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drippingmoon · 5 months

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Merry new year to everyone, again! 🥳💞🥂

I know it wasn’t an event this year, but writing a yearly wrap-up is really therapeutic, you know? So I decided to continue the tradition, and if anyone wants to join me, absolutely view this as an open invitation^^ Introduction is over, and now let’s see what 2023 looked like:

(spoilers: I adored it. I'm also probably going to make this my fixed post, in case anyone ever wants to catch up with me. And also because my second baby, AoS, is growing, and it doesn't have an intro, but I can't leave it out.)

Stats

Aquiver, Aglow: 181k (draft 4) + 195k (draft 5) + hmm, draft 6 is an outlier, because I didn’t rewrite from scratch, so I’m unsure of the written word count. I didn’t change much from draft 5, so I’d say an extra 15-20k. Total word count: 376k+

Remains of a Night: 120k

Aberration of Sunlight: 134k

This was definitely my most productive year to date. And I got so hungry: the more I wrote, the more I just wanted to keep writing, and honestly? I’m proudest of myself for literally carving writing time whenever I got a spot into my schedule. Mostly it was from 8pm-11pm, but I had a mad run where my only free window was from 1am till I literally felt I was dying… I’ll talk about that separately🤣🤣👌

Though, I'm seriously understating it.

Like a lot of other people, I would have all these hours when I was younger when I didn't have anything to do, yet I'd still find some excuse not to write. "I'm waiting for the right time." "I'm anxious I'm not going to get it right." "Tomorrow! Tomorrow I can start right from the morning, and I'll have more time to write, yeah?" or "I'm too tired now, it's late..." and so the snowball rolled down and downhill and I found every reason under the sun not to write, now that I think about it. Sigh. So much time wasted. But I can't regret it either, because I needed those baby steps at that time.

And now! Now I do what I thought I'd never learn to: I prioritize, and I actually organize my daily stuff so it's not so impossible anymore to have a little bit of writing time. I don't take it for granted either. It feels like such character growth for me, I'm immensely proud of it.

And for the record? This year was a huge improvement over yesteryear mentally, too. It turns out, what I needed to get over my word count anxiety… was to be faced with people who literally didn’t give a fuck about it, and just cared about the story. One of the most unexpected things beta stage managed to do to me… was to quench all my anxieties. It’s as simple as that. I read and enjoy very long books. People also do that. So, I’m very happy to say I’m no longer in a tizzy about ‘quiv. It might kill my chances for trad publishing, it might not. I’ll be happy come what may.

Because it’s so simple how working on ‘quiv or thinking about it makes me joyous, and now I can just enjoy that freely. I will miss writing this story so much. I really will. But at least I’ll have it forever to reread, and I hope this thought brings comfort to everyone who also has problems letting go, like it does to me.

Let’s break it down a little, shall we?🤩

Aquiver, Aglow◇◇◇

My little star of the hour. How fond I am of it.

Like you could glean from above, ‘quiv went through three drafts this year. More specifically: in the first part of the year, practically almost as soon as February arrived. I knew it was getting closer to the final version, and gave me the push to finish all three back to back. I couldn’t justify anymore the bazillion AUs I do with rewrites (basically, WHAT IFs from events, WHAT IF it went this different way, WHAT IF Tyrone actually said this here… and so on and so forth. I wanted to test out as many pathways as possible, and did I exhaust every one of them in existence? Definitely not. I don’t think that can happen, you just keep getting new ideas. On and on. What happened, instead, is that these couple different pathways, at some point, cemented themselves as canon in my mind. I didn’t want to tease myself with alternatives anymore, and that’s when I knew they would be it. Some bits from the first draft, some from the third, some from the second. Some were even draft 6 originals!

It’s a bit of a weird process. I definitely didn’t need to reach draft 3, and meet Mezusa, because I could’ve feasibly made it work with just Yles in the story. It still would’ve made sense, though in a different way. But if I hadn’t… I might’ve missed one of the best characters I’ll ever probably have created, and the story (and Yles) is much stronger for her, if you ask me.

For that matter, yes, full rewrites every single draft might take a lot of time and effort, but honestly I don’t think I’d ever change my writing process (save for the moments of frustration when I think I will lol) because of the sheer satisfaction of it. Whoever said so long never to settle on the first version, I owe you a beer and probably some curses as well lmao, but very lovingly. You shaped my writing life.

I don’t have much else to share about ‘quiv, other than it’s off with my beta readers my beloved, and maybe a tentative promise that, if anyone wants, you’ll be able to read this precious ball of hope of mine relatively soon. This story is so gentle to me. And as much as I loved to write and work on it, I dearly hope that whoever decides to give it a go, is treated just the same. That’s the only wish I have.

I also don’t know if I’ll go trad or self-published. Instincts say trad, because I fuckin’ suck at marketing (fact), and I know I’d grow resentful if I’d have to put so many hours into advertising when I know I could instead… write. I’m a writer. That’s the only thing I know how to do. Trad, however, might not be as kind on a ~200k as life’s been, so I might not have a choice. If it comes down to that… I’ll just treat it as I do everything. I don't love this story any less if I just write, publish without a fuss, hope that maybe, just maybe, a reader or two will stumble upon the story and we could talk. Maybe we can have the fun of our lives, create some genuine connection. I know that’s applies to a lot of writers. I hope we can accomplish it.

And so, I’ll finish this section of the wrap-up with a kiss to my ‘quiv, for all the warmth it’s ever brought me. It’s come so far, I know it can live distinct from me from now on. It brings me great comfort. And I look forward to the times I’ll reread it, and we can relive our best experiences together. Never thought I’d get to this point. Thank you, ‘quiv.

Remains of a Night♤♤♤

Mwhahaha! And because ‘quiv took all the pressure, this left AoS to be an extremely fun and spirited experience. Literally the chillest I’ve ever been writing. In many ways, it’s more my thing than I expected ‘quiv to be: I get to murder characters left and right, it’s more plot-heavy and banking on the tension created by a creature that horrifies the characters down to their marrow, but still the only way to defeat it is to know it better, which, uh, might have unpleasant consequences for them. It’s got chase and stealth scenes, and it always shoots me with adrenaline to think about them. In short, exactly my jam.

It’s not a new book, nope. You knew it before as Aberration of Sunlight, but from the get-go I felt it would be bigger than ‘quiv. Very fortunately for me, I had a place where to break it, and behold: there’s RoaN (book 1), and AoS (book 2). There might be a third book, which I dearly hope not because titling sucks, but it depends on the Sycamine arc. More on that in AoS.

One last thing to note, before we delve into the story (hoo-ray for earlier drafts, because I can talk more frankly about them). This is the culprit of my 1am writing adventures!!😫❤ My schedule became too packed, then NaNo came round and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to honor how AoS began, because it was last year’s NaNo, aaand I’m happy to say I won NaNo, somehow, with 56k down before I died. At that time, I only had one section left to write (from both books), otherwise, hahahaha, yeah, it wouldn’t have flown. Still, most of draft 2 I’d written in September-October, with my fairy lights, late nights, and cups of hot cocoa, exactly like how life should be<3

Alright. We’re going through them chapter-by-chapter again, exactly because I love seeing the titles so much:

ACT 1

Cracked Visor, Scorpion Grass

I did it! I did! Twas another shower thought I managed to get down in time. Bare broken sentences, but they did the impossible, and arranged this chapter into a structure I adore to bits and won't ever change. (And 'quiv's naughty voice left me alone for once and I could write it properly!) While I don't think I'll ever be happy with a first chapter (not as a concept, but the writing — part of me will always wish that the reader just had all the information already lol), this one is in the right place.

It pays its respects to the story of the broken helmet at the foot of a spaceship, and how it reconnects Madigan with all the people who'd suffered from being tethered to the planets when they yearned to fly, but the Beast punished them cruelly for it. It makes him feel phantoms of their efforts. The tone is exactly what I needed this story to start from: melancholy and numbly hopeless, against the backdrop of the Beasts's echoed cries.

Rain Through the Universe

Unlike 'quiv, because RoaN and AoS are way more plot-heavy, it's not as easy to change things willy-nilly (whereas 'quiv was all about character bonds and dynamics). As such, it's very similar to draft 1. Because of that, I'll frankendraft next (select and combine drafts 1 and 2, rewrite to connect them) and afterwards I'll try something I've always wanted to. (Scrivener keeps hinting at it!) I'm gonna split the chapters into scenes, and focus on those individually and how I can just rewrite them and set their purpose in stone<3 I'm excited!

