#also i finally learned the color the words thing on Tumblr!

[specialagentleonkennedy]

Umbrella Corporation file #27658401

Subject: The Study of The Precognitive Abilities of Leon S Kennedy.

File author: Dr. Alex Wesker.

(Warning: this file contains sensitive topics about mental illnesses, if you are uncomfortable reading such, please feel free to skip this file.)

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The human mind is a fascinating organ, fueled by neurons and chemical reactions that power the human body. However, it is a enigma. What gives it the ability to create thoughts and store memories? What tells it to help us fall asleep or wake up? All these questions have yet to be answered, but that's for another file.

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As stated previously in another file, Agent Kennedy has developed an enlarged pineal body wedged between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

The pineal body is a gland that produces melatonin, however it has also been the center of theories regarding "psychic" abilities, or the Sixth Sense.

In theory, because a normal pineal body is only five millimeters, it does not have the strength to use the Sixth Sense and is only able to produce the melatonin chemical.

In addition, the pineal body in Agent Kennedy's brain is as large as a chicken egg, like the ones you see at the farmer's market. Therefore, Agent Kennedy has the ability to use the Sixth Sense.

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Agent Kennedy has so far six recorded Sixth Sense abilities.

•Telekinesis: the ability to control and manipulate objects with the mind.

•Telepathy: the ability to communicate to a single or multiple individuals with the mind.

•Mind Reading: the ability to read an individual's thoughts.

•Technokinesis: the ability to psychically manipulate electronic devices. (Televisions, radios, cellular phones, etc.)

•Psychometry: the ability to obtain information from a individual or object by touch.

•Mind Control: the ability to manipulate a individual's thoughts, emotions and behavior. (Ie, a puppet)(WARNING: THIS ABILITY IS UNSTABLE AND MUST ONLY BE USED IN DIRE SITUATIONS.)

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Despite the symbiotic relationship between Agent Kennedy and the parasite, and the rapid evolution of Kennedy's biology, there is one flaw; irreversible damage the cingulate gyrus.

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The cingulate gyrus is an arch-shaped convolution situated just above the corpus callosum. The frontal portion is termed the anterior cingulate gyrus (or cortex). A component of the limbic system, it is involved in processing emotions and behavior regulation. It also helps to regulate autonomic motor function.

It is theorized that when the pineal gland was warped by the Las Plagas parasite, it also caused damage to the cingulate gyrus. Therefore, Agent Kennedy now suffers from a form of Psychosis that mirror other psychiatric disorders.

These disorders include:

•PTSD.

•Body Dismorphic Disorder.

•Schizophrenia.

•Depression.

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What is interesting is if anything were to trigger these disorders, Agent Kennedy will physically mutate to his Feral State in defense, and will become extremely aggressive.

Agent Kennedy has also developed something extraordinary: Vectors.

Vectors are an ectoplasmic organ originating from the Las Plagas parasite and take the form of four elongated "Arms".

Though invisible to the naked eye, Vectors can be viewed via Infered Detection or Night Vision.

The Vectors can stretch a max of 25 feet and are capable of cutting through metal and concrete.

When viewed in Infered and Night Vision, the Vectors are described as having five digit hands, however the digits take the form of blackened boney claws.

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Many treatments have proven unsuccessful to aid Agent Kennedy's mental health. However Kennedy has been offered healthy coping mechanisms and has done some of his own. These include:

•Music.

•Gloves and a face mask.

•A figit ring.

•A journal and pens.

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Agent Leon S. Kennedy is a remarkable human, having endured and adapted to the worst situations. And despite having flaws, I believe Agent Kennedy will be a valuable asset to Umbrella.

- Dr. Alex Wesker. END FILE.

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#resident evil #leon s kennedy #umbrella corporation files #you will not BELIEVE how long it took me to research this. #nearly six and half hours #i have zero education but i can read #also i finally learned the color the words thing on Tumblr!

[2n1ghts]

❝let me take care of you, baby.❞ ❥︎ collegebf!eren x reader

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

synopsis: it was nearing finals, and you avoided your boyfriend— eren—like the plague. and boy, was he was worried for you. your normally cheerful demeanor dwindled to something snarky, something avoidant. all you did nowadays was study till your brain rotted, and it made you a bitter person. he was waiting for the day you'd collapse, and the moment you did, it was worse than he expected. good thing he was there to take care of you. to pamper you because you were his baby.

*contains suggestive content!! advise against reading if you're under 17. minors will be blocked, so please dni if you're one!

key: e/c -> eye color

・┆✦ʚ♡ɞ✦ ┆・

hey y'all!! 💌

again, not sure how the whole tumblr thing works. i'm experimenting and trying out writing for fun, so please be kind. i was pretty out of it when i wrote this, so ignore any typos or inconsistencies. also, bear with our y/n. she's crafted this way for a reason.

it's my first time writing a short fic/drabble, and i did this as more of an experiment. i welcome feedback but please be kind with your words. i am just learning and finding out what works for me.

anyways, hope you enjoy lovelies!

best,

~ nene

The past few weeks had been a living hell.

Not because of the finals nearing round the corner, or because of the two hours of sleep you were getting per night; not because of the crude professors who made it their life mission to assign a million projects when the quarter was about to end; not because of your parents who did not give two shits about your mental health.

It was the distance you were maintaining with Eren that made it the hardest.

He was worried for you. You could tell by the way his eyebrows would furrow when you would decline yet another plea to relax, or the way his eyes conceringly flitted to your scrunched posture whenever you'd cuss at yourself, or the way he would gently, tenderly... remove your hands that tended to roughly rake through your hair when anxious.

Your breaking point was nearing, and he was holding himself back from embracing you right then and there. He was not one to interfere, but he wanted to take care of you, to ease the burden off your shoulders and reassure you that your studying would amount to great achievements. But he didn't know how to reach you. You were so caught up in your bubble of self-sabotage and pressure that you shut the rest of the world out, including him.

But he didn't want to be "the rest of the world." He would wallow in your bubble too, only if you'd let him in.

"Fucking deratives will be the end of me," he heard you seethe from your position on his gaming chair. The both of you were currently cooped up in his room, with him scrolling through TikTok and occasionally glancing at you while you revised and revised till your eyes were sore.

Eren's roommate flew out, which left the place to himself. He lured you here stating it would be better to study at his place with "no distractions" compared to your apartment with Hitch, who was quite the gossip and hinderance.

As you highlighted yet another section, you felt his eyes raking down your figure.

You were engulfed in his oversized grey hoodie, wearing nothing but a flimsy cotton bra and matching underwear underneath. Your hair was messily thrown up in a bun, a few strands tickling your forehead here and there, to which you frustratedly blew from your periphery. Lilac crescents embedded themselves into your under-eyes, followed with bags entailing sleep deprivation. One bare leg was propped up as you rested your chin on your knee and swung the other absentmindedly.

If you didn't stop studying now, you'd collapse from exhaustion. Three hours had passed by nonstop. You hadn't even drank water.

"Y/n," he called out gently.

You ignored him, but he knew you heard him because of that cute forehead scrunch you just did.

"Y/n," he called, this time a bit louder. Once again, that damn scrunch, but no verbal acknowledgement.

"Y/n!" he tried for the third time. You furrowed your eyebrows, scowling. Your slender finger pressed into your plump lips, a gesture made to silence him.

Leaving his position on the bed, he strided over to you. He got onto his knees and gently took ahold of your meandering hands. The callus of his fingers felt textured against your knuckles.

"Why are you ignoring me, babe?"

"I'm not ignoring you," you replied, trying to refocus your attention on your migraine-inducing Calculus textbook. He tried not to flinch at you shutting him out for the nth time this week.

It hurt him whenever you tried drowning him out like he was a petty distraction.

Because he wasn't to be discarded. He was your boyfriend, and he promised to always be there for you, so why wouldn't you just confide in him?

"I called for you three times, Y/n," he stated calmly. Letting go of one of your hands, he gently drew circles on your knee with the pad of his thumb, hoping it'd soothe your nerves. Goosebumps littered your skin at the gesture.

"Can't you see I'm studying, Ren? I can't talk right now." Overstimulated and tired, you weren't in the mood to converse. In fact, you weren't in the mood to do anything. All you wanted to do was collapse onto your sheets and fall into a hundred-year slumber, but unfortunately, finals exist to give you enough of a reality check.

"You are working so hard, so take a break, please," he pleaded yet again.

He'd beg if it meant you'd prioritize your health. He cared more about you than his ego. That's why he always rebounded with a gentle demeanor, even if you were rude and snarky. He knew your brash attitude wasn't your fault. You just didn't function well under stress.

The unfiltered truth was, you weren't used to the princess treatment Eren offered. As a child, you had gotten used to your parents' nagging. Sleepless nights became routine if it meant you'd score straight A's. It had been like this all throughout high school.

Until you met Eren.

He prioritized you first, always, and taught you to do the same. It was sort of... a culture shock to you, a difficult adjustment. You needed time getting accustomed to this novel way of thinking, and luckily Eren was understanding.

Couldn't say your self-sabotage wasn't eating away at him, though.

"And you need to take a break from badgering me. I'm perfectly fine," you snarked. Your eyes broke contact with his, gaze landing once again on the textbook to your left.

Angling your chair, you turned your body away from him, trying to focus on the task at hand. You couldn't bear to look at him because you knew he was right. If you gave in, you would stop studying. If you stopped studying, you'd catastrophically fail, which could not happen.

With a frustrated sigh, Eren swiftly snagged your textbook and threw it behind him. It collided with the mattress with a large 'thud.' You gasped as he grabbed the edge of your chair, turning it towards him.

"You're not getting that textbook until you eat and drink something," he asserted, a layer of seriousness washing over his green eyes.

"What the hell, Eren? Give it back!" You shrieked.

"You heard the conditions."

"Eren, this is serious. I don't have time to play games right now. Please... give it back."

"Who said I'm playing games, Y/n? The only reason I'm doing this is because you're being negligent towards yourself."

"Okay, well that's my problem. Who are you to interfere?" You countered.

"Hey, I'm not trying to be your mom or anything. As your boyfriend, I care about you. It's just a glass of water and a snack, Y/n. Do it for yourself. You deserve a break."

You started panicking. An uneasy feeling sprawled up your stomach as your hands got clammy. "No! You don't understand."

"Then enlighten me, babe. I'm right here."

Rolling your eyes, you stood up from the chair, trying not to cringe at the weird noise emitted from the leather upon loss of contact with your skin. You reached forward to grab your textbook off the mattress, but Eren was faster. He took ahold of your wrist and lowered it.

You grunted in frustration. "I—I need to study, Ren. Badly. My career and future depend on it. These are hard subjects. I need hours and hours of studying to ace these exams. You don't get it."

He doesn't reply, continuing to look at you sternly and not budging. Your nerves were skyrocketing. What was his deal? This wasn't the time to be testing your patience. Plus, if he really cared, he'd understand your desperation.

"Okay, whatever sick fun you're trying to derive out of this isn't cool," you deadpanned.

You tried pulling your wrist out of his grip, but he required little to no effort to keep you at bay, simply planting his feet further into the ground when you tried shoving him. Your e/c-eyed stare pierced him like daggers, but his resolve was impenetrable.

God, what a stubborn fuck.

You continued wriggling and squirming to no avail. Your bottom lip began trembling. Liquid pooled at your lashline, threatening to moisten your cheeks with its salty trail.

You broke.

Sniffling, you shoved him repeatedly in the chest. "I hate you. I hate this. I fucking hate college and hate my parents and hate finals and hate this fucked up system that does nothing but capitalize on our stress and hate motherfucking Calculus and professor Ackerman and—"

Moist lips enclosed your own, trapping them tantalizingly. The kiss was brief and sweet. He used it as a way to tranquilize you, gently trapping both of your wrists with his one hand.

"Shh, just let me take care of you, baby," he rasped as he tenderly interlocked his arms under your legs, lifting and placing you on the bed. The mattress felt soft against your spine.

If pamper had a textbook definition, Eren's face would definitely appear in the margin.

#eren jaeger #eren yeager #eren x reader #aot x reader #aot smut #this is my first fic so i don't rlly expect it to gain that much traction lol but here goes nothing #eren #aot #eren x reader smut #eren jaeger x reader #eren yeager x reader #anime x reader #attack on titan #attack on titan fic #attack on titan fics #eren fics #eren x reader fics #eren x reader fic #eren x reader fic recs #eren recs #eren x reader recs #bf! eren x reader #jaeger #yeager #planet of the titans ☄️ #the flame; eren

[comicaurora]

Hi! I finally got the chance to read Aurora a bit ago. It's a wonderful story--all I was expecting and better! I was particularly amazed and delighted by the artwork and visual mechanics used to tell the story, so I wrote a post to yell about how cool it is and break some of it down. (No criticism, just praise.) I'm mostly a hobbyist, so I'm hoping I've done it justice.

That said: zero pressure to read it or respond to this ask. Normally I wouldn't send it since I tagged, but I know Tumblr's notifs are a mess and things get lost very easily. I've been in both the "one (1) word of praise will feed me for a year" and the "oh gods don't talk about my writing/art because anything that seems Off will break my brain" modes before, and I absolutely don't want to push or make you uncomfortable!

If you are comfortable, however, I wanted to ask about your use of what I'm assuming are Screen and blending modes in sound effect words. (I'm only guessing that's the technique, though, so I could be totally wrong about how it's done! I'm mostly experienced in image manipulation in Photoshop.) Making them semi-transparent over the actions is genius :) What inspired you to do that, and are there specific techniques you use to make it work?

Same questions go for using specific colors to distinguish different characters' words and actions. I really noticed it in the cave sequence with Falst and Dainix, since their colors are so vivid in the dark (ex. Falst's little swats and Dainix's swooping kick at 1.20.9). It lends excellent clarity to busy scenes.

Thanks! Have a lovely day, enjoy your break, and happy holidays <3

You're correct about the technique! "Screen" is the blend mode I use most often for sound effects. I stumbled on it mostly through trial and error - I love how sound effects add depth to a comic panel, but it's very easy for them to obscure the art in a way I find counterproductive, so "Screen" lets me put the sound effect directly over the origin of the sound while still letting it be visible through the word. Early chapters didn't have it as much-

Most of the sound effects in early chapters are just solid colors with reduced opacity if I'm feeling fancy. But I started figuring it out around chapter 8 and 9, because Falst is kind of a sound-effect-heavy guy, especially in his fight scenes.

In order to make sure they don't impede the visibility of the action, I'll often soft-erase the top or bottom half of the SFX to reduce its opacity while still leaving it readable.

I'll usually double that up with an outline on the SFX so it's still readable. This is an especially important consideration if the SFX goes over an area of the background that's very bright or glowing.

Color-coding the speed lines and SFX to the character or force causing them isn't a hard and fast rule, but I like using it (in part because it's a habit from the OSP illustrations, where every character has a single pop of color in their lineart) mostly because it sort of codes every sound to make it clear where it's emanating from, or the general feeling of the sound. Since I normally do character-colors for SFX, something like this stands out more jarringly-

Which it's supposed to, but a big lightning strike doesn't register as anything too worrying because it's just Tess up to her usual shenanigans.

It's also very useful for magic effects, because each form of magic has its own associated palette.

And when I had a very complicated fight scene in a dark environment, I used the texture pattern I'd already made for the monster to color its SFX, so when I Screened them onto the panels they didn't obscure too much while still communicating "this is something else."

Changing the weight, lined-vs-not-lined, and opacity of the SFX words also helps to communicate that not every sound has the same feeling. A strong motion is solid and aggressive, but a crackling, unstable sound is more ephemeral and staticky.

It's definitely been a process of learning as I go - looking back at the earlier chapters I can actually see when I first tried various tricks I now use regularly, like doubling and distorting an SFX to produce the effect of a camera-shaking impact. I haven't really seen any other comics that do it like I do, probably because most other comics follow a more traditional production pipeline where text bubbles and sound effects get locked into the composition early, before the inking stage, because traditional physical comics don't have digital-art layers to play with. Adding sound effects to a page is almost the last thing I do before exporting them, and that only works because digital art and layers allow for a ton of flexibility.

#asks #aurora #art stuff

[ao3cassandraic]

Heaven and Hell as surveillance states

@princess-spock responding to The Fiasco says:

The Metatron probably IS watching, although it can't be too close by because he's never visible through the windows… But, so what? If Aziraphale wants help, what's to prevent him from just ASKING Crowley for it? If the Metatron was able to perceive anything Aziraphale did or said at a distance, Aziraphale would be unable to eventually plot against him, so the Metatron CAN'T be that perceptive. Turned backs are sufficient to thwart lip reading, lol.

Solid observation. Let's explore it. (I mentioned I'm a privacy wonk, I think. No way am I gonna miss an opportunity to privacy-wonk at all of Tumblr!)

One thing I did while I was pondering The Final Fifteen Minutes was watch it with the sound muted and captions off. I'm not the greatest at connecting facial expressions with emotions (not neurodivergent as far as I know, just kind of clueless, this takes effort and attention for me), so I needed the lack of distraction.

I recommend this. It did help clarify things for me. And, of course, it gives an idea of the level of drama Metatron can see through the bookshop window even if he can't hear or lipread the actual words. Frankly, though, would you put a surveillance miracle (or a simple plant of what Earth humans call a "bug" in the bookshop -- he has plenty of opportunity) past the fucking Metatron? I wouldn't. But I'm not the point. Would Aziraphale think this possible? How would it impact his conduct in the Final Fifteen Minutes?

From the chinwag, Aziraphale learns that the Metatron's been hunting through Heaven's records to figure out that Crowley and Aziraphale are an item. (As I said, chilling. Just the "I've been watching you two" implication must be a real oh-fuck moment for our poor angel.) Exactly how much he knows, we don't know and Aziraphale doesn't know. It could be a lot... and it gives the Metatron a psychological advantage over Aziraphale to leave that question open, let Aziraphale imagine that the Metatron could know anything about them, or even everything.

Now, there's plenty we don't know about how Heavenly surveillance works and how extensive it is, especially on Earth. In s1, Michael rocks up to Gabriel with surveillance photos of Crowley and Aziraphale on a random park bench. But Michael's pretty incompetent with things Earthly -- she barely manages to figure out a matchbox. I wouldn't take those photos as the limit of what Heaven's or Hell's systems can do on Earth.

Saraqael, Heaven's Only Competent Angel, is pretty adept with the Realtime Big Globe, also a surveillance mechanism. She doesn't expand the archangels' view on the sceptred isle past what's needed to detect the miracle plume -- but then, at that point she believes she's shown what they need to know, why bother looking further? So we don't know how deep or detailed that globe's viewport can go! Judging from his actions in s1, Aziraphale barely knows how to make the globe work; he doesn't know either. So as far as he's concerned, it could be capable of any level of realtime surveillance at any place on Earth. Does the Metatron have an accomplice using it to keep an eye on the bookshop? (I actually don't think so -- the Gaiman-Finnemore brain trust tends to be more parsimonious than that -- but Aziraphale has little on which to base a guess. It's possible, to him.)

We do know Aziraphale and Crowley fear the possibilities. Why else would Crowley insist on doing a miracle to shield Jimbriel from recognition, practically first thing after he and Aziraphale reconcile?

We also get a pretty substantial clue that Hell's surveillance systems on Earth can hear words -- if they couldn't, why would Crowley care so much about never being called nice or kind or good? Furfur surveilling the Spider Shit Cell can hear the flies screaming, another hint.

So we know, from all this and from Muriel's full-color meeting-Zoom records, that Heaven is a surveillance state in the Bentham-panopticon, Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four tradition, and Heaven treats Earth as a surveillance target as well. The surveillance state is even more obvious in Hell; Furfur's a cog in that wheel.

The slight twist away from Bentham and Orwell is that Heaven's surveillance systems don't seem to be monitored 24/7/365 the way Bentham's prison or Oceania's telescreens are. Instead, the Realtime Big Globe gets an occasional pinch-and-zoom, and otherwise surveillance records pile up unheeded in Muriel's office until somebody cares enough to consult them, which isn't often ("once every few hundred years" according to Muriel).

So it's intermittent, unpredictable surveillance, consultable whenever anyone cares enough. And from research on Earth humans (um, I'm going to put a CW for abuse on this post, because a fair chunk of this research involves survivors of domestic and intimate-partner abuse, also those who live in oversurveilled areas or are subject to bossware), we know that under constant or intermittent-unpredictable surveillance, people develop strict internal self-governors for their own conduct -- stricter than their surveillors expect of them, even. They often become anxious, expecting accusation or attack from any corner at any moment. Distressingly often, surveillance all by itself (no additional abuse necessary) causes clinically-significant trauma.

Does this sound like our Ineffables to you? Does to me. (It's also mirrored in Lindsay's treatment of Nina.) They know they can get away with a fair bit, because they build up a track record of doing so -- Heaven is largely indifferent and possible to trick, God is outright oblivious, and both Heaven and Hell seem to operate on a peer-to-peer surveillance model where you only get watched when somebody's trying to rat you out (see: Furfur going after Crowley in 1941). But the consequences of being successfully ratted out are dire -- Falling, in Heaven; whatever happened to Crowley at the end of the Resurrectionist minisode, in Hell.

Again, Aziraphale finds out during the chinwag that the Metatron has taken an interest in him and Crowley, enough to comb through the records. So even if the Metatron can't read lips, even if he hasn't planted a bookshop bug -- given that Heaven's a surveillance state and he knows the Metatron's out there watching and can consult Heaven's surveillance records for additional details afterwards, strict kayfabe will be Aziraphale's likeliest defensive response, and quite reasonably so.

Not least because the Metatron is by no means the typical incompetent Heaven angel. He handles himself on Earth perfectly! He's not omniscient or infallible, but he's only the tiniest bit lacking in clue! If Aziraphale's extra-cautious in the bookshop, knowing that the Metatron's involved in this mess, that's only common sense!

So I'm standing pat on Aziraphale kayfabing his poor little heart out with Crowley, for now. (As always, my metas are subject to revision and reinterpretation! I'm way too Former Litrachoor Scholar to insist on a single set-in-stone interpretation of anything ever.)

