#i can't remember if they do at the snow ball but that makes sense

[serpentandlily]

Hi!!! Could you do fluffy Rhys x reader where whenever she around Rhys, she can just relax and turn her mind off? Like she doesn’t have to be alert for everything and Rhys is more than happy because he likes how she trusts him enough to just relax and let down her walls around him.

Hopefully that makes sense I just woke up and my brain is not fully working right now lol🫡

Hope your doing well💜💜

This was such a cute idea! This is more of a drabble but I hope you like it!

Head in the Clouds:

Rhys x Reader Drabble

+++

“Where’s your coat?”

You smiled at Rhys, your mate and husband, as you bounded down the stairs in your house two at a time. His violet eyes looked back at you, shining with adoration and love, causing your heart to jump in your chest.

“My what?” You breathed out, coming to a stop in front of him. His lips twitched as he looked down at you.

“Your coat, darling,” he repeated. “It’s snowing outside.”

Your gaze shifted to the window by the door, now remembering that it was and had been snowing outside the past few days—the first sign of winter.

“Oh,” you said, sheepishly. “I forgot it upstairs.”

Rhys chuckled before grabbing a coat off the rack near the door, a coat he kept there because he knew his mate was oftentimes a bit forgetful when she was around him. But it never bothered him. He liked taking care of you.

It was a sign of trust, one he didn’t take for granted. He knew how hard you worked and he loved that about you, but he also loved this side of you. The side that could just relax around him.

“Come here,” Rhys said, holding out the coat for you. He helped you slip your arms through it before tugging it on you. “One more thing.”

He grabbed a small snow hat, one with a little puff ball on top. He pulled it over your head before flicking the little puff ball with a smile. You wrinkled your nose at him causing another small chuckle to leave his lips.

Rhys brushed your hair over your shoulders before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “Now you’re all ready. Shall we?”

He opened the door for you, smacking you on the butt as you passed him making you yelp. You shot him an amused glare but let him take your hand in his as he guided you towards the city streets.

"Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

Your eyes widened, suddenly feeling the hunger growling in your stomach. Normally you had breakfast with Rhys but this morning he had been stuck in a meeting with some local traders. You looked up at him, shaking your head.

"No, I forgot," you muttered, cheeks red.

You couldn’t help it. Whenever you were home and around Rhys, it was like your brain shut off. You knew Rhys would take care of you and you liked being taken care of for once. Your normal job usually caused you a lot of stress and it was nice to let someone else take charge, especially if that someone was your mate.

Rhys shook his head with a soft smile. "What are we going to do with you?" His tone was light, teasing. "Well, let's go get you something to eat. Can't have you running around the city on an empty stomach, can we, darling?"

You let Rhys take you to a small bakery near your house, one of your favorite places to go for pastries. You skipped inside, eyes scanning the display cases that housed all the delicious looking food, from fruit tarts to coffee cakes and other finger foods. You were too busy absentmindedly meandering down the small bakery to notice that the worker had asked what you wanted. You vaguely heard Rhys and the worker talking to each other, but paid them no mind.

A few minutes later, Rhys grabbed onto your elbow, catching your attention. "Let's go, darling."

Your brows furrowed as he escorted you outside, the bell over the door ringing as you exited the shop. "But we didn't get anything—"

Rhys held out a little white paper bag, cutting you off. You let out a soft, "Oh!", before grabbing it from him and opening it up to peer inside. "A glowberry tart! My—"

"Favorite," Rhys finished your sentence causing you to smile up at him. "I know, darling."

"Thank you, Rhys," you sang out, eagerly grabbing the small pastry and taking a small bite.

"Of course, my love," Rhys said, kissing the side of your head as he pulled you close to him with an arm around your waist. “Now, I believe we have some people to buy gifts for.”

You happily let Rhys escort you further into the city, eager to spend the rest of the day with him.

#acotar #acotar fanfiction #acotar x reader #acotar x you #rhysand x y/n #rhysand x reader #rhys x reader #rhys x you #rhysand #night court

[simping-overload]

ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴀᴍɴ ᴅᴇᴇʀ - ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʜᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ

a/n: showing my love for my favorite Greek God of all time, Hermes<3 this is a multichapter fanfic.

trigger warnings: animal hunting so animal death. Religious themes and practices

synopsis: You never thought helping out a lost hobo would end up with you in the loving embrace of a god.

『read on ao3』

『prev chapter ⟺ next chapter』

disclaimer: hermes is based on his BOZ, EPIC, and canon mythology. I don't really know how ancient greece actually was or how hunting works so take this with a grain of salt! It is just fanfiction :)

You come from a village that has been long-term worshippers of the goddess, Artemis. Each year, the village holds a festival, Laphria¹. With this festival, of course, comes activities, the most important being the hunt. Where 3 main selected participants, who were allowed to bring at the maximum two others along the hunt with them, they were to hunt down a large stag, whoever was to bring back the largest wins.

The reward would entail being given a large sum of money and being allowed to worship the goddess to the fullest extent, which means you'd get to say your prayers before everyone, including the high elders.

This year, you were finally chosen for the hunt, much to the joy of your family and friends. You were their best hunter and tracker, able to find an animal with ease regardless of how little the evidence that has been left behind.

After passing a familial trail—hunting a snow hare in the middle of snowstorm— you were gifted a beautiful pup who you named Winston². The two of you were jointed at the hip. There wasn't a place you'd go without him. This included the hunt.

You decided to bring two of your beloved friends along, Damian and Agnes. You set off at dawn, racing into the trees on the back of your horses, Winston running ahead as the scout.

Agnes and Damian were chattering away behind you as you looked over the map. You wanted to try and plan out all paths you could safely use.

"So...do you think if I win this, it would get Corinna at the very least interested in me?" Damian questions, fiddling with the horses' reins. He had a crush on Corinna ever since they were teens, spending most of his time trying to impress her— which failed considering he always made a fool of himself.

Agnes, bless her, rolling her eyes as she listens to Damian rant, just as the millions times before. She's been friends with him since they were babies. Both of their mothers were the best of friends, so it makes sense they were too.

You didn't come into the picture until you were about 7 or so, moving here to take care of your grandmother after she got sick.

You met Agnes when your mother invited hers over, and then her mother invited Damian's over. You all were just placed in front of each other and expected you all to click automatically. Thankfully, you did, and you've been friends ever since.

"Probably, but you need to remember Nikolaos is in this competition too, I know he's been desperate to get her hand as well." She pauses as her horse jumps over a fallen tree. She looks back at Damian with a blank stare and continues. "And also this could've been avoided if you just grew a pair of balls and confessed."

"I can't just do that— I need to get her attention first. Maybe we'll find that white stag the elders ramble about." Damian giggles as he pictures Corinna leaping into his arms and saying yes to his proposal. He was such a lovesick fool.

"Or maybe she's already interested and is waiting for you to confess. I've heard its custom in her family for the woman to wait for the man to ask, no matter how long it takes." You chime in, not looking up from your map.

"Wait wh—" Damian is cut off when a large gray wolf jumps from out of the trees, holding a white hare in its mouth.

Your horse, startled, bucks you off its back, sending you to the forest floor. You're now eye level with the wolf, noticing how its eyes are an unnatural golden color.

You and the wolf stared each other down for a moment before it huffed and leaps back into the trees. Agnes drops down from her horse and rushes to your side, while Damian goes off to fetch your horse.

You snapped out of your daze when you felt something wet touched your cheek. It was Winston, licking at you and whining in concern.

You pat his head to calm him, and you lean on Agnes for support as you stand. She brushes the dirt and leaves off your back.

"Hey, you okay?" She questions, her freckled face is laced with concern.

You feel fine, a little sore, but nothing you hadn't been through before. There was something about that wolf that just stuck with you, "Yeah, I'm fine. That wolf, though... its eyes were like pure gold."

"Maybe it's one of Lady Artemis' wolves? It wouldn't be the first time she's watched over the hunts." She suggests, steppingaway from you once you've steady yourself. Damian comes back with your now calm horse, handing you the reins.

"I suppose? Though I never heard of a wolf having pure gold eyes before... Anyway, Winston, did you see anything?

Winston barks in reply, his tail wagging before he runs off. You mount your horse and begin to follow him. You motion the other two to do the same.

Winston leads you to what looks to be a temple, one that seems to have been neglected for years. Nature has taken over, vines have trickled up and wrapped themselves around the columns, and grass and flowers grow from the cracks of the floor. The usual pure white of the marble has faded into a off white tan color with a thin layer of moss across the surface.

"Let's make sure the area is safe for us to set up camp here. Agnes, check out the back of the temple, and Damian, you'll start with the outer perimeter. I'll start with the inside. Regroup to the front once you're sure no one else has been here."

Agnes nods, and Damian gives an alright in response before going back into the forest. You dismount your horse, tying it to a loose fence post. You make your way up the cracked stone steps and into the temple.

The rays of sun lit the inside of the temple, illuminating the illustrations that line the walls and ceilings. Going off of the winged shoes on the god that was illustrated, this was a temple of Hermes. You wonder if there was ever a village that was here before yours that were worshippers of him.

Your search around the temple came up empty, with no human activity. Only animals and plants seemed to have been inside. You leave the temple in time to see with Damian and Anges coming back.

"There doesn't look like there's anyone for miles, only animals. I saw the cutest fox kits." Anges says.

"Same here, though I wasn't blessed with seeing any cute aniamls today." Damian pouts, dismounting his horse, kneeling down next to Winston to ruffle his fur, "Expect for this bugger." Winston barks and licks the man's hand.

You chuckle, "Looks like it's safe to set up camp here, we'll need to find something to eat, so I'll try and find something for us. You two just set up camp and remember to use the horn if anything happens."

They give you mock salutes in response before they begin to take the supplies off the horses and into the temple. You mount yours and whistle for Winston to follow as you trot off into the woods.

It doesn't take you long to hunt something down. After finding some boar tracks, Winston leads the rest of the way to the creature. Upon finding it, you ready your bow, steadying yourself on the moving horse as you focus your aim on the boar.

You suck in a breath, drawing back your arrow and whispering a short prayer to Artemis as you relase. The arrow pierces through the side of the boar, straight to the heart, quick and painless.

Suddenly, you hear a loud scream, and off in the distance, you can see someone running towards you with what looks like a... deer? Chasing after them. Winston stands alert, ears perked, and focused on the person getting closer to you. You hold your reins tight while Winston moves in front of the horse.

The person turned out to be Nikolaos. You spot his signature ginger hair showing from under his hood before he trips over a log and face plants in front of you. He doesn't try to exchange pleasantries as he scrambles up to keep running.

The deer came soon after, gracefully hopping over the log. It glanced at you for a meer moment, giving you enough time to see its golden eyes. The same color from the wolf.

You hop down off your horse, making your way to the boar.

You are for sure this time that it wasn't Artemis. Maybe some other god?

You wrap the boars legs tight with string as you bring it back to your horse, settling it on the rear. Positioned so it won't slip off, you mount your horse once more before going back the direction you came.

