#worked on those during my trip while i still had some free time before getting work to do

[hyakunana]

Daily Hotel Krat: Lying in the cold hard ground

#Lies of P #lop #pinocchio #gemini lop #neowiz #fanart #comics #i think i deserve being beaten by all the bosses some dozen times after that title #but real talk all the disc songs in this game are a++++ #my fav one is quixotic tho but i may be bias bc i like fox #and those are all daily hotel krat ideas i had so far jhgfds #still have some couple lop ideas to work on but i'll tune back to d2 #worked on those during my trip while i still had some free time before getting work to do #now we prob back to our normal schedule

[astragreenwoode]

♡Treasure (Adventure Time Petrigrof AU)♡ PT 4/?

(A/N: Part 4. We're getting into heavy angst territory, so be prepared. Sorry to put you guys through heartbreak.

If you are sensitive to themes such as child loss/miscarriage, suicidal ideation, extreme grief, and hospitals, either proceed with caution or feel free to avoid this part altogether. Remember to look out for yourselves.)

♡ My AU where pretty much everything is the same as in canon except Betty is unknowingly pregnant with her and Simon's daughter when she jumps through the portal.

Italics - A/N

Slashed Text - NSFW

Bold Text - Sensitive Topics

A Bump in the Road

♡ When they got to the Emergency Room, the nurses immediately wheeled Betty to an examination room once they saw the trail of blood behind her and Simon. But they needed him to stay behind. They needed help from the hospital security to practically pry them away from each other so they could treat her.

♡ After an hour of waiting when Betty was finally stabilized, Dr. Olson, came out to give Simon the bad news; Betty experienced a late miscarriage. But during their treatment, they had to strap her down to the bed and give her a sedative so she wouldn’t worsen her injuries.

♡ Betty’s situation was time-sensitive. She was in danger of getting an infection, so after updating Simon, Dr. Olson performed a surgical evacuation immediately.

♡ "Princess, we can have another baby. But I can't have another you."

♡ Given Betty’s medical history, a recorded suicide attempt when she was 13 years old, and how she was so distressed that they had to sedate and restrain her, Dr. Olson put her on Suicide Watch, just to be on the safe side.

♡ Up until this point, Simon didn’t know her struggles with her mental health were this severe.

♡ In the meantime, he called Betty’s mother and told her what was happening. She was at the hospital within five minutes.

♡ Alice Grof had trouble warming up to Simon from the beginning. She never liked how he stopped Betty from going on that trip to the Outback. But her daughter was happy, and that’s what mattered the most. And while their relationship wasn’t the warmest, they respected each other. She comforted Simon whilst Betty was still in surgery.

♡ Betty recovers in the hospital for five more days, drained both physically and emotionally. When she first wakes up following the procedure, she’s unresponsive, almost catatonic, and withdrawn from reality to process all the trauma of the whole situation. Simon and Alice make sure she’s never by herself during those five days.

♡ Alice stays with her daughter one day so that Simon can go to their apartment and bring some of Betty’s stuff to the hospital to help her not be as anxious during her stay.

♡ The day before they were ready to go back home, Alice offered to tidy the place up so Betty could recover in a clutter and stress-free environment. She cleaned the blood off their sheets and carpet, made everything neat, stocked their fridge and pantries with food, and made sure their bathroom had the necessary medical supplies to help the healing process. She also hid all items related to their lost baby in a trunk in their hall closet, out of sight, and waiting for whenever Simon and Betty were ready to try again.

♡ When they came back home, they took three weeks off of work so they could mourn their loss together.

♡ Betty returns to taking all her regular antidepressants and antipsychotics. They stabilize her mood and help keep her focused and ‘normal’ when she returns to work, but she’s still numb and withdrawn for a while.

♡ She visits with her mom more frequently, going over to her and her partner Suzanne’s house once a week. The visits help her in her grief.

♡ When Betty started getting her period again, her heart shattered all over again. Simon asked her mother to come over for a few days. 

♡ Proceeding with caution, Simon asks her about what he discovered in the hospital. He wants to understand her past struggles with her mental health; the suicidal ideation in her childhood, the self-harm tendencies, the OCD, the ADHD, the bipolar disorder she inherited from her mother, her past of pain, all of it. He wants to know so he can fully understand how to help her if she spirals again in the future. 

♡ It’s hard for her to open up about that.

♡ Betty avoids intimate and vulnerable situations with Simon for a while. He doesn’t mind at all and is willing to wait as long as she needs. The farthest she’s willing to go is cuddling with him in her underwear. Two months after coming back from the hospital, they graduate to taking showers together again.

♡ At night, Betty still holds Simon’s hand to her stomach as they sleep in bed.

♡ She can still feel their baby kicking from time to time, like experiencing phantom pain after losing a limb.

♡ In an effort to help Betty heal and get back to her old self, Simon surprises her by taking her on a two-week vacation to Ireland; Betty’s dream trip.

♡ A week into the trip, they retire to their suite early after having dinner at the hotel restaurant along with a bottle of wine. And for the first time since their loss, Betty lets Simon all the way in. That night, they unknowingly conceive their future daughter.

♡ The day before they fly back home to Seattle, Simon proposes. Betty says ‘yes.’ And after three months of sitting with their heartbreak, they feel hopeful for what the future might bring them again.

♡ Two months into their engagement, Simon embarks on a solo journey to follow up on a lead for an especially rare artifact.

♡ We all know what happens from here; what was meant as an innocent and playful gesture sparked earth-shattering consequences.

♡ Betty is absolutely petrified by her fiancee’s abrupt personality switch once he puts on the mysterious crown. That wasn't her Simon. So, when a portal to the future opens showing her the fiancee she knew and loved, she doesn’t think twice before she impulsively jumps through a thousand years and into the land of Ooo.

♡ She's blissfully unaware that she didn't jump through that portal alone.

Reblog, follow me, and come back for Part 5!

#adventure time #betty grof #simon petrikov #my writing #astra greenwoode #adventure time au #AT AU #my aus #petrigrof #Truest Treasure AU #2024

[bobwess]

AMA (Down to Agincourt addition) I am once again bored, so here are some more (aka many) questions. As that anon from last year who asked for the elevator pitch, I am so glad I did and gave DtA another shot!!! When did you first start reading it?

When did you first realize how hooked you where with DtA? Was it from moment one? Was there a spesific scene?

Fav of the original side characters?

Fav the original main characters?

Coolest concept that DtA introduced into the SPN world?

If there could be a in-depth prequel written for any of the characters, who's past would you be the most interested in exploring?

If you had to, what would you ranking be of the books?

How many times have you read it all the way through?

What bit of foreshadowing (if any) did you miss the first time around that really jumped out at you on a reread?

Did reading DtA help inspire your own The End fic?

What of the many burning questions currently unanswered do you want answered first?

What's the most interesting non-SPN related fact that DtA taught you?

If normal SPN team free will read/watch/found out about the DtA what do you think their reactions would be?

What's a scene/interaction that still scratches the brain itch?

Have you read The Forever King spin-off series? If so, what are your thoughts?

Yes!! Muahahahaha. Changing the order a bit.

Coolest concept that DtA introduced into the SPN world?

The Winchester House, everything about it, and its entire relationship to Nate. 

The complex rules and magical constraints/potential of metaphysical contamination.

Honorable mention: Lucifer’s plans with the Gods.

But also actually: The Winchester House.

What bit of foreshadowing (if any) did you miss the first time around that really jumped out at you on a reread?

(spoilers) 

The set up for the church paradox. 

Cas, post fall, fever dream, almost dying locked in that cabin bedroom, the unnamed goddess calling him in spirit yet somehow physically into that Church.

Dean, post infection, fever dream, almost dying locked in that cabin bedroom, Cas accidentally calling him in spirit yet somehow physically into that Church. 

All of time and space converging. Dean is the impossible, he was never supposed to be in this universe, Cas accidentally binding them together with those sigils, allowing Cas to connect with Dean in the first place, and also making Dean invisible to Lucifer while he’s physically in that cabin, which he technically is, thus allowing him to shield Lia and thus her able to get him into that church where he and Cas manage to do something and erase the kids' (and both of their) minds. 

There is so much meat there, and every time you re-read there is more. There is so much cool foreshadowing with ALL the players involved, and I literally put together another thread in that during EVERY read-through. 

Someone once asked me my thoughts on what we know happened in the church and it got to 19 pages in google before I had to cut it off pending another re-read of book 4. 

Fav of the original side characters?

I can not separate Nate and the Winchester House, so--

Fav the original main characters?

Vera by a slim margin over Joe.

When did you first start reading it?

It’s hard to remember just because the last three years are a fuzzy mess, but I’m pretty sure I started reading it late 2021/early 2022. I am a fast reader so I demolished it VERY fast. 

When did you first realize how hooked you where with DtA? Was it from moment one? Was there a specific scene? 

After Cas and Dean started properly working together in book 1 I was pretty on board, but once they told Chuck and started their trips into Kansas City, that was when it really settled in and I knew I was about to read the entire thing.

If there could be a in-depth prequel written for any of the characters, who's past would you be the most interested in exploring?

Joe or Teresa. Honestly though I’d really like to see the case Dean worked down by the border. 

If you had to, what would you ranking be of the books?

This is a slim AF margin too, because they’re all so good. But I think it’d be 3,1,4,2 So “A Thousand Lights in Space” “Map of the World” “Game of God” “It’s the Stars That Lie” But it's real neck and neck for the last three.

How many times have you read it all the way through?

Books one and two I have read cover to cover 6 or 7 times, three I probably read a couple more. Book four I’ve actually only read completely cover to cover once, but I have read a lot of it out of order a couple more times. I’m trying to get my fics to a bit more of a stable point so I can re-read it again in case I go off the rails hyper-fixation on it again. I’ll probably read it twice in a row when I read it this next time.

Did reading DtA help inspire your own The End fic?

No, it hindered it greatly. The world building in DtA is very contrary to the plot I have for my endverse fic, and it took a while for my brain to reset and be like “Nope, this is what I’m doing, put that out of your mind.” If I hadn’t read DtA, you’d already have my Endverse fic, because I started writing it before reading that, and had to stop work for straight up like a year. 

What of the many burning questions currently unanswered do you want answered first?

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED INSIDE THE DAMN CHURCH!?!?!?

What's the most interesting non-SPN related fact that DtA taught you?

Graphene and everything about it.

If normal SPN team free will read/watch/found out about the DtA what do you think their reactions would be?

I think none of them would have any idea what to do with it. Cas would therefore not have much outward expression, Sam would be incredibly awkward and only a little insulted he isn’t in it, and Dean would be 10/10 defensive AF. 

What's a scene/interaction that still scratches the brain itch?

The Winchester Hou- Cas accidentally calling Dean when he’s using Allison as a conduit for the kids in Ichabod, and subsequently their interactions after Cas figures out what happened. 

Close seconds are Cas and Dean’s interaction after Dean gets bit in the courtyard, Cas searching Kansas City with his mind after Dean touched The Ick™. 

And yes actually the retelling of Nate’s interactions with The Winchester House.

Have you read The Forever King spin-off series? If so, what are your thoughts?

I have not read it yet, I must at some point. I know I’ll like it.

-

Also I'm glad my pitch worked and you ended up giving it another go!!