#gos2spoilers #gos2 spoilers #good omens season 2 spoilers #good omens #ineffable husbands #the fucking metatron #heaven and hell are surveillance states #the final fifteen minutes #tw abuse #cw abuse #good omens meta #heaven and hell

[universitypenguin]

Reissued Post - Backstory

Author's Note: Because Tumblr was having issues when I posted the original version of this, some of my followers are having trouble accessing it. I'm reissuing a few of my side piece stories so everyone can read them.

Masterlist

Word Count: 3,132

Masterlist

When do you think Lloyd realized he cared and had feelings for princess? I recall in the story that the guys would give Lloyd a hard time when princess finally found a boyfriend that Lloyd would be devastated (poor thing 😭) I also kinda wanna know how he felt while she was dating Aiden. Obviously we know he didn’t like Aiden at ALL lol but did Lloyd ever feel hurt in a way watching princess go on dates with him and when she talked about him?

Learning about Aiden

“Why are you being such a space case?” 

You jumped at Lloyd’s question, startled out of your own little world. Scrambling, you shut your screen and re-focused. 

“Sorry. I was distracted. What were you saying?”

Lloyd’s sharp blue eyes narrowed. 

“Who are you texting?” 

“Uh… no one?”

He leaned back in his desk chair and looked at you steadily. You curled tighter into the couch on the other side of his office, looking down at the floor. 

“I still have that report to do… maybe I should go work in my office. I don’t want to distract you.” 

“I’m already distracted, Princess. What’s the big secret?” 

“I met a guy. You know that alumni mixer I went to a few weeks ago?”

Lloyd grunted. “Yeah.” 

“His name is Aiden LeDoux. He moved in similar circles to me during college. We kind of hit it off.”

“That’s LeDoux, spelled like the country singer? What state does he live in?” Lloyd asked. 

He typed the name into a search engine with the word, ‘Virginia’ to filter the results. 

“Twenty-six, graduated three years ago, and works for AVT security?”

“That’s him. What did you find out?”

Lloyd glanced over. “You haven’t run a background check on him?”

“No. That’s for when I’m deciding whether to go on a date with him. But I’m curious.” 

“Ah. Let’s do this.” 

Lloyd cracked his knuckles and leaned over his computer. Your phone dinged with a message from Aiden, which you responded to as Lloyd typed. 

“No speeding tickets, no parking tickets. His academic record was less than stellar. Apparently he subscribes to the philosophy that C’s get degrees.” 

“Not everyone is academically inclined,” you said. 

“But you are. What will you guys talk about on a date if you have nothing in common?”

“I don’t know. Football?” 

Lloyd snorted. “Doesn’t start until September.” 

“Oh. That’s why you’re not showering me with long winded descriptions of the athletic accomplishments of people I don’t know.” 

“You could always mention how happy you were that the Atlanta Braves won the Superbowl.” 

Your eyes narrowed. “I know that’s wrong, but I’m not sure which part.” 

Lloyd snickered. “If you have to comment, just say that you’re a fan of anyone who isn’t the New England Patriots.” 

“Noted. Anything else on Aiden? Slaps on the wrist from university institutions, or other authorities?”

“Ah-ha. He has three parking tickets at the university. And a complaint for under age drinking. You should reconsider the date. He’s clearly an alcoholic who steals parking spots. One of these tickets was for him parking over the line. Disgusting.”

You laughed. “Terrible. He was probably drunk when he parked. Maybe even high.” 

Lloyd toggled over to a different page, one that Jake had set up for him. He typed in Aiden’s information and was surprised to see several security clearances. He checked out the company he worked for and found they had several Department of Defense contracts. 

Lloyd memorized the contracts and filed the information away for future use. 

Just in case. 

Date # 1

You were wearing a short black dress with tights and a blazer. He’d noticed the hemline was shorter than usual, but the jet black tights made it work appropriate. The color only served to highlight the shape of your legs. Lloyd had tried not to be distracted. He failed miserably. 

It didn’t help that the cut of the dress perfectly flattered your figure. He caught a glimpse of a spaghetti strap underneath your jacket and the image circulated in the back of his head for the rest of the day. 

Fuck. He needed to get laid. 

You were his friend and he needed to put aside this nonsense. The chemistry between you would never be realized and that was for the best. He sometimes wondered if the chemistry he felt was all one sided. Maybe you only saw him as a friend and a coworker, not a man. 

“Has Y/N mentioned that she has a date tonight?” Jake asked. 

Lloyd stiffened. “No. Why?”

“Just wondering.” 

He tried to brush off the irritation, but it bubbled up throughout the day. 

You had a date. That was fine. It was what single people did, right? They went on dates. He could arrange a date of his own, if he liked. With an age appropriate woman and not someone who was starting on soft foods when he was choosing a college. Lloyd’s eye twitched. 

He glanced at the clock. If he wanted an update on the insurance investigation reports he needed to catch you before you head out. Reluctantly, he set off down the hall for your office. 

Your door was closed, so he knocked. 

“Just a sec!” 

Did you sound breathless? When you opened the door, he saw why. The black tights were gone. In their place was a different kind of tights, made of mesh with a floral pattern that wound around your legs making them look long and sexy. The blazer was gone and your dress was held up by the thinnest of straps connected to a tight fitting bodice. 

Your height was different, which prompted him to look down. 

Fuck me heels. That’s what they’d called shoes like that when he was young. As the saying went, ‘you can’t walk in them, but you can wear them in bed.’ 

“What do you think?” you asked. 

“Is this a first date?” 

“Yes.” 

“Do you have any concerns about breaking an ankle? Or perhaps an entire leg?”

The shoes bothered him more than the dress. 

You laughed and turned to the mirror you’d hung on the far wall of your office. He watched as you applied a fresh coat of red lip lacquer. The shiny finish made him think it wasn't lipstick, but at the same time, it had more color than lipgloss. He wondered if it was one of those fancy products with the no transfer formulas. The kind women usually wore when they planned on kissing a man. 

A vibrant image of you on your knees with your lips around his dick came to mind. Lloyd shook his head to dislodge the image. 

“Okay, now what do you think?”

“You look beautiful.” 

He genuinely meant it.

“Really?” You tilted your head. “What’s missing? Please, just tell me.”

“Well… maybe it’s the context, but you don’t look like you in this outfit. It’s probably just me. I usually l see you in office wear.” 

You flashed him a smile. “That’s perfect. I’m going more for attention than authenticity, you know?”

He didn’t, and couldn’t untangle the concept behind your statement. The authentic you was a far better version than this glamorous photo shoot ready version of you. With a quick peck on his cheek, you skirted by him and down the hall to the elevator. 

Lloyd stood there, confused, disgruntled, and irritated that he hadn’t even asked about the insurance investigation he’d planned to bring up. He rubbed a hand over his face. 

Fucking hell. 

When he stepped into your office to lock the door, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. An imprint of red lipstick was on his right cheek. He stared at it for a long moment before he rubbed it away with his thumb. 

Lloyd returned to his office in a much better mood than he’d left it.

Date #3 

Jake had informed him of your last date, but this time it was Zach who let him know you were going on your third date with Aiden. 

Lloyd ground his teeth. 

“Careful there. Don’t crack a molar.” 

“Shut. Up.” 

“Would I do a thing like that?” Zach asked. 

He was grinning like a little boy with a sadistic streak and a magnifying glass on a bright summer day. 

“You’re enjoying this.”

“Heck yeah, I am. Have you met the dude?” 

Lloyd’s head swiveled. “No. Have you?”

“Yep. I waited outside, pretending to be on a call, so I could catch a glimpse.” 

“That’s creepy.” 

“No, it’s being nosy. I’m a private investigator. Being nosy is literally my job.” 

“Well?” Lloyd said. 

“He’s six foot three and probably weighs one forty. It’s like looking at a baby colt - all arms and legs, no substance.” 

This was great news. If you weren’t attracted to him this would probably be over quickly.

“Did you to talk to him?”

Zach smirked. “I texted her that you needed an update on the insurance case and cornered him in the lobby.” 

“She’s going to kill you when she finds out.” 

“I bought him a coffee and did a twenty minute interrogation. He didn’t even know what I was doing. He thought I was just being friendly.” 

Friendly wasn’t a word often applied to Zach Hightower. Lloyd got along with the Texan because they shared a devious streak and could lose themselves in the hunt; especially when the prey was other human beings. 

“Give me your impression.”  

“He’s squirrely. I don’t like him one bit.”

Lloyd focused completely on Zach. 

“In what way?”

“He used the phrase ‘I was in a mood,’ and not ‘my mood was.’ Stuff like that. Princess got pretty annoyed when she found me getting cozy with her boyfriend.” 

“She probably thought I sicced you on him.” 

“She asked me what I thought of him this morning and I had to dodge the question,” Zach said. “Landon noticed I didn’t answer and asked what was up. When I told him about interviewing Aiden, he said the mood thing is a sign of a personality problem.” 

“What kind?”

Zach shrugged. “The kind that makes you an asshole.” 

“She’s going out with him tonight?” 

“I guess so.” Zach said. 

A long moment passed as Zach stared at Lloyd, expectant. 

“Well?” 

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to say something to her?” Zach asked. 

“You’re the one who thinks her boy toy has a personality problem. You say something.” 

“Landon said that, not me. I can tell he’s the kind of guy things just ‘happen’ to. The kind that doesn’t realize they’re responsible for how they act.” 

“I’m not going to disturb her relationship.” 

Zach sighed. “You’re such a bitchy little girl.” 

Lloyd sneered. “And you’re a nosy old woman.” 

“It’s my job, asshole.”

Date #5

Lloyd should’ve been suspicious when Zach brought him to a bar that didn’t have chandeliers made of antlers. 

Obstensivey, this outing was to distract him from your date tonight. When he found himself sitting at a table on the mezzanine of a place called “Club Violet,” questions should have come up. 

Jake sat to his left and Zach across from him. When Zach’s eyes began to stray around the room, Lloyd mimicked the behavior, almost out of habit. The lower area held the majority of the crowd. Its large dance floor pulsed with activity and the bar was packed. 

Then, he saw what Zach was looking for. You were perched on a barstool, your arms twined around Aiden’s neck. He was standing in front of you, his hands caressing your hips, straying lower than they ought to. 

Lloyd’s breath hissed. “Jake, if I throw Zach head first over this railing, do you think he’ll die?” 

“Huh?” Jake’s head snapped up from his phone. He stared. “What?”

“I could just snap his neck with my bare hands.” Lloyd’s tone was conversational. 

Jake looked between them and then back to his phone. “Landon will be here any minute.”

“Off topic, boy wonder,” Lloyd grumbled. 

“It’s relevant. We need two of us to break you up.”

“He’s been waylaid,” Zach said.

Lloyd glanced down and saw that your position had changed. You’d let go of your boyfriend to speak with a newcomer. Even from a distance in dim lighting, he could identify Landon’s fade haircut and the military straight posture. 

“Damn it.”

He snarled at Zach, who returned a Cheshire cat grin. 

“Well, well, well… look who's coming up the steps.”

Lloyd didn’t need to look. He knew you’d be on your way over. He covered his eyes and groaned. 

“I’m blaming you for everything. Everything.”

“Why are you guys playing the role of protective older brothers?” Jake asked.

“Because Aiden’s a squirrely little punk,” Zach said. “See? He isn’t even coming with her.”

Lloyd uncovered his eyes and frowned when he saw Zach was right. Aiden was still at the bar. He’d turned to a girl with raven’s wing hair and was chattering away, looking suspiciously like he was trying to pick her up. His eyes narrowed as something cold moved in his chest. 

You arrived on the second level with Landon and were rapidly approaching.

“What’s our cover story?” Jake asked.

“No cover story,” Zach said.

At least Zach was being straightforward, even if he was obnoxious. Lloyd tossed back half of his bourbon and hoped some liquid courage would take the edge off. 

Your eyes cut to Zach when you stopped at the head of the table.

“What are you? The Gladys Kravits of Bishop & Howard?” 

The big, blond Texan flashed a smile. 

“Why thank you, sweetheart. In my profession, that’s the highest compliment one could hope to achieve.” 

With an exasperated groan, you dropped into the chair beside Zach, and turned to Lloyd with an expectant expression.

“Can’t you collar him?”

“I’ve tried. Shock collars, choke chains… Nothing has worked.” 

Zach slung an arm around the back of Princess’ chair. 

“Your boyfriend is an asshole. Landon? You talked to him.”

“Just for ten seconds.”

You shared a look with the dark haired man and slanted Zach a sidelong glance. 

“You’re paranoid. I think you should see someone about that.”

He laughed. “I have. They can’t fix me.”

It was annoying that Zach’s arm had moved forward on your chair and was now pressed against your back. Did he think he was your best friend, rather than Lloyd? He had the urge to kick the other man under the table. 

You turned to Jake.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’re right. These two,” he gestured to the older men, “are crazy. I think it’s age.”

“Shut up, punk. I can kick your ass any day of the week,” Zach said.

It was pretty much true. Zach only had two inches in height on the young man, but it was the solid 60 pounds of muscle that made him an immovable force. You couldn’t see the weight until he took off his jacket and even then, there was only a hint of the musculature. Zach never wore clothing that drew attention to his physique. He let it come as a nasty surprise to anyone stupid enough to mess with him. 

You were bantering with the Texan about him being your nanny. Lloyd watched closely and all he could see in Zach’s behavior was a paternal kind of affection. He knew a thing or two about Zach and because of that, he doubted there were any hidden motivations behind his actions.

What about Aiden had triggered Zach’s instincts? The way he talked. The lack of ownership of behavior. Lloyd tried to evaluate that on its own, treating it as fact. He could see the issue Zach was insisting was such a problem. Sitting there with the others bantering around the table, Lloyd turned his thoughts inward, pretending to present as he ran through the logic in his mind. 

He was paying enough attention to the conversation to notice you were gently trying to soothe Zach’s nerves. It seemed to be working, too. Landon was watching you closely and asking questions from interrogation school 101. By the time you left the table, pausing to hug Zach and reassure him that you were totally fine and had listened to all of his red flags, Lloyd had come to a decision. 

“What do you think?” Zach asked Landon when you were gone.

“I’m not sure. He seems insecure but hey, some guys of his age just are.” 

Zach groaned and shook his head. He picked up his beer and tilted it at Lloyd in a salute. 

“Look at the benefits of being nosy. I talked some sense into her.” 

Lloyd grunted. He waited for the right moment to corner Landon alone. He caught his shoulder and turned him away from the bar, where he’d been heading. 

“Come on. You don’t need another beer.” 

“Excuse me?” Landon demanded. 

“I want to talk to this Aiden kid. If Zach’s this worried about him, we need to check him out.”

“When did this become ‘we,’ rather than just you,” Landon asked. 

“Hurry up, we’re losing him.” 

Aiden was heading toward the door and the crowd prevented them from following as closely as they would have preferred. By the time they hit the sidewalk, Aiden was out of sight. Lloyd spun around, scanning the area. 

“Shit. We lost him.” 

“Is that him?” Landon asked. 

Lloyd whirled. 

He searched the crowd for a tall, thin man but didn’t find him. 

“Where?”

“With the blonde.”

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed on the silhouette of a couple standing in the shadow of a street lamp. 

“Are you sure?” he asked. 

“No,” Landon said. 

Lloyd was almost ready to approach when the couple turned and began walking away. 

Landon grabbed his elbow. 

“Come on. Let’s not be weird. If you have something to say about Princess’ relationship, say it to her.” 

“What, exactly, am I supposed to tell her that Zach hasn’t already?” 

Landon snorted. 

“You know he’s only saying it because he knows you won’t.” 

Lloyd paused. “He is?”

“Yeah. We were expecting you to meet him at least before date number three. But she said you didn’t seem interested, so she wasn’t going to bother.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because we talked about it-”

“We? We, as in who?”

“Everyone. Except for you and Princess.”

Lloyd grunted. “Which is why Zach decided to get nosy.”

Landon shrugged. “He’s your best friend and you’re her best friend. It balances out. We get why you don’t want to step in, and that’s why Zach did.” 

They were nearly at the entrance of the club again, when Lloyd stopped short. 

“Should I be worried about this guy?”

Landon grunted, rocking back on his heels. The look on his face was all the answer Lloyd needed. 

“Right. I’ll look into it.” 

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

Masterlist

#series: the princess & the lawyer #the princess & the lawyer #the princess and the lawyer #lloyd hansen fanfic #lloyd hansen fanfiction #lloyd hansen fic #lloyd hansen au #chris evans characters #chris evans characters fanfic #lloyd hansen x reader #lloyd hansen x you #lloyd hansen x y/n #lloyd hansen x female reader #lloyd hansen x fem! reader #the princess and the lawyer: ask #the princess & the lawyer: ask

[writteninlunarlight-years]

Hey I saw you were doing matchups and I've never done one so I was curious :) plus you seem nice

This is mainly for bg3 but I'm super into Hazbin as well if you feel like doing both 🫶

Gender- woman

Pronouns- she/her

Sexuality- pansexual

Appearance

Basically the best I could get without just putting a picture of myself. Keep my hair short, I love dyeing it, I've had it tons of colors but pink is my favorite. (having it up in two buns is my favorite style) I'm 5'2, curvy, my eyes are kinda downturned and brown. I have a freckle (mole? Kinda? Beauty mark?) above my lips on the left.

Mbti- INTJ

Personality- So I'm autistic, have trouble with certain social queues and expressing emotions. It actually caused a lot of problems growing up but I've gotten better about it now. I'm still really blunt at times and have been told my resting face looks really sad/upset 😅. I'm an optimistic realist, and generally difficult to upset. I cry when I get mad because I never learned to express being angry in a healthy way. I try to be sweet with people I'm familiar with, like making jokes and complimenting people, but I can be pretty mean/cold to people I don't like. I'm a writer, and an auditory learner, so I've always been told I'm an amazing listener. Which I do love listening to people, but I hate interrupting so I usually go entire conversations without saying much even if I have something to say- because I won't interject and by the time I get a word in the subject has changed. I'm a fast learner academically and like to think I'm open minded. Arguments annoy me, but I'm not above admitting I'm wrong. I am very passionate about the things I like, as well as morality based subjects. I also go somewhat nonverbal when I get overstimulated which happens mostly when I'm around a lot of people.

Likes:

-Storms are my favorite weather

-Rabbits are my favorite animals, I grew up with a bunch of them they're super misunderstood from what I know and make amazing pets

-Word association games for some reason? Also puzzles. They're just fun

Dislikes:

-Meat. I have trouble eating certain foods and most meat is in that. I'm not vegetarian but anything with bones or skin or chewy bits I just can't do 🥲

-Yelling. It just makes me upset even if it's not directed at me.

-When people don't think animals have feelings or make jokes about killing pets cause they think it's funny :(

Fun fact: I have photic sneeze reflex which means when my pupils dilate really fast due to a light change (usually going from inside to outside) it makes me sneeze!

Race: I'm a human obviously but I think I'd be a half elf (maybe a drow half elf even, just cause I don't prefer sunshine) in faerun just cause my ears are kinda pointy. I have connected earlobes so it makes them look somewhat more elfy.

Class: Probably an abjuration or conjuration wizard. Sorcerer would be cool but they're charisma based and I'm not very charismatic

Alignment: Lawful good? Or maybe just chaotic good I'm not sure, cause the law isn't always right funnily enough

Thanks, even if you don't get to this. I started posting on Tumblr recently and I know how difficult it is to get to a bunch of asks so no worries if you can't get to it.

You are so sweet, I am sorry it took so long to get to your request, but it is finally time to get your match out!

~~~~~ MATCHUPS ~~~~~

BG3

Halsin

~~~~~ HEADCANONS ~~~~~

Halsin is one with nature, so he enjoys all animals and people no matter what.

He finds your reserved nature interesting. As you are the leader of your misfits, your timidity doesn't quite match your fearless leadership of lives.

He realizes how sweet you are once he joins you in the hunt for the ones behind the illithids.

He struggled to determine if you were sad or if your face was just reading sad.

Halsin is just as awkward himself. Though he has lived for hundreds of years, it is hard to keep up with all the changes that come with that.

When he started developing feelings for you, he was very timid about expressing them. Though love is natural and part of nature, he didn't want to frighten you.

When he found you crying one day because a villager upset you, he was as wild as a bear at that moment.

He stayed back to comfort you but gave a piece of his mind to spare you the argument when you were elsewhere.

Halsin tries hard to help keep the peace among the others, especially after seeing you get overwhelmed by a fight that broke out between La'zel and Shadowheart.

When he confesses to you, he rambles. Because you don't say anything, he thinks you now hate him, so he rambles more. Once he lets you get a say-in and you confess back, he's the happiest ever.

~~~~~ BLURB ~~~~~

You had been tending to the animals near the camp. Though you were soon to leave this area and venture further through Faerun, you wanted to make sure the little friends you made would be okay. You heard giant footsteps approaching behind you as you doled out nuts, berries, and some dried meats for the creatures. Turning gently so as not to frighten away the creatures, you find Halsin also helping tend to the animals.

His love and care for the world around him was so sweet to you. He was a fantastic man who flawlessly met your and the group's needs. Sometimes, you wondered about letting him lead as the new group's leader. Halsin had already turned that notion down since you were more than capable in his eyes.

Once the creatures were tended, Halsin walked up to you. He gently placed some fallen hair back in its intended spot before gently cupping your face. He was always so warm and protective, which helped put you at ease through this whole ordeal with the mind flayers. Nuzzling into his hand and smiling up at him, Halsin gently placed a kiss on your forehead. You two embraced this soft moment before the next battle took place.

~~~~~ EXTRA ~~~~~

(You had just finished a battle; only Gale came out scathed because he didn't listen to a call out from you or Shadowheart.)

Halsin: My Gale, how did you get so beat up?

Shadowheart: Maybe because he's a lunatic who doesn't listen to instructions.

Gale: Hold on, I don't know how this is my fault when you could have simply healed me on the field.

Shadowheart: Why would I heal you when you blatantly didn't listen?

Halsin: Everyone, you don't need to worry about fighting. It's okay. I will tend to the wounds.

Y/N: I also called out to him to move from the spot where he got shot.

Halsin: Never mind, Gale, figure it out on your own.

