”

You had been searching for your designated flowers for at least an hour now, not daring to stray too far from the path, lest you should get lost in the thick woods of the mountain. 

“In my favor, I’m sure,” Zaros panted, glancing to the side to make sure the spots of color dancing in his vision were not the Fire Lily he so desperately yearned to find. You pushed aside some of the bushes yourself, wondering silently how hard it could be to find a Burnt Orchid.

Hopefully, the flower took less time to appear near the track than it took Zaros to find his. 

He groaned, stopping in his tracks as he swayed on the spot. You reached out to steady him. Zaros was pale, his eyes shut tightly as if trying to block out the world spinning around him. “Are you alright?” you asked in concern.

“Fine,” he said, pushing your hands away to walk briskly past you. “Don’t try to distract me!” As if he was worried you were trying to hide the flower he needed, Zaros took a thorough look around.

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “Alright,” you said, “I tried. If you collapse from overexertion, don’t you dare pout.”

“I never pout,” he said, not finding any lilies and walking up the path once more, catching up to you only because you waited up for him.

“Sure, Zaros.”

Silence stretched between you, causing your thoughts to wander as your eyes roamed the ground, occasionally meeting Zaros’ tired ones. What would become of the other once the successor was crowned? Of course, you wished that the honor would fall to you, but it made you wonder what the Kingdom would do to Zaros then, what his mother would say.

It was almost sad, knowing the trials would come to an end today. It made you melancholic, reflecting on the many years you had spent with Zaros before you two broke apart.

“Yes!” Zaros exclaimed, startling you out of your thoughts. The butterfly you were observing flapped its wings quickly and disappeared. He emerged behind a tree, a single orange flower gripped securely in his hand.

The frown of confusion dropped from your face immediately, all peaceful musings of the past forgotten as your eyes and heart hardened. Zaros held the Fire Lily in his hand. You were losing the throne. 

Zaros smiled slily at you, despite his best efforts his lips trembled a little and he was still dangerously pale. “I told you,” he said, voice considerably less strong than before, “I’m ahead of you.” 

The panic rising within you was palpable. “Right,” you spat with a forced smile, “Let’s see who delivers it to her Majesty first, shall we? After all, that’s when the trials are over.” Without waiting for a reply, you continue marching upward along the trail.

Zaros laughed, calling after you as he started making his descent, “You’re just sour that you lost.”

“Haven’t lost anything yet,” you mumbled under your breath, shoving aside bushes with more force than necessary. 

Stupid flower! How dare it grow further up the mountain than the damned lily! A Burnt Orchid. Why did the scholars pick this flower in particular for you? You had seen countless others near the path. Snowbells, edelweiss, butterwort, bluebells. Why didn’t they choose one of those?

“Come on!” you said exasperated, pushing aside a branch forcefully. At the foot of a nearby tree, you saw the dark reddish-brown and white of the flower you were looking for. “At last.”

You plucked it quickly, admiring its beauty for only a brief moment before darting towards the track again. There was no time to lose. Who knew how far ahead Zaros was already? If he got to the foot of the mountain before you, the throne would be officially lost to you.

The path was uncomfortably steep. You slipped a few times, sliding down entire parts in your haste, only catching your footing again with effort. You nearly stumbled over Zaros’ leg, not seeing him slumped against the tree to the side of the trail.

“What are you doing?” you asked, taking a moment to catch your breath. 

Zaros was panting heavily, eyes half-lidded as he looked up at you unfocused. The Fire Lily was softly resting in his open hand. “I—” he breathed, “Just need— moment.” 

You frowned, kneeling next to him. Sweat was coating his forehead and you could feel the exhaustion radiating off of him. You doubted he would be able to make it down the mountain on his own, doubted he could take a single step without collapsing again. Zaros needed to drink some water, eat a bite, and rest. The mountain had taken everything out of him, evidently.

“Alright,” you said, thinking about what to do. It should not be far from the foot of the mountain now. You glanced down the path. It was still steep, but you would make it work somehow. “Alright,” you repeated, shifting the Burned Orchid to your other hand and sneaking your arm around Zaros’ waist, helping him up and holding him steady with a tight grip on his hips. You slung his arm around your shoulder, shifting a little to take more of his weight. 

Zaros gave a noise of surprise but did not protest. You took a few steps before stopping, turning your head to look at where he had sat a moment ago. The Fire Lily was still lying on the ground. 

“Can you stand on your own?” you asked, receiving a groan from Zaros. “Only for a moment, alright. Here, lean on the tree, just for a moment.” You disentangled yourself from his arm, leaving his side for a second to collect his flower. “Here, I’ve got you. It’s alright. Lean on me again, I’ve got you.”

Together, you made your way down the mountain, both flowers clutched tightly in your right hand. 

“You should probably let go of me now,” Zaros said, looking ahead at the small crowd of people waiting in the distance to pronounce the successor. The Regent sat in their center, the golden chair brought out here for the occasion shimmering in the sunlight. 

“Sure,” you said, “If you can assure me you won't fold and crumble to the ground the moment I let go of you. Can you do that?” Zaros remained silent. “Thought so.”

“But you—” he began confused. For the life of him, he could not understand why you did not seize the opportunity and leave him behind to claim the throne for yourself. “It’s gonna be—”

You shushed him gently as you neared the crowd.

“I’d like some water,” you called out, stepping closer to her Majesty. Your mother tilted her head when she saw you with Zaros, narrowing her eyes in confusion. His mother gasped when she saw the two of you, her mouth falling open indignantly. 

“Impossible,” you heard her murmur.

“Your Majesty,” you said, inclining your head and tightening your hold on Zaros when you felt him shift in your arms. “We have returned.” You stepped closer to her, whispering to Zaros, “Put your hand on mine, on the one holding the flowers.” After all, you did not wish for a technicality stated in the fine print to ruin your plan.

He looked at you for a long moment, gaze indiscernible, before complying with your request. 

You offered the flowers to her Majesty, Zaros’ hand resting over yours. “Both of the Flowers, your Majesty. Combined. The Fire Lily and the Burned Orchid, as you requested. Since they were delivered at the same time, I can only assume we—”

Your mother looked at you, a small smile gracing her lips as pride shone in her eyes when she exclaimed loudly and for all to hear, “We have a tie.”

#sakuverse #zsakuva #zaros x reader #zsakuva zaros #zaros atha'lin #zaros atha'lin x reader

[elionwriter]

Sherlock Holmes the Awakened: a Review

(SPOILERS AHEAD)

Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I just NEED to talk about this game! I have been a Frogwares Holmes fan since the very beginning and 'The Awakened' was always among my favourite titles. Not to mention one of the games that had scared the wits out of me. So I have to speak about the Remake now.

First and foremost, I think it needs to be reiterated that this game was made DURING THE FU****G INVASION OF UKRAINE! During such dark times, the team kept working on this. I would have supported this game even just for this reason alone.

Now, let's be honest: Frogwares never had the most marvelous graphics nor the most polished of gameplays and this entry is not an exception. I still feel the map system is a bit difficult to navigate (I may be an idiot, but I had the same issue with Chapter 1) but I really appreciated the added help the game gives you when you're recreating a scene, letting you know which passage you got wrong. Last game I found myself changing everything trying to hit the right combination so I really liked this fix.

