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wlntrsldler · 2 months

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poisoned mercury | damned if i do ya (damned if i don't)

a/n: oooohhhh i love them bad. the slow burn is slow burning a little bit. btw the song is daylight by 5sos!

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v. damned if i do ya (damned if i don't) by all time low

all the progress luke thought he was making with you was thrown out the window after the concert. at first, he was glad to have some distance between you guys. he was dealing with sorting out what he felt for you. it was stupid, really, how he realized that you reminded him a lot of his childhood nickelodeon crush, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was more than that.

sure, you were a fucking headache sometimes, but he liked it. he liked you. he liked how you always tore him a new one, made him feel normal, like he wasn’t luke castellan – lead singer of poisoned mercury, he was just luke when he was with you. you asked him about his music, his life, but knew when to stop right before the conversation got too heavy because you understood him. you knew how he felt even when he didn’t say it.

maybe he’d just been around his bandmates too much, teenage boys with emotional iqs of a thumbtack, but you took one look at him and he knew that you understood what he was feeling. as great of a writer he was when it came to music, he was never good with expressing how he felt.

but now, it’s been weeks since you last talked to him, like really talked to him. whenever he’d see you in your smoke spot, he’d try to start a conversation, but you’d stuff your vape in your pocket and walk away before he could even say hi. you stopped going to the gym in the morning, often coming into the cabin after your workout during random times of the day, no longer following a set schedule. you rarely hung out with the boys, opting to retire into your room earlier than usual. you still joined clarisse during her counselor duties, but she stopped letting the boys tag along when luke was available as much as she used to. she’d offer an apologetic smile to luke and slip out an excuse why he couldn’t join for music lessons.

luke was tired of it. he didn’t know what went wrong, what he did wrong, to make you act so cold towards him. even when you didn’t know him yet, you were never like this. you always had a snide remark ready for him, but now, he was met with silence.

on the bright side, he at least had inspiration to write new songs.

he wandered into the cabin, thinking that it would be empty. clarisse was being held hostage at arts and crafts again. (she complained the whole morning about it until chris offered to join her so she wouldn’t be the only one covered in glitter this time.) the stolls were in the studio recording the instrumentals for the song luke showed them a few days ago. they’d asked him who the song was about, though he had a feeling they already knew. he wasn’t really trying to be secretive with the words. and you, luke could only wonder where you were.

he stopped in his tracks at the sound of mr. d’s voice in your room. your bedroom door was wide open and luke feared that you’d see him so he hid around the corner, back pressed against the wall.

“this is serious, kid,” mr. d yelled. “your teammate is pressing charges so i need the full story! i don’t care if you don’t want to talk about it. this can go on your record permanently.”

“so let it!” you screamed back. luke heard you pacing around your room, heavy steps against the cabin floors. “i don’t care.”

“i care! i’ve been pretty goddamn lenient when it comes to you, y/n, but this?” mr. d countered, veins on his neck bulging out as he raised his voice. luke had never seen him like this, “this is fucking serious. you need to tell me exactly what happened.”

“she was talking about you, okay?” you sobbed. you sat on your bed, hands buried in your open palms. “she said something about your addiction. i don’t fucking know how she found out, but she said something and i just lost it, dad. she was talking out her ass and i just needed her to shut up because she didn’t know what the fuck she was talking about.”

mr. d’s tongue poked the inside of his cheek. he gulped, not saying a word. your dad looked at the decorated wall of your bedroom, polaroids of you and your friends, your framed high school field hockey jersey, and the concert ticket from the first show he ever took you to. he looked down at the pink rug on your floor, unable to say anything.

you looked up at him, eyes brimmed with tears, “there, i told you. happy now?”

it wasn’t long before mr. d stormed out of the cabin. luke flinched as the door slammed shut behind him. he heard you sobbing in your bedroom and he contemplated approaching you. you were already mad at him, for a reason that he still didn’t know, so what the hell?

with a deep breath, luke emerged from the corner and walked towards your door. his knuckles softly knocked on the open door. you looked up at the noise, rubbing your eyes with your forearm. you chewed on your bottom lip, “not in the mood to argue, castellan.”

“not here to argue,” he stood under your door frame, leaning against the side. “i’m here to see if you’re okay.”

you had this habit of running away from things when you knew it had the power to hurt you. it wasn’t the healthiest coping mechanism, but your fight or flight response was triggered every time you started catching feelings for someone. it didn’t happen often, you developing actual feelings for people. you developed crushes, sure, but not feelings.

you didn’t get googly-eyed and love-dumb with guys. you knew better– growing up with a dad who could quite literally transform people’s lives with a snap of his finger made you hyperaware of people’s intentions with you. but sometimes, you get blinded by the guy who sweeps you off your feet and you forget about it all.

after the concert, you couldn’t stop thinking about luke. you already knew what kind of person he actually was, kind, caring, talented, all of the above, but there was still a nagging voice in your head telling you: “what if this is all an act?” “what if this is his move? pretending to be a different guy from the tabloids just to get you to fall for him then break your heart like everyone else did?” so you fled. you ran away from luke.

clarisse caught onto you avoiding luke fairly quickly. she no longer saw you two walking into the cabin together in the early mornings when she was getting ready for the day. you started declining invitations to hang out at the activities center, stopped having time to help her with music lessons when the band was tagging along, and started hanging out with her in your room instead of the common space.

she asked you about it after a week of the same thing. you told her you just weren’t in the mood, lacked energy. you said a million excuses but she could see right through you. you and the lead singer weren’t really subtle with your longing glances.

you crossed your legs under you, pulling the blanket up to cover your legs. you moved over on your bed, tilting your head to let him inside. luke took his shoes off and closed the door behind him, sock-clad feet tapping against the wooden floors. he sat on the edge of your bed, playing with the stray thread on your blanket.

“you ever feel like your parents wish they had a different kid?” you whispered, “maybe a kid that wasn’t so difficult?”

“all the time,” luke replied, “every time my name is in the tabloids, i swear it takes years off my mom’s life.”

you laughed, sniffling, “you need to take it easy on your mom. she’s too good for this world.”

“that she is,” he leaned back on his elbows, resting his head on his shoulder. he tapped your leg under the blanket, “you know your dad loves you, right?”

“yeah,” you sighed, looking at luke. your makeup was smudged under your eyes and it took all his power not to lean over to wipe it away. you hunched your shoulders over when you spoke again, “just feels like sometimes i’m too much for him and i don’t know how to stop doing that.”

“i don’t think you should.”

it was the truth. you dealt in extremes. you were intense but it was only because you were passionate about things. he’d seen you practicing for hours, staying up late to help the younger kids with their projects even if it wasn’t your job, bossing people around to make sure that the camp activities were perfect. when you put your mind to something, luke knew there was no stopping you.

“so i’m guessing you heard that whole thing with my dad?”

“yeah,” luke rubbed the back of his neck. he looked at you, feeling caught that he’d been listening in on your private conversation. “i didn’t know anyone was in here when i walked in.”

“it’s fine,” you shrugged, “pretty sure the whole camp heard my dad yelling anyways.”

he laughed, “probably. i’d never seen him like that before. he’s usually so chill. it kinda caught me off guard.”

“me too.”

“it’s not as bad as when my mom yells at me though,” luke offered, trying to lighten the mood. he grinned when he saw your eyes brighten. you never did pass up the opportunity to have luke embarrass himself. if he could stop you from crying, he would lay out all his embarrassing stories in front of you for your listening pleasure. “the time she found out that me and trav got banned from wichita, like the whole city, she got so mad that the hotel we were staying at kicked us out because there were so many noise complaints. had to sleep on the bus. my back was killing me the entire time we were playing a show the next day.”

“what the fuck did you guys do that warranted a ban from the whole city?”

luke’s cheeks turned pink, “we mooned a cop car.”

you bursted into uncontrollable laughter, falling back on your pillows. luke watched you, laughing along at your reaction. you were crying again, but it was a good cry this time. luke thought you looked pretty like this; cheeks red, eyes shut as you tried to regain your composure, and smiling, all teeth and lips. he hadn’t seen it in a while and he wanted to take a picture of you right now just so he could always remember how you looked at this moment. he wasn’t sure if he could survive another few weeks without seeing it again.

luke nudged you as your laughter died down, “if shit goes down with your teammate, there will be three of us with a permanent record in this cabin.”

you smiled at him, sadly, voice returning to the hushed tone you used earlier, “you think my dad could forgive me for this?”

“don’t think anyone could hold a grudge against you even if they tried, five star,” luke placed a hand on your thigh covered by the blanket. he relished in the feeling of the hand you placed over his own. it felt intimate. “what does your mom think about all of this?”

“i dunno,” you played with the rings on his hand, twisting the silver metals on his fingers, “i haven’t talked to her about it yet. been avoiding her calls.”

“well, happy to know that i wasn’t the only one getting the silent treatment,” he teased, no bite to his voice. “shit, five star, even with your punishments, you still manage to not make me feel special.”

you squeezed his hand, a giggle escaping your lips, “shut up.”

luke looked at you, “you should probably talk to her soon.”

“i will,” you nodded, meeting his gaze, “soon.”

the two of you stayed there in silence, you playing with his rings and the bracelets on his arm. you were so enamored by the silver jewelry on his hand, twirling his rings to read each engraving, looking at each design, humming in appreciation. you looked at the camp half blood bracelet on his wrist, recognizing the beads on the string.

“i can’t believe you got a camp bracelet before i did this summer,” you huffed, admiring the beads. “i’ve been here longer than you and nobody made me one yet.”

“a little girl made it for me,” luke said, smiling at the memory. “i helped her with her with the production of the song for her summer project and she made it for me.”

“i didn’t know you also produced music.” luke castellan continued to surprise you.

“not well,” he replied. “just the basics, but i like to think i helped her out. annabeth— you know her? the kid with perfect pitch. fucking brilliant. smarter than i was at her age.”