As for the chapter itself, gods, I love the atmosphere. Just the wreckage of a sundered ship, and Madigan’s sudden madman appearance making a lasting impression on Spica, because how could it not. They no longer answer distress calls in that age, it just means more dead bodies. In fact, they're forbidden to. Madigan instead brings him what he himself lacks: hope. And a lot of crawling around while dreading the Beast's lambent eye opening, and oh my, the moments are really flying by😈👏 extreme fun for me as the writer.

Aberration of Light

If you remember, the books follow two timelines, which will connect at some point. The first and main one is Madigan and Spica’s story. The other is Holloway’s, in the distant past of that universe, and who’s been dubbed the most selfish man in existence. That’s important, because of how the Beast came to be. But that becomes important later. For now, a weird-ass new recruit has joined the ship, and the witchy crew will very soon start making bets if she’s the Beast in human flesh, which really wouldn’t bode well for their future.

Night Falls On Their Reflection

Draft 2 became Spica’s draft. It was high time. He didn't exist in the original idea beyond chapter 2, but he refused to die with his story untold. And now he's one of the most independent thinkers I've ever written. Now he's Madigan's son (yes, even at 25), best friend, back-to-back partner all in one, and I could watch the trust and mutual respect between these two forever. To be sure: Madigan comes up with the dumbass plans, and Spica's only too happy to follow him through everything (it is good fun.)

He's repaying the incredible kindness Madigan's shown him when answering his distress call, after all.

But it goes a bit further than that, doesn't it? Madigan is used to watching over myriad people. He's the Superintendent of his planet, and while he genuinely loves people, kindness is his default. It doesn't go further than that for him. He doesn't necessarily think people need, much less desire his presence there beyond Madigan extending help, and most of the time, he's content with that. Kindness does make him happy. And it should be the same with Spica now, shouldn't it? He's kind, but he's not Spica's family, nor ever will be. Yet he immediately feels a connection with the boy, that has nothing to do with bonding over escaping-a-cosmic-disaster. And so does Spica.

This is the moment when Madigan starts feeling guilty, for stepping where he should not. But here's the beauty of Spica's character: he's nothing if not dead sure of his own feelings, and what he sees with his eyes. It's okay if Madigan keeps unexpectedly taking steps back. For very long, there'd been nobody to support Spica's beliefs. So he does the same, as when he followed his heart to go into dead space: he believes in himself and Madigan, and that their paths aren't meant to diverge. They mean too much to each other for that to ever happen.

(In short, and legend says you can still hear me screeching about these two ten thousand years later, I love these two so much, and especially the parallels between Spica going alone into outer space and loving Madigan.)

(And, okay, obviously all these developments don't happen in a single chapter, but I couldn't stop gushing🤭🥰.)

Who Puts These Tombs in Ice

Overall, I think draft 2’s Luitgart performed worse than draft 1. Mainly it's the setting I want to revert (still an icy, sempiternally dark hell, but with different ice constructions) because some of the beats are a huge improvement, and again, I gotta combine the two. Otherwise, I’m still as obsessed about the Luitgart arc as I’ve ever been, and huge thanks to it for being so strong it could function as an ending of its own, allowing me to split the book.

Gettin’ into spoilery territory, but I have to un-kill Madigan so many times it leaves me in hysterics. That was what I was supposed to fix this draft. It got worse. Considerably.

(One constant: the chapter being a love letter to Madigan, and how his first answer will always be to help the other, no matter if they deserve it or not<3 and finally, finally, he gets acknowledged for it, and the favor returned.)

ACT 2

Lemon-Dotted Days + Remnant

Two Holloway chapters! I’m actually massively pleased with how they’ve turned out. Last year, I said the main issue was that I had an outline, and that never works for me. So I did what I do best and rewrote everything from scratch, and the result is both uncanny and… unexpected.

Unexpected, because I never in my life thought Holloway’s voice would make me laugh so much. He’s supposed to be unsympathetic, but then you get his interactions with Saintlark (the new crewmate, possibly Beast) where they’re contemplating the harvest of a nebula, and he’s harshly critical of it, which gives Saintlark hope… only to go deadpan One Moment Later: if they’d used the nebula to prolong their lives instead of bolstering the war, they wouldn’t have died like clown idiots.

And, they could’ve maybe stolen immortality from the nebula. They would've had to share it with him, of course. Or he would've murdered them to get it.

That, my guys, is his personality in a nutshell.

I have a lot of feelings on Holloway now, and most involve me huffing and slapping my forehead while groaning, but oh my gods. Was it ever so fun. And wait, wait, wait. Since I'm talking of humor (apparently a lot of comedy fit into this horror lmfao) I have to show you guys the following section🤣🤣👏:

Corpse Snow

The drifters are set howling on the ice. They share glances, five separate vehicles nodding at each other. Madigan revs up the engine, splitting the air with a jet of steam and vibration.

The last of the marines are climbing into the box. A figure flashes past Madigan’s drifter — and he leans over, teeth grinding because of his ribs, and he does his very best to grab someone by the back of their suit and pull. Workout days were never his strength, though. He only succeeds in stopping them in the frost smoke.

It’s Spica dangling from his hand, expressionless.

Lieutenant Hahn instantly seizes on the situation. He throws Madigan a long, withering look. “Whatcha doing, Boss?” he asks softly, about to unhinge his jaw again.

Madigan nudges Spica into the drifter. “Picking up your boy.”

Spica gets the hint and deposits himself into the front seat, glancing from his father to his Superintendent. He seems to give up on whatever’s going on, and makes himself cozy in the frosty spot. And Madigan, of course, pretends not to notice Hahn’s drifter sliding closer.

“And you didn’t consider I might want to have my son with me?”

Madigan looks up and sighs. “Lieutenant, dear Lieutenant,” he starts pleadingly. “Why won’t you show some leniency to a poor, wounded man?”

Hahn’s drifter stops, summoning a breeze across the icy floor that gently rocks the other vehicle. His breathing distorts the comms with static. “And what exactly is my son right now?”

“My trusty navigator,” Madigan answers easily.

“Sir’s emotional walking stick?” Spica pipes in at the same time.

They both look over. Spica’s quietly turned to the navigation, as serene as daylight, seemingly oblivious to how Madigan's expression changes, lightning-fast. He quickly hides it under the guise of a polite mask, as the marines stir and turn their attention on them. They’re snickering.

Lieutenant Hahn throws up his hands, giving up on everything.

This is also the first 30k chapter I’ve ever written. It's everything I've ever wanted to do with ice.

Heart of the Void

The end of the book. Originally, it was the ending section to Corpse Snow, but since it already got so ungodly long, I chipped off that bit and I have to say I’m very happy with how it works as an epilogue! So it ends the frosty, weary journey, and I can’t see the two books as separate yet, but here we bid goodbye to the first.

Aberration of Sunlight♧♧♧

I did the unthinkable and created a fifth arc. This might not seem like much to you, but I was screaming bloody murder you guys😭😭😭. Sigh. It’s so sigh. For so long, AoS consisted of four clear-cut acts, but it was necessary. With the introduction of Sycamine, and making it two books, it was just needed. It’s still one of the worst things I’ve ever done because I was used to four😃💔

(The chapters continue from where RoaN left off – from chapter 10, to 21.)

ACT 3

Retro Spectrum

Sycamine, oh Sycamine. Definitely the break I needed before Days in Darkness. It made for a really neat beginning. It’s calmer, focusing on the knowledge they have on the Beast. It’s also a reflection on Procyon (their main star) and the story of the two straggler dog constellations, and what they'd been running away from. I liked the direction it took. It veered away from the Beast for a bit, so the tension kept expanding in the background. And when it returns, well... maybe they shouldn't have been so eager to see it again🤭.

It suffers from the same syndrome as draft 1’s first chapter… it’s there in the vicinity of the idea, but too much to the left. Not bad for a first attempt. The setting annoys me – I really don't enjoy writing cities, and AoS didn't change that. So, for our next try, I was thinking... maybe we don't need to be on the planet, but up close and veeery personal with it. It's a secret❤.

