#we also haven't really been able to get ourselves to do anything today

[thethingything]

I have a handful of drawing ideas I want to start but also a spreadsheet with a list of 34 WIPs and concepts we want to finish eventually and I'm pretty sure there's stuff missing from that

#personal #thoughts #🍬 post #we also haven't really been able to get ourselves to do anything today #and every time we try to start a task we get really overwhelmed #but I really want to work on art

[tiaamorosa]

Sunset Died - Wolff/Sekemoto (long part)

Changes

Early in the morning. Morgana got up quite early. She couldn't sleep for a variety of reasons. . Her husband also noticed that something had somehow changed. "Good morning…"/ "hhh, morning…". A slightly annoyed snort came from Morgana.

Thornton knew his wife quite well, but her behavior was new to him. "Whou, can you tell me what's going on? You've been stressed for days... Is something going wrong at the hospital?"/ "The hospital stresses me out the least, Thornton. At least we can finish the X-ray room today..."/ "O.K., if it's not the hospital, what is it? Maybe because of Pauline? You were a bit grumpy yesterday after she left".

Morgana interrupted the preparation of breakfast for a moment. "hh... I really would have liked to help her, Thornton, but it wouldn't have worked"/ "what's the problem, I could have built another room upstairs, would have been totally easy..."/ "Yes, but... We need the space ourselves..."/ "We have enough"/ "but not for much longer". She could barely look him in the eyes.

Of course, Thornton wasn't completely dumbfounded. What else would you have to make room for in a house if you didn't want a friend to move in? He approached her and looked at her seriously. There was no mistaking her nervousness "Space for what, eh?"/ "well, for... Our own baby... Maybe?".

"Maybe?"/ "No, I… There's a reason why I've been so stressed lately… work is the least of it. I know you've never been ready for this before, and for me… It's a bit unexpected now…"/ "As they say, the unexpected often comes, doesn't it?". She looked at him, almost a little surprised… Because how often was that the topic? Children, no children…

Morgana waited for a reaction and was actually expecting all sorts of things, negative words, him leaving the room without a word. But instead, her husband took her in his arms. "Tell me when you want me to start. Maybe it'll be enough for both tots, then Yumi can sleep longer in the morning." Morgana clung to her husband. But she didn't say anything for a while.

Thornton felt all the tension leave her body. And yet she was still trembling a little. "Hey, it's all right, o.k.? I've had plenty of time to practise with Sam, . Well, Sam's bigger, but… It can't get any worse with a mini human like that"/ "mhm, h-hh, now let me get on with it, okay? Otherwise I'll have to go to work hungry". Thornton took one last look at his wife, smiled and kissed her forehead. After breakfast, she made her way to the hospital.

When Morgana arrived, her colleague was already hard at work again. The anatomy course seems to be very popular with many of the residents. Morgana hadn't told her anything yet. But she also knows that she is being taken off duty because of her pregnancy. That's standard practice for nurses and doctors. But she doesn't want that yet.

Morgana waited until Jamie had finished her demonstration on the skeleton. Then she went to her ... "oh, in civilian clothes today?". Morgana smiled a little. "I didn't have time to change. I have something important to discuss with you."/ "O.K. about the X-ray room? It's as good as ready for use, the generator's there too"/ "then let's go over there and talk for a moment, alright?". Jamie raised her eyebrows. "Must be serious, okay".

The two doctors excused themselves for a moment and went behind the building together. "Listen, I probably won't be able to work in a few months, at least not for a while..."/ "Do you have to go?"/ "Nonsense, where am I supposed to go? Hnhn, no, we're going to be parents"/ Jamie stopped for a moment and looked at her in surprise. "What... you and Thornton?"/ "yeah, or have you ever seen me with anyone else?"

"And... What does your husband say? I mean, he never wanted children..."/ " Haven't you noticed how he treats Sam? At first he was really afraid to touch him, but now he won't let him out of his hands. I told him this morning."/ "And?"/ "He just hugged me... He's never hugged me like that before..."

Jamie stopped and hugged Morgana. "Really, I'm very happy for you and for him too. And I really hope that you two find even more of a connection this way"/ "We did, thank you. Hey, everything's ready. Shall we do a test?"/ "You know, only if we start the thing up and switch it off again straight away"/ "All right. And we have to thank Judy and her husband again, without them this wouldn't be possible".

Jamie switched on the generator, then they both went inside. This machine had already been used in the hospital, although not for very long. So one person stood upright in the X-ray machine while the other did an all-round scan. When she had finished, she switched the machine off again. "This thing is really great! The only thing it can't do is analyze blood"/ "I know, but we're lucky to have it. All right, I'll switch the generator off again.“.

After the check at the x-ray machine was successful, Morgana went to the front of the main building. "Christopher? What are you doing on our PC?"/ "Hey, don't worry, nothing wrong. Jamie asked me to take a look at it,"/ "Oh, probably because of the memory problems"/ "the hard disk is already pretty full, mhm".

"And what can we do?"/ "Well, I can't really find a new laptop. She'll have to get rid of a few files that aren't important"/ "hm, but there's important stuff from the hospital on there"/ "I know... But also some things that this PC really doesn't need. But I'll ask her first"/ "Mhm... and you? You have no business here, sweetie".

"Oh, hello, Connor. We rarely see you either"/ "I know, I'm sometimes here and sometimes there, tomorrow most of us are meeting at the cemetery, there'll be a lot to do"/ "mhm...maybe we'll have you as a colleague soon?"/ "hehe, I don't know, I'm trying my hand at an end-time novel right now"/ "hm, I don't know if I want to read that".

Morgana noticed that Pauline was also visiting the hospital and went straight to her. "Pauline… I'm really sorry about yesterday…"/ "It's all right, I think I know why I couldn't stay with you, you're pregnant too, right?"/ "Yes, how do you know…"/ "hn, we pregnant women probably have a feeling for it. I can stay with Zelda for a while.“.

Morgana smiled sympathetically. "It's nice that she has a place for you. My only regret is that we don't have an ultrasound machine. Otherwise I could check on both of us to see if everything is OK"/ "It will be, Morgana. We have to remember our primal instincts now. Unfortunately, most people have lost them. We relax a lot, I even do yoga now, hnhn"/ "just not too much, okay?".

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

A little later, during Morgana's shift. "Hello VJ, how's your... little problem?"/ "It's much better now, thanks... water is boiled every time now... I still want to return the favor for the help. I'm going hunting later, do you need meat?"/ "um, not just me, some people here would be happy to have a good piece too".

"Excuse me for asking, but do you even know how to gut an animal?". VJ almost felt a little offended by this question. He crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow and replied: "You have to hang it up by the hind legs, then cut it open from the crotch to the throat, take out the innards and bleed it out". Morgana listened to him carefully and pressed her lips together. It was a moment before she said anything again. "OK, there's really nothing more to add. It should just be stored in a cool place as quickly as possible then…".

"hmm, as soon as I sawed up the animal, I just wanted to distribute it quickly among the people…". Morgana tilted her head a little and rolled her eyes "But not everyone has a fridge at the moment, you have to bear that in mind." VJ hadn't thought that far ahead. "Do you have a better suggestion?"/ "hm, a cold room… It doesn't have to be very big. And you need electricity and a well-functioning air conditioning system that could be retrofitted a bit"/ "oh man,… OK, there are cables sticking out of the ground everywhere, electricity wouldn't be a problem".

"Are you going to fiddle with the power cable on your own? Please let other people do it, do you hear me?"/ "If you only knew where I've fiddled around, but if it makes you feel better… OK, I'll look for help. Now if you can tell me where I can get an air conditioner? I haven't seen any at the scrap yard yet". Morgana was at a loss for a moment, but then she had an idea. "hm, I'll have a look in the old hospital grounds later…".

VJ gladly accepted Morgana's help and suggestions. Even if he preferred to do everything on his own. Still, a little help from others wouldn't go amiss. And so he slowly set off to hunt down a wild animal. If he finds one...

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

End of this (l-l-long) Part…sorry ^^ the next one will be shorter again, I promise^^

@greenplumbboblover 😊🙂

#sims3 #simsstories #sims3 story #sunset died #post apocalyptic #morgana wolff #thornton wolff #jamie jolina #christopher steel #vj alvi

[beta-adjacent]

may i ask for any tips on how to incorporate a/b/o into my life, like nesting or scents? ive looked but i dont see any lists anywhere

Heck yeah you may, dude!!! :D I think it's hard for us to make lists/an official tip guide because everyone's different. What I’ve written below the cut is certainly more of a guided walkthrough of my experience, but I hope you can get something out of it!!

Scents:

I'll be honest, a lot of scent to me is a mind game, haha. I've found myself most connected when I'm walking past a group of people and smell someone else's perfume. They won't know it, but I'll take solace that they're like me-- we both just want to be smelly.

I don't have a "100% official, patent pending" scent, but I do have what I call a "ballpark of olfactory favorability". And really, I created my ballpark by paying attention to what smells I linger on, haha. Realistically, we wouldn't be able to smell ourselves in the omegaverse, but having a scent as a miscecanis is entirely for ourselves. So I don't like to think of my scent as "how others should/would/could perceive me" but rather "how I want myself to perceive me", or even better "what would I like to smell today?". Oftentimes, my own answer to that varies by day, hence my ballpark.

If you've forgotten what smells exist, Poesie and Demeter are two perfume brands I've been recommended. I haven't tried them myself, so I wouldn't be able to comment on their physical quality, but I still think they're worth looking at! Some of the scents I see in those catalogues I never would've thought of on my own.

More succinct suggestions:

If you're able, try to be actively aware of what you smell. When you have a quiet moment, take a deep breath. What do you smell? Is it good, bad, not much of anything? How does it impact you, if at all?

Think, experiment, and explore with the smells around you. What smells do you associate with being happy, sad, angry? What's something you want to smell? If you met your clone, how would you hope they smelled?

For most of us, we won't be able to smell like our scent. If you're able, surround yourself with what you love to smell, even if that doesn't feel like your scent. Sometimes being around what you love has to be enough.

Nests:

I struggle with nests all the time!!! I naturally, constantly crave them while also being extremely picky about them. Sometimes, all I can do is imagine what life will be like when I'm rich enough to build my six story mansion (and what the one floor dedicated to nests would be like), bwahahaha.

I am privileged to have materials that I find comforting and that elevate my nesting experiences. I'm even more privileged to have a space in my living situation that I can experiment with. It's hard to say "just try different things you like!" because many are unable to.

Some general principles in my mind when I nest:

Expand your idea of a nest. While yes, the classic sleeping structure like a bed is The known nesting base, it sometimes doesn’t feel like a nest at all. And it doesn’t have to be! Look for what feels like yours in your life. Maybe it’s your favorite spot on the couch, or your assigned seat in a classroom, or even your favorite oversized hoodie. The point is that it’s yours, even for just an hour, and that you’re allowed to own that space for as long as you have it (including personal space). This isn’t to say you should nest everywhere and be hyper-territorial; it’s to say that a nest is a place where you feel safe and at home and sometimes that’s not physically in your room

If and only if you can, obtain materials that bring you comfort. I'll be honest; the greatest thing I've ever gotten for a nest was leftover pieces of couch foam. I’m always worried I’ll die of dehydration so there’s almost always a emergency bottle of water near my nest. My friends used to have a system where we would trade plushies every night, and that brought us comfort. All of these things bring or once brought me comfort to my daily life, especially when I come home and need a space to decompress. These materials were not bought specifically for nesting and they certainly don’t have to be conventional.

Listen to your needs/wants and prepare for those to conflict/change. For a week, my brain goes “ooh, you should try sleeping under your bed tonight!” Which is crazy because I’ve tried sleeping under beds a thousand times before and it doesn’t go well. But one night I gave in and laid under my bed, and something in me was soothed. And I had to think about why this was working for me mentally but not physically. What I learned was that my brain really wanted distance from an immovable object in my room, and I was able to change my sleeping situation accordingly. Long story short, by humoring my impulses, I was able to learn where my different needs can compromise

If you’re looking more for the logistics of how to build a nest, there actually are quite a bit of nest inspiration and tutorials I’ve seen float around! I think there’s even a nesting tag but don’t quote me on that. I’ll check in my feed and reblog some stuff I’ve found intriguing before

I know a majority of this sounded rather “philosophically preachy”, for a lack of a better phrase. That’s just how the incorporation works in my life now. If there’s anything to take away, let it be this: there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to be miscecanis or partake in the lifestyle, if your heart is respectful and kind to both the community and to yourself. There is no rush, pressure, or limit to how this journey can manifest for you. Do what sounds fun and attainable; ideas are in just about every fic or blog you’ll find!