“i love beth. i’m pretty sure she’s the smartest 12-year-old to ever exist,” your eyes twinkled, moving your index finger to his own, “what’s the story with this one?”

luke looked down at the ring you were touching. it was the silver ring he bought for himself using his first paycheck from their album sales. it cost him a pretty penny, but it was worth it. the font was tiny, but he memorized the words.

“aγάπη χωρίς πείσματα δεν έχει νοστιμάδα,” luke said, no doubt butchering the pronunciation. “it’s greek. my mom used to read greek proverbs to me as a child. i think she hoped i’d become the next great philosopher, but instead i became a musician. this phrase stuck with me.”

“what does it mean?”

“love without a bit of stubbornness isn’t tasteful,” he whispered, “it’s a little reminder to myself that even though i can be difficult as shit sometimes, i’m worth it.”

luke cleared his throat, “had a tough time when we first got big. i’m sure you’ve heard of some stories. there was a time when me and my mom didn’t talk much. i thought i knew what was best and i pushed her away. i was so stubborn, five star.”

“my dad left when i was a kid and for second, i thought i would lose my mom too,” he shook his head, the bitter taste of regret in his mouth as he recalled those memories. “im glad i didn’t. this ring reminds me that no matter how stubborn i am, i still deserve love, y’know? maybe it’s stupid, but sometimes i doubt it. mom always told me that love isn’t supposed to be easy, but it’s supposed to always be worth it– worth all the trouble, the stubbornness, the hurt, so this little phrase keeps me grounded in a weird way.”

“worth it to an extent,” you said. there was something hidden in your words like you were somehow asking him if you fell within the extent of it being worth it. it was in the look in your eye, doubt and worry that maybe you pushed it too far this time and you were no longer worth the fight.

“extent is subjective. i know my mom thinks i’m worth it. i know that no matter how much me and the stolls get into fights, our friendship is worth it. i know that even though me and chris grew up to be different people, our bond is worth it,” luke leaned in closer as if he was going to tell you a secret, something that stays between you and him, only allowed to be spoken within the walls of your room. “and you, five star–”

he couldn’t finish his sentence. his words got caught in his throat. he was afraid that if he kept talking, he wouldn’t be able to stop. he didn’t know if there was a universe out there where fighting for you wouldn’t be worth it. had you been thinking about him all this time you’d been apart? have your thoughts been plagued by the idea of him? all he could think of was you. all his songs were about you. it seemed like everything had been about you since he met you.

is it too much too soon to even say things like that? luke didn’t know where you stood, if you even felt the same way about him as he did about you. how evil must the world be to have you exist in his orbit but not allow him to fight for you?

the corner of your lips lifted a tiny bit and luke knew he didn’t need to say anything else. you understood.

luke wanted to stop you when you removed your hand from his, but he didn’t want to test his luck. you dug through the drawer by your bed, pulling out the familiar vape, “i could really go for a smoke right now but this stupid thing died.”

an idea popped into luke’s mind. he got up, motioning for you to do the same. you stayed seated on your bed, eyebrow raised in concern.

“come on,” luke sighed, playfully rolling his eyes when you still refused to get up. he held out his hand, looking down at you. “you trust me?”

you glanced at him then at his hand, deciding. it felt like a loaded question, like he was asking about something more than if you’d go with him to whatever adventure he had planned for the both of you. his heart hammered in his chest as he waited for your answer. you didn’t say anything to his question, unsure if you could rationalize your decision, but when you laced your fingers with his, luke didn’t let go of your hand until you were both out of the campgrounds.

#frances writes #poisoned mercury #luke castellan imagine #luke castellan x reader #luke castellan fanfic #luke pjo #luke castellan #luke castellan pjo #luke castellan fic #luke castellan x yn #luke castellan x y/n #luke castellan x you #percy jackson #percy jackson fanfic #pjo fanfic

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sims4bradshaw · 2 months

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if you follow my wips you know i've been working on this for a couple days, so i'm rlly happy to finally post this! more info+preview+download under the cut as always.

This is a recolor of the Weathered Wonder dresser, restored and painted with some floral designs! Like I said in my cabinets post, I really love decorated furniture like this and folk art and "arts & crafts" style so this is probably not my last :D! The designs in this one are actually handpainted which i'm so proud of/happy with cus I'm not really an artist or anything but it was fun. Gonna try to keep this short because I feel like my posts are getting too long.

INFO: BGC §340 Style* & Color tagged 9 Plain Swatches 9 Painted Swatches Custom Thumbnail (The first swatch is pink but the thumbnail is the white painted version) * Storybook, Boho, Vintage

DOWNLOAD (Dropbox) PATREON!! As always let me know if you have any issues with anything!!

@alwaysfreecc @maxismatchccworld @public-ccfinds @sssvitlanz 🌷 Thank you to all who choose to reblog !!!

P.S. The light wood swatch matches with the light wood swatch from my "Wallrtwork" (it's only been a day since I posted it and I already regret the name lol)

#sims4bradshaw #mycc #sims 4 cc #sims 4 maxis match

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danandphilplay · 25 days

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im going to put my answers below bc i know some of these vids are likely not returning to dnp and i do agree with that i just wanted to do a fun poll abt if you could have another of these vids then which would you choose. ofc like ive said before we have no control over dnp uploads and i fully know some of these won’t come back lol

ok first of all i don’t think pinof is coming back and i think that’s been clear for ages anyways like ten is a nice number to leave it. HOWEVER i do think an april fools dapc pinof would be hilarious. answering crafties questions and whatever they send to craft universe dnp.

same with amazingdan BUT maybe there’s a slight chance of reacting to amazingdan. maybe not since so much time has already passed since pinof reactions (four months …..) honestly out of the options i’m not that bothered about pinof or amazingdan i feel like they’re classic dnp content that’s fine left as it is

ok for the pizza mukbang thing i don’t care for it to be a mukbang video lol like the actual thing was the nice sit down talk vibes pyjama pizza w friends maybe this is exactly what dan means abt being parasocial 😭 but that video is nice so i don’t think the actual mukbang part of it is that important it’s more the sit down talk style vid

i think i would do anything for another day in the life but i feel like it is prob peak parasocial content. would it count as phouse tour probably. do i think there will be a phouse tour no bc it sounds like it is still having a lot of work done 😭 and i honestly don’t really care abt it… i think the sims renovation was fun and an insight into their interior design opinions lol and that is enough for me

i put it takes two bc a lot of people want to see the next bit i like the game but not rly enough. idk it’s been awhile since that first vid and in terms of other games and things from dnp i don’t rly mind about it takes two being ignored 😭

i know baking is not a discontinued thing anymore bc HALLOWEEN but BUT i really believed easter baking would be a thing 💔 dapc had so much put into it that i kind of forgot about wanting a baking vid but 💔 i can’t lie i think i got set on the expectation for it. like the baking vids have always been absolute classic staple dnp content but definitely the cinnamon roll one was like the baking vids to the extreme… the full potential AND THE BAKE WAS GOOD TOO. the vid was also pretty popular. so my expectations for easter were a bit high. ok so if this poll is like magically summon a dnp vid 🪄 maybe id consider baking because i just love it so much like irl as a hobby but also then dnp doing one of my fav things too and it being so fun idk it’s some of the best dnp content imo. i would love them to try a series of making food from videogames but no offence to them i don’t get the vibe that they cook a lot…… so i think it might not happen. but dil is turning TEN in september so maybe dnp special dil birthday cake baking vid 💔 pleaese pleasemaybe

i think tumblr tag is totally plausible although ik the april fools tumblr tag thing 💔 bc the twitter vid happened i think they’ll do a tumblr one at some point. there’s so much amazing art on here not just fanart but written stuff video and photo edits so i’d want them to see all of that as well as the funny stuff. this isn’t like top of my list of things i’d want to see but it’s definitely one of the more plausible things

dapc behind the scenes content its either happening or it will never be spoken of

honestly idk if they would do reactions to the super amazing project. bc like what vids would they choose. maybe i can see them referencing it or discussing it if someone asked or in a live but idk about reaction vids.

ok draw my life would be fun and i’d watch them. i’d watch an updated dil draw my life too. they put so much effort into that dil draw my life. maybe an updated one for dil’s 10th birthday will happen? that would be pretty fun.

i think if i had to choose it would be a ditl vid. top 3 would be ditl, mukbang or literally just any sit down talk vid, and another baking video. ditl may literally just be bc of nostalgia i don’t really see it happening again but who knows. again just a poll about which vid you’d want to see if you could magic up a dnp vid i definitely know some of these aren’t coming back or very unlikely to

#dan howell #amazingphil #dan and phil #dan and phil games #dapg #dan and phil poll

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maochira · 8 months

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Can you do younger sibling third wheeling bllk guys date?

I first wanted to do this for the bllk big bros series, but I ended up making it for a few specific ships I like!

Characters/ships: Reo x Nagi, Aryu x Tokimitsu, Barou x Isagi, Shidou x Takumi (OC), Lorenzo x Satoshi (OC)

Tags: gn!younger sibling!reader, reader is a child, not proofread

Big brother!Reo on a date with Nagi

-at first, Reo didn't mind taking you along because you're a fairly calm child and never cause trouble

-just today, you happen to be more hyper than usual and you're also meeting Nagi for the first time, so you've been excited about that

-Reo and Nagi are on a pretty standard date, just eating in a restaurant together and you sit at the chair with them

-it's hard for you to sit still and you keep talking to Nagi, sometimes you even get up to sit on his lap

-at some point, Reo doesn't even get to talk to Nagi anymore so he's getting slightly annoyed and kind of regrets bringing you along

-but at the same time, seeing how much you like Nagi and that you get along well makes your brother happy!