As you make your way back. Your mind wanders back to Hermes. It could be him. After all, he's one of the more playful gods known for his pranks and tricks. You'll have to make an offering to him for letting you sleep in the temple, regardless if it's abandoned or not, and so he doesn't prey on your friends like he did Nikolaos.

By the time you made it to camp, it was dusk. Agnes greets you outside, taking the horse reins from you. You take the boar off of the horse, taking off to the side as you make quick work of the animal, cutting off the hide and chopping the pieces of meat you need. You leave whatever is left for Winston and the other forest creatures to feast.

Damian is quick to start cooking. Thankfully, his mother was kind enough to pack spices so your group wouldn't have to suffer tasteless food.

Until the sky went dark, you spent the rest of your time eating and talking. Damian nearly choked on his food when he heard you recant the experience in the woods earlier. He says he wishes he could've seen the look on that bastards face when he was running away. Agnes jokes that Nikolaos probably looked like a scared chicken. Which admittedly, he did, come to think of it, his screams sounded like the human equivalent of one.

As the night went on, it got quiet, Damian was the first to sleep, and Agnes was next. Winston is sprawled out in between them, snoring away. Before you rest, you bring a plate of food and burning incense to the altar.

You whisper, "Please, Hermes. The God of speed and travel grant us permission to make sanctions in your temple. If you disapprove, we will be out as the sun rises. Take this food as a thank you for allowing us to sleep here for the night." You pause. "Also... please refrain from chasing us as a deer or anything else for that matter. While it was funny what you did to Nikolaos, I would rather not soil my pants." You chuckle, placing the food onto the alter and the incense in a dusty holder.

You go back to your original resting place, leaning against the pillar. You feel a soft and comfortable breeze flow through the temple. The sounds of the trees rustling soothe you into a nice slumber.

Still in deer form, Hermes walks through the woods, no set destination just allowing the fates to choose where he will end up. Faintly, he can hear someone whisper a prayer.

"Please, Hermes. The God of speed and travel grant us permission to make sanctions in your temple. If you disapprove, we will be out as the sun rises..."

It was not often that he received prayers, especially not in his sisters park of Greece. He lets the prayer pull him towards the location.

Switching to his human form, he approaches the temple. It was one of his firsts. A gift to him by his father. While unkept, it still stood strong.

He sniffs the air, a familiar smell, boar. Not only did he get a prayer, but he got an offering, too? Just what he needed after chasing the mortals.

He giggles as he makes his way inside, involuntary waking up Winston, who was silenced a quick shush and a pat to the head.

Hermes looks around at the mortals who sleep before him. Wondering who said the prayer, his eyes land on you. Still leaned against the pillar, head thrown back against it. Your hand is tightly wrapped around a dagger. Ready to strike if need be.

He studied your face for a moment, his hand twitched with the desire to trace over your features. You were very attractive for a mortal, and judging from the faint golden aura he could see emitting from you, you're the one who prayed.

He steps away with a grin, making his way to the alter. He picks the plate up, nearly drooling on the food. As much as he'd love to take his time eating, he's a glutton. In seconds, the plate is empty. He holds back a burp as he makes his way back out of the temple, glancing at you as he makes his way out.

Well, he's going to have some fun on this vacation.

#hermes #hermes x reader #greek mythology #greek mythology x reader #boz hermes x reader #boz x reader #blood of zeus #blood of zeus x reader #epic the musical #epic hermes #epic hermes x reader #god x human #god x mortal #fanfiction #greek god x reader #greek gods #greek god #greek gods x reader

[danurso]

A new opportunity

(Good god i can't remember the last time i spent so long in such a long post, hope you enjoy)

Another day began at Beacon, and just like always, teams RWBY and JNPR gathered for breakfast at the cantina.

Nora: -which is why i believe that a monetary system based on Maple syrup would be the best solution to an economic crisis.

Ren: . . . . . .

Pyrrha: . . . . . .

Ruby: . . . . . .

Blake: . . . .worst thing of all? that kinda makes sense.

Jaune: *sits down with his tray* Hey guys, what did I miss?

Ruby: Nora was explaining to us how using maple syrup instead of lien would improve the economy.

Ren: If she spent as much time studying as she does thinking about these things, her grades would be better than Weiss'

Pyrrha: Speaking of her, where is she?

Blake: At the headmaster's office.

Ren: Did something happen?

Ruby: Honestly? We have no idea, she's been acting a bit off since she woke up.

Yang: *sits down with her tray* We're talking about Ice queen?

Ruby: Yeah.

Yang: Wonder what's got her panties on a twist. Did you try to serenade her again vomit boy?

Jaune: Of course not, i haven't tried anything since the ball.

Ruby: It's been just a week so….maybe those are still on her head?

Blake: maybe she had a dream with him again, or a nightmare as she calls it.

Jaune: Why am I the only possible reason why Weiss is having mood problems?

Yang: Because no one can push her buttons as far as you vomit boy.

Jaune: I don't. . . . . .*sigh* Fair enough.

Ruby: Hey don't be like that, she hasn't cursed at or ridiculed you ever since the ball, that's some progress.

Jaune: I guess. . . . .though at this point i don't wanna try anything anymore, if she ever wants to talk or try and be friends i'll be here but. . . . .i'll sit in my corner until then, i already pushed her more than enough.

Blake: That's probably for the better.

Nora: Speaking of the devil.

They turned their heads to see the heiress they were just talking about walking towards them with her own lunch tray, her gaze wandering around the cantina with a tranquil expression, until her eyes landed on their table.

The group wavered at her, all of them including jaune who gave a small wave with an awkward smile. He locked eyes with her and expected the usual nasty look before she looked away with a "hmph", but instead he got a warm smile from the usually cold heiress, there was. . . . .something more to it, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.

Yang: About time ice queen! Did Ozpin end up talking your ears off?

Weiss: Not quite, he did go on a long ramble, but his words always have a lot to offer.

Yang: What? Wanting to upgrade from teacher's pet to headmaster's pet?

Weiss didn't reply with the usual glare, instead letting out a short chuckle, which was odd enough as it was, but before any comments could arise, they watched in a mix of shock and surprise as the heiress took a seat, and of all places, she took a seat specifically next to the blonde knight.

There was a small moment of awkwardness at that, they all looked at her in disbelief, until Jaune made his move.

Jaune: *hops a little away from her*

Weiss: *hops closer to him*

Everyone: ???

Jaune: ??? *Hops away again*

Weiss: *hops closer*

Everyone: !?!?!?

Jaune: *staring flabbergasted*

Weiss: What? *Sniff, sniff* Do i smell?

Jaune: Erm. . . . .n-no.

Weiss: Then why are you backing away from me?

Jaune: Oh, well, i just. . . .figured you wouldn't want me to sit next to you.

Weiss: *snorts and smiles* Why would I sit next to you if I didn't want you next to me silly?

Jaune: . . . . . . .

Everyone: . . . . . . .

Nora: *whispering* Who's that and what did she do to Weiss?

Ren: *shrugs*

Weiss: What are you all staring at me for? Let's eat.

They all exchanged looks and followed suit, they were still curious about Weiss' sudden mood change, but the topic was readily forgotten once Nora started to ramble again. Well, forgotten to most at least.

Jaune was quite aware of the snow white beauty next to him, it made him really nervous, it was quite the strange situation to be honest. He tried to act normal, but every now and again he would glance at her and she would glance back, he would look away as fast as possible and pretend he didn't see anything, but he was sure she noticed, and was almost certain those exchanges made her giggle.

Jaune: *quickly glances at her*

Weiss: *staring*

Jaune: *pink, looks away as fast as possible*

Weiss: I'm not gonna hit you for looking or anything like that y'know?

Jaune: S-sorry, i didn't mean to stare.

Weiss: Pretty sure those were too short to be called "stares", but I don't mind either way.

Jaune: Uhm, okay. . . . .are. . . .are you okay?

Weiss: Better than ever.

Jaune: Are you sure? I never saw you-!?

Weiss: *sighs, resting against his arm* That was a good lunch, I haven't felt this full in years.

Jaune: *red* Erm. . . .Weiss? W-what are you doing?

Weiss: Resting, I think I ate a little too much. Am i bothering you?

Jaune: N-no! Not at all.

Weiss: *snuggles* Hmm. . . .Good.

Jaune: *extremely confused*

Everyone: *staring* !?!?!?

Jaune: *redder* I have no idea either.

Lunch was over and classes soon began, confusion was still high amongst the group but they didn't have much time to question since Oobleck had just arrived to begin his lecture, and once again, Weiss was found sitting next to Jaune.

Jaune: Ugh, This thing again. . . . .

Weiss: Having problems?

Jaune: O-oh, no, not at all! *Puffs chest* I just. . . .y'know, like to think a lot before writing down an answer.

Weiss: Uh huh. . . .so, what are you having trouble with?

Jaune: I'm not-

Weiss: *stern look*

Jaune: *deflates, depressed sigh* Alloying calculations.

Weiss: Ahh, I remember those. *Leans closer, looking into his paper*

Jaune: *pink* . . . . . .W-Weiss-

Weiss: Ah, I see the issue. You're using the wrong formula, This one is used to calculate the weight of the materials during the process, what you want is the formula for density. All you need is pick is the value of the metal and the area times. . . . .

At some point Jaune's mind turned off from most things around him, he couldn't remember ever being this close to Weiss, especially when she wasn't ready to knock him out, the way her eyes scanned through the material, her soft yet serious expression as she patiently explained it all to him was mesmerizing to say the least, Jaune knew Weiss was pretty but. . . . .wow, he feels like he might fall for her all over again if this keeps up

*Snap*

Jaune: H-huh?

Weiss: Remnant calling Jaune, are you there?

Jaune: *pink* S-sorry, i was thinking about something.

Weiss: I figured, you've been staring pretty intensely at me for some time.

Jaune: *red* . . . . .i'm really sorry.

Weiss: Don't be *small smile* I like the way you look at me.

Jaune: *redder* . . . . . . .

Weiss: I wrote the formula on the corner of your notes, just try and memorize it and you won't have any issues, Okay? *Goes back to her notes*

Jaune: O-okay. Thanks.

Jaune didn't know how to feel, confused? Shocked? Overjoyed? It was a mix of all of those, and Jaune wondered until when this was going to last, would she wake up tomorrow and start hating him again? It was something worth asking, though in all honesty, he really didn't want to know the answer. And so, instead of letting that question eat away his mind, he moved on with his day, and soon enough combat classes started, where he once again found himself in a fight against cardin of all people.

And of course, it didn't end well for him.

Glynda: Match is over, Victory goes to mister Winchester.

Cardin: Hah, what a surprise. 'till next time arc.

Jaune groaned in pain, Cardin's last hit broke his aura and his face took most of the damage, he held his bruised cheek and left the arena, whatever was left of his pride being the most damaged thing in this fight

Nora: You'll get him next time.

Pyrrha: Shouldn't you go to the infirmary?

Jaune: My aura is gonna kick in an hour or so anyways, it's fine. *Sits down, groaning and rubbing the ugly bruise in his cheek.

Weiss: *sigh* You're so stubborn.

