#does a tag for the 30 days series exist??

[sgorbyx]

wander Sausage my babygirl <3

#mythicalsausage #mythical sausage fanart #i don't know how to tag it- #does a tag for the 30 days series exist?? #30 days hardcore smp #IT DOES #he slayed so hard #the maniac laugh while he was killed #can't stop thinking about it #my art #got a little too silly with the rendering with this one #it took me like three days only for the painting part

[ao3org]

It's Finally Happening - Changes to Dream SMP, 3rd Life/Last Life, and other SMP fandoms!

Hello!

Some exciting changes are coming to Video Blogging RPF over the next few weeks! We are happy to announce that Dream SMP, 3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series, Empires SMP, and a number of other Survival Multiplayer (SMP) Minecraft roleplay fandoms will be getting their very own fandom tags. These changes will be starting 10 May 2022, beginning with Dream SMP.

We want to thank you for your patience both in getting to this point, and in the coming weeks as these changes take place! Our volunteers have worked hard towards this change since 2021, and we will do our best to make this transition go as smoothly as possible.

How will the Fandom tags change?

Many SMPs have their own rich lore that is separate from what is going on in the content creators' lives. In the past, everything has been housed in Video Blogging RPF, but that doesn't recognize that there is more than just RPF in these fandoms. We are creating new tags so that you have a place to explore the fictional lives of the characters in these worlds.

Other SMPs that are not listed below may also get fandom tags eventually. We are constantly evaluating new SMPs as their fandoms grow, and we plan to continue making more fandom tags for them in the future. Just keep tagging the SMPs your work takes place in as a fandom so that we know how big the fandom is!

If you already use a fandom tag like "Dream SMP" or "Last Life" on your fic, your works will be filterable and searchable under the new fandom tags once we finish moving everything! These new SMP fandoms will be set up as subfandoms of Video Blogging RPF. If you are only using the Video Blogging RPF or Minecraft tag, we recommend either adding or replacing that with the relevant SMP fandoms - although if you'd prefer, you can of course just keep your work in Video Blogging RPF.

Here is a list of the new fandom tags, if you would like to update your works now!

Dream SMP

Origins SMP

30 Day SMP | Free Trial SMP

3rd Life | Last Life SMP Series

Evolution SMP

Empires SMP

Afterlife SMP

Hermitcraft SMP*

Outsiders SMP

SMPEarth

SMPLive

Epic SMP

Shady Oaks SMP

Cogchamp SMP

Bear SMP

Fable SMP

*The currently existing Hermitcraft RPF fandom will be renamed to Hermitcraft SMP, so that wranglers will be able to make use of the new SMP guidelines.

Additionally, users will not be required to retag their works. This means that you should not report a work to Policy & Abuse that does not use the new SMP tags.

How will the Character tags change?

Because it can be confusing and difficult to find works about characters when their character tags are only a content creator's real name, we will be renaming characters of these new SMP fandoms to include usernames. Here are a few of the planned character tag changes:

Darryl Noveschosch → Darryl Noveschosch | BadBoyHalo

Zak Ahmed → Zak Ahmed | Skeppy

Noah Brown → Noah Brown | Foolish Gamers

Charlie Dalgleish → Charlie Dalgleish | Slimecicle

Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF) → Phil Watson | Philza

Brendan Thro → Brendan Thro | Sneegsnag

John Booko → John Booko | BdoubleO100

Anthony Viviano → Anthony Viviano | Bigbst4tz2

Oliver Brotherhood → Oliver Brotherhood | Mumbo Jumbo

Jordan Maron → Jordan Maron | CaptainSparklez

Unfortunately, we are not able to create separate tags for the streamer’s main RP characters at this time. Any Technoblade (Dream SMP), Technoblade (SMP Earth) etc tags will still continue to redirect to Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF).

From a wrangling perspective, it is difficult to distinguish when tags are referring to the character or to the content creator when the character and the streamer’s username are the same. This is especially true when it comes to relationship or freeform tags involving the character/streamer, and because often two different works will use the same tag to mean different things. For example, if a work is tagged Technoblade-centric, we cannot tell if they are talking about Technoblade the streamer, or his Technoblade character from Dream SMP, or his Technoblade character from Origins SMP, or even his Technoblade character from SMPEarth. In addition, we would not want creators to feel like they need to tag multiple variations of Technoblade’s RP characters if the work involves an ambiguous AU version of his RP personas - and that issue would only further compound across relationship and freeform tags. However, we hope the creation of RP fandom tags can be used as an alternative by creators to show if their works are about the RP characters. We also hope that they can help users filter for the content they are looking for, or filter out any content they are looking to avoid.

However, sometimes a content creator will play other characters that have distinct names - like Dream also playing the characters of DreamXD and Ranbob. Right now those characters are both redirected to the "Clay | Dream" tag, but they, and others like them, will now be getting new character tags of their own.

NPCs such as Xornoth or the Samsung Smart Fridge, and Minecraft mob characters like Sally the Salmon or Michael_Beloved the Piglin, who previously did not have tags at all, will also soon get character tags.

This should make it easier to find works about a variety of characters! If you're already using tags like Ghostbur, Ranbob, or Sally the Salmon, you won't have to make any changes for your works to be searchable under the new tags.

How will the Additional tags change?

Additional tags related to the SMPs will be adjusted to use the new fandoms.  Here are some examples:

Logstedshire on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF) → Logstedshire (Dream SMP)

Empire of Pixandria on Empires SMP Setting (Video Blogging RPF) → Empire of Pixandria (Empires SMP)

The Maze on Outsiders SMP (Video Blogging RPF) → The Maze (Outsiders SMP)

NPCs, Alter Egos, and mobs can now get additional tags of their own, such as this:

Winged Xornoth (Empires SMP)

Simp DreamXD (Dream SMP)

Ghostbur-Centric (Dream SMP)

We know this is a big change, and we hope that it will make it a lot easier to navigate the various SMP fandoms and find the works you're looking for. Please remember that, while we believe that these new canonical tags will help, you are not required to use them. We hope that these new tags will provide more ease of access, clarity, and visibility than what is currently in place.

Once again, thank you for your patience in the coming weeks while these tags are in flux. Our team has been working on this for many months, and we’re all very excited to share these changes with you!

TL;DR:

Several Minecraft SMPs will get their own fandoms.

Streamers of those SMPs will have their tags edited to include their usernames.

Alter-egos, NPCs, and mob characters of those SMPs will be canonized in these new SMP fandoms.

Please be patient with us, as implementing this many changes will take some time!

#ao3 #archive of our own #tag wrangling changes #mcyt #Dream SMP #Last Life SMP #Empires SMP #Hermitcraft

[iwtvfanevents]

Saint Louis of the Vieux Carré —an LDPDL fan event

A month-long creative challenge to celebrate Louis's 146th birthday, this October 4th. Starting October 1st and through the whole month, we'll be celebrating AMC IWTV's Louis de Pointe du Lac, who turns 146 this year! 

Starting October 1st, you’ll be able to see the fan creations shared as part of the event in the tag, here »

31 prompts

day 1. humanity | human life

day 2. crossover

day 3. confession | penance

day 4. through the decades

day 5. hunger | feeding habits

day 6. canon divergence

day 7. memory | keepsake

day 8. fashion

day 9. epistolary | handwritten

day 10. missing scene

day 11. literature | intertext

day 12. intoxication

day 13. floral | the last bouquet

day 14. dubai

day 15. love | lust

day 16. parenthood

day 17. canvas | visual arts

day 18. storytelling

day 19. marriage | relationships

day 20. new orleans

day 21. performance | gender

day 22. family

day 23. fairy tales | monsters

day 24. photography

day 25. faith | purpose

day 26. alternative universe

day 27. grief | ghosts

day 28. paris

day 29. childhood | innocence

day 30. music

day 31. halloween | haunted houses

How does this event work?

Every day of the month has an assigned prompt. The real challenge is to try and create something new for each day and each prompt.

But, of course, that is an ambitious goal! There are easier options.

If you...

create only one thing, or two, or three

only create something for two or three of these prompts

create something for a prompt but post it a few days later

don’t follow the prompts at all

...you’re still participating —as long as your creation is about Louis de Pointe du Lac, as portrayed by Jacob Anderson. 

And Louis's character exists in relation with others, of course! So your contribution could be a portrait of the entire du Lac family, a playlist about one of his romantic relationships, a comic about his relationship with Claudia from her point of view, etc.

If Louis is at the heart of your creation, then your piece is in the spirit of this event.

This challenge isn’t limited to fanfiction or fanart!

Your contributions as a fan don’t have to be restricted to the most usual mediums. Beyond fanfic and fanart, some things that you may decide to create include: fanmixes, moodboards, gifsets, photomanips and graphics; fanedits and AMVs; meta and analysis in written, audio or video form; poetry, music, a blog post about your headcanons, your meta, or your favorite fanworks; and anything else you can think of. 

Your creations can be related to your own or others’ existing work as well —if, for example, you want to use one of the prompts to add to an existing fanfiction series, or as inspiration for fanart of your favorite fic, that’s totally within the scope of this challenge! 

You can start working on your creations for this challenge with as much (or as little) anticipation as you like, but remember to hold off from sharing them until the event starts. And, if you are taking inspiration from a prompt, we encourage you to share your work on that day.

Reblog or repost this text and graphic to spread the love; and don't forget to tag your posts with #IWTVfanevents or tag @iwtvfanevents so we can share them on the blog, and add them to the collection on AO3: Happy birthday LDPDL!

#louis de pointe du lac #interview with the vampire #amc interview with the vampire #AMC IWTV #IWTV AMC #IWTV #st. louis of the vieux carré #IWTVfanevents

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 47 - Thunderstorms

Today’s stories are largely lemony and focus on Usagi’s anime-canon compliant fear of Thunderstorms and how Mamoru helps her deal with it. 

Don't forget to check out @smquickies2023 and #smquickies2023 tag for some more smutty (and smut-adjacent or smut-inspired when it comes to my pictures) content over the next week or so. It is open to any SM pairing.

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

Distraction - @kaleidodreams

Mamoru and Usagi end up using a thunderstorm rolling through town to reconnect after weeks and months of mostly co-existing due to conflicting schedules.

Drenched - @allyunabridged

With completely terrified and drenched Usagi bursting into his apartment, Mamoru does his best to make her feel safe and distract her from the storm outside.

Thunderstorms - @jupitereternal art by @sailorspacecougar

Chibiusa attempts to blame Makoto for the storm outside that scared her awake.

Mercy - @floraone

This story is a continuation of Nocturne For A Queen (that was part of the Amnesia Fics post), with Usagi reaching out to Mamoru as a last resort when she gets stranded in the storm when a work event goes sideways. Leading to Mamoru to finally admit to a few half-truths. 

Caught in the Storm - @sailormoonandme

Not quite a missing scene, more like a scene from MAmoru’s perspective for episode 64, where we see him struggle with his visions and decision to stay away from Usagi.

You Were Good To Me: Chapter 1: A Protector's Heart - Rebekah_Matthews

Darien helps Serena after she takes a tumble in the park, making them both realize that they can do more than argue.

Peaceful Sleep - Makoclb

Mamoru waxes poetic about how much of a difference sleeping next to him made for Usagi and her fears.

---

That's it for this week. Next Monday we will cover "Food" as the post theme.