-surprisingly, Nagi isn't bothered by how much you're talking to him and that you want to sit on his lap all the time. He very much enjoys your presence

Big brother!Aryu going on a date with Tokimitsu

-Aryu didn't plan to take you along, but when he was about to leave the house you kept begging and begging to take you with him and he just can't say no to you

-Tokimitsu doesn't mind that at all, but he's always a little extra nervous around you because he thinks he's not good with kids (even though he's good with them, especially with you)

-Aryu and Tokimitsu decided to reschedule their original date plans to another day and go on a simpler date today so taking you along will be easier

-you always get overly talkative around Tokimitsu, for some reason, and he's having a hard time answering all your questions because you're asking way too many without a break in between

-Aryu notices how overwhelmed Tokimitsu is, so he tells you to calm down a little, but you're stubborn and only start asking more questions

-but that doesn't last long and you end up falling asleep in Aryu's arms pretty soon so he has to carry you. But at least he gets to properly talk to Tokimitsu now

Big brother!Barou going on a date with Isagi

-Barou has taken you along multiple times, it's no big deal for him because you behave well and get along with Isagi

-you're still confused by their relationship because yes they love each other but also yes they're rivals. It works for them. Somehow

-anyways, today you're particularly clingy to your brother, but in a way how he can't even walk properly because you're hugging his leg half of the time but also refuse to be carried by him

-it kinda ruins the mood for him and he's really trying to not get annoyed by you. Isagi notices that so he talks to you and you agree to be carried by him

-but then you get super clingy to Isagi and won't let go when he wants to go home, and instead of tearing you away from him he decides to stay at Barou's place for the night

-you only let go from him when you finally fall asleep later that evening

Big brother!Shidou going on a date with Takumi

-Takumi comes up with random ideas for dates all the time and today was arts and crafts, so Shidou thought it would be fun to take you along

-wrong. Five minutes in and you already have glitter in your hair and glue all over your hands with one of them being stuck to a piece of paper

-Shidou has no idea what to do, but he thinks you look kinda funny

-but then you get upset because the glue on your hands it annoying, so Shidou comforts you while Takumi helps you wash the glue off with warm water

-they also spend hours washing and brushing the glitter our of your hair. Every time they think they're done they end up discovering there's still glitter left

Big brother!Lorenzo going on a date with Satoshi

(Reader is Snuffy's child but Lorenzo is still your big brother)

-Snuffy is busy today, so Lorenzo happily agreed to take you along on his date with Satoshi

-Satoshi has met you a few times already, but he always feels like you dislike him. You actually like him, but you're too shy to properly talk to him

-for the majority of their date you just sit there in silence and exist

-every now and then Lorenzo talks to you to make sure you're okay. He's also trying to figure out if there's a way to get you to warm up to Satoshi more

-you end up playing soccer together, but you're still shy and don't play like you usually do

-you trip and fall, then Satoshi runs to you quickly because he's closer to you than Lorenzo is. Satoshi comforts you and that's how you bond with him for the first time. Now you love him

Taglist (sign-up link): @kaineedstherapy12 @zyuuuu @luvcalico @remy-roll @truegoist @vanitasbrainrot @weichspuelertrinker @acacIa @kermitslefteyeball11 @futuristicxie @bluelock4life @https-archangel @userwithlotsoftime @slowlyholypeanut @isagikisser @mafuyudonutt @depressed-bitchy-demon @kaiserkisser @chaosinanutshell @quite-eerie @mang05 @wheresmysoulidl @rzu @0rah-s @yerinsshi @rienniey @blueberrryui @takorirei @ririgards @peachesncats @starchivves @arxliana @thedaisy78 @midnightymel @deerangle3

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remuswriting · 6 months

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AND HOW THE STARS SHINE; MIYA OSAMU

When Sugawara has to retire from being a camp counselor after getting a teaching position, Y/N meets his new co-counselor Miya Osamu.

WORD COUNT: 3,581 words

TAGS: Camp Counselor AU; First Meetings; Pre-Relationship; Fluff

NOTES: To be honest, I want to write a longer camp counselor au because I think it'd be really fun, but we have this instead. Also, I attended summer camp for like 5 years as a kid, but idk a lot about everything camp counselors do. So if there's anything they do that's not accurate, then pretend it is. We're here for the vibes.

Y/N’s summers growing up had always consisted of summer camp. He went away for a week, lived in a cabin, swam in the lake, did arts and crafts, sang corny songs, and became friends with everyone he met. Most people came back every summer like he did, so he always knew someone after his first summer. It had been something he looked forward to and absolutely loved. Core happy childhood memories.

When he learned his old summer camp was hiring camp counselors, he applied and got accepted the summer before his second year at university. With university being more stressful than he expected, he missed the happy atmosphere and memories he got every summer as a kid. There aren’t any summer camps for university students—or none that he knows of—so why not become a camp counselor and hope it’s just as fun as being a camper.

Sugawara trained him his first summer. They already knew each other from when they were younger, so it was easy to reconnect. By the end of the first summer, it felt more like best friends going to camp together instead of being camp counselors. Maybe it was because Y/N has gone there for years and already understood the basics of most things. The next summer, they’re paired up again, and things are just as fun. But then Sugawara leaves because he’s graduated and got a teaching position, so he no longer has the time during the summer to be a camp counselor.

Administration decides Y/N is ready to train someone after only two years of being there, even though they usually wait until someone has been there for four years. It’s just that anyone with eyes knows he can train someone since he and Sugawara always divided responsibilities evenly, sometimes switching who did what. He’ll never say he can do it alone, because he can’t, but he wouldn’t be completely helpless if left alone.

Kousaka, the camp director, sent out emails about things people needed to bring and who was being paired up with who. They’re getting five new camp counselors, which is a little lower than normal. (Their average is 10 new ones every year, so it’s not too much lower.) Y/N doesn’t know if the slight drop is because summer camps may not be popular anymore or people don’t know about it. Whatever it is, it’s fine because they have enough counselors for the number of campers they’ll have.

The beginning of assignments happens about the moment you get to the lodge with your things. Cabin assignments change every year, even though he wishes they didn’t. His first year as a counselor he had cabin five, which is near the pool, where there are actual toilets, but the next year they put him near the lodge (that he can’t break into to use the bathroom). He crossed his fingers and silently prayed that he’d get the cabin five again, even though he doubts it a little.

He opens one of the side doors to the lodge and walks in. Not all the tables have been put out. Only two, probably for people to do paperwork if the line gets too long. However, about no one is in there right now. He adjusts his duffle bag over his shoulder and looks for Kousaka.

“L/N-kun!” Kousaka calls out, and he looks over at the staircase leading to her room. Her, her daughter, and the nurse are the only ones who stay in the lodge. They really only use the building for inside activities, the cafeteria, and the nurse’s office, which became fairly big after a flu outbreak several years ago. (Thankfully, Y/N hadn’t been there for that.)

He hurries over to her, knowing she has roughly 40 other people to talk to and so much more to do. “Kousaka-san, how are you?” he asks, and she smiles. She had pulled her black hair into a bun, but it’s slowly graying with gentle streaks. She doesn’t look old, though. There’s not a single wrinkle on her face.

“I’m doing well. A bit stressed, but you know how it is the first couple days of training,” she says, and he chuckles.

“As well as every day of training and camp.”

She laughs a little, her smile fond. “I have everything where I usually do, so if you’ll follow me.”

The process of getting everything sorted out isn’t hard. He’ll fill out a couple of things, go to the nurse for a physical, and then get his cabin key. Later on, there will be rosters of all his campers and anything else that isn’t important enough to happen from the beginning.

Kousaka hands him a couple of forms to fill out, shooing him off to a table to do so, and then gives him a key when he gets back. “It’s Cabin 16, which you know where that is,” she says, and he nods, internally groaning since that’s the farthest cabin from the lodge. “And you’ll be training someone this year, which I told you over email. His name is Miya Osamu.”

“That name sounds familiar,” Y/N says as he fidgets with the cabin key.

“He went here for two summers when he was really young,” she says, and Y/N nods. Most likely knew him from then, but only having a name doesn’t mean he’ll remember. “He’s really sweet, but seems to be a bit quiet.”

“Is he already here?”

“Yes. He’s with the nurse, doing his physical, which you need done as well,” Kousaka says, pulling out another form for him. It was just the physical form. “Have him wait for you and you can bring your forms up together.”

Y/N nods. “Alright. Will do,” he says before picking his duffle bag off the ground and heading to the nurse’s office.

For once, there isn’t anyone waiting in the hall. He either got here really early this year or “late.” He assumes early since Kousaka still has so many counselor folders out. The nurse’s office is in the basement at the end of a never-ending hallway. Several twists and turns in order to get there. If he hadn’t been here before, he would’ve gotten lost with the number of rooms there were. Some used to be dorm rooms, but after kids kept sneaking out and breaking into the kitchen, they stopped letting them dorm there.

The guy who walks out of the nurse’s office is tall and his shoulders are broad. His hair is black and messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it repeatedly. His outfit is normal for summer camp—khaki shorts and T-shirt, but his shirt has a volleyball reference on it. He’ll probably love the volleyball competition they have by the lake and in the pool.

“Hey,” Y/N says when he was close enough he doesn’t need to scream. The guy looks up from his phone at him. “Are you Miya-san?”

He nods with a small smile, as if he’s been caught doing something he wasn’t meant to. “Yeah. I’m Miya Osamu, but everyone calls me Osamu.”

Y/N nods. “I’m L/N Y/N.” He stops walking once they were near each other. “Everyone calls me L/N.”

Osamu chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, it’s kinda a habit since I’m a twin,” he said, and Y/N smiled a little. “People tend to think I’m just really friendly.”

“Are you not friendly?” Y/N teases, and while some would panic slightly, Osamu doesn’t. He just chuckles. He’s probably used to any form of teasing if he’s a twin. “Also, I’ve never met a twin before, which I bet you hear that a lot.”

“Ya’ve got no idea,” Osamu says. It’s easy talking to Osamu, which Y/N isn’t surprised by. He finds talking to people to be easy. This is just different. Osamu turns his head, looking over his shoulder, and points at the nurse’s office with his thumb. “Do ya need to get your physical done?”

Y/N nods. “Yeah. Kousaka-san asked for you to wait with me so we can go back up there together.”

Osamu nods. “Sounds good to me.”