HAZBIN HOTEL

Charlie Morningstar

~~~~~ HEADCANONS ~~~~~

Charlie is the embodiment of chaotic goodness. She just wants to help everyone and make the world a better place.

She loves animals, people, and really everything. If she could express her happiness and love any better, she would.

She was taken aback by how reserved you were when you came to the hotel. Usually, people in hell were brazen.

As she got to know you, she enjoyed the wisdom you offered.

She did everything to put a smile on your face, mostly because she enjoyed your happiness and because she couldn't tell when you were sad or just thinking.

She goes full momma demon mode when someone upsets you, with no hesitation the claws are barred.

She tries really hard to be a listener for you instead of you listening to her. Though Charlie tends to ramble, especially about her ideas, she always wants to hear your input.

When there is violence or issues in the hotel, she makes sure you are first safe and far away. Once things have calmed down, she will come and get you.

She didn't really confess to you. One day, you two were friends, and the next, she was talking to you about being in a relationship.

~~~~~ BLURB ~~~~~

Charlie had been diligently working at her desk on her next big plan to rehabilitate sinners. While she was working away, you had taken refuge on her bed, writing in your journal. You enjoyed the monotony of your growing relationship, where even if you two weren't actively doing the same thing, you still chose each other. As you got to the climax of your story, a frustrated groan was heard next to you.

Turning your attention to the princess, you noticed she had scrapped another idea of hers. Sitting up, you slowly made your way over to her to see what seemed to be causing the hiccup in her mental process. Charlie was full of amazing ideas; just some were far harder to attain than others, and you both knew that. So sometimes, just offering your own insights helped her reimagine an idea she was having.