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

Week 36 - Sex Pollen

Week 37 - Psychometry

Week 38 - What If

Week 39 - Missing Scenes Part I

Week 40 - Green Jacket

Week 41 - Dr Chiba

Week 42 - Birthdays

Week 43 - Fluff

Week 44 - First Kiss

Week 45 - Reviving Shitennou

Week 46 - Tutoring

#sailor moon #usagi x mamoru #fic rec #fic list #usamamo #sailor moon fanfiction #thunderstorm #fear of thunderstorms #lemons

[asterhaze]

✨Nearly 30 • All Pronouns OK • Sapphic✨

You've probably come here after I liked half your blog and then followed you to see if I'm insane, a bot, or have no life. Unfortunately for the universe, I am insane, have no life, and possess extreme freak privileges on the internet. I am very friendly, love being tagged or asked things, write, and art occasionally. Please feel free to message me.

I write:

Horror for children, horror for YA, and mature horror.

Vampires, Demons, Fair Folk, and Stinky Humans oh my!

Old protagonists, people of color, LGBT+ characters, neurodivergent characters, and healthy romantic relationships when appropriate.

My Kofi

Oh no, you're lost again? I know all of my works are masterpieces and that must be why you're confused, it's fine. Here are my Writing Prompt Replies. Here is my Original Fiction.

Post Master List - Here

About

A series that follows Glen, the vampire heir to the Sunniva kindred, after he returns from the Tiletsu Clan a broken and different person. Battling against the traumatic memories of his centuries long past, the impatience of his immortal kind, and the temper of a demon lord, Glen finds that the choices he made when he was barely immortal are coming back to haunt him and threaten the very existence of vampires altogether. Are vampires worth saving? If vampires are ultimately more dangerous and powerful humans, is humanity worth protecting?

Genre

Horror • Supernatural • Adult • LGBTQIA+

TW/CW

Death • Grief • Mental Illness • Abuse

Tags:

masterpiece • masterpiecewip • masterpiece • masterpiece ask answer

Read below to see a breakdown of the three most important characters in Masterpiece.

Characters

Willow William Sean Frederick Widower Quin Lucian

Glen

"Just call me whatever you like."

Just so we're not all confused, I think we should call him Glen. Lovingly nicknamed The Stupid Sexy Vampire on this blog, Glen is the heir to the Sunniva kindred and the main character in this series. He's a lovable, funny, and charming guy that is haunted by his past decisions and the deaths of his friends and family. The whole package, really.

Pansexual • Cis • Neurodivergent

Tags: Glen the vampire • masterpiece Glen

Dr. Vladimir Hayes

"Is there a problem with an incubus that knows everything? Should I have found a succubus instead?”

A fearless human psychiatrist that is fiercely dedicated to his patients, both human and otherwise, that no one wants for an enemy. Hiding in plain sight, Vlad seems to be able to figure out anything that catches his interest. When he is mistaken for someone he is not, Glen and Vlad's paths cross and are interconnected throughout the rest of the series. Someone else as well dressed and handsome as Vlad, who knew?

LGBT • Cis • Possessed

Tags: masterpiece Vlad • dr vladimir hayes

Ska

"I should throw you into the light of day."

A demon lord that takes an immediate interest in Glen after his return from the Tiletsu Clan and swears to teach Glen's kindred a lesson for an unknown transgression. Does he want Glen to recover just to tear him down again? What has the Sunniva done to anger such a powerful demon? Is there anything Glen can do?

Homosexual • Trans • OC Sexypants Award Winner

Tags: ska the demon • masterpiece ska

Wattpad: [Coming Soon]

Website Link: [Coming Soon]

Meme Dump Post: [Constantly updated, coming soon]

Taglist: [Message, reply, or ask to be added]

@outpost51

I do have sensitivity writers for Masterpiece and my other projects since many of my characters are LGBT. Currently, I have sensitivity checkers to look over non-binary characters, trans (FtM) characters, twins, and sapphic characters. If you'd like to help, please feel free to ask!

(Re-joined Tumblr Dec 6th 2023)

#masterpiecewip #masterpiecewip glen #masterpiece glen #masterpiecewip vlad #masterpiecewip ska #masterpiece vlad #dr vladimir hayes oc #vladimir hayes #ska the demon #glen the vampire #i cant believe i named him glen #masterpiece masterlist

[writeshite]

You’re Not So Quick To Love Again

Summary:

You try to ignore the apparent looks of curiosity you garner from the rest of the staff; word of your possible reconciliation has no doubt already become the top story  - it’s more monotonous; if anything, there are moments when Mark almost does something out of habit but stops himself almost immediately. You almost fall into familiar patterns as well, and by the end of the first day of the trial run, you’re adequately exhausted.

Pairings:

Mark Sloan x Male Reader

Tags:

Angst | Guilty Feelings | Therapy Sessions

Words: 2499

Author's Note:

The amount of shit I read for this fic has made me realize my grasp on English is hanging by a thread 😭.

Previous | Series Masterlist

30 days.

30 excruciating days.

It’s awkward, to say the least when you and Mark start the trial run - at the very least, you don’t immediately turn to hostility - that’s not to say everything is peachy keen. Derek, for obvious reasons, is a little skeptical, more so with Mark than with you; George is very much in the same camp as him, Izzy is happy that you’re working things out, and the rest of the staff seems to be divided into either camp or in most cases, neither - simply watching the events unfold. The counseling sessions don’t stop, of course; they carry on as is, but included every so often is a catch-up on how things are going.

“Good morning.”

You’re also talking again, albeit more so prompted by the trial run than anything else. “Good morning, Dr. Sloan.”

“Nice day,” he mutters.

You nod, hmming in agreement as you make your rounds; there are no emergencies for now, and hopefully for the rest of the day. You try to ignore the apparent looks of curiosity you garner from the rest of the staff; word of your possible reconciliation has no doubt already become the top story. You don’t bump into Addison much, even now, and you don’t know if you should be relieved or saddened - it’s more monotonous; if anything, there are moments when Mark almost does something out of habit but stops himself almost immediately. You almost fall into familiar patterns as well, and by the end of the first day of the trial run, you’re adequately exhausted.

The dogs are more rambunctious; it seems; Atlas practically swamps you when you step through the door, Gumdrop not far behind; the usual walk doesn’t do much for them, so you stay out a little longer. It’s not too bad. You ignore the essay-long lectures filling your inbox from Zoe and the phone calls over the week. By the end of said week, you don’t feel less likely to shove a scalpel into Mark’s neck, but at the very least, you can exchange some words somewhat less maliciously.

“How has the first week been for you?”

Dr. Saltzman doesn’t seem to show much emotion in favor of either you or Mark during the sessions - though you think he might be more in favor of you, but that may just be you. “It’s been alright,” you respond, “I’m still angry, but I feel I can somewhat co-exist peacefully now.”

“That’s good.” He says.

“I mean, I’m not over it, but I’m still unsure if I want anything other than whatever this is,” you tell him. “A part of me doesn’t even think any of what we had before was genuine, it felt genuine for me, but I don’t know if it was the same for Mark.”

The creeping thoughts never left; with this reconciliation stage, they returned, you couldn’t even look at Addison without your throat constricting and the memories hitting you back full force. “Do you see your relationship before this as tainted?”

You shrug, “Not all of it….a few moments, maybe…I don’t,” you groan, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize; you’re well within your right to be uncertain; most betrayed spouses can never look past that hurdle and ultimately break things off for good.”

“Should I break things off?” You ask, hoping he’ll tell you what to do, but that’s not his job; he tilts his head and redirects the question back to you. You slump back in your chair and run a hand down your face. “This’d be a lot easier if you just told me what to do,” you quip.

“It would,” he responds, “but then, you’d no doubt come to depend on me for other decisions then, wouldn’t you?”

You groan, “Before, my feelings about him were pretty angry, but the stupid optimistic side of me is resurfacing again; I hate it.” You don’t look at him when you speak further on the matter; the soft spot Mark managed to carve back into your heart is whittling away at your anger. “I miss him,” you can admit that much freely, “I miss his stupid face. I miss the little moments between us, like when he used to wake me up by rolling all his weight on me.”

“Marcus Sloan, I swear to go —”

“My name’s not Marcus,” he remarks, still not moving from his apparently comfortable position. “It’s Mark.”

“Mark…get off…” you try not to laugh, but it is, at the very least, entertaining. 

“I’d push him off me, and then we’d wrestle before getting up to make breakfast,” you recount fondly. “There are times when I’d do something with the dogs, or just mundane, and then I’d turn to talk to him, and I know it’s him because I’d call out for him before….”

It hadn’t been anything major; Atlas had tried getting into the cupboards again, “Mark, get your dog out of the —“ you’d paused, placing a hand over your mouth and shaking your head, then ushered Atlas away yourself. It had been a running joke - when the dogs would make mischief, they’d be Mark’s dogs; you hadn’t done this in so long. 

“Ever since I started this trial run, I’ve been falling back into habits,” you say, “I hate it. I hate myself for getting so hopeful and happy around him again.”

Mark doesn’t think the past week has been anything but good, and he responds to Dr. Saltzman’s question with that. “I’m hoping it’s the same for him,” he adds on.

“Why?”

“Because —sometimes I almost reach out like I used to, but I don’t think he’d appreciate that.”

“True. Have you at all confronted or discussed the affair since it happened with Addison?”

Mark shakes his head, “We…we slept together once after…when Gabriel was around, I think….”

“How did that turn out?”

“When I woke up beside Addison, I remembered the night of the affair,” he replies, “and all I could think about was his face when I saw him again at Seattle Grace —I couldn’t —we agreed never to do it again.”

“This agreement was mutual?”

“Yeah,” he nods, “I haven’t seen much of her anyway.”

“But given your job and circumstances, there will come a time for you to interact with her,” Dr. Saltzman points out. Mark knows this; he and Addison’s specialties don’t correlate that often, but when they will, eventually.

In your next joint session, the topic of Addison is brought up again. Realistically, she can’t quit and love a hundred thousand miles away from either of you, and you can’t ignore her all that much at work if and when you have to work together.

“Since the usual options are out of the question, I suggest a meeting between the both of you, Addison and Derek.”

“Derek?” Mark interrupts, “What does he have to do with this?”

“He was also a betrayed spouse if you remember,” Dr. Saltzman responded, “he’s just as involved in this as both of you.”

“Isn’t that unfair?” You ask. “Derek looks happy; why should we drag him back into,” you gesture between you and Mark, “this?!”

“Would you rather it just be you, Mark, and Addison?”

Ah, so Derek would be a buffer for you, Mark watches as you catch on to the same train of thought, and your expression catches a slight hint of guilt. He wants to assure you it’s okay but doesn’t know if he should or if he’s allowed to. You both stand outside the building after the session ends; you stare at the sky for a second and take a deep breath before bidding Mark goodbye.

Mark isn’t looking forward to work the next day, he’s tempted to call in sick, but he doesn’t - slugging into Seattle Grace, the usual stares and whispers accompany him. “Good morning Dr. Sloan.”

“Good morning to you as well, Doctor,” he greets you. “How are you after yesterday?” You don’t usually exchange more than a brief greeting, but Mark thinks he should at least ask after you; your response is twofold - first, your expression is shocked, then tired, and second, you respond, voice laced with equal exhaustion.

“A little tired,” you reply, “should have called in sick.”

“I wish I had,” he remarks.

You respond to that with something of a snicker, shaking your head lightly. It’s not much, but Mark smiles a little in kind. Your happy snicker replays in his head long after that, and his memories decide to make an appearance - moments between the both of you start to replay, but only the happy moments, the kind that has the guilt trickling back in. When you smile at him again or talk to him without malice, he feels it amplify, accompanied by another feeling - fear. The same kind he’d felt when he’d woken up next to Addison the first time - what if he fucks it up again? There are moments where he asks himself if it's worth it, his part is far less painful than yours, and he wonders if it is better to cut this off and remain familiar acquaintances. But a selfish part of him doesn't want to let go; those feelings of inadequacy Dr. Saltzman had mentioned feel like they’re choking him. 