I sincerely hopes that this inspires you in your journey!!

#anon #anon ask #a/b/o blog #a/b/o #a/b/o verse #a/b/o dynamics #a/b/o lifestyle #omegaverse lifestyle #omegaverse #alpha/beta/omega dynamics #misecanis

[is-not-a-unicorn]

I'm having a bad mental health day

I'm really struggling to do anything. I'm not even going to the house today because I need a break. I'm trying to take it easy so I can calm down. I did some Journaling when I woke up. I stopped by my partner's work to visit with him and bring him lunch and I did some shopping. I thought getting out and doing stuff would help me feel less depressed but it didn't. I took a shower and I'm gonna nap after I post this. Maybe that will help.

CW: angry rant after the cut

I was up all last night and couldn't sleep because I was thinking about how angry I am with my roommates.

This entire floor was covered in piss & shit with paper towels cemented to the tile. My roommate kept saying he would clean it up. Did he? No!! My partner and I did. I spent like $200 on cleaning supplies, he had everything he needed to clean. He said he was going to but days went by and nothing. He said he would clean on Tuesday and we came back Sunday and nothing was done. My partner couldn't be in the house because of the smell so we cleaned it ourselves. It still smells like urine but not as overpowering as it was 😢

I'm just tired of being the one doing 95% of the cleaning. I did ALL of the cleaning the first two years we lived together. After I stopped cleaning up after them everything went to shit. I haven't used the kitchen in 5 years because it smells like urine. And they never cleaned it.

The basement was flooding last year and the plumber refused to come in the house. I wasn't even living there, I was with my partner in his apartment. And I'm still the one that cleaned the kitchen and the laundry room.

The other roommate always says thank you and tells me how great it looks and I HATE that. I don't care that you're grateful. I don't want to always be the one doing the cleaning. I work more hours and have a harder job. I haven't lived in the house for the past two years. Clean up your own fucking mess. I don't want praise. I want them to clean up their own shit.

Talking to them does nothing. They say they'll clean up but they DON'T. I swear I'm gonna start charging them $75/hr to clean up after them and just take the money from the household account idc.

I'm scared to live in the house again. I was so depressed living there before, things got REALLY bad. It'll probably be better this time because my partner will be there to support me. My partner keeps telling me it will be okay. But I'm still scared. I keep having break downs and crying if I think about it too much.

And my partner's mad too. He thinks my roommates shouldn't have a dog if they can't take care of it. But the dog is extremely reactive and wouldn't be able to be rehomedso he's not going to say anything to my roommates about that. My partner is going to try to work with training the dog since my roommates haven't. He feels absolutely terrible that this dog has been forced to live in her own urine and feces. It's unsanitary and cruel. My partner is also worried that the urine soaked through the grout and damaged the foundation of the house.

I don't even know how my roommates' cats are because they stay in their room. But my roommates always smell like cat pee and it's a little bit embarrassing for me to be around them in public.

I don't even know what to do except keep cleaning. Next week. Not today.

#Depression #Rant #Vent post #Personal vent #Vent #Anger #depression mess #cleaning #audhd #Self care #How do I stop feeling angry?? #How do I get out? I feel trapped #reactive dog #Unsanitary #Animal neglect #ND household #Cleaning #I am broken #Personal

[psychelis-new]

Hii! I am here for personal reading.

My question is how my next 3 months would go?

I choose A

The first word that came to my mind was "sleep" because I haven't been able to sleep well for a week now and also today I slept around 5 am so that's why my mind is currently thinking about sleep

Two emojis: ♥️✨

Thank you so much!

Hello :)

I really hope you can sleep properly asap, and whatever is the reason that doesn't let you do that will solve (either having too many thoughts or anything else)

You'll probably start taking a bit more care of you. And I do think you'll clarify or purify something. Maybe yourself from something (I hear "wash away". Water could be of help in this). And you'll also be able to shine a light on something, either something that is really bothering you or... causing you a blockage of any type. (Words are coming very very slow, I do feel your tiredness) Yeah I think you'll be able to clarify something and be more focused on doing things for you, on working through a problem and get over it somehow. You'll be more strong minded (stubborn, I'd say for some reason) and find a very positive solution. Do you feel disconnected by yourself somehow atm? Cause I suddenly feel cold and maybe... there's some warmth, some connection with yourself you need to make and will make in the next month. Like coming back to yourself, to your core. Taking care of you, as I said in the beginning. Even in times of huge distress, we should never forget about ourselves and our needs, and find moments to keep in touch (physically -move your body, caress yourself...- and mentally -meditate or just check within yourself your feelings...-) with ourselves. All in all, next three months will bring clarity and a solution to something, which will bring more positivity and calmness to your life. This may also bring success in other areas of your life, especially those related to relationships of any type. Be very gentle with your inner child, hug them. It seems they need your help and protection in something atm, especially if you aren't feeling safe.

All the best, take care<3

#. #10 #personal readings

[bourneblack]

Hi, random person here. I saw that you explained to your friends about the gender binary spectrum and basically LGBTQ+ in general here: https://bamsara.tumblr.com/post/690393062703284224/striving-artist-bourneblack-cadhla182

I was wondering if you could help me with explaining to my Mom about the differences between man, woman, and nonbinary. She wants to understand and help me, but explains that unless she knows the why, she won't use my name or pronouns. I know it's kind of transphobic of her, but she just wants to know why and I haven't been able to find the right words to explain. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Howdy!

I'm gonna start with a slight caveat: Know that sometimes you can approach people with all the logic and understanding in the world, and still be met with push back. That all said, I've found that most well meaning people, when given enough time and space, are actually pretty receptive towards learning about these things. I can't say to know your mom or you or anything, so don't think this is at all a reflection on you or her, just as a general reminder to make sure to protect yourself!

I find it's best to start with what people already know, and work up from there. So we are taught that there's two genders, Male, Female. There are people who have the body of a male, and feel inside like they are male. Same with female. But some people, while having the body of male or female don't feel like they are what their body is. That is trans.

Cis people get confused here a lot, so I ask them how do they know they are a woman/man? Ignoring the physical, think of the mental. I ask them what would happen if you woke up in the body of a man/woman today? Would you feel uncomfortable? Would you dislike that people were treating you different? Would you want to wear different clothes? There's something that doesn't feel right about that thought, right? (assuming they are cis, sometimes you accidentally out someone to themselves whoops) Trans people feel like that every day.

After that I branch out. There's more than just male and female. There's also non-binary. Gender is a vague social outline of behavior and appearance that we've drawn a circle around. A circle around what a man is (low voice, strong, masculine), and a circle around what a woman is (high voice, dainty, feminine). Many people like their circle, want people to identify them as man or woman from those definitions. But what about feminine men, and masculine women? What about the dainty man who speaks lowly and is a great stay at home parent? What about the masc woman who is the best CEO in a companies history and wears stiletto heels? Where do they fit? That's where things get complicated, I say. If we say 'woman are this and men are that,' what to we do when we encounter someone who breaks that mold? What happens when your behaivors don't just fit in one circle? What if they fit in both? What if neither?

From then I move to how gender, being a construct, is something that we can construct ourselves, instead of letting society prescribe it. Some people like being part of the group, even if they have some traits from the other group. Some people don't like being part of the group, and want to become the other group. And some people don't like being part of either group. They don't want to be defined anywhere, by anything, other than themselves.

When you don't fit into the circles of "male" and "female" that society has drawn, what do you call yourself? No one has really defined that, it's up to a person to define who they are. So you call yourself they/them, or she/he, or a neopronoun perhaps, because that helps you create an identity that fits your perception of yourself. (Some people ask here 'well why does it matter if i list my pronouns in my bio?' and i say it's because you are helping create an environment that recognizes that gender is a spectrum. Somewhere out there, someone sees that and feels a little more welcome.)

I like examples, so lets use a futon. Is a futon a bed? Sometimes. Is a futon a couch? Sometimes. But at the same time it's not a couch or a bed. It's a futon. Whether it's folded into a couch or a bed, the only thing that changed was how you viewed it. Sometimes non-binary people are female, sometimes they are male, but they are always non-binary.

Things to keep in mind: Terminology. People not in the LGBTQ+ community tend not to know the right terminology for things. A lot of people still aren't aware that Transgender Man is a reference to a Man, not a Woman, and accidentally misgender people. Other's may refer to transgender people as "they were born a girl, and are now a boy," or use older terminology like 'transvestite' or 'transsexual' (which some old trans folks still go by!) I stand by the belief that Intention is more important than Terminology. Try your best to answer their question, then gently correct them without judgment.

Prepare to dispel myths. There's stuff that circulates about doing 'transgender surgery on children', or 'sharing bathrooms with children' or basically anything that has to do with hurting children. That's what I've found worries people the most, especially the older ones. Other myths like non-binary gender is a new fad. Talk about how the concept of being non-binary is actually pretty old, and there's a list of people with non-binary genders on wikipedia that's actually pretty intensive.

All in all, this kind of stuff takes time to understand, especially when you are older, especially when your worldview is pretty much set. And not everyone wants to understand. Again, I can't speak to your relationship with your mom, and I kinda don't like that she wants you to like, write a five paragraph essay before she uses your pronouns, so I hope that this helps a bit, and I hope that it helps her come around too.

#gender #lgbtq #queer #transgender

[krs724490]

11/4/2023

Hi. I realized there are more things I want you to understand about me. I think its easier for me to write because I dont miss any of the things I want to say. and I can better articulate what I mean. If I'm ever struggling to talk to you about something - give me 1 or 2 hours to write to you about it and then you'll have a solid idea of what's going on in my head.

There are 2 things I feel the need to explain out. The first is how "hippie" I am... the degree to which I am a hippie and am also not a hippie. and why I jokingly say I'm a little hippie-ish. and the 2nd is the whole eating disorder thing. I feel like I've alluded to these things, but haven't talked in depth about them. I dont expect you to respond in any certain way or to agree with me or to think like I do, I just want you to be aware. I want to do my due diligence with showing you who I am. and why I am the way I am.

So first on being a hippie. I dont know why I use the term hippie.. or sometimes I reference it as yoga philosophy. I suppose its just a way for the average person to know what I'm getting at. I've been in the yoga world since junior year of high school. It's really shaped who I am and over time I've chosen the stuff that resonates with me. Here is a general list of things I think/do/believe... these are the things I've found make me feel good and whole.

I like to pray. I dont think I'm praying to anything in particular, its more just throwing an idea out there. So for example, "Today I pray that I'm able to be centered and have balanced energy so that I can be attentive and kind to people at work." or.. "I pray that Graham and I are able to speak our minds tonight so that we can continue to understand each other better." I think of prayer as a way to set the tone for any day or situation. I close my eyes and put my hands together and just speak out a little bit of hope. and it helps.

In terms of believing in God or a higher power or any of this stuff. I think we've touched on this lightly, but here is what I've come to.. I think the universe is an intelligent place. The way its organized, the way life flows - the way you work through the bad and because you worked through it, that makes you feel good. and the way there is also bad in having too much good. The way our human bodies work the way they do.. its all so intelligent to me. So I suppose when I pray, I'm praying to the intelligence of this world. Acknowledging how insane it is that we're here and how I hope to spend my days embracing the insanity of how life goes. Life is a fun game to play. Even when you're in the thick of it, its like damn at least I get to be here and participate in this unreal place. Especially nature, at least I get to climb mountains and swim in oceans.

Every time I meditate or do yoga, I'm trying to center myself by reconnecting to "the witness" or "the calm, unchanging, energy that sits in the center." I know I've talked to you about this because this is what my new tattoo is referencing. Essentially saying that life changes all around us - people leave, we move, nothing is permanent. and a lot of times we get caught up in the changes, we twist and turn with them and we get all jumbled. the witness allows you to observe your life from a neutral place. Sitting in the wisdom that this too shall pass. Simple example - if you're in a bad mood, not getting caught in the bad mood, seeing it as a passing state. This is why I start my day with meditation, it connects me to the bigger picture. It centers me before the day takes me away and I inevitably get caught in the things of life. Also, an interesting thing I've come up with about being in a relationship - I would want someone to sit in the center with me as life fluctuates around both of us. and we remain centered together, witnessing it all. because we both know that life is hard and change is inevitable, but we are the steady thing that sits in the middle.

we are the stories we tell ourselves. if you tell yourself you're a sad boy who just went through a break up, you become exactly that. if I believe ___ to be true, it becomes my reality because my mind and my body react to the thought as if it is so. its all a self-fulfilling prophecy. I try to always look at the story I'm telling myself. For example, I couldve told myself the horror story that you're going on a trip with a female co-worker and are gonna hook up with her. In this case I would say, "this is the story I'm telling myself right now. this is the story that is bubbling up in my brain. it may not be true, but its the story I'm stuck on." It gives a way to acknowledge that we're human and our perception is our own personal reality but it may not actually be reality.