Y/N goes to set his stuff down before looking at Osamu. “Is it alright if I put my stuff here while I’m in there?”

“Course,” Osamu says with an amused smile. “I’ll guard it with my life.”

Y/N rolls his eyes, but he smiles with him. “You don’t need to go that far, but thanks.”

Osamu motions for him to hurry. “Hurry, I wanna check out our cabin.”

It’s easy being paired with Osamu. Y/N doesn’t have an issue talking to him, and it seems like they’re always on the same page. They’ve already planned several pranks they’re going to pull on their campers. Something Sugawara never let Y/N do, even though he wanted to as well. They probably never did it because Sugawara doesn’t know how to be subtle with the majority of things and would’ve taken it just a little too far.

Y/N likes hanging out with Osamu. He never finds himself getting annoyed and having to wander the woods to cool off. (Which only happened once with Sugawara after a long, extremely hot day where no one was in a good mood. But still, it happened.) He’s really happy that Osamu is his co-counselor.

There are three days until the campers show up, meaning they’ve known each other for almost two weeks now. They’re in their team building group when Osamu sits next to Y/N, scooting his chair closer to Y/N. He’s said it’s to make sure everyone knows they’re friends, which Y/N finds endearing. He just hopes that Osamu means that and it’s not just a joke.

“Alright, everyone has had time to get to know their co-counselors,” Kousaka says as she stands in the middle of the chair circle. “I’ve got some worksheets for bonding questions. Nothing intense. Just asking each other some questions, writing their answers, and bringing it here tomorrow. It’s not a grade. I just need to see you’ve done them.”

Y/N knows they’re only doing this because there are counselors not getting along. He has his suspicions, but he’s not 100 percent certain of who, though. He’ll have to ask Akaashi later since Akaashi seems to always know everything. He literally writes things down in his notes app so he doesn’t forget.

They pass papers around, and they get through the rest of the group talking about scenarios of what to do when campers aren’t getting along. Then they’re sent back to their cabins to get ready for dinner and night meetings after. The bonding exercise worksheet sits comfortably in a folder in his backpack, along with Osamu’s. Osamu forgot to pack his folder before lunch, meaning Y/N got to carry around the paperwork.

“Didja look at what was on the worksheet?” Osamu asks as they trek past everyone. Y/N really hates that their cabin is the farthest away from the lodge.

“Nope. We can look at it when we get to the cabin or after night activities,” Y/N says, and he grips the straps of his backpack. “I imagine it’s nothing intense. Probably get to know me questions, like favorite color.”

Osamu chuckles. “Yeah, you’re right.” It’s quiet for a second. “Who do ya think is why we’re doin’ it?”

Y/N looks at him. “Okay, so I’m planning on asking Akaashi-san later, but I have a feeling it may be Kageyama-san and Oikawa-san. They’ve been at each other’s throats. I don’t know why they’ve not been assigned to different counselors.”

“Thank, God. I thought I was just imaginin’ the tension,” Osamu says, and Y/N shakes his head with a small laugh.

“No, it’s definitely there, and it’s suffocating.”

“How many more bonding exercises are we gonna have ‘cause of them?”

Y/N looks back at the path ahead of them. “Too many.”

It’s late once they’ve gotten back to their cabin, and Y/N is ready to just belly flop on his bed and sleep until his alarm goes off at 6 A. M., but he doesn’t get that privilege since they have several things they need to fill out before meetings tomorrow. So, he plops down on his bed, the wooden frame creaking a little.

“Me too,” Osamu says, and he’s not sat down yet. He’s putting his stuff up first, which is apparently because his twin—Atsumu—isn’t necessarily messy, but he’s driven Osamu to become organized. “But we’ve gotta get things done first.”

“Wanna do everything for me?” Y/N asks, and Osamu rolls his eyes with a laugh.

“And suffer? No thanks.”

Osamu pulls his folder out of his bag. (It was the first thing he grabbed before they left for dinner earlier.) Then he’s pulling out pencils and pens. Y/N doesn’t even want to open his bag. He doesn’t want to do anything but sleep. But he slowly opens his bag, though, only because of Osamu.

“Wanna do the bonding exercise worksheet first?” Osamu asks, and he’s pulling it out of his folder. “It says we’ve gotta be somewhere we both feel comfortable, though.”

Y/N’s eyes light up. “Do you think Kageyama-san and Oikawa-san are at the volleyball net at the lake?”

Osamu looks at him, and he has that smile that says exactly what Y/N is thinking. They should go see. This is the only time that Y/N likes that they’re in this cabin, since it’s closest to the lake. The only issue with going to check is that the lake is at the bottom of a steep hill that’s terrible to walk up and down in the daylight. (Kageyama and Oikawa are probably down there anyway because they’re both ridiculous.)

Y/N is shoving his folder back into his bag and getting up while Osamu just grabs two pens and his folder to put in his bag. Then they’re out of the cabin, hurrying over there. From the top of the hill, they see several lights on, meaning someone is definitely down there. Y/N can’t hear anything, though. If they walk down the hill with their flashlights, they’ll definitely get caught. There’s no way in hell either of them will walk down the hill without a flashlight.

After a minute, he hears what sounds like a ball hitting the ground. “I thought you weren’t going to use that serve!” a voice yells, and Y/N is pretty sure it’s Kageyama. Yeah, they’re down there.

“Wanna go down there?” Osamu asks, and Y/N looks at him. His face is barely illuminated by their flashlights pointed at the ground. “Or do ya want to go over to the amphitheater?”

“Amphitheater,” Y/N says without a second thought. “I need to see what talent you’ll bring to the talent show this year.”

Osamu rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna blow yer socks off.”

The walk isn’t long, but it’s done in silence. It’s mainly because the path can be so difficult to see so they want to focus on making it without getting hurt. There’s also the fact that they’re out past curfew. Maybe if they say it’s because of the bonding exercise worksheet, Kousaka would let it pass. Also, it’s not like Y/N minds the silence. He just finds it nice being able to do this with Osamu—hang out. It’s funny because he never thought sneaking around would appeal to him.

“We’re here,” Osamu says, and the amphitheater is poorly lit from the one light pole there. There aren’t many around the camp, but there’s one here because of how many kids apparently kept getting hurt from being there in the dark. “Let’s get to bonding.”

Y/N grimaces a little. “Please don’t say it like that.”

“I’ll say it however I want,” Osamu says, and Y/N rolls his eyes as they find somewhere to sit. “Alright, question one: What do ya wanna do with your life?”

“Damn, that’s a heavy question,” Y/N says with a slight laugh. “What do I want to do with my life?” He looks over into the darkness for a moment. “Travel. I have a friend traveling the world right now, and he’s never been happier.”

“Good answer,” Osamu says as he writes it down, his handwriting sloppy from not being able to hold the paper down.

Y/N takes the flashlight from Osamu, shining it down on the paper for him. “What about you?”

Osamu looks up at him, and his face is fully illuminated now. His gray eyes are such a stark difference from his black hair right now. “I wanna open a restaurant.”

Y/N’s eyes widen, because he wasn’t expecting that answer. He’s not sure what he thought Osamu would say. He has a vibe about him that makes it hard to pin down exactly who he is.

“What kind?” Y/N asks, and Osamu takes the flashlight from him so he can write.

“Onigiri. Maybe other stuff in the future, but right now, that’s what I wanna make,” he says, and Y/N can’t look at him while the flashlight is shining at him because it’ll hurt his eyes. He wants to look at him. He finds that he never grows tired of looking at Osamu.

“You’ll have to cook for me sometime,” Y/N says with a smile, and Osamu chuckles.

“Come to Osaka, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Y/N looks down at the next question. “Why did you decide to apply? Make sure to give at least two sentences.” He lowers the flashlight a little, and Y/N looks up at Osamu. “You got an answer?”

From what Y/N can see behind the bright light, Osamu looks embarrassed—shy? It’s a strange look on him. He’s not sure if there’s a reason that’ll call for embarrassment.

“I… I was lonely,” Osamu says, and Y/N is quiet. What is he supposed to say to that? Question him on why or remind him he needs two sentences? “I’ve told ya how Atsumu went pro this last year, and I thought it’d be fine, but we weren’t talkin’ as much as we used to. And then I saw a photo of us when we were kids here and thought ‘might as well’…” Osamu falls quiet. “I thought comin’ here would help me not feel so lonely.”

“Did it?” Y/N asks, not writing anything down. “Make you not feel lonely?”

Osamu nods a little. “Yeah. It did.”

It’s quiet for a moment, crickets chirping around them and the flashlight no longer being pointed at anyone but instead pointed at the ground. Y/N knows if he looks up, the stars will be vibrant, even with the shitty light pole that actually needs to be replaced, but won’t since they don’t have the money.

“What about you?” Osamu asks, and Y/N can merely only see the outline of his currently. “Why'd Ya come to camp?”

There’s the reason Y/N tells himself that he missed it, which is true. It’s a valid reason, but it’s not the reason he supposes.

“Life is really fast paced,” Y/N says, and Osamu just stares at him. “I got really burned out two years ago, and everything was just tiring. Then I came across a picture of Suga and me from camp when we were kids, and I remember being tired back then, but it was a fun tired.” He pauses. “I think I just wanted to experience that tiredness again.”

“Do ya think everyone’s reasons are as sappy as ours?” Osamu asks, and Y/N chuckles a little.

“No, but I imagine we’re not the only ones.”

The crickets chirp around them, and Y/N likes it. He likes the nighttime atmosphere. He likes that he gets to share it with Osamu, who hasn’t written Y/N’s answer down, just like Y/N hasn’t written his answer.

“So, what’re we gonna write down?” Osamu asks.

“I wanted a change in scenery, which camp brings me,” Y/N says as he takes the flashlight from Osamu to shine it on his paper. “Just make it two sentences.”

“I dunno how,” Osamu says after he’s tried writing the beginning of the sentence three times. “Uh. Life got chaotic and overwhelming, so he looked back on the past at camp. He thought that chaos would be better.”