Taking your spot next to her, you noticed that instead of working on sinners like you thought, she was working on your next birthday. You laughed gently at her, causing her to snap to her senses and look over at you. Knowing she had been caught, she gave up and let you look at what she had been working on. You smiled and gently took Charleis's hand in yours, "You know I would be happy with just spending the day lounging around with you, right?" This was enough to spread a giant smile across the princess of Hell's face.

~~~~~ EXTRA ~~~~~

(The new hotel had been built, and Charlie was eager to welcome new sinners. However, no one showed up the first day, making her sad.)

Y/N: Charlie, it's okay. I am sure there will be some tomorrow or the next day.

Charlie: But how will we beat heaven if no one gets rehabilitated.

Y/N: We can't force people to stay; we need them to come on their own.

Charlie: but I made cupcakes.

Y/N: How about I eat one with you?

Charlie: ( sniffles ) Okay.

#x reader #headcanon #match up #bg3 #baulders gate 3 #bg3 x reader #bg3 halsin #halsin x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel #hazbin #charlie morningstar #charlie x reader #lunarwritings #moons

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

hello! for the ask game!

✏️ Have you ever written fanfiction?

🐰 What do you think says the most about a person?

🙃 What’s a weird fact that you know?

🧸 Favorite place to nap?

🦋 Describe yourself in three words.

🌙 How long have you been on tumblr?

🎤 Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

🤎 What color is your hair?

you can pick and choose from these, if they're too many! hope you have fun answering, i'm looking forward to your answers <3

Ahhhh, I am finally rushing to reply to your little surprise! I appreciate you so much for asking just because, even when I did not reblog the ask game back then. Thank you so much for leaving these in my inbox, loveliest! I also apologise for getting back to them only now — I am answering them all to compensate for my extra tardiness. 🙈❤️️

Have you ever written fanfiction?

I have and I still do, though I have a tendency to completely dissect canon each time and turn the story into my own little thing skdskfjsks. My writing mostly consists of fanfiction works — the ratio is three fanfiction projects to one original work (that is still lowkey fanfiction since it is about a person who existed?). I am, however, struggling a lot with one of my canonverses and am mostly focusing on my original work these days as it brings me endless misery joy and many opportunities to improve my craft.

What do you think says the most about a person?

The way they treat others — that always reveals the kind of person they are the most. You can be extroverted or introverted, a sunshine or a grump, someone who is temperamental or detached, but common courtesy and manners shows a lot about what hides inside your heart (and I ultimately believe that it also reveals just how content you are with yourself). I personally cannot stand condescending people with a holier-than-thou approach to life.

Also, the way they observe what is happening around them and react to these situations. Being able to speak out in defence of someone who is being wronged, openly talking about problems around us, and being aware of the horrible things happening in the world speaks volumes.

What’s a weird fact that you know?

Lmaoooo prepare to be ✨in awe✨.

The average person has enough carbon in their body to make 900 pencils.

The digestion system of sloths is so slow, they practically exhale their own gases (they are absorbed through the bloodstream).

There is a legend that the first appearance of croissants leads back to the 17th-century Vienna. Shortly after the defeat of the Ottomans (the Battle of Vienna in 1683), an owner of a bakery began making crescent-shaped pastries to celebrate the victory of the Austrians.

The stomach acid is so strong, it can dissolve metal.

Favourite place to nap?

I always experience the best naps when I spend time in our small family cabin during summer. We have a terrace where I can fit a mattress, so I usually toss it in there, add an ungodly amount of blankets and read there (and nap there). The naps are always so special because I practically get to sleep outside, on fresh mountain air. Naps on the terrace while there is a summer storm raging outside is even more delicious.

Describe yourself in three words.

Opinionated. Emotional. Curious.

How long have you been on Tumblr?

I think I might be entitled to a senior discount because… eleven years. 🙈

Is there a song you know all the lyrics to?

There are many songs I know all the lyrics to because I usually tend to memorise them after listening to them frequently, but my biggest accomplishment is learning the lyrics to “The Ketchup Song” once I started learning Spanish. It was a massive hit in my country when I was a kid, we used to dance to it alllll the time, but our small lizard brains understood nothing back then. Learning the lyrics and understanding what the song actually is about was like entering a new dimension lmao.

What colour is your hair?

I am naturally a brunette with copperish tones but officially became a member of the Redheads Club this year! I have always, always loved this type of hair colours. My mum has always dyed her hair ginger, so ever since I was a little child, I have always wanted to follow this tradition and have the same hair colour. I feel super pleased & am going for an even lighter shade for the summer. ☀️

#ask reply #about lin #thank you so so so much

[ofallthingsnasty]

friendly favors

Pairing: Jasper (Steven Universe) x F!Reader Tags: HARD noncon, vaginal fingering, piss (loss of bladder control), physical abuse (includes loss of teeth), reader is implied to be chubby, dead dove: do not eat Word count: 3.6k Summary: What are favors between friends, right? When Steven asks you for one, you’re happy to help him with trying to get a certain gem to Little Homeworld. Too bad she has been itching for a fight.

Note: Mind the tags, as always. MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DNI. Been meaning to write this for two years now and I finally got around to make this little thing happen :) Hope you enjoy and requests are open! I really hope the format is right, tumblr gave me hell when uploading this 😬 my ao3 is here, if you'd rather read there.

It’s hot. The morning air around you is heavy with the smell of heat and summer, yesterday’s weather still clinging to the underbrush. You can feel the sweat building underneath the layer of sticky sunscreen you applied before leaving the house, a fragile shield against the sun that is slowly starting to peek through the leaves. You’ll probably sweat it off before even reaching your destination but you can’t find it in you to care, your stomach too fluttery in anticipation. You’re too nervous for this beautiful Saturday morning, doubt creeping into you with every single step you take. A deep breath, then two and you feel a little better, that hollow pit in your belly swallowed up by your breakfast again. Think logically, you tell yourself. Nothing is going to happen. She’s going to say no and that’ll be it. You kick a stray rock to the side and sigh. How did you even agree to this? It’s your own fault, really. Ever since the Crystal Gems had started building Little Homeworld, ever since Beach City had been flooded with colorful aliens, you had been obsessed. You had gotten involved maybe a year or so back, happy to help with lessons and anything else Steven and the gems needed assistance with. You had grown closer to the boy over time and learned soon enough that both ancient rebel aliens and serious, established adults (like you) couldn’t say no to his puppy eyes. And this is how he got you to trudge through the forest, a couple of pamphlets in hand and some pre-crafted sentences in mind, on your way to persuade one of the rogue gems into joining the rest of them over at Little Homeschool. To be fair, you didn’t agree because of his puppy eyes alone. How could you deny yourself the opportunity to see the Jasper, the perfect quartz according to some of the Crystal Gems, the very gem who corrupted herself? You have heard some stories here and there, enough to be curious about her - but also enough to be aware of the fact that she isn’t to be taken lightly. Tales of violence and fury, of pride and a steep downfall kept you curious. Now that you’re mere minutes away from facing her, you don’t really know if satisfying that curiosity is worth the trouble. She could easily turn you into minced meat, if she so pleased. 

Your stomach cramps at the thought. She wouldn’t hurt you, right? Her obsession with Steven was misguided and she wouldn’t try to outright murder a human, right? No, that’s just your anxiety running wild - she might perceive you as an annoyance, but you’re pretty sure she’ll just chew you out for bothering her. You kick another stone as you try to calm yourself, this time with more force than intended. It bounces off the cap of your boot, up into the air. Instead of spiraling further for really no reason at all, you try to focus your mind on the reasons you agreed to this, the reasons you’re so enamored with these alien life forms. They’re fascinating, really. Thousands of years old, capable of creating and maneuvering astonishing tech, some strong enough to rip you apart with their bare hands, others able to manipulate the nature around them. And yet, here on earth they’re nothing but bumbling idiots when faced with the basics of human day-to-day life. It’s strangely endearing to watch them fail at making phone calls and cooking and rewarding to show them just how it’s done right. You’ve made friends over in Little Homeworld and your weekends are usually filled with gems and their antics, not that you mind. It’s easy enough to forget that most of them have been involved in earth-shattering wars, that some have killed - not only each other but organic lives as well. It’s a little too much to think about sometimes, but when they’re in Little Homeworld, they can finally be themselves, finally free to pursue their own interests - and you can forget how easy it would be for a quartz to rip you limb from limb. You’re easy to get along with, at least that's what Steven has told you. Soft and eager to give out smiles and laughter - every time you drop by to spend some time in Little Homeworld, you have a gaggle of gems following you around, curious about your day and excited to tell you about theirs. Maybe that’s why Steven had asked you to talk to her. Maybe she will be more receptive to an organic - although he had sounded skeptic at the very thought of that and you weren’t all too sure either after asking the other Crystal Gems some more questions about their shared past. It is a sign of good character that he wants to try to get her to re-join gem society at least somewhat and although you don’t think you’ll be able to talk her into it, it is worth the shot. Maybe you were too confident in yourself, in your ability to sweet-talk gems of any kind when you agreed to this some days ago, but if it’s any help to Steven and Little Homeworld, you can’t say no.

One last deep breath and you feel a little better. You know you’re almost there - the forest around you gets more and more sparse, broken stumps peppered in between the massive trees around you. There is a clearing up ahead and you can spy the cave entrance from where you’ve paused for a bit. You’re straining your neck to see if you can make out her figure as well - you know she’s home, she has to be. Nothing much to do with your day when you're a free gem hiding away in the darkness, all alone. When you can’t spot her, you simply strut forward - you’re pretty sure she’s already aware of your presence, anyway. The clearing is weirdly silent when you step into the ring formed out of mowed down stumps and receding grass, only silence greeting you. Just where is she? Is she still scouting you out, trying to see what you’re up to? No matter. Your stomach is too queasy not to break the tension. You just want to be over with this and go back to your apartment.

“Hello? Jasper-”, you call out, only to be interrupted by thud behind you. Of course. You should have known that she was already one step ahead of you. You turn around slowly, hands already raised in defense. She’s huge. Peridot hadn’t been wrong when she called her the perfect quartz - she towers over you with ease, thick arms crossed defensively in front of her chest. She looks at you like one would at a disgusting bug they just found squirming around, one eyebrow quirked up while she glowers down at you. Your mouth feels unusually dry when she pins you down with a simple glare and you’re reminded of the power imbalance between the two of you. Unlike the other quartzes, she doesn’t exude that laissez-faire attitude, that friendly openness. Other soldier gems, although intimidating in stature, are usually friendly and eager to make friends. One look at her yellow eyes and you know she very much isn’t. “Earthling”, she spits out in disgust and- disappointment. “Yeah, that’s me”, you say and cringe at your own voice. You sound like a total idiot who is trying to impress the popular kids at school. “I came here to talk about something.” She clearly isn’t amused. You give her another sheepy grin and hastily fold open one of the pamphlets, already trying to form the perfect sentence to get her to consider your little missionary deed. “You see, this is about Little Homeworld”, you start, but she rolls her eyes and pulls a disgusted face. “Please, at least listen to me?”, you squeak out, having lost all of your confidence with one simple twitch of her mouth. You figure she hasn’t punched you yet - she might not do it at all if you’re careful. Jasper narrows her eyes for a moment, searching your face for something before she scoffs again in realization.

“He set you up to this”, she says, looking right through your charade. You shrink into yourself at her steely gaze, a bit ashamed to be found out that easily. “Ah, well-”, you stutter, trying to find the right words. “Not entirely, I did agree to this-” She rolls her eyes at that. “Leave or I’ll make you regret it”, she huffs out, already turning to go back to her cave. “Please, at least consider it! Everyone put so much work into Little Homeschool-”, you press out before you get interrupted by her whipping her head around.

"I said leave!", she bellows, her tone suddenly angry. “I don’t have the time to listen to the begging of some puny earthling.” Maybe it’s the heat that is melting your brain, maybe it’s the thought of disappointing Steven - it doesn’t matter what it is, your feet move forward on their own for a few steps, a tiny call of “Wait!” tearing itself from your lips before you can process your actions. The air immediately shifts into something else. It’s prickly and instantaneous, heavy like the shift in pressure moments before thunder. You have half a mind to stagger backwards, but it’s too late. She charges forward faster than you can react, eyes wide and angry. Your mind screams at you to run but you can’t - never have you seen so much anger in someone’s face and never directed at you. The fist to your jaw catches you off-guard and you stumble back, immediately rubbing your mandible where she caught you. “Fuck-”, you cry out, but she only gives you another second to recover before she uses your open torso to her advantage. One hit turns into two and two into three- she pushes you around with sheer force alone and you can barely react because of her speed. The world is a blur of pain, adrenaline ringing in your ears. You’ve never been beaten up before and she is relentless, no plea or excuse making her falter. Instead, your panicked cries for her to stop seem to spur her on, seem to heighten her rage at you. “You can’t even fight back, weakling”, she sneers with her fist in your face. “Come on! Didn’t you want to talk?” Before you can utter one more pathetic word of defiance, she raises her arm again and brings it down on your jaw, smack dab in the middle of your mouth, right under your nose. Your bone creaks in protest, the sound unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. You can feel something break. The pain ripples through you like an electric shock and you sputter in surprise, spit and blood and something sharp flying off your tongue. Your mouth pulsates as you press your hand to your lips, a futile attempt at soothing yourself. The sensitive skin prickles against something jagged and you push your tongue forward out of reflex, a weird, unknown panic suddenly taking root. Did she- did she break your teeth? You can’t help the tears that rush in as you mutter- no, lisp - a string of no, no, nos to yourself. Oddly enough it’s just like one of these weird nightmares come true, but that thought slips away with reality of the situation.

Everything else is replaceable, could be mended, could heal- but not your teeth, your precious front teeth that are now reduced to nothing but bloodied stumps, the healthy pulps bleeding into your mouth until your saliva is thick with blood. Your reaction seems to entertain her enough to stop her abuse for the moment, but the relief of that fades quickly as your head spins with the terrible realization - it’s like the world is suddenly muted as you cradle your mouth in your hand, your head heavy with panic. Everything slowly fades out of existence as the only thing you suddenly know is your breathing and the louder and louder growing hiss in your ears- white stars flit over your vision and- The world topples.

You feel before you see. You’re sprawled out on the hard, dusty ground, cold sweat pooling beneath your shirt, arms and face and chest hurting from her fists. Something is pressed into your stomach, something so dense it pushes itself uncomfortably into the fat of your belly. Birds shriek around you in excitement as they flap their wings skywards and you can’t help but groan at the unnaturally loud sound. “Earthling.” Your eyes snap open. Above you, a hulking mass of orange and cream blocks the sun, its light spilling around the rugged edges of- Jasper. And with that the momentary peace is broken. You immediately scramble to get up, to get away from her, but you can’t - she has you pinned underneath her foot, the pressure on your stomach increasing until it genuinely hurts. “And here I thought we were done”, she spits out, eyeing you with nothing but contempt as you wriggle underneath her like a pathetic little insect. “Please-”, you lisp, tongue scraping over the ruins of your incisors with the ‘s’ sound.”Let me go- You beat me, you won.” She leans closer to you, eyes sharp and mean. Although you aren’t a real challenge, a real fight, she doesn’t seem to have enough, not yet. “Weakling.” “You’re so soft”, she lowers her face closer to you, “so round, so pathetic.” You watch in horror as she lifts up her foot from your stomach and slowly drags it down to your crotch, planting herself right on top of your cunt with a thud. It hurts and your legs close around her leg out of reflex, muscles hardening themselves to take your mind off the pain.

“Oh-”, you choke out, shoving your hands down to protect yourself. “Please- not there- Anywhere else-” You receive a swift kick in response.  "That's your weak spot?", she says and smiles- no, bares her teeth at you- while she watches you writhing on the ground in agony, blood running down your shirt and eyes red with tears. “Please-” Another kick, another cry from you. She considers your pain and your helplessness, towering above you like some dark herald as you gasp and sob underneath her, too tired to fight back now. There is something peculiar in her eyes - not unlike the curiosity of a cat toying with its meal. You stare at each other for a single heartbeat, then- Within a second, her foot is gone from your body and she is all over you, tearing at your hair and clothing. Grunts and tiny sounds of disapproval fall from her lips as neither your shirt nor bra underneath it yield, her impatient hands traveling downwards instead. She hooks her fingers into the waistband of your pants and you can only watch in horror as she rips them in half with sheer force. She doesn’t even give you the grace of taking them off, your ruined zipper and half-opened crotch are shoved just underneath your ass, barely enough space to give her access. Your panties follow with a snap of elastic and cotton, the fabric flimsy enough to be tossed aside. No amount of squirming and choked cries are enough to make her stop - she seems to be in some kind of stupor, those sharp eyes full of something vicious and nasty. Rough hands dig into the fat of your hips, strong enough to bruise and strong enough pinch your skin against bone as she turns you over. She rattles you around like you weigh nothing, and with arms like hers you can believe it. Face shoved into the dirt and ass up in the air, your teeth pulse as blood rushes into your head, the feeling dizzying and disorientating. It hurts and you can’t help the tiny groans of pain that slip through your busted lips. The feeling is strange and increases with each heartbeat, the blood in your head so heavy it feels like your cheeks twitch. A hand on your cunt pulls you out of the haze. You aren’t stupid. You know how this will end, knew it from the moment she had torn off your hiking shorts. But the way her hand curls around your crotch is still a shock to your system, enough for you to lurch forward- but your weak arms can only grasp air and not dirt as she easily swoops her left arm under your chest to hold you just above the ground. It’s humiliating; scooped up like an animal, exposed, the tattered scraps of your shorts still hanging somewhere around your knees. You can’t even make a run for it if you wanted to. She can do with you as she pleases- You whimper at the thought- and she laughs. It’s low and rough, an ugly sound that makes your skin prickle in fear. “Pathetic appearance modifiers.” She sets you down again, but pointedly keeps one burly hand on your back, pushing you down. Her fingers grope and pinch the fat of your ass, inspecting your organic matter. It stings but you bear it, even as she presses down to the bone. She probes and slaps and squeezes you again and again until your skin is numb and hot. Seconds feel like hours as you tremble in her grasp, nerves sharp with pain, waiting for her to go further down, waiting for her brash hands to abuse your cunt with the same fervor. It’s inevitable and the thought kills you inside. Ever so slowly she inches her way down to where your pussy is painfully exposed- at first her touch only tickles, deceptively careful. Then she reaches between your labia, grabs one pair tightly- before you can blink there’s a thumb shoved into you, and she pulls. It burns, especially with the sudden movement, and you cry out. Another laugh sounds behind you, deep and amused. “There it is.”

At this point you aren’t sure if she’s playing dumb on purpose or if she truly doesn’t know what she’s doing to your cunt. She has spent the last two years in isolation, but she’s hundreds of years older than you- there is the faint possibility of her being aware of organic reproduction. There is no use in dwelling on it, not when her thumb suddenly jerks within you. You squeal at the sensation, but she ignores you. Another back and forth motion until she finally withdraws, much too fast. Any word of protest falls on deaf ears as she delves back into you with her digits, no regard for how little fluid there is to aid her. Her fingers are too thick. You’re nowhere close to being prepared to take her, but she splits you open with two of them, forcing herself into you with so much power you have to brace yourself against the dusty, lifeless ground. It hurts unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before, a dry burn deep within you. It’s agony in its plainest form and you grunt and grind your teeth to alleviate it at least a little bit. It doesn’t help much. When she bottoms out you feel like you’re about to throw up, nausea climbing up your throat with every heartbeat, two of her ungodly thick fingers rooted in you. Your walls clench around her, making it only worse for yourself. Then she starts moving. In and out and in again, the movement feels as though she’s turning your cunt inside out. It hurts so bad- the feeling is indescribable, almost like her fingers are scraping your insides raw with every little motion. She applies more and more pressure every time she dives in, clearly trying to pick up speed. It’s fruitless. You’re too dry and it only makes this more unbearable for you. Long gone are the tiny groans, now you’re crying hot tears into the floor, open-mouthed and shameless. There is only enduring this, the steady movement never ending. She is silent behind you, probably intently watching your torture. You can’t even form clear thoughts at this point, everything is just pain and heat and more pain again, the force of her fingers steadily building until it feels like she’s about to tear through your abdomen. Something snaps within you. It’s wet and hot and too much to be your natural lubrication. It doesn’t take you long to figure out what just happened - not when your bladder is now clenching at the rapid movement of her fingers. You just pissed yourself. Pissed on the ground, on all fours like a dog. Because your bladder couldn’t withstand the pressure of her fingers drilling in and out of you, because she used enough force to make you wet yourself. It pools beneath your knees, a miserable, hot little puddle of amber liquid. The scent hangs heavy in the air around you two, the unmistakably sharp scent of urine heightened by the heat of the sun. She doesn’t even acknowledge it, no, she uses the little lubrication it provides to fuck you in earnest now, her fingers hammering in and out of you.  Sniffling into the sweat-soaked ground, you give up. The skin of your legs rapidly cools with your filth on top of it, and you let yourself be rattled around by her, feeling nothing but a hollow sting in your heart. Not even the telltale twinge of your building orgasm can shake you, your eyes are simply transfixed on the treeline, your head full of soft static. It’s almost blissful when you finally cum, nothing but a soft groan leaving your lips. You’re so numb you can’t even protest as she keeps fingering you through it. When she finally withdraws, you don’t bat an eye. Still in that same ass up, face down position, you weakly glance at her towering silhouette, her face somewhat calm now. Whatever it is that broke the spell for her, you’re grateful for it.

#jasper x reader #su jasper x reader #steven universe x reader #jasper #tw.piss #tw.noncon #gem.posting #steven universe #please please read the tags this is dead dove content

[lampmanliveblogs]

Yep, it got emotional alright. I know I should be talking about the things… give me a few secs…

This is so sweet and beautiful. Finally Camila and Luz get a moment to talk things through

Willow’s words about Camila and Luz not being so different turned out to be somewhat prophetic, as Camila reveals that all this time she was a secret nerd, giving her a way to connect with her daughter.

”My biggest mistake was trying to protect you by changing this beautiful good witch into something she wasn’t.”

I love it.

(and I noticed Luz’ pouch starting to glow, which means…)

”The only thing I ever wanted… is to be understood.”

And there’s all these pretty colors and the animation and the music swelling, oh I love it!

Oh, I feel that, that is something I feel. Because, and I don’t know if any of you’ve ever noticed this, but I’m kinda weird. Now, this is tumblr, a website infamously known for being full of weirdos, so I’m sure a a lot of you can relate.

You know, when I was a kid, I’d make up all sorts of stories in my head, usually based on whatever cartoon or movie or book I’d just consumed. I’d act out my (often incomprehensible) stories with sound effects and dramatic movements that only really made sense to me. And, well… kids are often not the nicest…

So, over the years, I’ve learned to effectively hide these parts of myself. Because you know what? I still play pretend. But only when I’m sure no one will see me.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg really. For example, just the other week, I was talking to two of my coworkers and one of them asked me what my ideal girl was like. And, ah… yeah, that was an awkward conversation. Because if I tried to explain that actually, I don’t really have any interest in romance or sex, well… I can barely figure out where on that spectrum I fall, you think I can explain it to someone who’s never even heard the words aromantic or asexual before??

Also, I eat popcorn with a spoon sometimes.

So yeah, I get it, it’d be fantastic if someone just understood me. Though to be fair, even I don’t understand me, so it might be a bit much to hope someone else will. And I do apologize for ranting a bit there. Believe you me, it could have been worse. I wrote and rewrote this part like six or seven different times, so it could’ve been worse.

My point is, I love this scene. It’s a beautifully succinct way of saying it.

Ooh, ooh, here it comes!

You guys already know how much I like pretty lights, and there are a bunch of them right now, this is so exciting! slightlyconcerningthatkikisawthelightsbutiamsureitisfine I’m finally gonna see what Luz’ palisman is like!

Oh for the love of-

Meanwhile, back underground, Willow has gone from denial to giving into despair, slowly being consumed by her own plants.

I rewatched the previous scene real quick just now, and I gotta say, I really like the soundtrack in these scenes. I feel like I’ve been giving the soundtrack a lot more love in this episode than I usually do. That’s either because the score of this episode has just been that good, or I’ve been paying more attention to it than I usually do. Maybe it’s both.

#the owl house #liveblog #the owl house liveblog #toh s3e2 #for the future

[much-ado-about-whumping]

Commission opportunity for QTPOC nsfwhump writers

Are you a queer/trans writer of color who's open to taking commission? Are you over 18 and an erotica writer? Would you consider yourself trauma-informed? I'm trying to match-make a writer with a commission client, and I might have a lead for you! (Even if you've never written a commissioned work before, if this interests you, please read on.)

This is a slightly unusual post for my whump blog, but I sometimes write paid BDSM erotica commissions on the side, and I have an opportunity to share! A reader recently contacted me asking if I knew any queer, trans writers of color (QTPOC) who could write a trauma-informed commission for them. The client is QTPOC themself and wants a writer who shares those identities. I'm white, so I said I'd ask around my networks!

Here are the parameters they gave me:

I'm interested in a one-time commission involving a cis fem + nby pairing involving a dubcon dom/sub SM dynamic, cold/shivering kink, ~2k words

While this client didn't ask for nsfwhump by name, I can tell you that that's what I would call the things I write as commissions, with some variation based on clients' requests. What I think this client is responding to in my work that made them reach out to me is the way that I can see sexual trauma as simultaneously titillating in fantasy and also really grounded in emotional and physical ramifications for the survivor. I think most people who write nsfwhump can do that, which is why I framed this post this way.

We connected via r/eroticasells on reddit, where the price floor is $0.05/word, so I would say there's a baseline expectation that this commission would net you at least $100*, but of course you and the client could negotiate that yourselves.

(*Note: I currently have COVID and am a little brain-fogged and trying to do the math mentally without navigating away from the tumblr app, so if I got that wrong, please forgive me. 😅)