Jaune: It's fine, i-

He stopped halfway into his sentence, watching as she pulled out a handkerchief, picked up Yang's water bottle to soak it up and used a glyph to freeze it, sitting close to him and reaching out for his cheek. Jaune reflexively moved away which seemed to be the wrong move, she gave him an angry look and held his face, pulling him really close.

Weiss: Stay still you dolt. *Starts gently applying the ice* if you move i'm gonna give your other cheek a matching mark

Jaune: *flinches and stays still.*

Weiss: Better.

She then held the frozen handkerchief to his bruise, gently pressing against it while using a glyph to keep it cooled

Jaune: You don't need to do this, my aura is gonna kick in a little while.

Weiss: I don't care, you're in pain right? so zip it and let me take care of you.

Jaune: I can handle a little pain.

Weiss: I don't doubt it, but you don't need to handle it. Stop trying to act tough, it's okay to let people help you.

Jaune: . . . . . .

Weiss: There. Feels better?

Jaune: A lot. Thanks Weiss.

Weiss: Don't thank me, just make sure to kick his butt next time.

Jaune: Hah. . . . .as if that is ever going to happen.

Weiss: It will, maybe not in the next match, or the one after that, but it will eventually.

Jaune: You sound awfully sure about that.

Weiss: Because I am. Do you know what's the worst thing about You jaune?

Jaune: I think i can come up with an entire list of things i-oww!

Weiss: *pinching his good cheek* The worst thing about you is this, you have no faith in yourself, despite how hard you work, despite your visible talents, despite all of your friends telling you otherwise, you insist on the idea that you are worthless, when you obviously are not.

She stopped pinching his cheek, instead, she gently stroked it.

Weiss: You are much, much stronger than any of us could ever hope to imagine, there's someone deep down in there that will one day save many lives and protect many people, someone all of us can look up to and that can carry a burden that would crush most of us ten times over, someone worthy of being called a true hero, so don't let your fears and doubts stop you from letting that someone come out.

Jaune: *speechless* . . . . .i. . . . . .i'll try.

Weiss: *smiles* That's a good start.

And once more, Jaune was left wondering what happened to the Weiss he knew yesterday, there was no way to tell how long this would last, and the worst thing of all? Is that after everything that happened, after he finally decided to move on, she suddenly does all of this and jaune finds himself completely and utterly head over heels for her again, probably even more than before.

Was she playing with him? Was this some sort of revenge plan? He doubted it, he couldn't see Weiss sinking to such a low, and even if she tried the others would've intervened, but they were clearly just as shocked as he was.

Weiss: Hey, erm. . . . .i've been meaning to get some things in vale after class is over, would you like to come with me?

Jaune: !?!? You mean. . . .you need someone to help you?

Weiss: No, I mean that I would like to go out with you after class is over.

Jaune: I. . . . . . . .you. . . . . . .you mean. . . . . .

Weiss: *chuckles* Just a yes or a no will suffice you dolt.

Jaune: Y-yes, I would really like that.

Weiss: It's a date then.

Date. . . .Jaune lost count of the amount of times he imagined having one of those with Weiss, never in his life however did he expect this to be how it happened, once again he felt the fear of this being too good to be true, that Weiss would change her mind back how it was before as fast as she changed to how it is now, or that he'll just wake up on his bed all of this would have been a dream, but he couldn't control it either way, all he could really do is enjoy his time with Weiss for as long as he had left.

And so classes ended for the day, and soon enough, the heiress was Found in her room, wearing much more casual clothes and ready to leave, before her team blocked the way.

Weiss: You girls need something?

Blake: Yeah, we do. What's going on?

Ruby: Spill the beans!

Weiss: I assure you I have no beans in my mouth to spill.

Yang: See! This is what we mean! Since when do you do jokes like that!?

Weiss: I've developed a sense of appreciation for silly jokes like that.

Blake: Since when?

Weiss: Since yesterday.

Yang: What's going on with you? Is everything okay?

Weiss: Yes, why? Is my behavior bothering you?

Ruby: No way, you've been really nice all day, especially to Jaune, we just wanted to know where all that is coming from?

Yang: You couldn't stand the guy not too long ago, yeah you tell us what he did on the ball and that definitely earns him some good points, but for you to act like this? Like you're his girlfriend or something? It seems off for you.

Weiss: *sigh* I figured you girls would question. So, do you want the truth?

R_BY: Yeah.

Weiss: The whole truth?

Blake: Of course.

Weiss: For realsies.

Yang: just spill it!

Weiss: Alright then, the truth is that I am not the same Weiss you knew from before, I'm actually from eight years in the future. The world was collapsing and there wasn't any hope left as we got stomped by the queen of grimm, that was until I figured out how to mix the magic I received from four magical women with my time dilation glyphs to send my mind back in time, which allows me to try and prevent the disaster before it even has a chance to strike.

R_BY: . . . . . .

Weiss: As for Jaune's case, he's been my lover for the past three years, well, was at least. I had to watch him getting crushed by the weight of responsibility and the things we had to constantly go through, we didn't have time to go on dates, for romance or much of anything else aside from some rare occasions, his mind was constantly haunted by his own mistakes and even the ones he had no fault of, yet he pushed through everything despite how broken he was on the inside. . . . . .that was, until a year ago, where i had to watch him lay down his life to save mine and give me this opportunity to come back and make things right. . . . .So I intend to make use of every last second of this new opportunity he gave me, and I'll make sure to cherish and love him. Jaune will grow into a formidable man, that much i know, and i know the road ahead won't be easy, but this time i'll be there for him, and i'll be damned if i let this world break him a second Time.

R_BY: . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yang: Y'know. . . . . .you could just tell us if you didn't want to say what's going on.

Blake: Did you just come up with that? Cause that sounds like a really compelling narrative.

Weiss: Would you believe it if I also told you him he's the rusted knight from your favorite fairy tale?

Blake: Heh, that's a funny one. You should write for a living if you ever give up on Being a huntress.

Weiss: *shrugs* I only gave you the answer you asked for.

Ruby: Ohhh, I wonder what a grimm queen would look like. Maybe a giant spider lady with a biiiig head to control other grimm around her with her thoughts.

Weiss: *chuckles* Of course you'd think that.

Yang: *sigh* Well, nevermind all of that, if you don't wanna tell us what's going on we'll give you some space. Just. . . . .try not doing anything stupid, alright nICE-queen?

Weiss: I'll try my best.

She leaves the room, closing the door behind her only to see Jaune in the corridor wearing more casual clothes, looking through his scroll's selfie camera and nervously fiddling with his hair while mumbling something unintelligible. Many things passed through her mind at that moment, most weren't exactly pleasant, but as she stared at the boy whose biggest concern right now was trying to make himself not look stupid for a date, she couldn't help but feel an incredible warmth building up inside her chest.

Weiss: *giggles*

Jaune: W-Weiss!? *Pink* H-how long have you been there!?

Weiss: I don't know, how long have you been playing with your hair?

Jaune: I-i just. . . . . Y'know. . . . .it's getting a little too long and i-

He stopped as Weiss reached out for his head, brushing his hair with her hand and putting it the way it was normally.

Weiss: I like the longer hair. Also, don't try too hard to style it, it already looks perfect like this.

Jaune: W-well. . . .if you say so. You look really nice.

Weiss: Thanks, you look quite good too.

Jaune: hehe, thanks. Well. . . . should we-

"Miss schnee"

Jaune was cut by none other than the headmaster, who joined them shortly after with his mug in hand as always.

Weiss: Yes?

Ozpin: We looked into the matters you warned us about, and you'll be happy to know we got to isolate the little "surprise" they had hidden in the system for us. As of now me and a few others are going to miss Fall's room to. . . ."discuss" some matters, would you like to join us?

Weiss: It won't be necessary, I'm sure you're already doing what's necessary.

Ozpin: Very well, there's still more I would like to discuss but you seem to be busy at the moment. Please contact me once you're free.

Weiss: Will do.

Ozpin: A good evening for you, and for you as well mister Arc. *Leaves*

Jaune: . . . . . .what was that?

Weiss: Nothing much, don't worry about it.

Jaune: Uhmm. . . .okay. Should we go-!?

Weiss: *hugging his arm and smiling* Let's go.

And off they went to their date, the first of many more to come, Jaune didn't think this day would ever come but every glance at the ivory beauty hugging his arm proved him wrong and made his heart race inside his ribcage, he didn't know what he did to deserve this, but he knew he was going to thank the gods for it for the rest of his life

#rwby #jaune arc #weiss schnee #jaune x weiss #white knight #rwby weiss schnee #rwby jaune x weiss #whiteknight #rwby jaune arc #rwby whiteknight #rwby white knight #ruby rose #yang xiao long #pyrrha nikos #rwby pyrrha nikos #rwby ruby rose #rwby yang xiao long #blake belladona #rwby blake belladonna #lie ren #rwby lie ren #nora valkyrie #rwby nora valkyrie #glynda goodwitch #rwby glynda goodwitch #ozpin #rwby ozpin

[chromatic-lamina]

chapter 1081 spoilers—okay, angst is fun and all but...

Shachi literally means orca in Japanese. Ikkaku means narwhal. They can dive deep (Narwhals, deeper than most submarines go, I think) and survive. Penguins are pretty good underwater for a while (though I don't know about depth). The ocean is the home of sea urchins and sea angels (Uni and Clione). And have we forgotten how hardcore Penguin and Shachi went here?:

And do you think that Jean Bart looks a little fishman here? ( A little Namur-like).

Now, I don't know about snow geese, but we'll give Hakugan some magical properties. So while it is heartbreaking that the Polar Tang

will no longer sail the seas (and, yeah, the boys had had it forever, but this is the sub's own Going Merry moment, perhaps), I think we should believe Bepo here:

where he urges Law to have faith in the hardiness of his North Blue crew in the depths of the ocean. His concern is more with Law (but we know he'll be okay):

Bepo urges Law not to die, but the Hearts will continue to overcome. I don't know that they'll be captured either, but they must've almost escaped because Jean Bart was on land, right? In chapter 1064:

But look at this instruction (also from 1064):

where Law urges Penguin and Shachi into the water. The Hearts are fine, but I understand the angst (it's glorious, isn't it?!). I think Law's worried, obviously, but I also think he picked his crew and mode of transport for a reason beyond just remaining hidden.

But, the Polar Tang:

the Victoria Punk

the Jewelry Margerhita?

Although, the Wiki says they don't know what happened to it after Bonney was captured by Blackbeard way back when, but in Egghead Jinbei does ask her:

where her ship and crew is. She states that her ship (which might be the Jewelry Margherita) was eaten by the monsters (controlled by Lilith, right?) outside of Egghead, and that she came alone.

The wiki says: (according to Vivre Card - One Piece Visual Dictionary (Card #0511), Information about Bonney is revealed), that:

Bonney seems to prioritize her own safety over her crew's as she managed to escape Marine detainment but chose not to rescue her subordinates.

That's stark contrast to Law, and we've mostly seen her operate alone, but I'm not gonna believe the Vivre cards just yet.