“Works for me,” Y/N says, and Osamu takes the flashlight from him. “How about I write: He missed camp and all the friends it brought him. So he came back to make more?”

Osamu laughs a little. “Terrible, but great.”

Y/N pouts slightly as he writes. “I’m trying to not give away all your secrets, Osamu.”

Osamu doesn’t respond at first before he quietly says, “Yeah, I know. Thank you.”

“Okay, now, question three. Will it ask us to share childhood trauma?” Y/N looks at question three. “What are your hobbies?”

Osamu laughs a little, and Y/N joins in with him. It’s funny how that’s the question after two vulnerable questions. After a few minutes, their laughter dies down as they breathe. Osamu looks at him.

“Wanna head back to the cabin?” he asks, and Y/N looks around them for a moment. He looks at the wooden benches that make up the amphitheater, the shitty lamp post that needs a better light, and the “stage” that’s only the ground itself but is the focal point.

He looks back at Osamu with a soft smile. “Sure, but you better have the coolest hobbies ever.”

He sees Osamu’s smile, the same one he had whenever he said he’d protect Y/N’s duffle bag with his life. “I’m gonna blow ya away with my hobbies. Just ya wait.”

#haikyuu #haikyuu x male reader #miya osamu x reader #miya osamu x malereader #haikyuu x reader #x male reader #x reader

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leopardom · 1 month

Text

✨ sappy post incoming ✨

(and a little trigger warrning for the vague mention of suicide)

i’m not gonna do any gig reports for now because last week still feels like a fever dream and i can’t really put my thoughts in an order that makes sense. but i just wanted to stop by to say how much i love the vibes and creativity of this fandom and how happy everyone was when it came to meeting and trading/giving out their creations while queueing for the gigs or even when they were over

in Munich, Milan and Padova i got to meet so many people from here. with some of them i chatted more and with some others less. but in any case it absolutely warmed my heart to finally see all those people i see on tumblr but like, in real life! i got to trade my stickers for bracelets/stickers/art/fan stuff, got to see everyone have a good laugh because of my stuff and also got to complement people for their crafts. and i'm telling you i really meant every single word because as i already mentioned, i love the creativity of this fandom 💕

last weekend i began my trip with pretty much nothing on me and now i'm back home with a bag full of bracelets, a folder full of art and a heart so full i wanna cry. i mean look at that:

1) idek where to begin with the tags of the artists, i’m still confusion but i’ll try to come back to this post again later with a clearer mind

2) “big juicy” bracelet you will always be famous @greensolsikke <3

this last week was a tiring experience with many ups and downs but at the same time it was probably the best week of my life so far

i'm getting especially emotional about it all because this whole frenzy concided with my birthday (on the 29th of March). this may sound cringe or what, but on the actual day of my birthday and when everything was over, i was sitting alone on my hotel bed in Milan and was thinking how this last year of my life started in the worst way possible and how it was only escallating towards the worst every single day. during my 26 i reached a new level of low, a bottom lower than the one i had reached when i was 20-21 (and that was a bad bad time). and yes, there were a few times when i was close to ending it all because it was too much. my 26 was pretty much like hell

but now i'm glad i didn't give up and pushed through all the struggles. because if i hadn't, i wouldn't be able to experience last week. i wouldn't be able to see some of my dearest friends again, to meet all the amazing people from here and from twitter, to see one of my favourite bands perform for three nights in-a-row and to listen to all my fave songs of theirs live and even cry my eyes out to some of them (Barve Oceana in Munich, Padam in Milan and Metulji in Padova really were an Experience). can safely say that my 26 ended with a bang and it was a very good one 😌

i'm feeling sad that this is over but at the same time i'm so warm inside and so happy that it happened. and i would do it all over again, especially if it meant meeting you all again or meeting even more of you from in here. i have never felt so welcome by people who technically only knew me as a tumblr user and i never thought this would happen, considering how awkward i am when it comes to interacting with people online and in real life

anyway i think i've talked too much and i'm slowly loosing my train of thought because the thoughts and emotions are so many right now. i just wanna thank each and every single one of you for making the past week so special and one of the best weeks of my life. i'm beyond gratefull 💖

sincerely, the curly head with the meme stickers 🫶

#okay this is long but i had to do it #i needed to do it #i miss last week so much already :(#this is emma speaking #joker out

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pillow-priestess · 4 months

Note

I stumbled across your blog and I'm curious about plushsuits in general. I've never heard the term before, but I've already been doing some pretty furry, and big, OC plushie sewing, so it sounds like something that might be up my alley.

Ooh, lovely, thank you! I just took a look at some of your work and it does seem like a concept you might enjoy!

In fiction: A plushsuit is basically a hybrid of a plushie and a fursuit or other costume. So while I am very big and soft and huggable and cuddlable, I can also open my zipper for friends to step inside and wear me! For me, personally, my inside is pretty much a pocket dimension of incredibly soft warm fluff. I can compress it and give it barriers to simulate a physically accurate 'inside' of my form, allowing the person within to wear me and move both of our bodies as one. Sometimes, though, they prefer to simply float in an endless ocean of stuffing, holding my knit heart or letting their form be massaged and fluffed up into another plushie or suit! No matter what, I'll be keeping them safe and happy the whole time.

Not all plushsuit OCs follow these particular rules! Everyone's sonas are different, and plushsuits can be unique in so many beautiful ways. For some really lovely art of many different suits, I recommend checking out @Archer_Mouse, @meltyautumn, @inabunstar, and @hyenafu 's #mushy stuff tag!

In real life: Plushsuit as a term can be applied to a couple different things, but it's easiest to think of them as an extra soft and thick fursuit. Suits with extra stuffed bellies, limbs, tails, the works! They can be standard suits, quadsuits, bitchsuits, and more, but more often than not cover the wearer completely and are designed to be soft to wear and to hug. While I don't have one myself, I'd love to commission one someday!

A couple excellent plushsuits and wearers to look out for: @LinkyWollf makes some truly excellent suits, one of which was sold to @MaddyFox_AD! She takes beautiful pictures of her nullsuit, really comfy looking if you like the restricting nature of a suit. @plush_army makes some great suits too!

If this kind of stuff sounds like your wheelhouse, I really recommend checking out more of it on various sites! It's both a kink and an aspiration for a whole lot of us, and everyone connects differently and shows that through their own creations. Your crafts seem full of love and care, I'd be thrilled to watch you express your interest in plushsuits in the future! Thanks again for the ask, I'm always happy to explain all this and shoutout several of my favorite creators <3

#plushsuit #all these artists are the best btw go comm them

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sincerely-sofie · 3 months

Note

Ahoy again Sofie… your work is amazing and your ability to interact with your captive audience is near magical at moments but I do have two questions for you if you maybe so kind as to answer my queries, from someone who has charted the ways of a creator for many to see and be amazed by.

The first is how does one start creating a series upon the sea known as the internet. No matter if the ship you’re creating is one of an already formed series(like PKMD for example) or a completely original hand crafted story.

And the second is, how does one go about finding an audience if you haven’t a soul how knows of you yet?

Thank you so much for your kind words! You're very sweet!

Oh man. Do I ever have no answers. I’ll try my best, but I’m really not qualified for this ;w;

For your first question: The first thing you've gotta do is let go of your ego and have fun. Forget your pride and revel in your favorite tropes and storytelling strategies. Cringe culture is dead— you don't have to resurrect it to bully yourself about having a highbrow, marketable story. I always thought that the advice to “Have fun and your audience will too” was a bit inaccurate, but then I decided to go ham with all the self-indulgent elements I included in TPiaG and I'm at over 400 followers in under 6 months (which is absolutely unprecedented I must say). That's the most important guiding principle, I think. Because then you'll have fun no matter what comes of your project!

As for question two: I have no idea. Apparently fanworks are the way to go? I will say that technically I had 1k-ish subscribers on YouTube and 100-ish followers on a previous Instagram account (~80% of which were friends and family in the Instagram account’s case), so I wasn't starting from absolutely nothing, but I didn't mention my Tumblr anywhere after I made it because it was supposed to be private. I made my main blog as a personal art archive, learned I couldn't keep it utterly hidden, and figured I'd just have a couple bots like a post here and there after I tagged my posts to make it easier for me to search them. That was very much NOT what happened, as you can guess. According to my sister who works as a professional illustrator, fanart is a great way to get more eyes on your art so that more people can be exposed to personal work (if that's your goal!)

But yeah. I seriously don’t know how so many lovely people decided to click on my blog and like what they saw. It’s a bit shocking bc I’ve never had such an involved community before and it’s so overwhelmingly encouraging :,>

#stuff by sofie #sofie answers asks #creativity tips with sofie #creativity tips #writing tips #marketing tips

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0-amateur-writer-0 · 5 months

Text

Lines

Characters: Stan Pines, Ford pines.

Tags: Angst, Hurt no comfort, Character study.

Wordcount: 1,810

Summary:

“You really don’t understand why I want this place to be shut down, do you?”

Stan sniffs. “I think I got some ideas.”

Ford narrows his eyes. “Do you?”

He’s home. He’s actually home. Back in his Earth—in Gravity Falls, Oregon.

Hard to believe that a few days ago, he was at the precipice of life and death. About to end things once, and for all with Bill. That’s how it was supposed to be. One way or another, everything was supposed end that day. But now he’s honest to God walking through his house. Opening cupboards, and drawers. Studying every nook, and cranny. Observing how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.

The house definitely had seen better days. Everything was aged, and weathered. You could even spot some awkward patch jobs here, and there. The ones you do on your own to save money, instead of by someone who actually knew what they were doing.

Indeed, Stan must’ve been a stingy on the upkeep. He could hear a lot of new creaks, and sounds now. But…the house is somewhat neat, and tidy at least.

He supposes he should be thankful if for that. That his home is still here after all this time. Still standing. Still livable. When he already made peace long ago, that his house would be left to rot—reduced to a pile of would-be firewood.

Ford rounded a corner, and stops in his tracks. Any feelings of gratitude he had had quickly went down the drain.