I haven't thoroughly vetted this client, but they've been kind and respectful in their conversations with me, and I get a good vibe. Likewise, they know I'm circulating this to people I don't necessarily know well personally - I'm just trying to help connect folks to the opportunity. <3 I know we have lots of talented QTPOC writers in this community, but I'm such a lurker lately that I'm having trouble thinking of specific individuals who I know write nsfwhump off-hand. If that's you, please please reply or DM me so I can connect you!

A final note - if you've never taken a commission before, but this idea sounds up your alley, I'd be super happy to share what I know with you about how to do it and stay safe. I'm far from an expert, but I've been doing this as a side-hustle for about four months and gave learned a few helpful tips, both from other writers and through trial and error. Let me know if you're into the idea but need help getting started!

Happy writing, my dears. Hope to hear from some of you soon!

P.S. - Please consider signal-boosting this even if it doesn't apply to you, provided you're a blog that's comfortable talking about nsfwhump. I know there's a select group of us, and I appreciate help getting eyes on this post! <3

#whump community #whump commissions #signal boost #nsfwhump #minors dni #bel talks #get that money friends

[blogfullofemos]

Shall We Start Over?

(It's been a looonngg while since I've written fan-fiction this much, but this felt great to do. Also Tumblr has me in a chokehold for this character. This will be an ongoing series, so I wanted to start off small. Please forgive me as I'm learning the ways of Tumblr all over again. 😊)

Warnings: Fluff nothing but pure fluff. Also hints of dilf Steven. ❤️

Pairings: Steven Grant x fem!reader. Marc Spector x fem!reader.

Word Count: 2.1K

Summary: You're having a much needed break from work but it gets disrupted by a butt tap.

You slowly stroll around the first level of the history museum in France, listening to calming beats as you observe Renaissance paintings and sculptures. Losing yourself to informational plaques even though you are more of a mythos type, while listening to wistful strums of guitars in your earbuds. You finally feel like you’re beginning to recharge from a rather few tense months of strenuous work that led you to travel to France in the first place. But you decided to ignore the details (like your aching muscles) till it had to be faced. You tied your hair up into a messy bun with a few strays dangling freely from its confines. With a fitted white tee and classic bleached overalls, a set of Doc Martens to bring it all together. You decided to do a natural dewy look but quickly regret it, forgetting how naturally muggy London weather can be. Your pores simply adding more dew in the word dewy, but that’s another thing to ignore.

Finished with your observing of the first level, you decide to walk up to the second, each step closer exposing the rather Egyptian feel of the space. Taking the final step up, you people watch for a few minutes. The art couples having deep conversations of paintings, while others took romantic selfies in front of cat-like sculptures. You were kind of thrown off by the number of children surrounding the space, running, testing rules, and chatting with each other. You spot 2 lines filled with 4 to 5-year-old boys and girls holding hands while wearing matching shirt colors trying to focus on the only man talking to them. Answering your confusion that there were multiple field trips happening. You start to stroll again, till you stopped in front of a cat man statue that every person in the world knew as Anubis.

     Anubis stood straight with one hand to his side, while the other reached out towards you. You wondered why the Egyptian God of Death is scattered within every artifact in the space and smirked as it reminded you of a past lover. Who once asked you if he should get Anubis tatted on his arm, with the exact pose, but you never gave him a clear answer as you believed the God didn’t suit his aesthetic. Suddenly you felt a weight bump into your backside hard, causing you to lose balance and head toward the dark statue. Luckily with years of dealing with your own clumsiness, you caught yourself by taking Anubis’s hand and shoulder by using it as a balance beam. You thank the Gods and Goddesses that the statue stood its firm while you quickly collect yourself. You angrily pop your earbuds off as you spin to face the culprit who almost made you pay a lump sum of money for a broken treasure. Money that you definitely do not have.

    “What the FU-.” But you stop instantly as you watch a knelt man bring a red-headed little girl closer to him. The little girl looking up at you with furrowed brows, with eyes that read: you got me in trouble. “I’m so sorry mademoiselle, little Stells was doing what all little enfants do.” He says with a strong English accent, turning the little girl to face him. He gave her a “final warning” look with sleep-ridden eyes as he pointed a finger towards her; Stells face falling from anger to sorrow in seconds. The man proceeds to look up at you and as a curl falls onto his forehead. His tired eyes widening as it captures yours. “U-uh I-I apologize for her disruption t-to yourrr…” he says as he stands dusting his tan slacks before spinning his right hand around towards you. He squints his eyes as he tries to find the right words for what you were doing, even though he should know what a person does at a museum.

You let out a sigh, expelling any bad energy you were exuding and smile. “It’s fine.” You simply put it. You look down at Stells and realized she was sticking her tongue out at you while she stood behind the man’s leg. You directed your eyes back to the man, trying not to let Stells’s childish antics disrupt anymore of your relaxation. The man offers a big smile to you, brightening his rather tiring features. “Well, I hope you enjoy your viewing.” He quickly says as he rather awkwardly scurried Stells and himself back to all the other children who held hands waiting for them. You raised your brow at the odd goodbye, but shrugged it off as you inserted your earbuds back in.  

      Steven crouched down to the Stella’s height as he gently pushes her towards her classmates “One more time Stella and I’ll have to put you on time out, while all the other kids get to play with clay.” He whispered in her ear. Stella quickly turned around to him with a pout that could break the hardest of criminals “NOOO!!” she yelled. Tears quickly forming puddles in her eyes. Steven froze as he felt all the adults within the vicinity look at the frustrated child’s outburst, a crooked smile as he stood tall. “Then let’s go back to our fellow excavators!!” He says loudly through clenched teeth as Stella continued to cry, rubbing her eyes. As he finally situates Stella within the group, he watches as her friends try their best to console her, which gladly eased her ‘need a nap’ tantrum. Steven searches for you, praying you didn’t watch the dramatic scene that rattled the usual calm space. He finds you lost in thought while reading a plaque to a painting. He smirked slightly as his current embarrassment quickly settled.

M: She’s quite a sight to behold.

“I know right.” He says dreamily, fluttering his prominent eyelashes.

M: Sooo what's the game plan Steven. Are we going to continue to stare at her like a creep orrr..

       “MR.GRANT!!” a little boy exclaims tugging at Steven’s pant leg, “I GOTTA GO POTTY!!” he informs. Steven quickly snaps from his trance and looks at the potty dance boy, “OKAY MY LITTLE EXCAVATORS, TO THE LOOS!!” he smiles “PLEASE CONTINUE TO HOLD HANDS OR YOU MIGHT GET CAUGHT BY QUICKSAND!!” he jokes searching the tiled floors. With a loud gasp of shock he points at a little boy with light brown dreads pulling all the toddler’s attentions towards him “HILLARY PULL JACOB INTO THE LINE!!” he orders. Hillary quickly takes Jacob’s hand and pulls him in with an elated smile, Jacob laughing at Steven’s exaggeration. Making all the kids chime in with laughter as they look around the floor for any more hidden traps. Their imaginations now set on overdrive. “Good, lets hurry to the loos. I don’t think Johnny can hold it any longer.” He says lowly. He faces away from his tour class and quickly walks to the nearest bathrooms. Little Johnny holding onto his pant leg for dear life. 

M: Way to miss an opportunity.

“Oh shut up.” Steven hiss. Before he lost complete sight of the room, he looks back to where you last were. Suddenly you both catch each other’s eyes as he sees a small smile on your face, he quickly looks away as his cheeks flared with heat. His heart actually skipping a beat.

M: Steven go back to her.

“I’m pretty busy Marc.” Steven quips.

M: The boy definitely has pampers on, he can...

“No Marc.” Steven says a little louder stopping by the bathroom doors.

        Johnny quickly runs into the male bathroom without further notice from Steven on how long it should take them to be in there. “Ok filles to les toilettes and garcons to les toilettes, don’t forget to wash your hands and NO playing with the hand dryers.” He says watching the little kids run to their respective restrooms. As the last kid goes into the restroom, he quickly follows suit. 

~*~

      The day continues to quickly speed by as you strolled within the museum, lost in fantasy but a little spent from all the information. You check your watch on your wrist deciding to leave the museum, but first you had to stop by the gift shop. A knick-knack of the Greek Goddess Athena calling your name. 

       You enter the gift shop which consisted of mostly miniature models of the artifacts inside the museum, puzzles, and books. The books giving the gift shop a library feel by the smell of fresh printed paper or moldy ones, but you chose the former. You quickly scan to find your favorite Athena sculpture, seeing her resting on a metal shelf full of many others her kind. You happily take her off and check the underside of the stone she’s standing on to see the price; but you feel a few light pokes on your shoulder. You turn to look behind you, to see the tired man from earlier, who waved awkwardly as his mouth shown a crooked smirk. You take one earbud out and fully face your body towards him, hugging a rather sharp Athena to your chest.

“Heya.. Um, I’m S-Steven.” His stuttering accentuating his English accent more. He sticks his right hand out between you 2 with an open palm, expecting a handshake, but you hug Athena closer to you. Steven cocks a brow at your shy approach, wondering what about him made you uncomfortable. But his eyes shot open as he watches you lean back, a little too close to the piles of knick-knacks behind you, as one fell with a loud bang. Followed by a loud ricochet of more following suit, but Steven quickly stops from becoming disastrous by placing an arm down mid-domino effect. Your head drops as you feel your cheeks heat with embarrassment, hoping that your wincing can turn you invisible.

         “Hi.” You say quietly, hearing Steven frantically fix the mess you’ve caused as some still fall.  When he finished, he gently takes your elbow and guides you away from his clean up. Both of you facing side by side with the shelf. “Don’t worry. I’ve done this exact thing so many times, I’ve lost count.” He jokes as you mindfully thank him for saving you from more embarrassment. You pick your head back up and fully look at the man in front of you. Disregarding his tiring appearance, he’s handsome in a geeky way. Which definitely added adorable bonus points in your My Type checkbook. A thick curl rested at the middle of his forehead, between his thick eyebrows, rather Superman-like in fact. His prominent nose adding more character to his already smooth-chiseled face. His lips simply pleasing to look at. He wore the basic of work clothes, a black tee with a name tag, and tan slacks with black shoes. But you can see by his arms, that he’s toned in the best of ways. He nervously chuckles to fill the awkward silence, while he feels your gaze scan him. “Sooo, I see you holding an Athena statue.” He says as he rests his elbow on the shelf, knocking all the miniatures down again. In seconds, you watch as his smile quickly turn stoic. He takes a light hold of your arm, turns you around, and guides you away from the repeated crime scene. “AGAIN STEVEN!!” you hear the female cashier yell from behind the register, making you break into a fit of giggles.

     “I’m so sorry Frances!!” Steven apologizes. He stops the both of you in front of a display window and you turn to face him again. This time with a genuine smile, “My name is (Y/N).” you say confidently. You see Steven’s tense nerves quickly dissolve as he hears your name fall from your lips. “Steven Grant.” He repeats his earlier introductive movement, smacking his hand on his head as he realizes.

“I’m sorry.” He says as his hand slides down his face “I’ll see myself out.”. He turns to walk out the entrance door, but you stop him with a “Hey.”, while placing a hand on his shoulder. Catching him completely off guard with the physical contact, you see the cutest expression grace his face. A mix between expectancy of what’s next to come out your mouth to “Oh my God, she’s real.”. His cheeks reddening by the minute. “Let’s start over, shall we?” you simply add. Steven arches his brow, confused by what you were implying. Letting go of his shoulder, you turn your attention to a display behind you. You pick up a 3D puzzle box and check its price, repeating the motions you’ve taken. You start to get concerned when you don’t get the expected tap on your shoulder, but then he clears his throat. It took Steven a few minutes to catch on to your scheme, Marc having to reiterate it for him, but when he did. He didn’t waste no time to primp himself before tapping your shoulder, bringing a huge smile to your face.

     “Hey, I’m Steven Grant.”.

(First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read this. I would love to see how you guys feel, as I begin the next part/chapter. I don't know what to call this whole series yet 😅.)

#steven grant #steven grant x y/n #steven grant x fem!reader #a hint of marc spector #marc spector #marc spector x y/n #marc spector x fem!reader #marc spector x you #steven grant x you #moon knight #moon knight fluff #dilf Steven grant #ongoing series #marvel #mcu fandom #moon knight fanfic #moon knight fandom #cute moments #funny moments

[mazegirl168]

Algorithm is not a bad word

Named for Arabic mathematician al-Khwarizmi and partially formalized by queer mathematician Alan Turing, algorithms are simply a process for doing things, potentially with a desired result.

An early algorithm we learn in school is how to add two whole numbers together.  Using pencil and paper, you can probably figure out what 420 + 69 is.  In fact there are multiple ways.  You could draw out 420 dots, draw another 69 dots, and count how many there are in total.  Or you could lay them vertically, start at the ones column, and compute the digits of the sum.

Algorithms are not strictly related to numbers.  What if you’re a teacher and you want to sort homework assignments alphabetically by the students’ names?  Well you’ll probably have a process, which involves checking repeatedly if two pieces of homework are out of order (e.g. if you had homework from Bob then homework from Alice, you would swap the two since Alice is first alphabetically).

Another great non-numerical example of algorithms is solving the Rubik’s Cube and it’s larger variants.  In the cube solving community, there are algorithms for specific processes, such as rotating corners cubies or flipping edge cubies.  Some of these apply to the 3x3x3 cube, others can be generalized to help one solve a 69x69x69 cube.

Algorithms are also beautiful.  Visualizing how the data dances around can be incredible.  Check out this animation from Wikipedia showing the Heapsort algorithm in action:

This inspired the hell outta me when I first saw it in 2007.  That diagram a couple seconds in, where it just sounds like it’s emitting a thunky beep at ya before suddenly just putting everything together.  The way there’s sort of a pattern before it.  Just that sheer magic.

You can also make art out of algorithms.  From my username, one of my favorite categories is maze generation algorithms.  Think Labyrinth, whose algorithm page I just linked, was an early website I found on the Internet, and I’m so happy it has survived the various eras of web evolution.  The Maze of Theseus in particular was a huge inspiration for me after printing it out in 2000 on a summer road trip.

Alas Think Labyrinth is from before the days of heavy animations on the Internet, so to visualize a maze algorithm I will instead link to Mike Bostock’s article on Visualizing Algorithms.  It includes many dynamic animations that are rendered in your browser, including the sorting algorithms and maze generation algorithms mentioned above, among many others.

So why the hate for algorithms?

On Tumblr in the past few days, and more generally social media in the past decade, we recently saw favoritism for sorting algorithms that allow us to view our feeds in chronological order.  Many claimed they were opposed to an algorithm that decided in a corporate-specific manner what we should see first.  Let me be clear:  the corporate ordering of a feed is bad, but it is not bad because it’s an algorithm.  It’s bad because it’s not one of the algorithms that users want for ordering their feed.

The other negative use case grew heavily in the past 15 years:  algorithms that are “trained” on biased and/or unethically obtained data.  We’ve seen many examples of systems that were trained on data sets of white college students such as facial recognition technology, which then later gets implemented at a large scale and fucks over people of color.  The past couple years we’ve seen a rise in creating data sets based on scraping millions of artists’ works without any permission from the artists themselves*.  Either of these applied to a corporate or government scale leads to active harm to populations already at risk and probably some new ones too.

Finally, we’ve seen a rise in computer automation for things that should be done by people.  I can’t find the specifics, but this quote is allegedly from a 1979 IBM presentation:

A computer can never be held accountable, therefore a computer must never make a management decision.

My first thought on where this comes up is applying for jobs.  Many companies will use a poorly thought out algorithm to filter through job applications, simply scanning for a couple key words they want (programmers who know Vulkan or Node.js) or more maliciously looking for words they don’t want (needing any kind of accommodation, sounding too anti-capitalist, etc).  These algorithms cannot be held accountable and should not be involved in any stage of the hiring process.

Quick aside:  When I was searching for the source of that quote about accountability, I typed in the first half in Google, and the autocomplete was

Fucking modern Google.

Some concluding thoughts

I like algorithms.  They are a passion of mine.  When people say algorithms are evil, I’m sad.  When people recognize the usage of certain algorithms in certain contexts are evil, I’m more happy (yet still disturbed these things happen).  I just really wanted to educate people on the usage of the word.

Also, algorithms are not about Al Gore’s dance moves.  Please stop with that stupid fucking joke.

*I mentioned scraping data from millions of images without permission of the creators.  My one iffy status with this is how sort of applies to the human brain doing a similar process over the span of one’s life.  What is it that separates my looking through a book of Escher’s works from a computer looking at it?

Obviously many things, but I’m horrendous as philosophy and ethics, so I’m just gonna stay in my comfort zone of pure algorithms and try not to get too involved.  Experts can figure out a more formal definition for what I can only describe as a gut feeling.

#algorithm #tumblr #math #mazes #maze generation #heapsort

[inkweaver22-blr]

Merry Christmas, everyone! I’m sorry this chapter took so long. But here it finally is!

This is the first chapter where a cycle from the previous chapter gets continued. And since the last one was set in an AU made by @animemoonprincess, this one is as well! I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out which one it is pretty quickly!

Get cozy, as this chapter is feature length at 24 Thousand words! Drink water, take breaks, eat a snack! But above all else, please enjoy it and let me know what you think once you’re finished! (Also this chapter is split in two due to Tumblr not allowing more than 1,000 blocks of text per post. If you want to read the whole thing uninterrupted, click the AO3 Link below.)

AO3 Link

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Scattered Cicadas - Chapter Twenty One: Shining With Joy (Part 1)

The changes in Tang’s life never seem to stop. Luckily there are moments that shine bright enough to make them worth it.

----------

Tang took a deep breath of the crisp, early Autumn air. It had been the middle of Summer when he had first awoken in this cycle. Having so much time pass without his notice while dealing with his memory problems was both surprising and somewhat disorienting. Not only had he awoken at what would have normally been the end of a cycle, but it had progressed well past that point. The gift from his timeline’s Sandy was certainly working as intended, and Tang was extremely grateful.

Grinning as the leaves crunched underneath his boots, Tang moved with a bounce in his step. Autumn was one of the best seasons. The bright colors of the changing leaves. The refreshing chill in the air. The delicious seasonal foods. It was the perfect time of year to find a cozy spot to read both indoors and out. 

“Here’s a good spot,” Wukong said, pulling Tang from his musing. He sat under the tree he had picked and gestured for Tang to join him.

Tang looked around as he joined Wukong on the ground. It was a nice location. Trees surrounded the pair as leaves occasionally fell around them. They were just outside the clearing the ship had landed in, but still well within the perimeter of the protective wards that hid them from Lady Bone Demon’s forces.

Her behavior this cycle was very different from what Tang was used to. From what little news they were able to get from Megapolis, not much had changed despite the city being under her control. No oppression, no cruelty, no violence. Other than declaring herself ruler, most of her focus seemed to be turned outside the city by trying to capture their little group.

He supposed this was another effect of Sandy’s gift, enforcing peaceful cycles every now and then. Well that suited Tang just fine. He wasn’t quite ready to face her at her normal level of depravity so close after being freed from her.

Tang shivered at the thought of facing her at all.

“Tang? Are you still with me?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, sorry about that.” Tang shook his head to clear his thoughts. “I was lost in thought for a moment. Nothing to worry about.”

“Right,” Wukong said skeptically. “We can do this another time if you aren’t feeling up to it.”

“No, I’m fine, really.” Tang sighed as Wukong raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “I was just thinking about how different She is this time around. It’s… strange is all, but I don’t want to think about that right now. I’d much rather get to work on this.”

“Alright, alright.” Wukong sat up straight. “So. The 72 Transformations. It’s a bit of a misnomer as it can let you transform into literally anything you can imagine, but we won’t get into that.

“Learning how to do it normally takes years of study and practice, myself as an exception. Properly getting this technique down usually means that any of the practitioner's transformations are already permanent. However, you and MK inherited this power from me, so it works a bit differently for you. While you can still transform into whatever you want, I’m sure you noticed that it takes focus to maintain the form you’re in and a decent blow can knock you from it.”

“Sort of?” Tang scratched at the fur on his face. “I've been in my monkey form for a few months now and don’t feel like I’m focusing much on it. But when I flew away from the ship as a cicada I clipped a branch and that did startle me back into my monkey form.”

“Hmm… That’s strange. I can tell you that your form currently isn’t permanent as I can see your human self underneath it with my Gold Vision,” Wukong said as he rubbed his chin. “A hard enough shock, you running out of energy, or being knocked unconscious could probably revert you right now.”

Tang’s breath caught.

“W-what?”

“Hey, don’t panic! You aren’t going to revert any time soon. I mean, you don’t feel low on energy right now, right?”

“Well…” Tang took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. “No more than usual I guess.”

“Wait,” Wukong tilted his head. “Are you usually tired?”

“Just a little bit,” Tang admitted. “I assumed it was just stress from dealing with remembering everything.”

“That probably isn’t helping, but I think it might be something else.” Wukong activated his Gold Vision and examined Tang closely. “Yeah, you’re definitely channeling your powers to maintain that form.”

“But I’m not focusing on it,” Tang protested. “Plus, wouldn’t I revert whenever I sleep? Pigsy hasn’t mentioned me changing in the middle of the night.”

“It’s possible that you’re doing it subconsciously then,” Wukong said as he deactivated his Gold Vision. “It’s probably a trauma response and your mind is just trying to keep you safe by maintaining this form for you.”

“That… makes sense.” Tang blinked and raised an eyebrow at Wukong. “You’ve been reading Sandy’s mental health books?”

“Maybe?” Wukong grinned nervously. “But anyway! Back to the transformations! So while you’re not likely to revert to your human form due to your mind subconsciously supplying the transformation with your powers, it’s not sustainable in the long term. You’ve already noticed that you’re tired all the time. The longer you maintain this form, the more energy it will require. We’ve been lucky so far but we don’t want you passing out from over exertion.”

“So I need to learn how to make my transformations permanent so it doesn’t continuously draw on my powers.”

“Exactly!”

“You said it takes years of study and practice to learn. My timeline’s Sandy may have extended the cycles but I don’t think we have that long.”

“To learn the full technique, yes,” Wukong said with a smirk. “But you don’t need the full 72 Transformations. You only need to learn a single form. Luckily for us, Teacher taught me the shortcut he would use for his students that didn’t feel like they should be human.”

“Huh.” Tang blinked. “There were people who didn't feel like they should be human even that long ago?”

“Yup! I think the modern term is Species Dysphoria, but back then we just referred to it as a soul being born in the wrong body.” Wukong looked up at the falling leaves with a fond smile. “Teacher may have been a strict and harsh taskmaster, but he did care about his students. Of course he said he only helped because he couldn’t have students who were distracted by such frivolous things as appearances. But he always did help with the change instead of dismissing them.”

“Reminds me of one of my college professors.” Tang said with a chuckle. He hummed in thought. “Species Dysphoria… I’m not quite sure that’s what I’m experiencing.”

“Well the main symptom is a displeasure or discomfort with your body, specifically your species, which fits you. It doesn’t have to be from birth either. Some cases have been brought on later in life by traumatic experiences, apparently.”

“Okay, you have to have been reading about this with Sandy.”

“Big guy likes to read out loud when researching,” Wukong said with an embarrassed shrug. “Kinda hard to not absorb some of the stuff when relaxing with his therapy cats.”

“Well at least you’re finally taking your own mental health seriously,” Tang drawled.

“Let’s get back on track,” Wukong said, shifting in discomfort. “Learning a single form for a permanent transformation is still a pretty involved process despite it not taking as long. We will have to memorize a lot about the anatomy of both your base human body and that of your chosen form.”

“We?”

“Yes, we. Before you attempt the transformation yourself I will occasionally be guiding your magic through the process for transforming individual body parts. This to get you accustomed to the flow of the magic as it’s much slower and precise than the usual instant form shifting. It will also let you test out how certain parts feel so you can make changes before you try the final transformation. I’ll need to know what I’m doing before we can do that, though.”

“I’m assuming that guiding my transformation won’t make it permanent, otherwise you would have already helped me do it,” Tang said.

“Right. Something about how you subconsciously resist changes that you didn’t make yourself. The transformation would eventually revert over time if I did it for you.”

“If I’m understanding this all correctly, I’ll need to know the anatomy of my chosen form as well as know how it feels to change my body into that form in a precise way in order to make it permanent?”

“Pretty much.”

“How are we going to be studying the anatomy part?” Tang folded his arms in thought. “I don’t think Sandy has a book on rabbit demons in his self help library.”

“Did you know MK has a membership at The Cloud?” Wukong pulled out a couple of computer tablets. “Apparently, that makes his phone something called a ‘hotspot’ that allows any device he authenticates to access it. He helped me download a bunch of books onto these earlier. They even have audio versions!”

“Well that’s convenient,” Tang said as he accepted one of the tablets. “I suppose we should get started then.”

“That’s the plan,” Wukong said, plugging in some earbuds into the audio port of his tablet.

“Tang! Monkey King!”

“Or not,” Wukong sighed at Mei’s shout.

“We’re over here, Mei,” Tang called back.

“Something weird is happening to MK!” Mei’s voice sounded somewhat panicked. “Come quick!”

The pair shared a worried glance before rushing back towards the clearing. They followed Mei to the other side of the airship where they found some of the others.

MK was examining his hands, waving them around as he looked at them. Red Son was likewise scrutinizing MK, circling him and occasionally prodding at him. Pigsy was nearby, tapping his foot in agitation; a sure sign he was nervous about something.

It took a moment for Tang to remember that Sandy was inside the ship working on some component or another and that Macaque was on patrol looking out for any of the search parties hunting them.

“MK! Are you okay? What’s going on?” Tang looked over the young man. Outside of some leaves in his hair he seemed perfectly fine.

“I think so? I don’t feel strange,” MK said, slapping Red Son’s hand away as the demon poked at his shoulder.

“What happened,” Wukong asked.

“Well, Mei and I were throwing leaves at each other when Red Son snuck up and shoved some down the back of Mei’s jacket.” MK smiled. “It was really funny the way she squealed and-” MK snickered.

As he did, he began to faintly glow with a yellow-orange light.

“And then that happened,” Pigsy finished, gesturing at the young man as MK tried to get his mirth under control. “Except much brighter.”

“Is that all? I thought this would be something serious,” Wukong said as the tension eased from him. “Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong with him.”

“Then what’s happening to me?”

“Congrats, bud! Your powers are finally starting to recharge!”

“Really?! Yes!” MK let out a whoop and jumped up and down in celebration, his glow increasing in intensity as he laughed.