I dont know about crystals, and astrology, and tarot readers, but I do believe in the cheesy things like gratitude. I think gratitude lists can tip my energy in a positive direction. It feels nice to remember all the good things, big or small. I also do believe love conquers all. so cheesy!! I always want to act from a place of love. for example, if I'm going on a run because I hate my body, thats not acting from a place of love. I want my actions to come from a place of love. so always asking myself, is this coming from a place of love (for myself or for others)? or am I doing this for a negative reason?

[tmarshconnors]

Zen Buddhism Part One.

The Five Precepts

The Five Precepts are not an absolute rigid set of rules, but provide a practical basis for good, ethical living which will produce the right environment in which to seek out our own truths.

The first precept is that of not intentionally killing living beings. We step on ants every day, and this isn’t really with any lack of care, and I doubt if it’s possible to avoid occasionally beating the odd cockroach to oblivion, however, the premeditated killing of other human and senseless killing of animals for sport certainly is not desirable for Buddhists. The primary goal of this precept is to develop concern for the safety and welfare of others and to have compassion for all living things.

The second precept is to take only what has been given. This is broader than not stealing, as it means returning borrowed items, and not taking unfair advantage even when it is still within the laws of the country. This means that you develop a sense of fair play, and generosity towards others.

The third precept often talks about sexual misconduct, but may also be interpreted as not misusing the senses. As the strongest drive after the survival instinct, the sexual drive will dominate our lives and cause much suffering unless directed wisely and skilfully. Living to excess, and in particular excessive eating, also causes grief. This precept encourages us to be content with more simple lives.

In the fourth precept we are encouraged not to speak falsely, not to lie, slander, misrepresent or to gossip maliciously. This teaches us to speak truthfully and kindly and to have positive motives when we approach a discussion.

The fifth precept is most important for today’s affluent Western society, and that is to avoid intoxicants. This includes alcohol, unnecessary drugs, and stimulants such as tobacco and caffeine. This precept is important to develop rational thinking and will allow the development of inner clarity needed for mindfulness.

As always, the Buddha was compassionate and pragmatic, and recommended these rather than dogmatically insisting that these five precepts were essential. But there is considerable good sense in each precept and by living with them every day, the way is then clear to be able to focus on the personal search for enlightened understanding.

The Six Realms

(Interpreted as state of mind.)

If ego decides it likes the situation, it begins to churn up all sorts of ways to possess it. A craving to consume the situation arises and we long to satisfy that craving. Once we do, a ghost of that craving carries over and we look around for something else to consume. We get into the habitual pattern of becoming consumer oriented. Perhaps we order a piece of software for our computer. We play with it for awhile, until the novelty wears out, and then we look around for the next piece of software that has the magic glow of not being possessed yet. Soon we haven't even got the shrink wrap off the current package when we start looking for the next one. Owning the software and using it doesn't seem to be as important as wanting it, looking forward to its arrival. This is known as the hungry ghost realm where we have made an occupation out of craving. We can never find satisfaction, it is like drinking salt water to quench our thirst.

Another realm is the animal realm, or having the mind like that of an animal. Here we find security by making certain that everything is totally predictable. We only buy blue chip stock, never take a chance and never look at new possibilities. The thought of new possibilities frightens us and we look with scorn at anyone who suggests anything innovative. This realm is characterised by ignorance. We put on blinders and only look straight ahead, never to the right or left.

The hell realm is characterised by acute aggression. We build a wall of anger between ourselves and our experience. Everything irritates us, even the most innocuous, and innocent statement drives us mad with anger. The heat of our anger is reflected back on us and sends us into a frenzy to escape from our torture, which in turn causes us to fight even harder and get even angrier. The whole thing builds on itself until we don't even know if we're fighting with someone else or ourselves. We are so busy fighting that we can't find an alternative to fighting; the possibility of alternative never even occurs to us.

One of the three higher realms is called the jealous god realm. This pattern of existence is characterised by acute paranoia. We are always concerned with "making it". Everything is seen from a competitive point of view. We are always trying to score points, and trying to prevent others from scoring on us. If someone achieves something special we become determined to out do them. We never trust anyone; we "know" they're trying to slip one past us. If someone tries to help us, we try to figure out their angle. If someone doesn't try to help us, they are being uncooperative, and we make a note to ourselves that we will get even later. "Don't get mad, get even," that's our motto.

At some point we might hear about spirituality. We might hear about the possibility of meditation techniques, imported from some eastern religion, or mystical western one, that will make our minds peaceful and absorb us into a universal harmony. We begin to meditate and perform certain rituals and we find ourselves absorbed into infinite space and blissful states of existence. Everything sparkles with love and light; we become godlike beings. We become proud of our godlike powers of meditative absorption. We might even dwell in the realm of infinite space where thoughts seldom arise to bother us. We ignore everything that doesn't confirm our godhood. We have manufactured the god realm, the highest of the six realms of existence. The problem is, that we have manufactured it. We begin to relax and no longer feel the need to maintain our exalted state. Eventually a small sliver of doubt occurs. Have we really made it? At first we are able to smooth over the question, but eventually the doubt begins to occur more and more frequently and soon we begin to struggle to regain our supreme confidence. As soon as we begin to struggle, we fall back into the lower realms and begin the whole process over and over; from god realm to jealous god realm to animal realm to hungry ghost realm to hell realm. At some point we begin to wonder if there isn't some sort of alternative to our habitual way of dealing with the world. This is the human realm.

The human realm is the only one in which liberation from the six states of existence is possible. The human realm is characterised by doubt and inquisitiveness and the longing for something better. We are not as absorbed by the all-consuming preoccupations of the other states of being. We begin to wonder whether it is possible to relate to the world as simple, dignified human beings.

#ZenBuddhism #Meditation #Mindfulness #ZenPhilosophy #ZenTeaching #BuddhistPractice #Enlightenment #ZenMaster #ZenMind #ZenLife #ZenKoan #Zazen #Buddhism #Spirituality #InnerPeace #BuddhistWisdom #ZenArt #BuddhistMeditation #ZenPrinciples #ZenWay #today on tumblr

[elitheaceofalltrades]

Hobby Blog Update - 1 Month In

Hi hi hi!

Today I thought I'd do something a bit different and talk abot the experience of making this blog and doing stuff for it, 1 month (and a couple of days) post-creation.

I started this blog mainly as a way to hold myself accountable to the concept of purposefully and consciously engaging in my hobbies and trying new one. Sometimes life gets really hectic, especially as we get older and society as a whole has moved towards this concept of "work, academics, family, friends, sleep" in which we don't actively spend time with ourselves and when we do, a lot of the time it's scrolling through social media and binging mindless shows/movies. And I'm not judging, I do those too. But neither of those things are fullfilling and I realised that I needed to remind myself that I can do things, just for fun. Not for work or school or a sidehustle (though if this week's crochet attempt proved anything, it's that I won't be selling plushies on etsy any time soon😂😂).

Since starting this, I've gotten back into old hobbies I haven't done since I was a teenager, like writing poetry and fiction. It also forced me to look back at stuff I wrote as a teen and remember that I used to pretty good at it. I used to write a lot and consistently too. I stopped cause I went to university and life got hectic and then we had a pandemic and lots of other stuff and somewhere along the line I forgot I could write, and then I ended up in this negative mindset of not being a writer and not being able to write or express myself. And I had to realise that I just got rusty but I could still do this.

I've also started new hobbies, like digital art and crochet. Both of these things I've been interested in for years but always got stuck in the "can't" mindset of I can't do that because I'm not skilled enough and any attempts I make will be horrid and ugly. And you know what? My Linen/Moss stitch was horrid and aside from my cover photo, most of my art is ugly, but that's okay. Because learning a new skill, starting from scratch, it's not going to be perfect or beautiful on your first, second, third, fifteenth attempt. But it will slowly start to get better as you start to get comfortable. And you have to start somewhere. So maybe I only have some messy art pieces and measly crochet squares but that's more than I had a month and a half ago. And it's been fun and necessary finding time to do this, even if it's only 20 minutes to sketch something or crochet some stitches or only five minutes to edit or write down a concept. It's time that I am carefully carving out of my weeks and it's making a difference.

So yeah, I'm ridiculously grateful to the past me who not only thought of this blog but actually followed through with it, and I'm looking forward to continuing improving what I've learnt and learning even more new things.

Have a good weekend!

~Eli

Ace of All Trades, Pro at None😆

#how's it going #how it's going #progress update #hobby blog #hobbies #blog update #how it started #rambles #ramblings #1 month update #one month update #beginner #amatuer #learning something new #learning #improving #Ace of All Trades

[helloalycia]

The Wrong Lifetime – Six // Wanda Maximoff

chapter five | story masterlist | main masterlist | wattpad | chapter seven

author’s note: i’m glad you all seemed to like the last chapter! i’m all for slow burn but i didn’t want to leave you hanging too long aha. Now onto dating territory!

Since going to Blackpool with Wanda, we hadn't actually gotten another moment to ourselves. Wedding plans were picking up which kept her busy, and if not that, then I'd only see her in passing in which we'd exchange smiles before moving on.

So, I though it would be good to take her out on a date. A proper one, even if it was to be disguised as a simple outing between soon-to-be sister-in-laws. The plan was to 'bump' into her in town, which we did, then I asked her if she wanted to go to the art gallery. She'd been before, but they'd put in a new exhibition which I thought she might like.

We couldn't exactly hold hands when there, but I made the most of her presence and stood a little too close to her than a friend might. Since she'd kissed me at the beach, I wasn't able to think about anything else. And when shot me a knowing smile, I knew she felt the same.

"I like this one," I told her, pointing to a piece hung on the wall, before squinting to read the plaque. "Jedburgh Abbey from the River by Thomas Girtin."

"And why's that?" she asked, watching me with humoured eyes.

I pursed my lips, glancing between her and the painting sheepishly. "I'm not gonna lie, I just like the way the guy painted the clouds in the sky."

She stifled laughter, not wanting to draw attention from passers-by, and nudged me in the shoulder. "You're unbelievable, milaya (darling). We didn't have to come here if you don't like art."

I gave her a knowing look. "Hey, I love art. Especially when it's by a certain Sokovian artist named Wanda Maximoff."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. I grinned at her bashfulness, wanting to tease her but also very true with my words. Her work was my favourite, biased or not, and I still had that amazing portrait she'd done of me in my room back home. It was tucked into one of my drawers where nobody would find it. I didn't want anyone else to look at it since she'd done it for me and it was private... it was a beautiful reminder of the amazing day we'd had.

"You're poking fun, but in all seriousness, I'd actually love for my work to be up here someday," she said softly, looking at the painting before us with hopeful eyes. 

"They wish they were that lucky to score someone as talented as you," I said without skipping a beat.

She cracked a smile, tilting her head in my direction. It was obvious she was losing her patience with me, but I enjoyed watching her lose it. She didn't know what to say, especially when being complimented, and it was endearing to witness.

We remained civil for the remainder of the 'date', refraining from holding hands or gazing at each other longer than friends would, and I was pretty proud of myself for not thinking about kissing her once when we were done.

As we got into the carriage to go back home, the door closed and I was going to ask her how she found it when she moved towards me in an instant, kissing me without question. I raised my hand, caressing her jaw and closing my eyes as she leaned forward, practically on my lap, not that I cared. She sucked on my bottom lip sensually before she opened her mouth, pushing her tongue into mine. I almost forgot how to breathe as she did, unprepared for such an intense kiss.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," she revealed when she pulled away.

I flushed at the contact, a dazed smile on my lips. "Huh."

She chuckled as she sat back beside me more 'appropriately'. "Thanks for taking me. I loved it."

I nodded lamely, still trying to recover from our kiss. "I'm– I'm glad."

She smirked playfully, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to my lips before sitting back. "You're so cute."

My words still hadn't returned, so all I could do was nod before looking the other way. Her laughter filled the carriage and I wondered how I'd gotten so lucky to be in the presence of someone so perfect.

After exchanging some more kisses and actually being able to hold hands without prying eyes, we reached Wanda's home and she invited me in for some tea. Sadly, that meant we had to let go of one another, but I think she'd given me enough to remember her by as we parted, and she must have thought the same, judging from the smirk she sent my way.