Now this is a change he could really do without.

The house doubles as a hokey tourist trap now. One that’s entire gimmick was based on showcasing a variety of very made-up anomalies.

Being in this room is already starting to royally piss him off. Though for some reason that escapes him, he decided to stay and look around. Making his way the first exhibit that caught his eye.

Ford glares at the taxidermized monstrosity before him. It was obviously meant to resemble sasquatch, or even bigfoot. Brown fur, big feet, and ape-like features, though a striking difference could be seen on how it’s…wearing an underwear.

(Why even? What evolutionary need could it possibly fulfill by wearing one?)

“Sascrotch,” He sneers. “I can’t believe people actually—"

“Yeah, ya don’t like the Shack. We get it. Keep steppin’, and move on already.” A gruff voice piped up from his left.

Ford turns his head to the source of said voice, to find Stan leaning against the counter—counting the money he made off from the last group of tourists.

(Has he always been there?)

“You really don’t understand why I want this place to be shut down, do you?”

Stan sniffs. “I think I got some ideas.”

Ford narrows his eyes. “Do you?” He challenges.

Stan muttered something under his breath, but otherwise did nothing but continue to count the money in his hands. The sound of paper bills being shuffled seemed to fill the empty gift shop. It grated on his nerves. Then again, everything that Stan does seem to grate on his nerves these days.

Ford made his way to the next set of exhibits. The Six Pack O’ Lope. The Cornicorn. He swears some of them looked more like one of Mabel’s arts and crafts projects.

“I have spent most of my life studying the weird. Trying to make sense of the nonsense. Trying to prove their existence to the scientific community.”

“I had to take on twelve PhDs to get people to take me seriously. Twelve. And that wasn’t even accounting the number of favors, and good standing I had to build up just so I could get my grant approved by the committee.”

Of course, I could’ve avoided all that if I had gone to West Coast Tech instead. He almost wanted to say, but quickly bit his tongue.

“Well, that’s kinda’ dumb.” Stan comments.

(If his ears weren’t mistaken, Ford could’ve sworn there was a note of genuine sympathy in Stan’s voice.)

Ford just shook his head. “The committee didn’t see my want to research anomalies as top priority. Especially when compared to things like researching the cure for cancer, or alternative energy, or artificial intelligence and whatnot.”

“But one way, or another. I managed to show them my worth. I gave them reason, after reason as to how my research could be beneficial. And eventually, they decided to give me a chance.”

Ford wrinkled his nose when he passes by some shelves filled with tacky souvenirs. One lined with snow globes, another with Mr. Mystery bobbleheads, and another filled with…ugh, those horrific Burpin’ Stanford Pines figurines. Though he stops when he comes across a nearly empty shelf lined with empty glass jars. A sign nearby tells him that these are ‘invisible fairy companions! Only $35!’.

His attention wasn’t on the obvious scam in front of him. Instead, Ford watches his face being reflected on the glass jars.

“I thought,” he says. “If I did all of that, then…maybe I could finally change the way people view them.”

“I wasn’t hoping to change everyone’s minds, but if I could get a few people to stop looking at them like something to be afraid of. Like something to be pointed, and gawked at…” He pauses, and then turns to look at Stan. “Do you see where I’m going with this?”

Stan just stares at him with a blank expression on his face.

(Dear Tesla, does he really have to spell this out?)

Ford took a deep calming breath, before saying: “What you’re doing here with the Mystery Shack. Not only is it a mockery of my life’s work, it’s a mockery of me.”

Stan narrows his eyes. “What are you talkin’ about?”

Ford could feel the threads of his self-control being cut. “Do you really not realize what you’re doing here!? You’re bringing all sorts of people in here, and teaching them it’s okay to point, and laugh at things they don’t understand. You’re teaching them to point, and laugh at things like me!”

Ford clicked his tongue. Whether Stan’s earlier confusion was genuine, or an act mattered little to him at the moment. The damage was done. To his house. To his reputation. To his life’s work.

--You’re a six-fingered freak!

And they would be right. That’s all he is. All he will ever be.

He’d lost the chance to ever prove them wrong.

“Be honest,” Ford demanded. “All those times you told me that I wasn’t a freak was a lie, wasn’t it?” He gestures towards the various exhibits in the Shack. “This is how you actually feel about me.”

“Do you also have stuffed six-fingered hand lying around? I’m surprised I haven’t seen it yet. An exhibit like that will surely—"

“You think I’d do that?” Stan asks.

Ford pauses, and then turns to Stan. And once his eyes landed on his brother, the red mist that clouded his vision seemed to dissipate at that moment.

Stan was staring at him, and though his expression was blank—there was a gamut of emotions swirling in the depths of his brother’s eyes. Raw and honest emotions that Ford didn’t want to look too closely into.

“You really think I’d do that to you?” Stan asks again. His voice quiet.

Ford opens his mouth, but he quickly finds that no words could come out. Something in Stan’s eyes. Something in the way his brother spoke, seemed to sap all the remaining fight and anger in him.

“I used to beat up every single punk who bad-mouthed you when we were kids. And ya really think that I’m gonna’ turn around, and start doin’ all that crap they did to you?” A pause. “You really think that I’m no better than guys like Crampelter?”

Ford’s looks down—suddenly finding it hard to look Stan in the eyes. “That isn’t what I…”

He tries to find something to defend himself with, but nothing kept coming up. After all, that was essentially what he had just implied wasn’t it?

The silence hung between them until Stan took several steps forward, only stopping when he’s at an arms-length in front of Ford.

“…Y’know,” Stan says. “I got a lotta reasons for starting the Mystery Shack. And that thing you just said… You think that folks come through here to point and laugh at all these arts and crafts rejects. But the only thing being pointed and laughed at in here…is me.”

“Cause you wanna’ know something?” He jabbed a finger onto Ford’s chest. “Just because you got no problems callin’ me worthless, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna’ stoop to your level and start callin’ you a…”

It took everything in him to not look away—to return Stan’s glare head on. On the outside, one might mistake him for being the picture of indifference. The only thing anyone could see was a mask of cold, hard disapproval plastered on his face

But on the inside, in the deepest parts of him where no one was privy to—part of him dreaded of what’s to come. The part of him that used to go on adventures with Stan on the beach. The part of him that used to spend whatever free time available, to work on an old derelict sailboat. The part of him that used stay up to the late hours of the night talking, and planning about the places they’d sail away to one day.

That part of him was terrified of his twin brother calling him that word.

But he knew it was coming. It’s only a matter of time. He braces himself and…

…nothing happened.

Stan just looks down, his hand falling limply back to his side. And Ford found himself letting out a breath he didn’t even knew he was holding.

Both men stood at the middle of the empty gift shop. Stan kept looking down at the floor, and Ford couldn’t seem to peel his eyes away from his brother—at how tired, and defeated he looked. His right-hand twitches, and then starts to lift and inch itself closer towards Stan.

He didn’t really know what he was trying to do. He just…has a sudden urge to reach out. But before he could make any contact, Stan took a step back from him.

“Believe it or not, I actually got lines I ain’t never gonna’ cross.” Was all Stan said to him, before he made his way outside.

The front door slammed shut.

Ford watches the door for a moment. Before his gaze, inexplicably, wanders back to the shelf lined with those Burpin’ Stanford Pines toys. It was an insult. It was his name being printed on those boxes, but looking at those figurines again—at how it was wearing a bright red fez, and a black tuxedo…the similarities that he somehow hadn’t seen before became so clear.

It was Stan.

Ford pinches the bridge of his nose. “What the hell am I doing?”

#gravity falls #stanford pines #stanley pines #angst #stangst #fanfic #a character study I wanted to do for a while

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warcats-cat · 4 months

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*materializes into existence*

Hey, my wonderful moot :D

(if this is a duplicate, ignore it; wifi is picky, so idk if it sent already or nah)

I heard you felt lonely, so I got summoned cause I am your MOOT and I care goddamnit. All the affections for you (/p).

I saw ya like FNAF (specifically Sun & Moon's lines in Help Wanted 2), so: what was your fav lines from the Daycare Jesters? I call them that cause, ya know, the sillies.

Also: I don't remember well, but I think you also like Sanders Sides (correct me if I'm wrong). If ya do, have you seen the newest Asides? If so, I wanna hear about your fav parts. The funnies, the 'lore' (angst) parts, any sort of theories, or even just gushing about your fav pairings or characters.

Infodump about whatever!! I love hearing ya thoughts on things and such <3

Lastly: moths. I fuckin love moths. And tardigrades. And spiders and beetles and- okay, so I just really love bugs and insects.

✨moths✨

Anyway, have a good day and hope this helps the loneliness not be so lonely :D

Hewwo Oatmeal Friend! I love you too 💜💜

I have to say my favorite lines are the new lines for Sun's arts and crafts section because they're straight up hilarious. "I should turn the lights off myself" killed me. Someone please give this robot some Prozac and a teddy bear.

My interest in FNAF Sun/Moon is kinda the fault of Bamsara (who I won't tag because I'm not cool enough to interact with them) who has a fanfic called Solar Lunacy which is *chefs kiss* really fulfills my shameless need for x Reader content 💜 ((seriously if I could find familial TS Patton x Reader content I would print it out and hang it on my wall))

Yes the robojesters are very silly and I have to say I'm seeing the FNAF fandom leaning on the head canon that they may have not originally been child-care robots, but on-stage actors, and we're just given child-care programming later which makes me 👀 I love them being doting kiddo caretakers but also the idea of a dedicated thespian being throwing into a pile of wailing children and told to figure it out is absolutely hilarious to me.

Also yes!! I love me some Sanders Sides!! Love my boys. No one is surprised but Patton's bit with the tinier and tinier boxes absolutely was my favorite part. My parents did that when I was like ten and it started off with this GIANT box and I think there were at least six I had to go through before I found a plush of Snoopy and tickets to go to Camp Snoopy at Knott's Farm (forever salty that it was bought by Nickelodeon). I still have that plushy somewhere in my room 💜 and entire book of pressed pennies from Camp Snoopy.