“Awesome! But what does his powers recharging have to do with the glowing,” Mei asked.

“The glowing technically is one of his powers,” Wukong explained. “Every time he laughs he’ll glow like this. I’m honestly surprised it took this long for it to show up.”

“So… Is this permanent or just a side effect of his powers returning,” Red Son asked.

“Permanent. It’s unfortunately not something he’ll be able to turn off. It’s just going to happen from now on. It’ll even happen when he’s under the effect of a glamor.”

“Well as long as it’s not hurting him it should be fine,” Tang said. He blinked as something occurred to him. “Wait, does that mean you glow when you laugh, Wukong?”

The Monkey King froze.

“Uh…”

“No way.” Tang felt a grin creeping up on his face. “You do, don’t you?”

“I- Uh- Well-”

“But Monkey King’s laughed in front of us before,” MK said. “Or at least, he’s laughed in front of me and he’s never glowed. If I can’t turn it off that means neither can you, right?”

“That’s… Yes that’s right.”

“Then what gives?” Pigsy was eyeing Wukong with suspicion. “You just said glamors won’t hide it so why haven’t we seen you glowing?”

“Well… It has to be real, genuine laughter or joy that sets it off…” Wukong chuckled nervously, noticeably not glowing as he did.

“But that means…” Tang frowned in concern. “Wukong? Have you been suppressing your emotions just so you would avoid glowing in front of us?”

Monkey King just shuffled in place as an awkward silence fell.

“What’s all the commotion about,” Macaque asked suddenly as he joined the group by stepping out of a nearby shadow.

“Oh look! Macaque’s back from his patrol! I guess someone should replace him! I volunteer! See you later!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Tang grabbed Wukong by the back of his shirt before he could slip away. “We need to talk about-” 

Wukong quickly twisted and ducked down before he could finish, shrugging the shirt off and darting towards the treeline.

“Macaque glows when he laughs but hides it too!” With that last shout over his shoulder he escaped into the trees.

“What?!” Macaque stepped back as all eyes turned to him. "Traitorous bastard,” he growled before sinking into the shadows cast by the airship and vanishing.

“So… Now what?” MK looked a bit lost as he glanced between the spots the two monkeys had disappeared into.

“We get those two to laugh as much as possible, is what,” Mei said with a devious determination. “I need to get me some videos of them glowing like nightlights!”

“While I don’t really approve of your motivation, you’re probably right,” Tang said with a sigh as he folded up Wukong’s abandoned shirt. “What they’re doing is not healthy. We should get Sandy to talk to them about it as well.”

“Do we even know what they will laugh at,” Red Son asked.

“We’ll just have to try a bunch of different things,” MK said, perking back up at the idea.

“So long as you don’t make any messes, especially in the kitchen,” Pigsy huffed. “I ain’t the best at telling jokes so don’t come to me for ideas.”

“All right!” Mei pumped her fist in the air in excitement. “Let’s get some brainstorming done for Operation: Giggle Glow!”

“Giggle Glow?”

“What? They giggle, they glow! Watch.” Mei poked MK in the side where he was ticklish. True to her word he giggled and started to glow.

“Fair enough,” Tang said with his own snicker as MK poked her right back, initiating a tickle fight. “I'll help out after I let Sandy know what’s going on.”

Tang hummed to himself as he made his way back onto the ship. It was nice to have something to keep busy with. Between studying rabbit demon anatomy and attempting to get two old monkeys to laugh, the next few weeks were not going to be boring.

He paused and chuckled at a humorous thought. Yes, the next few weeks were certainly going to be enlightening.

----------

“I know you said we would be trying out various transformations by having you guide them but… I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon,” Tang said, fidgeting with his sleeves and doing his best not to tremble. If the concerned looks from Wukong and Pigsy were any indication, he wasn’t doing a very good job.

Barely two weeks had passed since they had started studying rabbit demon anatomy. Tang felt he had made some decent progress in his own research. His scholarly background was certainly a boon as much of the reading was rather dry. And if he decided to speed things along by applying a few retention and memorization spells he learned back during that disastrous training cycle? Well, no one but him had to know.

Wukong, however, was proving that his title as the Intelligent Stone Monkey wasn’t just for show. Even with a speed reading charm, the Monkey King surpassed Tang’s learning pace by a wide margin. By the end of the first week he had half of the chosen books memorized. He was attempting the transformation on himself halfway through the second. Yesterday he perfected it, which led them to now.

“It would’ve been sooner if I wasn’t constantly distracted by MK and Mei trying to get me to laugh,” Wukong half joked.

“Really?” Tang’s eyes widened at that.

Operation: Giggle Glow had gone into full swing a few days following the revelation in the clearing. After a talk with Sandy, both monkeys had reluctantly agreed to try and not hold back their laughter just because they found the glowing to be embarrassing. MK and Mei had taken full advantage of this. Jokes, slapstick, harmless yet humorous pranks, and various other attempts at comedy were thrown around with mixed success.

Tang had already found Wukong’s ability to learn at such a fast pace incredible. But if a few jokes a day were considered to be a distraction that prevented him from finishing sooner… 

“I knew you could learn impossibly fast, and I’ve seen you do it before a few times,” Tang admitted with an awed shake of his head. “Every time it’s both impressive and somewhat intimidating. I’m not going to have to worry about my role as scholarly nerd being taken, am I?”

“As if,” Wukong snorted. “Learning for learning’s sake isn’t my thing. I only put this much effort into stuff I find interesting, if the fate of the world is at stake, or as a favor for a friend.”

“I… I appreciate all of this,” Tang said, lowering his head in a small bow. “I really do.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

“It couldn’t have been fun with how tedious some of these books are.”

“That’s medical texts for you,” Wukong said with a shrug. “Can’t really add too much prose to wade through if someone’s life might be on the line.”

“Focus, you two,” Pigsy chided. “Tang, are you sure you want to go through with this? We can hold off until you’re ready.”

“I-” Tang swallowed and clenched his paws to keep them from shaking. “Do… Do I really have to revert to my… My other form to do this?”

“I’m afraid so,” Wukong said gently. “Layering a transformation on top of another can get… messy. The safest and easiest way to do this is if you’re in your hum- er- base form.”

“Okay.” Tang took a deep breath. In and out. “Okay.” Another breath. He could do this.

“Tang?” Pigsy reached out, taking a hold of one of his paws and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s alright if you want to wait for a bit.”

“No. No it’s… I want to do this. I just…” Tang took another breath before meeting Wukong’s eyes. “It… It’ll only be for a few minutes, right?”

“Five minutes, at most.”

“And… And we’re starting with my head today? So I won’t see Her in my reflections?”

“That’s the plan.”

“I won’t need to keep my eyes open for this, will I?”

“Nope.”

“Okay.” Tang breathed deeply once more before checking over his clothes. He had to make sure the gloves and boots were secured. It would only be his head that was transformed today after all. As long as he couldn’t see any other part of himself that would remain human, he could ignore it. At least, he hoped he could.

“Alright. Okay. I’m ready,” he said, doing his best to ignore his hammering heart. “Should I stand or sit?”

“Whichever is more comfortable for you,” Wukong said.

“How about we sit,” Pigsy suggested, grunting a bit as he lowered himself to the floor.

Tang nodded stiffly and moved to sit down across from him. This was it. While he was looking forward to completing this first step towards a full transformation, the thought of reverting from his monkey form was terrifying. Damn, the trembling had started again.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Pigsy said as he reached over and grabbed Tang’s paws and held them in his hands. “I’m here. Monkey King is here. We’re not going to let anything bad happen to you, promise.”

“O-okay.” Tang tensed a little as he felt Wukong kneel behind him and place his paws on his shoulders. He took a shuddering breath. “S-sorry. Just… Just give me a second.”

“Take your time.” Wukong said, patting him on the shoulder. “We’re in no rush.”

“Right.” In and out. Deep breaths. He could do this. “On… On three?”

“If that will help.”

“Okay.” He looked up at Pigsy and squeezed his hands. “Count down for me?”

“Alright.” Pigsy took his own breath and straightened up. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“One…”

Tang took one final fortifying gulp of air.

“Two…”

He clenched his eyes shut and gripped Pigsy’s hands like a lifeline.

“Three.”

Tang reached into his well of powers. He had transformed dozens of times before. He had taken to the ability rather quickly back during the cycle when he was the Monkie Kid. It should be easy to just… revert.

His mind screamed at him as he focused.

What are you doing?! You’re safe like this! Stop! She can’t get to you right now! Stop Stop STOP!

It was hard to push past such visceral fear, but Tang grit his teeth and pulled at the thread keeping him in his monkey form.

It would be worth it! Please let this work! He could have a new base form of his own! One that She hasn’t tainted! Please Please PLEASE!

He felt the surge of energy flow through him. And then…

A draft on his bare face. His clothes rubbing against his skin instead of fur. The lack of a comforting weight at the end of his spine.

It worked!

Oh. 

Oh God, it worked.

“Good job,” Pigsy praised softly as Tang’s breath hitched. “You’re doing great. Take a breath. That’s it. Keep your eyes closed.” 

“I’m going to start now, okay,” Wukong said once Tang got his breathing under control.

“Pl-please hurry.”

“Try to relax.” Wukong moved his paws from Tang’s shoulders to cup his face from behind. “Let me guide your magic. I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

“O-okay.”

Tang could feel Wukong’s magic mixing with his as the Monkey King coaxed it to follow his will. Wukong gently pulled his paws up and over Tang’s ears, behind his nape, up and over his crown, down over his face, under his jaw, and back to his starting position. He repeated the motions several times, Tang’s magic following along like a current.

He could feel the transformation start to take effect after a minute or so. It was much different than his usual way of doing it. Instead of an instant surge, the magic flowed slowly and steadily. Thankfully, this didn’t make the change painful. It was… tingly. Almost like the sensation of that rock candy that fizzled and popped in your mouth. Which was not how he thought having his skull elongated to allow for a proper rabbit snout was going to feel.

Wukong’s soft, repetitive touches were soothing as more changes occurred. His teeth and jaw began to itch as they rearranged themselves alongside his skull. The sound of all their breathing seemed to become clearer as what felt like two loose flaps of skin grew down on either side of his head. Those must be his new ears then. Tang wrinkled his nose as a strange new sensation sprouted out around it. Whiskers, if he had to guess.

Tang let out a sigh of relief as he felt the fur start to grow in. He hadn’t realized how uncomfortable he would be with a naked face. Luckily the thick clothing he was wearing seemed to be doing their job as well. The fact they hid bare skin instead of fur was hardly noticeable anymore. He finally began to relax.

Wukong’s paws began to slow moments later. The gentle circulation of magic stilled with them. Tang felt Wukong’s magic carefully detach itself from his own as the sage removed his paws and took a step back.

“Done. Four minutes and thirty seven seconds, exactly.”

Tang took a deep breath in through his nose, marveling a bit at how different it felt. The amount of new scents he could pick up on was not unsurprising based on what he read, but still a slight shock. Luckily it wasn’t completely overwhelming at the moment. He’d have to be careful the next time dinner was being prepared or whenever they next visited a city, but he felt confident he could adjust to his heightened sense of smell rather quickly.

He opened his eyes. His vision wasn’t too different from his monkey form. Perhaps it was a bit better. Tang couldn’t really tell just yet. It was still an improvement from his base form’s poor sight at least. It was still incredible to be able to see so clearly without his glasses. His snout was very prominent, however. He wondered if his mind would eventually block it out like humans did with their own short noses.

Tang focused to look past his snout and frowned at what he was seeing in front of him. Pigsy was looking at him with a somewhat shaken expression.

“Is everything okay, Pigsy?” He reached up to feel his face. He could talk just fine, but the new mouth shape was somewhat odd.

“Yeah, I just…” Pigsy shuddered a bit. “Ugh. Perhaps I should have closed my eyes as well.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, this method of transformation isn’t exactly pleasant to watch with how slow it is,” Wukong said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “Probably should have given you a warning.”

“Now he tells me,” Pigsy grumbled.

“Oh.” Tang winced as a memory from his time as Her prisoner popped up unbidden. “Ugh, yeah, I get that.”

“Tang?”

“Just… just a bad memory. I’ll be fine.” Tang took a breath to reset his thoughts. He twisted around so he could see both Pigsy and Wukong at the same time. “So, how do I look?”

 “Oh. My. God,” Wukong gasped, his eyes wide as he clutched his paws to his cheeks.

“What?” Tang’s stomach flipped. Had something gone wrong?

“You’re adorable!” Wukong’ tail formed a heart shape behind him as he squealed. “I knew I looked cute when I transformed, but that was a given. You’re just so… so…! Eee!” Wukong began stepping in place as words failed him and his excitement grew. 

“Ah.” Tang could feel the skin under his fur begin to heat up. “That’s- uh- good to know? I honestly thought something was wrong at first.”

“Sorry, sorry! I just… really like small, cuddly animals,” Wukong said, doing his best to calm himself.

“I… I’m not sure how I feel about being called ‘small and cuddly’,” Tang said with a slight frown. 

“Right! Sorry!” Wukong shook his head, but tentatively reached his paw out. “I’ll stop but… Can I ruffle your fur real quick first?”

“Uh…”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Pigsy slapped Wukong’s paw out the air. “You’ve already felt him up enough as it is, what with you caressing his face earlier! Don’t think I didn’t notice that!”

“What?” Wukong blinked in what looked like genuine confusion.

“Don’t play dumb! You said you and the other furball were going to work out whatever is going on between you two first, and yet here you are making some moves!”

“Uh, guys,” Tang began to interject, but was quickly spoken over.

“Firstly, what’s going on between Macaque and I is none of your business. Secondly, what  in the world are you talking about?”

“You were flirting with Tang just now!” Pigsy seemed ready to blow steam from his ears. “Calling him cute and cuddly and trying to pet him even though it was making him uncomfortable!”

“Guys,” Tang tried again.

“That was not flirting!” Wukong was scowling now as well. “I just think rabbits are really cute! I’ll admit to getting a bit over excited, but I wasn’t trying to flirt!”

“Oh, sure! Do you go up to every rabbit demon you meet and tell them how adorable they are to their faces? I bet treating them like an animal instead of a person goes over well.”

“Guys!”

Tang’s shout startled them out of their arguing. He took a deep breath and clenched his fists as they turned to look at him.

“You… You both are supposed to be making sure this whole process remains as stress free as possible,” he gritted out, resisting the urge to start yelling as well. “I’m relying on you two to help me through this. You… You promised you wouldn’t fight.”

They began trying to defend themselves, raising their voices to be heard over the other. Tang made a frustrated scream and abruptly pushed past them. He turned to glare at them from the doorway to his bathroom.

“Excuse me. I need a moment to myself.”

As much as he wanted to, he did not slam the door shut. The very audible click as he locked it was satisfying however.

Tang leaned back against the door, sliding down it to sit on the floor. He buried his face in his arms and did his best to keep his breathing under control. He loved his family dearly, but dammit all they made him want to rip his fur out sometimes!

He winced as he heard them shout at each other through the door. Clasping his hands over his ears, Tang did his best to drown out their voices.

Pigsy and Wukong fighting wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Even in cycles where they were friendly with each other they bickered over the smallest things. The fact they were fighting about him wasn’t even something new to Tang. Both could be rather possessive and prone to jealousy. Pigsy being the jealous one this time was just another normal variable that he had come to expect from the cycles.

Tang tightened his grasp on his ears as he felt tears well up in his eyes.

This wasn’t a surprise. He shouldn’t be this upset. This had happened hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. Tang was technically the oldest and most responsible between the three of them. He should have mediated and made them talk through this misunderstanding like he usually did.

And yet…

Tang did his best to keep his sobs quiet.

He had thought by sharing his story with his family that it would help. For the most part, it had. Everyone had been fairly accommodating to him. So was it selfish to have hoped they would continue to hold back for him? That they would put his need for their support above their seemingly instinctual need to argue?

Maybe it was. After all, from their point of view, it had been like the Tang they knew had changed overnight. Transforming into an emotional, needy wreck with impossible knowledge and some rather presumptuous notions on his relationship with them all. They were probably just as stressed and anxious as he was. Of course they would be fighting. He had managed to screw everything up just by existing.

Tang sniffed and removed his hands from his ears to wipe his nose. Pigsy’s and Wukong’s voices were muffled now. So they had stopped shouting. That was good, he supposed. He wasn’t needed to help mediate then. Which made sense. It was his fault they had been fighting in the first place. His presence wouldn’t have helped. He was completely useless.

That… that wasn’t really being fair to himself.

Tang blinked at that thought. It sounded like something Sandy would say.

What would Sandy say about all this?

Tang closed his eyes and attempted to calm his breathing as he tried to imagine what his large blue friend would think about this.

He would probably tell Tang that he wasn’t being selfish. That he had only just recently escaped from a pretty traumatic situation. That it was normal to rely heavily on others while he recovered. That it was okay to be upset with them when they didn’t take his feelings into consideration.

But… but he also couldn’t expect them to always put him first. They were people too, with their own emotions and needs. That repressing those negative feelings was just as bad as repressing the positive ones. How that didn’t mean they should take it out on each other. That fighting wasn’t a healthy outlet. How it wasn’t his fault if they did fight and how it wasn’t his job to stop them.

Tang’s breathing evened out. It likely wasn’t the exact advice Sandy would give, but it was close enough to help clear his thoughts. He was still upset. But now that he had calmed down a bit he could start to think more rationally. There were things he would need to discuss with Pigsy and Wukong and he wouldn’t be able to communicate them properly if let just his emotions guide his words.

Tang listened for a moment but could no longer hear the others’ voices through the door. Either they were silently waiting for him or had left to cool down. That was fine by him. He could use the time to plan out what he wanted to say.

Before he could do that however, he probably should clean up a bit. Tang wrinkled his nose at the sensation of his tears drying and matting his fur. It seemed the fur on his face was ever so slightly longer and thicker as a rabbit as opposed to a monkey. Just something he would have to adjust to.

Tang picked himself up off the floor and stood at the sink in preparation to wash his face. He glanced up into the mirror reflexively and froze. His reflection stared back at him, wearing the expression of surprise he was feeling. Knowing that he had been partially transformed into a rabbit was one thing. Seeing it for himself for the first time was… Well. It almost didn’t feel real. 

The dark, chocolate brown rabbit in the mirror was certainly real enough to mimic his movements as he examined himself. His snout was narrower than his dragon form, but still just as expressive. He ran a hand through the fur on the top of his head, which was long enough to resemble his usual hairstyle in his base form. Tang gently lifted one of his drooping ears, the proper term was lop if he remembered correctly, to get a look at the inner side. The fur on this side, while incredibly thin, was just as dark as the rest.

Tang frowned a bit at how… uniform he looked. He did like the chocolate brown, but perhaps he could add a secondary color to break things up?

Deciding to worry about that later, he let his ear fall back into place before opening his mouth to examine his teeth. The increased size of his front incisors was expected. The extra set of canines replacing a set of his premolars was not. He pulled at his cheek to get a better look. They seemed… rather sharp. Well, he was a rabbit demon, at least partially. Demons, despite being omnivores, did tend to have a preference for meat. It seemed biting was now a viable form of self defense for him if it came down to it.

Closing his mouth, Tang took his whole reflection in and smiled. It wasn’t quite exactly what he was expecting. There were a few things he might decide to change. But he could see himself, and only himself in it. The color of his eyes. The style of his head fur. Even his expressions were things that he could still recognize from his base form, but were completely untouched by Her influence.

Humming to himself, he turned on the faucet and began scrubbing his face clean. It felt a bit awkward with the gloves. He looked forward to when Wukong would help him transform his hands. Although he wasn’t sure how he would react if he wasn’t able to hold onto Pigsy’s hands for support.

He paused for a moment as he dried his face with a towel. Oh right. Wukong and Pigsy. He still needed to deal with them. Hopefully they had managed to talk through their issues and he didn’t need to go looking for them to get them to communicate.

Tang sighed as he turned and leaned back against the sink. He closed his eyes as he thought. Even if they had apologized to each other, there were things Tang needed to talk to them about. He wasn’t completely blameless for why the argument happened in the first place. He would have to clarify a few things between them all if these transformation sessions were to continue.

He stood there for several minutes, going over how he wanted to word what he wanted to say. A soft knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Tang?” Pigsy’s voice sounded uncertain. “Can… Can we talk?”

Tang took a step towards the door.

“Is Wukong with you?” he called out. He didn’t want to have to repeat himself more than once if he had to.

“Yes, he is. There’s some things we’d like to say.”

Tang took a deep breath. Looks like his time to rehearse was up. Hopefully he’d be able to say what he wanted in a way that was understandable.

“Okay.”

Tang unlocked the door and stepped back into his bedroom. Pigsy and Wukong were standing there with contrite expressions. They shared a glance before Wukong took a step forward.

“I’m sorry for how I acted earlier,” he began, looking Tang in the eye and remaining serious. “Treating you like a cute animal was demeaning and inappropriate. You’re a fully aware person and should be treated as such. I promise I won’t let myself get carried away like that again.

“I also apologize for not warning either of you over how… intimate the process of helping you transform would appear. I promise you there wasn't any alternative meaning behind it. It’s simply how it’s done.”

“I’m sorry I blew up at you about that,” Pigsy said as he stepped forward. “I didn’t know I could get so jealous or possessive like that. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.

“I’m sorry for starting a fight even though I promised you I wouldn’t, Tang. I was supposed to help with your stress, not add to it. I’ll do my best to keep my temper in check. But I… I’ll understand if you don’t want me to come to these sessions anymore.”

Tang let out a breath. He was glad they had managed to work through their grievances for the most part. Now it was his turn.

“I appreciate and accept your apologies. However, I need to apologize as well.” Tang held up a hand to stop Pigsy and Wukong as they began to protest. “Please, just listen.

“I’m… I’m extremely grateful for you, for all of you, for being so accommodating. You’ve been nothing but kind and supportive as I recover from my… ordeal. I honestly don’t know if I’d be managing as well if you weren’t all here.

“But I’m worried that you may be repressing some of your own feelings while trying to be mindful of mine.”

“Huh?” Pigsy frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Pigsy, I’m going to need you to be completely honest with me.” Tang took a deep breath as Pigsy agreed hesitantly. “Pigsy, did you agree to the idea of Wukong and Macaque potentially entering into a relationship with us in the future because you were actually okay with it, or because you thought it was something I wanted and didn’t want to upset me?”

“I-” Pigsy’s eyes went wide and he floundered for a moment. “I don’t- I mean I- I can get used to the idea-”

“That’s not what I asked.” Tang shook his head. This was what he had been afraid of. “I… I can’t be okay with anyone trying to help me by doing things that will make them unhappy. It’s not good for either of us and will only lead to more pain in the end.

“So I’ll ask once more. Pigsy, are you okay with us possibly entering into a relationship with Wukong and Macaque in the future, yes or no?”

“I-” Pigsy swallowed. He clenched his fists and turned away. “No. No, I'm not okay with the idea.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Pigsy looked back up in shock.

“Okay,” Tang nodded. “I’m not going to make you do something you aren’t comfortable with. You are my partner right now, so if you say you don’t want to have others join in, we won’t.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. I may ask for your reasoning later in private, but your wants are just as important as mine. I refuse to make you feel obligated to do something you don’t want just for my sake, and I’m sorry if you felt like you had to.”

“Oh. That’s…” Pigsy’s shoulders slumped as an unseen tension bled out of him. “That’s a bit of a relief actually.”

“Honestly? Same here,” Wukong said. “I’m fine with the idea, but Macaque isn’t. It’s, uh, one of the main things we’re still fighting about. Having the pressure taken off of us is going to be a big help while we figure things out. Although I should probably take your example and let him know what he wants is important too.”

“I’m sorry,” Tang sighed. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you all had to join into a relationship together.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest about how I was feeling,” Pigsy said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “Could have probably avoided this whole argument if I spoke up earlier.”

“Well, we live and we learn, right?” Wukong said. “Now that we’ve cleared all this up we’ll be able to be more careful about it going forward.”

“Right,” Tang agreed with a nod. He staggered a bit and grabbed onto the door frame of the bathroom as he felt a slight wave of dizziness. “Whoa.”

“Tang?” Pigsy quickly moved over to help steady his partner. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Just dizzy for a moment.”

“Oh right!” Wukong turned and picked up a serving tray that Tang had failed to notice. “I almost forgot! Even though I was the one guiding the process, it was your magic and energy fueling the transformation. You’re going to need to replenish yourself, so Pigsy and I went to get you some snacks after we talked things through.”

Wukong carefully placed the tray on the ground and motioned for the two to join him on the floor. Once they had situated themselves, he removed the cover of the tray.

“Help yourselves,” Wukong said as he snatched a bag of marshmallows and popped them open. 

Tang looked over the selection of snacks and blinked in surprise. 

“Chocolate wafers and orange juice?”

“Well, they’re your favorite,” Pigsy said as he grabbed an apple for himself. “I picked some up at the last city we visited. I, uh, was going to save them as a surprise but thought you would need some cheering up after the argument.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Tang said. He leaned over and tried to give Pigsy a kiss on the cheek, but he wasn’t quite used to the shape of his snout. So he settled on a quick nuzzle instead before turning back to the prepared food.

“Be careful,” Wukong warned in between marshmallows. “A rabbit’s sense of taste is way stronger than what you’re used to.”

Tang nodded and dipped one of the wafers into the orange juice. Once it had absorbed enough to be slightly soft, he took a bite. Tang’s eyes widened and he started to cough at the explosion of flavor. He swallowed quickly to avoid spraying food everywhere and continued to cough into his arm.

“Tang!”

“I warned him.”

“I’m fine,” Tang gasped as his eyes watered. “Damn, I wasn't prepared. That was… incredible.”

He quickly dipped another wafer into his drink and took another bite, much to the disbelief of his companions. The flavors were still extremely strong, but he was ready this time. He moaned a bit as subtle tones he hadn’t been able to pick up on before danced across his tongue. It was like heaven in his mouth. If this was just what a simple snack could taste like, he couldn’t wait to try Pigsy’s cooking like this.

“Figures he’d adjust quickly when there’s food involved,” Pigsy snorted. He paused just before he took a bite of his apple and frowned. “Wait… isn’t chocolate bad for rabbits?”

“For normal rabbits, yes,” Wukong answered. “Some rabbit demons do have to follow the same dietary restrictions as their animal counterparts, but that’s less than four percent of them. As we’re the ones in control of how Tang transforms, we also control whether he has to adhere to it or not.”

“Obviously, we decided to not go with the restricted diet,” Tang said as he swallowed another wafer. “There’s too much good food out there for me to give up on it all.”

He glanced at Pigsy who had laughed and returned to his apple. Well… almost all foods. There was one he wouldn’t be touching for the rest of his existence.