#ama #dta #down to agincourt #dtoa #seperis #endverse #chitaqua

[dootznbootz]

You mentioned Telemachus having sharp Naiad teeth. Imagine if he used those teeth to take out all the suitors. With Odysseus’ help of course.

Sadly, would probably leave him open and vulnerable to attacks :'D So he probably wouldn't unless really desperate.

Sharp naiad teeth are more for "I can rip through any fish scale and bone and be fine." as an adaptation for water life than for battles between mortals. Odysseus watches so lovingly seeing his Water wife and Water son devour whole fish.

Telemachus is around 37.5% Naiad and he'd probably be using water from the canals to trip suitors. Even then, he can only work with a certain amount of water. Penelope has MUCH more control and she's kind of there as well. Imagining Odysseus seeing a bunch of dudes drowning, only to realize it's not Telemachus, itches my brain. He starts cackling and gets a special bloodlust when he realizes she's "there". It's another reason why he's so hurt when she firsts rejects him as "We were basically flirting during our dinner, you drowned some suitors. You KNOW it's me! WHY?!" but uh...He doesn't know that Athena had to tell Penelope not to drown the "stranger". She was mostly trying to make sure Telemachus stays safe and along with you know, killing the suitors now that she has "permission". There's more to it but yeah lkasjdf sounds nuts but I think it'll work.

Penelope looked him in the eye during that dinner, tears still damp on her cheeks, and says "You say all these things but My Odysseus, who fidgets with his clothing and who bounces his knees in time with my own, would never leave me weeping while he sits. He would throw his arms around me!" "...He would if he could." Then he goes to sleep outside and she's pissed and he's a mess. :D The "Beggar" looks nothing like her husband but he moves and talks just like her love, his voice unsteady as he praises her. What the fuck is going on? Basically she knows it's him but also is like "Why would he keep himself from me?" Like how Odysseus tells HER during the treebed scene

And Athena is editing her fanfiction document for these two as "You little fucks weren't supposed to be doing this! I kept your tears from falling, Odysseus, why do you have to be such a sap?! Shit! Back to the storyboard."

Anyways!!! :D

Naiads usually don't bite people unless they feel they have no other option. Odysseus is an exception as he does have ONE "special bite" from his special wife because he's a little freak who wanted it rdtfygufgh. Penelope bit Palamedes on his forearm as he held her back as he took Telemachus from Anticlea and Penelope rushed after him. Odysseus is haunted by the image of both his wife and son sobbing while her teeth are stained with blood. He gets sick pleasure seeing that scar on Palamedes' arm before he gets him killed.

And as a whole, there are actually a couple "rules" Naiad born soldiers have to follow that are very important within war.

With battle, even if you ARE naiad born, you have to ask the river god "Hey, this is getting really bad. Can we work together for this?" As River gods are usually like "I am here for your consumption, bathing, and healing. You will not use my water for violence." (Why Achilles gets his ass kicked and why Naiad born soldiers don't just "drown people")

If someone/something is attacking your river or YOU, like an animal wreaking havoc (like the big catfish! :D ) or a person trying to kill a single naiadborn, then self defense is fine. Daphne got turned into a tree because Apollo outranks nymphs and the river gods. River gods don't fuck with Olympians but he still wanted to protect her.

Though once you have your own water source (canals, vase full, etc.) you're technically free to do whatever you want with it. (Penelope loves this loophole 😈 The Palace waters are hers. and Telemachus' too but you know.)

With the war aspect, however, there are so many wounds that are like "wow, you probably have an extreme infection or should've killed you eventually". BUT it's convenient when you have Naiad born soldiers that can "heal you up" (Penelope's brothers are part of Menelaus' army btw!!! :D )

It's kind of why it's become a "If a man is still alive when they're picked up and rescued, that doesn't mean shit. A naiad born person will fix it before they even bleed out. If they don't die instantly, they just come back."

Same with fighting among nymphs btw.

Even if you're naiad born, you can't just act like how you do at home with a foreign river. Feel free to jump and swim and wet your scales but stay out of their business. If the naiads of Athens decided to punish people by poisoning the waters, you, as a Spartan naiadborn, do not meddle! Can't start purifying it to give to the citizens. Maybe for your OWN people who came with you on the foreign expedition if you ask but don't meddle with foreign river problems. Each culture is different.

Took a while for Penelope to adjust and improve relations with Ithaca naiads because of this. And when Tyndareus and Icarius were exiled, it was a culture shock for them as they're 50% naiad. Even with non-naiadborn, it's a shock. Menelaus and Agamemnon were in Sparta during their own exile had to adjust too, though Menelaus definitely fit right in. (I'm so excited to write about 18-20 year old Agamemnon's first interaction with 9 year old Penelope. It's a misunderstanding at first but it's wholesome. Spoiler: Have you ever been in a place and then a random little kid starts talking to you and then they give you a leaf or something? YEAH >:D It's that but sillier. It's cute.)

Honestly, I'm playing around a lot with the whole "Sparta being very military-focused" thing as it's really kind of fun to think of people having children with naiads/naiadborn as somewhat of a strategy. If you can't have demigods, nymph born children are still better than fully mortal ones. It's why there ARE so many naiad born and why interactions are basically informal in Sparta in my fics compared to other places. Like Ithaca.

I got really offtrack but in conclusion: There are special rules and customs of each freshwater source. And how battles are affected by it. Telemachus doesn't bite any of the suitors but probably uses water to help him and to heal his and Eumeaus' wounds.

#Mad rambles #shot by odysseus #my headcanons #Water Wife #Naiads #I...I think a lot about this stuff. I have so much stupid lore that always needs explanationnnnn #ask #cjbolan #Odysseus loves his sharptoothed family🥹

[trollprincess]

Okay, so some of you might not know this because I did this before I returned to Tumblr from the bird site, BUT. Last year I dictated almost two entire books to my phone.

Let me explain. One of my jobs is a twelve-hour weekend night shift. Six PM to six AM Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so thirty-six hours with the other four hours paid just as long as we do the entire weekend. I first took it so I could have the rest of the week off, and then proceeded to go back to work at dog camp those days. For the most part, over the last five years, I have only have Mondays completely off solely because that’s when my therapy sessions are.

Anyway, my weekend job is full-time, dog camp is part-time. The weekend job is factory work, making helmets, a lot of which are for the military. (Which, as a pacifist, I manage to stomach because hey, it’s just protective gear.) The thing is, like a lot of manufacturing work, it’s boring and repetitive. Think about how bored you are after five or so hours of an eight-hour shift. Now imagine it’s one o’clock in the morning, you still have five hours to work, and you would literally rather shove nails in your eyes than work. It sucks.

Meanwhile, my free time is spent trying to work at my third job (making @disasterarea-podcast) and attempting to work on getting published. I had all these grand ideas about getting traditionally published back in my twenties, and now I’m 46 and I’m struggling just to come up with any ideas at all a lot of the time. Three jobs doesn’t help. Depression and anxiety don’t help. So for a while there, I had terrible writer’s block when it came to my novels.

So last year, I decided to try something. I have these massive baby-pink noise-canceling Bluetooth gaming headphones with a mic which I wear to work. Why not try dictating a first draft to my phone? Obviously it wouldn’t be exact, since voice-to-text dictation isn’t perfect under the best of situations, and certainly not with loud factory noises around you. But I tried it on dictating notes for my podcast a few times and it worked pretty well, all things considered. And a bad first draft is still a first draft.

So I figured, fuck it, and one night I just started dictating a story off the top of my head. No preparation, no outlining, no worldbuilding - just pantsing HARD with nothing but an annoyance following a Teen Wolf rewatch and a resolution not to edit until after I churned out a first draft.

It took fifty-one days.

Eighty thousand words or so later, I had a dreadful first draft which needed an absolute fuckton of editing and continuity correction and character work. BUT I had a finished first draft of a novel. Which is something I hadn’t had in a good long while.

So I tried it again for NaNoWriMo. I got up to 65k words. So I won NaNoWriMo, but I put the story aside because I hit a bit of a wall. Still! That’s almost two full fiction manuscripts in one year, AND the nonfiction memoir I wrote about my road trip to disaster sites during the pandemic. 2022 was a good writing year.

So I did what I do with first drafts and put them aside for a while. I knew they were awful. I knew they needed a ton of work. And maybe that was a tad intimidating, which is why I only JUST picked up the NaNoWriMo first draft to work on it and finish it off. It’s queer, it’s got time travel, it’s got disasters. It is right up my fucking alley. I may be just a tiny bit obsessed with that story.

Unsurprisingly, going through it now is taking more than a little while. I sit down, I spend an hour working on it, I maaaaaaybe get two paragraphs polished. If that.

But the fact that I’m working on ANY fiction is kind of remarkable. And fingers crossed, maybe I can get this damn thing, and the other manuscript, AND my road trip book, finished and polished over the next year so I can submit the fuck out of them.

NOW. Someone send me a twenty-pound bag of rooibos vanilla chai and ten pounds of red licorice laces. Mama’s gonna need it. *cracks knuckles*

#writing

[outpost51]

7 snippets 7 people

tagged by @writernopal over here tyyyyy i love this one

tagging: @sparatus @thetrashbagswasteland @omniblades-and-stars @sunflaresspace @mxanigel @bambino1294 @westernlarch

have a few of my favorite bits from unlikely adventures. CW: gore, violence, smut, the usual suspects

CH 2: My Sister's Keeper

Dillon was eight when her parents divorced. It wasn’t nasty. No one yelled. Darren didn’t demand custody, but Cheryl politely requested it, and he signed the papers without a second thought. He even gave up the house, choosing instead to stay in a much more reasonable two-bedroom apartment downtown, closer to his job with the law firm.

But she was eight, and all she ever knew about love she learned from her parents, and all the storybooks ended at ‘happily ever after,’ not ‘and then years later, when they realized they only got hitched because the princess was fifteen and pregnant and the prince was scared of her daddy’s shotgun, there was a civil division of community property and they never spoke again.’ A father should never be his daughter’s first taste of heartbreak, but Darren always was an overachiever. He got to put that trophy right up on his Dillon wall next to ‘Dada was her first word’ and ‘she took her first steps for me.’

She really was a daddy’s girl before, thrashing to his classic metal CDs in the basement and trying to out-belch each other at the dinner table. And after all that, he didn’t even fight for custody. He didn’t fight for her. Dillon saw it as her father wanting nothing to do with her and Daisy, even if he had free visitation rights and took them to the movies and the mall and theme parks. She was always shut down and distant during those trips, believing them to be a farcical attempt at bribing her and her sister, or a token effort because her mom asked him to.

CH 3: Death Doesn't Give Third Chances

“Your dad doesn’t remember.”

“Remember what?”

“That your sister died.” Cheryl flipped through a few pages. Raised her eyebrows a few times. She set the book down and went down to the basement, leaving Dillon alone at the counter with a massive stack of pancakes. Unattended. Four fell prey to her grabby hands before Cheryl returned.

With a severed head, its face frozen in a scream.

That she promptly whacked against the counter over and over until it cracked open.

“You cut up bodies three nights out of the month, pickle,” Cheryl chided as her daughter lost her pancakes in the sink.