Also, Kid's obviously alive if Law is and if their losses were similar in wording and visuals. I think Kid's crew have saved him, if not Shanks' crew.

BUT, once Law recovers, he'll not be sequestered in a cell for ten years before he becomes relevant again (poor Kid. Damn!).

As @purplehairedwonder pointed out, the Polar Tang was carrying Law's poneglyph copies, and I bet that the crew is carrying them. Hope so. He'd be wise enough to have them waterproofed. BUT it makes more narrative sense to have them destroyed.

Now, someone was talking about how a Klabautermann is only seen when a ship is doomed (this wikipedia article supports it, but that's as far as my sources go) and therefore they didn't include images/stories/prompts about it for the Polar Tang. I can't remember who it was! Ahh, well it seems that the Klabautermann of various ships have been very busy lately.

Kuzan, too. Kuzan is cool (haha). I'm glad we saw him. And the dialogue with the Blackbeard pirates and Kuzan. OH, I almost forgot, this angst:

where Blackbeard taunts Law with the fact (yes, fact!) that there are a hundred pirates on Pirate Island still without their hearts, due to Law, and BB would be thrilled to punish Law for the fact, can't help but stir the whump-writer's heart (I'm sorry, Law).

AND, Koby and Law were in cahoots in some way, I'm sure of it (probably be disproven). Something similar to Luffy and Smoker at Alabasta, perhaps? Anyway.

Side note, do you think that Chopper used Caesar Clown's science and ego to help produce the rumble-ball like power-up he gave Bepo? If so, I wonder if this will come to play in the future when Caesar and Judge enter the fray again, if they do.

#one piece #trafalgar law #trafalgar d. water law #bepo one piece #chapter 1081 #one piece meta #opmeta #op meta #blackbeard #marshall d. teach #heart pirates #polar tang #one piece spoilers #opspoilers #op spoilers #chromameta #chromanga #chromacaps #chromalami #jewelry bonney #eustass kid #victoria punk #jewelry margherita #long post

[midnightmuffingay]

Rating the pets of EAH based on what is on the EAH wiki and my limited knowledge:

Adelita - Rosabella's butterfly. I have never heard of this. Also apparently Adelita translates to 'noble'?? 3/10 I don't think it suits her and also how do you keep a butterfly as a pet.

Barber - Poppy's squirrel monkey. I guess squirrel monkeys are cute and I can see it as a pet for her but I have yet again no memory of this. 5/10

Clipper - Holly's lion cub. Apparently it is 'charmed' to stay a cub forever?? Don't know how that work or why she has a lion or why she would name it Clipper?? there are better names girl. 3/10

Carmine - Cerise's dire wolf. Okay so technically they're part of the same pack or something but it's the daughter of Littler Red Riding Hood and the big Bad Wolf. You can't go wrong with giving her a wolf friend whose name is another shade of red. 6/10

Carrolloo - Kitty's caterpillar. A sneaky little guy. From what we saw of him he compliments Kitty's personality and you know, a caterpillar with a wonderlandian? It's not like I can be mad. 6/10

Clockwork - Cedar's wooded cuckoo. Okay I do actually like this a lot. Even if we never really saw him it's a great concept for her pet to be wooden like her. Especially when you consider it would probably have to been made specifically for her. I love it 8/10

Clydesdale - Farrah's pet mouse. Don't recall and there are better mice. 2/10

Divacorn - Briar's unicorn. Absolutely slayed so hard I don't care about the name which is an astonishing feat. I mean of course Briar would have a pink unicorn it just makes sense. 8/10

Drake - Hopper's dragonfly. Drake. 2/10 Only getting extra points because it is a literal DRAGONfly. He breathes fire.

Earl Grey - Maddie's dormouse. Perfection. Best dressed of all of the pets. Is a silly little guy with a silly little hat that lives in her hat. Impeccable. 10/10

Gala - Apple's snow fox. Gala is a great name just because of the fact this it is not only a type of apple but also a fancy party. Very royal, on brand, like to curl around her neck. Iconic. 8/10

Grizz - Blondie's baby bear. Blondie. Girlie. You are a reporter. Please get original. A bear for goldilocks' daughter is fine but it's just like. I'm bored girl. You can do better. 3/10

Jelly - Ginger's gummy fish. I. Love this. A sentient gummy fish she accidentally made? So iconic I'll ignore the basic name. It's like naming your goldfish 'Goldie'. Anyway, I love the concept, love the execution. 8/10

King Benedict - Humphrey's chicken. No. 2/10 for egg related name.

Mr. Cottonhorn - Dexter's jackalope. Guys. Guys. look at him.

He's just a little guy. 10/10.

Moustro - Melody's rat. I like the idea and the pun name but I feel like I'd need to see a picture to be impressed. 5/10

Nevermore - Raven's dragon. There is no need for discussion. 10/10

P-Hawk - Daring's peacock. I think I remember him being kind of terrible so uh 1/10 because Daring I don't think that's how you say peacock honey.

Pesky - Hunter's squirrel. I love how even though they're like enemies they have the same haircut and Pesky has a little acorn bag that Hunter definitely made for him. Lives up to his name. 7/10

Philia - Cupid's Pegasus. Apparently 'Philia' is one of the ancient greek words for love that is often translated to friendship. soooo, even though I didn't know about her she gets a 6/10 because I think that's sweet.

Pirouette - Duchess's swan. Queen. Icon. Slay. Need I say more? 10/10

Sandella - Ashlynn's phoenix. The fact that Ashlynn has a phoenix because it rises from the ashes is so hardcore and I love it. Even if her name is Sandella. 7/10

Shuffle - Lizzie's hedgehog. The bestest and cutest little croquet ball. I don't have much to say but love you dearly. 7/10

Sir Gallopad - Darling's horse. He can change colour and camouflage which is THE coolest thing. Horsegirl Darling. 8/10 Also Daring officially has the worst pet out of the Charming siblings.

Spindle - Faybelle's pomeranian. Of course an evil fairy you have such an unassuming evil little dog. And of course she named it after her evil destiny. Iconic. 8/10.

#eah #ever after high #rosabella beauty #poppy o'hair #holly o'hair #cerise hood #kitty cheshire #cedar wood #farrah goodfairy #briar beauty #hopper croakington ii #maddie hatter #apple white #blondie locks #ginger breadhouse #humphrey dumpty #dexter charming #melody piper #raven queen #daring charming #hunter huntsman #c.a. cupid #duchess swan #ashlynn ella #lizzie hearts #darling charming #faybelle thorn

[sillylittlerock]

When I saw this, my first thought was: why Ted? He's such an insignificant character compared to the rest of the characters. And a main character, Hopper, has had a HUGE storyline about him becoming a father figure to quite a few of the kids, mainly El and Johnathan. So why are we focusing on Mike and Ted?

Because of the meaning behind this scene, and what it tells us about Mike's character and his relationship with his father.

I vaguely remember this scene. If I'm right, this is when Ted is getting Mike ready for Will's funeral. If it's the Snow Ball, please let me know, I have an analysis for that too!! But anyway. In this scene, Mike says something along the lines of "Dad, you're chocking me!" and Ted responds with "It's supposed to be a little tight".

This is EXTREMELY interesting to me. The symbolism in this scene is crazy. Mike is about to attend his best friend's funeral, the funeral of someone that he (if we're right) is in love with. Now, this is the 80s, and Mike's a kid, so he probably isn't aware that he is in love with Will. But subconsciously he knows that the way he feels about Will is different to how he feels about the others in the Party. Again, this is the 80s. Being gay wasn't socially acceptable like it is today. It is extremely likely that Ted would react poorly to Mike being queer in any way.

So, Mike is about to go to the funeral of the boy he is in love with, and will be feeling many negative feelings. He will also likely be feeling a lot of complicated emotions about Will. And his father is helping him get ready, or, in other words, helping him prepare to hide his true emotions for Will during the funeral. "You're chocking me" symbolises how Mike feels like his father is making him repress who he is, and internalise all his feelings for Will. He feels trapped, and like his father is stopping him being who he is. He is unsure and afraid, and doesn't like pretending. It makes him uncomfortable. "It's supposed to be a little tight" symbolises how Ted feels he is helping Mike by forcing him to suppress his feelings. He believes he is doing the right thing, and that it is necessary to try to force his son to be someone he isn't.

The writers are still dropping clues. They want us to be analysing these small moments, the ones that we all forgot about, or thought were unimportant. They want us to connect the dots. These posts and clues are all so people can't say Byler came out of nowhere. It's always been there.

I hope this makes sense, I'm exhausted, it's the middle of the night right now, but I HAD to get this down.

#my first analysis!! #i have a few more written but don't have the screenshots to go woth them #anyway this is exciting!!! #proud of me #please say this makes sense #i tried my best #byler #mike wheeler

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the First Time in Fifteen Years

Holy Foreshadowing, Batman! Gandalf is SUPER psyched to get his ass under a mountain, but literally Gimli and Aragorn are like, "Nah, bro, we are worried about YOU SPECIFICALLY if we do that." And this is after Mom and Dad fought about going up Caradhras and after literally everyone is like, "We are getting super bad vibes from Moria."

But they can't go over the mountains, they can't go around the mountains, and the Gap of Rohan is too close to Isengard, so fuck it, we ball in Moria, I guess. Let's talk chapter 4, "A Journey in the Dark."

Ok, so this is a relatively long chapter (30-odd pages by my math), but wow is it mostly vibes. We start off very defeated by the anti-wizard-and-elf mountain, which makes sense because if you lose the ring bearer to exposure in the first month of travel, you're going down in history as the dingus who lost the last great conflict with Sauron. Again, Boromir is DEEPLY underappreciated as the reason our hobbits survived Caradhras.

After a few pages of back-and-forthing about where to go next, Gandalf is over here pushing Moria HARD, and literally everyone is like, "This does not pass the vibe check, wizard boy." Although Gimli is like, "I could find out what happened to Balin" and Aragorn literally says THIS:

"You followed my lead almost to disaster in the snow and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead now..."

Because apparently Fellowship leadership operates on phlebotomist rules. If you miss the vein, you let someone else take a shot.

Ultimately, the decision is made because there are goddamn WARGS after the group, and even Boromir accedes that wolves literally on your tail are worse than hypothetical wolves up the road, so we stop arguing about it and hunker down. This gives us time to have a nice little moment with Sam and Pippin though. Poor Pippin is over here like, "I wish I had taken Elrond's advice [...], I am no good after all. [...] I don't remember ever feeling so wretched, " but Sam is coming in clutch with "Honestly same, but Gandalf isn't going to let us get eaten by wolves." Which like...yeah, I accept that, and it's way more comforting than a generic "there, there." I also appreciate that Sam admits he's scared too. It's like how hearing, "Oh god, I haven't started that either" is so comforting for stressed-out students.

What neither I nor the fellowship love though, is the wolves literally sniffing around their campfire that night. There are literally glowing eyes in the dark, howls on the wind, and a goddamn warg silhouette in the gap between stones. And an arrow through the throat of one warg buys the group some measure of peace until the moon sets. Once the moon sets though, we get a pre-dawn warg attack:

In the leaping light as the fresh wood blazed up, Frodo saw many grey shapes spring over the ring of stones. More and more followed. Through the throat of one huge leader Aragorn passed his sword with a thrust; with a great sweep Boromir hewed the head off another. Gimli stood with his stout legs apart, wielding his dwarf-axe. The bow of Legolas was singing.