There are nights he considers just emptying his pockets at Jo’s, he almost does, but Jo practically shoves him out the door with a warning, “No drinks until you get yourself sorted out.”

He’d like to thank the man but is mildly irritated by the gesture; the temptation of losing himself in a drink or two isn’t quite as overpowering, unfortunately, so he opts for lying face-down on his couch. Which, of course, leads to him overanalyzing every little interaction between you and him.

You’re happy, he thinks, but would you be happier if he ended things? You had Gabriel, but that doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere, or could it? He can’t ask Gabriel, and he doesn’t know how you’d react if he asked you, so he shelves that away.

“What if he can never trust me again?”

Dr. Saltzman purses his lips, “While I hope it doesn’t come to that, you might have to continue assuring him long after reconciliation.” Mark feels himself deflate; he wants to cry, but why should he? He’s the reason things are like this in the first place. “As I’ve told you, communication is key, Mark. If you don’t feel like you can do that, then communicate that, and alongside that, be patient.”

“He was hurt; he may not feel ready to be intimate or close to you in any way, but that also applies to you. You may feel ready to be with him from the get-go, but guilt is a very powerful emotion. Don’t put your own needs on the back burner, either.”

“But I was the one that cheated —”

“Bending over backward is not the way to earn forgiveness,” Dr. Saltzman sternly reiterates.

Mark runs a hand down his face at the memory. He’d had the words practically at the forefront of his thoughts, “Bending over backward is not the way to earn forgiveness.”

“Bending over backward is not the way to earn forgiveness.”

“I don’t think I deserve a second chance.”

Dr. Saltzman does a pretty good job of keeping his face neutral enough to assure Mark, and curious enough to coax further details from him. He would love a second chance - to shower you in kisses, draw you close again, and just be able to be yours again - but he doesn’t feel like he deserves it - he’s had your expression practically printed in his mind. He can’t even begin to imagine what your expression must have been like when you’d gotten the news of his infidelity. 

“I think –I think he could do better,” he begins, “I’ve seen it, he’s amazing and kind, and any guy would be lucky to have him. I had him, and I fucked it up.” The words sound more like Gabriel’s than his, but it’s true.

“You’re a lucky man, Mark, a real lucky man. Congrats on the engagement,”

Maybe he should take up Estelle on her offer of conversation or something; aside from Dr. Saltzman, he hasn’t talked to anyone else about this - not that anyone’s gunning to be his shoulder to cry on. 

“Don’t make a decision for him either, Mark; you might think you’re in the right, but you won’t be.”

Easier said than done, the temptation to just drop off the face of the earth is tempting - you’d be free - the feeling surfaces during the next joint session. “Did you ever sleep with her before then?”

The answer’s no. He had never dreamt of it before then, and even with his words being true, he was not a fan of answering some of the questions. “Was she the only one?”

“Yes.”

Your eyebrows furrow and you appear doubtful, glancing away for a moment. “What happened that day?” Mark’s now confused; you know what happened, he says as much, “No, I mean, tell me what happened,” you demand.

Mark’s not proud that he ran out of the room; he’s not proud that he called in sick and practically lies face down in his bed. He was sure he’d be able to do this without stumbling over himself, but hearing you ask about the affair had somehow made his shut down - palms clammy and mind racing as he tried to find the words. He’d spoken of it before with you, but those conversations had been full of rage, and he’d only ever had to divulge as little information as you could bare, but now, you were demanding everything. He thinks most of it is tucked away somewhere in his mind; he’s even less proud of the fact that he calls up Addison for the first time in who knows how long. 

They meet up at some cafe out of town, miles from you, Derek, and anyone else that might think they’re reconciling. Addison looks downcast, picking at her nails as she glances anywhere but him, “We need to talk.” There’ll be another talk besides this, with you involved, but this one’s more to help Mark, help him piece everything together and have it ready for when you ask him again.

“He asked me to tell him everything about that night,” he begins, and Addison lets out a shaky breath. “But I ran away —I —Addison, I need your help to —” There’s no easy way to ask your affair partner to help you piece everything about said affair so that your betrayed partner gets an answer with no contradictions. 

“We slept in mine and Derek’s room….”

They go over minor details repeatedly, details he’d never thought to have been important; he types it all down and makes a copy in case the original is lost. He reads it over and over again - until the words are intertwined in his thoughts until they paint his eyelids, and they’re all he can see when he blinks.

End Note:

This chapter was the death of me istg. Stay Hydrated.

#mark sloan x male reader #mark sloan x reader #grey's anatomy imagine #bleeding heart series #this chapter was the death of me istg

[gg-carboxylase]

Got ahold of Step by Step episode 12. We needed 2 more episodes as usual with these series.

If you've not watched the show, please do. It's worth your time, even if you feel like you're wading thru the first few episodes. It's slow burn. This is not horny hours. This is really office hours.

Spoilers under the cut obvs.

Some meta. Mostly my opinions.

I wrote that paragraph before the Mildly Spicy Bed Makeout. I kind of enjoy that Jeng shooed Pat to the shower For Reasons. At least, I personally infer bottom reasons but that's just me. Still, I would have liked more spice à la Bed Friend, but I'm a thirsty ho.

I'll get this admission off my chest — I'm bummed that we got those really spicy kisses and that's as far as it went. KP and Domundi productions spoiled me, obviously. Did I want to see them fake fuck? Yeah. I'll admit it.

The scene where they were writing out then deleting their text messages was acted to perfection.

Hot take — Ben is the worst ugly crier. We love him anyway.

Jeng is a stalker, he needs to learn to go less hard. He also needed to resign like, 2 years earlier from the company. Good for him though. Dad is hot. Shame he's a homophobe.

I am super over people singing in the shows, no matter how good they are.

I love that Jeng's passion is cooking.

You can tell this is a real Thai show because when they show that green curry, it's real green curry even if it's store bought. It's hard to find good green curry paste over here unless you're in certain places.

Jeng's mom — what was the point of a 30 second meeting. Ben is so good at being nervous and young, he's really a great actor.

The chemistry is off the charts in this episode, good Christ. They obviously had fun shooting the cake scene.

Jeng better have a hell of a savings if he's returning all his shares to his dad and putting his hopes on his restaurant.

The restaurant biz is a bitch. I grew up in the restaurant business and the margins are razor thin, even in famous and successful restaurants. Hopefully, Pat's advertising firm is doing well.

Seriously, again. Needed another couple episodes. Especially with how Jeng's dad tossed his resignation letter.

I know Man said this would be his only BL, but I would really like to see them do another show together. They really got their shit together at the end and it's rare to see a couple that can have this kind of chemistry.

The age difference works really well between them, it's comfortable — which isn't there for a lot of decade+ couples — and there's a lot of plots where this could be used. So let's manifest that.

I have no idea what the fuck Man does for a living, so I'm not sure if he's even free to do another series. Dude has an econ degree, which means nothing (no offense econ folks, you guys are like Swiss army knives). I suspect he's a mini Mile Phakphum, and just sort of exists on the largess of his family and his modeling career.

I very much liked this series. It's definitely in my list of favorites. For me, it started out rocky because I didn't understand what it was trying to do. Looking back, now that I see what the aim is, the path it took is perfect.

Would I have liked more sex? Absolutely, but as I mentioned before — I'm a thirsty ho. These lads get paid more than I make as a clinical lab scientist, spending my day making your doctor look smart. A little bed shenanigans isn't too much to ask.

Alas, I can't complain too much. The kisses we got were A+, top-tier compared to nearly any other series. The physical stuff we did get was also A+. Truly, my complaints are mostly unfounded. We could have ended up with Korean level bullshit.

I'm not going to bother with meta about the story because there's users here that are far better at articulating exactly what I want to say, so troll the tag for them.

#step by step episode 12 #step by step series #step by step #man trisanu #ben bunyapol #jeng x pat #jeng kittiphong #pat phakphum #Loved it

[averagestudent03]

I Know The End: Chapter Three, Erica Sinclair, The Menace.

(Pairing: Robin Buckley x fem!reader, stranger things rewrite)

(Word Count: 4.2k)

(AN: Welcome to Chapter Three! Stranger Things dialogue and all characters besides you belong to the Duffer Brothers. As always, comments, likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated, but not necessary! I would love to hear your thoughts if you have any, though, your comments make my day! This is my first story, so constructive criticism and opinions are always welcome! Comment if you'd like to be added to a tag list in the future, and thank you for reading! Enjoy!)

Series Warnings: swearing, jealousy, fear of abandonment, era-relevant homophobia, etc.

More warnings included in future chapters.

Series Masterlist

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

30/06/1985

"...what does that mean?" Steve questioned, slowly dragging his eyes over the Henderson boy. 

Russians, to him, were an almost non-existent concept, having heard only of them in old literature and history classes where he wasn't quite paying attention. That, and the estranged ramblings of his classmates, obsessive conspiracy theorists. At the time, Steve never gave any of these ideas any thought. 

He hadn't needed to, because as far as he was concerned, Russians were much too far away to cause any real damage. Too far away to question, not near enough to provide any real threat to the Harrington boy or his safety. They were just that; thoughts. 

Now, Steve wasn't so sure.

It wasn't that he was dismissive of the idea, given that weirder things had happened over the years (right before his very eyes, in fact; Demogorgons, Demodogs, Nancy Wheeler leaving him for Jonathon Byers. Not that he held a grudge, or anything-) and he truly believed that he had seen it all. He wasn't, however, expecting secret Russians. 

They were very low on his list of current priorities.

Steadily, and rather swiftly rising, thanks to the ramblings of the boy beside him.

"It means, Steve, that we could be heroes." He spoke, not an air of disturbance in his tone. Simply carelessness, and a little bit of hope. Excitement, that maybe he could help this time, rather than being shoved on the side-lines. He could practically see it already.

Dustin Henderson: Hero of Hawkins.

"True, American heroes." His words were becoming more and more enticing by the second, Harrington getting quickly lost in the fantasy that Dustin had concocted. You simply rolled your eyes, aware of the danger the situation presented, hoping that Steve had the same sense you did to dismiss it as a coincidence, something only slightly out of character for Hawkins.

Instead, he did the opposite, only playing into and encouraging the wild ideas further.

"Idiots." You murmured, heading back to the sundae that you had temporarily disregarded in order to monitor their conversation.

"Huh." Steve mumbled, lips quirking upwards with every passing second as Dustin relished in the validation.

"Mhm." Dustin confirmed, perfectly content with leaving you to your own devices, as your eyes began to stray to Robin Buckley once more.

"American heroes?" Steve questioned, steadily trying to learn more. From the way Dustin had presented the idea, he was beginning to believe that this would be a vacation. A holiday from the horror that Hawkins held, an easy accomplishment that would quickly preserve the tatters of his reputation. Newspapers stitching back together his unravelling life, line by line. 

"Just think," Dustin started, watching closely as Steve leaned forwards, "you could have all the ladies you want. And more-"

God, and the girls.

Steve hadn't even considered yet, but since the thought had been sprung on him, he could only envision himself at one of his infamous house parties, girls once again hanging from his arms as he recalled the tall tales of the time he fought the evil Russians. 

He could shove it in Robin Buckley's and Tommy Hagan's faces, reassuring them that King Steve was far from gone, only taking a small break before returning to full glory.

He was beginning to like this idea more and more.

"More?" He muttered, curious smile creeping onto Steve's face.