Anyway I actually genuinely enjoyed the new Asides! I miss so much the original format of videos that were one-off and shorter, the conflict being self-contained and generally light hearted. And the interaction between Logan and Virgil was so adorable 💜

Tell me about moths 👀 I love moths and butterflies and BEES😍 (I'm lame, my favorites are the Lunar moth and the Rosey Maple moth. My fairy-sona's outfit is themed to a crossover of the two, though it was more lunar moth like when I first put it together. It's evolved a lot over the years.) Spiders and I have a love-hate relationship rn; the fuzzy ones make me want to cry (pos) and the spindly ones make me want to cry (neg). There's a colony of tiny spindly ladies living in my basement bathroom that I don't know how they got there and I don't know how they keep reproducing because there are no bugs down there.

I don't know what a tardigrade is .....

#warcats answers #oatmeal friend #thank you for the ask oatmeal friend #please tell me stories about moths #i love their fluffy antennae #and their fuzzy bodies #and the fact that they kinda look like aliens and love the moon #i have so many stupid mothman pun pins #friend asks #please tell me stories i am sick #i get very whiny when im ill #can you tell?

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tailsbeth-writes · 20 days

Text

15 questions for 15 friends

Thanks for the tag @taste-thewaste!

Are you named after anyone?

My first name (Taylor) is inspired by the singer Taylor Dayne, my mum gave birth on a Sunday when the radio chart show was on. I was actually the first Taylor born at that hospital 😎

When was the last time you cried?

Two days ago, actually because of laughing so hard which is a nice change!

Do you have kids?

Nope, unless we count my book cause it is basically my baby. 🥹📚

What sports do you play/have you played?

I used to play field hockey in high school. I was a regular at my swimming pool until the 24 hour gym finally opened. 🏑🏊🏻‍♀️

Do you use sarcasm?

Me? Sarcastic? Never!

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their clothes or accessories probably, finding something I can compliment someone on is actually kind of handy if my anxiety is particularly bad.

What’s your eye color?

Blue 🔵

Scary movies or happy endings comedies?

Honestly just whatever I'm in the mood for, I really like both! 🎭

Any talents?

Writing, I'd hope? I was longlisted for a Penguin Book's competition & 4 years later I'm still in shock. I'm also an excellent baker! 🍰

Where were you born?

Techinically Melrose, Scotland (that's where the local hospital is) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

What are your hobbies?

Writing, reading, nail art, baking, crafts (I love air dry clay and paper crafts, I make Xmas cards every year) and travelling. I'd also probably count planning trips and holidays for my friends, I'm very good at finding good deals and I weirdly enjoy organising stuff 😅

Do you have any pets?

Yes - one rescue kitty. She's called Blue, she's a tuxedo cat and has resting bitch face, likes being held like a baby but not admitting it. 💙

How tall are you?

5’10

Favorite subject in school?

English

Dream job?

A full time writer, but also I happen to have an interview for a youth work role next month and while it wasn't something I ever saw myself doing, I'd love to get it. It would be part time so I could still work on my book baby but with more stability. Here's hoping! 🤞🏻

(apologies if any of you have been tagged already) @heysweetheart-writes @candyspandemonium @firenati0n @onthewaytosomewhere @myheartalivewrites @blairwaldcrf @run-for-chamo-miles @littlemisskittentoes @priincebutt @callumsmitchells @duchessdepolignaca03 @itsmaybitheway @fraudulentzodiac @littlespoonevan @leaves-of-laurelin

#15 questions for 15 friends #some of y'all are fic writer friends & some are just people i admire lovingly from afar <3 #feel free to say hello anytime!#get to know me #personal

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regallibellbright · 1 year

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Okay so that post about tragedies in video games bounced off some neurons and my thinking yesterday about Dragon Quest Builders 2, and a thought finally cohered there, so let’s talk about Dragon Quest Builders 2 and dramatic irony with our BFF, the God of Destruction!

Okay. So Dragon Quest Builders 2 works off the setup of Dragon Quest 2, where a cult of monsters called the Children of Hargon (named for their high priest) are menacing humanity. It’s mentioned, literally once or twice before the final battle, that Hargon is specifically trying to bring about the coming of his evil god Malroth, who he summons as the final boss of the game. This is about all the characterization and build-up Malroth gets, and his design is an evil six-legged dragon with a big skull necklace. He’s not very memorable. But, since he’s a god of DESTRUCTION specifically, it fits really nicely into the idea of Dragon Quest Builders. Builders in this series are tied to any act of crafting and creation - making a house is building, but so is making medicine or cooking. Farming is an aspect of building, outlawed under monster rule along with the rest, because these acts are tied specifically to humanity. The premise of the game is bringing hope back to the world by reintroducing humans to the art of making things. So Builders 2 establishes that destruction is therefore something heavily associated with monsters and monster culture, and as a builder, you represent their opposite. The game starts with Hargon already defeated and a straggling ship of monsters kidnapping you (an apprentice Builder) and some other villagers to execute you in revenge for the cult, Hargon, and the Master of Destruction’s demise.

And then, this is not a spoiler, it makes that Master of Destruction your best friend.

The tutorial of the game has you trying to fix the ship before it sinks in a storm (because good, devout monsters can’t build, but if the ship sinks, they drown too.) It fails, and you wake up on a desert island with a strange young man named Malroth. He has amnesia and likes breaking things and fighting. He tags along after you for almost the entire game. If you destroy a certain kind of block so you can use it, he’ll break more just like it. If you attack a monster that’s not inherently hostile for their item drops, he’ll go out and fight more slimes. He’s stronger and tougher than you as the PC, and most importantly, he draws aggro for the hostile monsters. Mechanically, a lot of the weaknesses of the first game are addressed just by giving you this buddy NPC to help with combat and resource gathering. Since the actual player character is silent, Malroth also fills the traditional role of “companion character who reacts and repeats your presumed reactions so the developers don’t write dialogue for the Player Insert”. When you achieve something, like leveling up or completing a significant build, the two of you high-five. He’s always there, and the player is happy for it rather than annoyed.

And, at least in the English version (the Japanese version apparently uses an alternate kana reading of his name for NPC Malroth that could, conceivably, be an actual person’s name rather than the one used for the boss, but since the game establishes pretty quickly that Malroth has ominous dreams and sometimes hears a voice no one else can who talks about how he’ll awaken soon - and I think even calls him by his title outright, at least in English - I don’t think it’s left much of a mystery in the original, either, especially as the game makes sure to drop the evil god’s name early for anyone who didn’t play DQ2,) the mystery is not “Who is Malroth.” We all know he’s clearly the Master of Destruction reborn. Maybe the English localization could have nicknamed him “Mal”, but frankly I doubt it would have been convincing. They got saddled with one of the most Transparently A Fantasy Villain names imaginable, but honestly even if there WAS supposed to be a genuine mystery around Malroth, I think they lucked out here because I think it works better this way.

The characters don’t know what we do. The game establishes that only the higher-ups of Hargon’s cult know the True Name of the Master of Destruction. It’s dramatic irony, and it’s great. We know that eventually the truth will come out and the Master of Destruction part will almost certainly be reborn, because this is a video game, but we’ve gotten attached to our Destruction God BFF. Again, he makes the game better mechanically just by existing. When there’s inevitably a section where the two of you get separated, shortly before the internal reveal, you REALLY miss his presence. We don’t want to fight him, and we don’t want him to be subsumed by his evil god alterego. But as we get more skilled at building, he gets more skilled at destroying. We know we’re tied onto this log that’s about to go over a waterfall, and we are powerless to stop it, and knowing that he’s the final boss does nothing to stop us from getting attached. I love this. It’s great.

It also helps that the game has an actual mystery, one that it doesn’t start dropping heavy hints about early on. You know that the Children of Hargon were defeated and their leaders are dead, so how have you ended up in an archipelago where they still have control over the land and have subjugated humans? The answer here is genuinely a cool reveal, and plays into a neat little sequence from DQ2. I like it. THAT mystery is framed as a mystery, given just enough hints it still makes sense on replay while not being telegraphed. But I really do think it’s better in this case that we know who Malroth is, because it lets us feel that dread as the game progresses and we’re still getting attached to him anyway.

In conclusion: Dragon Quest Builders 2. I love it. It was my game of the year in 2019 and it was what finally got me to start writing a little again when there were a few lingering plot threads I wanted addressed, and then the game gave a free update that addressed them! I am happy.

#Dragon Quest Builders 2 #meta #dramatic irony #video games #long post #malroth #dqb2 malroth #malroth dqb2 #dqb2 #Dragon Quest Builders #this is actually relatively low on spoilers #because again it is not a secret that Malroth is the evil god Malroth #to anyone except the characters

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bisexual-horror-fan · 9 months

Note

Omg Bexxx!!!! Been a fan for the longest time. Everything you write is just so hot! Ive been dying for an update on Through The Heart Is The Only Way.! My roomie showed me how to jailbreak ChatGPT and I fed it the whole fic and the little preview and the AI was able to finish the fic for me!! IT WAS SO GOOD!!! If you're still having trouble writing the next chapter you should def try using it to help you finish!! <3

Wow. Okay. So. Hi there Anon.

I dunno where to even start with this.

So you say you are a really big fan of mine, and have been for a while. So where were you when I reblogged this post? Talking in depth about people plugging fanfic into ChatGTP, and me wholeheartedly agreeing that it is fucked up. Oh! Or how about this time? Or this one? Orrr this one? This one too. I said in the tags of those posts if anyone does this to me I am going to riot, so get ready for a fucking riot.

I have posted and reblogged several, SEVERAL TIMES, that I am not okay with and do not consent to this shit. I will repeat now, with my whole fucking chest, so the fucking nosebleed seats can hear me, like a goddamned theater kid trying to impress a broadway talent scout level of volume, straight up BELTING TO THE BACK ROW-

I AM NOT OKAY WITH AND DO NOT CONSENT TO MY WRITING, TO MY ART, BEING PUT INTO AI PROGRAMS!