And, oh gods. I put a moustache-twirling villain in this. And then I couldn’t stop myself from naming some sucker Sweetman Calories. I don’t know what happened to me during those days, but I’m crying🤣🤣🤣.

Toast to the Light

Holloway and Saintlark’s story is slowly coming to an end. Unexpectedly bleaker than draft 1, yet it feels much more sincere. Holloway has a way of saying everything Saintlark needs to hear. No surprise. They did that to themselves.

Dissonant Recognition

Ahhhh, the Madigan-is-slowly-losing-his-grip-on-reality chapter, or maybe he should really stop staring into the suns. One of my favorites<3 Also because it features Moren (!!!) who has a blast staying in the grey morality area, because she doesn’t know if her actions could ever matter, or if she could change anything. Does she just exist? Is she a player or just pawn? Who knows. Besides that, she gets along great with Spica. They form such a teasing duo, the level of mutual respect they felt for each other on sight was a delight to write. My favorite ally of theirs, even if her destiny lies elsewhere.

Night Beneath the Elevator

Best title hands down, dethroning Solgesis. I’m going batshit crazy about the visuals, it's exactly my thing. This half-light slanted over an elevator waiting in a rundown basement to be boarded. And there's something underneath it, and always has been. Something insidiously creeping up and waving its tendril fingers at you as you're just waiting for the fucking thing to ascend. Immaculate, guys, I'm telling you, and I'm cursing my hands because I can't make a wallpaper of this. I want to eat that atmosphere.

Time-sensitive missions, y'all.

And why the heck did nobody inform me I was going to add Command as an actual character and have them talk with Madigan?! That entire convo, made up entirely on the spot but somehow with a direction, made me realize what an idiot I’d been for not doing it sooner. They mean so much to Madigan, after all.

(And Mariya. So much Mariya in these chapters.)

ACT 4

Loop System

Like Who Puts These Tombs in Ice, draft 1 might’ve done it better. Not Spica and Madigan, though, because of the sheer development Spica’s been through and the dynamic he’s managed to form with the crew. It's different from Madigan’s, but similar enough that it’s got Hahn commenting lightly: [Spica’s] picked up quite a few habits from Madigan, hasn’t he? Almost as if they’ve gotten very very close, huh? How about Madigan tell him more?

(I adore writing Hahn.)

Outreach

Another Holloway chapter. Doesn’t have the punch of the kids subplot from draft 1, but this just makes it worse for Saintlark personally, because, this time, the consequences are on her.

Days in Darkness

I knew the moment I first got the idea this would be my favorite chapter. Well, it finally happened in draft 2: when the entire crew is here, this time, and ready for the final countdown, to relive the experience of being trapped in a ship that's disintegrating. No more heroes left behind. I'd been so tired writing this chapter in draft 1, but this time around it was incredible. Everything went up sharply from here, both in terms of events and how on fire I was.

(Maybe less than the gorgon, but I was.)

ACT 5

Echo Terminal

The first of the two log chapters.

I've never written smoother, more visual chapters than in this period. Days in Darkness changed me so much, I was writing day and night by this point and couldn't get enough. Well, I hit my limit in the second half of the very last chapter, but I am beyond satisfied. Even the Beast's metamorphosis took me by storm, because I'd been wondering what the final verbs, the final images, the final design for it was going to be. I didn't expect it to come to me this early, and with such thrill. Those were my very best days of the year, and I toast to them.

(And I knew it was going to be fantastic when Halo's Warthog Run OST started blaring in my head, with as much adrenaline.)

Where, Now? + Solgesis

My beloved. The second and last of the two log chapters, but it’s Noelle Saintlark’s log.

Holloway’s timeline ends here. Or maybe it just gets carried into the future. I thought I’d want to rewrite his parts again, make the plot just a tiny bit more psychedelic and nonsensical because it’s so close to the Beast… but Solgesis put all my fears to rest. Even the formatting and layout is a bit of that special thing I’ve always wanted to try, and it really changes the perspective of the previous chapters. There's a new confession that stands at the heart of Holloway's stories.

Honestly, the only thing that needs urgent working on is the anger at the end of the chapter.

Anger is so hard for me to write sometimes. Not because I don’t connect with it, but because I feel self-conscious writing it. The wildest I felt it was when I tackled 'quiv's chapter 3 and Imera's Turning speech, both in quick succession (before I'd even written draft 1. I'd been taking notes.) Since then... I just thing back to how keenly I'd felt that anger, and I kind of intimidate myself out of it. Kind of like a natural resistence, I quench it from myself. Which is actually hilarious when you think about it. It’s like I’m going I BANISH THEE FROM MY BRAIN because generally, as a person, I dislike feeling and operating on anger. But no worries. I’m going to find a way around it.

Watch me😎.

What Goes Around…

(Now it’s the time for me to start crying some rivers, and, alright, it won’t be visible so I’ll say it: the chapter titles are holding a conversation, guys. They speak to each other. And sometimes it’s both sides of the same coin, like how What Goes Around (comes around) hints here. If you take two chapters, one from the beginning and one from the end (for example 1 and 21) it'll tell you a little secret. Okay, What Goes Around and Rain Through the Universe communicate through their plot, which I can’t spoil but of course it has to do with Madigan and Spica and how they first meet… but there is one title pair that does it best visibly.

Lemon-Dotted Days and Days in Darkness.

And I hadn’t even planned this. All the parallels I wanted to draw… I feel like they built themselves, guys. They really did, and it makes me so wildly happy I don’t even know how to stop my hands from flailing.

And, with them being 21 chapters, they meet in the middle, on the one unpaired chapter.

Called Toast to the Light.

I friggin’ love everything.

New Sunrise, Forget-Me-Right

Of course, Forget-Me-Right is a play on Scorpion Grass. But it’s also such a gentle name for the chapter, because everything ends here. Lying on their backs, staring out into the universe, and it really, really is over. Just a dark horizon on which stars flare and bloom. And suddenly, that maddened rush to make every sacrifice count, to remember every soul they’ve encountered because the legend says the Beast absorbs you when it kills you – all that suffocating pressure dissipates. Lightness remains. Because they’ve protected each other.

For the first time in my writing journey, blood rushed to my head with such emotion I had to stop writing, which never happens. I had to look up and exclaim, holy fuck. But how could I not, considering how the story ends for the Beast? I am speechless. A lot of gorgeous surprises this draft.

Conclusion□●□

Whew, what a year it's been! As for how 2024 will probably look like, though I don't like making plans: finishing the beta stage for 'quiv, and tackling RoaN and AoS's draft 3. Thaaaat one I'm actually starting on Christmas, when I can (finally!!) reread draft 2 with my mug of hot cocoa (or maybe mulled wine for a change) and, no surprises here, I'm hyper stoked for that<3 <3 <3 I legit can't wait to see where the new draft brings them. I might not have set any expectations for them, but they're vying to keep up with 'quiv and I adore it🤭❤

As for my lovely friends... well, you know by how I spam your tags how much I adore you and wish you happiness forever🤩🥺🥳 I don't know what my activity will look like in the near future, so for now I won't be saying anything, and my semi-hiatus continues. Semi, because you're unforgettable and I crave to see what everyone's been up to and (!!!!) what you've written!

So let's meet in 2024 again, and all the best wishes to you, the reader🥰🥂❤.

#ayearofwriting #2023 #aquiver-aglow #aberration of sunlight

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honey-beann · 7 months

Text

I'd Burn Every Soul I Knew (If I Thought the Fire Was Warming You)

rk boys (Nines, Connor, Sixty) x Reader

Chapter "Two" - Base Urges

Word Count: 2,002

Warnings: Smut (so obvious NSFW), extremely small mention of blood at the very end.

Once upon a time, your relationship with the boys had been strictly platonic, hell, in the beginning it had even been professional.

But it was hard to think back to that when Nines was looking down at you with such hungry eyes, his gaze so full of want that you never would have believed he could muster it just a few years prior.

Except he wasn't nearly as robotic now as he was back then, and you could feel the evidence of that fact hard against your inner thigh as you sat on his lap in the dimly lit extra room of your apartment that he had firmly dubbed his office space just weeks after you'd all moved in.

That was a very Nines thing to do, to witness an empty space and within it see an opportunity for production where others might see a place to put a family.