"More."

"I like more." He nodded, slowly indulging the younger boy in his ingenious ideas.

"Mhm."

"What's the catch?" Steve wondered aloud, waiting for the consequences to run and slap him upside the head for being so delusional. For allowing himself to live in this ideal reality too long.

"No catch, I just need your help." Steve quickly let out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding, glancing over to you before looking back at Dustin.

"With what?" He questioned, and you turned to attempt to explain, swiftly and rudely interrupted by the Henderson boy.

"Translation." He murmured, smirking as he pulled a small, worn with age Russian dictionary from his bag.

"Are you in on this too?" Steve chuckled, looking back at you.

"No, Harrington," You started, immediately catching Robin's attention as sarcasm coated your words in a thick bubble, "I just happened to bring Henderson here, knowing him and his lack of a filter; Oh! And homed him for the entirety of last night without having a clue about what's going on."

"So yes, then."

"Yes, Steve."

"Right. Good, good, because I wasn't-I wasn't clear on that." He fumbled, desperate to once again save face. He had no worries, no concerns with the plan whatsoever, only entirely focused on the image of him leaned over his parent's sofa, accompanied by girls galore.

One on his lap, one with an arm tossed around his shoulders, others clinging frantically to any piece of him they could clamber onto. In this reality, he'd look Billy Hargrove in the eye, watching as he once again pushed another boy from grace. Steve had done it before, and he'd be more than happy to do it again.

Only the issue with this plan was that Billy Hargrove was no longer himself. Slumped over, sweating heavily in a black t-shirt (different to his usual lack of a shirt, though not that the residents of Hawkins minded that much,) as he looked over the pool he was meant to be watching.

Billy Hargrove didn't exactly feel like watching.

He didn't exactly feel like Billy Hargrove, if he was being truthful, but that was a matter for another time. Now, the boy was focused on controlling the pounding in his head. 

He couldn't remember when he'd arrived at the pool, or anything from the night prior. He'd planned to meet Mrs. Wheeler for a slightly immoral rendezvous, flashes of Brimborn Steelworks racing through his head, and then a sudden and overwhelming pitch-black taking over.

It was as if someone had reached into his brain, twisted fingertips scratching at every unclaimed corner of his mind, and plucked the memories from his skull. A blank nothingness. As if they'd been encased in bubbles, floating higher and higher, only to pop just out of reach.

It felt as if someone had taken a power drill to the side of his head, forcing it in amongst the flesh and bone. He couldn't think, couldn't speak, only mumbling incoherently as he lifted a hand up to the side of his skull.

" 'M sorry," He mumbled, over and over, apologising for actions that weren't his own until a whisper forced itself to the forefront of his mind, and everything went dark again.

Billy Hargrove definitely wasn't himself.

Of course, that was no issue for Steve Harrington, simply imagining the priceless look on his face as he tore down the Californian boy's legacy, moment by moment. He would smile, watching intently as to not miss a second of the boy falling from his tower, much like he had. 

A whimsical tune overscored the hours as they passed by at Scoops, melody playing and replaying over in their minds. For Steve, it was becoming unbearable. Like an itch that he couldn't quite scratch, the notes making him groan and leaving him wanting to slam his head against the nearest hard surface.

For Robin, it was an entirely different matter. Although it was irritating, she'd admit that at the very least, even the tempo was soothing. The structured beats, the controlled rhythms. Music was something that Robin Buckley knew all too well, more than happy to allow the melody to embrace her.

The added bonus to this was that having you within her vicinity didn't drive her mad. She simply focused on the tune and the nonsensical words of her customers, serving mint chocolate-chip a thousand times as she forced every thought of you from out of her head. 

Having you less than a metre away was ideal, and she wanted you to stay there. Permanently.

She wanted you to stay closer, wrapped to her side if you could. She wanted you to hang from her arm, fawning over her words the way girls previously fawned over the King of Hawkins High. She wanted herself to invade every part of your thoughts, the way you did hers. 

She wanted you close, but she was content with leaving you only a moment's notice away.

She wasn't as content leaving you in close proximity with Steve Harrington. 

It wasn't as though she didn't trust you, and she was more than aware that she didn't own you, but the thought of Steve Harrington touching you; even addressing you, made rage bubble beneath her skin.

She didn't want Steve Harrington to take anything else from her.

He'd taken enough, allowing Tommy Hagan and Carol Perkins to terrorise her for the past 14 years, leaving her stranded and sobbing in the middle of the school bathrooms. They'd taken her reputation, Carol Perkins having gotten a hold of her diary a few years back, beginning the rumour that Robin Buckley might just be a lesbian.

The way she'd said it had made the girl seethe, Carol whispering the syllables as if it were wrong, something monstrous. She'd said lesbian the same way you'd say neo-fascist or The Cold War.

The whispers had grabbed Robin Buckley, sinking their teeth in before she had chance to deny anything. They had ruined her, and in turn, she was rather weary of Steve Harrington. She knew he'd never done anything, but he stood there and never once defended her, so he had taken her childhood too.

She didn't want him to take you, either.

She hoped that you had the common sense to avoid the boy's advances, and somewhere (deep in her brain, she would never allow herself to have such a thought willingly,) she even wished that you despised them. Loathed them the same way she did, longing for her embrace and her embrace alone.

Just the thought had her gritting her teeth, snarky attitude seeping from her pores as she stared down the rather irritating face of Erica Sinclair.

They'd grown to recognise the girl, perfectly aware that she never intended to pay for any ice cream, existing purely to criticise them and make their lives a living hell.

She smirked, watching as Robin Buckley unwittingly handed over what was one of many samples, mint chocolate-chip coating the spoon. She glanced up at the worker, humming as though she were genuinely considering something, before blurting out:

"Can I try the peppermint stick?"

Robin nearly cried.

"Haven't you already tried the peppermint stick?" She choked out through a smile that looked more like a grimace, gritted teeth attempting to restrain the words, replacing them with something much more explicit.

"Yes, and I'd like to try it again." She spoke, commanding the worker with a simple sentence. She stared Robin down, glaring at her whilst her friends giggled in the background, finding the whole scene amusing.

Robin rolled her eyes, tossing her head back and shouting for the Harrington boy, liked she'd done many times before.

She refused to deal with the menace whilst he was hanging back there, having the time of his life and getting to indulge in conversations with you. It wasn't fair.

"Steve!" The name tumbled from her mouth with an irritated groan, not breaking the boy from his thoughts as he took another bite of the banana in his hand, pacing the room. 

They had heard the translation over, and over, and over again, and Steve was starting to feel like a caged rat. The four metal walls surrounding him gave him no comfort or relief, forcing the words to echo whilst he struggled to find anything remotely similar.

"So, what do you think?" Dustin asked, sat at the table staring up at the boy in the sailor's uniform. 

"It sounded familiar." He mumbled, shoving another piece of banana into his mouth. Less than five minutes of listening to it, and Dustin's patience was a thin line that Steve was stomping all over.

"What?"

"The music- The music right there, at the end?" He spoke, reaching a hand to brush through his hair, Dustin's eyes widening as he immediately started throwing accusations at the boy.

"Why are you listening to the music, Steve?" He demanded, raising an eyebrow before continuing, "Listen to the Russian!"

"We're translating Russian!" He insisted, slamming a hand on the table, gesturing wildly to the dictionary and the recording device.

"I'm trying to listen to the Russian! But there's music-" Steve exclaimed, quickly fighting Dustin's claims as you leant back against one of the shelves, finding something, anything to keep you preoccupied.

"Alright, babysitting time is over-" Robin stormed in, swiftly slamming the door behind her before rushing over to one of the sides, having lost her nerve a while back. She was unable to deal with the utter disappointment that she believed to be Erica Sinclair.

"You need to get in there!" She spoke, waving the dirty scoop about, having not caught your gaze just yet. Your eyes remained trained on her, though, following as she seethed; you could practically feel the annoyance radiating from her.

She stopped, glancing at the whiteboard that had previously held her 'You Rule' vs. 'You Suck', disappointingly finding it empty with scribbles of the Russian alphabet traced messily as best as they could.

"Hey, my board! That was important data, shitbirds." She spun around, gesturing to the red scrawled over the white, glaring at the boys.

"I guarantee you, what we're doing is way more important than your data." Dustin gloated, a condescending tone gracing the air as you sighed, dropping your head into your hands as trying to avoid the girl's wrath.

Steve quickly finished off the banana, crossing his arms and stepping forward to protect the child sat at the table, watching closely as Robin stepped forwards.

"Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good, anyways?" She questioned, clearly mocking the arrogant manner in which Dustin had addressed her. His jaw dropped, eyes narrowing in order to glare at her, attempting an interrogative stare.

She smirked, looking down at him as he glanced at Steve, looking desperately for reassurance, beginning to panic internally.

"She can hear you-" You started, quickly interrupted by her.

"....how does she know about the Russians?"

"I don't know-"

"You told her about-?"

"It wasn't me!" They quarrelled, taunting lines bickering back and forth between the two before you finally jumped to your feet, startling the girl slightly.

"Actually, I can hear everything. You are both extremely loud!" She grinned, sarcastic smile plastered onto her face as she nodded, as if she were speaking to toddlers.

"You think you have evil Russians, plotting against our country, on tape," She started, stepping forward to punctuate each syllable. She seemed to be on the right track, and you weren't about to comment on the forced disbelief in her tone, despite the fact you knew the threat was real.

No need to drag another person into the mess for no good reason, especially one as pretty as Robin Buckley.

"...and you're trying to translate, but haven't figured out a single word," she continued, almost chuckling at the shocked look across Dustin's face as the realisation that she knew began to sink in.

"Because you didn't realise the Russians use an entirely different alphabet than we do." She finished, Steve returning Dustin's horrified expression as you began to laugh quietly, giggling at the absurdity of the situation.

"Sound about right?"

She quickly reached forwards, attempting to grab the tape recorder before being quickly stopped by Steve, reaching out his hand to cover it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you think you're doing?" He accused, glaring at her as she stpped back slightly.

"I wanna hear it."

You simply leaned back, knowing that she would be more of use than either of the other two idiots in the room.

"Why?" Both of them questioned, apalled at the idea of someone bar them figuring it out.

"Because maybe she can help-" You interrupted, all three of them turning to look at you as the room silenced.

"...if she wants to, that is." You quickly fixed the comment, backtracking slightly as you realised you hadn't given her much of an out. However, if Robin Buckley wanted to help, she was going to help, so you may as well try and accept it as quickly as possible.

The comment stopped her in her tracks, having almost entirely forgotten you were there.

"She's fluent in fou- four?" You glanced over at her, quickly nodding and confirming your statement before your gaze returned to the boys, "Four languages."

"Russian?" Dustin asked hopefully, Robin still slightly taken aback as to how you knew something like that.

"Ou-yay are-yay umb-day." She responded, smirking slightly as you chuckled, quickly realising what was going on. You'd heard her speak Pig Latin to one of her friends in English enough to know that it most definitely wasn't Russian, but was the closest sounding alternative in comparison to the other three.

They both started laughing, jaws dropping as they both came to the stunning conclusion that this nightmare could be done with quicker than they had hoped.

"Holy shit!" Dustin exclaimed, looking over at you only for his face to fall when you weren't appreciating her skills in the same way.

"That was Pig Latin, dingus." She muttered, smile back on her face, but a genuine one this time. 

You much preferred it to the false, mocking one she wore to protect her dignity.

Steve quickly hit Dustin with the banana peel, Henderson pulling away to look up at him, slightly offended, as Steve muttered something along the lines of "Idiot." under his breath.