This needs to be said: the game doesn't feel under any shape or form a product for a new fan. Everything from dialogues to game mechanics sort of take for granted that you've at least played 'chapter one'. Honestly? I'm ok with this, I hate having to always go through nearly identical tutorial stages for games I know inside out (like Pokémon) and I believe that most of not all people who are going to get this game ARE old fans!

I wasn't originally a big fan of the new Holmes and Watson models when the last game came out but....I dunno, they have grown on me. I find myself liking them now for, I suppose, no other reason than 'they are very expressive' and 'I've gotten used to them'. I think it's gotten to the point that these might be my favourite models of the two to date. Please ignore how fickle I am! (In honesty, just to draw a similar parallel, when Roger Craig Smith was first announced as Sonic's voice I hated it and now he's my fav Sonic v. actor)

This game has something.....compared to its predecessor, that makes it less scary. I can't really put my finger on it, but I distinctly remember the feeling of claustrophobia building in me when I was in the Black Edelweiss. Or the sheer jumpscare I got when the sacrificed American detective on the altar had tentacles coming out of it and severing his head making it roll to the ground. I remember almost not wanting to paddle the rowboat under the tree of hanging men in the Bayou. I remember how viscerally sick I felt at the lighthouse by all the gore and blood depicted. This time round.....I just didn't. I'm honestly not sure why this didn't hit me nearly as hard as its 2006 predecessor did!

And talking about comparisons, one thing I'm a bit disappointed they didn't grab the chance to do in this remake was fix the loose ends that were left hanging in the 2006 version. I mean....they still abandoned completely the search for that one Maori servant, what happened to all the people they managed to rescue? Who hired the private American detective that was killed? Why give out the cheap pendants? I know I'm a bit dumb and need extra explaining than what is necessarily needed but...I can't be the only one right? Sometimes you want to be told just a bit more.

Now, getting into the really good bits, that make all of it worth it!

'Chapter One' acted as a 'de facto' reboot of the Frogwares Holmes series, and I honestly think that was for the best. I don't really see where they could have gone with things after 'Devil's Daughter' and their Holmes had changed too much to be the same guy from 'The Silver Earring'...let alone Watson. But like this? They have a fresh, clean slate to start off from and they can rebuild the two mains' relashionship and lore from the ground up in a more strictly consequential manner. And the way they are doing it? I think it's state of the art!

The fact that they poke fun at themselves on certain points like Watson stating: "What about when you used to roll up only one of your sleeves? Did you get bored halfway through?!" I think the Devs themselves realized this was a cringe design choice and I like that they said so out loud.

The meta-conversation they wrote in towards the end, 'because yes, this HAS Happened before and the story still has the same outcome', is brilliant. I don't think I've ever seen another remake that acknowledges that it is a remake, and in the general madness that is mounting in the narrative this makes perfect sense! It adds one more layer of horror and inexplicable to the tale. The villain's warning 'that the Final Problem is coming and Sherlock will fall in the abyss too' is such a powerful way to use Canon. The prophecy is only made more real and dreadful by the fact that this person is aware of what has already happen in a similar but different scenario!

Also, not them using that one quote from 'The Valley of Fear' novel which happens to be one of my all time favourites!

I say, Watson,’ he whispered, ‘would you be afraid to sleep in the same room as a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip?’ ‘Not in the least,’ I answered in astonishment. 'Ah, that’s lucky,’ he said, and not another word would he utter.

I think the thing that has most benefited from the Remake is Watson's character. Compared to the 2006 version, this Watson is a truly compelling character in his own right and this time round he's not just along for the ride. In this version, you simply cannot imagine how Holmes would have done it on his own. Watson was in every way a key component to the solution of the problem and the reason why Holmes didn't drown in madness. That point is driven home by Rochester asking 'How did you defeat me?' and Holmes answering 'I made a friend!'

Much of the narrative in the game was focused on Holmes truly learning to accept Watson's friendship and him as a person when he was still clinging so much to his old imaginary friend. You can see how, at first, Holmes refuses to be honest with the Doctor about what he thinks and feels and it's only as they move forward in the adventure that they both open up to each other. You can see as the adventure progresses that Holmes shifts his desperate cries from 'Jon' to 'Watson' to 'John' and the Doctor goes more and more often from 'Holmes' to 'Sherlock'. Mycroft also points this out when he says that Sherlock 'went from one Jon to another'. But this one, John Watson, is real and there to stay. In the context of a story that happens mostly in the detective's mind, Watson's friendship is really what turns the situation around!

I could add of little tid bits which were so random and on the nose that somehow worked, like the possessed 'Heidi' doll or the fact that you had to actually 'Kill Holmes' with the booby traps instead of avoiding them.

Also, "The director Guygax was randomly killed.....by a doll?!????!?!?! Yeah, let's just walk out of here no questions asked. That's too deep a wormhole even for this f***d up Adventure to go down. I'm sure nobody is gonna ask us questions, suspect or stop us as we go out the main doors!" 😃 -Holmes, probably.

So, yeah, I loved this game despite it not being perfect and my love and support goes to Frogwares more that ever!

#sherlock Holmes the awakened #sherlock holmes chapter one #sherlock holmes #john watson #frogwares holmes #sherlock holmes devil's daughter #holmes x watson #sherlock x john #sherlock and jon #jon #mycroft holmes #chtulhu #eldrich horror #lovecrafian

[lenafromthenordiccoven]

Yes, ma’am | Bob x f!Pilot!reader - Snippet

You know the drill 😂I've got a little snippet for you for the next Bob x f!reader oneshot. Planning to have this one up by Friday, Feb 9! Just gotta do some fact checking and, uh, finish writing the smutty part.

Anyway, enjoy this little snippet of a super self-indulgent oneshot I didn't even wanna post originally, cause I'm not sure about it being a) self-indulgent and b) reader's gonna have parts of my own background and plans for the future?

Six years. You’d been waiting for this moment for six years. Had worked hard for it. And now, as officers, family and other invitees were applauding and two of the Typhoons soared overhead, you were officially being dismissed as a Second Lieutenant for the first time. The first female Typhoon driver in the Austrian Air Force. And yet, it didn’t feel real. Not the way your classmates, other pilots with the rotary wing or other fixed-wing aircraft, clapped you on the back as they cheered. And certainly not the way your boyfriend of almost seven years, who’d been there for you every step of the way since you’d told him you wanted to try out for the Air Force when you’d first started dating, was grinning at you. No, he was positively beaming.

The fact that your parents hadn’t been able to make it to your graduation might’ve dampened your mood, if Bob wasn’t looking at you with so much love and pride, it made your own chest swell. You’d done it. Despite what everyone else and your own mind had been telling you from time to time, you’d made it. And, to be honest, you’d been terrified of Selection Day. Scared that even after already three years of consistently being top of the class and adamant about wanting to fly the Typhoon, your superior officers would tell you, they’d assign you to the helicopters or air transport.