The battle scenes in these books read SUPER Beowulf, but are somehow briefer. Tolkien was super not here for contemporary battle scene writing; it's very much painting with watercolors. He gives you the odd detail or two and you pretty much get to fill in the rest yourself. Which is fine, and holy cow can I see where that would inspire Robert Jordan's manner of naming sword forms rather than describing an actual duel (which is not shade, I think Jordan does that really damn well and to excellent effect). But then we get Gandalf doing wizardy things in a really...unusual way?

In the wavering firelight Gandalf seemed suddenly to grow: he rose up, a great menacing shape like the monument of some ancient king of stone set upon a hill. Stooping like a cloud, he lifted a burning branch and strode to meet the wolves. They gave back before him. High in the air he tossed the burning brand, It flared with a sudden white radiance like lightning; and his voice rolled like thunder.

This hearkens back both to "Gandalf the fireworks wizard" who we meet in the Shire, but also to the little moment in Bag End where Gandalf goes wizard on Bilbo to snap him out of his Ring moment. It also is not like...wildly dissimilar to how they teach you to scare bears off in the wild: Get big and loud and look intimidating. We were not supposed to then set a goddamn forest fire--that's a little scorched earth for Alaskan survival techniques--but it was one of those moments where the familiar was made pointedly exotic, and I actually thought it was quiet effective. You take the foundation of something real and then you add a bit of wizard to it. Then things feel sufficiently grounded, but also with just that extra bit of wizard to heighten EVERYTHING. The subtlety (and yeah, I know, forest fire and lightning isn't subtle, but the way this is written is and how it functions is) is really quite impressive. That said...Gandalf, honey. Maybe not with the ecological disasters???

At the very least, the wargs were polite enough to evaporate so they didn't have to deal with any of the bodies when the sun came up.

After that, we haul ass off to the Doors of Durin. It's not a good journey though. Right from the start, the Sirannon wasn't where it was supposed to be, the landscape is lifeless and desolate, and when we do finally find the stream, it's a freaking trickle. If the IDEA of Moria didn't pass the vibe check, then the landscape on the trip in is a parade of red flags. And again, Boromir is SUPER ON POINT with not wanting to get caught between a stone wall and a bunch of wolves. This place is all quiet unease and red flags. Even the freaking WATER is gloomy and unwholesome-looking.

And then we get a WEIRD FLEX moment for Gandalf:

"I am sorry," said Gandalf. "Poor Bill has been a useful companion, and it goes to my heart to turn him adrift now. I would have travelled lighter and brought no animal, least of all this one that Sam is fond of, if I had had my way. I feared all along that we should be obliged to take this road."

Like, I believe he's genuinely sorry to have to hurt Sam and to turn the goodest pony loose. But it's the "if I had had my way" and the last sentence where I'm just like...Gandalf. Sir. Why are you bitching to Frodo that you have to share leadership on this mission? And why are you flexing an "I told you so" on Frodo instead of, IDK, Aragorn??? Is it because Aragorn would kick your wizened wizard ass for it? Because I'd watch that.

Also, again with Gandalf being weirdly open with, aware of, and as solicitous as possible to Sam. He has zero problems kicking Pippin when he's down (as we'll see in a bit in this very goddamn chapter), but he's always been very straight yet compassionate with Sam in a way that doesn't even match how this wizard treats Frodo. Like, we are almost getting to a point where I need to go see what the Tolkien scholars have written about the Sam-Gandalf relationship, because it's getting NOTICEABLY unique and it has gotten a fair number of little moments at this point. Like...what is this relationship and why is this the dynamic? I demand to know.

I also just want to take a second to highlight something DEEPLY inequitable as they round the lake to the door:

When they came to the northernmost corner of the lake they found a narrow creek that barred their way. It was green and stagnant, thrust out like a slimy arm toward the enclosing hills. Gimli strode forward undeterred, and found that the water was shallow, no more than ankle-deep at the edge. Behind him they walked in fie, threading their way with care, for under the weedy pools were sliding and greasy stones, and footing was treacherous. Frodo shuddered with disgust at the touch of the dark unclean water on his feet.

THE HOBBITS DONT WEAR SHOES. Everyone else has boots to act as something of a barrier to this gross-ass water, but the hobbits have to tromp through it BAREFOOT. Did NOBODY think, "oh shit, this will be super unpleasant for the hobbits, maybe we should yeet or carry them?" Apparently not, and honestly now they're just gonna have gross feet as they tromp through Moria and I hate that for their poor hobbit toesies. And as a WWI soldier, TOLKIEN SHOULD KNOW THE DANGERS OF WET, MUCKETY FEET.

But then we actually get to the doors--finally--and Sam has a deeply understandable moment when Gandalf tells him they have to cut Bill loose, and Gimli and Legolas try to start world war 2.5 over Elf-Dwarf relations before Gandalf tells them to knock that shit off.

Everyone is super over everything at this point, and I cannot blame them.

But where Gandalf has zero time for Legolas and Gimli sniping at each other, he takes the time to speak over Bill and give him his best shot at getting home safely. Again, I do not get the relationship between Gandalf and Sam. I appreciate the care for the pony, but whatever the Gandalf-Sam thing is, it's more than just trolling Pippin or ensuring that Frodo makes it to the volcano or ignoring Merry's existence for the most part.

Literally, Pippin gets a "Knock on the door with your head" from Gandalf, and once the damn thing IS open, Merry just gets a casual, "Merry, of all people, was on the right track" before Gandalf pulls ANOTHER weird flex and says "Too simple for a learned lore-master in these suspicious days." Like...ok, sure, Gandalf. You were TOO SMART to get the riddle.

But we get the doors open just in time for Frodo to get nabbed by a metric frick-ton of tentacles. Sam yoinks him back and they haul ass through the door, which get slammed behind them and the tentacle monster bolts it behind them with boulders and trees. After which we get THIS little gem from Gandalf:

"I fear from the sounds that boulders have been piled up and trees uprooted and thrown across the gate. I am sorry; for the trees were beautiful, and had stood so long."

SIR. I was THERE when you burned a flaming doughnut into the land to get rid of the wargs. You are a walking ecological disaster and do not get to high ground the tentacle monster ripping up a few trees by the roots. You probably burned more LAST NIGHT. I know it's unfair to expect characters to know the genre of the book they're in, and by extension its equally unfair to expect them to know the themes of the book they're in. That said though...I WATCHED YOU START A FOREST FIRE, GANDALF. This is not the moment to suddenly discover ecocriticism.

At any rate, we have FINALLY made it inside Moria. Boromir is (rightfully) quite pissed off an apprehensive about this, but Gandalf is like, "Gimli and I will lead the way!" before they manage to get the party fucking lost and Sam is bitching about not having rope. Because oh my god there is SO MUCH atmospheric walking in this book. And most of the time the atmosphere is "vaguely evil with a healthy helping of depression." Which...yeah, that's what we get here.

So it makes sense that Gandalf is SUPER FUCKING OVER IT when Pippin yeets a rock down a well and they hear hammer blows from the deeps. And it makes even more sense when Gandalf realizes he's apparently also experiencing withdrawal symptoms because he hasn't had a smoke since before they started climbing Caradhras. So he non-apologizes to Pippin, lights up, and everything looks better in the morning...sort of. At least the wizard is less grumpy, and he has now firmly established himself as that member of the party who needs to be properly self-cared or he will make it EVERYONE ELSE'S PROBLEM. Seriously, what a goddamn diva.

But getting himself a wee bit of a smoke made it so he could make a decision and they headed up to where the air smelled good. So fair enough.

Then we have EVEN MORE atmospheric walking, and Sam picks up some dwarven lore via Gimli singing a song all about Moria and Khazad-dum, and I swear, the hobbit is going to be a lore-master himself by the end of this journey.

This chapter is also where we get a bit of a mithril infodump, which is pretty cool just in general. We also get Frodo having delayed sticker-shock because he's just casually waltzing around with a whole-ass shirt of mithril on. That's also a nice little reminder to all the readers that hey, remember that Frodo has this thing? I betcha it's going to be important soon.

We end the chapter on the SUPER downer note of finding Balin's tomb, and the dwarves now have their (not unexpected) answer to what happened to the party from thirty-odd years ago. Which is really sad, frankly.

That's also about where we're going to leave this chapter, because I am...exhausted by all the atmospheric walking. We will pick up next time with a relatively short chapter, and hopefully there is more to it than infodumping and atmospheric walking.

#reread #the fellowship of the ring #the lord of the rings #lotr #a journey in the dark #books and reading #books #books and novels #fantasy books

[heavensbeehall]

"The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," Chapter 12

Part 2: The Prize

Chapter 12: Uh-oh! Emily was reading so much fanfic she forgot where she was in the actual book. Coriolanus is jealous of everyone who dares get near Lucy Gray. He hates Sejanus and Ma Plinth. Tigris comes and he's like, "What do you think that song was about? Is she really a whore?" They go home. Grandma'am is also awful. He writes about the fun of war. The next morning, Clemensia is still missing. He gives Lucy Gray his mother's compact and tells her to put rat poison in it.

Quotes:

His girl. His. Here in the Capitol, it was a given that Lucy Gray belonged to him, as if she’d had no life before her name was called out at the reaping. Even that sanctimonious Sejanus believed she was something he could trade for. If that wasn’t ownership, what was?

Oh gross. Now I remember why I didn't want to keep reading.

“One hearing’s all my cousin Maude Ivory needs. That child never forgets anything with a tune,” said Lucy Gray.

If Maude Ivory was Katniss's grandma, do we think her dad had a Covey name? With a color?

Just like those Peacekeepers back in 12. Coriolanus couldn’t help wondering just how friendly she could be.

Coriolanus thinks she's fucking the Peacekeepers in the Capitol and 12.

Sejanus appeared, in another brand-new suit, with a rumpled little woman in an expensive flowered dress on his arm. It didn’t matter. You could put a turnip in a ball gown and it would still beg to be mashed.

Now I am just quoting all the awful stuff he thinks. But also I have never had mashed turnips? Why not say potato?

Tigris’s rebuke shocked him, but less than her alluding to behavior that might be considered a disgrace. What had she done? Because if she’d done it, she’d done it to protect him. He thought about the morning of the reaping, when he’d casually wondered what she had to trade in the black market, but he’d never really taken that seriously. Or hadn’t he? Would he have just preferred not to know what sacrifices she might be willing to make for him? Her comment was vague enough, and so many things were beneath a Snow, that he could say, as she had of Lucy Gray’s song, “Well, that could be anything.” Did he want to know the details? No. The truth was he did not.

So here's the thing about this: I think he doesn't want to know because then he would feel indebted to her, and he can't stand that. But... he is indebted to her. I know family is family and it's not the same as if some random stranger did it, but she gave up going to university so she could work to support him. I don't think he needs to pay her back or anything but he should be more... not grateful necessarily but just aware of what it took to get him here. He may think he just "deserves" all this (and that's a whole other issue) but it wasn't just given to him. She had to sacrifice.