"But," She started, "I can speak Spanish, and French, and Italian-"

"And she's been in band for ages." You chimed in, her briskly nodding to agree with you, slightly shocked that you'd ever even noticed her.

You'd been to every concert she'd played in the last two years, hiding in the stands and applauding her musical capability.

"My ears are little geniuses, trust me."

"Uh-" Steve murmured, slightly hesitant to let her take over.

The reason had nothing to do with him not wanting to deal with Erica Sinclair, not at all.

Purely because he didn't trust Robin Buckley with something so important.

No alternative motives whatsoever.

"Come on!" She begged, "It's your turn to sling ice cream, my turn to translate. I don't even want credit, I'm just bored."

She leaned over, handing Steve the metal scoop as he winced at the sound of a child pressing the bell for assistance. He sighed, passing her the tape recorder and unwittingly taking the scoop, disappearing back to behind the counter.

She began to pace, Dustin playing the tape over and over again, tilting his head back and letting a small groan of annoyance slip past his lips. It had only been a few minutes, but without the older Harrington boy, time seemed to move slower. He had gotten used to spending time with you, but found talking much easier with Steve, especially when you were only half-convinced about the whole plan to begin with.

"Wait, that last part, play that last part again-" Robin insisted, pointing at the device as Dustin re-winded it, blaring the older Russian man out for the entire room to hear.

She clicked her fingers, tasting how the words felt on her lips before she began to speak again, giving the boy a strict set of instructions.

"Okay, that word, um, it's pronounced 'dly-nna-yna'," She started, ignoring as the boy tried the pronunciation out for himself.

"Which is spelled," She spoke, Dustin quickly scurrying over to the whiteboard to match the letters with the alphabet.

"The-the chair! The chair-looking thingy!" He shouted, Robin flicking through the dictionary as you scrambled to write down the translation on a spare scrap piece of paper, covered in games of noughts and crosses that you'd played with yourself to cure your own boredom.

"Yeah, okay," she mumbled, dragging her fingertips across the crinkled pages. They spent the next twenty minutes repeating the process, leaving you to pick up the pieces as they shouted random words and syllables.

Robin practically cried out when you'd read the full line, snatching the notebook from your fingers without thinking, immediately apologising for doing so before she rushed to the window, desperate to show Steve.

"We've got our first sentence." She bragged, a smug looking crossing her face as she slid the window open, Steve looking back at her in disbelief.

"Oh, seriously?" He turned, approaching her with both a pink and a yellow ice cream cone in hands.

"The week, is long." She taunted, phrasing it in a thick, stereotypical Russian accent as Steve's face dropped.

"Well that's thrilling." He deadpanned, looking slightly disappointed.

"I know." She swiftly responded, grin refusing to remove itself from her face, flashing him a dazzling smile.

"But, progress!" She exclaimed, rushing back to join both you and Dustin as she slammed the window shut again.

He sauntered back to the counter, attending to both Max Mayfield and Eleven, stood expectantly at the counter as they reached for the ice cream, giggling to one another.

"Thanks." They replied in unison, Steve giving them a once over before realising that the two girls probably shouldn't be out in public, or anywhere outside of their houses given that one of them was a threat to national security. Still, here she was, wearing a new jumpsuit with colourful shapes matching the floor of the arcade you worked at. He grumbled something nonsensical at them, hesitating to question them as they both gave each other a knowing look, disappearing without another thought.

He figured that he'd let it slide, just this once.

Meanwhile, Robin had successfully avoided the wrath of the Henderson boy, leaving him to his own devices as he worked out a system to translate the code faster. Instead, she found herself making her way over to you.

You'd spoken maybe a handful of times, visits and moments stretched across the entirety of the town, and you left your mark so vividly that she could now no longer walk across the length of her street before finding something that reminded her of you.

"Hey." She rasped out, slumping next to you, watching as you quickly hid the notebook, flicking to a random page. The hurt settled comfortably in Robin's stomach, worried that you didn't trust her.

Of course you didn't, you didn't even know her.

Realistically, you were hiding a messily sketched drawing of the girl, your initials and hers encased in hearts around the page. It was embarrassing, cliche behaviour but you really couldn't find it in yourself to care, overjoyed that you were able to drift off into your head and imagine a world where the two of you were safe.

Not just safe, but happy, too. 

A world where you woke up together in tangled bedsheets every morning, trailing each other's heels to the shower before fumbling downstairs amidst stray kisses, relishing in each other's presence. 

"Hi." You heard yourself say, not entirely present, getting lost in your head once more. The girl took to fidgeting with her necklaces again, throwing you a small smile as you glanced her way.

"Great way to spend a day, right?" She chuckled in response, nodding and looking briefly over to Henderson, pacing and stressing himself out to no end.

"It's ridiculous. You really believe this shit?"

"I've seen worse, so yeah. I figured there's no harm in giving them this, just this once." You grinned, and she felt her heart stop.

"Yeah. Yeah, makes sense, I guess. How did you-" She started, having held off on the question as long as she humanly could. however, Robin Buckley was nothing if not impatient. She was rather good at goodbyes, hurrying a conversation along rather than enjoying the awkward silences that came with a change of topic.

In fact, she liked to pride herself into thinking that she was the best at goodbyes. So good, that the person was often left confused at the abrupt ending, Buckley having already mentally checked out and finishing the conversation herself.

"Know you spoke different languages?" You questioned, raising an eyebrow. She simply nodded, waiting for your answer.

"You were loud when you wanted to be, and you swore at your friend, a lot-" You explained, perfectly content with listening to the girl's rambling for hours.

"I uh- I sat near you, English in Mrs. O'Donnel's and Mr's Click's -"

"History class! Yeah, I remember you! You always sat at the back, a few desks away from mine." She grinned, basking in the nostalgia of just knowing you.

"Oh. Sorry." She started, before she was quickly interrupted.

"Not like, in a bad way! God, you were the most interesting part of that class, please don't think I hated it- I tried learning French so I could guess what you were saying, sometimes. I got as far as telling someone I liked Ice Cream and hated lobsters, and that's about it." She chuckled, her disappointment from the sentence before dissipating into nothingness.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?" You froze, unaware of the question.

"Hate lobsters?" She questioned, moving slightly closer to you as you flushed red, looking down at the notebook once more.

"...absolutely love 'em." She shook her head, flipping a random coin she'd found in her pocket as she laughed, truly baffled at the idea of you attempting to learn French.

"You worked at the library, too, didn't you?" 

"Yeah, for like a week! I mainly just helped out, for the most part-" You scrambled for the right words debating between giving her the bare minimum and explaining your entire life story, deciding on a few insignificant details to tide the girl over.

"You don't any more?"

"No, I just don't think it would've worked out, walked in on Steve and Nancy way too many times for my liking." You shyly admitted, glancing over at the closed window where Steve's silhouette dashed around, accommodating rude customers.

"Where do you work now?" She asked, taking a deep breath as she watched the gears turn in your head.

"The uh- the arcade, it's how I met Henderson and the others. Why?" You smiled, glancing over at her, only to find her eyes already transfixed on you. 

"I'll have to come visit, sometime." She gave you a wide grin, pulling herself to her feet, leaving you a blushing mess to go and help Dustin, notebook long forgotten on the floor.

Robin Buckley would be the death of you, you were sure.

#robin buckley x reader #robin buckley #robin x reader #stranger things rewrite #stranger things reader insert #stranger things x reader #stranger things #st3 #st4 vol1 #st4 vol2 #dustin henderson #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #new fic #new chapter #chapter three #i know the end #max mayfield #jane hopper #eleven hopper #scoops ahoy #scoops troop

[felixantares]

Thank you for the tag @allalrightagain 💚

Hardcover or Paperback? I'm just taking LT's answer but yes, ebook! I can use dark mode, write as many notes as I want, and something about reading on the small screen tricks my ADHD brain into thinking I'm not actually reading a whole book. To answer the actual question, paperback.

Bookstore or Library? Libraries! So many free books, and the librarians can find you pretty much anything you want! Also if I said bookstore my librarian mother would materialize behind me and end my entire existence (but my answer would be the same regardless).

Bookmark or Receipt? I mean receipt or scrap paper if I have it, but I'll be real i'm a terrible awful person who has very few issues dog-earing a page.

Standalone or Series? Typically standalone, but if a series is really good then it can win me over. All my favourites are series (Percy Jackson, Harry Potter) but I've also read so many series where I feel like the story and themes gets lost or muddled over too many books. I've had more consistent success finding well defined stories with standalones.

Nonfiction or Fiction? Oh easy, fiction. I read to escape reality, why on earth would I want to read about reality?? I mean I do like research but only with a goal in mind. Non-fiction just for the fun of it? No thanks.

Thriller or Fantasy? Fantasy, all day every day. It's the D&D obsession shining through, I think.

Under 300 Pages or Over? Over!!! I set my ao3 search functions to sort by word count and if it's under 100k I gently place it in my marked for later list for when I want a 'light easy read' 😂 I'm way more likely to be interested if you tell me a book/fic is over 250k (or however many pages that is equivalent to).

Children’s or YA? I like a few kids books for the nostalgia, but I mostly read YA.

Friends to Lovers or Enemies to Lovers? I'm giving up and just quoting LT here because I agree 100% and couldn't say it better: "Friends. Enemies can be fun too, but I love the layers when you get into friends to lovers. Enemies to friends to lovers or friends to enemies to lovers or other permutations of Messy can be even better."

Read in Bed or Read on the Couch? I mostly read on my bed because my roommate tends to keep youtube videos running on the TV while he does various crafts around the house (right now he's painting a mirror frame with really pretty flowers!) but if we're just chilling listening to music then I like the couch better. We've got about 30 plants in our living room and we can open the balcony door when it rains and it's lovely.

Read at Night or Read in the Morning? I mean, the morning is definitely safer. If I start reading at night I'll never put the book down and I won't sleep, but if I start in the morning things won't get done. It's lose-lose.

Keep Pristine or Markup? Markup. This is why I have digital books, so I can write essays in the notes section. I once had to tape a piece of paper inside my book because there wasn't enough room in the margins for my notes.

Cracked Spine or Dogear? (this part is mostly for LT but I have a copy of OotP where the spine is also cracked so bad you can't read it!! samsies!) But uhhhh both? I do try to take care of my books, but I don't have many and the ones I do have are my favourites that have survived the various purges of many moves, so they're all very beat up with cracked spines and dogears and notations everywhere 😂 I call it a sign of a well-loved book. I'm pretty sure my copy of HBP lost its cover at some point and I hot glued it back on.

Tagging: @girl-with-goats @luxuriousmalfoy @gloivy @venom0usbarbie

#tag game #felix talks

[historyhermann]

Kaisa's defense: Are patrons who borrow books, liable to return them?

Kaisa gets annoyed with the committee of Three Witches

Happy Book Lovers' Day! On December 16, 2020, I submitted a post to I Love Libraries about Kaisa, the recurring librarian in the animated series, Hilda, titled "Witches, patrons, and the value of libraries in Netflix's Hilda," and included a section, where Kaisa argues that the "person who borrowed the book is liable for its return," with the obligation passed from the librarian to the patron, while the witches say SHE is the one responsible. While this was included in the final article, which was published on January 8, 2021, and re-titled "The Mysterious Librarian in Netflix's "Hilda" Finally Gets a Name," it was worded differently, [1] and I didn't explore it in-depth. So I'll re-examine that part of the episode and note its implications more broadly in terms of relations between librarians and patrons, and the ever-present problem of missing books from libraries.

This post is reprinted from Pop Culture Library Review and Wayback Machine.