Dillon looked at her mother with a mix of shock and disgust. “Yeah, I cut ‘em up, I don’t brutalize them.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, it’s not like it’s bleeding.” Cheryl dropped the pulpy remains in her daughter’s outstretched hands. “Do something with that, please. I need to scramble this before your sister comes back down.”

With her mind completely dissociated from her physical form, Dillon sputtered, “Like what? I can’t just throw this in the trash!”

Cheryl exhaled through her nose. “Of course not, that’s wasteful. Put it in a bag and put it back in the freezer. I’ll boil it later to make freezie-pops.” She scoffed at Dillon’s continued perturbation. “What? Werewolves get hot, too. It’s too much work to fill a kiddie pool with ice for Gus to roll in every time we go on a run. Get some of my bacon while you’re down there.”

Dillon inhaled to respond, but swallowed the thought at her mother’s look.

CH 4: Like Moths

“Oi, Lawson, fuck off,” Moira barked. She had such an elegant way with words.

“Or what, freak? You gonna hex me?” Troy made a dismissive gesture. “Go back to your coffin, the sun’s still out.”

Dillon could almost hear the creak of Moira’s jaw as she clenched it. The pentacle necklace that never left her neck rose and fell with every angry breath, flashing a warning in the afternoon sun. Dillon stepped up behind her best friend. Her belly button barely cleared the top of the table, but she could still mean mug the shit out of them. Moira didn’t need help taking on six high schoolers, it was the thought that counted.

“Oh look, it’s the littlest Monroe, too,” Troy’s best friend, Conner Stevens, drawled. He didn’t move from his relaxed drape against the back of the booth. “What’re you gonna do, cut yourself at us?”

The bar for being the bigger person suddenly got a lot lower. Moira snarled over the table. Dillon put a gentle hand on her bicep. “No, Troy,” she chuffed. “I’m not. But you wanna know what I can do?” She hopped up on the table, jostling his drink with the jolt and wobble of the table. “You remember what happened to Brett?”

That got Troy’s attention. “What, you gonna pull a bear outta your ass? Wouldn’t surprise me, if you’re as big of a whore as your s—” His voice was suddenly cut off with a wet choke.

“Dill—”

“He brought Daisy into it, Moira,” she spat. “His ass is fair game now.” Her head hurt and her chest tightened as her emotions rose higher, but this time she was ready for it, and greeted the pain like an old friend. Passing out would so be worth making that little worm regret even thinking Daisy’s name.

Conner shook Troy’s shoulder, but it was no use. He was fully choking on a massive lump lodged firmly in his esophagus. His blond girlfriend-of-the-week pulled him into a Heimlich position — she was a lifeguard at the community pool, Dillon thought — and on the fourth violent thrust of her hands against his diaphragm, the foreign object in his throat finally dislodged itself.

A clump of daisies the size of her fist slopped wetly onto his half-finished burger.

Dillon felt something wet trickle from her nose. Worth it. “Now get the fuck away from our table before I pick something with thorns.”

CH 5: Come, Devil

"The show hasn't even begun, mon petit aperitif, I still have my pants on." He took his time turning on the shower, fiddling with the temperature, pulling out towels — all while letting Dillon dangle over his shoulder, and when she decided grumbling wouldn't get her anywhere and instead caught one wing in her hands to bite the sensitive membrane, he reminded her that his hands weren't the only disciplinary tools at his disposal, wrapping his tail around her arms and yanking her upright. How she still managed to maintain enough dignity to look angry with her pants and underwear hanging around her ankles, he didn't know, but he liked it a fair share more than he was willing to admit. It's not like anything was fully on display either, thanks to the massive shirt drowning her in fabric, but that was easily remedied. He grabbed the hem and made to rip it free—

"Don't tear my shirt, please." The quiet earnestness of her plea was jarring in the wake of her snarling fit, enough so that it turned his muscles to stone and forced him to meet her eyes. There was a flicker of fear in their hollow depths, suddenly so cold and lifeless, had he not felt her pulse fluttering against the underside of his tail, he'd wonder if she still had one at all. "Daisy bought it for me. It was the first concert we went to together."

Well, fuck. Zadimus set her down and stepped back, watching her kick off her other clothes and slowly, reverently strip off her shirt and fold it on the counter. "You really do love your sister, don't you?"

The fire went right back into her eyes as she looked up with raw determination and something he couldn't place, the sort of vicious familial passion he'd never observed in a member of his own kind; it drove otherwise pacifistic mothers to violent, gruesome vengeance killings, and made brothers fight more fiercely for — and sometimes against — each other than they would in any other circumstance. "I poured my soul into the ground so she could climb back out of it," she spat. "What do you think?"

"I think we're going to get along brilliantly," he replied, then pulled her into his arms again to crush their mouths together. The kiss was short-lived; she drew back and he worried he'd crossed a boundary somewhere, but she thrust her thumbs into his mouth and pried his jaws open.

"So that's what it was!"

"Whah?"

She grinned in triumph. "Your tongue's pierced, you wily fucking devil."

Zadimus batted her hand away. “I have other things pierced, you know, if that’s what really gets you going,” he drawled. “But as it stands, Miss Monroe, you have a filthy fucking mouth and it’s high time someone cleaned up your act.”

CH 8: Bullet on the Tracks

“Did you grab the bacon from up here or downstairs?”

Zadimus pointed to a plate of bacon that looked leaner than usual. “Downstairs for me,” he said, then pointed at the pan sizzling in front of him, “and up here for you.” He dumped the bacon onto a paper-towel-covered plate. “Your mother has a good system, all the cooking vessels are marked so there’s no risk of cross-contamination.”

Dillon nodded, reaching for a slice of her bacon. “Yeah, she adapted pretty quick— fuck!”

“You just saw me take that out of the pan, dipshit,” Zadimus scoffed at Dillon’s pitiful puppy eyes, then pulled her injured finger from her mouth. “It’s just a bit irritated, you’ll live.”

“But it hurts,” she pouted.

With a sigh, he ran his tongue over her finger before resuming his prior task of cracking eggs into the pan. “Better?”

Dillon gaped at the tingling still chasing away the angry red of a minor burn. “Wh— how.”

“Magic.”

“In your… spit.”

“Ah, no.” Zadimus tossed the empty carton into the recycling and the shells into the compost bin. “In general. But my hands were full,” he chuffed with a wink, squeezing her thigh.

Dillon scrunched up her nose to hide her grin. “Letch.”

“Careful, Dillon,” he teased. “I might think you like me and my brazen ways.”

She smacked his bicep, but the smile on her face lit the room and the flush of her cheeks warmed it. Zadimus released her into the kitchen so she could go about fixing coffee, as their infernal, unnecessarily complicated device refused to tell him its secrets. He was buying a machine for himself the next chance he got, something with as few buttons as possible and a normal filter. He got so lost in his fantasy of simplicity he almost missed her question. “Where are we going today?”

It didn’t help that she had half a bagel shoved into her mouth. How someone so small managed to open her jaw so wide— he shook off that train of thought before it could go anywhere that might cause another delay this morning.

CH 8: Bullet on the Tracks

So Zadimus let Dillon poke and prod his fading bruises; the single rib fracture that had started righting itself, the kink in his tail he’d already straightened in the back seat with someone’s hoodie in his mouth to muffle the grunt of pain it had wrung from him. That one smarted a bit, and he gave her a token wince so she’d have something to fuss over. He had been around long enough to know mortals needed to fret and tend to each other after a fight, to regain some control over something when everything else had been more or less out of it. He would never know the fear of a final death, but he understood it, and he had felt the stain it left behind once or twice in his thousand years.

He lifted the pads of her fingers to his lips and kissed the worry from each one, letting the tingle of magic distract her from their ordeal long enough to steal another kiss from her mouth. “See? I’m fine.”

He might have been, but she wasn’t — with her worrying hands at last sated to stillness, Zadimus could see where blood had dried beneath her fingernails, where boiling ichor had stained her knuckles an angry red, where she’d cut her lip either with her own teeth or while she was ripping the wraith apart. Flecks of darkness stubbornly clung to the outer edges of her irises. There was that glimpse again: scarlet braid, leather and metal, sturdy hips and silk-over-steel thighs, and the most vibrantly green eyes he’d ever seen.

There was nothing hard about Dillon except her damned head, but she hadn’t lived through war, famine, pestilence — only a pale horse roamed her pastures, yet she was neither afraid of its bray nor its bite. Her struggles all lived in her heart, and somehow it had still remained as chiffon-soft as the rest of her.

He’d recognize those eyes anywhere, though. Like sunlight reflecting off a dragon’s scales, sharp as a sword and twice as lethal, and when he found himself caught in her gaze—

“Zadimus?”

—the tenderness stabbed him with want so deep, so fathomless, he thought it might actually kill him.

Her lip split again when he crushed his mouth against hers. Blood and moss. She tasted like blood and moss and something ancient, something wild. Energy sparked against his teeth, a volley of arrows meant to take out his fortress defenses, and the energy within him answered in kind, pouring over her tongue and down her throat.

The backs of his thighs collided with the kitchen table. Fuck it. Zadimus let her push him back, spreading his wings across the surface and over the sides like a tablecloth. “People eat here, Dillon,” he teased, even as he helped her climb over him.

She bit his nipple.

Interlude II: Bad Blood

“Pamela Foster,” the newcomer clipped. “Castlebury Park. Sorry I’m late, the homeowner’s association meeting ran long because some people don’t seem to understand neighborhood beautification standards exist for a reason, and a black garage door is an eyesore.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Acheron,” Sterling hissed. His chair scraped as he rose, knocking into his hovering servant. If he noticed, he didn’t acknowledge it. “This? This is the fabled new bloodline? What’s she going to do, ask to speak to the manager?”

“Mister La Croix and I have already spoken, actually, thank you.” Pam took her seat at the end of the table. Acheron didn’t miss the mild panic flitting across Jedediah’s face and the subtle scoot of his chair away from her. Interesting. “We’re here because of my turning, correct?”

“A completely new bloodline hasn’t appeared since the seventeenth century, just mutated from older ones, so this is… most unusual,” Idris explained. “We’re sure you’re perfectly capable, but--”

“But what? I sent in my curriculum vitae, you’re all aware of my leadership capabilities, and further--”

“A leader ain’t just a few fancy words on a piece of paper, Pammy.”

Pam’s eyes narrowed and her mouth pressed into a thin line. Acheron felt his entire body threaten to implode into itself to escape. “Do not interrupt me, Mister… the Dragonheart, is it? Or so help me, you will find out why I was chosen as this line’s progenitor.”

Hagar’s mouth quirked up into an intrigued grin. How long had it been since another member challenged him like that? How long since anyone had?

“Further, I have submitted my territory demarcation through the appropriate channels, so I hardly think an entire meeting is necessary. I’m sure you all have better things to do,” the newcomer concluded. Her shock of bleached-blonde hair seemed to move in a breeze only she could feel. What little of it could move, anyway; the pixie cut looked sprayed and gelled and spiked to within an inch of its life.

Her conclusion once more erupted the room into cacophonous bickering, and again Hagar fired his gun to silence it before Acheron could even raise his voice. A second chunk of plaster joined the first. Pam did not look happy about it, and wouldn’t you know, the big brute actually flinched.

“Can we at least pretend we belong in our respective positions and act with a smidgen of civility? We aren’t werewolves,” Acheron snapped. Seconds later, he was clawing at an invisible hand constricting tighter and tighter around his throat.