Your heart was pounding in your chest, blood roaring in your ears as you pushed through the crowd and finally reached Bob. You were trembling by now, the adrenaline slowly wearing off, the world coming back into focus. And with it, the thought that you had to get Bob out of here as soon as possible. He’d chosen to wear his dress whites, while you were in your dress uniform with its grey jacket and grey pants (thank god, they’d actually let you choose whether you wanted to wear a skirt or pants and nobody had pitched a fit when you’d gone for the pants, explaining that you would “stick out like a sore thumb as is”, you didn’t want to add to that by being the only person wearing a skirt. The other female cadets in your class had all chosen the pants as well.) – and the new golden edelweiss on your collar. Fuck, if he didn’t look like he’d stepped off the pages of one of the romance novels you’d been devouring recently.

“Congratulations, darlin’. ‘m so damn proud of you,” he murmured before bending down to press his lips against yours in what had to be the most chaste kiss of the century. But you were still in sight of your superiors, so you couldn’t go too far. Especially since your relationship had already sparked enough gossip – and a three-hour briefing on what you could tell your boyfriend and what you couldn’t, not that you hadn’t figured out most of the things with you usually being on the receiving end of Bob’s professional silence. You didn’t feel like adding fuel to the fire, even though you positively ached to kiss Bob the way you really wanted to and to stick your hands in his hair and mess up that gelled back hairdo he was sporting.

You could feel your cheeks heat at the thought of how you didn’t even want him to take off his uniform. You just wanted to get him home and have him fuck you while he was still wearing his dress whites. “Thank you, baby,” you finally replied to Bob’s praise.

He raised an eyebrow and slightly cocked his head at your reaction, but you saw recognition bloom on his face when you lightly bit down on your bottom lip. He leaned in close to whisper in your ear. “Do we still have to go to any official dinners or parties, or do you think, we can jus’ sneak off?” His voice was rough, lower than it had been just a minute ago, and it sent a delicious shiver down your spine.

You briefly closed your eyes before you looked back up into those light blue eyes of his, trying to look as innocent as you could muster. “I’m afraid, there’s one more we have to go to. My new squad leader’s paying, and it would probably be good to get to know them a bit before next Monday. But I’m sure, they’ll understand if we don’t stay for too long.”

“Whatever you say, Lieutenant.” His lips stretched into a smirk, the kind of which you imagined only you saw on the regular, as another shiver raced down your spine and left goosebumps in its wake despite the June heat. Damn it. You knew, how much he liked it when you called him by his rank. But this? This was new. And you loved it. “You wanna take the lead when we get home?” He wrapped an arm around your waist and drew you in closer as you nodded.

“Hell yeah, I do.” You both chuckled at your response. Usually, you had no problem handing over control to Bob, especially in the bedroom. But sometimes, especially if things had been stressful and since you’d joined flight school, you liked to be the one to make him whimper and beg for a change. Tonight would not be any different. You grinned as your mind was already busy conjuring up ideas.

#sophie writes #fic: yes ma'am #bob floyd x reader #bob floyd x f!reader #bob floyd smut #bob floyd x you #top gun bob #bob floyd fic #robert bob floyd x reader

[ladyveravincent]

Oh, the Longing...

I found this scene that didn't make it into the final cut of the chapters, and thought... you know what. I like this!! Let's add this in. Will I ever be done editing this story? Probably not. Apologies, poor readers, I believe every time you read A Court of Bones in Bloom, it will be a different version. Anyway...

Excerpt from Chapter 7

“Elain?”

The music of laughter swelled then faded as the door to the River House was opened and then shut. 

Lost in thought, again. A state of being she seemed to find herself so often these days, either through restless dreams through the murky realm, or mindless days in the garden, or over lonely cups of tea. The twins were great company, and so were her sisters, but there was an incurable ache in her chest. 

“Nesta!” Elain blinked away the fog in her eyes before she turned to greet her sister. Early spring was a harsh time, but in Velaris, the stars still managed to twinkle despite the frost lingering at nighttime. 

“You’ll freeze in this weather, here take mine,” In a few short steps, Nesta’s shawl found its way around Elain’s shoulders, and her elder sister sat to join her on the stone steps of the veranda. 

“It seems that the edelweiss and bugloss will bloom in time for the ceremony.” A poor attempt to placate the silence. She had made a crucial mistake when Nesta and Cassian arrived at the family dinner. 

“Lainey!” Cassian chuckled as he glanced up from ravishing his mate. But those sharp gray eyes glanced at the disappointment on her sister’s face as she pushed past them out onto the lawn. Throughout dinner, Nesta’s gaze watched with utter scrutiny as Elain sat next to the empty table setting, and occasionally looked out the window, urgency in her brown eyes. 

“He’s not coming,” Nesta responded shortly as she helped her sister clear the dishes. When everyone went into the drawing room, Elain went to sit on the veranda to somehow try and hold frustration and longing lodged in her chest. 

“Is that why you’re out here? You’re worried the flowers won’t be ready for my ceremony?”

“I just needed some air,” she replied tightly. A few tense moments passed before Nesta cut through the poorly veiled truth. 

“I’d like to think our relationship finally has healed over these past months, but the truth is, that I was absent from your life for a year. I missed out on a lot. But I’m still your older sister, and I know you. I can guess, I can gather, but unless you tell me, I can’t help you.”

“It’s not up to me.” 

“Fine. Just tell me when you’re ready.” The shawl was placed back on Nesta’s shoulders as Elain dashed toward the door. 

“At first I resisted it because the idea was just so… Fae. And no matter how many years we spend here, we’ll always be different.” 

An owl hooted in the distance. 

“It feels like nothing else like there’s nothing or no one else you’d ever want or need. That someone sees exactly who you are, and to your shock, you see them- all of them, too. It’s a connection that I often wonder what I did right to deserve it.” 

“Well then, I must’ve done something wrong.” 

“I always held the belief you’ll marry for love. And nothing, not even a mating bond, has changed that. And you know me, I’d never let you accept anything less.” 

Her fingers ran over the metal latch’s coolness to quell the fire in her throat. Could she tell Nesta everything? How far she was lost to him, and only him? Or did she suspect?

“I’ll bring the arrangements and pastries tomorrow around noon. See you then.” 

~

Azriel felt little satisfaction when his knife landed perfectly in the center of the wooden target. Another sleepless night spent in the training ring, somehow more favorable to the alternative, which was listening to his brother and his soon-to-be mate through the walls. Her gift proved useful, and whether or not it had, he would’ve loved it all the same. 

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you can’t kill a wooden beam.” Nesta stood on the balcony, arms crossed and her cold face painted with a glimmer of amusement. 

He threw the knife again and hit the target with deadly precision.

“You never know,” he shrugged.

Nesta scoffed and descended the stairs to join her friend. Azriel had always liked Nesta. There was an innate understanding between the pair. The icy rage within him recognized the cold sharpness in her, and to watch her learn to trust others again was nothing short of healing. As she passed, she briefly placed a sympathetic hand on his tense shoulder.