In the episode "Chapter 3: The Witch," Kaisa comes before three witches who govern the tower and they tell her that she must return a book missing from the library for almost 30 years! She challenges this, saying that the person who borrowed the book is liable for its return, passing off the obligation from the librarian to the patron. The witches remind her of her responsibilities and say that if she does not find the book, she will be cast into the void! While librarians obviously are not cast into the void for misplaced books, the episode is right to highlight the problem of missing books and how librarians solve this problem. Later, Kaisa reveals why she had not tried to return the book until now: she was embarrassed that she could not use the right spell to find the book. They later return with the book and Tildy pleads with the witches to not punish them, the void of no return is unintentionally opened, trapping Kaisa, Hilda, and Frida.

The question at the title of this post still itches my brain: Are patrons who borrow books, liable to return them? Some on /r/Libraries and /r/librarians have shared that they give students who fail to return a book a warning, the terrible condition of returned books(which is kinda funny to read), stolen/lost book, and lending to the wrong person. Others shared the return of missing items, horrible patrons, weird sense of guilt when checking out books, getting patrons to return their books, presenting photo IDs to check out books, and libraries that give anyone a library card. [2] One of the most interesting discussions was one on /r/asklibrarians where librarians responded as to how a librarian could cover up a theft:

...Books disappear all the time. Depends on if the library uses any security measures like RFID tags...Here are a few ideas: Checking the book out to another user. Marking it as lost under that other users identity. Checking the book in but just taking it. Makes it appear lost in the shelves. Simply taking the book through an employee entrance with no security gates. Or simply desensitizing the security strip and walking the book out the front door. Or you can purge the user from the system making them not exist. Assuming a modern library, the librarian could alter the records if they had the right circulation authorizations. In most cases, there is likely to be an audit trail, but no one is likely to be looking for that unless alerted to the possibility that someone did that. Someone with the right IT privileges for the circulation software, could probably alter those audit trails as well.

In some ways, Kaisa may have done this when not getting the book back from Tildy. She probably as had to deal with those who return books with "illegal drugs, water damage, urine odors, cigarette burns, coffee stains, fecal matter, roaches, or peanut butter globs," those who have tried to argue that they don't need to pay library fines, while dealing with account issues, checking out books, and other tasks. [3] As one librarian put it, not only can the length of a loan period " have a big impact on staff workload and patron satisfaction with a library," but overdue materials are an issue "because they are not available to other library users" while fines lead to the perception that overdue fines allows the library to function and buy materials.

In fact, many libraries spend a lot of money and time "attempting to retrieve overdue materials and collect various fines," meaning these fines represent "a drop in the bucket for library revenues" and saying that while overdue fines may "provide some incentive for returning materials" some studies have shown they are "not a significant deterrent to the ultimate return of items. Libraries can also collect fines on lost and damaged materials or lost library identification cards, which are meant to " replace or repair the material...plus a processing fee," while it was said that there "should be some flexibility with overdue policies." It has also been said that if a book is lost, then a fine should be collected, while for a missing book, "the library does not know where the item is." [4]

The same librarian urged library personnel to be "familiar with registration procedures and be prepared to answer questions about the library’s services and resources," and to have specific "procedures for dealing with security and medical emergencies and all staff should be thoroughly familiar with them." This connects with the mission of a librarian to not only handling books, but books themselves serving a vital function, and the responsibility of the library to "adjust the time allotted for the patron to have the item to ensure it reaches the originating library on time." It was also said that librarians should take into account copyright, freedom of information, privacy, duty of care, censorship, and confidentiality which assisting a patron. [5]

Committee of Witches annoyed with Kaisa

When it comes to actual libraries, there appears to be agreement with the idea that patrons who borrow books are liable to return them. In fact, of library policies I read, there was a consensus that patrons are responsible for book replacement, returning books on time (late books hinder ability of other patrons to use book), have to pay for damaged or lost materials, and responsible for books they have checked out under their name. [6] Some librarians even said that those who abuse privileges may be banned from interlibrary loan, holds placed on their student accounts, suspension of borrowing privileges, or being reported to a collection agency. [7]

There were libraries which laid out their responsibilities even more clearly. Some said they had the "responsibility of ensuring the availability of materials for the use of the community," but that the person who borrows materials is responsible for materials borrowed and "agrees to return them in good condition and by the date they are due." Others absolved the library from "liability, damages, or expense" from misuse of library devices, library materials, and asserted that librarians are responsible for renewing and returning items, with fees imposed if items are not returned. However, in some cases, librarians had the discretion to stop or restrict loans of materials or the ability to waive fines, charges, or fees in cases of hardship. [8]

Kaisa stands by her view that patrons who borrow books are liable to return them, while the witches say it should be the library's responsibility after a book is overdue for 30 years. If this was the real world, the responsibility of the patron would likely still be emphasized, but at that point, the library would have declared the book "lost" and probably charged the patron a fee for the lost book. Kaisa does not do that as she knows exactly who has the book, but she doesn't want to take responsibility for getting the book back, not at first.

The answer to the question, are patrons who borrow books, liable to return them, is generally yes, but that does not justify patrons being treated in such a way that they are heavily penalized with fines which discourage them from borrowing from a library. It is certainly a "wonderful surprise" that Kaisa is the keeper of the books, i.e. the librarian who, with the help of Hilda and Frida, was able to convince an old lady to return a book. An impressive feat, you could say.

© 2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] Worded as "the person who borrowed the book is responsible for it and the witches threaten to cast her into a void if she cannot locate the lost item."

[2] See the "checking out books" (Nov. 2018), "Librarians: What's the worst condition someone has returned a book?" (Apr. 2014), "Most stolen book at your library" (Jul. 2018),"I (accudentally) lent a book to someone who is NOT authorized to use the library. What to do?" (Jun. 2020), "Lots of (probably) missing items were returned!" (Nov. 2020), "Horrible Patrons: CoVid Edition" (Feb. 2021), "I'm struggling with a weird sense of guilt when checking books out now, it's very irrational" (Sept. 2021), "Academic librarians: strategies for getting checked out books back from faculty?" (Mar. 2017), "Violating the spirit of the policy but not the letter of it..." (May 2017), "I think one of our patrons is a hoarder, and he isn't returning our books." (Aug. 2018), "Borrowing Policy Inquiry" (Dec. 2016), "Borrowing Out of Town" (Jun. 2016).

[3] See K.W. Colyard, "How To Piss Off Your Local Librarian," Bustle, Jul. 16, 2015; Oleg Kagan, "Day in the Life: Reference Librarian at a Public Library," Every Library, Nov. 29, 2017.

[4] "Basic library procedures: Circulation functions," Living in the Library World, Dec. 18, 2008; "Basic library procedures: Library inventory," Living in the Library World, Jan. 18, 2009.

[5] See "Circulation of nonbook materials," Living in the Library World, Dec. 28, 2008; "Circulation's role in security," Living in the Library World, Dec. 28, 2008; "Basic library procedures: Processing library materials," Living in the Library World, Jan. 7, 2009; "Library co-operation, interlibrary loan and document delivery," Living in the Library World,  Jan. 25, 2010; "Ethics," Living in the Library World, Nov. 22, 2010.

[6] "Library Policies," Galveston College, accessed October 3, 2021; "Loan Periods," Richard E. Bjork Library at Stockton University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Overdue Materials," Richard E. Bjork Library at Stockton University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Lost/Damaged Item," Richard E. Bjork Library at Stockton University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Outside Borrowers," University Libraries of University of Georgia, accessed October 3, 2021; "Circulation Policies," Princeton University Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrow," Pitts Theology Library at Emory University, accessed October 3, 2021;

"Library," Caswell County, NC, accessed October 3, 2021; "Interlibrary Loan Borrowing and Document Delivery Services," University of North Texas University Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Library Fines and Fees," New York Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Library Policies, Guidelines and Procedures: Lost or Damaged Materials," Calvin T. Ryan Library, University of Nebraska Kearney, accessed October 3, 2021; "Step by Step – Billing Patrons and Libraries for Lost Books in Horizon," Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System, accessed October 3, 2021; "Loan Periods and Fines," Pasadena Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Studio Use Policy," Pikes Peak Library District, Sept. 2019; "Interlibrary Loan (ILL)," SRSU Library & Archives, accessed October 3, 2021;

"Policies," Proctor Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrow Materials," E.H. Butler Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "InterLibrary Loan (ILL)," Osceola Library System, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing/Circulation," SCSU Research Guides at Southern Connecticut State University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Library Policies," Orange Coast College, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing and Renewals," Marriott Library, University of Utah, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrow," UC Berkeley Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing," Hawai'i Pacific University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Fine Free Library," San Francisco Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "FAQ : Interlibrary Loan," Smithsonian Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Checkout Periods and Protocols," Fulton Library, Utah Valley University, accessed October 3, 2021 (discussed secondary borrowers); "Borrow, Renew & Return," Georgia Tech Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing Policies," Stewart B. Land Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing Materials," Memorial Library of Nazereth & Vicinity," accessed October 3, 2021; "Hennepin County Library goes fine-free," Hennepin County Library, Mar. 9, 2021; "Borrow Items," Charleston County Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021;

"Interlibrary Loan," Omaha Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Book Club in a Bag," Southeast Regional Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Interlibrary Loan," Kenton County Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Pageturners To Go," Multnomah Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Remote Delivery," UW-Madison Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Library," Thesophical Society of America, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing Privileges," Penn State University Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing Materials," Circulation Services, Research Guides at Broward College, accessed October 3, 2021; "Prince William libraries are now fine-free," InsideNOVA, Jul. 7, 2021; "Your Library Account," Boulder Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Services - Libraries," LibGuides at St. Joseph's College New York, accessed October 3, 2021;

"Nevada State College Interlibrary Loan," Nevada State College, accessed October 3, 2021; "Get a Library Card," Laurel County Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "InterLibrary Loan," Queens College Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Bradley Library eliminates late fees," Daily Journal, Sept. 9, 2021; "Library," Amridge University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Checkout Privileges," BYU Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Using the Library," Linda Hall Library, accessed October 3, 2021; Borrowing from CSN Libraries," CSN Libraries, accessed October 3, 2021; "Interlibrary Loan (ILL)," Texas State Library and Archives Commission, accessed October 3, 2021; "Borrowing Library materials," Simon Fraser University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Library of Things: Home," LibGuides at Milton Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021;

"Onsite Borrowing Program," OCLC Research, accessed October 3, 2021; "Welcome to Your Library," Grand Rapids Public Library, accessed October 3, 2021; "Frequently Asked Questions," El Dorado County Library, accessed October 3, 2021; Liam Griffin, "Libraries Become Fine-Free In July In Prince William County," Manassas, VA, accessed October 3, 2021; "Circulation," Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, accessed October 3, 2021; "Prince William Public Libraries to Go Fine-Free Beginning July 1," Jul. 2021, accessed October 3, 2021; "James. E. Walker Library," Middle Tennessee State University, accessed October 3, 2021 (mentions proxy borrowers); "Interlibrary Loan (ILL)," University of Idaho Library, accessed October 3, 2021.

#hilda librarian #hilda #white women #patrons #books #borrowing #library users #library patrons #libraries #rfid #reddit

[abyssalpriest]

Conversations with Leviathan #7, Black Ink 2/7/23

A discussion on the symbol of Black Ink, potentiality.