“The woman I intend to take as my mate is a werewolf, Mister La Croix.” Pam’s eyes glowed a deep, dusky red. Her clothes swept up in the quickening breeze. “Tread carefully.”

#my fic #sneeps.txt #unlikely adventures #the arsonist chronicles

[devildom-drabbles]

Story - An Excuse

Summary: Lucifer considers how he might turn a consequence into a way to be closer to MC. Characters/Ship: Lucifer x MC Word Count: ~1.3k Warnings: None A fluffy story for the birthday boy Lucifer. 💙

“MC.”

The human’s head shot up at the sound of their name, which had been slowly slumping closer to the desk below with each passing second.  They blinked a few times to drive away the sleepiness that was trying to take a hold of them, but the exhaustion remained evident in their features and within the fogginess of their mind.  A familiar, exasperated sigh directed their gaze to the demon sitting next to them, who looked back at them with furrowed brows.

“Do you see now why you can’t keep staying up late to fool around with my brothers?” Lucifer questioned, having prevented MC from falling asleep more than once already.  “You can barely keep yourself awake long enough to finish your homework.”

“I’ll get it done,” MC retorted while turning back to the work in front of them.

“I should hope so.  You’re not to leave this room until it’s all completed, if you recall.”

MC held back a grumble at the reminder.  They had been hanging out with the other demon brothers well-past midnight this week, like watching an anime marathon with Leviathan and going out to a party with Asmodeus and Mammon, and the lack of sleep had finally caught up to the human to the point that they had accidentally nodded off during one of their RAD classes.  As if getting scolded by the teacher wasn’t enough, Lucifer had found out about the incident and, after learning the reason behind it, ordered MC to stay in his study for the rest of the evening until they were done with their homework for every class.  Such a punishment also meant that the other brothers couldn’t drag the human away to spend time with them, as they didn’t have access to the magic-protected room and preferred not to face even worse punishments from Lucifer for trying to get inside.  So, there MC was, struggling to keep themself awake while slowly working through their RAD assignments next to the strict eldest demon brother.

Lucifer occasionally glanced over at them to ensure that they were focused on their homework, but he also couldn’t help being distracted by their close proximity to him.  Truth be told, he was a bit envious of how often his brothers had been occupying MC’s free time, and this was the first time that week that he even got to be alone with them.  He didn’t want it to be for a negative purpose, but he concluded that this punishment was the best way to have them all to himself without interruption.  Still, if he was going to be with them, he’d rather the two of them be doing something other than work.  Perhaps he could suggest a short break:  A trip to the kitchen to make some coffee together or maybe a walk outside for some fresh air?  Either of those would aid in giving the human a little more energy, and he could engage in pleasant conversation with them, too.  He mulled over which option would be best as continued with his paperwork like usual.  

Once he had made a decision, Lucifer carefully put down his pen and prepared his words to suggest a break to the tired human.  However, when he turned to speak, he noticed their head slipping off the hand that they were using to keep it propped up, and his own hand instinctively reached out to catch their head before it could hit the hard wooden desk.  MC gasped at the sudden--and fortunately much softer--impact, their eyes now wide and alert while they tried to make sense of what just happened.  They stared back at Lucifer, whose alarmed expression practically matched theirs until it relaxed with a frustrated sigh.

“Seriously?” the demon emphasized as he pinched their cheek.

“S-Sorry...” MC muttered.  “Thanks for catching me.”

Lucifer hummed in reply, releasing his pincer grasp to show that he accepted their apology.  For a moment, he lost himself in the warmth of their cheek seeping through his glove as he cupped their face, and he wanted nothing more than to tenderly caress his thumb over it while soaking in their breathtaking form for a short while.  That longing faded into a dream when MC lifted their head, prompting him to reluctantly pull his hand away from them.

“I think I need to take a break,” they said.

The comment reminded Lucifer of the idea he had come up with prior to this unexpected incident.  He couldn’t believe that he had forgotten about it so quickly.  Fully recomposed, he answered, “Yes, I believe that’d be wise.  I’d rather not have to stop your head from colliding with my desk anymore tonight.  How about taking a walk to stretch your legs?”

“Actually, I’d rather take a short nap.  I think that’ll give me the energy I need to finish up my last few assignments.”

Lucifer may have seemed unfazed on the outside, but his heart sank at their words that had easily crushed his plan to spend some real quality time with them.  It wouldn’t be enjoyable if he forced them to go along with what he wanted to do, so he decided not to mention anything else about it.  Plus, they were right:  Getting some rest is the obvious solution when they were feeling this exhausted.  “...Very well.  Just make sure that you set an alarm for yourself.”

MC nodded in agreement and took out their phone to do as he advised.  They then briefly scanned the room for comfy spots to rest since they worried that their body would be stiff if they slept hunched over on the desk.

Picking up on what they were silently doing, Lucifer remarked, “You’re welcome to rest in one of the cushioned chairs over there. ...Or, perhaps--”  A mischievous grin played on his lips as he lowered his voice. “--you’d be more comfortable on my lap?”  

He offered the option so smugly, expecting to witness a flustered reaction from the suggestion.  Yet, at the same time, there was a small sliver of hope that they’d actually accept it.

“Hmm, okay,” MC responded nonchalantly.  “Give me some room to settle in.”

A look of shock flashed over Lucifer’s features for only a second before he recovered to comply with the human’s request.  After pushing his chair back, they situated themself on his lap and tucked their head within the crook of his neck.  Unable to fend off their fatigue any longer, their eyelids drooped shut, and they unconsciously let out a slow exhale of contentment that tickled at the demon’s exposed skin.

“Mm, you’re right,” MC murmured, “this is comfortable.”

“You’re certain?” Lucifer inquired, his voice just above a whisper.

“Mmhm...  You’re warm...  It’s nice.”

The Avatar of Pride couldn’t restrain the soft smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as he embraced them tightly.  “Good, because I have no intention of letting you go now.”

MC was on the verge of slumber when they managed to answer, “That’s...okay...”

Lucifer lightly chuckled at their sleepy response, and once he heard their quiet snores, he pressed a kiss to the top of their head.  

With MC in his hold, he finally experienced a sense of relief from the gnawing desire to have them so close to him.  His own eyes gently closed while he immersed himself in the peaceful atmosphere and the human’s presence--from their soothing scent to the texture of their hair and clothing--as much as he could.  He could’ve easily dozed off in this position, but that wouldn’t have done well for his back, so it took far more self-discipline than he’d care to admit in order to pry his attention away from the human snuggled up against him.  Although he had to return to his work, he kept one arm secured around them while scribbling away at the documents on his desk.

Considering this fortunate outcome, this certainly wouldn’t be the last time Lucifer would find an excuse to keep MC in his study with him.

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me mc #obey me lucifer x mc #short story #fluff

[intothewings]

How much do you make before I start applying? 😂 I’ve heard that there is a prostitution problem in the FA community so I’m fr not surprise you brought that up. Is that happens a lot because ts is crazy…

I won’t disclose how much because that’s pretty personal and it’s an impolite thing to talk about. However, I will say that it’s a lot more than what I made at a legacy airline. Privatized salaries typically range from 70k-100k on the lower end and 300k-500k on the higher end, excluding tips and per diem. Typically we receive a fixed salary, so even if you work 1 or 2 trips during the month you still get paid in full. Commercial flight attendants tend to stay in the 5 figure range unless you fly for Delta or you are a super senior at a legacy (you cannot accept tips at ANY commercial airline), this is why so many flight attendants are fighting for unions and higher pay, some are even turning to prostitution. Personally, I would rather pick up a side job scrubbing dog shit off the cement with a toothbrush than do that.

Another thing to mention is that commercial flight attendants only get paid when the aircraft is airborne, unless you fly for Delta. You don’t get paid upon arriving to the airport, going through TSA, doing your emergency equipment checks, boarding or deplaning the aircraft. The pay starts when the boarding door closes for takeoff, you get paid while the aircraft is airborne, and then the pay stops as soon as the boarding door is opened on the jet bridge. If something goes wrong, like a mechanical or weather delay, they won’t close the doors. So, you end up sitting on the aircraft for hours on end (sometimes with agitated and needy passengers) not being paid. I try to make it very clear that a lot of the time you are working for free. This is something that airlines neglect to mention that causes new hires to quit. I wasn’t told this until my first week on the line after I had completed 6 long weeks of training and got my wings at a charter. Needless to say I was in shock at how much work is being done without pay.

I know a guy who flies private and last year made upwards of a million dollars supposedly on tips, per diem, and salary alone (questionable but not impossible). Unfortunately, there are flight attendants, both in commercial and private sectors that will endorse, promote, and encourage unethical and trashy bullshit like escorting, inflight prostitution, and engaging sexually with passengers/pilots/clients to make additional income. Aside from that being absolutely and totally disgusting, it’s a very dangerous game to get involved in. I refuse to associate with anyone who puts themselves in those situations. I recommend keeping interactions professional and being polite but extremely firm with your ‘NO’ when it’s brought up or someone tries to proposition you. Decline decline decline unequivocally. Don’t even feign entertaining the idea or fake being flirtatious/recpetive when prostitution (or the possibility of it) is mentioned, and trust that it will be mentioned. If they don’t tip you because you said no, they don’t tip you. Oh well. Gossip spreads unbelievably quick in aviation and if you’re found out to be selling your body or making Only Fans content, pilots, mechanics, clients and other flight attendants will treat you with the utmost disrespect on top of blackmailing you into even more devious shit, including more prostitution. It’s a spiral down deep into the dark depths of hell. An East Asian flight attendant recently committed suicide after getting bullied by crew members and fired by her airline because she was sleeping with a married pilot. He was secretly making pornographic films of them and uploading them online to fund his sexual encounters with her. God rest her soul. If you have many responsibilities, lots of debt, other mouths to feed, a car payment, a mortgage, etc, and you can’t afford to do the job without relying on prostitution to get you by, find something that pays better. Seriously.

Overall, your income depends on what company you get in with, how much you work/how many trips you pick up, what skills sets you possess (i.e. private flight attendants with culinary backgrounds will get paid more), the clientele you fly, and ultimately how charming/personable you are (more charm = higher tips). Good luck to you!<3

#flight attendant

[butlerbarbsdevilgram]

MC’s Confession

Hello to anyone who happens to stumble across this fic. I just started this account after writing this fic when I was bored one night. Please feel free to leave me any constructive comments/feedback on any fics I post. Since I’m new to this, I’m still trying to find my footing. With that, please enjoy this fic!

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Pairing: GN!MC x Barbatos

(I tried to keep this gender neutral, since this is my first fic please let me know if I made any errors in this regard)

warnings: none

contains: fluff, SFW, one shot.

word count: 1853

Description:

MC wants to open up about their feelings towards their beloved butler friend. Does he possibly feel the same way as them?

Story begins under the cut~

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The Devildom had been your home for almost a year now. It’s funny to think of a once scary place now feeling like home. Everyone around you had been nothing short of accommodating. If you were being honest, you had never expected a lot of things to happen during your stay. For example, watching the literal Prince of Hell play video games with Levi was definitely one of those unexpected things. Least of all though, you hadn’t expected to fall for the Demon Prince’s royal butler. Barbatos had started out as a bit of an enigma to you. It was hard to gauge what he was really thinking. Understandably so, you knew his behavior was due to his line of work. He had sworn to serve and protect Diavolo. This meant he had to be the image of perfection at all times, while also keeping his conversations direct and to the point. Maybe it was the air of mystery he had about himself that had originally caught your attention. 