Or, at least, that was how he'd thought upon moving in.

And it wasn't as if a change of the mind would have made any difference.

An android was an android, and the only family he could ever have was you and the fools he called brothers.

Which suited him just fine, because in his mind, you were the only person, thing, idea, that would ever be worth loving.

He had no interest in anything else that might take up space in his cold mechanical heart.

So, here you sat, in an office room that for another family might have housed a child or hobby, looking up at Nines' familiar face as he stared down at you with eyes of molten silver, the air so tense you almost felt it might hurt to breathe.

Maybe that was why you had been holding your breath since you'd taken your seat.

Not that you'd noticed.

The android in question continued to look down at you, expression as emotionless as ever despite his eyes speaking volumes until finally, he placed his hand below your breasts, directly above where lungs rested within, and spoke.

"Breathe."

He ordered you, voice raspy as if his vocal chords were capable of being under utilized despite their inhuman nature.

You shivered at the sound, but did as he said, taking a deep breath in.

He watched in what almost appeared to be wonder as your chest expanded beneath his hand before contracting as you breathed out again, and he remained almost transfixed at the sight until finally, a gentle sigh of his name from your lips had him looking into your eyes once more.

You nearly gasped at the intensity held within his gaze, and his head tilted at the sight of your surprise before he removed his hand from your diaphragm only to bring it upward, using his thumb to pull your bottom lip down as he watched you intently.

"Did you need something, little one?"

He murmured, and you swallowed thickly before shaking your head,

"I just wanted to know what you were doing all alone in here. I miss you."

You whispered, only for him to hum softly before he nodded, pulling his hand away from your face.

"My apologies, I've just been looking into potential leads regarding your brother's case. This is all far too exhausting for you to keep up, and the pace the FBI are taking the investigation isn't nearly fast enough."

You frowned a bit but nodded nonetheless, blushing as you met his gaze again and found that same hunger there as before, still so prevalent despite your casual conversation.

You shifted uncomfortably atop his lap, and heard him groan in response, head falling back slightly against the headrest of his office chair as one of his hands moved to grip your right hip in an effort to still you.

Taking his insistence regarding your stillness as a sign of discomfort on his part, you apologized gently, only to be pinned down by his piercing gaze as he tutted and shook his head at your confusion, the hand that wasn't glued to your hip finding its way up to your face in order to cup your jaw oh so delicately in spite of the domineering way it forced you to continue looking into his eyes as he spoke.

"Oh no sweetling, don't mistake my restraint for pain,"

He began as he ran his thumb across your cheek,

"I'm just doing my very best not to give you a real reason to squirm for me."

He murmured, voice low and eyes almost seeming to glow in the dim light as you let out a helpless whimper, body suddenly far too warm.

"Please."

You begged without thinking, eyes falling shut as you leaned your head backwards ever so slightly,

"I-I want you to touch me."

Nines chuckled, a taunting and almost strained sound that had you shivering upon his strong thighs.

"Oh but little lamb, I am touching you, aren't I?"

He all but whispered, leaning down so his lips grazed the shell of your ear,

"Or did you want more?"

You nodded fervently in response to his question, nearly gasping for air as your hands clenched into fists in the space between the two of you.

"More, please more Nines I- Oh!"

You cried out as his hand slid beneath your panties, finger pressing harshly against your clit in a way that had you instantly bucking up against his hand, already desperate to feel any pleasure he was willing to give you.

Nines had been the first (and so far the only one) of the androids to touch you like this, always knowing what you wanted without you even needing to ask, and always so very eager to give it to you.

In his mind, it was all for you.

Or, at least that was how it had been at first.

In the beginning, your sexual pleasure had been all that he was after, the idea of relieving you of your tension having once made him feel like he was simply fulfilling his job of taking care of you.

But now things were different.

Now his mind raced when you whimpered beneath his touch, and his artificial heart hammered when you squirmed atop his thighs, and the feeling of your slick walls clenching around his fingers never failed to make him wonder what they might feel like around his-

At that thought, he snapped, years of built up want breaking him down in an instant as he continued to rub at your already swollen clit, his lips now pressing firmly against your ear as he spoke.

"It isn't right, you know?"

He all but snarled, bucking his hips upward into nothing as he hissed at the built up tension within him,

"The things I want to do with you, they aren't things I was ever supposed to want, not things I was ever supposed to feel."

He groaned as he bit down on your neck, causing you to cry out as he sucked a mark into the supple skin there, desperate to prove that he did not only belong to you, but that your relationship went both ways.

He was yours, and you...

"Mine"

He growled out as he stood, bringing you with him and turning you around until your torso was suddenly pressed up against his desk, allowing him to rub his still clothed erection against the soaked spot on your panties as you cried out for him relentlessly, mind delirious with the want, with the need to feel him inside of you for the very first time.

He smirked as you begged, using two of his fingers to push your panties to the side before he slowly pushed them inside of you, groaning as your warmth enveloped him.

You whined, high pitched and keening at the feeling, hips rocking backwards as you urged him to give you more.

He groaned, stretching you out around his digits as he continued whispering filthy things against your ear, reminding you in every single way he could that you were his, that you always had been and always would be.

It was then, at those very words interestingly enough, that you came around his fingers, walls clenching around them as you called out his name over and over again, voice laden with desire and choked with pleasure as your legs shook beneath you.

He watched you come apart in awe, barely resisting the urge to palm himself at the sight of your beautiful body falling into uncontrollable bliss all because of him.

He worked you through your orgasm gently, all too aware of how easy it would be to exhaust you far too thoroughly if he did otherwise, until finally he spun you around and sat you atop his desk, admiring the way you looked amongst the files there, chest heaving and pussy dripping as he peeled your panties off and shoved them into his pocket, smirking down at you as you watched him with extremely pink cheeks.

"So beautiful."

He murmured as he reached down to cup your cheek, bringing his lips to your forehead as you shivered once more at the sound of his voice, your eyes staring intensely into his own as you wiggled your hips tantalizingly atop his desk.

"I want you."

You whispered, voice still desperate and body absolutely tingling with need.

He smirked,

"You have me."

He corrected, watching as you pouted in response, whining as you raised your hips off of the sturdy wood and into the air, taunting him with just how close by you really were, and with just how ready your body was for him, how needy it was.

He groaned again, running a hand through his hair and over his face as he tried to retain the last vestiges of his control, his patience hanging on by a thread.

"I want you."

You repeated as you continued looking deep into his eyes, begging him to fall apart just once, to fall into you and let himself do this one thing he was not made for, to let himself commit a cardinal sin of a non-living thing, to claim the soul of another for himself, as if he had one he could ever give in return.

He shook beneath your gaze, struggling to maintain his facade of control as he looked at you through half lidded eyes and heavily mussed up hair.

"You will be the death of me."

He promised before he leaned in to capture your lips with his own, kissing you ever so briefly before he pulled back as if he'd been set ablaze, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

His body felt so unnaturally warm, and his mind felt flooded with burdensome desires he could not help but fear.

Was this what it felt like to be human? To crave someone's body as if it were some long missing part of you?

He far preferred the nothingness he had felt before to this seemingly endless and maddening pain.

He took a staggering step away from you, still staring, unable to come closer even as you reached out, worry etched into every single one of your oh so beautiful features.

He took another step away, and another, before finally he was able to open his mouth and speak the only words he could offer regarding his sudden reaction to your closeness.

"What have you done to me?"

He muttered in shock, looking down at his still clenched fists before he stormed out of the room and eventually the apartment as well, the door slamming behind him as you remained, naked below the waist atop his desk, until Connor came to find you, and you cried into his chest until the sun rose.

The next time you saw Nines, a bullet was ripping straight through his chest, and his blood was beginning to adorn your flesh.

masterlist

AO3

#dbh x reader series #dbh connor x reader #dbh nines x reader smut #dbh nines x reader #dbh sixty x reader #dbh smut #rk900 x reader #dbh x reader #s: I'd Burn Every Soul I Knew (If I Thought the Fire Was Warming You)#dbh series 0 cop edition

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desertdollranch · 12 days

Text

Dolls brands I never thought I'd own, part 4: Global PenPals

Meet Amity Anderson!