I was wondering what things I should compare Leviathan to for the 30 day challenge question "Describe your God as something that occurs in nature", hoping I could draw up a list of multiple things and work then from that. He said: Black ink, singularly and definitively. I wasn't expecting it, I associate that with my ex-partner who would even go so far as to use that as a tag for... Something? Actually, isn't that weird. I don't think he ever explained what "Black Ink" was other than saying it was his blood and something huge and encompassing. It was some sort of biological function (or form) or physiological part of his that continued to arise in his symbolism. Largely I knew what I thought it was: Some sort of metaphor for his biology that involved heavy metaphors about reality, something to do with the Void, but that's really it.

Does black ink even occur in nature? No, but arguably that's the point, Leviathan and his brothers always seem to be found in things that are made whether it's electronics, tools, trains and planes, kingship, reading and writing... Nature is nature even when reworked and the idea of them being nature as consciously reworked and harnessed - yet still nature, still wild under the surface - fits very well. 

Black Ink, however, is a symbol that means a lot to me in both the sense of importance and extensive symbolism. It's type of blood, blood itself being a complex metaphor underneath a complex metaphor for the fabric and life of reality, everything in existence in its various forms, black ink being one form; it's the spaces in-between and Polarised dances between paper and writing... I don't know though. There's too much in my head.

---

"Black Ink: Clockwork. Numerical values. Obsidian Mirrors. Ferrofluid.

The beginning of the Universe started with a series of boxes, characters, easily stackable and therefore easy to extrapolate into dimensional stability -"

Lying in bed I can suddenly vividly see him next to me in a non-linear way I've never experienced before - I can both see him when I'm looking and when I'm not looking at him - leaning half-propped-up on his elbow facing me. I can feel the coldness of his energy physically.

"- Repetition of things that can be repeated. More so the ticking of the clock rather than that minute bit in-between."

His energy is physically touching my skin - "Oh, sorry," he says in surprise and it retracts, but it's radiating from him in strange outward spirals of warm and cold. I feel like I'm swirling bathwater coming from hot and cold taps.

Did you want to come in? I barely get to ask before he takes over.

"This is complicated, eons of processing and notes that I could show you except no, I couldn't. This entire universe - your little physical plane - is written by the three of us in a tongue that is always speaking in black ink. Black, an enveloping of every colour, every beam of light condensed, squished, compressed, forced into linearity and logical repetitions between moment to moment. Black is physics, metaphysics, metronome beats in Creation in the way that it is the counting 1 - 2 - 3 - etc notes of a finite recorded song. Finite beats to be counted, compressed.

Your body's numb, oops. Have it back."

Well then. What are you sifting through?

"I couldn't even tell you. It's complete condensations of 3D knowledge into flattened momentary planes."

He shows me one of the flat pieces of paper he's going through mentally, and he's right, I thought it was printer paper but it's densely vibrating cubes flattened as thin as rice noodles, so not too thin. Vibrating like suns....

"Did I tell you about that? How solar bodies intensely vibrate so close to transcending the planes they're on hence that's why they're used as gates - skip this song playing. Thank you. Condense and condense and condense, first you obtain something intensely bright so that it becomes a screen through which your eyes can perceive things it wishes to extract from the light particle-waves. Then... Boom. Collapses. Black. Like how lampblack is made."

I feel like that's not how lampblack is made...

"Then you're not thinking outside or I suppose inside the box, are you. Dumb. That's a joke. Do you see how the Sun is rising?"

A faint light shines through the cracks in my curtains.

"And you could let it in if you wanted to.

Black Ink is a complex theory in and of itself. Metaphorically. Symbolically. It's the dancing letters on the tip of the scientist's tongue at the verge of understanding, it's a substance that plays with the gateway - and is the gateway - to discovery. Externalised thoughts pass through it, the future awakened soul meets its past self through it. It's Shakti and Shiva's dance specifically in the hands of the writer. It's a promise to God. Isn't that fascinating?"

I have to say -

"So say it -"

Oh. You're vivid as hell again. I can see you almost physically in my periphery... Are you wearing those glasses in bed? I'll take that laugh as a yes. Resting head in hand, a sweet smile... I was expecting so much more of a drab topic when you brought this up.

"Well... Multiple sides to everything, right? I told you what this is. It's a gateway to speaking, it's a mechanism of discovery and unity of world and thought. Personal expression. Usually Shiva dances inside Shakti's womb, but when does it come to a point where he actually extends out of it? When does he externalise? When does consciousness birth itself into something visible? We were working on that clay mobile representing me, well, explicitly I was, arts and crafts, I become physical inside your room through it, through Black Ink. It's the potency... The liquid of the womb condensed and condensed and condensed until its colour, its magnetic pull, inverts. Right? You're following?"

I'm following.

"So what is it that you're speaking?"

Well, I feel like I'm speaking my ex's things. He's the one that taught me what this energy is that I associate with the concept of Black Ink. Dark, eldritch, consuming, mirroring - you're nodding as I speak, reassuring - swallowing...

"Nothing you spit from your mouth can be his. Spit being produced by your cells... Even if your mouth swells at the sight and scent of food it is a product of your body. That's Black Ink. Nothing that comes from your body can be his. You're asserting an opinion of what he looked like in your eyes, which is a regurgitation of the endless wish that God has to be so aware of Themselves that they become Themselves... No. Sorry. You and he were separated by a for more vast ocean than you ever wanted to admit. It's a foul thing to talk about someone like (your ex) in regards to the metaphor of pregnancy but I cannot stress enough about how the union that produces results is never of you and another individual. From you, yes. Of you... No. A cell has to be split off from both of you before it can create a new life - emphasis on before. In life you see, you experience, you stitch it into your body, you gestate, you birth. Which is wrong to say by its own rules because... Experience is all that simultaneously so there is no parts to separate into different experiences. You experience a stimulus and you immediately stitch your consciousness through it.

You never took in anything that he did or said, electron repulsion gives the impression of touch as you say, you simply had an experience that was caused by the way his consciousness affected your communal reality. Even if a literal pregnancy had've come from your relationship... The placenta is a direct manifestation of the true physical union: an attempt, nothing more, but an individual is always an individual. External interaction is not internal emergence. Whatever you think of Black Ink is your own mind, your own memories, your own opinions, your own symbolism. It is not his no matter how heavily impacted by his peripheral and orbital existence around your life. 

He's - or I suppose he was - a gravitational centre passing through a field, you never united with his gravity but instead just felt its effects on you. You touched the impulses in the field... Anyway. What do you see Black Ink as?"

I think I'll have to sit on it. Oh, my phone's autosuggest tells me to write 'Call me'. I'll call you

"I think you should sit on it though. Every symbol belongs to every person. Everything that arises as a connection between a conscious perception or choice and an experience lies inside the one who experiences it. The way reality connects with mind is not the way people think, you in your body are a pilot in front of a screen connected to cameras in the eyes of a robot you're piloting around; you may become absorbed in what is in front of you but you have to remember it's not really touching you, it's touching the robot, consciousness personalises everything and simulates a connection. Like how you may feel emotional pain from a film or video game character's actions but it is just lights. Lights... Lights and colours... Condensible. Edible. Consumable. Redirectable..."

-

Leviathan said: Swapped. Excellent. A free vessel. I will continue alone; you are tired and overwhelmed.

The conclusion is simple. Black Ink is the product of your - and everyone's - womb just before birth. It's the black sky through which the Earth is birthed. It's potentiality. That's it. It's used in scrying for a reason, because... It is scrying. It's the potentiality pushed to the point of nearing literalness.

What you associate with Black Ink: the eldritch, the dark, the... Whatever else, because you do need to comb through all this mess and separate your real opinions from those you were influenced to have... You associate them in the way that one associates a baby with a pregnant mother. Two very different things, actually, when you stop to think about it: A pregnancy necessitates no baby but a pre-baby, a baby is an externalised product of post-pregnancy, post-pregnancy meaning pregnancy is no more. Black Ink is nothing but the means through which things are birthed and therefore is separate from them... Yet intimately categorically connected.

Now... Why are these babies, the eldritch and the dark and the abstract, associated with Black Ink in your mind? The answer, as with everything birthed through Black Ink, will be born into both awareness and reality when you allow it to be birthed.

#I don't think I've ever seen him this excited in any of the Conversations weve done #leviathan // #channellings // #conversations // #Ramblings //

[aworldforastage]

my first danmei playlist -- part 4: "I like these voice actors about a normal amount"

[see more in this series are under the tag #my first danmei playlist]

Every song in this post is recorded by the voice actors (or at least such a version exists but cannot be streamed for free).

There's always something special about the actors' versions. Maybe it's hearing the music in the character's own voices, or maybe it's their enunciation and delivery that really helps make the lyrics and emotions stand out. There are obvious repeating names on this play list. If I say I only like them a normal amount, is it remotely believable?

Whisper by 文森, from FOG, Season 1

"You whisper in my life"

"You whisper in my life" may not be grammatically sound in English, but you know exactly what it means in this quiet song, through a bittersweet journey of separation and reunion, coming back together for the love and dreams they never stopped believing in.

玫瑰星云/"Rosette Nebula" by 大C, from 我只喜欢你的人设/Rose and Renaissance

为你点燃星辉 / 拨开夜的黑 For you I can light up the stars, to push away the darkness of night

Sweeping, dramatic, but uplifting: this is one of my favorite romantic ballads of all time. Sometimes it's just nice to believe in love that feels like starlight. (Cast version is performed by 文森/Wen Sen.)

溺/"Drowning" by 饭卡 , from恶性依赖/Morbid Addiction

是我饮鸩止渴 溺毙你的温柔 相撞一刻将我枯竭灵魂掏空 I drank poison to quench my thirst, and drowned in your tenderness The moment of our collision emptied out my parched soul

The CV version is unfortunately not free on Mao'er, but it's one of my favorite cast performances. The lyrics shed light on the perspective of the laconic and stoic love interest who often does not express his feelings clearly. 文森/Wen Sen's delivery really makes the words pop, and it hits differently in the character's voice.

七百个日夜/"Seven hundred days and nights" by 奇然, 大C , from FOG, Season 2

是无双星火 是热血永恒 他是我 爱的最终 He is unmatched starlight, is eternal passion He is my love in its ultimate form

The Season 2 theme for FOG is still about their rekindled love for each other, but with emphasis on their fiery energy and competitive spirit as teammates gunning to become future world champions, together. Kind of like a "Shonen Anime Opening Theme." (Cast version is performed by 文森/Wen Sen and 马正阳/Ma Zhengyang)

人间有灵/"Spirits in the Human Realm" by 文森, 马正阳, from 我开动物园那些年/The Years When I Operated a Zoo, Season 1

是幼稚的任性的小小伎俩 是敏感的欲盖弥彰 是柔软的真挚的热切渴望 是圆满的人间世上 They are childish, stubborn little tricks And poor attempts to hide sensitive feelings They are gentle and sincere passionate desires That completes this perfect human realm

This song perfectly captures the essence of one of my favorite novels, which is mostly a series of funny anecdotes with no real villains or arguably even a plot. The tone is silly and funny, but the romance that blossoms from these chaos and antics is both hilarious and seriously sincere.

你替世界吻我/"Kiss me on the world's behalf" by 胡良伟, 马正阳 from 到了30岁还是童贞的话，好像就会变成魔法使/Cherry Magic

想鼓起勇气牵一次你的手，让世界借我向你袒露温柔。 Want to have the courage to take your hand, so the world can show you some kindness through me.

One more entry in the happy pop love song category! I remember the original TV drama taking the BL fandom by storm in 2021 because it's so sweet, and soft, and comforting. The AD doesn't feel quite as complete as the drama, but like this song, still has those soft and sweet vibes!