You wondered to yourself, when did you start to fall for Barbatos? You couldn’t really say, it just kind of happened over time. Afternoon invitations for tea, evening strolls through the garden, accompanying trips to the market. It was all these small moments spent alone with him that made your feelings toward the butler grow. Time spent with him never feeling long enough. You weren’t ever one to complain though, it was clear he was a busy demon. Knowing that he wanted to spend his small amount of free time with you made it worth it. It was your assumption that originally these invitations were extended to get to know the human exchange student better. Often stating he wanted to make your time in the Devildom as comfortable as possible.

Considerate, you thought. This word was the first thing you thought of when you pictured Barbatos. He always made sure to put your needs before his own. Whether that was a habit from assisting Diavolo his whole life, or something he chose to do for you in particular, remains uncertain. You’d catch him gazing upon you from across the room, watching to make sure you were enjoying yourself. Barbatos was somehow one step ahead of you, always knowing exactly what you needed before you even realized it yourself. 

Over the months, you found yourself coming to him requesting his aid. Barbatos would always oblige with your requests too. Never questioning why you’d ask him over one of the brothers. Whether it was to help with your homework, or to teach you how to cook Devildom cuisine. Somehow, some way, he always found the ability to make time for you. Figuring out how he was always able to do this was a mystery, but you were appreciative either way. During this time, you started to notice little changes in Barbatos. Gone were days of formal conversation, replaced with warm laughter and conversation about each other's lives. He often inquired about what your life was like back in the human world. To no surprise, he was the most curious about different human world cuisines. Every now and then, you swear you’d catch a small blush creeping across his cheeks when you’d point out how endearing his enthusiasm was. It seemed he was just as curious about you as you were of him. It was clear he was becoming more comfortable with you. He was slowly starting to show parts of himself he seemingly kept hidden from others. 

As time passed, the days you spent together brought you to this one. It was a lazy Sunday, you had decided to pick up your D.D.D. to send Barbatos a message asking if he would be free for tea sometime this week. Needless to say you were a bit surprised when he replied so quickly saying he would be free in an hour, and you were welcome to come over then. You knew this day would come, the day where you would admit your feelings towards the butler. It took weeks of internal debate, and countless pep talks from Asmo to convince you that you just had to do it. Asmo had been the only one whom you confided in. Really though, it was just due to him calling you out about your little crush. He had been encouraging you to confess for the last month. He hated (and was terrible at) keeping secrets. The sooner it was out there, the sooner he could share the news with everyone and rub in their faces that he was the first to know. This was something he would laugh at, knowing it would drive some of his brothers crazy.

While Asmo talked your ear off about some new hair product, your mind started to wander again. Could Barbatos possibly feel the same way about you? Would he even want to pursue a romantic relationship? He already had  so much on his plate to begin with. Shaking these negative thoughts from your mind, you knew whether his feelings for you were mutual or not, you wanted to be honest with the one demon who had always given you that same honesty back. Before you knew it, the hour had passed and it was time for you to head over to the castle. Asmo shot you a wink from the front door, telling you not to back out or he’d just tell Barbatos himself. It was a truly dreadful thought, you couldn’t help but laugh at him while waving goodbye.

Greeted at the front door, Barbatos stood before you with a gloved hand brought up to his chin and a slight frown starting to form on his face. He quickly offered an apology that the tea wasn’t quite ready yet. With this information, an idea formed in your head. After walking into the kitchen you ushered him to sit while you finished preparing the tea. Something he would typically detest on a normal day. Despite never having been one to sit idly by and be waited on, he must have sensed your determination because he agreed with less of a fight than you expected. You found yourself standing at the counter picking out the perfect teacups, turning to him with a smile saying that even he deserved a break once in a while. Barbatos let out a soft laugh, saying he supposed it would be okay just this once. Turning back to the kettle that was on the stove top, away from his direct eye contact, you took a few deep breaths. This was it, now or never. Today is the day you tell Barbatos of your feelings.

After you had finished preparing the tea, you grabbed the cups and tea pot, crossing the kitchen over to the table he was sitting at. The table was seated next to a large window that overlooked the garden. The moon was high in the sky, casting a pale light onto the demon in front of you. The moonlight perfectly illuminates his eyes. He may not know it, but you couldn’t think of another more striking than himself. At this sight, a smile flashed across your face. Barbatos was quick to thank you for the tea while inquiring about the sudden smile that ran across your face. Well, you thought, here goes nothing. With one last deep breath, you spoke.

“Barbatos. Do you know why I wanted to make this tea for you?” your voice had been a bit shaky. You could just hope he hadn’t noticed it. Before he could speak, you spoke up again. “It’s for always being there to help me. For always showing me nothing but kindness and patience. I may not have all the skills you do, but I know I can confidently do this much for you.”

Barbatos’ eyes never once left your face. You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks, surely turning a rosy red by now. 

“MC, I do these things not because it is my duty, but because I care for you. More than you may realize. And please, give yourself more credit. You’ve learned many skills in your time here.” He spoke firmly, but still with the same gentle tone he had always used.

“Barbatos, I…I’m truly grateful to hear that.” Your eyes were fixated on the teacup in your hands below you. Too nervous to look up at him. Was this his way of telling you your feelings were not one sided? Maybe, but there was only one way to know for certain. 

“I need to tell you something…” you began. “The days we’ve spent together mean so much to me. Not just because I am learning all these new things, but because I get to spend this time with you. Over the months, I’ve found myself counting down the days each time until I can see you again. This time is so precious to me. Whether we are together for 10 minutes or a couple hours, I cherish every second of it.” You gathered all your courage to look up at him directly, and you were met with a fond gaze, one you had seen many times. The same one that always made your heart skip a beat. 

“MC I-” Barbatos began 

“I love you, Barbatos.” You cut in. “I don’t know when this feeling started, and I understand if you don’t feel the sa- '' You were abruptly cut off. The feeling warm of lips pressing against your own. At some point in that brief moment, Barbatos had swiftly moved to your side. 

After pulling back, his gloved hand tilted your chin to look up at him. Smiling down at you, looking into your eyes he spoke quietly, just audible enough for you alone to hear.

“I love you too, MC. I am honored to know that I am the one you wish to give your heart to. I want to always be by your side, to care for you and protect you. I will do my best to make sure you never regret opening your heart to me.” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched the way your expression relaxed.

You weren’t able to stop the blush on your face. A sense of relief slowly washing over you, excited to know he felt the same way. Before you could open your mouth to speak again, you felt a soft, gentle hand touch your cheek. When did he remove that glove? He was so sly, you thought. Leaning into the touch, you began to let your eyes drift closed, offering up a shy smile. Before you knew it, you felt his warm lips against your own. The taste of tea ever so slightly lingering on his lips. The musky scent of a cologne Diavolo gifted him many birthdays ago radiating off his clothing. You wanted to commit it all to memory. This was a moment to treasure. It was a moment you were sure would lead to many more beautiful memories worth cherishing. This was just the beginning of something that would last a lifetime, you both knew it. 

#obey me #obey me barbatos #barbatos x reader #barbatos x mc #obey me shall we date #barbatos #happy ending #barbatos obey me #om! barbatos

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

(sent through here in case you don’t answer notes. replies? idk, i’m new to tumblr. feel free to disregard if you do reply to those.)

Are you willing to engage in a convo/elaborate on disliking Taehyung? I can see that you already have somewhere, but I’m new here so I can’t find that. All that I have gleaned is that his actions have bothered you somehow? To be honest, I would like to critique one of your posts by saying that I think you saying “I don’t have the energy for him, I’m trying to be nice” is, like, harmful? Rude? Maybe a bit weird? Yes, I am Taehyung-biased, but I would still be saying this if you said that to Jimin or Minho or, idk, Harry Styles. I just think it’s an unnecessarily mean and even threatening thing to say to someone without being a bit more upfront about your reasoning. I think it would be helpful to link those old posts you made, though I get that that’s not possible for every ask. Anyway, I guess I’ve become the Taehyung-likers in your inbox (or whatever this thing is called) that you don’t have energy for lol, but I genuinely would like to know your reasoning. Thanks for all the other posts, too, your queer Bangtan analyses are very cool and awesome.

Hey @raspberrytaegi

I saw you sent this same message in the comments. I decided to answer here because it's easier to write. This was during my break, so now I finally decided to actually answer your questions.

In a way, I understand where you're coming from, specifically because it appears that you only recently opened up your blog and you somehow stumbled on to mine and you happened to see me dismissing something that was Tae-related. Now, there was a context to that. Some of it is obvious from my blog, other stuff was more personal in a way. This is not me justifying myself because as you will see in what I will explain down the line, I don't think it's necessary for me to do so.

Me saying I don't have the energy for him was right before I went on a break and put the blog on hold. My initial plan was to wait until right before Christmas, but I just had had enough of anything BTS and the 90 percent of asks that were piling up in my inbox. If I came across as rude in that ask, I was just the same in the other ones I responded during those days because I simply didn't have the patience anymore for nonsense. So, there was that.

For anyone who has been following me for a while, they sort of know what my stance is in regards to Tae and I've never been shy about it. I can't link all my posts about him because it would take too much work and time that I do not have. I also wish my tagging system would be more consistent, but if you are interested, you can check the "tae", "taehyung" "V" tags on my blog and you could probably find some more. And what you will find is that indeed, I'm not a fan of him. But I also don't subscribe to this idiotic mentality of what this fandom would call anti, hater or whatever else label is out there. Which means, I don't have a hate boner for him. I may be biased and that influences the way I perceive him, but I'm also not going to drag him for the sake of it. I had anons saying his friendship with the Wooga squad is fake and just for the show they made which was something that I did not agree. I sort of live posted during the Grammy awards last year and 80 percent of my posts was me enjoying Tae doing his thing. His first trip to Paris was on my radar as well and in a good way. I also talked about the "dating scandal" back in September and how the fans are being shitty towards the entire thing (in way more words anyway. If that is of interest to you, I tagged it under the ship name).

At the same time, I'm not a fan of his behavior. I think he can be shady some times and this is something that would get me stoned on twitter. He can come across as rude and spoiled and that's something that personally doesn't work for me. I also don't expect everyone to agree. Some things that I don't like might be the same reason why others are his fans. They like how Tae is more serious and quiet, I see it as unwilligness to be professional (in some group video messages and even Run BTS episodes. Everyone can have a difficult day and not be in the mood at all, but it's a job where they play games. That's it. And it's not a one time occurence. If it was that case, I probably wouldn't have noticed).

I don't understand his tendency to lie. Especially when there's intention (or it comes across as that). This is a behavior that is seen by his fans as Tae just being himself, he's cool like that. Fine. But not to me. He posts a fake tattoo just because, he says he's having a collab for a Christmas song but that didn't happen and it came out of the blue, and so on.

I don't hate the guy, I just don't vibe with him at all and he's the type of person that I can't be a fan of. That's it. It's not a crime. And I'm also not going to judge you for coming to my inbox and wanting to understand why I think that way because you're Tae biased. I get it. I also don't get some of the opinions written about Jimin and Jungkook so I understand your position.