We sat on the patio outside to have some tea and biscuits, enjoying the sunshine and blue skies, a rare occurrence for England. We were chatting mindlessly when her brother decided to make an appearance, helping himself to a seat between Wanda and I.

"How lovely of you to grace us with your presence, Miss Y/L/N," he said playfully, shooting me a charming smile, before reaching to grab a biscuit. Wanda slapped his hand but he stole one anyway, making her roll her eyes.

"Nice to see you, Pietro," I greeted with amusement, always enjoying his presence.

"And you," he returned, before chowing down his biscuit.

Wanda gave me a fed up look over his shoulder which he was oblivious to, and I tried not to laugh as she clearly wasn't a fan of him interrupting our time.

"So, I caught a glimpse of the wedding invitations," Pietro said, making conversation. He glanced between us with a nod of approval. "They're coming along well."

I hummed in agreement, smile becoming less real when he mentioned the wedding. Wanda didn't acknowledge his words as she fiddled with the handle of her teacup.

"Is your brother behaving, Y/N?" Pietro continued jokingly, looking to me. "I know how many admirers he has, but my sister should be his first priority."

"Oh, Piet...," Wanda breathed out with embarrassment, facepalming.

"Of course he is," I assured her brother with a small smile. "He wouldn't dare try hurting Wanda or he'd have a lot of explaining to do."

There was some playfulness in my voice, but an underlying truth to my words.

"It's sweet how close you've gotten," Pietro noticed, looking between us, before settling his gaze on me. "It's about time Wanda made friends with people who aren't me."

Cue another slap. I chuckled at her sheepish expression, amused by Pietro's antics.

"Anyway," he changed the subject for his sister's sake, "mother has been getting on my very nerve about finding a bride because you decided to get married."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "We both know I didn't decide, Piet."

He sighed over-dramatically. "Well, it's because of your engagement that she's now on my back about it."

"Join the club," I joked, knowing exactly what he meant. "My mum was already on my back about finding a husband, but since this engagement, it's ten times more annoying."

Pietro laughed. "Oh, no. Has she lined up suitors? My parents like to point out every pretty woman they see to me in hopes I'll make a move. It's hardly productive."

"I haven't asked her for fear she'll pull out a folder with all of the eligible bachelors in town," I said, half joking and half serious.

Pietro snickered as Wanda rolled her eyes in the background. She should have been happy I was getting along with her brother. He was actually quite entertaining to be around.

"It's funny you say that because you're one of the women my parents pointed out," he admitted.

"Oh, God, so they're saying the same thing to you?" I asked with a groan, and he nodded regretfully. "Isn't it just the worst?"

"You're a lovely girl, Y/N, don't get me wrong," he began gently, "but I don't like you like that."

I raised my hand for a high five. "Me and you both."

Laughing once again, he returned my high five and I was glad we were on the same page. The amount of people that had been hinting at getting to know Wanda Maximoff's very single brother was getting pretty annoying. It was nice to know he was just as irritated at the insinuation as I was.

"Okay, I should leave you both to it," Pietro concluded, slapping his knees and standing up. Looking to me, he said, "Miss Y/L/N, it was as lovely as ever to make your acquaintance."

I smiled as he winked playfully before looking to his disgruntled sister.

"Dear sister, the pleasure is always mine," he continued to tease, and she slapped him once more, making him dodge her and begin to leave. "Love you, too!" he called before heading back inside.

I laughed at his silliness and relaxed in my seat, looking back to Wanda. She didn't seem half as amused as I was as she drummed her fingers on the table and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"I may be mistaken, love, but it looks like you're jealous," I poked fun at her.

She rolled her eyes and her jaw tensed before she finally looked to me, expression softening. "Can you blame me?" she asked quietly. "You're both single. You're both similar age. Everybody talks."

I shrugged nonchalantly, having a sip of my tea. "True... but I've got my eye on another Maximoff anyway."

She sighed, small smile creeping on her lips. Subtly moving my chair closer to hers, I grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed. My thumb stroked her hand softly as I leaned on the palm of my hand on the table.

"You look really beautiful today," I admitted in a hushed voice. "I should have told you earlier."

She, too, leaned into the palm of her hand as she watched me with an enchanting gaze. "So do you, milaya (darling)."

Unable to resist, I glanced around quickly before kissing her cheek and pulling away. Letting go of her hand, I busied myself with the tea and biscuits again.

"Biscuit?" I offered her, and she began to laugh at my attempt at acting casual.

Playing along, she accepted the biscuit from my hand. But a knowing smile was on her lips as she nodded. "Thank you."

—

Being with Wanda was a luxury in itself, even if we had to keep it private.

To everybody else, we were merely two women about to become family who happened to create a bond that was close. But we both knew what it really was and weren't eager to say it. Because saying it made it true and that meant that what we were doing became realer than it was in our daydreams and hidden moments.

I did find myself wracked with guilt sometimes – particularly the times when Y/B/N would gush about how excited he was to marry her. Wanda was technically cheating on him with me, his sister, but that fact was something that was still blurry to me.

We had no choice but to lie and be secretive. In a world like this, where we would never be able to be together like we wanted to, all we had was secrecy and deception. Did that still make us bad people?

I tried not to think about what would happen when she actually married my brother. The future was something I was adamant on pushing to the back of my mind because I knew what it would hold and I just wanted to enjoy the time I had with her. Convincing myself that what we had wasn't serious, just a heat of the moment relationship maybe, made things easier to accept. But really, I knew that whenever she looked my way with her signature smile and dazzling eyes, it was way more than I envisioned. She was way more.

So, trying not to be dragged down with the weight of reality, I vowed to myself to only focus on the now. Focus on the moments I shared with her whilst we could. Anything beyond that and I'd surely snap.

"Medovyy (honey), the Y/L/Ns are here!" Iryna called behind her, before looking to my family and I as we stood at her front door. "Please, all of you, come in!"

She ushered us into the main hall before closing the door after us. Perfectly timed, the rest of her family left the living room and came to greet us.

Automatically, my eyes found Wanda's and she was already looking my way, her dimple making a show as she attempted to reign in an excited smile. I did the same, trying to ignore the way my heart stirred upon seeing her.

Oleg and Iryna welcomed my parents and then me, kind expressions accompanying genuine greetings. In the corner of my eye, I saw Pietro shaking Y/B/N's hand before Wanda took his place, accepting a kiss on the cheek from Y/B/N. It wasn't jealousy that I felt whenever they were together, at least not entirely – they were to be married, what more could I expect? – but it wasn't anything pleasant either.

"Ah, my favourite Y/L/N," Pietro beamed upon shaking my hand, making my lips twitch upwards. "You excited for dinner? We're having salmon."

"Ecstatic, Pietro," I answered with a playful eye roll. "All I've been thinking all day."

He chuckled at my sarcasm before letting go of my hand and moving over to greet my parents. Wanda was next, her shoulders relaxing when she stepped before me with a soft smile present on her lips.

"It's good to see you," she said, but her eyes said much more than that. "How have you been?"

Exchanging a friendly-looking hug, my body was warm where she pressed against me. Touching her always sent a rush of emotion through me and I looked forward to it every time.

"I've been good," I answered aloud, before whispering into her ear, "Better now."

She squeezed my waist inconspicuously in response before letting go. "That's good. You know, we've got time before dinner and I wanted to show you the painting I've been working on lately. Wanna see?"

I glanced at my parents and hers for permission, knowing they'd heard her question.

"Just try not to take too long since dinner will be on the table soon," Iryna said with a nod. "It's so good to see you girls getting along."

Breathing out slightly, I smiled gratefully before letting Wanda intertwine our fingers and drag me up the staircase. She led me past several doors before we finally reached hers and she tugged me inside.

As soon as the door closed, she was quick to connect our lips in a heated, desperate kiss. I relaxed against her instantly, my hands falling to her side and pulling her closer. Her fingernails gently scratched the sensitive skin behind my neck, giving me goosebumps, and I let out an involuntary gasp at the feeling.

When we pulled away for a breath, her nose brushed against mine and she pressed a final kiss to my lips, slower and more tasteful compared to the first, before smiling at me.

"I missed you," she said, as if reading my mind.

A breathy laugh escaped my lips. "It's only been a week since we last saw each other, love."

She shrugged, arms laced around my neck. "A week too long."

Raising a brow judgementally, I gave her a knowing look. She wasn't embarrassed in the slightest as her half-lidded eyes met mine with a confident smirk.

"Did you just pull me up here to have a quick snog?" I teased her.

"Well, yes," she said, making me laugh again, before adding, "And I wanted to ask you if you'll go to the park with me tomorrow. A picnic. If you want."

She bit her lip anxiously, eyes darting elsewhere as she waited for an answer. I always found it amusing how she could be so confident one second and then so innocently adorable the next.

"Wanda, I'd love to." My thumb rubbed circles on her waist as I kept ahold of her. "I hear it's supposed to be nice weather tomorrow, too."

She pursed her lips. "Even if it rained, I'd still drag you to the park with me."

"Somehow, I feel like that's true," I countered with a ghost of a smile on my lips. She tried to hide her own smile and I continued, "Was there an actual painting you wanted to show me or...?"

Breathing out with amusement, she intertwined our fingers and pulled me to the back of her room where her 'studio' was. Since the last time I'd visited, there were plenty of new additions to her work, all as wonderful as the next.

"This one is from the beach at Blackpool," she said, stopping before a medium-sized canvas depicting the horizon. "When we sat on the bench. Just before I kissed you."

My heart fluttered at the memory and I studied the canvas, recalling it looked similar to her watercolour painting of the same view. She'd done a spectacular replica in oil paints, reminiscent of the trip we took.

"You should already know what I'm going to say," I said, looking to her knowingly. "But just so you can hear it again, I absolutely love this. You're so talented."

She rolled her eyes to distract from the pink spreading across her cheeks. "Thank you... and again, thank you for taking me. Seeing an actual water source upfront really helped me refine my paintings. It feels so much more real now."

I looked back to the painting, noticing what she meant. Either way, I loved both versions of her work, before and after going to the beach.

"You did good, love."

She squeezed my hand gently before sighing quietly with realisation. "We should probably go back down."

"We should," I agreed, glancing at her. "Thanks for showing me these."

She cracked a smile, teeth nibbling on her bottom lip. "Always."

Reluctantly, the two of us returned downstairs and joined the others as they were settling at the dining table. Wanda and I sat side by side, and this time when her fingers brushed mine, I made no move to pull away.

The meal was good, but as usual, I found myself zoning out. The conversation made its rounds, falling to me as the Maximoffs wanted to know how I was doing, then moved on, giving me chance to focus on eating my dinner and getting through the evening. I knew that at one point, everybody was talking about some play that was showing in the theatres.

Bits of the conversation were going in one ear and out the other and I was minding my own business until Wanda's bare foot rubbed against my leg under the table. The sensation of her skin against mine made my knee bounce up and hit the table with surprise, earning everyone's attention.

"Are you okay, dear?" Oleg asked, noticing my discomfort.

I cleared my throat, straightening up and ignoring the stifled smile Wanda had in my peripheral vision.

"I'm good, sorry about that," I apologised awkwardly, shivering when she dragged her foot back down my leg. "You were talking about the play, right?"

That seemed to distract them, as they leapt right back into conversation, giving me a chance to breathe out with relief. I looked to Wanda, watching her lean on her palm and hide a smirk as she stared at me with mischievous eyes.

Glaring and nudging her in the arm subtly, I looked back to my food, but she didn't move her foot, nor her hand. Both brushed my against me, starting a fire on my skin and making me swallow hard. She kept like that for the whole evening, making my head dizzy and leaving me at a loss for words.

And when I looked her way, she was already staring, definitely knowing the effect she had on me.

—

"I just need to find my shoes and we can go," I told Wanda the next morning, before our date at the park.

She'd come to pick me up at my house and was hanging around my room as I finished getting ready. From her place at my desk, she hummed in acknowledgment before distracting herself with my notebooks.

"I see you're making great use of the notebook I picked out for you," she commented, and I glanced towards her mid-search for my shoes, seeing she was flicking through the already-filled book.

"I have a lot of ideas, what can I say?" I joked, before looking under the pile of clothes near my wardrobe.

She chuckled, before falling quiet again. I wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing until she spoke up after a few minutes.

"Y/N, your writing is beautiful," she said, making me look her way to see an amazed smile on her lips. "I didn't know you could write like this. I mean– I should have because you helped write that letter Y/B/N gave to me, but this..."