That our ancestral home has gotten too large?

It's a dumb apartment, you weirdo. That is hooie! He bought this place in the 80s! /ben blanc

“The trouble with girls is, they’re not used to fighting the same way boys are,” said Hilarius. The Heavensbees were ultrarich, the way the Snows had been before the war. But no matter his advantages, Hilarius always seemed to feel oppressed.

I wonder if this sense of oppression made its way to Plutarch somehow and made him want to fight.

“The thing is,” Lysistrata whispered to Coriolanus, “I’ve become rather attached to Jessup.” She paused a moment, arranging the wrapping on a chunk of baked noodles and cheese. “He did save my life.” Coriolanus wondered what Lysistrata, who had been closer to him than anyone else in the arena, had seen when the bombs went off. Had she seen Lucy Gray save him? Was she hinting at that?

Okay here's the part where I begin to piss off the Snowbaird shippers. I think Lysistrata has more genuine feeling for Jessup than Snow does for Lucy Gray. I don't think it's romantic, but I do think it's more the appropriate reaction given the circumstances. Snow is all about ownership. I wish Lysistrata did see Lucy Gray save Snow and told everyone so he couldn't pretend it didn't happen.

#lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #thg reread tbosas #tbosas #suzanne collins #lysistrata vickers #tigris snow #knives out #benoit blanc

[elytrafemme]

i mightve sent smth like this already. can't remember tbh. but like. cough syrup is prolly the first fic i've read with a psychotic character who isn't just. written weirdly? like. idk how to explain it. cs!ranboo just seems. so human?? which was and still is really comforting. bc i read cough syrup a bit after i kinda. started coming to terms with the fact that i'm prolly. psychotic to some extent. and like. i'm just some lanky dude who shops off the hot topic clearance rack. and cs!ranboo's like that too. and. idk. where i was going with this. but yeah. thank u for cough syrup it makes me feel human

it was around chapter 8 or 9, i think, when i had talked to my therapist about some issues i was having and she told me it could have been stress induced illusions. that later snow-balled rapidly into depression-linked psychosis, and then into just psychosis, since y'know, i started writing cough syrup in the tail-end of my psychotic break early 2021. took me a lot longer to realize that's what that had been, though.

and y'know i had intended to make cs!ranboo struggle with psychosis at some capacity, since that just fit c!ranboo's character, but it became a lot more personal to me at that point. cs!ranboo was the only place i felt i could talk about these delusions and all this shit i was dealing with, and in all the times i was sobbing because i had lost so much to this perceived failure of my mind, i thought that maybe i could write this character who has the same issues as me, getting a chance to be happy. to find people that love him, who will stay by him, who he could find some kind of stabilizing and lasting peace with.

in a lot of ways, though i bitch now about having to write his chapters, cs!ranboo was my way of coping with a lot of things i was going through. and you know i was actually scared of posting it at a certain point, because it feels so fucking vulnerable. you don't really see a lot of psychotic characters in media that aren't stereotyped, oftentimes written by non psychotic people following a checklist and inevitably messing up somewhere because they're being careless and then find themselves creating this caricature. i don't ever claim that my writing is perfect or good or without flaws, but at the very least my portrayals are genuine in some sense, that i'm using experience and research and both combined to guide it.

i think one of the best things to ever come out of cough syrup is people finding comfort in the characters. so many people found solidarity with cs!tubbo from the beginning, and that grew into projecting things onto him that i'm happy to accept because hell they're not just my characters, they're characters i'm sharing with you all. but what gets me is how many people find comfort in cs!ranboo, like you, because i was so worried about casting that light on everything and am so glad now that i did it.

it's incredibly fucking important to me that the characters i write feel like people. cs!tubbo isn't just an addict, he's a teen who likes checking on NASA's annual halloween-themed posters and who only gets extremely competitive when playing Wii sports games and creates all these associations in his head and fucking sucks at making paper cranes but does them anyway as a love language. cs!tommy isn't just an abuse victim, he's a teen who's favorite color is red and half his clothes are like that and he knows all the cool parks and shops in town and he loves walking around and finding more places and he likes superheroes and animal crossing.

and cs!ranboo isn't just his psychosis, he's a teen that likes baking but hates having to bake cupcakes and will complain about that, and he likes taking photos of other people and hanging onto them for a while, and he likes the idea of falling in love but is a little clumsy with it, and he has a questionable fashion sense but it makes him feel comfortable, and he likes english class but hates chemistry

and all i hope to do is show that (1) these characters' lives are affected by their struggles, but it's not all they are as people (2) you are deserving of love and WILL be loved no matter what you struggle through (3) if you connect to any of the cast, hi i love you you're going to make it you're going to be happy.

sorry for the long tangent. i just - this ask made me feel really happy. because hearing this, that people can find some connection with cough syrup? it's all i've ever wanted. if i hear that then i have a reason to keep writing it, i have a reason to fight through annoying ass chapters and the whole lot of it.

wishing you the best anon. thank you for sharing this with me.

#nightmare.ask #nightmare.cough-syrup #nightmare.fave #i'm kind of rambling but i hope you get my idea #you know and even characters like cs!schlatt. i could have always improved my writing of him and i'm aware of that #but he's not just an addict. he had likes and dislikes and aspirations and ambitions #good days and bad days and there was a reason for his life #he's not some caricature of awfulness and neither is cs!dream #one of the things both cs!tubbo and cs!ranboo struggle with is loving those two people #and that's because they aren't just the people who abused them but they were other human beings #they don't deserve forgiveness or compassion or even love from the two of them #but i feel as if my writing would have been an abject failure if those two didn't feel those feelings to some extent #because shit is complicated and they aren't just blank faced caricatures of evil. again. they were people

[deepeststrawberrymoon]

I think it's interesting how we never really see Will's life from his own perspective? The only times I can really think of off of the top of my head are when he's destroying Castle Byers in season 3 (a scene in which his anger and hurt override any rational emotions) and some of the scenes in season 4 when he's talking to Mike about "El" (he's obviously talking about himself in these scenes, but there's still this sense of detachment because he's making it seem like he's talking about El, so even though he's talking about his own thoughts and feelings, he's still not really talking about himself?)

Like, he's trapped in the Upside Down for the majority of season 1 so we only really learn about him from Joyce talking to Hopper and Jonathan's flashbacks. Tbh I can't really remember the rest of the party talking about Will that much, just about how to find him. We also learn that the mean kids in school used to bully him for being gay, and we learn that Lonnie cared so little about him that he didn't care when he went missing for a week and was presumed dead. The only time in s1 that we really see him on his own is at the very end when he vomits up the slug and sees the Upside Down again, an event which he hides completely from his family and friends.

Then in s2, sure, he's there, but he's basically possessed for half the season! The only things he himself expresses are that he's scared of the Mind Flayer and that he feels comfortable around Bob. He spends the whole season hiding his feelings and fears until it's too late and he's been completely taken over by the Mind Flayer. Then we hear some of Joyce's, Jonathan's and Mike's memories of Will and about how much they care about him, but once again, we never hear him talking about his own life or about how he feels about anything that's going on. At the Snow Ball at the end of the season we can see that Lucas is happily dancing with Max, Mike with El, and Dustin with Nancy, but then Will's just with some random girl that we never even see again? It was kind of clear that he wanted to stay with Mike instead of dancing with the girl, but even when he does dance with her it's pretty unclear how he felt about it? Like, was he happy? Sad? Uncomfortable? I guess we'll never know!

In s3 he tries to express himself, only to be repeatedly brushed off by his friends again and again, leading to him destroying Castle Byers in a moment of unfiltered emotion. It's important to remember that in the first two seasons while all the other Party members were busy, well, saving Will, Will himself was fighting for his life, and thus he missed out on a huge chunk of his childhood, which is why in s3 he wants them to play dnd again like they used to, because he hasn't really moved on from when they were 12 years old playing dnd in Mike's basement, before all his friends started ignoring him to hang out with their girlfriends. I think the rain fight scene (and subsequently the Castle Byers scene) is maybe the most open Will is about his feelings in the entire series. He's spent the whole season trying to get Mike and Lucas to act like they used to, something that the other two brushed off as him being childish and immature. He doesn't react very strongly to this, save for a few sighs and an eye roll here and there, until he storms out of Mike's house and shouts at him. It's only then that we truly realise how upset and angry he is, angry enough to destroy Castle Byers. But then.... we don't really see much more of him for the rest of the season?

And then of course, there's s4. As I said, we do actually hear him talk about himself quite a few times in s4, but he always uses El's name to once again hide his true feelings. There are a couple of other scenes from Will's perspective in this season, for example most of the Rink-O-Mania scenes, and we sometimes hear about what he thinks of Jonathan smoking weed, but there aren't really any other scenes in which he explicitly talks about himself.

Long story short, in seasons 1&2 he was only ever used as a plot device, not so much as an actual character, and I can't wait for him to get a proper arc, from his own perspective, in season 5!

#i haven't watched some of the seasons for a while so maybe some of this is wrong but these are just some fun opinions <3 #stranger things #will byers #i kinda want to tag byler but this doesn't have that much to do with it.... #i'm gonna tag it anyway <3 #byler #i might make another post like this about mike if i feel like it #st

[willel]

I think both the Munson trailer and the Arcade itself could look the same way they looked in 1983.

I really don't know what is up with the Arcade because nothing really happened at the Arcade for it to be 'updated' in the Upside Down. It is just Will 'sensed' the MF and the Upside Down's presence while he was at the Arcade and then ended up having a vision of UD at that scene. But then again, he was already having those visions elsewhere too.

I think the only 'inconsistent' thing is the Snowball because there is nothing happened at the Snowball at all. Not with Will, not with El and not with the MF/Vecna and no Russians. So, how did it exactly get 'updated' when there was no energy or reason for it to be copied to the UD...? Unless I am missing something, I don't think something happened during the Snowball.

And it doesnt get updated ever in S3, despite all the Soviets opening and closing the gates, despite the MF 'blowing up' and El fighting against it? How's that making sense?

So, does it just get ''updated'' in certain cases (the Munson trailer? and then the Arcade and the Snowball?). Those places dont even seem to be connected to each other in any way. Nothing even really happened at the Arcade aside from Will having an UD related vision. And nothing happened at the Snowball to trigger its appearence in the Upside Down.

But then it makes me get to my initial question honestly, why wouldnt it get changed whenever a strong connection is made (through El after her opening and closing the gates or fighting against the creatures) or bc of the Soviets' meddling with the gates and trying to open and close them in S3 and after?

About the arcade, we still can't confirm or deny if it existed in 1983 and that is key. We just don't know for sure. I tried looking into old marketing regarding it and they do call it a "new location". Problem is, do they mean just new to the audience or actually new in town.

If we ignore the meta that this location didn't exist in the story before season 2, don't you think the boys would've mentioned this place a lot more if it existed in 1983? They were much more eager about the ATARI, I can't remember any mentions of an arcade.