Tang shook his head to clear his thoughts and avoid thinking about that.

“Ack!”

Tang’s lop ears had been sent flopping around as he shook his head and were currently resting across his snout and eyes, blocking his vision. He didn’t need to see to hear Wukong’s snickers. He reached up to untangle his ears, only for one of them to droop into the glass of orange juice he was still holding, getting it soaked

There was a stunned silence for a moment before Tang, quickly followed by Wukong and Pigsy, started to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The stress from earlier had completely melted away. And if being a bit clumsy with his new ears was all that was needed to get Wukong shining gold with mirth, well Tang could live with that for now.

----------

Tang sighed as he rubbed his left ear in an attempt to quell the ticklish sensation in his ear canal. The past few days had been somewhat tiring. Each morning Wukong would guide his magic through transforming his head into a rabbit’s and each evening he would guide it back. It was taking a bit of a toll on Tang if he was to be honest. Perhaps they should take a break for a few days.

He frowned and began to rub a bit harder. The tickling wouldn’t go away. It started just after breakfast. He had ignored it at first, more preoccupied with how warm he had been feeling. He had thought it was just him not being used to the thickness of his new fur. But going out to stand in the fresh air on deck hadn’t helped much, especially once it started raining shortly afterwards.

Tang scowled as the sensation changed from ticklish to itchy. There was a building pressure that he had barely noticed but realized he had been feeling all day. That certainly wasn’t helping with his headache.

He shoved his hand under his ear in an attempt to reach directly into the ear canal and scratch the itch. Before he could wiggle a finger too far down someone grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.

“Tang!” Pigsy scolded. “Don’t do that! You can hurt yourself by shoving things in your ear.”

“But it itches,” Tang whined. He pulled his hand free and went back to furiously rubbing over the top of his ear in vain.

“Tang, are you alright?” Sandy asked.

“I…” Tang looked around the living room as he thought about it. Everyone was staring at him with expressions of curiosity or concern. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean?” Pigsy reached out and gently pulled his hand away from his ear again.

“My inner ear itches. There’s a pressure building up there and I have a headache. I thought I was just overheating earlier but I might also have a fever?”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Wukong said as he made his way over. “Lift your ear for a second and I’ll take a look inside.”

Tang did as instructed, squirming a bit as he resisted the urge to stick a finger down it again. Wukong leaned down closely and activated his Gold Vision.

“Damn,” he said with a scowl after a minute of inspection. “Ear infection.”

“How did that happen?” MK wondered in concern.

“Rabbits with lop ears have a harder time cleaning them out and thus are more prone to infection,” Wukong explained as he straightened up. “Though it might have been the orange juice…”

“Orange juice?”

“Not important. The problem is that we don’t have the medicine to treat it on the ship right now. We’re nowhere near a town or city to buy some, but until we do get it treated I won’t be able to transform him back. Internal injuries and transformations don’t mix well unless you’ve mastered the full technique.”

“Isn’t he going to revert back after a while anyway?” Red Son reminded them all. “That means we’re on a time limit.”

“We could try transferring him some magic and hope it holds until we find a town,” Macaque suggested.

“I might have something that we can use,” Tang said, getting their attention. “I’ll need a bowl though.”

Once a bowl had been obtained, Tang held his hands out over it. He took a breath and focused. His hands began to glow with a golden-yellow light. As he continued to channel his magic, the light seemed to thicken. Before long it began to drip from his hands, coalescing in the bowl as a shining liquid.

“There,” Tang sighed, stopping the flow once the bowl was half full and leaning back into his seat.

“What is it?” Mei asked.

“An all-purpose general healing elixir,” Tang answered with a yawn. “It won’t automatically cure anything, but it acts as a disinfectant, antibiotic, stomach soother, and fever reducer. A few drops of this every few hours and my ear should be better in a day or two.” He yawned again. “Learned how to make it back when I was obsessively training to keep you all safe. Takes a lot out of you though.”

“We just said that reverting back would be bad for you,” Wukong said with a scowl. “Please don’t expend your energy like that again or it will happen before we get you healed up.”

“Sorry.” Tang shook his head to try and chase the tiredness away, but scowled as his ears went flopping over his face again. “Stupid ears. I’m starting to think they’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

“I thought you liked them?” Sandy said as he prepared a dropper for the elixir.

“I like how they look,” Tang clarified. “But they get in the way whenever I shake my head or lean over something. I’ve also noticed that while I can hear things in front of or behind me a lot better, things directly to my side are actually muffled. Now there’s the possibility of them getting infected more often than not.

“I… I think I’m probably going to switch them to the erect style.”

“You sure?” Pigsy asked, taking Tang’s hand and squeezing it in reassurance. “I know you were pretty excited about them being this way.”

“That was before I knew how much a hassle they were,” Tang sighed, wincing as the itchiness in his ear grew. “I’d rather not have to deal with them getting infected again if I don’t have to.”

“Well, it’s your choice.”

“Right. Wukong?”

“Yeah?” The Monkey King blinked. “Wait, you mean right now?”

“If you think it won’t use up too much of my energy,” Tang said. “I can wait if you think it will, but I would prefer to get it done as soon as possible.”

“Well… It shouldn’t,” Wukong admitted reluctantly. “It’s only a few small muscles that will need to be adjusted. Since it’s all external it won’t mess with your infection. If you're sure, I can do it, but only if you promise to do nothing but rest for the remainder of the day.”

“I can certainly do that,” Tang agreed with a yawn. “Might even take a nap out here once you’re through.”

“Ooh! Living room sleepover!” MK jumped up in excitement. “I’ll go get blankets and pillows!”

“I’ll make some soothing tea,” Sandy said enthusiastically.

“I’ll find some relaxing tunes!” Mei began typing away at her phone.

“I’ll wait here, like a sane person,” Red Son huffed.

“Might as well transform my ears now while we wait,” Tang said with a smile.

The transformation didn’t take long. Tang marveled at how he could now move his ears around freely. The muffled noises were no longer a problem and he could hear everything around him with a sharp clarity.

As MK set up the bedding, Pigsy helped apply the elixir with the dropper. Tang shivered a bit at the sensation of liquid flowing into his ear, but sighed in relief as the itching finally faded.

“Ooh, here's a good playlist,” Mei said. “Chill LO-FI Beats to Relax and Recover From an Ear Infection To!”

“Of course,” Red Son groaned with a roll of his eyes.

Tang snickered as Mei began streaming the genuinely relaxing music to the sound system. He leaned against Pigsy’s shoulder and pulled one of the blankets up around them. The others all made themselves comfortable in various ways as well.

Tang hummed to himself in satisfaction. The gentle music. The rain pattering against the windows. MK’s soft snickers and glowing as Mei showed him funny things on her phone. The smell of Sandy’s tea. It all combined into a wonderfully warm and cozy atmosphere. Before long he drifted into a peaceful sleep.

----------

Tang focused as he did his best to mold the clay into the shape he was imagining with his paws. It had taken two full week's rest after recovering from his ear infection before Wukong had been comfortable enough to start the transformations again. Once he was, Tang had picked for his hands to be next so he could get rid of the confining gloves.

It was taking some time to adjust to his paws. The fingers were shorter for one, with only two segments instead of three. The same was true for his thumbs having only a single segment, but were still fully opposable. Instead he had a set of claws growing out of each of his digits. They were decently sharp, as Tang had discovered after nearly drawing blood by scratching his face. He’d have to be a bit more careful and relearn the proper pressure to apply.

He had paw pads now as well. They certainly made gripping things easier than if they were completely covered in fur. His fingers were wider than he was used to to accommodate the pads. It was a bit frustrating for Tang for the first few days. He kept misjudging when he went to grab things. Being used to the normal length of his fingers, he would snag objects by his claws and send them falling to the ground.

After being banished from the kitchen for breaking a third glass, Tang dragged out the giant basin of clay he still had. He couldn’t break the material no matter how clumsy he was and set about messing with it to get a feel for how his new fingers moved. He grew bored of his stuffy room after the first hour and relocated to the living room where the light was better.

He was rather pleased with his progress so far. Three of the simplified zodiac animals he had decided to make were finished and he was near completion on the fourth. They weren’t his best work as he wasn’t using his earth shaping, but he could live with that. Tang was happy to discover that his new claws were very handy when it came to some of the more intricate details.

Tang’s ears twitched and rotated back as he heard hurried footsteps from down the hall. He looked up in time to see Macaque dash in followed closely by MK and Mei who were holding… feather dusters?

“Stay away from me!” Macaque was rather breathless as he jumped over the couch and landed opposite of the coffee table Tang was working at.

“You’re trapped now!” Mei declared victoriously. “Prepare for a tickling of your lifetime!”

“Stay back!” Macaque reached down into Tang’s basin and scooped up a glob of clay. “I’m armed!”

“Hey!” Tang’s protest was ignored as Macaque threw the clay at the approaching menaces.

“Eep!”

MK and Mei managed to duck down in time. The clay went flying and-

SPLAT!

-hit Wukong, who had appeared in the doorway, square in the face.

There was a stunned silence for a moment as they all froze. Wukong slowly wiped the clay from his face and just stared at it with a stupefied expression.

“Pfft… Bwahahahaha!” Macaque began to cackle. He glowed a bright purple while his six ears glowed blue, pink, and green.

WHAP!

Macaque’s laughter cut off as he was struck by the clay. Wukong smirked from where he had thrown it and laughed at Macaque’s look of shock. The black furred monkey growled as he reached once more into Tang’s basin.

“Uh oh…” MK said.

Soon clay was flying all over the living room. Tang quickly cast a dome of protection over his figurines to save them from the line of fire. It wasn’t a moment too soon as a wad of clay hit him in the back of the head. He turned and glared at a guilty looking Mei.

“I was aiming for Macaque!”

“Oh, I bet you were.” Tang raised his hands and they began to glow golden-yellow. Three spheres of clay rose from the basin and began orbiting him as he smirked. “Doesn’t mean I can’t get my revenge!”

“That’s cheating!”

Tang responded to her objection with a clay ball to the face.

Cries of success, shouts of surprise, and peals of laughter filled the air as the clay was flung back and forth. It quickly turned in everyone against Tang as he used his earth shaping to gain the upper hand. He stood in the middle of the room, dodging or catching the projectiles as they came at him. He did his best to redirect the clay towards their hiding spots, but mostly hit the furniture they were taking shelter behind.

By the time the basin was empty, both the combatants and the room were caked with clay. As the laughter faded and the adrenaline died down from the lack of ammunition, the realization of what they had done slowly crept in.

“Oooh, Sandy’s gonna kill us,” Mei bemoaned as she tried to scrape some clay off the wall.

“At least it looks like we didn’t break anything,” Macaque said and he uprighted a fallen chair.

“No, but I’m not sure this is going to come out,” MK sighed as he held up a stained couch cushion.

“Don’t worry, I can fix this,” Tang reassured.

“You can?”

“Trust me. Just try to stand somewhere there’s not a lot of clay and hold your arms out.”

“If you say so,” Wukong said with a shrug.

Once they had all found a spot to stand, Tang closed his eyes and focused. He began to use his earth shaping to sense the room around him. Lifting his hands, he began to turn slowly in place. He gently pulled any clay he could feel from the surface it was stuck to and collected it in the center of the room. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and lowered the giant ball of clay back into the basin.

“That was awesome!” MK looked around the room in awe. “You got almost all of it! The rest shouldn’t take too long to clean up now.”

“I’m surprised you even managed to get it off our clothes,” Mei said, examining her jacket.

“Wish the same could be said about our fur,” Macaque grumbled as he pulled out a tiny piece of clay.

“I could probably get it out if you let me run my paws through your fur,” Tang suggested.

“Please.”

Macaque sat on the ground in front of Tang while the others began cleaning up the few remaining bits he had missed. He reactivated his earth shaping and gently ran his paws through his fur. Being mindful of his claws, he carefully combed the fur with his fingers, allowing whatever clay he found to stick to his paws.

“Hmmm… You’re pretty good at this.” Macaque had relaxed into Tang’s touch as he worked. A soft purr began to emanate from him as he closed his eyes.

“Alright, I think I got it all,” Tang said a few minutes later. He blinked in surprise as Macaque’s purrs trailed off into gentle snores.

“Did you just put him to sleep?” MK asked slack jawed.

“I… I guess I did.” He looked up as he absently flicked the collected clay into the basin. “Do you want to go next, Wukong?”

“Sure,” Wukong said. “Don’t think you’ll catch me falling asleep like a newborn though.”

Unfortunately for the Monkey King, Tang’s ministrations were apparently extremely relaxing and he too succumbed to slumber.

“This is great,” Mei whispered as she snapped pictures of the two monkeys leaning against each other as they slept.

“Did either of you two want me to get the clay out of your hair as well?”

“And get put to sleep by your chloroform hands? No way!” Mei put her phone away and made to leave. “I’ll just take a shower, thank you very much.”

“Suit yourself,” Tang shrugged. He dismissed the protective dome around the coffee table and picked up the figurine he had been working on.

“Uh…”

Tang looked up and found MK standing there. He was shuffling from side to side and didn’t seem to know where to put his hands.

“Yes, MK?”

“I… I wouldn’t mind you getting the clay out of my hair.”

“Oh.” Tang smiled as he put the figure back down. “Well then come over here and we’ll get started.”

Some hours later, Tang dimmed the lights of the living room as he left so it wouldn’t disturb its three sleeping occupants. On the coffee table rested a full set of the twelve zodiac animals.

----------

Tang examined himself in the mirror and frowned. It only took one week this time for Wukong to agree to move on from transforming just his hands. Now his entire torso was transformed. Outside of being covered in the same chocolate brown fur, he didn’t feel much different. Wukong mentioned something about a flexible spine and sturdier arms for running. Tang hadn’t made it that far in his own studies to really understand what he meant.

He probably should have asked some clarifying questions. However, with more of his body being transformed at once came the price of having to spend more energy to do so. Tang had needed some food and a nap right after they had finished. He had only woken up a few minutes ago in fact. This was his first chance to see how he looked.

Tang didn’t consider himself exceedingly vain. Yet as he looked at how uniform his fur was in his reflection, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dissatisfied. Being the same color all over felt… Bland. Boring. Maybe even unimpressive. Not that he wanted to stand out in a crowd like a flashing neon sign. He just wanted something to break up his silhouette.

Luckily he had time to figure out what he wanted. He could even experiment a bit with a spell that changed the color of one’s hair. It should work just as well on fur and since it was completely cosmetic it wouldn’t mess with his transformation.

First he would need to figure out what pattern his secondary coat color would be. Using a bright neon green to mark it out, he began to play around with some options.

Just his chest? A good start but not enough.

Chest and abdomen? Better. Perhaps it could extend past his waist once fully transformed.

Ears? Unlike the lop ears his erect ears didn’t have fur on the inner side and had exposed pink skin. They were rimmed with fur however. Something to think about.

Arms? Hmm… Maybe just the undersides?

Tang sighed as more and more options seemed to come to mind. This was trickier than he thought. He should probably pick a color first before he decides on a pattern anyway. That way he would know if where he was deciding to change his fur would look good with it. The bright neon green wasn’t really helping.

Sticking with just changing his chest and abdomen for now, Tang started to cycle through various colors.

Red? Very striking. But also very noticeable. It looked a bit too much like he was bleeding all over.

Yellow? It matched the brown very well. But he was honestly sick of the color. That was a no.

Cream? Nope nope nope nope nope nope! That had been way too close to white for his tastes. That was one color he hoped his fur never became.

Tan? Better than cream at least. But it was still somewhat bland.

Pink? Probably a softer shade than that. Yes, that was nice. It reminded him of Neapolitan ice cream though.

Purple? It didn’t look bad. It just didn’t grab him that much either.

“Tang?” Pigsy called as he knocked on the bathroom door.

“Come in,” Tang answered absently. What if it was lavender instead?

“It’s almost time for lunch,” Pigsy said as he opened the door. He blinked as he watched the fur on Tang’s front change from lavender to deep violet. “Uh, what’s up with your fur?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Tang canceled the color changing spell, reverting to chocolate brown. “I just think being a single color all over is a bit boring,” he said with a sigh. “I was testing to see what secondary color I might want to try.”

“Not having much luck?”

“Not yet.”

“Well I ain’t good at this kind of stuff,” Pigsy admitted. “I’m not artsy like MK.”

“That’s alright,” Tang reassured his partner as he stretched. “I’ll figure it out.”

“Why don’t you look at some actual rabbit breeds?” Pigsy suggested as he stepped aside to let Tang exit the bathroom. “Maybe you’ll get inspired.”

“Not a bad idea, actually,” Tang said as he pulled on a shirt. “But that can wait until after lunch. I’m starving!”

“Ha! Never known a time when you weren’t!”

----------

Tang carefully walked around the clearing on his new legs. It had been a bit hard to convince Wukong to skip the plantigrade shaped feet and jump straight to digitigrade. He had tried convincing the scholar that it would take too long to adjust to them, but Tang had insisted. He had already given up on one of his preferred traits with the lop ears. He wanted to at least try before dismissing another.

The next month had been rather laborious. Standing was actually a little painful at the start as he wasn’t used to balancing all of his weight on just his toes. Walking was out of the question. He had spent most of the first week sitting in bed stretching and massaging his feet to get a feel for them. Luckily he had his studies on anatomy to keep him occupied.

Sandy, the wonderful friend that he was, had come through and constructed a water tank with a treadmill that was commonly used in physiotherapy. The first few sessions had been utterly exhausting. Wukong had nearly put his foot down and called the whole thing off after Tang almost passed out while still in the tank. He had managed to convince the Monkey King to let him keep going, but just barely. After a week and a half of consistent practice, and some rather liberal application of recovery spells, he was able to last a full three hours with no pain.

He began moving around the ship on his own after that. It was more difficult without the water to help hold his weight, but he managed to hobble around without needing too much assistance. He still grew tired if he stood too long, but that also improved over time. After another week he didn’t even need to hold onto the walls for support.

Tang breathed in the crisp air and smiled. It was unseasonably pleasant. Just slightly chilly instead of the usual cold at the start of late Fall. He was glad they had picked today to park the ship for maintenance as it would probably be the last nice day outside as Winter loomed closer.

“Hey, Tang!”

Tang looked up and waved as MK and Mei approached. He had to actually look down a bit as they came near, thanks to the slight increase in height provided by the shape of his feet. It was a bit strange being the second tallest after Sandy.

“Mei and I are going to race to see who can cross the clearing faster,” MK explained in breathless excitement once they reached the scholar. “Wanna join in?”

“I don’t know…” Tang hummed in thought as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I haven’t really tried anything faster than a power walk just yet.”

“It’s only about twenty meters,” Mei said. “A short sprint might be good for you.”

“Perhaps.” Tang stretched his legs. He had been feeling a bit restless just walking around. “Oh, alright. But we should get Wukong to watch just in case something goes wrong.”

“This is a bad idea,” Wukong grumbled later as he stood to the side of the three participants. “You haven’t even tried jogging yet. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m going to have to try running eventually,” Tang said as he stepped in place. “Might as well get it out of the way now with you on hand in case something does go wrong.” He stretched his arms up over his head and glanced over at the sulking monkey with a raised eyebrow. “Or would you rather I have to figure it out in the middle of a dangerous situation?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Come on!” MK was practically bursting with energy. “Let’s do this!”

“Alright, alright,” Wukong sighed. He raised an arm in preparation to signal the start of the race. “On your marks.”

The three of them all took their positions.

“Get set.”

Tang tensed.

“Go!”

Tang shot forward as Wukong swiped his arm down. He kept his whole focus on staying upright as he ran. He was moving quite fast, to his surprise. He had known rabbits were built for running, but feeling the wind racing past his ears was an exhilarating experience.

Something told him he could be going even faster. That he could outrun anything if he just crouched down and used all four limbs. Lost in the rush of adrenaline, he decided to do just that. With a short leap he tried straightening his back to be parallel with the ground and reached out in front of him with his arms. A moment of sharp clarity hit Tang just before his hands hit the dirt and two thoughts blared in his mind.

The first was the realization that his arms and torso weren’t transformed right now.

The second was that this was probably going to hurt a lot.

Tang barely heard Wukong’s shout of alarm as his arms gave out under him and he went tumbling across the ground. He rolled for a few feet before coming to a halt in an undignified heap. Groaning at the new bruises he felt, he straightened out to lie on his back. He stared up at the sky as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

For some reason, he found the situation amusing and giggled. Probably a side effect of the adrenaline still coursing through his system. He laughed a bit harder when Wukong’s unimpressed expression passed into his vision as the monkey leaned over him.

“Well you can’t be too hurt if you find eating shit like that to be funny,” he deadpanned. His brow creased a little in concern. “Unless you’re concussed.”

“I-I’m fine,” Tang snickered. “Just… just a little bruised.” He accepted Wukong’s outstretched paw and pulled himself up. “That was quite the rush!” He leaned slightly against Wukong, still feeling bubbly. “I’m definitely keeping my legs this way. I can’t wait to try that again with the full transformation!”

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Wukong groaned. “Let’s stick to light jogging for now until that happens.”

“Can do,” Tang agreed with a chuckle. He waved over to a concerned looking MK and Mei to let them know he was alright. He hadn’t seen who had finished first, but he felt that he had won something himself.

----------

Tang panted a bit as he snuggled into Pigsy’s embrace. He felt quite content at the moment and basked in his partner’s presence. He giggled a bit as he felt one of Pigsy’s hands sliding down and began gently playing with his fluffy tail.

“Enjoying yourself?” He teased.

“Mmhmm,” Pigsy hummed in agreement.

“Well, I’m glad you had fun helping me test out my last few bits.”

“Is that what we’re calling it?” Pigsy chuckled. “I’d be more than willing to help ‘test your bits’ anytime.”

“You… you didn’t find it weird?” Tang asked in a sudden wave of self-consciousness. “It’s not like what you’re used to…”

“Yeah, it was different. But it was still good.” Pigsy kissed Tang’s forehead in reassurance. “You were good. Don’t really care what it’s like as long as it’s with you.”

Tang smiled and nuzzled against Pigsy’s chest. They lay there for a bit, enjoying the closeness of the other.

“Wukong says I should be ready to try the full transformation myself soon,” Tang said softly.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Tang swallowed a bit, suddenly nervous. “He’s been quizzing me on my anatomy studies and says I should only need a few more weeks of review.”

“That’s great,” Pigsy praised as he pulled Tang into a tighter embrace. “You’ve been working so hard on this.”

“What if I mess up?”

“You won’t.”

“But what if?”

“Then Monkey King will help fix it and I’ll be there to support you.”

“But-”

“Shh. Don’t think about it too much. Just relax.”

Tang sighed as Pigsy began purring, unconsciously doing as instructed.

“Cheater.”

“Is it working?”

“You know it is.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

Tang closed his eyes as he let the vibrations from his partner’s chest soothe him. He had always had a weakness for purring. He couldn’t wait until he could reciprocate with his own.

“Feeling better?” Pigsy whispered into his ear.

“Mmhmm.”

“Good.” His voice became a bit more playful. “Then how about we start test number two with those bits of yours?”

Tang responded with enthusiastic agreement.

----------

Tang took a deep breath as he stood alone in his room while in his monkey form. It was time.

The others weren’t very happy that he had insisted that he attempt the transformation by himself. Tang had reasoned that he needed to be sure he could do it alone, as he wouldn't have their support at the beginning of the next cycle. They had reluctantly agreed. As a precaution, they were all currently waiting just outside in the hall, ready to burst in at the first sound of Tang’s distress.

Tang shook his head and refocused. There wasn’t much point in putting it off any longer. Quickly disrobing, he sat in the center of the room and began to meditate.

He breathed slowly and evenly. He kept everything he had learned over the past few months at the forefront of his mind. He remembered the flowing sensation of his magic as Wukong had guided it. He recalled how each and every part of his body was supposed to feel from his experiences from the test transformations.

Once he was ready, he cut the magic keeping him in his monkey form and reverted to his base form. 

His human form. 

Shivering a bit at the draft against his suddenly bare body, Tang pressed down on the rising urge to panic and began to circulate his magic as Wukong had taught him. He warmed as it began to form a current through him. Keeping his eyes closed, he brought forth everything he had studied and felt over the past few months. He gently took hold of the swirling flow of magic within and pushed.

The sensation of having his whole body transform at the same time was very disorientating. The tingling all over was much stronger, almost to the point of distraction. Tang resisted the desire to grit his teeth as they were currently rearranging themselves in his jaw and willed himself to stay focused.

His skull elongated and whiskers grew from his snout. His ears lengthened and re-positioned themselves further up his head. His fingers lost a segment and grew claws. His spine grew slightly as a tail sprouted from its base. His feet creaked as the bones rearranged themselves so he would stand on his toes. All of this happened simultaneously and Tang struggled a bit to keep track of it all.

What felt like hours but could have only been minutes passed. Tang did his best to keep his breathing steady and nearly sighed in relief as he felt his fur start to grow in. He redoubled his concentration as he focused on the knowledge of how genes worked to determine the color and pattern of a rabbit’s coat.

The fur stopped growing. His bones stopped shifting. His skin stopped stretching. The tingling began to fade.

Tang kept the circulation of his magic up for a few moments more. Once he double and triple checked that there didn’t seem to be anything else left to shift, he let it go. Taking a steadying breath, Tang opened his eyes just as his magic settled.

He did his best to examine himself from his seated position. His paws and feet looked and felt right. It seemed he got the secondary color he had picked out correct. He could hear and smell things with the expected sharp clarity. His bits were all in order.

He shook his head at how ineffective it was to just stare down at himself. What he needed was to look at his entire body all at once. Tang picked himself up off the floor, breathing a sigh of relief as he was able to stand on his digitigrade feet just fine. He pulled out a strand of fur and blew on it, looking away from the bright flash as it transformed into a full length mirror.

Trembling, Tang stepped in front of the mirror.

He stared.

The rabbit demon in his reflection stared back.

Tang swallowed thickly as he examined the figure in the mirror.

He had managed his fur color correctly. While his face, paws, feet, and he assumed most of his back were the dark chocolate brown he liked, his front was a vibrant reddish brown that blended beautifully together with the darker color. It even rimmed his eyes and inner ears, providing a wonderful contrast.

His breath caught as he looked over the traits that he recognized from his human form. The style of his head fur. The color and shape of his eyes. His expressions. All of it combined together with the rabbit traits and the fur color to make…

Himself.

He slapped a paw over his mouth as his eyes watered.

Tang was looking at himself. That rabbit demon was him. And it was only him.