I shrugged awkwardly, distracting myself with my search again. "It's okay, I guess."

She exhaled mockingly. "Okay? Y/N, this is miles better than okay. Why didn't you show me this sooner?"

I smiled satisfactorily as I finally located my shoes. Grabbing them, I approached Wanda and took a seat on the edge of my bed, opposite her seat at my desk.

"Because it'll never be anything more than what you're looking at?" I said rhetorically. "It'll only ever be words confined to pages that nobody will see?"

She gave me a knowing look. "I think you forget that my brother is a publisher, dorogoy (dear)."

"And I think you forget that he is the publisher to my brother, dear," I retorted playfully.

She sighed, shaking her head and putting the notebook back on my desk. "You know Pietro would love this, right? He'd sign you in a heartbeat."

I snickered at the ludicrous thought. "Wanda, you're a little biased, love."

She rolled her eyes. "Writers write for audiences. I am an audience. I consume literature. And I'm telling you that it's not just me who would read what you have to write."

I tried not to laugh as I pulled my shoes onto my feet.

"Are you really telling me that you'd never want to get published?" she asked with a raised brow.

My heart ached at the thought of such a fantasy. "Of course I would, Wanda." I met her eyes, which were already peering across from me patiently. "I've dreamed of that. But it's just not what's to happen. My family have told me that many times. In another lifetime, maybe."

She pursed her lips, studying me thoughtfully. I offered her a smile and stood up, holding out my hand.

"Forget that," I told her. "I believe you promised me a picnic."

Thankfully, she dropped the subject and accepted my hand, letting me pull her up. The topic wasn't brought up again and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

We went to the park like she wanted and she brought a picnic basket with her, having packed a lovely variety of finger foods and snacks.

As she was unpacking the food onto the blanket, I narrowed my eyes at her. "You know, now that we're finally alone, I can say how unfair it was of you to do what you did last night."

She played dumb, shrugging, focusing on neatening up the sandwiches on a plate. "I don't know what you mean, milaya (darling)."

"Huh. Sure you don't."

Giggles flew from her lips as she glanced at me through her eyelashes. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I just love seeing you squirm. You get all tense and it's so cute."

I pursed my lips. "I figured. You've been watching me squirm since we met."

She grinned knowingly before straightening up. "Okay, I made sandwiches and there's also some coleslaw, fruit, cheese... I made some Sokovian dishes, too, if you want to try them. Okroshka – it's like a cold soup. Then there's this olivye salad. It's... well, salad."

I smiled at the thought she put into it all and grabbed her hand between us. We'd set the picnic out behind a tree so we wouldn't have curious eyes watching us. It didn't look like we were overtly hiding, but we still got our privacy, too.

"It all looks great, Wanda," I said with appreciation. "I can't wait to try it."

She squeezed my hand in response before letting go to grab some paper plates. After popping a strawberry in her mouth, she asked, "Do you just want a bit of everything?"

I leaned on the back of my hands as I hummed a 'yes'. She began to put me some food in and I watched her, admiring the sight.

Her hair was half-pulled back today, falling in waves down her back and exposing her perfectly sculpted jawline. Everything about her was perfect – the way she moved was elegant and graceful, even when her hair fell over her shoulder and in her way; she simply moved it back with a flick of her hand and resumed what she was doing. The sun caught her immaculately, her hair glowing bright under the light and her eyes magnificently green as they focused.

As always, she took my breath away.

"Here," she said, holding out the plate towards me and pulling me from my reverie.

I accepted the plate and fork, returning her smile, before she watching as she began to make another plate for herself.

"You sure this is fancy enough for you?" I asked jokingly, stabbing my fork into a carrot. "I heard you and my brother went to a very luxurious restaurant the other night."

She met my eyes, holding amusement in her own. "Jealousy doesn't look good on you, milaya (darling)."

I kissed my teeth and rolled my eyes. "I'm not jealous, I just– it's so annoying listening to him talk about how beautiful you are or how funny you are or how kind you are."

"Oh, so you don't think I'm any of those things?" she teased, trying to get a rise out of me.

I titled my head towards her. "Of course I know you're all those things. But it doesn't mean I like hearing him talk about it constantly..."

Clearly amused, she erupted into laughter and I felt my face heating up with embarrassment. I know it sounded like I was whining, but it was true. Sometimes, I wasn't envious of my brother but rather at the fact that he could actually take Wanda out properly. He could be seen with her in public and hold her hand without fear of getting looks or disowned. He had the privilege of being with her and it wasn't fair.

"You may hear him talk about it, but there's one thing I can assure you that you get that he doesn't," she said when recovering from her laughter.

I stared at her with an exasperated sigh. "And what's that?"

She smiled confidently, glancing around quickly, before leaning forward and kissing me softly. As quickly as it came, it disappeared, leaving me desiring more.

Licking my lips, I couldn't tear my eyes from hers. "You know, you're a really good kisser."

She chuckled at my reaction and I found myself leaning in again, entranced by the way she tasted. Putting my plate to the side, I raised a hand to pull her closer, getting better access to her mouth.

She tasted sweet like the strawberry she'd just eaten and I swiped my tongue across her lip, indicating I wanted her to part her them. She did, allowing me to slip my tongue in and wrestle with hers, revelling in the way she tasted. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest as she let out a moan, it reverberating in my mouth and giving me goosebumps.

When lack of oxygen became an issue, she pulled away breathlessly, flushed cheeks adorned with a smile.

"As lovely as that was, I actually want to eat what I made," she ridiculed playfully.

"Yes, we will," I assured her, my hand moving from her neck up to her jaw. My thumb touched her lips, outlining them tenderly, subconsciously committing them to memory. "We'll get back to it."

She wanted to laugh, but I moved forward and caught her bottom lip between mine, unable to stay away. It was wrong, the rush I felt in my gut and the warmth that spread all over my body and the tingles that travelled down my spine. Because I knew what it all meant, but admitting it was a different story. So, I didn't.

I just continued to kiss the girl before me, knowing I could have kissed her forever and not regretted a single thing.

#wanda maximoff au #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #scarlet witch imagine #elizabeth olsen x you #elizabeth olsen #elizabeth olsen imagine #marvel #mcu #marvel imagine

[schneereggen]

Shinya getting mad at Guren is just 💔🥺👌♥️

Also: Goshi ships them. No doubt.

This is going to be a long one. But this scene is just so beautiful as a whole that I couldn't cut it.

"I'm really sorry, guys." He [Guren] looked at the white snow, "I'm a loser! I'm too weak. And I just can't give up my humanity."

Then he looked down again. They all stared at him surprised. No wonder, after all the sacrifices they and he had made by now.

"What do you mean by that?", Shinya asked.

"I don't want to lose my friends today," Guren answered.

"Whaaaaaat?" Goshi's voice echoed. Mito, Sayuri and Shigure looked at him stunned.

"Really?" asked Shinya. "You're kidding, right? Don't start that now!"

But Guren looked him resolutely in the eye. "Yes, I know", he said. "But still, there must be a way where nobody dies..."

"So many have died already, Guren!" Shinya said "And we killed most of them ourselves. You made that decision. And now? Are we supposed to back down? You can't be serious! Just because it looks like we're going to lose the game, we're supposed to just press pause and give up?"

Shinya glanced at their opponents that gathered at the end of the street. They'd be surprised, too, if Guren and his friends suddenly gave up. After all, if they had wanted to surrender, they could have done it much earlier.

"I don't know why I should save the world," Guren replied, "if I have to give up my friends to do it!"

"Because the world will end if you don't!"

"Yeah, but, still! I can't give up my friendships, just to move forward..."

"Guren!" Shinya interrupted him. "We're going to die either way, okay? We stood up to the Hiragis. That's what you wanted. And we went along with it because we believe in you."

"Maybe that was a mistake."

"Cut the crap now, will you? I'm not going to let us stop the game just because it looks bad ..."

"We don't have to stop it. We just need to find a new strategy."

"But there isn't!"

"I don't want to give up."

"There's no alternative, all right? Guren! It's always been like this. Ever since we were born, it's always been the same. Kill or be killed. Without sacrifice, you achieve nothing. That's just the way it is. So...that's why we... have to..." Tears appeared also in Shinya's eyes now.

"That's why," Guren continued for him, "that's why we should give up our human weaknesses on the last day? Didn't we agree that we would not sacrifice our humanity? We said that this is exactly why we will be there for each other. We said we'd only get ahead if we stuck together because we were just so unbearably weak."

With tears in his eyes, Shinya looked at him, and the eyes of the others were also fixed on Guren. They had risked their lives for him. How could Guren do them justice?

"Unlike us," he continued, "the rabbit was able to throw away its weaknesses and run away from us. We can't catch up with Mahiru. We are still in Shinjuku ... while history is being written in Ikebukuro. Who or what are we in this story? In any case, we are not superheroes. No one is the main character here. Ever since I was little, I knew that I certainly wouldn't be. Then, what am I? What do I live for? I have gathered comrades around me and made friends with them. And despite all the tremendous sacrifices, we remained just outsiders who achieved nothing while the world was ending. What do you call people like us? Scum? Toothless dogs? Failures? Yes, that's what we are. Total losers. But... anyway "He looked at his comrades who had relied on him so much. "If the world will end today and we're not able to do anything anyway, I'd like to die knowing that I haven't given up on my friends. That's what I want to fight for!"

Silently the others had listened to Guren and now Shinya frowned. Had Guren disappointed him? Of course he had. Shinya had followed him. He had trusted that babbling idiot.

"We're going to die anyway," Shinya said.

"Right." Guren didn't contradict him. "Even if we leave now, we'll die."

"Yeah."

"You're a coward!"

"Maybe. If you want to punch me ..." Guren finish his sentece, because Shinya had already lashed out and punched him forcefully in the face. Guren fell down and his sight went black. Everything was spinning, but at the same time he realized that he had more than deserved this blow. He could not undo what he had done. He could have done it all differently and better. Instead of suddenly getting weak now, he could have chosen a different path way earlier. Then there would never have been all this suffering and they would now calmly wait for the end as bystanders, while they ate Christmas cake together.

If only he had been as strong as his father, there would have been fewer deaths.

Guren's thoughts were racing. If he had followed his father's path, he and his comrades would have never become friends. Perhaps they would not even have met.

Instead, he had chosen Shibuya High School and met people he would never have met otherwise. Although he had known from the beginning that they were not the heroes of this story, he had tried by all means to shape his own future, and had now arrived here at this point.

And that meant...

He opened his eyes and looked into Shinya's unhappy face, then looked at his other friends.

"Shinya," he finally said.

"What?"

"Maybe we met precisely because we are so weak. If we give up our weaknesses and our lives now, there won't be anything left, will there? Even if we save the world, we would lose what makes us special. That's why, Shinya, I don't want that."

Shinya stared at him. "Fuck!" he cursed in a trembling voice. "What's this all at once?!" His fist, with which he had hit Guren, was also shaking. "I don't believe this! This is the end! The absolute end! What's this now, just before we're going to die either way?"

He contorted his face into a desperate grimace and looked as if he had to fight back tears.

"At least be honest and admit that you're just scared shitless!"

"Yeah, may be..."

"Or are you telling me that it's me who's shirking here? That I'm just playing the decoy and sacrificing myself because I... "

Shinya interrupted himself and stared at Guren. Then he took a deep breath. He put his hand on his chest and took a deep breath once, twice, three times.

"I see," he continued to speak calmly. "So that's how it is? Even if we split up, no one will ever arrive in Ikebukuro. We would only die with the feeling of having tried everything. But what else are we going to do? We want to remain friends and arrive in Ikebukuro alive together. Okay... Well... You want us to think about how we can do that, instead of just looking at the one solution, do I understand that correctly?"

Guren nodded. ,"Exactly! Put some effort into it, moron."

"Who are you calling a moron, moron?"

"You said," Guren remarked, "that we should keep going even though we are so weak earlier. Then take responsibility now."

"Excuse me?"

"You have to take responsibility too, after all, you wanted to be my friend."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Shinya burst out laughing. Mito, Goshi, Sayuri and Shigure also laughed. Their exasperation tipped over into silliness.

"Geez, for real now!" Shinya said. "I should have chosen my friends in a better way!"

And now for the fun part on which I barely chocked when I first read it at about 02:30 in the morning. I even had to take the book aside for a few minutes, smiling like and idiot and thinking: Goshi didn't say that did he? 😳😁😏 This man knows what's going on here.

Goshi now said: "Great! That's how I like it! The world is about to end, and at the last minute, this idiot here gets punched in the face! This is how I imagined high school life! Guys, I love you!"