This doll was a tough cookie to track down. I first stumbled across her last year while searching for a completely different doll on eBay. I thought she was adorable, but priced way too high, so I let someone else have her. When I saw her come up again recently for a lot cheaper, I lost the bidding war. When she popped up unexpectedly a third time, I managed to snap her up right away.

The first time I saw her, I was curious about her origin, since the listing said nothing about the brand, Global PenPals. I figured it was someone's small business, because it's an unfortunate truth that many, many 18 inch doll companies produce beautiful and quality dolls for a few short years and then go out of business. Because she certainly didn't look poorly made or low quality; she obviously had a lot of love put into her production. I could tell she had a really nice wig and a carefully sculpted, realistic face mold. She was meant to be more than just a toy, but a little friend as well. That's what I liked about her. She was special, rare, obscure, and unique. And as much as I love my American Girl dolls, I also love the rare and obscure 18 inch dolls that have fallen into my lap over the years through pure luck. That has turned me into a connoisseur of obscure dolls. The rarer, the better.

So for that reason I couldn't get her off my mind. I became very fixated on finding one. I did a Google search that brought up nothing but the listing for her, plus a few dolls with similar brand names, or sites for finding an actual human pen pal. But I noticed the listing photo included a picture of her box, which had the URL of the brand's website. It was defunct, so I plugged into the Wayback Machine at archive.org to see what I could find.

Keep reading for a deep dive into The Global PenPals.

(Hello to anyone in the future who might be doing a web search about this doll! I'm sure you've found little to no information. I've put everything right here for your convenience!)

...

The site's first snapshot was taken in February 2011. It has a very short intro:

"This site is dedicated to children everywhere. Autumn Woods and Amity Anderson will begin pen pal corresponding with children in other parts of the world. They will learn about different living conditions and diverse cultural traditions. Will they discover that children are the same worldwide? Come along with us and see!"

None of the links on the sidebar were archived by the Wayback machine, so I looked at the next three snapshots, taken in July 2013, January 2014, and December 2014 (the final snapshot).

Now this snapshot displays a lot more content, although once again most of the site didn't get archived. The intro is more or less the same. But now we can see illustrations of the two main characters, Autumn Woods and Amity Anderson.

Clicking through the "Meet and learn more about Autumn" graphic linked to a page that had biographies for both characters.

Autumn Woods introduces herself first. She was born in October, hence her name, but she loves Christmas more. She lives in Kennewick, Washington with her parents and younger sister, and likes her school. She's athletic and loves to do cartwheels. Her best friend Amity lives in Basin City, near the farm where her grandparents live. She doesn't know a whole lot about the world outside of Kennewick, so she's looking forward to making pen pals all around the world.

Amity Anderson introduces herself next. She loves living on a farm in Basin City, and most of the other kids at her school are also from farming families, or live in the area seasonally, which has made her curious about the lives of other children of different background. Her family grows cherries, and sometimes the crops fail due to weather conditions. They also have lots of animals including dogs, cats, and cows. She has a secret hideout in the hay loft.

The next page linked at the top contains all of the pen pal letters to and from Autumn and Amity.

There are 10 pages of these letters. The first letter is dated June 11th of 2011, and the final one is dated August 14th of 2013.

Next link is Marcia's Dolls.

To sum it up, Global PenPals was started by Marcia Elovich in 2010. She had always sewn doll clothes for her granddaughter, and her husband built doll furniture. She used dolls to help schoolchildren learn more about the lives and perspectives of children all over the world. She modeled the dolls' faces on her granddaughter and niece, and hopes to introduce more dolls to the brand.

The next link is to the shop.

Only the Amity doll is being sold here. All the images are broken, but I can see that Amity cost $59.00.

The next tab, Media, is pretty much empty.

That's all that I can access with the Wayback Machine, but I didn't stop there.

I Googled Marcia Elovich and found the three Global PenPals books she has published.

These are current, no need to use the Wayback Machine. Here's the link to the list if you're curious about the books. You can click through and read summaries of each.

"About the Author" on the second and third books:

Marcia Harvey Elovich has enjoyed interacting with children in family, at school and other community settings. When she began looking forward to retirement from the local school district, she set up a website around two fictional characters, Amity Anderson and Autumn Woods, using her granddaughter and her niece as visual models for the character images she draws. Through the website, Marcia continues to story-tell to youngsters and adults alike. Amity lives on the farm in Basin City where, in fact, Marcia was raised, and she pursues many of the same interests and activities Marcia did while growing up with her best friend Linda. Autumn lives in town and attends Amistad Elementary School, where Marcia formerly worked as a para-eductor, and earlier as a nurse in the Kennewick School District. This was the birthplace of her peaked interest in interacting with children and later-in-life interest in education. Marcia has recently begun manufacturing of the character dolls and is now converting the website stories into children's books. Also within the framework of her stories, Marcia has interactions from her personal pen pals with whom she is communicating around the globe. Through contrast and compare, she can better present awareness of how alike we are from country to country, culture to culture, religion to religion. "Perhaps the next generation will be more compassionate, not merely tolerating diversity but embracing it!" she adds. In their retirement, Marcia works with her husband and sidekick Bob, marketing her dolls and his woodworked doll furniture. She has one young adult son living at home and an older son living within the community. Her daughter and grandchildren live out of state, so she has to love them long-distance. Through Bob, she has acquired a second daughter who lives in the area and a step-son living out of state. Marcia specifically wants to thank her mother and father, Bob and Kay Harvey, for providing a childhood almost as colorful as the fictional one of which she writes. They gave to her, her three brothers and many childhood friends their mentoring in an era when the village actually did help raise the children.

I also found Marcia's Pinterest profile. She has pinned exactly four images.

The first two are the illustrations seen on the website. The other two are pictures of the dolls.

This picture's caption:

"Amity Anderson if one of the first two characters at www.theglobalpenpals.com and the first to be manufactured as a doll. She is vinyl with soft body and has beautiful peach complexion, with perfect detail down to tiny doll- scale freckles across her nose. She comes in clothes as seen, turquoise tennis shoes, and the matching elastic headband on her long, tangle-free auburn hair. I designed the doll after my own granddaughter. Lovely presentation box designed solely for The Global PenPals."

This confirms that the doll I have is indeed Amity, not Autumn as I had sort of guessed. Amity is illustrated with bangs, but it seems that changed at some point in the doll's design.

I guess that's Autumn on the left? I see no indication on the site or elsewhere that she was ever sold, so it's possible she never made it past the prototype stage.

There's very little else out there about the dolls. A few pictures on Worthpoint with captions stating what I've already put here.

Amity seems to be one of those ultra-rare dolls that only a few collectors know about. After losing out on two other listings, I know that at least two other people do have one and know what Amity is worth. But I have no idea exactly how many dolls were ever produced and sold before the brand disappeared, which probably happened within three years of their debut.

I wonder if their failure may have been due to the price point, $59, which seems very low for a doll with such a nice wig, sleep eyes, a cloth body, a beautifully designed box, and proprietary clothing.

#long post #global penpals doll #amity anderson #18 inch dolls

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spearxwind · 8 months

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as someone who. does not keep up with games pre-release, like, at all. what was below zero like before it was changed? i don't think i even heard about BZ until after it was released which is shocking considering how obsessed i am with the first game lmao

God so. It was actually pretty dang different. Jacksepticeye has a playlist where he played through the early access below zero builds. If you were unsatisfied with below zero (as i very much was), I greatly recommend looking up the playthroughs and checking them out cause the whole arc is sooo much better than what we ended up getting

for starters, robin's sister sam wasnt dead. Robin and her spoke to each other, as her sister was on a space station orbiting 4546B, and the main plot was about thwarting alterras meddling with the planet and keep the precursors and their tech from their knowledge, with robin as an actor on the surface doing stuff, and robins sister on the satellite using her admin job to keep alterra off of robins back. it was actually a pretty dope setup!

Another major difference is what pushed robin into the ocean, which was a huge avalanche destroying the base she was in. As in, robin was ACTUALLY stationed in the frozen zone working, when an avalanche destroys her base and forces her to go into the water to survive.

All of this was changed in the final cut to remove sam from the plot and having robin instead just crash land on 4546B to try to find her.