“We missed you at dinner.” The thump of the knife in the wood signaled another perfect target. Nesta leaned against the railing of the training ring while her long hair swayed in the wind.

“Cas and I placed bets about whether or not you’ll be at the ceremony.” Az eyed Nesta, removing the knife from the block with little effort.

“I’ll be there.”

“Will you?”

“Of course, Nesta.” 

“Oh good! Well, I’m now ten coins richer,” she said brightly.

“I’m surprised Cas wagered ten coins against me," he chuckled. Thump. Perfect target.

“He didn’t, he wagered five.”

“But you said you’re ten coins richer.” 

“Oh I did, didn’t I? Oh, well. I guess that means Elain owes me five, too.” The knife clanged on the ground, a full foot from its missed target.

“Lucky me,” Nesta whispered in glee. She triumphantly pushed off the railing to leave but stopped to pick up the knife off the floor.

“When will you say something?” Her cold face mirrored his icy one, holding their emotions so tightly to their chests. He said nothing as he rubbed the back of his neck, earning a sigh from Nesta for his silence.

“You know me, there’s nothing I hate more than when our family plays busybody. But, it's getting harder to watch my sister set out an extra plate every family dinner.”

Azriel’s heart stopped.

“Good night, Az.”

~ A Court of Bones in Bloom A03

#a03 fanfic #elain #elain x azriel #elriel #azriel and elain #azriel #acotar

[h2llish]

assigning flowers pt 3 ignihyde and diasomnia (includes spoilers for those who haven't read either)

idia shroud -> asphodel. it means peace (after death), the afterlife, and recovery. he's still affected by the grief and loss of his brother, having never healthily coped with his brother's death. he was never given support to grieve and never learned how to since his parents were, in other words, neglectful of how witnessing the loss of his younger sibling, could affect him. so i assign asphodel because during his overblot, he was given the chance to become close to his brother's death, the afterlife. and after his overblot, he can be given the chance to grieve, peace after death. ortho shroud -> my son <3 i assign him cypress! (yes, the tree). cypress means eternal life and connecting life and death. eternal life because idia's brother lives on in ortho, they share a soul, in a way that it's shocking to realize an artificial human can even have one. ortho loves idia as much as the boy he was created to replace does. and connection between life and death, because, well, i think it's self-explanatory. malleus draconia -> he was kinda difficult to assign. but i eventually decided on purple hydrangea! meaning a desire to understand someone. he struggles to understand why lilia (and yuu) would leave, and it affects him greatly if the way he decided to put everyone to sleep is anything to go by. but also, i assign him wormwood, sorrow and bitterness. he's upset about lilia leaving and only wants him to stay, so he chooses to unleash a "gift". lilia vanrouge -> he was also difficult but i eventually set on the red and orange spider lily... :) red means the circle of life, and the orange means goodbye and farewell. the circle of life because he's leaving nrc because he's losing his magic and growing old, his time is growing less. and the orange spider lily because he intended on leaving without saying goodbye to malleus or silver, both of which are his sons whether or not he realizes that. silver -> silver my son :( i assign him daisies for their many meanings: loyal love (and i mean this in the most familial type of way), youth, and new beginnings. he's still young, he's a human raised by a fae, and he only wants what's best for his father, to repay him for raising him (which is so sad). silver's psychology goes deep and i think daisies are a good flower to show that. sebek zigivolt -> edelweiss! like deuce, i assign him this plant because of its meaning of courage and strength. i also assign this flower because it means dedication. sebek, while hard to get along with and understand, is a great character! he's strong and courageous, and (maybe annoyingly) dedicated to malleus.

bonus:

grim -> i love grim, but i know out of everyone, he'd be the most heartbroken when the prefect leaves. he's often quoted calling mc his other half. and yeah, he's quite the stubborn, prideful little shit, but during book 6, it's so obvious how much he cares for the prefect. so, because of this, i assign him the forget-me-not. they naturally mean "do not forget me" which i know grim would want the prefect to do, remember him because he'll remember them. they also mean true love, and i mean this in a platonic form. the care grim has for the prefect is returned, and i know he loves them as a good friend (possibly in a parental light). they also mean to cherish memories, and i know grim would, remembering all the times he's shared with mc, good and bad, exciting and boring, he'll cherish them all. yuu/mc -> yuu is hard to assign. they come in different presentation from the game to the manga. but i've assigned them ivy, which means strength, resilience and friendship. strength and resilience, because while they deal with the constant overblots and being tossed in a new world, they remain resilient to continue, to get home. and friendship, because, well, grim :(. but i also assign them the pansy and marigold. pansy, because it means remembrance and nostalgia, and it's obvious they have the constant nostalgia of home, remembering some things similar to twisted wonderland at times. and the marigold because it means despair at loss, jealousy and grief: they're grieving their loss of their home, and sometimes they're jealous and feel completely useless living in a world that relies on magic.

final plant assignments :)

#【 rambles ✧ #idia shroud #ortho shroud #malleus draconia #lilia vanrouge #twst silver #sebek zigvolt #twst grim #twst mc #twst yuu #twsited wonderland #twst

[ghuleh-recs]

Violence & Gentleness by @anamelessfool

You made me forget myself…I thought I was someone else, someone good… LATE OCTOBER 1979 Primo has his work cut out for him as the bodyguard of the beautiful and fearsome Mater Emerita Jocasta. As mystery after mystery unfolds, it becomes harder to remain a honest man in this den of thieves called the Ministry.

(Thank you in advance for humoring me whilst I scream at the top of my lungs into the abyss about this wonderful fanfic under the cut.)

@anamelessfool is creating something really special here. Her writing style is cinematic and engaging as she weaves a mystery set in the late 70s featuring a VERY dreamy Primo before he becomes Papa. He is bodyguard and lover to the incredibly cool Papessa OC, Mater Emerita Jocasta. Fool’s world building and lore are so creative without being intimidating or dense. This story is set in her wonderful Void AU but can easily be read as a standalone.

Papa-enjoyers will lose their fucking minds over Primo and all of his kid brothers. We’ve got sullen troublemaker teen Terzo (who just needs a hug tbh). We’ve got capable prodigy eager-to-prove-himself Secondo. WE HAVE THE CUTEST TODDLER COPIA THAT HAS EVER BEEN WRITTEN. Truly. You are not prepared for how much you’ll love him. And finally we’ve got a hilarious deadbeat hippie dad Nihil who definitely experimented with too many psychedelic drugs in the sixties.

I know many of us read fan fiction for horny reasons—whether it be ghoul-on-ghoul or papa-on-you—but I triple dog dare you to broaden your horizons for just a moment and check this one out.

A quick excerpt from one of my favorite scenes before you go:

Nihil stretched his face out into a wide, rubbery mask of enthusiasm. “Primo! Ah! Far out! Congratulations….” The stark white Infernal Eye shone in its socket. “He looks just like Jocasta! My grandson…”

“No, that's not— I'm not going to even…” Primo paused and threw his father a polite smile. He added that moment to the pile of evidence that suggested that either the Papa Emeritus Ritual or the Sixties scrambled the man's brain.