#my first danmei playlist #我只喜欢你的人设 #我开动物园那些年 #恶性依赖 #exyl #cherry magic audiodrama #cv fandom thoughts #wen sen #ma zhengyang #song rec #fog电竞 #wzxhndrs #danmei music

[azzysflowergarden]

(Hello note from me, Azzy. I made this account on June 1st of this year because I felt like making a new one XD so. All 35 565 posts that are mostly reblogs? They're from the past 6 months, not a year XDDD)

I posted 35,565 times in 2022

That's 35,565 more posts than 2021!

92 posts created (0%)

35,473 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@lastoneout

@moonflowero1

@pomodoko

@imfluentinfangirlandgay

@levincias

I tagged 2,745 of my posts in 2022

#keeping for later - 246 posts

#pla - 190 posts

#azzy grows - 97 posts

#posts that made me audibly laugh - 92 posts

#posts i must always reblog - 69 posts

#pkmn - 55 posts

#eyestrain - 40 posts

#unreality - 40 posts

#questionable breaking bad knowledge - 30 posts

#dc resources - 28 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i love being mentally ill its so fun to be screaming and cryong and having a panic attack which makes u whip ur phone at the nearest noises

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

How does one express non-romantic attraction??

Like I'm making a list of hot pkmn trainers but I'm not attracted to them in the crush/romantic/sexual sense. I think it's like... Aesthetic attraction? But I don't know how to express it :(

I'm just like "awooga hot person they r so sexy mwah mwah" but I'm not attracted to them in a crush/rom/sx kinda way!!! And obviously people misinterpret what I mean because of the language I'm using :(

How the heck do ppl verbalize those kinds of feelings properly ( TTⁿTT ) /genq

45 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

#4

Hey yalls, guess who wrote a Danny Phantom one-shot (4k words) that I'm extremely proud of!!! Even if ya ain't into DP, I'd appreciate if you read it & dropped a kudos and commented, because I'm honestly in love with this so much!!!!

Focuses on a confrontation between Danny and Wesley Weston involving Danny's secret identity woooo~

Warning for; panic attacks, descriptions of inhuman appearances (Eldritch!Danny my beloved), & mentions of death!

It's the longest fic I've written to date (I thought a multichapter WIP I wrote in 2018 was longer. I was wrong. That was only 3.5k), and I'm thrilled at the outcome!!

I'm the kind of person who enjoys their own writing (and forgets what I've written after a few days), so when I read it over pre-posting, I was smiling and giggling the whole time. I even screamed from excitement at it (I was on call, and my friends gotta hear me freaking out as I read my own writing XD)!

So, yeah. I really hope you enjoy, because I sure as hell did!

51 notes - Posted September 15, 2022

#3

I just discovered «Ridgeside Village» (a Stardew Valley mod) and oh my gods it looks so good!!! The mod adds so much to explore, both new areas and new villagers!!!

Plus, it's compatible with Stardew Valley Expanded (Expanded edits the existing valley for the most part, while Ridgeside Village adds a whole new map outside of Pelican Town)!!!

(If y'all like SDV Expanded, or mods that do similar things, please check out Ridgeside Village if you haven't already!!!)

52 notes - Posted August 10, 2022

#2

It's kinda sad to know a good handful of people who've played Stardew Valley haven't played (or heard of) Harvest Moon. Maybe it's just a generational thing, but whenever I've gotten my friends into SDV, I always ask if they know Harvest Moon first. Literally always no.

ANYWAYS if you like Stardew Valley, please check out the Story Of Seasons line (the new name for Harvest Moon games), the Harvest Moon games before DS, or Harvest Moon A New Beginning (3DS)

OR if you like the fighting in SDV as well as the farming bits, I've heard the Rune Factory series is pretty good :D

103 notes - Posted June 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Sometimes I wish I could love in the way others could.

To look at someone and just know. To feel the warmth and joy, and desire to be with someone forever.

But my feeling of love comes in different forms.

Sitting outside and playing my ukulele, while the squirrels and chipmunks watch, and the birds chirp along.

The tickle of eyelashes blinking against cheeks, and the fuzzy giggles that brew inside.

Telling someone a secret which you're sure they would never speak to you again over, only for them to tell you it's okay, and that they still care about you.

A stray (or just sassy) cat letting you pet them, no matter how brief the moment may be.

Walking around a night-fallen city with your friend, illuminated by the neon signs, and high on life.

Doodling something that turns out even a little better than you were expecting, brightening up the rest of your day.

Reading a story that overwhelms you with so many feelings that you have to scream, because the world deserves to know how you feel.

Maybe I can't feel love in the way others might. I think that's alright, though, because I notice all the other ways I feel love. And I think I love that even more.

633 notes - Posted July 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[twiincast]

                  ��    » Radio Free Cybertron:::«

                                     You’re listenin’ to the Nexis!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. Rules (Mobile Friendly)

This blog is 18+ friendly and will include topics not fit for minors. I’m well aware some of you may be extremely mature beyond your years- but the legality of the situation could get us both in trouble. So, hit me up once you’re a legal adult. These topics will include, but not limited to: Death, War, Warcrimes, dismemberment, violence, toxic relationships, tetraphilia, nonconsensual actions: (modifications, sexual instances, mental manipulation- etc.) Please be warned and I will include tags in my posts to let you know so that you can blacklist it.  Please do not interact if you support: TERFs, SWERFS, transphobia, pedophilia, homophobia, Fascists, Nazism, or anything else that infringes, impugns, and attempts to take away the rights of others. 

The mun does work a full 40/hrs a week, and is currently located in the greater Pacific Standard Time Zone and works from usually 7:30 am to 5:00 pm CST.  Replies WILL sometimes be late, and sporadic depending on day, energy level, and mental fugue. 

Mun is neuro-divergent, ADHD, and sometimes gets distracted by tinfoil. Will occasionally hyperfixate on a threat or a subject. Please understand that you are not being forgotten, and the mun will absolutely answer.

Blaster is absolutely multiverse. He exists within different places, and different personas. Like Jazz, his easy-going demeanor belies the actual dangerous individual that he can be. Please don’t assume unless it has been plotted and agreed to before hand that he exclusive to one partner or another.

Please do not assume relationship with this character unless otherwise requested/specified/agreed upon. 

 2. About-

Mun is over the age of 25, and old enough to have seen most of the TF series in original broadcast, if not syndication. As mentioned before, Mun is neuro-divergent and somewhat distracted. Hobbies include: flailing on discord at random muns about different things, drawing, writing, writing an inordinate amount of headcanons, and studying Accounting. 

Mun can also be a bit blunt, so please do not take silence of brushing off a response. If there is an issue, or if the Mun is upset- they will let you know so that there is transparency. 

Dossier for Blaster will be forthcoming! Thank you for reading this long post!

[ashc-art]

I posted 156 times in 2022

That's 156 more posts than 2021!

87 posts created (56%)

69 posts reblogged (44%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@ashc-drawing-art-corner

@insanely-creative-things

@betasuppe

@soicanreblogthosethingz

I tagged 146 of my posts in 2022

Only 6% of my posts had no tags

#ashc draws - 80 posts

#arcane oc - 49 posts

#varla - 42 posts

#reblog - 39 posts

#arcane - 35 posts

#marla faust - 24 posts

#toh oc - 23 posts

#spotify - 14 posts

#ashc talks - 14 posts

#silco - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 30 characters

#rosalyn abigail dalles-barnett

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Did a series of sketches featuring Varla and GASP! Vander and Silco are here! (TBH this is my first time drawing the Zaun Dads in their younger days.

The upper left is based on the commission @sweatandwoe made for me, where the Leaders of the rebellion and the humble nurse meet for the first time!

The rest is just cute pairings and Varla is hard at work!

32 notes - Posted June 29, 2022

#4

Arcane OC: Varla

I made Varla shortly after reading @sweatandwoe post about Silco simping for Vander's widow(which you should read cause it's awesome just like the rest of their writing!) So I drew her to existence!

In the past, she joined the revolution to help Zaun gain Independence, but chose the role of the nurse, not getting to combat unless she had to or for self-defense.

In Act 1, she still works as a nurse but is now also works part time at the Last Drop along with her husband. She's a devoted wife and mother who does her best to help her family and community, trying yo live her life peacefully... if only that could happen.

33 notes - Posted April 12, 2022

#3

Right now and ready, here it is!!!

See the full post

37 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

#2

Colored Silco

52 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here is the whole piece and the pieces

See the full post

54 notes - Posted June 8, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[dragonlover123a]

I posted 73 times in 2022

That's 30 more posts than 2021!

23 posts created (32%)

50 posts reblogged (68%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dragonlover123a

@leobashi

@conniemcfalcon

@cgbk10

I tagged 57 of my posts in 2022

Only 22% of my posts had no tags

#trigun - 21 posts

#jacksepticeye - 16 posts

#vash the stampede - 8 posts

#gtjsefanclub - 8 posts

#my sister - 7 posts

#rp - 7 posts

#evening reblog - 7 posts

#gt fluff - 5 posts

#antisepticeye - 5 posts

#fair warning: i have not read the mangas. i can't find the full series anywhere - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 79 characters

#fair warning: i have not read the mangas. i can't find the full series anywhere

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

So quick question: Does anyone here like Trigun? If so, would y'all like to do a gt Trigun rp with me? Like this post if you'd like to do so 🥰😊

5 notes - Posted May 1, 2022

#4

So I just found out Skydoesminecraft is an abusive ass.... But I still have an OC! Sky that I've had for years that isn't human. Honestly I'm not a %100 sure on how to feel about this.... I looked up to Adam for years only to find out he's always been abusive to everyone around him

7 notes - Posted January 25, 2022

#3

Researching Giants

900ft!Anti

850ft! Sean

23yr! 5'3!Y/N

Requested By PrpleLily

You where a college student, studying the massive humanoid creatures known as Giants.

Centuries ago, Giants ripped open the fabric of space and reality and very quickly took over the earth. They where benevolent creatures, so human lives where hardly disrupted by the new world order, but they where massive and invulnerable to any weapon mankind had invented.

Many humans where scared of them, but you found them fascinating. Especially the King of Giants Antisepticeye and his right hand Sean. These two where the biggest and the most powerful of the giants. Both had a massively beneficial impact on humans. The king, Anti, introduced technology beyond our knowledge or capacity to create that made lives easier. And Sean taught humans to be kinder to each other. But they where big and scary looking. So humans still where scared of them.

Currently, you where in your school's library, doing research on the Giants history for a paper. You where hoping that your final thesis would get the king's attention and he would invite you to be the first ever Human Representative. The job existed to teach humans that the giants only want to care for the humans, but no one has been brave enough to take it.

You where about halfway done with your paper when the dean came on the intercom saying that the school was about to close for the day. You quickly saved your paper and logged out, packing up your things and leaving.

Yawning, you walked to your car, getting in and driving home. You where so focused on your thesis that you didn't realize how exhausted you were, or how hungry. No matter, some food and rest at home and then in the morning right back to work.

Finally you arrived home. You where too tired to cook, so you just decided to order food to your door. It quickly came thanks to the delivery drone system the king implemented. After eating, you went to bed, quickly falling asleep due to sheer exhaustion.

Hours later, you woke up to your lights flickering. Sitting up, confused, you rubbed your head, noticing something strange. A red string around your wrist.

An invitation to the Giant Glitch King's Castle

A/n: This is part one to a two part requested story, I hope you enjoyed it!

13 notes - Posted November 20, 2022

#2

I got dragged back into the FNaF fandom after 6 1/2yrs and people on TikTok are discovering that Sunny and Moondrop are 10'3 and making art of it and my g/t loving ass is LIVING for it

18 notes - Posted January 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Guess what I just finished watching lmao

21 notes - Posted July 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review