I think they also changed Maida's purpose a LOT because she was hinted at being more useful and it feels like, if the whole 'keeping alterra off your back' arc had remained, she would have had much more to do with it than she ended up having in the final cut. which was bossing you around to fetch a single thing and then not being relevant again

It just really feels like something went wrong and the story of the game is half baked at MOST (not to mention the design of the map but that's for another rant...) because like... when robin gets al-an in her head she is just so adamant on removing her and then SHE STAYS THAT WAY basically the whole game? al-an is nothing but a sweetheart to her and shes so fucking mean to him all the time i actually just didnt get it while i was playing. its so unnecessary, constantly cuts him off, shuts him up, etc etc. pretty much all the way until the end.

and then suddenly for the ending cutscene they are practically in love with zero warning. shes like oh my god i would follow you anywhere i would go anywhere with you. Bestie you hated his guts the whole 10 hour runtime of game what are you talking about................

It genuinely feels like something went wrong for sure.

And like, the alpha game pre-release was practically done!! The last major update they did to the early access was up until you create the body for al-an, which is literally the second to last thing you do for the story. You give him a body, and then immediately after that you can trigger the ending scene (at least in the final release, they might have had more planned after that in the original writing bu we will never know)

Which just made it so insanely jarring when you played the final release, which released over a year after that (i think), and the whole story arc was just. Gone. Replaced with what we got. I might be insane and the story got more and more replaced as early access went on, I am just going off of my memories of watching Jack's playthrough so take what I say with a grain of salt in terms of timeline accuracy, but the game was definitely changed beyond recognition from early access to final release as it went a complete and total rewrite more than halfway into production when they let go of their lead writer

#ask #anon #subnautica #i followed this game relatively closely as it was released bc yeah im a huge subnautica fan #the first game is absolutely one of my favorites of all time for sure #so seeing the second game flop so hard just made me upset. and some of the game design elements are actually atrocious too #that it had me completely tilted playing some parts of it too bc it got infuriating. the fuckin ice basin zones.... god damn.#anyway this is my rant. i should go rewatch jacks early access videos its been a while since i did that

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hazyange1s · 2 months

Text

Incendiary (S.S. x F!MC)

Chapter 6

Summary: Fresh off the Hogwarts Express, Sixth Year Raegan DesRosiers has her sights set on nothing more than making the Quidditch team and finally having time to focus on herself.

Of course, where's the fun in sticking to a plan?

Instead, she begins to uncover the origins of ancient magic, which puts her life and power at greater risk than ever. But Raegan has always been one to take the bull by the horns, determined to be an agent of the change she seeks.

Then along comes Sebastian Sallow: the one wild card she could never control.

Burdened by his own dark past and seeking a way back on the right path…and into the heart of his reluctant friend, he becomes entangled in Raegan’s mysteries once more without restraints or reservations, save for this: the suspicion that she’s keeping more than one harrowing secret.

Not that he doesn’t have a few of his own.

The two might just need to look into a mirror - to mend what is fractured before it entirely falls apart.

Chapter Synopsis: Raegan’s got a full plate and yet still finds herself feeling empty, seeking something to fill that hole - though she may get more than she’s bargained for, if Sebastian has anything to say about it.

Words: 4.6k

Rating: T (some ~scandalous~ inner ramblings from seb and adult language)

After posting solely on other sites since starting this story, I decided to add tumblr to the mix since I’ve been more active on here recently. This is kind of a preview, if you will - if you want to read the first five chapters head over to wattpad or ao3.

It was a good thing Raegan had favored the outdoors over the summer because, in the days that followed her visit to the Map Chamber, the only sunlight she saw was during Advanced Flying class - save for the times she chose to do her reading in the meadow Vivarium. If that even counted.

It took a mediocre twenty-four hours for Raegan to succumb to loneliness. Without Sebastian, Ominis, Diana, or any of the others sitting beside her, the only company she had was that of her phoenix.

(Never mind Soleil’s penchant for bringing her small rodents he’d caught in the tall grasses of the fields).

Of course, her isolation during such a busy time of year had everyone worrying all the more - Garreth had started to conveniently appear in the common room every time Raegan returned before bed, no doubt waiting up like a concerned mother to a rebellious teenager, and Natsai was less than subtle about sneaking glances at Raegan as she changed to inspect for any more cuts or bruises.

As much as she loved them all, for one of the first times in Raegan’s life, she was starting to appreciate having some time to herself.

Not that that time was proving to be very productive. Though Raegan and her friends had already scoured the library from top to bottom for any reference to ancient magic last year, Raegan took to resuming the search.

With little luck.

What was that thing people said about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results?

Raegan was self-aware enough to know when she was in a rut and confident enough to know there was always a way out.

But that hope grew weaker and weaker with each discarded book and pounding headache from lack of sleep. As much as she knew her friends would be more than willing, she did not dare ask for help.

Even (and especially) from the one person Raegan knew would be the best for the job.

Gods, school just started, and already I need a vacation.

Luckily, a reprieve offered itself up by the end of their first week back at Hogwarts - delivered to her on a silver platter Friday evening.

Classes were over for the day, and instead of retreating into the solitude of her secret room, Raegan made her way down to the Quidditch pitch with the other hopeful Gryffindors. There was quite the crowd already assembled, hopefuls from every year clutching brooms both bought and borrowed and donning uniforms in varying states of wear.

The sixth years all seemed to converge in a semi-circle at the front of the pack; Garreth, Natty, Leander, Nellie, and Eric were all chattering excitedly by the time Raegan managed to find a spare uniform from the locker rooms.

“Ah, there she is!” Garreth beamed when he spotted Raegan approaching the group, pulling her into his side with an arm slung around her shoulder.

“Was just telling Eric and Nellie how you’re about to give them a run for their money. In fact …how about we make it interesting? Who’s betting?”

Last week, Raegan likely wouldn’t have thought twice about the casual gesture, or the way his eyes caught the light when they met hers. After the incident in Potions…well she had started to pay extra attention to the little things she'd previously dismissed.

Like how he was always finding some excuse to touch her, or that he was constantly singing her praises, or the spots of color in Garreth’s freckled cheeks that only seemed to bloom in her presence.

Raegan wasn’t clueless. But she was prone to a healthy dose of denial now and then, apparently.

“I’ll take that bet.” Raegan said, a smile creeping onto her lips.

Soon enough, Garreth’s pockets were clinking with silver and bronze coins, and a debate had broken out amongst the group - catalyzed by Leander’s refusal to bet on Eric, which snowballed into a fantastic display of masculine indignation.

Thankfully, the shrill shriek of a whistle cut through the din, and every Gryffindor in attendance went silent to face their Captain.

Raegan, who fancied herself a purveyor of fine taste, could not see what all the hype was about. Isaac Cooper was relatively handsome; with a mop of golden curls and tan skin, but he wasn’t anything special . Though considering how much Ominis raved about missing Quidditch games, she supposed it likely wasn’t just his looks that got people going.

“Welcome newcomers, and welcome back to our returning members. Right. This year, we’re starting fresh. Everybody gets a clean slate, got that?”

Several scoffs and murmurs of disbelief echoed amongst who Raegan assumed to be the existing teammates.

“Those of you who were on the team two years ago will get priority, but that doesn’t mean you won't be replaced.” Isaac said evenly, gaze taking a moment to settle on each student as he addressed the crowd.

“We will rotate positions every ten minutes, so make sure you put your best foot forward. That being said: I’m sure we’re all anxious to get to dinner, so first up is…”

Isaac began rattling off a list of names - Garreth and Natty were the only ones of real note. It left Raegan’s mind to wander as she sized up the other hopefuls - most of them hardly able to walk upright without difficulty on a good day.

Most of them knew it, too, and had shown up anyway.

Every Gryffindor loved a bit of glory.

“Hey,” Garreth nudged her shoulder, strapping on elbow pads as he spoke. “Better get him out of here before Isaac gets wind of a spy and goes ballistic.”

He answered her questioning glance with a vague gesture of his gloved hand towards the entrance, where indeed a spy had arrived clad in green and silver.

“My guess is he’s here for a good luck kiss.” Garreth taunted.

There was something behind his eyes even with that flippant demeanor - a question.

”Well, I don’t need luck, so he made the trip for nothing.” Raegan said half-heartedly, watching Sebastian’s figure approach them casually.

“However, I will give you one before I kick him out.”