“Edelweiss Ghoul and I found him in the location the Conclave uncovered. His father was—” The image of the splattered wall shot through his mind. The dummy-like hands and splayed feet. Primo swallowed. “We think his father was killed.”

“Terrible! That's terrible, man!” Nihil’s face morphed again.

“He's yours now, right? So still my grandson.”

“We're only taking care of him until I find his family,” said Primo.

“We? Did you say “we?”” Terzo padded forward to stand a foot away from Copia on Primo’s knee. His expression was inscrutable.

“Yes, ‘we’,” Primo insisted. Copia started to kick in his lap and he brought the child down to the floor. “All of us. Need to take care of him. He doesn't have anyone else. Copia, this is Terzo.”

Copia flashed Terzo his furious little face. Terzo blanched, then stared right back. “What did I do to you, eh? Ragazzone?”

“Does he not speak?” From his seat at the window Secondo had a curious small smile hovering on his lips. He held his hands out to the child. Copia glanced back at Primo.

“Not really. Go on, Copia, that's Secondo.”

Secondo somehow brought the child into his lap and opened the book again. Right away Copia settled in and stared at the pages, his eyes wide with curiosity. Primo felt a shift in himself that he hadn’t experienced in a few days: he started to feel relaxed. As he watched his younger brother tend to the child with thoughtful muttering and an imperceptible smile he fell back a little on the couch. It was going to be okay.

You can read the rest here.

𖤐 you know the drill--bookmark, read, and leave kudos/comments!

#one of my faves #please check this one out #you'll love it #my fic recs #papa emeritus i #papa emeritus ii #papa emeritus iii #papa emeritus iv #the band ghost fic rec #cardinal copia #copia #the band ghost fanfiction #papa primo #primo emeritus #secondo emeritus #terzo emeritus #primo x oc #papa i x oc #fic rec!! #the band ghost #ghost fic #ghost band fanfic

[aeg1ss]

Ways to say "I love you"

A short, amateur Lokius fanfic - all characters belong to Marvel.

---

Love. Love, love, love. What's it good for? How to prove it? By sacrificing oneself for the other? Or by sacrificing the world for them?

    Something Loki could never quite place his finger on was a way to show love. The God of Mischief let out a quiet groan, a botanic book with the flowers' meanings in front of him as he tried to find the best kind to surprise his boyfriend. It had only been a day since he figured out a way to leave Yggradsil, and he had yet to meet with Mobius - or as he called himself now, Don.

    Eyes scanning the pages, his black hair a mess, his black suit as fitting as ever, an annoyed expression on his face. Why did so many flowers mean love? Just how many were there? Roses, Forget-Me-Nots, Peonies, Orchids... How was he supposed to choose?

"I give up." The God sighed, snapping his fingers and transforming the book into a bouquet of... well, every flower he could think of. From Roses all the way to Edelweiss, passing by Daisies and Delphiniums. He stared at the bouquet for a moment and added a pink ribbon. Pink represents love on midgard after all, right? He took a deep breath and opened himself a portal near Mobius' house.

    Another deep breath. It's going to be okay. He fixed his tie, suit and hair and approached the front yard, getting knocked off his feet and landing on the ground with flowers all over the place, a puppy husky standing on his chest, wagging its tail happily and licking his face, letting out occasional barks. He gasped, trying to push the dog off himself, but being unable to. Did a puppy just defeat the God of Stories?

"Ivy! Ivy, get off him." Loki heard a familiar voice. His face turned dark red within a moment. How embarrassing was that? The pup whined, ears and tail down as it eventually got off him. Mobius approached him and smiled with slight amusement, a hint of adoration in his eyes as he held out his hand to help him get up. "I recall you throwing off Tony Stark off a tower, but you're unable to fight off a two month old dog?" The man teased him, making Loki roll his eyes. He got up and wiped his face, looking at the flowers with a sad expression.

"I'm truly sorry, Mobius. I was trying to surprise you with flowers and I wasn't sure which ones symbolize what and I knew midgardians care for that for some reason and it turned out that so many of them represent love and I just gave up and got each flower that symbolizes love and-" The God took a deep breath in to calm himself down after his fast and incoherent answer. He smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I wanted this to go differently. I didn't know that you own one of those midgardian monsters now."

"Monsters?" Mobius' eyebrow went up, his amusement growing even more. "Sean and Kevin would hate you if they heard that!" He let out a lighthearted chuckle and looked at the flowers. "It's still really sweet you went through all this trouble for me. Thank you, Loki." His amusement died down and he was left with a loving look on his face, eyes focused on the taller man. "But... There are more ways to say 'I love you'."

"Such as?" The Asgardian looked a little taken aback by Mobius' statement, his eyes narrowed a little. The older man pulled him in, one hand wrapped at the back of his neck and the other resting on his cheek as he pecked his lips. Loki looked away slightly embarrassed by the sudden show of affection. "Oh. Right." He chuckled awkwardly, a hint of fondness in his eyes.

    The visit certainly will be an unforgettable one.

    What a shame he has to go back within a week...

---

Frankly, I don't know what this is, I was just extremely bored in biology and didn't want to calculate the density of granite hence... Whatever this is.

#marvel #loki series #lokius #mobius m mobius #fanfic #loki

[sherholm]

discussion of the ending cutscene in shta , spoilers !!

after getting a chance to discuss it, all that’s on my mind right now is that damn ending cutscene w/ holmes n watson!!! its really making me think and ponder about why watson would decide the best course of action would be to force drugs on holmes.

maybe i’m just thinking too much about the negative implications of his actions, since it could just be a doctor trying to help his patient, you know? the both of them just want holmes to be OK again. we know he was never truly OK, but after everything he’s been through, and the suffering that’s followed him through it... i guess we could understand why watson would resort to that (”resort” meaning forcing nonconsensual treatment, not just the act of using drugs, as drugs can help people, of course). but holmes’ reaction was just genuinely upsetting. 

take into account the role that drugs have played in his life up until this point. depending on the ending you chose in c1, drugs could be a very sensitive and rather traumatic subject for him. even if your ending had nothing to do with holmes’ potential involvement in his mother’s death, the treatment of the mentally ill is sensitive to him. he watched that as his mother was treated, she got worse and worse. he’s been able to observe how poorly the mentally ill can be treated at edelweiss. he has the constant fear of ending up like the rest of them, like the madmen he was chasing after, like his own mother. watson taking away his autonomy, giving him drugs he did not consent to, just like what he saw at edelweiss, and just like how mycroft felt that richter did to their mother.... its too much. 

with all of this bleak association he has with having a mental disorder and the treatment of it, all he can really do is protest, then falter as he realises it would all be futile. this is how it was meant to end for him, as it was the same fate he’s observed others suffer. as watson treats him against his will, he quickly comes to accept it, the only thing on his mind being how he’s going to become what he feared all along: “a lunatic, a man with softening of the brain, an idiot whose mind has lost its grip.”

then again, maybe i’m just thinking too much about the negative implications!

#sherlock holmes the awakened #sherlock holmes chapter one #shta spoilers #sherlock holmes #john watson #i have more things to say about this... #please bear with me

[iqmmir]

do chia and edelweiss as well (i don't believe they've been done?)