I also don't mind the passive agressiveness in your ask about me not having the energy for a Tae-biased fan. I "judge" my anons mostly on how they choose to express themselves and the willingness to understand different point of views, not based on who they stan. If someone is at least mostly reasonable (which you were), we can have a conversation.

Lastly, I saw that you liked some of my other posts, thank you! Seeing that you didn't immediately sent me a hate post and being able to see beyond an dismissive answer to an ask I answered played a big part in me being open now in having this conversation.

#bmt asks #tae ask

[moonless-if]

MOONDAY UPDATE, OCTOBER 10th 2022

happy moonday!

hope you had a good week, and hopefully, none of you has as busy a few weeks as i do coming up. because i am gonna be very busy for the next couple of weeks (with work becoming more hectic, me taking union training courses, and nano coming up) i'm gonna go on a kinda-sorta hiatus from here for a while.

now i do plan to still stick around tumblr to answer any asks i get and just in general hang around, but the Moonless will be stuck on the back burner until at least december, while i focus this month on my regular work and november/nano on my side project @nectarlake-if.

i'm definitely still gonna be writing on the Moonless in the background, but it's not gonna be my main priority for a while. then when i come back, i'll see if i keep up with the weekly updates or if i change that up since it sometimes feels like i have very little to update you on, so maybe monthly would be a better format.

now, to the actual update!

what i did

last week was less writing than i would've liked, due both to me distracting myself with other things and due to my regular job. there was still some writing done, just not as much as in the past few weeks.

what i did do instead was map drawing (both working on Amelare, and trying to figure out the layout of the temple area, so i know where the fuck mc and Rainn are going) and just having a little too much fun with that.

i've also been working on the game art, mainly with figuring out the cover art for the start-up page and then getting so very very caught up in symbolism in art because uh........ reasons (let's just say that everything featured in those pieces have been heavily thought out).

i don't have any snek peks to include here this week, though (because i'm writing this during a work break or else i'll forget) but maybe once i get back home.

plans for next week

no plans this week, unfortunately, because i don't know if i'll have a lot of time to actually sit down and do anything. between work, preparing to go on a union training trip this saturday until wednesday (need to make sure my substitute at work know what needs to be done, that i've done all the work i need to before i leave, need to clean my house since my dad will be dog-sitting, need to pack, etc. etc...) what little free time i do end up having i'll most likely just want to sit down and breathe.

i hope i'll find some time here and there to write, but writing just won't be a priority for me this week.

that's all for today. i'll see you all in december!

- spacedfoxes

#moonday update #update: the moonless

[xknivesandpensx]

Between the Lines

Summary: Hermione Granger is probably the last person Draco would want to be stuck in a closet with. Hermione liking the situation no more than him. Will spending time alone push them further apart or somehow bring them closer?

Finally part three of my prequel series, the last part in fact! This takes place during the third movie. I also mention things from the book and a little from my other writing which can be found here. It ended up being way longer than I expected but thanks for taking the time to read.

Hermione entered Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop in search for extra parchment and a new quill. The school year was coming to a close and while Ron stayed behind on this particular trip to Hogsmeade, being ill-advised to accompany the other students while his leg continued to heal. Harry, on the other hand, hid amongst the others while his invisibility cloak covered his body, joining to keep her company and because both boys were still under the impression Draco intended to get back at Hermione for hitting him. All the while, she thought it pointless to worry.

It didn’t take long to reach their intended destination. They thought it best for him to wait outside given the crowd gathered within. He’d be far more prone to bang into people in a large group and she planned to take no more than a few minutes.

To her surprise, adults filled the space, making maneuvering rather difficult. Some famous author took it upon herself to sign books, much like Hermione remembered Gilderoy Lockhart doing back before second year. The excitement reminded her of a crush she had on the professor. It all seemed so trivial now. Sending him a Valentine’s Day card, blushing whenever he came in sight and going as far as treasuring anything he wrote on (even keeping his get well soon letter tucked under her pillow after the Polyjuice Potion incident).

Of course, Hermione kept his books and maybe even stashed the notes inside, nonetheless she was well over any lingering adoration. Certainly, at this point, the events of the year overtook most her thoughts, leaving little to no room for a man who once stood on a pedestal in her mind. The truth of his memory charms were, after all, enough to shoo an abundance of his admirers away.

Her thoughts shook free of him after spotting a head of blond hair in the mass of people. His voice reached her ears as well, coming off as a muffled sort of shout, demanding others to get out of his way. It appeared as if Draco came in as unprepared as she did regarding the swarm of women and men.

The store owner directed Hermione to the back supply closet for the specific quill she sought and well advised her not to close the door. Apparently, certain classmates of hers thought it funny to lock their brother inside, making it so only those on the outside could free their captive. Instantly, she knew the culprits were Fred and George having a bit of fun with Percy, severely angering the other Weasley in the process. He complained about it nonstop in the common room, giving them an earful.

A small smile creased her lips upon the memory as she stretched on her tiptoes to reach the yet to be displayed box, pausing mid reach when another got unintentionally shoved inside by a group, who sounded like overly enthusiastic fans. The door got shut amongst the rushing adults, the slam echoing loudly.

A gasp escaped in a single breath. Despite the warning, Hermione dashed forward trying to turn the knob. “Oh no,” she spoke in a whisper, more in disbelief than anything else. “I can’t believe this is happening. We’re locked in.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” An edge of vexation roughened his tone. “Move aside.” Draco attempted the same as Hermione until he resorted to banging his fist on the wood itself.

“That’s not going to work. We’re going to have to wait until someone realizes we’re trapped.” She assumed Harry might take it upon himself to search for her, if a sufficient amount of time passed. Not that she could mention it, seeing as he wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place.

“Yeah, I’m sure the cavalry is on their way,” Draco sarcastically commented as he leaned against the wall, aware a small amount of space rested between them. No more than an arm’s length at best.

Otherwise, a single light hung above their heads. The room itself held racks stuffed with boxes, new items on one side, older on the back wall.

Silence engulfed them.

Hermione reluctantly lifted her gaze to look upon him. The two of them hadn’t been alone in quite a while. He grew a few inches in height over the summer, his frame holding an intimidating impression (more so from the way he purposely held himself).

She liked his hair much more than his sleeked back style. It hung freely, bright blond locks falling slightly past his brows. It shaped his face differently and while Hermione would never admit to admiring his looks, especially while a soft, golden glow overtook his hard-set mien, she didn’t want to tear her prolonged stare away.

Despite her reservations, an immediate desire to ask Draco if he remembered their first meeting on the train bloomed in her chest. Where she’d done the same type of scrutinizing study. Did he recall sharing his candy with her or maybe even their moment in Lockhart’s classroom when a mere second of contact caused electricity to fly between them?

She found herself every so often reminiscing the sensation of a fleeting, enamored sort of fondness for Draco Malfoy, feeling it in the pit of her stomach. It still came in waves, yet easily smothered the moment he sent a glare or rude comment in her direction.

Hermione forced herself to look elsewhere before he took notice, trying to instead, come up with a solution to their problem. It started to get warm too, which left her slightly uncomfortable.

Rather than a Hogwarts uniform, she wore a dark navy pair of shorts and a blue button up blouse. Draco took on his typical black attire. Both sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, the material light enough for the oncoming summer weather. The color heightened his pale skin tone but he seemed to prefer the dark shade.

“Will you stop pacing.” If he could even call taking a step every few seconds that. It irritated him more so than it should.

“I’m trying to think. Unlike you who’s just standing there.” Draco said nothing, only crossing his arms in return. “Oh, I’m sorry I forgot I was so beneath you, me saying anything to you is practically considered an insult. Except, of course, if you want to complain, then you don’t seem to care at all.”

Both hands fell on her hips, yet he remained silent. Huffing in aggravation, Hermione settled herself on the ground, bringing her knees close to her chest.

Ten minutes passed in agonizing muteness between them. Muffled voices passed under the door but the myriad of people’s attention may as well be miles away.

He eventually followed suit, taking a seating position across from her. They might be locked in the tiny closet for hours. Crabbe and Goyle wouldn’t think to look for him in here, the two probably too busy at Honeydukes to notice he left their side in the first place.

Draco started feeling restless after a while, so he turned to shift so his forearm rested on his raised leg while the other stretched out.

“I can think of so many people I’d rather be stuck with than you.” His comment came with a condescending sneer, mostly because the silence started to grate him.

“I’m not exactly thrilled to be here either.” Hermione rested her head on the shelf behind her. “I’d probably have more fun facing a Boggart.”

A scoff escaped him. “Getting a bad grade, how horrific. Really shocking fear for you. It’s almost as funny as Potter being terrified of Dementors.”

“And exactly how much trouble did you get in for dressing up as one and trying to scare Harry during a Quidditch match? Not your best plan. It came across rather silly.” She and Ron found themselves in the middle of a fight at the time, but that didn’t stop her from attending.

He got detention, had points taken away and endured an extensive reprimand by several professors. His parents weren’t happy receiving the letter sent home either.

“You go on about it as if he’s so innocent.” He turned his head from her, falling into complaint. “Showing off his Firebolt. Like people have nothing better to do than going around praising him, still being impressed by his stupid scar too.”

Hermione never quite understood his jealousy towards Harry. The boy who lost his parents, had to stay with an aunt, uncle and cousin who treated him dreadfully, who faced terrible things every school year. She supposed mentioning it would be futile.

She took a breath, venturing a different approach. Hoping to possibly gain some understanding. As to why try at all? Maybe she was tired of being combative or perhaps she needed a shred of proof his whole character didn’t lock itself in a singular mold. She saw glimpses already in the past, after all.

“I’m not scared of getting a bad grade specifically.” Hermione heard him sigh, but pressed on. “Sometimes a Boggart can get an exact image. Although every so often the concept can’t take solid form. For me, it’s less about a test and more being told I’m a failure. That I’m not good enough.”

Certain people saw her as someone less because her lineage. And while a compulsion to raise her hand in class existed, it wasn’t always due to knowing the correct answer, rather to keep herself in check. If she slipped from the compliment of being the “brightest witch of her age” who’d she be then?

Hermione went on a bit tentatively. “It’s the same for you, isn’t it? You’re not frightened of your father. You’re afraid of disappointing him… I might be wrong, but I think the reason goes much deeper –– ”

“Don’t act like you know anything about me,” Draco interrupted, leaning forward ever so slightly. A blaze of anger ignited in an instant. “How about you keep that Mudblood mouth of your shut about things you don’t understand.”

She dug too deeply and it stung. Maybe he did try to emulate his greatness, always searching for his father’s approval. Lucius maintained an air about him that nobody came close to. People respected him, knowing severe consequences followed if crossed.

If Lucius needed to give him a few good whacks with his cane every now and again to get results (because in spite of himself, Draco didn’t always listen), he had the right, didn’t he? Luckily, he tended to move his hands fast enough to avoid a blow. For the most part, anyway.

Tension slowly left his muscles, the heat not allowing him to keep his aggravation in place.

Not until Hermione saw his features lose their tightness did she attempt to say more. The weight of the insult remained, yet she tried to rise above it.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Fear is a tricky thing for others to understand. Ron’s scared of spiders and Neville of Professor Snape.” Her voice eased to a lighter measure. “It was rather funny to see him wearing that ridiculous hat.”