I kind of get the impression that Hawkins is slowly adding more modern things like an arcade and then the mall the season after.

But still, we can't confirm or deny so we truly only have the Snow Ball situation to go on.

We don't technically see the Upside Down in season 3, right? The only time we see it is when Billy is hallucinating as the Mind Flayer/Henry speaks to him. I don't really count these moments as seeing into the Upside Down since it seems way more like a hallucination than Will's True Sight.

Maybe there are some areas in season 3 that got updated because of what the soviets were doing.

But the fact remains, NOTHING that has happened over the past 3 seasons that has completely updated the Upside Down again, not since the day Will was taken.

The Demogorgon's temporary gates did nothing.

The Soviets temporary gates did nothing.

Vecna's permanent gates, three at the time, did nothing.

Based on this, it really doesn't seem like the gates have anything to do with the Upside Down updating at all. Tearing windows into another world doesn't appear to be the trigger that reshapes the other side. It has to be something else, right?

So the only connection with the Snow Ball or potentially the Palace Arcade is Will's presence, isn't it?

#stranger things #theory #ask

[chilipowder9]

hey hey, id love to ask you a fireside (if you had your dream wardrobe, what would it look like?) from autumn ask and also 34 (Who/what was your last dream about?) and 58 (Favourite weather?) from horrible ask!

my goodness!! thank you for questions friendo!!!! AND you made it easy for me and added what the questions are? poggerssss <33

fireside: DIY everything, clothes that are sensory safe for me, and fit my mood changed between pretty, stoner, and "wtf is that?" my favorite color is green and it looks good on me so probably a lot of green, but red's kinda my thing so... yeah

def fingerless gloves, piercings, beanies, and patch jackets though!

idk if makeup is included but I think makeup is a fun toy that I would love to play with! I like currently to do little eyeliner but in the future it'd be fun to play with colors!

34: uh... hard to answer bc most of my dreams are weird as hell and I often don't remember the plot (think: my family were all the cast of My Little Pony and the table was made of waffle and I was a waffle and I was running around in a maze in the table while my hooved family tried to eat me bc waffle) but I think the last one that was about a PERSON and not some weird anxiety of mine (most recent one was me driving my beat-up car that I can't drive yet on Rainbow Road except There Were No Rainbows and I Died Horribly because Idk How To Drive) was about... actually idk if my comfort character dream or my friends dream came most recent so have both ig

comfort character (mileena from MK (all games)): we literally had dinner, it was a little weird bc she was eating raw potentially not animal meat but I'm pretty sure she was eating what I was but uncooked (I was eating some form of beef) and had a nice time and I called her pretty and she blushed and opened her mouth to speak then I woke up and almost cried bc she's always seen as ugly in the games no one ever saw her face and called her pretty aND THE ONE TIME I GET THE CHANCE-

friends: my best friend and a bunch of unknown women and me all lived in a house, everything was clearly DIY but in an oddly feminine way which makes sense bc my best friend is pretty dang feminine... anyway we just made a massive nest and snuggle puddled onto it and I did actually cry after this one because I don't ever get physical affection anymore and I want it with my friends so bad bUT THEY'RE WAY OVER THERE (nest as in Omegaverse world building: IT'S NOT A GENRE IT'S A WORLDBUILDING TOOL/FUN CONCEPT QUIT TELLING ME I'M A PERVERT)

58: as a Louisianan? snow, it's cold, and I clocked my brother in the balls once it was hilarious//personally? rain, any rain, I don't like thunder only because Mom doesn't let me out in it, nor can I swim if it's heard in the distance and water is basically my therapy anyway point is RAIN IT FEELS SO GOOD ON MY BODY I GET TO RUN AROUND AND FEEL LIKE MY SKIN AND BODY ARE MINE WHILE I RUN IN THE GRASS AND MUD SINGING AND FEELING THE SKY GIVE ME KISSES it's also nice bc "tired and need a self care day? SLAP SOME RAIN ON THAT SHIT AND YOU GOT A NAP RIGHT THERE"

thank you for the questions!! please ask more, personal ones are okay too!!! sorry if I got too rambley, I just like communicating with fellow human persons

#actually autistic #punk community

[the-firebird69]

So I'm listening to my nephew and he's saying your little driving program even you can do what it does and then I hear people saying this wheel is made by robotic humans I started to get a little sick I found out we all have the same program the angry and I see his attitude he thinks I'm a little weirdo and I guess I am because the last one that I got sick about was Tommy f and apparently he might have been out when David ardette left and he said he was on the plane and died again and I saw that he looked and it's making me very sick he said we're a bunch of losers and we won't shut up and can't figure it out now he's figured out some secrets and they're huge he thinks his brothers taunting him because he worked in Taunton and some of the things line up like me being a stone cold idiot Dave duggan's being smart and Chad hanging chad and there's other things he says talk to him and he was taunting his brother a little when he was in Mississippi now I'm starting to figure out what's going on they're fighting each other kind of tacitly and Dave can't resist and he says that he has a wife and it's moving on to a different level she moved her program out later or has not yet and the program might be stuck in grandma and he says he's pretty sure it left and a whole bunch of ships were made and it's still going on and she there was a war over there and we remember it and her body is walking around and I believe it's Becca who is carrying her and was found out today I heard about it this is going to suck very badly people still have to go there and look it's not going to be quite a battle anymore he says we have to find the matrix facilities whoever owns them they're very evil and you can trace down possibly signal and find out how it's getting out and how it's getting here it's most likely balls and it's most likely balls that you're calling death stars and there's tons of them I looked it's like 45 million death Star balls and a lot of the balls are in the ships this is horrendous it's right in our nose and he's been yelling at us leave me alone you're stupid you don't need money either it makes a lot of sense and his brother is fairly abusive of him and yes the wheel in the sky

Garth

We're all horrified here and we listen to the story and we figured out something we need to find some validity to it and we have Ken as a witness and his people and his bunker needs to be looked at this is urgent it's a matter of national security international security he says we'll probably get you in there with Interpol and we do see that and we need to have Tommy have a party too and we got we have to have a look if he's telling us the truth and figured out things and we have a whole list of things he figured out like the castle and the rulership throne room and he didn't know which room it is that would help he said it wasn't too hard to figure out no it was the church is the throne room that's kind of really right there really blasphemy and we know what we did in the throne rooms those of us who are Kings now we have to admit we are passing it off now we have to look the secret Chambers and secret tunnels in that place and a lot of us have died and went there and came back a whole bunch of us they said the tomb of the unknown soldier might have a tunnel to it and he may have come out of it and I remember someone said something happened to it we looked at it and it's the right day and for Christ's sake he was right on when he was looking at it and he got buried and snowed under we have to help him he's telling us it's a matter of national security the world's security and that it is September 11th through November 3rd right now we got that

Mac

We approved this message to go out

Olympus

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #185

Are you currently in love? Yep yep.

Are you afraid of stink bugs? Eh, not really, but I can be jumpscared by one, haha. Just in the "oh there's a bug beside me" startle sense.

What is the one room in your house you spend the most time in? The spare bedroom, where my laptop is on a desk.

What do you think of your current president? Real talk, I haven't paid enough attention. I voted for him 'cuz I sure wasn't helping Trump gain ground, over my dead and rotting fucking body, and I know he HAS done at least some positive things, but I know I don't know as much as I should. Politics and understanding them is just so overwhelming - and depressing - to me.

Is there one website you visit regularly, but would never admit to? HAHAHA there are totally people I would NEEEEVER tell I have a Tumblr that isn't my photography one lmfao

Do you own any pets? Yes: a gray and white cat, brown and white chihuahua, and champagne ball python. I want more though, especially a hognose.

Would you rather have no legs or have no arms? No legs. I honestly wouldn't even want to live without arms, I do way too much with them, and loopholes like text-to-speech is something I am oddly super awkward with, like I never do it and I don't quite understand why it's so embarrassing for me to do. I don't do it for simple texts, anything.

Are you afraid of the dentist? Following a deep cleaning that was hell on earth, yes. Plus having two wisdom teeth extracted while conscious.

Have you ever done anything illegal? Yes, I've illegally downloaded a number of things. I once rode in the passenger seat with a driver who was high off weed, and it was one of the scariest moments of my life just because I was afraid to tell her no (me being afraid was no fault of her own, btw, I was just being I-don't-want-to-inconvenience-them me); if caught, we both would've gone to jail.

Do you like McDonald's sweet tea? I hate any and all tea.

Do documentaries bore you? I adore animal docs.

Are you usually happy or sad most of the time? Sad, honestly. At least, more sad than happy.

Does money make you happy? I've spent my entire life in a poor family, something that's gotten worse and worse as I got older, so hypothetically yes, having money in my possession would be a massive contributor to my happiness. Fuck outta here with the "it doesn't buy happiness" bullshit, say that when you get evicted out of your household because you can't pay for a roof over your head and have to rely on friends to house you.

Have you ever had a storage locker? If so, what is/was stored in it? No.

How far away is the nearest capital city? Like 50ish minutes by car.

What was the last movie trailer you watched? Oh I have no idea.

Are you expecting anything in the mail? No.

Have you ever broken any bones in your feet or hands? I broke my wrist as a kid, pretty sure my left one because I think I remember still being able to write.

Do you remember the first house you lived in? No; I wasn't even two (if I remember right) before we moved to the house I really consider my childhood home.

Have you stayed up past 3 in the morning this week? No, I haven't done that in a very long time.

Is there anyone you know by the name of Frank? Yes, that's the name of one of my sisters' husbands.

Are you currently in a smoking environment? No.

Do you ever not speak to someone because you're afraid you'll annoy them? Yes, that's the story of my fucking life.

Have you ever known a guy who caused a lot of drama? Yep, at least two.

Is there anything you're saving up for? I don't have a single dollar to my name, so.

Have you ever punched someone and broke their nose? I've never punched anyone to begin with.

One word to describe your most recent ex? Overdramatic, to list a nicer thing.

Do you like snow? I love snow, but granted, we don't get tons of it here; oftentimes a winter will pass without any.

Can you tie balloons? No; even before I developed tremors, I don't think I was ever good at it.

When was the last time you were at a pet store? It's been a real hot minute. We really only have PetSmart and Petco here, and I hate both of them.

Do you know anyone who is terrified of dogs? Pretty sure yes, or maybe it's just my sister's dog specifically. Their neighbors include a little girl where if she's over to play with the kids, Oakley (very large chocolate lab, wouldn't hurt a fly but VERY overenthusiastic in affection) has to be locked in her cage or else she's hysterical apparently.

What's your favorite horror movie? Probably The Blair Witch Project. Also quite a fan of The Crazies.

What cover do you think is better than the original song? "Hurt" by Johnny Cash, "Sound of Silence" by Disturbed, and Bad Wolves' version of "Zombie."

What's a TV show you have gotten into recently? Girt and I recently finished the first season of 3% and it's pretty good.

What is a food you think is nasty that most people enjoy? Fried chicken is one. Tomatoes seem to be liked a lot on sandwiches of sorts.