"But," Shigure said, "you can't hit Master Guren!"

"My sentiments exactly," Sayuri agreed. "Well, considering the situation and the fact that the two of them get along well, we'll just let that pass. Just barely! For once, all right?"

"Really?" Goshi said "I don't believe it. Haven't you girls noticed yet what a passion is seething between those two?" He started laughing.

"Uh, yes, I have," Mito interjected, "I more or less understood that already, but ..."

"That's my Mito!" exclaimed Goshi freely. She ignored him and turned to Guren.

"Um, it's a little awkward for me, but ... honestly, I've always longed for something like this, too.... For such relationships ... For friendships that have nothing to do with position, reputation or grades, nor family or rank. I never thought I would ever experience something like this!"

Everyone looked at Mito for a moment, then Shinya reached out his helping hand to Guren, who was lying on the ground.

"Fair enough," he said. "But what about this last day of us being students? That's the question!"

Guren took Shinya's hand and pulled himself up.

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #catastrophe at 16 #catastrophe at sixteen #shinya hiragi #gureshin #guren ichinose #shingure #volume 7 #ons #there's passion between those two #Goshi ships them too

[aio-rya]

Silver Chef Uniform — SR Card Story

Part 2

Let's make beef stew 2 ~Silver Edition~

Ghost Chef: This time I would like to introduce... Ta-dah! 「Electric Pressure Cooker」!

Silver: Electric pressure cooker...!

I see. If you use the pressure cooker, you can significantly reduce the stewing time.

Moreover, if it's an electric type, it also has a timer function. It seems you don't have to worry about burning the ingredients even if you take a nap.

Ghost Chef: Well... yes, that's what it is. It seems you told me everything about it before I could explain you.

Silver: It's the frst time I've used appliances for cooking.

Riddle: Eh! For first time? Even I, who don't cook often, have used the microwave oven.

Silver: Of course I know it exist but... Since I came to this school, I had the school cafeteria so I didn't had a chance to use it.

In the Valley of Thorns, far from having a microwave oven, most homes doesn't have gadgets themselves.

Riddle: So life is based on the premise that you can really handle magic... It's hard for me to imagine that.

However, if you live in the Valley of Thorns, your magic will improve even more.

Silver: If you have the magical power and ability, I don't think there could be any inconvenience for life in my hometown.

Ghost Chef: Well, Silver. Put the ingredients inside the electric pressure cooker.

Select "Beef stew" from the menu displayed on the panel and turn on the switch to start cooking.

Silver: Twenty minutes left...

Ghost Chef: That's how it works. Now, let's relax and wait for it to boil.

Silver: Is it okay to not look at the cooker?

What about stirring it?

Ghost Chef: It's okay since you set it fine. Otherwhise, if you play it badly¹, you'll fail.

Let's leave the pressure cooker and make some Demi-Glace Sauce.

Silver: The sauce making finished unexpectedly early. Should I wash the pot and knives we used?

Wash...

..........

...the pot....

..........

Ghost Chef: Ah! Hey, Silver!

Silver: Huh, dangerous. I was about to fall asleep. You noticed right away.

So, what should we do now?

Ghost Chef: I was taken away from the show a while ago, so let me explain how to use the pressure cooker.

Silver: Yes, please.

Chef Ghost: There are many menus registered on the electric pressure cooker but you don't have to make eveything acording to the recipe. By changing some ingredients and seasonings you can cook any dish you want to.

For example, there are ingretiends being simmered right now, right? If you add tomato juice instead of the demi-glace sauce, the tomato stew will be completed.

Silver: ....... Tomato juice is my father's favorite.

Using tomato juice instead of sauce...

Father might like it and eat it.

~ ~ ♪

Silver: What kind of sound is that...?

Ah, have it finished cooking?

Ghost Chef: Open the lid of the pressure cooker, be careful not to get burned.

Silver: Yes!

This is...

Both, meat and vegetables are well cooked. How is it that soft in just 20 minutes?

Ghost Chef: Now, let's get it finished.

Silver: Season with a little amount of ketchup and the demi-glace sauce we made earlier, is that it?

Ah, it's delicious!

...... okay, it's done.

Ghost Chef: Isn't it pretty? Now, let's take it to the judges.

Silver: Ah, no matter how tough it appears, I will ensure my own victory.

Ghost Chef: No no, you are not a dueling.

???: Are you the one who cooked, Silver?

Silver: Jamil, I often hear from Kalim that you are good at cooking.

One of the most talented people at school... Would I be able to beat you?

Jamil: What the hell are you playing to? Well, I'll get it right away.

The taste is... Yeah, it's ordinary.

Silver: Ordinary... But...

Jamil: Ingredients are well cooked such as meat, that can be evaluated, it's so soft that it crumbles just by putting it in your mouth.

Didn't it take a long time?

You might fall asleep on the way...

Silver: Ah, I was worried about that too.

In fact, I was drowsy while the boiling process. I was able to do it well thanks to the chef letting me use an electric pressure cooker.

That's why the stew time was shorter. I managed to survive without sleeping.

Jamil: I'm surprised.

I thought "Master Chef" was a program aimed to improve cooking techniques... Students who have problems with their skills must been given a tool to avoid failure. And by that I mean, studying.

Silver: Oh, he taught me a good way to make up for my own immaturity.

If you fall asleep, you can set the timer so that you won't burn food. Besides, when time is over, music will be played and you'll be able to wake up with that sound.

Jamil: How did you came with the idea of ussing an electrical pressure cooker instead of an alarm clock...?

Silver: I can't just rely on tools, but... I think it's necessary for me now.

Jamil: It was a nice feast². It's a delicate matter to know how much of technology you can use, but it was an edible taste.

Silver: It wasn't a complete vistory but I did scape the situation of a miserable failure?... Let's continue to devote ourselves.

Ghost Chef: Good work! You did it without falling asleep until the end.

Silver: Ah, speaking of which. I want to make some tomato stew and that cabbage rolls father taught me. Did I forgot my drowsiness on the way because I was thinking about that?

Ghost Chef: Imagine the faces of people who will eat deliciously and think "I'll do my best to make it today!"

Silver: I see... cooking is the most important way of thinking.

1 — That could be a literal translation of the expression, what the ghost Chef means is that if Silver worries too much, things won't have the desired result.

2 — What he literally said was 「ごちようちま」 [Gochiyôchima] which is literally translated as "Feast" and is a polite way of thanking or complimenting to your host about food.

ー・Φ・ー

「Part 1 here」

I just have a comment: I cried with this translation and with Silver's voice lines which I will translate tomorrow 'cause I haven't slept in 24 hours.

The love he has for Lilia is bigger than anything in the world. Even bigger than his narcolepsy and, as I felt with his voice lines, is bigger than his very own memories from before meeting Lilia.

#ツイステ #ツイステッドフンダラーンド #twst #twisted wonderland #リドル・ローズハート #riddle rosehearts #ジャミル・バイパー #jamil viper #リリア・ヴァンルージュ #lilia vanrouge #twisted wonderland lilia #twisted wonderland silver

[blogger-yura]

Entry #29 Oct 27th '21

#YurasLife #WholesomeWednesday

𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 - 𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐃

Hello hello my pretty angels! How's the week treating you, hm? It's Wednesday already! Middle of the week! Time's going by sooo fast lately, don't you feel like it? Before we know it, it's going to be January again (╥_╥) Weather is also turning colder every day, but that has never stopped me from wearing a nice skirt outside! I am kinda regretting it, but I'll be home soon and get into my pajamas! I'm really looking forward to it hahaha

It's also the middle of the day, now that I'm looking at the clock! Have you been taking care today? Here, some little reminders in case you forgot today!

• Your wellbeing and your happiness is important, take that break! Give yourself the time to gather your thoughts and distract for a bit. Recreational activities are as important as anything else you might be doing right now.

• Your health is your most important responsibility. No matter if you're working, studying, or you just don't feel like it- Looking after yourself has to be a priority! Go snack on something, drink water, open a window if you haven't yet!

• Your pace is the right pace to go. It doesn't matter if whatever you're doing takes you longer than you'd like, it doesn't matter if others finish before you do. Your pace is the right pace! Take things as easy as you possibly can, do things right, do things with quality and care, don't push yourself for fast results.

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞

𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

For today's quote, and considering it's been a second since my last wholesome post, I picked one that I think we all need to hear sometimes- A quote that I certainly needed a few weeks ago and has helped me realize how much I was actually neglecting myself.

"Let yourself fade away a little to rise again from the right place at the right time"

It's a small quote, but I think the message is loud and clear. The same way we sometimes need to break down to be able to put ourselves back together again, the same way we need to allow ourselves to be hurt to get over sadness and pain, sometimes we just need to allow ourselves to fade away. Sometimes you need to allow yourself to be a little numb, to simply exist and lose yourself a little before you can actually rise again. You can't find yourself if you don't allow your essence to get lost! Rising from the right place, at the right time, is rising whenever you feel like you've had enough. Getting lost to your work, your responsibilities, and your hectic schedules makes you fade. Little by little, it makes you lose your spark.

You'll rise again when you have enough, when you decide that's not how you want to live your life. And that will be the right place and the right time.

I really don't want to make today's post longer than needed, so I'll be wrapping it up now! I hope you guys know that it is ok to get lost a little sometimes. It's ok to not be sure what to do, or where you're going, or what's the point. It's ok to be unmotivated and to give in to your routine at times. You can make it past, you will do when you have to. As long as you rise again, then you're never failing!

I love you all, please remember that! You're loved, you're needed, and you're doing great already! Keep working on being better, keep working on growing, learning, fighting for yourself. Stay strong, stay awesome and stay beautiful, always. -Yura ♡

🧡: @madmanwoodam @vitoria-oc @archangel-oc @shin-haneul @lunaaofthemoon @moongoddesselene @jinju-oc @ochouse @cbville @esmeralda-oc @jihan-oc

@cb-museclub @achillesunwoo @ares-bc @warblerchangmin @mafia-chae @unseelie-dejun @skzcbspam @betrayerjongup @ppg-3ye @moonlightchn @temptationcb @demigodnct @vampiremomo @suburbanbots @antiromantic-jun @roommates-bot @modelyonghee @floristyujeong @literature-bot @eunwoo-bot @hopelessromantic-juyeon @silvernightcb @choipaths @botuniverse @modelsora @adorbsana @richsocietybot @runawayscb @godly-bots @hwangxmaximoff @velvetparadise @berryjinnie @revengebots @urown-im @azieville-institution @7deadlysins-chan @journeythroughtime @mverses

#yura types 🧡 #wholesome wednesday

[faegirly]

A Letter from Acting Grand Master, Jean Gunnhildr

~

Dear my Honorary Knight of Favonius,

I am writing to you because...

I hope you are...

Please forgive the slight... messiness of this letter. Truthfully, I don't have an official reason for writing to you, but I wanted to write you, so here I am. If anything, I just wanted to check in and make sure you're taking care of yourself. If you haven't yet today, make sure you've had some water, eaten some food, stretched a little, taken any medication you require the usual. But, I also mean in another sense also.

Today is one of the rare days I have off work, which was only made possible because Kaeya stole all my keys and their spares, so I don't have a feasible way of getting into work without breaking something, but I wanted, if you don't mind, to ask if you'd like to join me on my day of rest.

Since you arrived in Mondstadt, your presence at the Knight's HQ has been nothing short of a blessing from Barbatos Himself. With you helping Kaeya, Lisa and myself with our various commission, as well as the wider threat the Abyss Order has posed on our city and Teyvat beyond, things have been... lighter, as if a fresh breeze has at last blown through these longstanding walls of stone. I think I will take this opportunity to tell you how grateful I am. Even seeing you in passing throughout the city, even if it's just a glance, it lifts my spirits... perhaps more than I'm willing to admit...

Anyway, I know how hard you've been working with the Knights, with the people of Mondstadt and even for those beyond our walls, and I do believe you are long overdue for a day to recharge and take time for just yourself.

However, I know how hard it can be sometimes pull yourself away from working day in and day out, especially when it seems like that's all you know how to do. It took my younger sister and everyone I work with to even take an evening off for myself. I was even sick that day, and still I persisted to carry on with my work. I've been so used to working around the clock for so long that, even when I was ill, I continued. It's rather sad to think about. But in the end, Barbara and my friends helped me learn that, while work is good, rest is just as important as work, perhaps even more so.

Without being in the right mind and body, we wouldn't be able to do half of what we could, and along with that, if we worked all the time, we'd miss out on the life we're working to liberate for everyone, including ourselves, wouldn't we?

so, following their advice, I'm trying to include days of rest into my schedule. I was hoping maybe you might think to as well, starting today... with me.