Nopee they haventtt~~ i was gonna answer when i went back home but i need to distract myself from stress....

chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else?

The colour orang. My wife was telling me about this show i forgor what its called the end of us or smth idk, its a k drama iirc,, so anyways she was telling me about this character who is so pathetic 🩷 such a loser 🩷 and he wears smth orang, an orang cap or smth,, she couldn't remember what he was called, so we just opted for calling him orang 🧡 and since he became my favourite character, now orang is my assigned favourite colour by my friends and wife 🧡

edelweiss ⇢ how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you?

do you know narumi mona

I love her so, i combined the narumi with mimi and boom <3 narumimii <33

#.asks ❜ #.rat ❜

[waffles-are-nice]

The Edelwiess and The Amaryllis.

Love, devotion, passion.. these are all normal emotions for one to feel towards another that they want to spend their life with.

What happens when an Amaryllis blooms? Some say it’ll bring bad luck to its beholder, others say you’ll become stronger and more determined in life.

Even in this cruel world there can still be hope and love for something better. Holding onto your morality is important to see a better life.

Even in the darkest of nights there can always be a light, and to Ivan that light was Till.

Watching Till from a far Ivan kept his usual straight face. He knew he had feelings for Till even from childhood all the way until now.

Every time Till would get beat up, Every tear Till would shed. No matter what Ivan would be there to comfort him.

The fingers that would regularly caress the branding on Tills neck that had his name on it. The hands that would patch the wounds on Tills face. These brought great comfort to Till yet his feelings for Ivan were nonexistent.

The edelweiss that would blow in the wind against the Amaryllis, the feeling of the cold air brushing past Ivan and Till, it couldn’t help but put a faint smile on Ivan’s face.

Countless nights that had been spent together. The countless muttered confessions of love that came from Ivan that Till would never hear.

Shared jokes, dinners together, singing together. Such simple things that someone would find to be just to be something you find in a normal friendship, yet to Ivan it was so much more than just friendship. The way Ivan’s heartbeat would accelerate just by being around Till brought immense joy to Ivan.

To Till love was a fickle thing knowing it would be better to ignore his feelings of love wether it’s towards men or women. Yet he couldn’t help but blush when Ivan was near.

Till knew Ivan was the type to ignore personal space and get close to others. Yet, He also knew Ivan would watch Till from afar. Looking back he saw Ivan behind a tree looking at him.

Till would smile softly and outstretch his hand towards Ivan simple things like this in life would make everything just a bit better.

Ivan took a step forward and grabbed onto Tills hand. He felt a rush of excitement flow through his body yet his flat expression was unchanging.

“Why are you watching me again? You know that you can just come up to me.” Till would ask Ivan, his tone was soft but there was some clear annoyance to it.

Even though Till was used to Ivan’s odd behaviors he couldn’t help but he annoyed by it, they’ve known each other since they were children yet Ivan still acts this way. Till found it a bit disheartening that Ivan wouldn’t just come up to him, it made him question if Ivan was scared to, did Ivan not trust Till enough? Till didn’t know the answers to these questions and was way too timid to ask himself.

Ivan just looked at Till with endearing eyes. The way Tills hand felt against his made his heart want to skip a beat.

“Because.. I love you” Ivan muttered under his breath. Ivan knew fully well Till didn’t understand a word that came out his mouth but to Ivan that was okay.

“Huh?”

“Oh nothing.”

#ivantill #alien stage #alien stage till #alien stage Ivan #writing #shipping #fanfic

[the-travelling-witch]

Hello everyone, I have an exam next week plus there’ll be some somewhat major changes in my life soon, so I don’t know when I can finish any of my wips.

That said I want to offer you guys the chance to pick one to three prompts from the following list+ a character from a listed fandom and shoot me an ask; I’ll write a short blurb based on it (I’m aiming for ~3 paragraphs each, but might write more or less based on inspiration) and if I like one idea enough I might write an actual fic for it at some point, who knows (I don’t)

Fandoms: Genshin Impact, Haikyuu, Blue Lock, Tokyo Revengers, Obey Me (+ my OCs Dantalion and Valefar), Twisted Wonderland, Honkai Star Rail, My Hero Academia, Bungou Stray Dogs, Jujutsu Kaisen, Tears of Themis 

You can also leave the character decision to me and get surprised (or not, I will choose one of my faves jsjsh); also, though I’ll try to respect your choices, I’ll keep my liberty to choose a different character or play around with the prompts here or there ♡

Empowering ingredients that spur to action:

Sweet Flower- If you've been waiting to muster up the courage to confess, this flower could certainly give you a push in the right direction

Crystal Core- Found in Teyvat, this core of a crystal fly will light up every date night

Butterfly Wings- Just like the flap of a butterfly wing, this ingredient will instil the enchantment of a first love within the drinker

Star Piece- Ever gazed at the stars and wondered what really lay beyond what we can see?

Moonstone- This stone shines brightest in the light of the full moon, its gleam helping to soothe the sleepless, even for those who have to share a bed

Unicorn Hair- It's no wonder that unicorns are considered some of the most loyal beings out there; their hair will further the friendship felt between two people

Mermaid’s Pearl- A bright pearl treasured by the merfolk; if dissolved in a drink on the night of a proposal, this pearl is rumoured to cause eternal love

Flower Crown Piece- Normally worn by a fairy, this crown causes mischief when consumed in a potion; may lead to excessive flirting

Piece of a Heavenly Cloud- Although it may not be cloud nine, the comfort and warmth this cloud provides is similar to the hug of a loved one

Golden Laurel- Adorning the heads of absolute victors, this wreath marks the best of the best; and what is a better prize than spending every anniversary to come with your special person?

Electro Sakura- Electrifying and leaving you wanting more, this petal simulates a spark normally only occurring during a kiss

Ingredients that refine any potion:

Ambrosia- The food of the gods; it revitalises even the most exhausted person so that they could dance until their soles burn off

Nectar- As the beverage of gods, this is what liquid luck and liquid courage were derived from; in moderation, this ingredient will strengthen every encouragement received

Leaf of Yggdrasil- This leaf is rumoured to land on the shoulder of those who are bound by fate

Edelweiss- An unassuming flower often found on mountain tops, only adventurers with a keen eye who are out exploring come across it

Eye of Argus- This eye sees everything, so it's often used to spot a bad weather cloud from far away

Cinnamon- A spice adding comfort to most beverages consumed, it fills the drinker with a gentleness normally found in domestic life with a partner

Fae Wing- Fae are creatures who don't always have a human's best interest at heart, luring oblivious people into the woods and lulling them into a nap they might not wake up from

Slime Condensate- A substance worth studying, displaying many different qualities depending on the potion it's used in

Dragon Scale- Test the strength of your bond; will you both truly be able to withstand anything?