This is just, so far removed, I don’t know why you would think this is even remotely okay!

I write for the love of the game, for the sheer love of CREATION ITSELF! Do you understand how much my writing and love for it and the media these characters are in and those same characters themselves permeate my thoughts? My days? I pour so much care and thought and effort into my shit behind the scenes. Hours and hours of thought and parsing, re-watching, writing that you don’t see and I do it not because I am getting money, not for likes, or comments or followers but because I fucking LOVE it. The urge in me is literally uncontrollable to do this. I feel proud of what I do! Do you have the smallest conception of the time, effort, blood, sweat, hours of sleep lost to my craft and this hobby that gives me creative satisfaction? I do NOT want this discounted or tramped on or heaven forbid forgotten.

How about we really break this down so you understand it. Let’s do some math.

Through The Heart Is The Only Way has not gotten an update innnn a little over two months, sixty four days to be exact. But. How much writing have I posted in that time since I last updated that fic, the last chapter of which was, if you remember, is twelve THOUSAND words? I have posted, in the past sixty four days, since that last update, thirty eight thousand words.

Wow! That is a lot of words for slightly over two months!

It is almost like I care so much about TTHITOW that I am purposefully taking my time with it, not rushing it and writing it when the inspo grabs me by the fucking ovaries and will not let go. I re-watched the entire movie franchise and the tv series for this fic, I have a doc with piles of ideas and character study, I have chapter ten plotted, outlined and had it started! But shit like this?

It doesn’t make me want to write it Anon.

It is demoralising.

I feel disrespected as fuck right now.

I KNOW what I am doing with this fic, I KNOW where it is going, I have the ending already planned, we are about half way through this fic AT BEST! I have probably another over sixty thousand words in me to tell this story the way I want to but knowing me? Definitely more. The fact that you think the only reason this fic isn’t updated more frequently or isn’t done yet is through lack of thought, from not knowing where to go? Is insulting as fuck. Me taking my time with this fic doesn’t mean I don’t care, it doesn’t mean I am not obsessed with it or love it. Frankly, it means the opposite, me dragging this out is because I love it so fucking much and I want to do it right.

I have a ton of love for lots of movies, lots of characters, I want to give them all attention, I want to follow my muse, I don’t want to FORCE myself to write something when the mood isn’t right. The readers deserve better but so DO I! This is my love, this is my hobby, I want to do it my fucking way, because I guaran-FUCKING-tee, that whatever the fuck ChatGTP pumped out for you is a weak, pale, pathetic, whisper of a God forsaken SHADOW of what I have planned to unleash for this fics ending.

I know that a lot of people look down at sexual content which is what 99% of what I do is. Lots of people view it as base, lesser, shallow, no care or thought or heart. That is not the fucking case, certainly not for me. Sex has deep personal meaning to me dude, I CHOOSE, actively make the decision to write and do these fics in the fashion I do. I write these character explorations and studies centered around sex and sexuality and write them through that lens because that is what I want to do, that is what speaks to me, that is what is important to ME and what I want to contribute to the fandom space.

I am human. I write to an inhuman degree, (remember last week when I posted three fics, totaling over eight thousand words in one day? Crazy that still isn’t enough somehow and you felt the need to do this-) but I am still a fucking person. I am an artist, a writer, an author and I deserve the most basic respect of my supposed “FANS” patience and ability to WAIT. That is the barest minimum. I write so often, I give so much of myself to it but some days I just want to come home from work and watch a movie. I want to have a bath, I want to cook or bake or spend time with my husband and those times, those breaks, make my writing all the better. My writing, all writing that is worth a damn, is inspired and pulled from real life experiences, hence why AI writing sucks, there is no actual life experience or interpretation, no fucking soul. All it is capable of doing is vomiting back out what is put into it and the idea that my shit is in there, that you took my writing and it is contributing to that writhing mass of technological horror that is doing this to countless other artists and writers? It is genuinely fucking upsetting.

I am so unbelievably mad it is insane.

This was so gross, never do this again, to me or anyone else. And if you ask what to do when you are having trouble waiting for a fic? How about you leave some detailed comments? Try to talk to the author? I bet that most would LOVE to be talked to and asked about their fics, they are the prime people who want to talk about this shit, they are writing the fucking fic, clearly have a lot of love for it and get it, and also if you talk to them about it and show interest it might kick start their inspo again which means you will get that real and authentic update from the artist themselves. Also. Re-read, just re-read or explore more new fic, like me for instance, I have, again posted over ONE MILLION WORDS IN THREE YEARS OF POSTING! I have so much backlog, go read some of that while you wait for the updates man fucksake.

I don’t want to hear this is too harsh, I don’t want to hear this is too mean, I do not fucking give a singular goddamned shit at all. You fucked up here hard Anon, take a good look at yourself and do fucking better.

And in case it wasn't obvious, my writing? Isn't for you, not anymore.

#I literally cannot BELIEVE YOU ANON #The fucking BALLS on you #Like WOW #I know I usually try to be nice or calm or measured but this is SO fucked up #Never do this again to me or anyone #Full scorched Earth #Like this is legit heartbreaking #How dare you attach this to my baby to my long fic over year long passion project #My GOD #THE AUDACITY #BHF asks #I am sickened

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shivunin · 5 months

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WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @greypetrel---thanks, as always! 💗

Tagging in turn (no pressure!) @star--nymph @ndostairlyrium @daggerbean @zenstrike @blightbear @inquisimer @dreadfutures @dungeons-and-dragon-age @nightwardenminthara @vakarians-babe

First, Warden scarf update: Progress is much quicker now that I am working on a more standard stitch. I am really enjoying the silver next to the blue and looking forward to the chainmail-y look it'll have as I add more rows. I am toying with trying to make an embroidered griffon, but that's an ambitious amount of embroidery for my current skill level. Still workshopping it a bit, but hoping to finish for the end of the month. Also, I finally found the right purple for the Leliana scarf, so I can finally finish that one, too!

And also, I have been working on some Baldur's Gate fic (below) as I feel out voice and dynamics:

“Back to camp?” she asked the others.

Grumbling, they staggered their way back toward the clearing they’d chosen for the night.

“What was it like?” Shadowheart asked, some time later. “Being a prodigy, I mean.”

Tav glanced sideways just in time to catch Gale’s grimace. The orb troubled him, she knew; he’d called himself prideful before, and perhaps losing so much of his skill had humbled him. Even so, nobody liked to have their nose rubbed in what they’d lost. Very well, then. She would take this blow much as she’d taken the arrow aimed for the wizard’s neck not half an hour earlier.

“Lonely,” she said, finding the path before her and focusing on it. “You are held apart. Always praised before anyone else. Your peers resent you, even as they wish to imitate you. Mentors teach you your art at the exclusion of all other skills; the holes left by that sort of thing are never found until years later. One day, you realize that you are a master of your craft—this is around when everyone else has already learned how to make friends and fall in love and plan a life outside of your specialty. In this, you are woefully behind. But the acclaim—from far away, everybody loves you. They talk about you in their fine halls and in the city streets. They write poems and songs about what you’ve done.”

She sighed, still trying to find the words.

“But by then—you never get to be a person again. It’s already too late.”

A bird sang in the tree overhead. Distracted, Tav paused and peered up at it. A simple tree sparrow, she thought. It blended almost perfectly with the branch it perched atop.

“Lovely day, innit,” the bird said, and she smiled slightly.

“It is. The best I’ve seen in an age.”

“You take care down there,” the bird said, peering down at them. “Big crowd of arseholes wandering round the woods these days. Burning trees, like.”

“I’ll be careful,” she promised, and the wound on her shoulder ached at the words. “Safe flight. Warm nest.”

“And you as well, mum,” the bird said, and fluttered away into the shadows of the wood.

Tav hummed to herself, thinking about the smoke they’d seen in the distance. How far away might it be from camp? If someone really was burning the wood, they ought to do something about it before it caused even more harm than the crashed nautiloid.

“Gods,” Astarion said, abruptly at her elbow, and she started. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say so many words at once. Did that spider knock something loose in that hard—I mean darling head of yours?”

“Yes,” Shadowheart agreed, peering at her. “Awfully specific, too. What was it you said you did again? Before the tadpole and the crash, I mean.”

“Oh, nothing,” Tav told them, turning again to catch the last sight of the sparrow through the trees. “I’ve lived at the temple for years. I’m no one of any account.”

She started walking again. This seemed the best way to avoid the question—the other two being the ones most likely to spend long hikes grumbling than any of her other new companions. Unfortunately, Astarion kept pace with great ease. This was the trouble with all the armor, she decided unhappily. Once she got going, she could barrel right into an ogre and knock it over, but he had her beat for sheer speed. There would be no escape.

“Oh, really?” he said. “And yet I somehow get the feeling you aren’t being entirely honest. Come now, darling, you’re among friends. Surely it wouldn’t kill you to share something. We’re all just dying to know more.”

Something delicate and sharp crawled up her throat. Glass; always shattered glass. Tav choked it back and focused on the trees and the ground beyond.

“We hail from the same place,” she reminded him, glancing at the pale elf from the corner of her eye. “You said yourself you don’t recognize me.”

Because she had shut herself away in her workshop for years. He almost certainly knew her name—the old one—but he would not know her now. What a blessing that was, from the hands of her Morninglord himself. How little it mattered then that she did not recognize herself when it meant that nobody else would, either.

“I suppose I did,” he said, but his eyes remained narrow.

“Say now,” Gale called from behind them, “about those boots you found. I think I’ve deciphered the enchantment on them. Rather clever—and simple to explain, too. You see—”

He launched into a detailed explanation not only of the boots in question, but also the method by which they might have been enchanted in the first place. Tav breathed a small, private sigh of relief and nodded to him in thanks. Gale smiled back, eyes crinkling at the corners. The topic, it would seem, had been dropped.

For now, at least.

#wip wednesday #scarf wip #tav tag #shivunin scrivening

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