I'd like to take you to get something to eat, if you don't mind, but before that, maybe we could spend the day together doing... well, I'm sure we'll come up with something. Mondstadt is full of wonderful and curious places for us to explore and secrets to find that should keep us busy.

Oh, I don't mean busy in terms of work, mind you, but... well... oh, I hope you know what I mean. If you agree that is. I hope you do. I've been wanting to spend some time with you for a while really, just to get to know you a little more. I already know you to be such a kind person that I'm sure you're even more wonderful.

Ah, I'm sorry for going on a bit. Thinking of all we could do with our time made my mind wander.

Anyway, please let me know what you decide. Whether it's just dinner, or the whole day, I'd be honoured to relax and enjoy Mondstadt with you, Honourary Knight. But, even if you choose not to, I hope I'll be able to catch a glimpse of your truest smile as you enjoy the freedom that Barbatos and our city represent.

I look forward to hearing from you.

May the wind guide you, dear Knight.

Warm regards,

Jean Gunnhildr, Acting Grand... your friend.

#genshin impact #genshin jean #jean gunnhildr #genshin impact oneshot #writeblr #fluff #genshin impact fluff #jean gunnhildr x reader #genshin x gender neutral reader #faeleas writes #faeleas letters

[girl-in-the-tower]

CHAPTER I

Ramshackle Dorm - Birthday Party Venue

Kore: Woah, to think the ghosts would go all out like this just for today! Even though I told them that they didn't have to bother with it, they wouldn't listen, at all... It's... It's kind of embarrassing to be fussed over like this! If it was Grim I would have understood but this, uh...

Ah! And I'm supposed to have a guest over today as well! Hm, I guess some tea should be in order... maybe some cakes as well... I wonder if there's any sugar left...

Ace: Yo!

Kore: Ah, just a moment- Oh, it's just you, Ace.

Ace: Ha? What's that supposed to mean? 'It's just you'? It's super rude to greet your dear guest like this, you know?

Kore: Is that so? But calling you a guest is...

Ace: What's that?

Kore: Hm...

Ace: Well, doesn't matter because my feelings were hurt either way! So I'll help myself to this krumkake to make myself feel better! Let's dig in~

Kore: Hey, that- Aaah, that was meant to be for Grim. He kept complaining all day yesterday that he should have a cake all to himself too since it's a special day so I woke up extra early just to make it for him. Now he's gonna be mad...

Ace: Haa? A whole cake just for that furball? You've got to be kidding me!

Kore: What are you talking about? You know how much he likes krumkake.

Ace: Nah, I doubt there's really anything that guy won't eat... But that's not the point. You're spoiling him too much. He's gotten really fat, you know?

Kore: It's fine. I still make sure he exercises and he looks cute round like that too, so it's not a problem.

Ace: No, I definitely still think there's something wrong here. Mainly with your head.

Kore: Haaaaaaa, you wanna pick a figh-

Ace: Oh, I almost forgot! Here you go!

Kore: ... What's this?

Ace: Isn't it obvious?

Kore: Well... Huh? Wait a minute- That can't-!

Ace: Ta-da! It's a limited edition Griffons varsity jacket that's been all the rage with Magift meatheads like you~

Kore: No way!! This is- This is-

Ace: Cool, righ- Hey!! Don't jump on me like that! You almost knocked me off the chair!

Kore: Sorry, hahaha! I was so happy I just couldn't contain myself! To think that I would be able to actually get my hands onto something so valuable!

Ace: Yeah, we figured you'd like i-

Kore: This season has really been a blessing from above for them, you know? Everybody is in top shape and playing at their best! I heard their new manager actually made them go through this super difficult training regime that has been working wonders for them. Though it's only speculation so far!

Ace: Uh, Kor-

Kore: If you ask me, it's definitely also thanks to those new brooms that they ordered for the team. The wood is apparently from the Valley of Thorns and super-resistant so they go all out without worrying about breaking them. For the moves that the team is pulling, they really need that propulsion time! Even a second helps when you're in a headlock. I remember back in the vs Mandrakes game that they switched brooms in between-

Ace: Heeeeey! You Magift boar woman! Can you hear me?

Kore: Wh-Why are you yelling like that?! I'm right next to you!

Ace: Haaaa, when you start talking about Magift you might as well be in a completely different world... No wonder they all think of you as the Magift Encyclopedia. I bet you have hundreds of useless pieces of information like that stuck in your head.

Kore: You-! Huh? What's this?

Ace: A-Ah! That!

Kore: It's rice pudding- Ah! It's homemade from the Mountains!

Ace: Hm? Ah, ye-yeah... That came with the jacket...

Kore: Eh? They put pudding in jackets when they sell them?!

Ace: O-Obviously! Don't tell me you didn't know? Bwahaha, man, you sure are clueless...

Kore: ... It's my favourite flavour too...

CHAPTER II

Ace: Alright, next to the first question!

Kore: Eh?! Question?! Is this a quiz of some kind?!

Ace: I guess you could think of it like that, so anyway- Your first question as today's birthday girl issssss: "If you were stuck on a deserted island, who would you take with you?" Hm, here it says that you can't pick members of your own dorm, but given that you guys don't even have a dorm, I'm not sure that the restriction applies. Not that it matters since you wouldn't choose Grim anyway, right?

Kore: Huh? Why not?

Ace: You're serious?! You'd pick that furball?! Hey, we're talking about a deserted island here so think carefully! Don't you want to get off it?!

Kore: Well, obviously I would... But...

Ace: But?

Kore: I can do that on my own.

Ace: Huh?

Kore: Survival is all about securing shelter, food and formulating an escape plan. If it's a deserted island I assume there would be some fauna and animals too, so we could feed ourselves through fruit gathering and hunting. It might be hard if we don't have any tools, however, but I think Grim's claws would be sharp enough to cut through the skin and meat fairly easily. I make sure he takes good care of them after all.

Ace: I-I see...

Kore: If there's no drinkable water then we'll have to boil some from the sea in order to deal with the thirst. Grim's flames, when properly utilized, would be able to do such a thing. Not to mention that he could start fires to keep us warm at night and to cook food to sustain us! Also, it could be a great emergency signal if we end up at sea and need rescuing.

Ace: You want to use him as a flare?!

Kore: That sounds so mean! I would only do that as a last resort, however! Grim's pretty sensitive about having his belly scratched so I wouldn't do anything to make him uncomfortable like that!

Ace: Haaaa, I get it, I get it! So you're saying that the furball has his practical uses too. But I can't help but worry about some flaws...

Kore: Flaws?

Ace: No matter how much you feed that glutton, his stomach will never be full, you know! Whatever provisions you managed to gather, he's sure to inhale them with the first occasion!

Kore: Wah- That's a horrible thing to say! There's no way my Grim is so selfish!

Ace: My Grim?! What is he?! Your child?! And he's totally selfish, you know!!

Kore: HAAAAA?! ARE YOU REALLY PICKING A FIGHT WITH ME?!

Ace: Ca-Calm down!! I take it back, ok?! You can bring the furball with you!

Kore: Hmph.

Ace: Seriously, getting this angry over that cat...

Kore: Isn't that normal? Grim is my special person, after all!

Ace: SPECIAL PERSON?!

Kore: The person you care for a lot, like they're part of you, right? Like Cay-senpai said!

Ace: I-I see, so that's...

Kore: Being on a deserted island isn't ideal, but at the end of the day I know I can be ok on my own. Farmwork, housework - those are things that I'm used to from the Mountains. Life isn't so easy back home, but we all make do with what we can - magic or no magic. Even if I'm stuck in a bad situation, I can manage to get through so I don't need anybody else.

Well, that's what I thought before I came to this place anyway...

Ace: ...

Kore: Besides you're wrong about something!

Ace: Huh?

Kore: In order to survive it's not just physical attributes that are important, but mental ones as well. And in that case, Grim has the real trump card!

Ace: He-He does?!

Kore: Mm! You see, Grim, he... has the cutest paws and the fluffiest fur in the world!

Ace: HUH?!

Kore: Mm! Every time I feel like giving up or am reaching the end of the rope, all I'd have to do is give his paw pads a little squeeze or lay on his tummy and my mood would instantly clear up again! In a situation full of despair like that it would make a world of difference, you know?

Ace: SO HE'S THERE JUST FOR MORAL SUPPORT?!

Kore: Well, that too! It's important after all!

Ah, this pudding is really good actually...

CHAPTER III

Ace: Haaaa, I give up... Your boar mind is way too difficult to understand...

Kore: HUH?!

Ace: Anyway, let's get on with our next question and- Ah.

Kore: Hm? What is it? You suddenly stopped in the middle of the sentence. Did the falcon get your tongue, hehe?

Ace: It's a cat, not a falcon! And I only stopped because- uh...

Kore: What?

Ace: "You're offered the chance to pick another dorm, which one would you choose?"

Kore: ...

Ace: I swear, that Headmaster doesn't even think of these questions at all...

Kore: Yeah, there's no way I can answer that...

Ace: I figured. So instead! "Please share your opinions on the dorms!"

Kore: Ah!

Ace: Nice, right? You can definitely count on me when it comes to quick thinking, you know?

Kore: ... I guess.

Ace: You guess?!

Kore: I'll start with Diasomnia then!

Ace: Hey, don't ignore-

Kore: Hm, I'm not really sure about the atmosphere there but- Don't you think that their interior decor is pretty fancy? I haven't seen stuff like that in magazines for quite a while, so I feel like it's definitely something that must have required a lot of work! It's kinda dreary though, what will the windows not letting enough light and the greenery around it could stand to be looked after better, hm...

Ace: So you're only interested in the decor, huh? Alright, what about Ignihyde?

Kore: It's too technological.

Ace: Huh, I guess that you're right. For somebody like you, it would really be a struggle living there...

Kore: ...

It's even more depressing than Diasomnia, so I feel like I would be stuck in a bad mood without enough sunlight, you know? Though I must admit, it really is super clean inside! That's a very important detail! Clean homes are necessary for good health!

Ace: There you go again, sounding like a mom... Next is Pomefiore!

Kore: IT'S SUPER FLASHY!

Ace: I know~?

Kore: No, no, you don't get it! It's so flashy it actually scares me! All that pomp and glamour! The rugs themselves look like something from the fall collection that sold out about twenty years ago and the chandeliers are bound to be at least four times Theo's salary! Walking through those hallways is like stepping on opulence! A continuous loop of flashiness!

Ace: HEY! Get a hold of yourself! Let's go over to- Ah, Scarabia...

Kore: It's so hot there!!

Ace: Oh, yeah, you're super weak to heat so you'd definitely hate it there. Right?

Kore: Mm, hate is... I think that if it was the old me, I would never have even stepped in there. But now I feel like... Yeah! I definitely think that I can give it another try! Scarabia is pretty rich too, but it feels more homely? There's a lot of people gathered around and there are banquets and feasts pretty often too. It's always lively and warm... In a way, I imagine that's what a home would feel like...

Ace: ...

Kore: I can't say the same for Octavinelle however. Hmph!

Ace: Bwahaha, that's true. It really feels like you'd get scammed in there pretty quick.

Kore: Not even that! But building a dorm underwater? I admit the decor is pretty nice and classy, but the atmosphere is too cold! There's a lot of types that I can't get along with at all so it would definitely be a miserable time for me. No, I definitely don't want to set foot there ever again!

Ace: I totally get it~ All that commotion after the exams was enough for me too. Guess the same goes for Savanaclaw too, then?

Kore: ...

Ace: HA?!

Kore: I-I refuse to believe that anybody who loves Magift is a bad person!

Ace: There's that meathead in you talking again! Are you seriously that obsessed with it?! I feel like there's a sickness that applies in this case!!

Kore: He-Hey!! That's way too- I understand that what they did was bad, and I definitely haven't forgiven Kingscholar-senpai yet, but there are definitely good points to them as well! I think!

Ace: So you're not even sure?!

Kore: A-Anyway, as for Heartslaybyul-

Ace: Don't go changing the subject!

Kore: - if I had to pick that would be my favourite.

Ace: Huh?

Kore: I love Scarabia too, a lot, but at the end of the day all that rich atmosphere is scary. I really don't feel like I would belong there at all. I'd stick out like a sore thumb among everybody else - more than usual at the very least. But in Heartslaybyul, even if Rosehearts-senpai is strict, I feel like everybody is sort of content with the oddness. There's not much that stands out about it, but I think that's what makes it so appealing, you know?