Forbidden ingredients activated by dark magic:

Hellfire spark- Riles people up to the point of a mindless argument; works even on the calmest of souls

Tooth of a Vampire- A creature of the night and a stealthy predator, this ingredient will help you keep a secret

Will-o-Wisp- Luring wanderers off the right path, they just wait for the unknowing to succumb to their insecurities

Deadly Nightshade- A small dose won‘t outright kill a person, yet, they'll certainly feel sick

Gorgo Venom- Coursing through the victim's veins, this venom takes hold of their heart and fills it with jealousy in no time

Mist of Nyx- A mist so thick and dense it wraps around its victim like a blanket of sorrow you cannot shake off; the first tears that spill are only the beginning…

Demon’s Horn- It might not be enough to conjure a full-on sleep paralysis but this demonic shard is definitely nightmare-inducing

Basilisk Fang- This feeling of rage whenever you see them, surely there's nothing you'd like to do more than take revenge?

Werewolf Claw- These claws are meant to ensure survival, naturally, they will ensure nasty injuries on the poor person on the other side of these sharp weapons

Asphodel from the Underworld- A flower that has been associated with death ever since Ancient Greece, but surely it wouldn't…?

Ingredients that pull at the seams of reality:

Siren’s Scale- Combined with a song, this scale will channel the power of any music played into the potion; either recommend a song yourself or pass me the aux-cable

Time-Mirror Fragment- Bring your special someone into the modern world or send them into a universe they don't belong

Fur of a Kitsune- Ever wanted to switch bodies with someone else? Well, this is your chance!

Figment of your Imagination- Haven't found what you were looking for? If you're willing to hand me a piece of your mind, I might just be able to work my magic…

#┊glimpse into the crystal ball ೃ༄ #also if you remember this you’re an og #ask game #writing prompts

[halfbit]

Happy WBW! It's after midnight and my baby won't go to sleep. Please tell me whether you've ever invented a language for a story. Would you like to?

i actually have!!! although they're not "complete" and are functionally just artlangs (my brain... not really prepared to seriously develop one) but i love them nonetheless. almost all of them are for serpent's quest, only one actually has a writing system designed though because i am. lazy. so i only designed the one that would show up the most often.

this is betkai! he's a minor character i use whenever i talk about my conlangs since he loves linguistics. amonsawa is a casual "hi" greeting in saonkaya! its a shortening of the phrase "i see you are safe" you only use it with people you already know. related to it, a standard goodbye is "saonhiwa amon" which means "i'll see you are safe tomorrow". also if you want to be reallll casual about it, the cool guys all say "ma, hiwa?" to say goodbye, don't say that to your mother though. it just means "then, tomorrow?" but it sounds pretty rude since you don't wish them well in it.

in total, i have about 5 major modern languages in serpent's quest, with about 9 older/historical/extinct languages they derive from, which i usually use for naming characters. and then a countless number of dialects and languages spoken only by a specific ethnicity or in a specific nation. i mentioned the giant turtles with ancient writing on them, the oldest writing is in anta fili, which is currently the oldest known writing system in the world.

the people in saonkaya speak saonkayashi! it's also a frequent second language in the chala islands since there's a lot of trade and movement between the chala islands and saonkaya. saonkayashi is written using kayasa script, which the saihinshi language also uses, but there's significant differences in spelling and pronunciation. the two languages sound similar but have diverged to the point of no longer being mutually intelligible. it's easier for a saonkayashi speaker to learn to speak saihinshi, saihinshi sounds archaic to a saonkayashi speaker but they can usually still trace the logic a little. to a saihinshi speaker saonkayashi feels like its completely ran with its language and only vaguely resembles saihinshi, with a lot of words that just sound completely random or that they've never heard of due to saonkayashi's various influences.

here's a few characters' names written down

the second is "edelweiss" but in a more formal print

the chala islands are a large collection of different ethnic groups, so many have their own language on their individual islands or island regions. there is a major language though which originates on the main island called chalaton, and these days most youth are bilingual in their native tongue + chalaton, and often speak saonkayashi as well. chalaton also frequently serves as a lingua franca between islands.

this is an excerpt from my language document about chalaton!

Chalaton can be written both horizontally and vertically, depending on the surface, many carvings and signs were traditionally written vertically, so it has become a popular style to write both names and proverbs vertically. Traditional Chalaton does not have punctuation marks, though some have been borrowed in modern times, instead, sentences are connected as a string, and a space is used to indicate the end of that sentence. There are very few particles in Chalaton, and they’re often excluded, especially in verbal speech, so most often context is to be assumed to provide clarity to the sentence. Notably, conjugation in Chalaton is fairly simple, largely because there isn’t really any time-related tenses, instead the sense of “future” or “past” is conveyed by including time words, which function similarly to adverbs in Chalaton. So, a sentence like “I will go” in Chalaton would instead be something like “Tomorrow go” or “Soon go”. Because of this, there are a lot of specific time words in Chalaton, and they are used frequently. Similarly, there is not a present continuous tense, so to say “I’m going” would instead be something like “Now go”. Culturally, time has a lot of value to Chala Islanders, and rudeness and being unreliable is associated with being vague or incorrect when speaking with time.

fun fact! there are currently at least 10 named chala islands, with an additional 8 islands in the tachitin isles, which are under the chala island government umbrella, but distinct and far away enough from the main chala island that they kinda tend to be considered their own thing. also the number of islands grows everytime i start thinking about chala again.

anyway i'll stop here before i go even longer but yes :D i do, thank you so much for the ask!

#wip: serpent's quest #◤ worldbuilding #◤ asks #worldbuilding wednesday

[literaticat]

I watch a bio on B&N (not so recent) and learned about their decision to allow its staff in each location to curate its book selection for its customer base. As a bookseller yourself, I was wondering how do you know what your local consumer of every genre might enjoy? And is there any obligation to be fair-- in that I mean stock an author that might be selling well even if you don't agree with their views or their writing is problematic? Also.. out of curiosity, have you ever had to deal with people that ask for a book from an author only to be accused of being discriminatory if it isn't stocked?

WIth the caveat that I haven't been a bookstore buyer in a decade, I did USED to be one, so, while other buyers might have different feelings, etc, here's what I think:

Local bookstores are typically in neighborhoods that have a certain VIBE. Probably the booksellers (and buyers) who work there are from the area or live there, and/or are just there every darn day talking to people. We know what kinds of things our customers get excited about, and what they order if we don't have it on the shelves. If people are forever ordering SF/F, for example, or requesting classic picture books we don't have on hand, that might be an indication that we should bulk up those sections! If we can't give Poetry away to save our lives, maybe it's a good idea to order less of it. ETC.

We also have computers with inventory, and Edelweiss, the publisher's catalogue portal. And we have sales reps from the publishers who know us, our taste, and our neighborhoods well -- they will mark up the catalogues in Edelweiss so if it is a local author or local interest, or if it's something they especially loved, or the publisher is hot on, or they've heard the author is going to be on NPR or whatevs, they will make a note of that to help us when we're placing our order -- and, even if we don't know off-hand, we see it a glance what has traditionally sold well in the neighborhood.