Garreth’s brows shot to the clouds, but he had little time to bring himself back to Earth before Raegan leaned forward and bestowed a peck on his heated cheek, popping up on the balls of her feet to reach.

“ Brilliant… ” Garreth mumbled when she’d pulled away to give him an indulgent smile. “Er - I mean, thanks. Definitely feeling lucky now.”

Raegan's snort of amusement made him quick to add, “Not like that! I meant to say… Oh, Merlin’s beard, you’re a menace!”

”I’ve been called worse.”

With one final, lilting “ Break a leg !” over her shoulder, Raegan walked off, shaking her head upon making the discovery that blushing might very well be contagious.

Maybe a relationship was out of the question given the current state of her affairs, but what was the harm in a little flirting between friends to test the waters?

And speaking of flirty friends…

Sebastian met her near the wide entrance to the pitch, the bravado-soaked grin he often donned present, though his eyes didn't possess their usual accompanying crinkle.

"My favorite Gryffindor.” He greeted her, arms crossing over his chest as he relaxed against the wooden post. “Don’t worry, I come in peace. Just wanted to wish you luck in tryouts - though I’m sure you’ll outfly them all.”

Flattery. One of his favorite tactics.

From the pocket of his breeches, Sebastian produced a single, vibrantly green clover which boasted not three, but four leaves.

“Just in case.”

“Where did you even find this?” Raegan moved automatically to pluck the stem from his fingers, studying it in the sunlight. “Transfigured, is it?”

"Found it myself. Suppose I'm quite talented at finding rare things."

His eyes darted to her hair; the copper strands knotted in a loose braid down her back, and tucked the clover securely behind her ear.

Why she didn't immediately rip out and incinerate the damn thing was a mystery, but she found it nearly impossible to do much besides hold her breath until he’d restored the space between them.

She was trying not to remember the smell of pine and candy and smoke.

"Is that all you came here for?" Raegan cleared her throat, glancing back as the whoosh of several brooms taking flight created a light breeze.

"Why are you always so suspicious of me?" Sebastian placed a hand over his heart as if mortally wounded.

"You're lucky I'm not blessing you with a kiss - though I see you've already got that handled."

Ah, so he did see that. Good.

"Be careful, is all I'm saying. People may start to think you two are..." He trailed off, the silence punctuated by an exaggerated raise of his brows.

Raegan couldn't let that one slide. "It's nobody's business who I'm courting; I've no real family to embarrass anyway, and I could give a damn what this lot thinks besides.

"Not that I'm courting anyone. Or planning to. So-"

Please, mouth, stop moving for once. She had to inhale greedily, having rushed it all out in one stuttered breath.

"Relax, don't have a fit." Sebastian shook his head. "I think it's sweet. I mean... you could do a lot worse than Garreth. Or a lot better, depending on your perspective."

What was that meant to be, reverse reverse psychology?

"I'm not involved with Garreth, for Merlin's sake." Her huffed sigh ruffled the stray hairs escaping from their plait.

An escape was exactly what she needed right now, if only to avoid the ridiculous dance they'd found themselves trapped in.

"Right. I know that."

Do you?

"Glad we've cleared that up, then. Now, unless you want to stand in as Cooper's personal Bludger, you'd better make yourself scarce." Raegan warned, brow arching high.

"Alright, I know when I'm not wanted. Best of luck again, Rae."

He strolled across the bridge, disappearing from sight before she had time to question the entire exchange.

Thankfully Raegan got through tryouts with all her bones intact, and with a spectacular performance (if she did say so herself) to boot - the likes of which had absolutely nothing to do with the four leaves wilting amongst her waves.

Just as she was heading back to the castle - disheveled and glistening with perspiration that demanded a bath - the voice of Lucan Brattleby carried over her shoulder.

"Raegan! Natsai! Garreth!" He jogged up to the trio, still panting from his tryout. "Great flying out there! To think we'll all be teammates soon, huh?

Anyway, I wanted to be the one to share: the first round of Crossed Wands is all set for Monday at 4. Assuming you ladies are still competing?"

"Of course, Lucan. Wouldn't miss it." Natty smiled at the fourth year.

"Yeah, count me in, too." Raegan chimed. "Might as well go for the Champion title two years in a row."

"That's the spirit! And it'll bring a huge crowd; everyone will be dying to watch one of the school's heroes compete." Lucan beamed.

The hero worship thing was sort of adorable - if not mildly disconcerting.

"And you'll be organizing the betting again, Garreth?"

"You bet your galleons I am." Garreth replied as the money he'd collected tinkled like bells in his pocket.

Those two should start a business, truly. They'd be richer than the Gaunts.

"Brilliant! Well, off to dinner. See you guys there!" Lucan gave them a jovial wave before joining his own friends.

"So, Raegan..." Garreth cleared his throat as they, too, exited the pitch with the summer-brown grass brushing their muddied boots.

"How are the potions helping?"

For the love of-

Natty shot a questioning look between her two friends, face screwing up in preparation for whatever distressing news she was about to receive.

"Potions? And helping...what?" She asked.

"Now you've done it," Raegan groaned after shooting Garreth a withering glare. "They're only to alleviate the headaches I've been getting lately. Perfectly safe; Gryffindor's honor.

"And they've been working just fine." She added spitefully.

Liar. She had to take at least three a day, and most of the time Raegan maintained the dull, throbbing ache that never went away.

"But why are you getting headaches?" Natsai probed as they walked, her eyes ignoring the path in favor of studying Raegan.

"Yes, why are you? You still haven't even told me, and I'm your bloody dealer." Garreth grunted.

"Beats me. Nurse Blainey said everything appears to be fine." She lied again.

Raegan hadn't dared to pay a visit to the matron since the last time she'd been forced to endure the hospital wing's melancholy. How many friends had she in those beds already? Natty, Sebastian, Diana... even Leander (Chomping Cabbage incident; don't ask).

Dreadful place.

"Well, there has to be something." Natty pressed gently.

"I'm fine, Natty, as I've assured you ceaselessly. Now please, can't we talk about this another time? I need to change my bet on Lucan after seeing that Seeking he pulled off."

———

A hot bath, several helpings of chicken, and more than one slice of apple tart later, Raegan was relieved to sink into the comforting embrace of her curtain-covered bed at last.

She tried to sleep for once. Really tried. There was even a good hour somewhere around two in the morning that she drifted off only to experience the usual rude awakening that doused her in sweat for the second time that day; sheets tangled around her legs like ropes.

Suddenly, the fire burning in the dorm's stove wasn't welcoming - it was suffocating.

There remained enough sense in her half-awake state to pull a robe over the nightgown that clung to her like a second skin. Raegan all but stumbled into the stairwell with little regard for her roommates' peaceful slumber (she owed them all magical earplugs for Christmas at this point).

The journey to the Undercroft was no peaceful stroll. Shadows peeked around corners and snuck up to whisper unintelligible secrets; forcing the nightmares back to the surface like a photo in a dark room.

Well. If she wouldn't be afforded the luxury of sleep, at least she could be somewhat productive.

Upon exiting the elevator, Raegan crossed the room in search of the loose (well, it hadn't been before she'd pried it free) brick at the far wall, sliding it from its slot as the sweat on her body chilled.

Reaching in, her hands felt blindly for-

Ah.

Isidora's journal entries were still rolled and tied together just as Raegan had left them last year. Diana wanted to destroy them upon discovering San's memory, but Raegan possessed the foresight to smuggle them away, just in case. They'd both thoroughly pored over the documents already, searching for any possibility of a code the former Professor may have used, or certain letters made darker, or...

Perhaps the girls read too many mystery novels together.

It proved to be a useless endeavor, anyway, as the entries were plain as day - and frustratingly brief to boot.

What scholars thought of insanity was beginning to seem suspiciously close to her reality.

As Raegan rubbed a hand over her foggy eyes, the words on the centuries-old pages gradually came into focus. She read until her eyes might as well have been bleeding and burned with the urge to blink, and every letter was combed through at least three times over until her impatience reached a boiling point.

“'I've left them a trail to follow’ ...well, what bloody good is that trail if it has a dead end?!" Raegan growled.

She took to pacing the length of the open space with the letters crumpled in a white-knuckled fist.