Ace: ... So... what you're saying... Is that we're a shabby dorm full of weirdoes?

Kore: I-I wouldn't go that far...

Ace: But that's the gist of it, isn't it?!

Kore: Ummmmm...

Ace: ... Alright, I get it.

Kore: Huh?

Ace: You know, it just so happens that there's one more thing I have to tell you about.

Kore: One more thing?

Ace: Yup! You see, there's this tradition where the presenter has to give the 'gift of fortune' in order to make sure this ends up being a great birthday! And it just so happens that you're lucky enough to have me here today to deliver the goods~

Kore: Huh? What are you-

[SPLATTER]

Kore: ...

Ace: BWAHAHA, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST STOOD THERE LIKE THAT!

Kore: ...

Ace: Oh man, the look on your face is hilarious! Oh, let me take a quick picture to show the others too!

Kore: ...

Ace: Ok, so then- He-Hey! Don't- AUGH! MY FOREHEAD!

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland oc #kore hightower #twist oc #twist #twisute oc #twisute #ace trappola #heartslaybyul #birthday event

[kindofwriter]

Can I offer you some: ‘Ep 25, The Gang Meets Wilde’

Pt. 2

I guess I swung wildly between ‘brandy’ and ‘whiskey’ when writing this and didn’t notice, oof.

Transcript under the cut:

HAMID: I don't, I, I don't think so... Um, hello?

HAMID presses his finger tips to the door, swinging it gently inwards but not fully opening it. SASHA instantly flattens herself against the wall, drawing a dagger and clutching it to her chest.

VOICE (O.S.): Oh, hello?

VOICE (O.S.): Oh, hello?

VOICE (O.S.): Oh, hello?

VOICE (O.S.): Oh, hello?

BERTIE: Oh! Hello!

SASHA and ZOLF both give BERTIE a glare. HAMID reaches out to push the door further, but stops before he does.

VOICE (LANGUISHLY): Oh, hello!

BERTIE (OVERLAPPING): Hello!

HAMID (OVERLAPPING): Hello?

VOICE (O.S.) (OVERLAPPING): Hello!

BERTIE: Hello! Hello!

ZOLF elbows BERTIE in the waist.

ZOLF: Who on Earth are ya?

VOICE (O.S.): I could ask you the same question, I suppose!

HAMID steps into the apartment, pushing the door wide open as he does so. ZOLF and BERTIE step in behind him.

OSCAR WILDE is lounging by the hearth, looking only slightly uncomfortable in a halfling-sized chair. He's human, average height and average build, with plump, youthful features. His hair falls the nape of his neck in glossy, brown waves that shimmer every time he turns his head; he's clearly wearing an illusion.

WILDE is dressed in a manner that's almost garish: peacock patterned waistcoat, scarlet, French-style suit, red shoes, and yellow socks, but between his good-looks and his charisma he completely pulls it off. In one hand he holds a glass of HAMID's whiskey, and in the other a note pad.

WILDE: So sorry I, uh, got here a little early, thought I'd just wait it out.

WILDE smiles winningly at the party. BERTIE reaches up to lift the grate of his armour. HAMID looks confused. ZOLF frowns, then grabs hold of his symbol. A low sound, part way between a hum and a growl, emits from his throat, reminiscent of wind battering across the top of a lake. For just a moment his eyes glow, then WILDE's notebook bursts into flames.

WILDE: Ooh, ah!

WILDE drops the pad, shaking his hand. It's burnt to a crisp before it hits the ground. Looking at its smoldering remains, a faint smile twitches at WILDE's lips.

WILDE: Fantastic, that'd be you... Zolf? Yes?

ZOLF (PLAYING DUMB AS A ROCK): Who, sorry?

WILDE (SMIRKING): Hmm.

CUT TO SASHASASHA is still pressed against the wall, head turned to the side so she can listen in. Her face is stony, but she looks poised for a fight.

CUT BACK TO INT.

WILDE: So, that must be Zolf.

ZOLF scowls and looks away from WILDE.

WILDE: And Hamid, and Sir Bertrand, yes.

BERTIE: Hello.

BERTIE steps forward, obscuring WILDE's view of everyone else. Between his height and his breadth he towers over WILDE, who immediately starts to look a little flushed.

WILDE (ALMOST COY): Hello.

WILDE looks BERTIE up and down in a meaningful fashion. He then glances away for a moment to meet ZOLF's eye, just to make sure he's catching what WILDE is doing. BERTIE looks a little affronted at the loss of attention.

BERTIE: Mm.

WILDE turns and begins to pour another glass of whiskey from HAMID's decanter, then offers it to BERTIE.

HAMID: Um, who might you be?

WILDE (WITHOUT BREAKING EYE CONTACT WITH BERTIE): Wilde. Good to meet you.

BERTIE: Pleasure.

BERTIE takes the drink.

ZOLF: Is there a compelling reason why, um, I shouldn't shove this trident up your bum?

Now WILDE does turn away from BERTIE, looking right at ZOLF. It's difficult to tell whether he's red with annoyance, heat, or still recovering from his intense eye contact with BERTIE.

WILDE: Oh, that's not very- You wouldn't want that getting out, would you now? Honestly!

BERTIE (CLEARLY TRYING TO WIN WILDE'S ATTENTION BACK): Well, you haven't been formally introduced, which I think is part of the reason.

ZOLF (MUTTERING): Well, also, you'd be dead, so it wouldn't be going anywhere.

BERTIE has clearly failed to hold WILDE's attention, as he watches ZOLF with a quirked eyebrow. There's no hint of the 'bedroom eyes' he'd tried on with BERTIE, but there's definitely some kind of passion in that gaze. However it seems, more than anything, like the passion to argue.

HAMID: You, you, you appear to be in my apartment uninvited.

WILDE: I do apologise.

WILDE actually looks at HAMID for the first time.

WILDE: I was just hoping to get hold of you, and, well, I thought this was the best place. I mean, you have been staying here most nights, haven't you?

HAMID: Yes.

WILDE: Well, there we go then, I, uh, I thought you might enjoy the company.

WILDE once again makes eyes at BERTIE.

HAMID: Next, next time it might be nice of you to wait for an invitation.

WILDE: I, I do apologise, I, I did knock!

HAMID sighs deeply.

HAMID: Not quite the same thing, is it?

WILDE (EVASIVELY): I suppose not. So! This is all very exciting; I'm noticing you're all looking a little worse for wear-

HAMID smooths a hand over his waistcoat.

HAMID: I, uh, I would dispute that, thank you.

WILDE: Well, let me re-phrase: not all of you. I'm, I'm noticing, um-

WILDE glances at ZOLF, who seems to be the only one in the room not trying to capture his attention.

ZOLF (GRUMPILY): No, I always look like this.

WILDE: One of, one of your party's missing?

ZOLF (PLAYING DUMBER THAN A ROCK): Who? Nope.

WILDE: Oh, I'm fairly certain that the girl-

ZOLF (INTERRUPTING): No, nope, who? What?

WILDE: The girl is. Hmm, yes. Quite. So, where have you been? How was today? I'm quite fascinated, actually.

HAMID (FIRMLY): Why don't you tell us why it is you're here?

WILDE: Well, I just thought it might be a good idea for you to sit down and, y'know, really, really share, y'know? Really explain things by yourselves, because people want to know. You know?

WILDE gives HAMID a very smug look.

HAMID: Are you a reporter of some kind?

WILDE: Mm, yeah, of a, of a kind. I, I, I sell my stories to whoever's interested, really. And a lot of people are very interested-

WILDE turns away from HAMID and begins to pour more glasses of whiskey. HAMID seems unfazed by this.

WILDE: I just, a lot of people are very interested-

BERTIE: Well, you know-

BERTIE shoves his glass between the decanter and the glass WILDE was filling, effectively giving himself a top-up.

BERTIE: I, I have been looking- I very much have an opening for a biographer.

BERTIE raises an eyebrow at WILDE, still leant across him from filling his glass. WILDE smirks.

WILDE: Well, we would have to closet ourselves away for a significant amount of time to really go over, go over the details. The nitty gritty, as it were.

Behind them, ZOLF scowls, clearly picking up on their queer-coded language, but immediately looking down on anyone who would willingly flirt with BERTIE. HAMID shuffles his feet, waiting innocently for the pair to finish talking.

BERTIE: I, I assure you, I have some extremely fine details to share with the appropriate young scholar.

WILDE turns, two new glasses of whiskey balanced in one hand.

WILDE (WITH A CHUCKLE): Presumably you mean of quality, not diminutive.

BERTIE joins in with his chuckle, but it quickly becomes mean, eventually devolving into a deep growl. Suddenly looking a little uncomfortable, WILDE moves away from BERTIE and offers a glass of whiskey to ZOLF. His face is soft; clearly he's looking for a little sympathy.

ZOLF refuses to take the whiskey, and scowls again at WILDE.

HAMID takes the glass offered to him, so WILDE drains ZOLF's.

BERTIE: My details are distinguished by their quality and their quantity.

WILDE (LESS SURE, BUT STILL PLAYING HIS PART): Indeed, I mean, that, that's a lot of the reason that I'm here. I've been hearing so much interesting- I mean, your deeds with Other London? And especially, I mean- Did you, did you manage to catch whoever it was with the antiques store?

CUT TO SASHA IN THE HALLWAY

SAHSA grimaces; tightens her grip on the dagger.

CUT BACK

WILDE: I heard that was, heard that was a bit of a problem, no?

An awkward silence hangs over the room for a moment as ZOLF and HAMID give WILDE a look that tells him that was in poor taste. BERTIE enjoys his whiskey.

HAMID: Uh, l-look, Mister Wilde, I don't-

WILDE: Sorry that was, that was, that was rude of me. Clearly I was treading on  a nerve. I'm so sorry.

BERTIE raises an eyebrow, seemingly losing some respect for WILDE as he apologises.

HAMID: I don't, I don't mind telling you about, uh, what we've been up to. As I'm sure you've seen in the press and will see again soon, we are not averse to sharing our story. But I really must insist that you tell me what it is you do, and why it is you are here specifically.

WILDE (JUMPING IN): It is so generous of you to donate so much to the natural history museum, as well-

Suddenly WILDE is knocked off his feet, backwards into HAMID's chair, dropping his glass as he does so. SASHA looms over him, the tip of a dagger pressed lightly to his throat. WILDE is surprised, but not afraid.

SASHA: What do you know about the antique store?

WILDE smiles, just slightly.

WILDE: Well, I was hoping you'd be able to tell me, all I know is that you were there.

SASHA (UPSET, BUT IN HER OWN WAY): What, what do you know?

BERTIE steps forward, placing a hand on SASHA's shoulder.

BERTIE: Now, now, Sasha. If there's any blade to be held to this young man's throat I feel it should be mine-

SASHA shrugs BERTIE off with such force he actually has to remove his hand.

SASHA (CLEARLY AGITATED): He, he knows something about what happened to Gusset. He, he knows who trashed Gusset's store!

WILDE (WRIGGLING BENEATH THE DAGGER): No, no, that's not what I said.

SASHA: Oh, really? So, you know-

WILDE: I was curious-

SASHA: So how did you know about that? Because we didn't go to the press about that.

SASHA pressed slightly with the dagger. WILDE leans further into the chair to avoid getting nicked.

WILDE: Well, y'know, some people are observant, and some people, y'know- I mean, where do the press find these things out?

SASHA: Well, but- Usually, Hamid tells them!

For just a moment SASHA alleviates some pressure from WILDE, and it seems as if she might wheel around to threaten HAMID. Then she looks down at WILDE and re-applies the pressure; she trusts HAMID.

WILDE: Well, usually doesn't always cut it-

SASHA: That's how journalism works!

WILDE takes a moment to allow his eyes to drift back to BERTIE.

WILDE: Some deeds will just speak of their own accord.

SASHA: Oi! 

SASHA begins to press the tip of the blade to WILDE's throat. Once ZOLF realises what she's doing he steps forward slightly, poised to pull her off.

SASHA: What do you know about who trashed Gusset's store?

WILDE: I don't know what to say. I know that you went in there, and you, uh, had a bit of a conversation. It looked very amicable, and then you headed on your way.

WILDE catches sight of ZOLF, stood behind SASHA with an arm outstretched. He visibly relaxes, allowing a huge grin to spread across his face.

#rqg #the rusty quill gaming podcast #zolf smith #oscar wilde rqg #sasha rackett #hamid saleh haroun al tahan #bertie macguffingham #zoscar #ah that sweet sweet qpr meet ugly #rqg 25 #author's note