Overwhelming emotions rushed through him as he reached out and touched the mirror, the reflection that was him copying his movements perfectly.

Incredulity.

Relief.

Hope.

Peace.

Joy.

Euphoria.

Tang couldn’t hold back any longer and began to sob.

The door to his room burst open.

“Tang!” Pigsy rushed over and began looking him over, the others all close behind. “What happened? Are you hurt? Did something go wrong?”

“Pigsy!” Tang hiccuped as he grabbed his partner’s arm and pulled him in front of the mirror. “Look! It’s me!” He laughed through his tears as spread his arms out to fully present himself. “It’s me!”

“It’s… It worked?”

“It worked!” Tang threw his arms around Pigsy’s shoulders and laughed and cried in equal measure. “It worked! It’s me! It’s me! It’s me…”

“Well, uh, congrats and all that,” Wukong coughed, grabbing their attention while he stared up at the ceiling. The others were likewise averting their gazes. “We’ll all just, uh, wait outside for you two then.”

“Huh,” Pigsy blinked as they made a hasty retreat and closed the door behind them. “What was that about? You’d think they’d want to stick around and celebrate.”

“Pigsy,” Tang giggled, finding the whole thing hilarious. “Pigsy, they left because I’m naked.”

“You are?” Pigsy looked down. “Oh. You are.”

Tang couldn’t help it. He laughed. The euphoria of his transformation combined with the hilarity of his oblivious partner just filled him to the brim with joy. It felt like it could burst out of him at any moment.

He started to glow a bright golden-yellow.

“Tang, you’re glowing,” Pigsy said. “Literally.”

“Thanks, I didn’t notice,” Tang snorted. “Guess I- pfft- guess I caught the Giggle Glow. Let me just- hahaha- let me catch my breath.”

The glow dimmed as he got his mirth under control, but occasionally brightened as he continued to giggle.

“Okay. I’m okay. Let me clean up and get dressed then we’ll go celebrate with the others.”

“I mean, it sounded like they would be willing to wait a bit,” Pigsy said. He looked Tang up and down with an appreciative smile. “We could celebrate ourselves first.”

“Later,” Tang promised. “I want to show off my new self to everyone.”

“When you say show off…”

“Don’t worry,” Tang said with a smirk. “You’re the only one who’ll get to see the whole thing.” He shamelessly stretched his arms up over his head. “Once we’ve had our fill of the party, we can come back and I’ll share all of myself with you.”

“Sounds, uh, sounds good,” Pigsy swallowed as he stared at Tang’s form.

Tang snickered, glowing slightly as he moved over to the dresser to pull out some clothes.

Once dressed, he and Pigsy made their way to the living room where they were met with enthusiastic congratulations. The celebratory mood only grew once Wukong confirmed that he could no longer see Tang’s human form with his Gold Vision. The transformation was indeed permanent.

The revelation that Tang had somehow developed the Giggle Glow as well was met with some confusion. They had scratched their heads over it for a few minutes before they all shrugged and moved on with celebrating.

Tang could not remember a time when he felt so happy. Both before and during the cycles. A weight inside him had seemed to have been completely lifted.

He thoroughly enjoyed the party that lasted for most of the day. 

He enjoyed the after party with Pigsy even more.

----------

As Tumblr only allows for 1,000 blocks of text per post, this chapter has been split into two. The read the rest of this chapter and see my closing notes check out Part 2 Here or scroll back up to click Next. If you prefer a completely uninterrupted experience, click the AO3 Link above.

#Monkie Kid #LEGO Monkie Kid #Scattered Cicadas #Giggle Glow AU #animemoonprincess #Tang #Bunny Tang

[lumineescente]

Seungjin drabble (slowtober challenger)

hii im doing a thing called slowtober (made by @/oeildesaturne on instagram, french speaking folks check it out!! although be aware of tw mental health and eds talks) and i’m posting on twitter a seungjin au per word

I’m late in the updating on tumblr but for the eight days (october 22nd - 25th) The word is "ritual"!

I went with an inaccurately historical au, European (France) 17th century Seungmin is a "witch" like they used to call them and Hyunjin is an apothecary/pharmacist

As a personal tmi I really ADOOORE this period of time and if i get to write this au, it'll be inaccurate for several reasons but I did spend a lot of my free time when i was young reading about it and learning about it sooo! This was so fun

Tw: period related homophobia (implied)

AND if you enjoyed this challenge who is now over you can vote on this form for your favorite that I’ll be writing into a full fic on ao3! (“soumettre” is “submit” btw)

if you want to check all the drabbles you can go here

The clock on top of the front door ticks in a familiar motion. Hyunjin does not bother looking at it, silently counting the sounds in his head and when he finally reaches sixty, the door opens. 

He has to stop himself from smiling too brightly. Seungmin is a very predictable person, Hyunjin means it in the most positive way, and with time he had learned with enthusiasm to understand all of Seungmin's rituals. He is not sure if the latter has noticed that. 

"Good evening," Seungmin's voice whispers. 

The shop is empty. It is a late Thursday night and no apothecary should be open at that time, except Hyunjin's definitely not a simple apothecary. 

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." 

Hyunjin swallows back the fact that he has been waiting for him all night long. He just shakes his head, "of course not." 

The nobleman seems relieved. The lights in the shop are dim, it would be best for both of them if no policemen starts wondering about the shop activities on the side. He knows very well that Seungmin is also a very careful man and would have made sure to come here in a discreet manner, like most of Hyunjin's clients he has as much to lose as he does. Maybe worse. Seungmin puts his hat and coat on the coat hanger near the door. He watches the way he carefully folds the coat, in an inexplicable yet seemingly very important way, because he does it like that all the time. A man of ritual, Hyunjin thinks.

Hyunjin does not need to tell him anything because he knows his way around and they are both comfortable enough by now. After all they both know each other deepest and most dangerous secret. Sometimes Hyunjin can't help but wonder if Seungmin might keep another kind of secret. Sometimes with the way his eyes linger on Hyunjin when he believes he is not seeing him, or when their fingers brush and his cheeks are colored in a pink tint… sure sometimes Hyunjin lets himself think about it. 

“Full moon’s ritual?” Hyunjin asks him, when Seungmin is ready to listen to him, even if once again, he knows that the answer is yes. Seungmin’s practice seems to be mostly oriented toward the moon and its phases so Hyunjin carefully checks it every night. 

“Yes,” Seungmin answers, “and some other things I need. I got a bunch of my, uh, clients asking for my help.” 

He slides a piece of paper on the counter. Hyunjin carefully looks at it. Seungmin’s handwriting is neat and precise. He describes exactly the quantity of each plant and other ingredients he needs. Seungmin was actually the only person Hyunjin has ever met who had more knowledge than himself on the subject. Maybe because Seungmin comes from a higher line, richer and more powerful, he has access to information way before Hyunjin could, receiving books and reports from overseas expeditions, places Hyunjin barely manages to imagine in his own mind. He is not sure why Seungmin still comes to him, in his little shop, in a part of the city which probably takes him a while to go to, and risks being caught. Or maybe he does not let his mind wander in the reasons. 

Hyunjin has already prepared everything for Seungmin, he just needs to take a few other things in his cupboards. Seungmin waits for him patiently, looking around in the shelves to keep himself busy. 

He still remembers the first night Seungmin came to the apothecary. Hyunjin's side practice is not known by many so Seungmin must have been close to one of his most important clients to be there, as there is no way to randomly find about it, Hyunjin always makes sure of it. Seungmin was very shy, and embarrassed, like he was not sure why he had come here at first, or maybe like he was not sure if it was safe enough. Their first talks were mostly in codes, making sure that both of them were on the same page. Hyunjin never ever judges his clients. He has seen it all, and he does not care what they will do with what he gives them. He is far from stupid, he knows the amount of poison murders that has been happening in the high classes and he probably knows he has played a part in those killings, some would say. He sleeps better at night, not asking any questions, only handing the ingredients. What they do with that is far from his worries, once they have closed the door of his practice and he is counting the money. People might die. He gotta live. 

Seungmin seemed different. The shyness first of all had nothing to do with most women or men discretion. None of them were really shy. They were commanding, arrogant, haughty, but they knew what they were to lose if they got caught. Seungmin spoke softly, handed him a carefully folded piece of paper, a very beautiful paper Hyunjin had noticed, and the ingredients written on it had nothing to do with the usual... preparations he has been asked to make. Another thing Hyunjin had noticed immediately was how cute and pretty Seungmin was, he kept that to himself. 

Slowly but surely Seungmin warmed up to him, because Hyunjin always made sure to make Seungmin comfortable and it was obvious that it made the latter happier a bit more every time. More and more Seungmin would smile genuinely at him, dare to look him in the eye, linger a bit longer in the shop when it was not necessary, brush their hands whenever he had to grab for what Hyunjin was giving, explain to him why he would buy this and that, or make a compliment. More and more Hyunjin would stay awake at night thinking about him, making sure to remember all the rituals he was following, in his own practice or in his life. 

Hyunjin looked forward every time he knew Seungmin would cross the back door of the shop. 

“Here,” Hyunjin tells him when he is done measuring everything Seungmin needs. 

He makes sure to let his hand linger near the package and Seungmin does exactly what he expected and his fingers brush the back of his hand. He is happy with the small touch. 

“I have something for you too,” Seungmin says. 

“You do?” 

Seungmin takes something out of his pocket, “one of my own clients offered me this, you might have heard about it… chocolate powder.” 

This time Hyunjin can not hide his surprise, “I’ve heard but…” 

Seungmin has a shy smile, “it’s good, and you can make it sweeter.” 

“I thought only the people of court had access to it,” Hyunjin comments, staring at the powder like it would have been a magic one, “I did not realize those were your clients.”

Seungmin puts a finger over his lips, “I have a few secrets I might tell you one day.” 

Hyunjin stays quiet, when Seungmin winks at him, he giggles. Seungmin puts his own package in his pocket before going back to his coat and hat.

“Good night, Hyunjin,” he whispers softly. 

Before Hyunjin can answer anything, the man is gone. Hyunjin gasps for air, his heart beating faster in his chest, and his cheeks burning red.

#my writing #slowtober #drabble #seungmin #hyunjin #seunghwang drabble #seungjin drabble #seungjin #seunghwang #skz drabble #stray kids drabble #luminee:slowtober challenge

[vannahfanfics]

Hello, this is anonymous commissioner 🍄! This is my information for my One Piece matchup. Thank you for writing it!

I’m a bi/pan woman. 5’1”/155cm with short blue hair (naturally dark brown, but I like experimenting with different colors), gray eyes, and I guess kind of a cozy femme style.

My personality is free-spirited, even-tempered, independent, and adventurous. I love learning new things, and I’ll try anything once - as long as it’s not too dangerous or obviously harmful to someone else. As a partner (or friend) I’m loyal, supportive, and fun, but not the most romantic or verbally affectionate. It’s actually pretty hard for me to say “I love you,” and I even feel a little awkward hearing it tbh. My biggest flaw is probably that I can be a little self-centered - not in a diva-ish way, but prone to getting caught up in my own thoughts and goals sometimes. My hobbies/interests are reading (mostly horror, science fiction, and science history), gardening, swimming, knitting, traveling, and games of all kinds.

In a partner I’m attracted to confidence, creativity, and passion. My favorite dates are ones where we visit a new place (whether that’s a new restaurant or a whole new city) or learn a new skill together. When meeting someone for the first time, I start out a bit quiet and withdrawn, but I warm up quickly once we find a good topic of conversation or an activity to work on together.

At long last, here is your match-up, Anon! I apologize for how terribly long this took me; medical school has kept me so busy, and I suffered a pretty prolonged period of writer's block as well. Things are finally settling down, though, and I have my creative groove back! I hope you find this worth the wait, and thank you again for commissioning! :)

P.S. Someone please tell me to stop trying to use Ctrl+Z on Tumblr so that I stop accidentally deleting entire drafts with no way to recover them! >:(

I match you with...

Vivi Nefertari from One Piece!

There are a lot of amazing characters in One Piece that I could have matched you with, but the first one that came to mind was one of the best girls in the series: the lovely princess Vivi! It wasn't just because she also has blue hair, LMAO; I think she's a great fit for you. Let's delve into why:

Free-spirited, even-tempered, independent, adventurous: these are all qualities that Vivi shares with you. She is also very much someone who seeks new experiences and is willing to try anything at least once; however, danger is not something that Vivi shies away from! I could easily see her being one of those daredevil thrillseekers—skydiving, bungee jumping, deep sea/underwater cave diving, you name it! Naturally, she would want to enjoy these experiences with you, but she would be totally understanding if you aren't quite as keen to try. She'd never push you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. She's happy to undertake said venture by herself or with a more enthusiastic companion, then tell you all about the fun she had afterward! Of course, when it comes to anything that you are willing to try, Vivi wants to be a part of it. She's the type to want to memorialize the adventure; expect to get lots of pictures that Vivi will immediately pore over after all is said and done so that she can gush about how much fun you both had and what great memories you made!

Vivi is also a loyal and supportive partner, so it doesn't bother her in the slightest that you aren't "openly" romantic. Vivi has high emotional intelligence when it comes to those who she is close to, and, therefore, she doesn't need to rely on words or overt physical gestures to understand what they are feeling or trying to express; that would certainly be the case with you, too! You may not be easily able to say "I love you" in words, but there are certainly ways that you do say it, and Vivi will be able to perceive these with no problem. Vivi is a bit more open in this regard, but she is more than willing to operate at your comfort level. Again, she knows that there is more than one way to express affection than by just saying it; she will express her feelings in any way that you are receptive to!

Vivi is not quiet or withdrawn like you are, but her more outgoing nature certainly wouldn't get in the way of the two of you hitting it off. In fact, it aids it! Vivi is like you in the fact that she immediately lights up when the topic of conversation turns interesting—especially if it is something she enjoys. Vivi is definitely one of those to start excitedly gushing once she realizes that the other person(s) is similarly interested in a topic. She'll talk your ear off, and she'll gladly let you do the same to hers! Her interests are similarly varied like yours, so this would also present a good basis for establishing a rapport with Vivi. Mutual interests are the foundation of any strong relationship, and you certainly have plenty with Vivi!

It goes without saying that Vivi is extremely passionate, and she's certainly creative, too. Your ideas of dates are Vivi's idea of dates; it ties into her sense of adventure! She loves to visit new places. If you have any inclinations of being a globetrotter, then dating Vivi is certainly a way to realize those aspirations. She has a lengthy list of historic and otherwise famous places that she would like to visit at least once in her life—not that she'll stop there! Anywhere she goes, she's eager to explore from top to bottom and sideways so that she can not only get a well-rounded experience but also discover places and things she wouldn't have otherwise! She is also always willing to try new skills, too, whether it's associated with a trip or not. Quite a few of your fond memories would be the two of you trying your hands at some obscure art or cooking form or what have you. Whether your results are successful or comically terrible, Vivi is all-smiles; not only is it fun for her just to be experiencing something different, she's just happy to be doing so with you!

I really feel that the greatest trait that you and Vivi would share is a love of travel, so here are some headcanons on that!:

Seriously, Vivi loves to travel. She'd jump at every opportunity to journey somewhere new, and she's the type of person to have a collection of things from her travels—postcards, magnets, novelty mugs. She loves all kinds of souvenirs!

If you are the type of person who also collects things from places you visit, not only will it send her over the moon, but she'll also be more than happy to indulge you! Whatever you collect, you can bet that Vivi will be buying something for you on a trip, whether you are on it together or not. In the same vein, if you do the same for her, it will make her the happiest person alive!

Some people have specific kinds of places that they like to travel to, but not Vivi. She'll happily go on any kind of trip, whether it's a relaxing beach trip, a rustic mountain retreat, a jaunt through a historic landmark, or an adventure like an extended hike or diving experience. The world is a vast place full of countless wonderful things, places, and peoples, and life is too short to experience them all—but by golly, Vivi is going to experience as many as she can!

As I mentioned earlier, Vivi is very much into photographs as mementos, so you'll be taking a lot of them together! Don't worry, though, they won't just sit in your phones' photo libraries; Vivi will put her creativity to work and make a scrapbook! To her, it's almost more fun than the trip itself. She loves to dive right into the newest scrapbook pages as soon as the trip is done, sometimes with so much zeal that she has them finished the day she returns home! Her favorite part is sharing them with you, of course, and reminiscing, whether it was a solo trip on her part or one you both went on together!

Obviously, life is never a dull moment with Vivi. This go-getting gal is sure to drag you along for countless adventures, whether it's a spontaneous lunch at a new restaurant or a hike into the thick of a rainforest—and she's going to be sure to immortalize every amazing moment that she shares with you. For all the amazing things that Vivi's seen and done, nothing compares to the way that you enrich her life!

Finally, I'd like to highlight the one un-adventurous aspect of Vivi... her disdain for horror movies, LOL! I just don't see her enjoying the genre at all because the poor thing is terribly prone to jump scares! Despite that, she'd love to support your interests and would watch them with you... well, what little bit she sees through her fingers! So, here's a drabble on the topic:

"Eeeeeeeek!"

You can't help but laugh at the piercing shriek that tears from Vivi's mouth when your television's speakers thunder with the crescendo of the suspenseful music and the very predictable jump-scare scene of the horror movie you and your girlfriend are watching flashes across the screen. Could you even call Vivi's terrified, fragmented peering through the gaps in her fingers watching, actually? The dubious nature of Vivi's movie experience just makes it all the more comical, prompting you to laugh again just as she flops over onto her side and curls into the fetal position with a mournful moan.

"How can you be so stoic while watching this?" she laments, her voice muffled from how tightly her hands are plastered to her face. "That ghost popping out of nowhere like that—I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!"

"I saw it coming from a mile away," you explain with a little laugh. Really, there was a formula to these things. The protagonist goes creeping through a dark, dusty attic; it's practically horror movie law for something scary to happen, whether it's furniture being knocked to the floor with a tremendous crash or some spooky specter to suddenly appear from the darkness. You've watched enough horror films to recognize the tell-tale patterns of an impending jump scare or at least a subverting de-escalation of tension. Vivi, despite watching several of them with you now, had apparently not quite acquired said skill. Hence, she was terrified out of her wits each time.

You really ought to make more effort to reassure her that she doesn't need to watch them with you, but you can't bring yourself to because her exaggerated reactions are just so darn cute!

That, and the way that Vivi always comes crawling back for more because she simply can't stand to leave a story unfinished. Even as she lay beside you on the sofa with her knees tucked to her chest and her quivering hands pressed to her face, she parts her fingers to stare apprehensively at the television screen with a squeak of, "Did I miss anything important?!"

"She just dashed down the attic ladder so fast that she lost her footing, fell, and hit her head on the floor so hard that she was dazed for a bit. As she was in and out of consciousness, she saw the ghost peering out of the attic opening at her and smiling creepily," you explain, calm despite describing an absolutely nightmarish scenario.

Just the description of the event gives Vivi the good ol' heebie-jeebies; she is gripped with a full-body shudder, then hastily snaps her fingers back shut with a frightened squeak of "No, thank you!"

You laugh, then give her a reassuring rub of her back while returning your gaze to the television screen.

"I guess this means that you'll never visit a haunted graveyard or something with me, huh?" you tease. You've yet to find a challenge that Vivi will shy away from, but a haunted locale just might be the line drawn in the sand, you consider then.

To your surprise, however, Vivi shoots up into a sitting position to look at you with a resolute glower.

"It doesn't matter if it's haunted! If it's a place that you want to visit, then I want to visit it, too!" she asserts with a conviction that shocks you so deeply that you pause the movie and turn completely sideways to gape at her in utter incredulity. Vivi's bottom lip is quivering and her eyes are shaking with fear, but there is no mistaking the resolve in her expression. She totally meant it!

Still, you're so amazed by the notion that you can't help but ask, "Really?"

"Really!" Vivi insists with an emphatic nod. "I won't let something silly like fear get in the way of enjoying an experience with you! Even if it's scary then, it'll probably be really funny in hindsight, you know?"

It was one-hundred-percent Vivi logic, and you couldn't help but smile at her assertion. Before you could respond, however, Vivi continues:

"Kind of like this." She gestures vaguely at the television with a little chuckle. "I keep watching scary movies with you because it's always fun to laugh about how worked up I get later! The fright I get from the jump scares and stuff is temporary... but the joy of spending time with you, and the giddiness at how funny we both find my reactions are permanent." She smiles in a mixture of adoration and bashfulness. "A-anyway, what I'm trying to say is, what's the difference between watching a scary movie with you and going somewhere haunted, really? I'm happy to do this, so I'm happy to do that, too! Just say when!"

You are so struck by the sudden emotional outpouring that you can only stare at her in shocked silence for a second. Then, the utter insanity of her logic strikes you, and you burst into laughter.

"Vivi...! Ahahaha, y-you... you really are a-a... a masochist, you know that?!" you exclaim between frantic giggling. Vivi blushes brightly at your explosive laughter, but only smiles sheepishly and offers a small shrug in response.

The amusement quickly gives way to a rush of affection, prompting you to smile breathlessly at Vivi while you use the heels of your palms to wipe away the tears that had sprung to your eyes from laughing so hard. It takes a minute for you to regain the ability to speak, but when you do, you take her hands in yours and give them a squeeze.

"In all seriousness, thank you, Vivi. Not everybody would be willing to waltz into a haunted house, let alone those who don't even like scary stuff. You really are amazing... or out of your mind." You can't help but tack on the jibe at the end, but Vivi doesn't resent you for it; she just laughs and nods in agreement.

"I'm definitely out of my mind," she giggles. Her expression then softens and she looks at you in pure adulation that can only be love. "But I'll happily sacrifice a little bit of my sanity if it means that I can experience as many amazing things with you as I can."

"Vivi..." You breathe her name as warmth floods your entire being. You nibble on your bottom lip as a big grin tugs at the corner of your lips, but it does little to keep it from stretching from ear to ear. You give her hands another squeeze, then release a half-sigh, half-laugh as you let go and settle back against the couch. "Let's get you to where you can make it through a horror movie without dying of fright, and then we can talk about trips to haunted places, all right?"

"I don't know if we'll ever take a trip to a haunted place, then, because I don't think I can!" Vivi groans even as she flops against you and looks at the television screen with mounting anxiety. You laugh and press play on the remote, and it's only a few seconds before Vivi is clutching onto you for dear life and burying her face into your shoulder. It's admittedly a pretty frightening scene, but there's no way that you can feel fear right now, not when you're full to the brim with love for your amazing girlfriend.

That's okay, you think. I could spend the rest of my life never going anywhere else, and I'd be just fine as long as I'm with you... because you make every day an adventure no matter where we go or what we do.

Interested in a commission? Check out this post!

#one piece #matchups #match-ups #one piece matchups #one piece match-ups #vannahfanfics commissions #commissions

[professor-rye]

ooooooo! Disparate Threads Weave A Tapestry Of Color for the WIP thing, please. Gorgeous titles are my weakness.

Ooooh, very fair! This is a pet project from a while back that I have many ideas about and no time or motivation to focus on them T___T This is my Polynein get together fic, where drunken conversations turn into legitimate discussions on how the Nein could possibly become a polycule, and everything that that entails! The first two chapters are actually up on AO3, if you would like to read them! Once more, tumblr is refusing to let me indent the snip, so we once more get a bunch of dancing kaomoji's to designate it's start. Also, it's a long snip, because I am really bad at ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿��)~ ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿‾)~ ~(‾▿‾)~

“So tell me brother, how is your human?” Verin asked as he flopped to the ground beside where Essek knelt. He glared when an errant foot nearly knocked over his very neat pile of clippings. 

“Caleb is doing well,” he lied. “His teaching is keeping him busy of late. Exams are coming up soon.”

“Ah, that explains his absence,” Verin said with a nod, “Too bad. I love getting to tease you whenever you get all heart eyed at him.”

“I do not get heart eyed,” Essek grumbled, causing Verin to bark out a laugh.

“Sure you don’t,” he said with that infuriating smirk. Essek scowled.

“Careful brother,” he warned, “I might just slip and accidentally tell a certain couple of ladies about the infamous helmet incident.” Verin crossed his arms with a huff and looked away. 

“Do your worst, I have no shame,” he insisted, but Essek could tell that he was bluffing. Verin would never get over the shame of the helmet incident. He had won this round, for now. 

“So, when did all of that start?” he asked, shifting the topic before Verin could think of a proper counter. His brother hesitated for a moment, before smiling softly. 

“Ah, it was right after the last delve beyond the gate, actually,” he answered. “So that puts it at… three months back?” 

“Still quite fresh then,” Essek mused as he continued to work. “You seem very happy.”

“I am very happy,” Verin agreed softly, before suddenly grinning widely. “This polycule business is fucking great! I can’t believe mother convinced us it was below our station.”

Essek chuckled weakly and shook his head, surprised that Verin still held their mother’s word as law. He would have figured that his brother would have learned to discount their mother’s courting advice after his last three relationships, but apparently not. 

“She convinced <i>you</i>,” Essek argued, entirely to be pedantic. “I’ve never been one to heed her critiques in that sector of life.”

“Well, that was easy for <i>you</i>,” Verin scoffed. “You never let her know anything about your love life, or lack thereof for several decades there. She didn’t harass you about it nearly as much as she harassed me.”

“And I intend on keeping it that way,” Essek pointed out firmly. Not that such a thing would be difficult, now that he avoided the Dynasty like the plague. His brother didn’t quite know that though. “I can only imagine how she would react if she found out about Caleb.”

“Or if she found out about how the Heroes of the Dynasty are totally considering becoming a polycule themselves,” Verin pointed out with a knowing smirk. He was watching Essek closely, waiting for a reaction. He didn’t rise to the bait. 

“If that became public knowledge, I bet polycules would become a fad again,” Verin continued when Essek did not respond. “Though from what I hear, all of that is even newer than what me, Reani, and Calliope have.”

“It is very new, yes,” Essek finally answered. “But beyond that, not everyone is involved as of yet, Caleb and myself included.”

“Oh, really?” Verin actually looked surprised by that. “I would have figured your man would have been all over that. You aren’t holding him back, are you?”

“No,” Essek answered quickly, almost defensively. Then, he sighed. “I am honestly uncertain why Caleb is so hesitant. I can’t help but feel like he would be very happy if he let himself be involved, but he is not ready yet.”

“Huh, interesting,” Verin mused. Essek glanced over to his brother to see him looking off into the distance, surprisingly thoughtful. He fought the urge to sigh. Verin was <i>not</i> the person who he wanted to talk to about all of this. Time to change the subject. 

#polynein #cr fan fic #ask game #fan fic wip