For example, within Edelweiss, for a bookstore account, it gives numbers for our store and region. SO when the new Maggie Greatauthor book comes out, I can see in the computer right there on the same page as the catalogue listing that we sold twelve copies of their previous book in hardcover and the paperback has done well, too - I better get a bunch of her new book! Book by a new author with no sales history? Well, Edelweiss has comp titles listed, too. So if this new book is, say, a paperback original rom-com that's being comped to Jasmine Guillory and Talia Hibbert books, and my store always does well with those, I should certainly get it in. And, hey, if we miss a title for whatever reason, or don't order enough in our initial order, we can always get more if there's a media blitz and people request it or we sell out of the first ones we got. And if we mess up and THINK a book will do really well and we've actually over-ordered it, well -- we can return them to the publisher.

...Is there any obligation to be fair-- in that I mean stock an author that might be selling well even if you don't agree with their views or their writing is problematic?

There's no obligation to do anything -- it's an independent bookstore for a reason! However, it's a business, right? We want customers to be happy and find what they are looking for. So If I'm the buyer, even if I'm personally not wild about a topic, book or author, if people want to spend money on it, I would carry it. Am I gonna get a pile of the new Rush Limbaugh book or whatever? Nah. But maybe I'd get ONE, and if somebody wants it they can find it, or they can ask and we can get it in for them. Probably, though, we'd end up either selling the one to the token bananapants grandpa in the neighborhood and not getting it back again, or if grandpa is on vacation, eventually returning it.

Also.. out of curiosity, have you ever had to deal with people that ask for a book from an author only to be accused of being discriminatory if it isn't stocked?

I remember what most readers of this are probably too young to remember -- the John Kerry "Swift Boat scandal" and the book that "exposed" it (which was in fact a pile of trash from a deranged mind but whatever) -- I worked at a store in very liberal San Francisco at the time, and we had a lot of agitator kind of people come in like "I SUPPOSE U ARE TOO LIBERAL TO CARRY THIS?????" -- but we literally couldn't get it in, it was out of stock because it got so much media attention! So then finally it came in and the people would be like U DON'T HAVE THIS BOOK HAHA SNOWFLAKES!!!! And we were like, here you go buddy, that'll be $25. :-)

Anyway, this rarely happens, because a) We will order any book that is in print that a customer wants to buy if it isn't on the shelves, I'm not the mind police, and b) most people who are real whackjobs don't spend a ton of time in bookstores, tbh.

[sentientstump]

yall really want me to spill the beans about the song, eh? 😭🙈

[orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect? ] x5

So many asked, so I'm going to go full details here:

I haven't listened to that many songs in life, mind you, so my answer would be Playing By The Rules by Red Vox (quinn you already listened to it on loop, sorry, no new info for you) I find it very great to my ears on all sound levels, every time I listen to it I try to focus on different instruments because i don't want to get bored of it xD I really enjoy the MV for it too! The theme, the style fits so nicely that sometimes it's difficult to separate it from the song itself (also, i saw that Mason Lindroth inspiration from miles away, so +quadspillion points to this MV!) The ONLY downside (upside in disguise) is that its so short... but! I have this feeling of silent appreciation when it comes up on shuffle play, yknow. Gotta enjoy things while they last! And I guess this song is a good exercise for me. Also if you asked me this question like 8 months ago I would've answered with Reno by Red Vox too .... I think I have a thing for gambling themes in songs- xD oh well

[sage ⇢ what ‘medium’ of art (poetry, music, fiction, paintings, statues etc.) is the most touching to you? why do you think that is? ]

Oooh man, I haven't thought about this before! I don't think I have strong preference towards one 'medium' of art? I just really enjoy when someone uses the medium in a very 'their' way, because what is more touching than their love to the craft? I mean, of course there's people who hate their craft but good at it, and maybe that's a little touching to me too in a more.... tiny humans on a pale blue dot in a vast space of cosmos sorta way? If you catch my drift

[edelweiss ⇢ how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you? ]

ahaha, I keep wondering why people don't ask me about it more frequently "xD (one person got me though) It's from PesterChum's rules of creating nicknames (Homestuck's chat app). I had to come up with a name based on my attributes at the time, so I wrote something like "artisticArtist" but then in one chat group I somehow got the lore that I am a stump??? So that one originated from there. And then I tried to follow the rules of nicknames by writing "cleverStump" instead, because it's CS which is 1/2 closer to the GCAT rule. But then I said "screw it" and thought that sentientStump is more accurate to ✨the lore✨ , because I am sentient, but not smart (I also have a screenshot of it (thank you 13 y.o. me) but I cannot find it currently, maybe someday)

[chamomile ⇢ what kind of things do you like receiving as gifts? ]

I really like to receive trinkets of any kind! They're usually small, usually cheap (I mean if they are expensive then im double happy and double sad of your wallet :c ), usually infinite happy chemicals in my brain! Magnets, pins, keychains, art supplies, gift paper bags, boxes, crafting materials and so on! I really enjoy things that are small (no joke here lol xD)

[aloe vera ⇢ what’s something (mundane) you really want to experience in life? ]

Everything mundane. like legit, whatever there is in life I want to experience it. Well, there is some no-no's such as physical pain? xD i don't want to experience a broken bone but i like the thought of experiencing wearing a cast. Or something...? 😅 I gotta experience all of the world has to offer but i do understand that i never will. Y'know, small things like walking at 16:45 on a ground road to the place where people apparently are fishing! (before walking there i didnt know!) Or eating a melted popsicle in a plastic wrap on a balcony watching a thunderstorm dissipate, or standing on a bus stop at 20:05 for one hour to understand that the buses on the bus app lied to you and no one will appear and you run to the 24hr store to buy yourself instant noodles for your dinner because you won't be able to join your family and their dinner in the countryside? Stuff like this y'know! Makes me enjoy life fr👍🏼 genuinely

[cactus ⇢ something you’re currently learning (about)? ]

Driving! But only theory rn "xD

[bamboo ⇢ do you change into a different outfit when you get home? ]

Of course! Who doesn't? o_o jk jk, it's totally cool! I tried it once because why not (look at [aloe vera] above) and tbh... not my thing! Especially when the outfit has 400 layers because of the 9 month winter, brrr. The apartment gets a lot of heating, so gotta unpeal the layers! At summer it's reverse i guess? I'm usually hanging out at my countryside house (technically two houses but same plot) and i change to the most "outside work" outfit possible after taking a short trip to the grocery store with my "i am from the city, downtown" outfit XD So basically i change into a more comfortable outfit and more worn down👍🏼✨

[chia ⇢ what’s an inside joke you have with someone else? ]

i have this very specific inside joke with my longest irl I've ever had (since 3y.o. 💪🏼💪🏼) We keep asking each other and their doggy Deya questions like: "[you're] Sitting?", "Sleeping?", "Eating?", "Walking?", "Staring?", "Barking?", "Taking a toilet?" etc. in a "what are you doing currently?" tone. It's so dumb!!!! I love it! xD

#holy crap xD i decided to make a some sort of masterpost for these! so feel free to just read one question of your choosing #i might add to this in the future or make a part two if the asks are a lot again #sorry for such a long post! '':D i also decided it would be an introduction to my personality in a way and i will add it to the pinned post #hopefully i answered everyone! #answeringstump #textstump #long post