Draco ducked his chin, fiddling with his ring.

He intended not to reply until the image came flooding back. Somehow it washed away his persistent insouciance. “People were snickering behind his back for weeks. If he as so much caught a hint of a chuckle, he’d take away ten points immediately.”

It fell out of line from the traditional things he found amusement in, a far cry from sending him to his knees, pounding on the ground because he couldn’t contain himself.

But he laughed regardless. Alongside Hermione Granger no less.

It surprised her. The two of them sharing a moment of levity in a dusty storeroom of which the strong and distinctive smell of fresh ink overtook. While witnessing a brief softness in his open mirth, she felt a spread of warmth in her chest and trace of heat along her face.

It was, however, short lived.

Draco caught himself and stifled his laughter, forcing his legs to push him upward and direct his energy elsewhere. What has it been? A half hour? Longer, perhaps? “This is getting ridiculous. There must be something in here that will help us get out.”

He started searching through a few boxes, tossing them aside rather recklessly in need to do something, anything to vanquish whatever sensation he sensed coursing through his veins.

“Careful, you might break something,” Hermione chastised, quickly getting to her feet.

“As if I care.” He needed to get out now. What did it matter to him if parchment and quills flew everywhere or ink bottles shattered? If only he brought his wand, then perhaps he could’ve unlocked the door right away and avoided this whole thing.

Because he certainly intended to banish the entire ordeal to the back of his mind. He just needed to get away from her first.

In his rushed movements, Draco stumbled over a box, causing him to bang into Hermione and take her down with him.

The crash sounded earsplitting and the fall? It was far from graceful. More painful given Draco’s elbow slammed on the ground. It stopped his full body weight from landing on her completely, though he felt his knee jab into her leg on the way down, which caused a sharp but quick scream upon impact.

Hermione may have lost her ability to breathe after finding herself unexpectedly pinned beneath him, but Draco seemed to be acutely aware of their tangled legs and position of his hands. One rested above her shoulder, the other more so on her arm.

Given his previous claims, any form of physical contact should repulse him or at the very least trigger a hasty drawback. Eventually his fingers loosened their grip so his palm slipped to the floor. Touching her sent prickles along his skin, which threw him off a bit.

And for the first time Draco noticed the color of her eyes, a detail he not once bothered to remember.

He never saw brown eyes glow before, but hers did, like morning sunlight shinning on the bark of a redwood tree. Probably due to the low lighting above, yet in the moment, he believed even within the castle the dancing flame of a candle could ignite the same appeal. They radiated a warmth far surpassing his own pair of blue of which she stared into.

In his mind, Draco knew he needed to move, but the ability to direct his muscles failed him miserably.

Hermione spoke, only for her words to be drowned out by squeaking hinges. The door finally opened.

“What’s going on? Get off her.” He recognized Harry’s voice as a hand gripped his shoulder and somewhat clumsily pulled him upright, the maneuver a tad difficult.

“Let go of me!” Draco remarked, pushing Harry into the wooden frame. His gaze narrowed, noting the accusative tone. Giving the compromising position and knowledge of Harry’s dislike of him (returned, of course), he expected nothing less. “What kind of guy do you take me for, Potter?”

Harry helped Hermione up, speaking matter-of-factly once he gazed upon the blond again. “From the look of things, I have several ideas now.”

While Hermione didn’t blame the reason behind his conclusion, having picked up on it as well, she quickly attempted to correct it. “We fell, nothing else happened, I swear.”

Protective tension kept its hold. Harry cared for her deeply, their friendship built itself into a relationship he held close to his heart. Much like felt he with Ron and Hagrid.

He took her word for it, letting the impression leave him. Draco might go out of his way to torment them, but he really couldn’t picture him being the type to force himself on another. His mind simply jumped to the conclusion seeing him on top of her.

“What are you even doing here?” Draco questioned, breaking whatever silent conversation the pair seemed to be having. “Sneaking into Hogsmeade? I wonder how you managed to pull it off. Maybe I should let the professors take a couple of guesses.”

Harry slowly hid the invisibility cloak behind his back, hoping it went unnoticed. “I think I’m beginning to get the urge to tell the story of how Hermione hit you in the face.”

That was about the only ammo he really had.

“Oh yeah, terribly funny. I’m sure everyone would believe you.” It surprised him how none of them mentioned it, not that he’d be fond of it spreading now. Draco advanced on Harry. “If that’s your attempt at making a threat, it’s pretty weak, if you ask me.”

Before he managed to get too close, Hermione got between them. “Stop. You’re both starting to draw attention. That’s the last thing we need.”

And sure enough, people were beginning to look in their direction.

Draco caught her eyes again, confused on how they still held an alluring call. He forced a glower full of as much loathing he could muster, prior to directing his words to Harry. “Consider yourself lucky the school year’s nearly over. What a waste of time this is.”

The warning held a hollow meaning, the words placed to provide him ample reason to walk away.

Hermione watched him disappear from the shop into the warm sunlight. She suppressed the strange want to go after him and veered her attention back to her friend. “We should clean this up before we go. I’d feel awful leaving it a mess.”

Harry took on the task to help, knowing better than to suggest otherwise and asked for more details. “How’d the two of you end up in a closet in the first place?”

Hermione rattled off a few things between putting boxes away, making sure the door stayed open, yet her mind drifted elsewhere. She witnessed a different side of Draco. Again, but slightly different than before. He looked so, for lack of a better word, dissimilar to his usual self. His laugh rang free of any mocking undertones. Almost, well, mellifluous.

She’d probably never be given a second opportunity to hear it.

She doubted Draco took in the other moment the same way she did. His lips were so near to hers, hovering about an inch or two away. Hermione glanced down at them, finding herself, at the time and all the more so in the present, wondering what it may have felt like if he brought his mouth onto hers.

But kissing Draco Malfoy? What an aimless thing to consider.

#dramione #hermione granger #draco malfoy #harry potter #the prisoner of azkaban #it's been a month since i last posted something i wrote XD #i try i really do #still a bit nervous to post #but here it is #nice comments are always appreciated #sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes

[eggplantgifs]

Welcome back from Skate Canada! What a great comp to get to watch live! Would you mind sharing your personal highlights?

not at all! i was thinking of making a thread on twitter but actually it's better to just put all my thoughts in one post here haha. i'll do my best to record some thoughts before i forget.

women:

it was wonderful to see rika, i really hope her injury is getting better and she takes it easy until nationals. her skating is very lovely and polished. i was feeling kind of stressed about her jumps before the competition but she was great in the free! the titanic program is good for her. i'm happy she got the highest PCS of the free skate.

rinka was really solid in general, i'm thrilled for her amazing gp debut. to think she started out with no gp assignments at all! her spins could use some work and i would have liked to see more speed in her step sequences but i think she'll get there. i love her tight air position on the 3A.

really happy for starr, i haven't seen her skate that well in a long time and i'm happy she medaled. would also like to see more speed and ice coverage from her.

young kind of got hosed by the judges, personally i would have given her silver here. i love her short program, the detail in her step sequence is fantastic. i don't like her fs as much, it doesn't stand out to me but maybe it will grow on me.

(horrifically embarrassing moment when the announcer announced young as "from japan" in the medal ceremony. the gasps of "NO" from the audience... yikes! anyway the girls were all really popular and went around after the medal ceremony signing autographs and taking photos with fans, eventually the announcer had to ask them to leave the ice so the zamboni could come out lol.)

i felt really bad for maddie schizas and the flower holder situation. that was stressful. i saw some flowers falling apart once they hit the ice as well. brings me back to 2017 skate america and the dead flies on the ice, but at least those weren’t going to trip anybody.

in general, the women's event was very "what just happened here" - we don't usually see this much movement in standings between the sp and fs in this discipline! otoh it's kind of cool to not be able to predict the results. few other performances i enjoyed include: ava ziegler (she's quite expressive), niina petrokina (interesting programs), yuhana yokoi's fs (her 2As are super airy...but oh, why must she always bomb the sp), lindsay thorngren's spins.

ice dance:

i like ice dance but am useless at figuring out scoring, so basically just going by vibes here.

lajoie/lagha were the revelation of the competition for me, i became a fan after watching them live. i was zoning out a bit during the rhythm dance (most of the RDs this season are just...not very interesting to me) until lala - they have amazing energy and a really fun program! they skate big and fast and just fill up the rink.

green/parsons are great skaters (especially michael) but i am not feeling their programs this season at all, which is a bit of a shame because i loved them last season. but since they just changed coaches, i’m sure it will take a while to adjust to the new training environment; hoping for the best for them. they had a hilarious exhibition, do check it out if you haven’t.

fear/gibson - lewis always looks like he’s having a great time out there and i enjoy that.

gilles/poirier - i think i like their free dance? although it does have a lot of music cuts. paul’s skating skills are A+.

pairs:

i love miura/kihara SO MUCH. they skate with so much passion and joy and just look like they’re having the time of their lives out there. the quality of their skating compared to the rest of the field was really, really obvious. they were by far the fastest team with the best skating skills and most stable pairs elements. big throws, fast and effortless lifts that covered a lot of ice. i’m still astounded that they’ve improved this much in only a few years. i’m really happy they won here, especially considering riku’s injury and the fact that they’ve only been doing runthroughs of their free for a few weeks (!!!) manifesting a world title for them this season, please gods give me this.

also enjoyed: chan/howe, sitting in the twist corner so we could see all the twists up close

men:

the men’s sp aged me about 50 years. so...many...pops...and falls...six skaters scored below 70. i think we were all a bit catatonic by the end of day 1. luckily the men (mostly) redeemed themselves in the free, and it was a good event to end on.

the energy in the arena exploded after keegan’s skate, and i can see why. he’s just fun to watch! he’s extremely fast, skates super close to the boards, and doesn’t do anything halfway. even his mistakes are dramatic - i thought he was going to go flying over the boards after saving a 3A - but for his last season, he had a great free skate to end his last skate canada.

i was worried about matteo, but he delivered one of the cleanest skates of the night! i can’t believe he landed the 4Lo, because he was popping all of them in practice. really happy for his medal. he’s so charming and i became a bigger fan after seeing him. the audience gave him lots of love after his free, which was good because it was very dead during the sp.

poor kao broke his lace during the free skate warmup, came back out with 20 seconds to go and landed a 4T right before the warmup ended. this kid. he was rock solid in all the practices and had the only clean skate in the sp, so honestly thanks for that. i love his speed and power, he goes into his jumps with no hesitation at all. just jaw-dropping quality jumps. he’s rough around the edges but has lots of potential. i’ll even forgive him for the beauty and the beast music because he’s only 17 and it’s cheesy in a good way. also proud of him for not getting level 2 spins this time.

also enjoyed: shoma’s free (shows his good qualities well), camden (he’s just nice to watch, jumps be damned), deniss’s exhibition (one of the few interesting exhibitions in the whole gala)

general thoughts:

audience tended to be pretty canadian-centric when it came to cheering, but shoma, miura/kihara, and rika got the loudest cheers after the canadian skaters.

the food is some of the worst i’ve had in an arena, and my standards are not high to begin with! all the water fountains were out of order as well. the only good thing was that security never checked anyone’s bags, so we ended up smuggling in food and ordering out.

not sure if this could be heard on the livestream but there was an extremely loud, squeaky noise whenever the rink’s A/C turned on. it was unbearably annoying but also unintentionally hilarious at times - like when a skater was doing a spin or step sequence and the A/C would make their skates sound like a speeding car skidding on a road.

overall it was a fun weekend! but also exhausting haha. i haven’t been to a skating competition in several years so it was great just to see live skating again. my favorite thing about live skating is the sense of speed and ice coverage that is completely different from watching on a screen - and of course, the audience reaction to a good performance. there’s really no replacing that feeling.