Was the last person you hung out with single? My mom is, yeah.

[TW: ABUSE] Have you ever been in an abusive relationship? No.

Do you like drinking diet sodas? Diet sodas are disgusting.

Who was the last person that cried in your presence? Maybe my mom, or a niece or nephew.

What was the last thing someone gave you? For our anniversary, Girt got me a picture of the night sky above my house the date we became a couple, I assume because it's where I asked him out. He always feels bad that his gifts aren't as "thoughtful" as mine (his words) so I thought it was the fucking cutest thing.

Who is the person you often go to for venting? My mom, Girt, or Mazzy and Tez.

Was the last person you kissed male or female? Male.

Who were you with the last time you went swimming? My mom, our family friends Lolita and Summer, and briefly one of Lolita's friends whose name I don't remember.

Do you say “I love you” even when you don’t mean it? Absolutely not. I will say I've said it to like, my mom in a time where I'm angry at her and don't really want to, HOWEVER I know I absolutely still do love her.

Is it hard for you to be “just friends” with the opposite sex? I don't think so.

Do you prefer wheat or white bread? Wheat.

What's your opinion on fast food? I absolutely hate how much I enjoy fast food, and I don't quite know why I do other than places I like just have food made in a way I particularly enjoy, I guess. Mom and I don't get it an awful lot though, maybe like once a week, because it's gotten so expensive and it's obviously unhealthy.

Have you ever dated anyone while they were in jail? No.

If you've ever babysat, do you like it? No, I hate it.

Do you get a lot of spiders in your house? Nah.

Name two of your favorite things as a child. Dinosaurs and Pokemon.

Do you own a pillow pet? Uh no I don't think so. If I do, it's in a storage bag somewhere.

Have either of your parents gone to jail? Certainly not that I know of. I suppose it's possible when my dad has drugs in his past, but I feel like I'd know about this.

Do you have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)? I do/am medicated for it, though my OCD primarily manifests itself in rumination cycles, a lesser-known "format" of the condition. I don't have ritualistic behaviors and the like that you normally expect.

Do you know a hoarder? Well, I did. I recently learned she died. A former friend's mom also exhibited hoarder-like behavior, but I haven't had anything to do with these people in many years, hell if I know how the witch is.

Do you think homosexuality (anything besides heterosexual) is a choice? Absolutely not. I believe homosexuality and similar orientations are probably mutations, and I say that only because they're so against what science teaches (reproduce reproduce reproduce), but maybe they're even more "normal" than that. What do I know, I sure as hell don't have any degrees in this shit.

Do you have any interesting scar stories? I have one from a pilonidal cyst removal surgery and I really need to start testing how "hey I have an asscrack scar" goes for a conversation starter.

What's a reasonable amount of time before two people get engaged? This varies so, so much? Everyone's different? I will say that like, less than a year sounds very quick for any circumstance I can think up, and even one whole year sounds hasty, but again, this is so unique to different couples.

Do you hate the texture of meatballs? No, I actually love meatballs.

Do you get migraines? I consider myself super fucking lucky that these are very rare for me. I can't imagine dealing with them chronically, just the few occasions I have were hell itself.

#survey #surveys #random questions #personal questions #questionnaire

[companionwolf]

Toy Soldiers Ch 19

Nightfall comes fast, almost too fast, and the Commander sets the toy soldiers gently gently on their bunk, against the pillow, a kiss to each of their foreheads as they gather up their things.

"I'll see you soon," they say, shotgun slung over their shoulder. "I prom--"

Stop promising! barks Central, and he sounds almost tearful. You can't promise to come back-- you just can't. His voice breaks. So don't.

Are you prepared if Asaru isn't well enough to teleport? asks Tygan.

"Firebrand will be near and I can run pretty fast," the Commander says.

Not with gunshot wounds you can't, says Shen. There won't be any Reapers there to save you, you know. No one else out there…

"It'll be okay," they say.

And if it isn't?

"I already told Kennedy to take you all home if I don't make it," they say.

To do what? Central sounds almost distraught. To sit and rot for 20 more years? Watch as the house falls apart around you?

The Commander frowns at the sense of his face being screwed up. "I can't take you with me," they say finally.

And why not?

"I'd be too afraid of losing you," they say. "If something happens, I'd rather die knowing you're all together and safe."

I hate this, says Central. I hate being useless. If I could I'd go with you--

But you're a toy, and toys can't fight wars, says Shen. We can't provide cover, we can't make a distraction. We can just be here, when they come back. If they do. If they don't…

She transmits a shrug.

They want to do this, Central, she continues. Let them try. For their friend.

Central does not answer.

The Commander picks him up, caresses him. "If you don't want me to promise right now," they say, "then I won't. But can you promise me something instead, Central?"

What?

"Remember that you're real," they say. "Remember that you're real, and that it lasts forever-- even if I don't." They slide a finger into his tiny plastic hand. "Can you promise to remember?"

Yeah, Central says after a minute. His voice is somewhat choked. Yeah, I can. I'll remember, Commander.

Another kiss to his forehead, and then the Commander is gone.

The toys wait.

The Commander sneaks in shadow, shotgun at the ready, following the memory of kennedy's footsteps to the vent cover, pries it open--

The toys wait.

Pulling themselves through the vents, kicking off the cover that drops down into the room containing the Elerium tank, immediate recognition from the Ethereal pinging in their head--

The toys wait.

The Commander shatters the tank with the butt of their shotgun, grabs the semi dormant ball of Ethereal as the alarms begin to blare, holds him to their chest as they run--

The toys wait.

Buying time as Asaru wakes, the heady rush of exhaustion and flicking power as the bonding process begins, pushing through a heavy door and sprinting across the snowy landscape as gunfire sounds behind them--

The toys wait

Burning shooting pain as a bullet hits, another, another, falling into the snow, painful stinging as the Ethereal tries to help and heal and fails at it, the sound of the Skyranger's engines--

Eventually Kennedy appears.

Fuck, says Central.

Don't make assumptions, says Shen, but her voice shakes and betrays her.

The soldier picks up the toys, turning them each over in his hands, looking somber. "Well," he says, and then stops. He looks unsure. "Well…"

Aw, he's cute when he's hesitant, says Kelly.

Central internally rolls his eyes.

"Uh, they're not dead," Kennedy says. "But they're not in great shape either. Yolanda said they'd probably appreciate it if I brought you guys to them…they're in the infirmary."

Central, without lungs without breath, still exhales in relief.

The soldier carries the four up to the infirmary, tucks them into the hospital bed next to the still form of the Commander. They look pale, with IVs in, their breaths shallow and quiet.

Commander, says Central softly.

And something else answers.

You must be Central. The voice is so weak, and tired, and it echoes in the toy's heads, inhuman. And Kelly, Shen, and Tygan. Wow, you're small.

Who are you? asks Shen.

The Commander's lips twitch. Motes of blue psionic energy hang in the air around them. My name is Asaru.

Oh, you're alive! Kelly says. You're bonded again? Did you teleport?

Yes, says Asaru, but doesn't indicate which question he's answering. Did you help them, while I was gone? They think so fondly of you four…

We helped each other, says Shen.

Thank you, then, Asaru says. For being there for them. When I wasn't.

What happened to you? Tygan asks.

When we were caught--

Hey, quit your yapping, you need to rest, says another voice, and it is them. Just as exhausted, but there.

Commander! Central says, voice shaking with relief. Commander!

Their hand manages to find his form, gingerly brushes his head with a finger. Hi, Central.

You both should shut up, says Shen. Those numbers look pretty bad. The Commander tries to turn their head to look, bells and whistles answer.

They relax as a medic comes over, sinking into the bed as the other checks on them. "Stop moving," they chide. The Commander mumbles something incoherently at them.

We will be okay, says Asaru.

Central exhales again.

What happens now? Kelly asks.

Now? The Commander's mouth manages to curl into a grin as they cuddle the toys closer, as internally they intertwine ever deeper with Asaru. Now the real war begins.

#wolf barking #tailstrokes #toy soldiers fic

[chill-that-ur-inmyhead]

Which season is your part of the world currently experiencing?

Winter! It has gone into the minus figures and I honestly can't sit without a hot water bottle to heat me up

Do you ever read your texts and forget to respond to them?

Yes but I think I'm not too guilty of this

What was a show that you enjoyed watching a kid when you were home sick?

Scooby doo

When’s the last time you travelled out of state/province? Where to?

Paris for a weekend in August 2022 and I miss it everyday

Does anything on your body cause you chronic pain? Any chronic illnesses?

My shoulder aches from time to time. Just goes dead as a result from carrying heavy bags on my shoulder and it has probs strained my shoulder too much.

What is your favourite Thanksgiving food?

My American flatmate did a Thanksgiving celebration and had rolls! Looked like croissants but plain and delicious. I think about them everyday.

Would you prefer cake or pie as a birthday treat?

CAKE 

Have you ever been in a band with your friends (not the class)

Nope lol

What is something annoying about the person you like/love?

They can be a silly goose.

At what age did you get your first period?

Hmm 12 or 13 I think

What is something that makes you feel old?

Clubs that are full with 18 or 19 year olds 

Do you remember where you were on 9/11/2001?

I was 2 so no

Do you think that snow days won’t exist now that we have virtual learning?

Interesting! Maybe, it does make sense

Whose wedding did you last attend?

I will be attending my first wedding this June 2023!! It's my cousin's aunt on their side but she has kindly invited my family as well!

How often do you change/wash your bedding?

Weekly

Do you have much of a sweet tooth?

No thankfully

Have you ever had to call 9-1-1 for someone else?

Nope

What do you dip your French fries in?

Ketchup

What’s the last book you started reading but couldn’t finish?

Circe... only because I was reading other books for uni and still need to get back to that one!

When’s the last time you experienced a panic attack? Over what?

Pandemic! I lived in the city for uni and the four walls of the house became suffocating. It was such a scary time.

Have you ever used anything unusual to masturbate with before? If so, what?

Nope

What’s your favourite sports ball?

Haven't been to one but I would love to

Have you ever peed in the water at the beach?

For sure

How long do you think you could tread water for?

Hmm it is tiring and I have never tested how long I could go for

Have you ever been the victim of a hate crime?

Nope

What would you rather be doing, other than this survey?

Eating dinner!

Have you ever scored a winning goal for a team you played for?

Yes!!! It was a pretty great feeling

Would you be interested in creating a street mural?

Hmmm I'd help but it isn't my forte

Have you ever participated in LARP'ing?

Sounds like fun but no

Have you ever gotten a divorce?

Haha no

How young do you feel is too young to get married?

Yikes. Before 25

At what age would you let your child start picking out their own clothes?

11 or 12

What is one thing that you would never pick up from the supermarket?

For myself? Pickles!

What’s the last food that you prepared for yourself?

Beans on toast probs

What’s your favourite type of cheese?

I really need to experience more cheese to be able to say

Do you prefer “regular kissing” or French kissing?

Regular

Did you used to bite others as a child?

Nope

Are you more likely to give a hickey to someone else or get one?

I am not 16 anymore lol

What is something you fail at, no matter how hard you try?

My balance just sucks