#SC 2022 #replies

[pine-niidles]

April Project Updates

I always overestimate how much work I'll be able to get done while I'm away from home. I planned a lot of non-art things to do during my two week trip and ended up doing none of them! At least it was nice to have a break :)

Still I do have one exciting announcement this month:

Let's Get Bitter Together!

Part one of Let's Get Bitter Together, the visual novel I've been working on sprite art for, is out! You can play it for free ✨here✨

I joined the team for this game back in december, we were intending to finish it within that month for the 2022 Yuri Game Jam, and it was my first time taking part in a game jam. I've never been confident enough in either my art or my people skills to join them in the past, but I had some free time in december after wrapping up the last of my zine work for the year and I realized those two worries were not a concern anymore. I'm super glad I did join, even if we didn't finish for our original deadline I really enjoyed the experiance! I love to work with other people and other people's ideas and Naarel was super receptive to all my design suggestions & character interpretations.

It's so nice to see everything come together into a final product, and it's amazing to see my art in a visual novel. I've loved vns for a long time now and I played many a free game jam vn back in high school when they were pretty much the only games I could play. Being on the other side of that is... well it makes me feel like making more! I think I'd like to try some backgrounds next, or sprites again but extra stylized hmmmmm

For the moment however I've got other projects that are my priority this month. My goal for May is to make progress on:

- Don't Wake the Sleeping Draggon [ TTrpg zine ]

- Flight [ Collab Comic ]

- my 2022 life drawing zine.... I should publish that before we're in the second half of 2023 whoops

See you in June! ☀️

#project updates #lets get bitter together

[shadowynn]

hey there, im sam, nice to meet you!

im a recent follower and started reading ilal around last month i think? i guess i got here when you had just released chapter 8. im such a big fan of this fic, you have no idea! its probably one of my favorites in all ateez tumblr rn. i wasnt a fan of fanfics that have chapters (ive read one-shots for the longest time) but this preference has started to change recently and ilal has a major role in it. the story and universe is amazing, im truly amazed!

and i love how you write y/n, i see myself A LOT in her. major intimacy and vulnerability fear gang here :)) i swear that some of her thoughts have been literally the same as mine's and thats so endearing and self indulgent to me. i also love her relationship with her sibilings! then being so close is such a heartfelt element in the story for me, as a person whos rlly attached to my sibilings too. and im not even gonna start talking ab the members or else ill write a full thesis about every. single. one. of. them. and. how. they. treat. and. treasure. y/n. so. fucking. much. even though ther relationship has problems.

just wanted to say hi, present myself and say that ill probably be a frequent in your asks specially to talk ab ilal. you're a wonderful writer! thank you so so much for sharing your talent with us! :)

ps. (1): a special thanks for using hongjoong's cruella hair in ilal. as a joong biased who was obssessed w cruella in teenage and loves his hair like that ive never been hapPIER

ps. (2): just saw this reel right b4 sending this ask and althought i imagine their clothing to not be so fancy during the trip (is is the correct word? struggles in non native english speaker) to taeyang, but this is chapter 11 yunho to me. i dont make the rules.

hi!! it's so nice to meet you too!

i'm so glad you enjoy ilal! it's been an absolute pleasure to write, and i enjoy nothing more than getting to share it with all of you! and wow, i'm so glad you gave ilal a chance! that really means a lot! i've always been more of a chapter person myself, but i completely understand why one-shots can be preferable because then you don't have to wait weeks/months to get more. i've wanted/thought about writing more one-shots myself, but sadly, i'm not very good with it. an idea gets into my head and then i write way too many words. which is also a problem because i usually struggle with finishing things. my drive is literally full of unfinished works. oops. but don't worry, i have never been more motivated to finish a fic before ilal. like, this one is going to be the one that i finally finish.

i'm so glad you love y/n's characteristics. i'm honestly really bad about using my own personalities and characteristics in characters i write because it's easier. and i think ilal y/n is probably the closest person i've written to myself. i didn't really mean for it to be that way, but oops. i'm glad though that you and others can relate to y/n though, and to know you're not the only one who struggles in areas like those. (like literally, i've been with my partner for almost three years now and i still struggle with being vulnerable around them.)

i don't usually write characters with siblings in my works, which i don't really know why because i also am lucky to have a very close relationship with my siblings, but it has been very fun to write!

i'm so glad you dropped by! i literally love chatting with all you lovely people, so always feel free to send an ask or a dm my way! i may be a bit slow to reply at times, but i will always try my best to reply!

(and cruella hongjoong is my favorite joong, so i couldn't not. and i won't lie, i have to restrain myself from using him for every one of my writings. oops.)

(ahh, this actually made me laugh. and, yes, while it would not technically be canon clothes wise, please feel free to imagine things however you want in your head. because, let's be honest, i think everyone wants this version of yunho.)

#winnie speaks

[rouge-variant]

Hello! First, I really love your works so much and I would like to do a request. How about the fact that y/n and Levi are dating about 5 years and y/n is Sasha's older sister. How will Levi react to Sasha's death and how console y/n immediately after that and some time after? I'm so sorry for mistakes, English is not my language

Stop fooling me, your English is perfectly fine! And you are so sweet! I'm glad you enjoy my writing!!! This one I cried writing because Sasha is my little bean. It'll be angsty. However, despite how sad this'll be, thanks for the request and I hope you enjoy!

Levi Ackerman x Y/n:

Sisters

Spoiler Warning for Season 4

Trigger Warning: Death of an angel, Y/n is hurting physically, mentally and emotionally. Please keep this in mind while you read.

The airship fell silent as the the last breath left the body of a beloved soldier. Despite there being no noise, everything was too loud. You're heartbeat in your ears, every breath you took, the heavy swallowing trying to move the lump in your throat. How did you even get here? She was fine eight minutes ago. Everything was fine. Things were ok for once and now, they've fallen apart. What were you going to tell your parents? How were you going to tell them that you failed to protect your baby sister? How were you going to tell them that the killer was twelve? It hurt, it hurt so bad. You couldn't take it. Your systems shut down as your cradled your sister Sasha to your chest, feeling her body grow colder.

"You can't do this to me, wake up. Wake up! You have to! Sasha please don't do this!" You screamed. Everyone around you felt the pain in your cried of anguish. Your pain alerted Levi and Hange up front and they ran in to see you holding the limp body of your sister Sasha.

You both joined the Cadet Core at the same time. Despite the 5 year difference, you two were inseparable. You graduated, fought and grieved together. You join Levi sqaud with her and fell in love with your captain. To your relief, Sasha was ok with it and Levi grew to have a soft spot for her, especially since she was the only one who told him to shut up not once but twice.

All those happy memories flashed through his mind as he saw you breaking. Your uniform started to absorb the blood of your sister while you still begged her to open her eyes. With the help of Hange, they moved the rest of the soldiers and got the kids who were tangled up in this mess, away from you giving you space.

You don't remember anything else from the trip. You didn't move even after you had landed. Levi stayed near giving you a little bit more time with her before he had to come and get you.

"Y/n, let her rest. She's free now" Levi said softly while medic people came to take Sasha away. You refused to hand her over to thses strangers. They would never treat her the way she should be treated.

"Please. She wouldn't want you to drag yourself down like this" he pleaded feeling his heart shatter. He gently started to ease your grip on Sasha's uniform and move your grasp onto himself. Feeling his warm body, you let go of Sasha, giving her a final kiss on her forehead like you did each night before she went to sleep.

"Goodnight Sasha" you mumbled then let the medics take her away. Levi stayed with you when you made no move to leave. He moves quickly to grab your exhausted body before you had hit the floor. It took everything in you to let her go and you fell asleep in his arms as he carried you back to your shared quarters. He helped clean you and dress you before going to lie down with you.

Levi sat up while you slept, working through his own coping. He wasn't going to let you see how much he was hurting from losing 'Potato Girl'. He referred to her as that occasionally ever since you told him about what happened during the first day as cadets. Sure he didn't share the same bond you two did but he cared deeply for her. Now that she was gone, he worried about you. You were probably going to wake up tomorrow not remembering this right away. He didn't want you to have to go through that shock again. So until then, he sat by your side, playing with your hair and ensuring you rested as much as you could. You were going to need it going forward.

The next two weeks were crappy. You're wellness only decreased. You stopped look at people when they talked, you stopped smiling, hell you stopped eating. You sat by your sister's grave every day, never saying anything. Levi was never far from you. He gave you privacy but he was there when you feel asleep at Sasha's grave. He was there trying to give you gentle foods for your sensitive stomach so that you wouldn't pass out again. He's knows that you're grieving on a whole new level because you've never lost someone this close to you.

"Hey...why didn't you come tell me you couldn't sleep?" Levi asked seeing you sitting outside with a thin blanket over your shoulders.

"You were busy" you mumbled back. Your voice was rough but that was to be expected when you hardly drank anything. Levi comes and sits next to you, expecting you to shift away from him like you've done the last few times. But you didn't and he pulled you close. He missed the feeling of having you so close to him but he would be able to indulge in that later.

"How do you just keep going like this? You've lost so much more to me and yet you can hold it together. How do I do that?" You asked and Levi stiffed. No you don't want to be like him. You don't want to become an emotionless person like him.

"Its the same regardless of how many times you go through it. It's going to hurt. It's going to make life unbearable for a while but that's why you have me, you Jean, Connie, Armin, Mikasa and Hange" he sighs. You stay quiet and listen while he continues.

"You have other people, friends and family who help to hold you up while you're at your lowest. Hiding away trying to get through this on your own isn't going to work. I struggled until I met you. You've done that for me all the time. So please let me help you now sweetheart" he moved his hand to cup your face. Fresh tears streamed down your rosy cheeks and his thumbs were there to wipe them away.

"I miss her too. And I always will. But she lives through us now so it's our job to keep her memory alive right?" He mutters and you nod.

"Y-yeah..." you agree giving him a wobbly smile.

"That's my girl. Now let's go back inside, get you warmed up and resting" he pulled you to your feet. He guided you back inside and tucked you into bed. Sleep came easier now that you've opened up to Levi again. He was playing with your hair as you started drifting to sleep. Just before you completely drifted off, you felt his lips on your forehead and heard his voice in a whisper.

"I love you Y/n, we'll get through this together. I promise" Everything around you faded and you felt a warm familiar presence giving you a tight squeeze.

"I'm safe now big sister. You don't have to stress now. I'm ok. I'll be waiting for you but don't rush. Everyone else needs you for a while longer. I love you!" Sasha's voice rang in your head for the last time as she said her goodbye, knowing that you were taken care of with Levi.

#aot x reader #levi ackerman x y/n #levi x you #levi ackerman #aot x y/n #levi ackerman drabble #levi ackerman angst #Levi ackerman fluffy angst