"Useless. Damned stupid , bloody Isi-"

The heat was the first sign that she was about to have what Ominis would call "an episode". Following its building warmth in her palm was the burst of flame, its sudden orange-yellow glow bringing tears to her eyes.

"Fuck! Oh, now I've done it."

Raegan dropped the parchments immediately, letting them flutter to the ground before she stomped out the fire with feet she now realized to be bare.

But it hadn't been necessary: they were the same wrinkled, faded beige they'd always been without a speck of black. Both brows knotting together, Raegan stooped to examine the unchanged pages - only to remark that there was a difference, after all. Words had appeared in veins of liquid gold, written in an even messier scrawl on the back of each page.

I've never been so happy to be a hothead in my life.

"Isidora, I take it back." She breathed.

The excitement was short-lived; becoming frustration once more when she looked closer to discover that it was a language she couldn't fully comprehend.

Scottish Gaelic, to be sure. An ancient-looking form at that, complete with several runes she had only come across once or twice and never taken the time to decipher.

The clang of the elevator jolted her to attention, and Raegan made haste to stuff the journals back into their hiding spot - but not quite fast enough.

She had barely finished shoving the stone back when Sebastian's voice rang out.

"Raegan? What are you doing here?"

He was better at finding her than the Ministry was at hunting down underage wizards using magic on vacation, and it was beginning to become uncanny. Possibly a bit unsettling.

"Er...I couldn't sleep. Just needed a change of scenery." Raegan cleared her throat as she turned slowly to face the music.

"So you thought an underground lair would be a good place for fresh air?" He chuckled, eyes wandering to the wall behind her. It appeared he had been in a similar state, considering the mussed hair and the sweater he'd thrown on over a pair of loose trousers.

"Hiding something, are we?"

He didn't miss a thing. Couldn't he be just a bit less observant?

" No ."

There was a moment of silence that rapidly escalated to a standoff. Neither of them broke eye contact for a long moment, waiting for the other to break-

Sebastian drew his wand, the brick sliding out of the wall before the pages flew into his hand with a simple "Accio".

"Give those back, you thief!" Raegan lunged for the Slytherin, reaching desperately, her chest pressed to his as she raised on her tiptoes precariously and swatted at Sebastian as though in the midst of a game of Quidditch.

He seemed endlessly amused; judging by the easy smirk tugging on his lips when he met her eyes. Still holding the precious documents high above his head - too high for her to reach.

"Mmm, don't think so." Sebastian chirped victoriously. "Let's see what you're keeping from me, shall we?"

He twisted away expertly, unfurling the papers with dramatic flair before she could dart around to grab them.

"Isidora's journals..." He thought aloud. "But why all the secrecy? I bloody found them with you-"

Before he could steal another moment to further investigate the shimmering ink, Raegan snatched them away at last with a hiss.

"Why can't you keep that big nose where it belongs?" She chided.

"What is that?" He went on, undeterred by her annoyance - likely, he was just used to working around it by now. "That writing...it wasn't there before, was it?"

"Very perceptive."

"I try." His eyes drifted over her, then - seemingly noting for the first time that her attire was less than proper; only the semi-sheer ivory nightdress to cover her freckled skin, which still glistened faintly with sweat in the torchlight.

Sebastian's POV

She looks like an angel.

Raegan in general was anything but the picture of heavenly virtue. On the contrary, her color palette was reminiscent of the hellfires they spoke of in Dante's Inferno: all flaming hair and clothes in varying shades of autumn leaves and obsidian.

Even her eyes... startlingly golden, save for the time he'd seen them glow a blinding red.

Yet now he couldn't help but wonder if heaven's gates might be guarded by this avenging angel standing before him; a vision of righteous vengeance in purest white.

It drove his thoughts somewhere downright sinful.

The way the length of her throat glowed with flush and a sheen of sweat sent him spiraling - the same throat he'd imagined running his tongue along in his wildest dreams.

He should have been commended for resisting the urge to let his eyes stray below the neckline of her dress, even with the generous curves outlined beneath that cursed garment still visible in his peripheral.

Abort mission. Abort, abort, abort...

"Would you like to paint a portrait? It'll last longer."

Oh, fuck.

"I-I wasn't staring. Sorry, just...mind was elsewhere." Sebastian fumbled, blinking several times to refocus on her face. Only her face.

Somehow, that turned out to be the greater of two evils.

"Yes; in the gutter, it seems." Raegan mused.

Why did she have to call him out like that? Why did she have to be so incredibly candid and exacting? Or was Sebastian simply more transparent than he'd initially thought?

Gods, now I'm sweating.

"You... you're trying to change the subject." Sebastian re-fortified his questionable resolve, squaring his shoulders and dismissing the pang in his gut as mere discomfort.

"So, have you read them? What do they say? Anything about-"

"I was about to before you came barging in."

"Can you even read Scots?"

He didn't doubt her intelligence when he knew perfectly well the girl was at least partially fluent in three languages - but there was a set to her jaw that told him she was frustrated about something.

"I can read...a bit of it." She amended. "A few words are similar to Irish, but some are entirely different."

Raegan straightened, avoiding his gaze to roll the papers back up pointedly.

"Doesn't matter. I can translate it in an hour at the library."

"You sure about that?" Sebastian saw his chance, and he was damn well going to take it. All week he'd sought out rather pitiful excuses to spend even a moment with her despite all evidence that she wanted next to nothing to do with him.

It was time to take matters more firmly into his hands.

"From the looks of it - before you tore it from my hands like a wild animal - that isn't the modern dialect. Might even be Early Scots..."

That ever-present air of distrust grated at his nerves while she cocked her head thoughtfully.

How could he resist an opportunity to unravel the mystery they'd never gotten to crack last year? Sebastian lived and breathed a good mystery, especially when it was someone else's so he could have a break from the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He supposed that was Raegan's burden now. The least he could do was help her ease it. Plus, a bit of research would be a better occupation for his thoughts, rather than everything else recently rotting away in the corners of his consciousness.

And if it meant a chance to make up for a few regrets in the process...

"Let me help. I can have them all translated by Monday." He asserted.

She's hesitating. Maybe-

"No, I don’t think so.”

Of course not.

Sebastian leaned to the side, crossing his arms and putting on his best "don't be ridiculous" expression that typically got the point across.

"Ignore your bloody pride for a moment. You obviously are dying to know what's on those pages, and I suspect you have enough on your plate without adding an extra task to the list."

"It's not pride , I just don't need your help when I can do it myself."

"I'm well aware you could do it, Raegan." His voice softened, fearing that any more of his usual flippancy would drive her heels further into the ground. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should have to.

"You needn't do everything on your own, you know."

That seemed to hit something - something deep, from the way her mouth turned down into a frown, and how he resented that sight; like the sun hiding behind clouds and turning down the world's vibrancy.

The last thing he expected to hear was, "I don't want anyone else to know."

Was that... did she-?

"Nobody?" He raised a brow skeptically. "Not even Diana?"

"Especially not Diana." Raegan sighed. "You know how she feels about Isidora, she doesn't even know I still have these."

Sebastian thought that keeping something from her best friend likely wasn't the best course of action, but he could hardly lecture her when he'd done the very same thing in the year past.

He was ready to say, " Why ?" Why , when she had barely deigned to look at him since stepping through the doors of the Great Hall or even lowered herself to have a conversation lasting longer than five minutes, was she suddenly willing to accept his help?

Not that he was complaining, of course.

"Alright. I can understand the need for discretion. I won't breathe a word of this." Sebastian nodded solemnly.

The pause that followed... Sebastian often wondered if she inserted them after he spoke purely for dramatic effect. Or, more likely, Raegan relished in making him suffer.

"And don't even think about copying them."

"I wasn't going to!" Sebastian protested, yet he had to smile a bit - three months was nothing compared to a lifetime, sure, but at eighteen it seemed to be a year. Despite their distance, she still knew him like he knew one of his favorite books by heart.

Anyway, there was no need to copy them. Reading the journals a couple of times over would be just as effective in preserving the information for himself.

“However, if we are going to be partners-“

”- More like distant associates, but…”

”I have one condition. Since I’m so generously offering my time.”

”- Which you volunteered to provide.”

Sebastian tried out that eye roll she was so fond of, and to his displeasure, it didn’t seem to have the same effect.

“One condition: that you study with me next week.”

A simple enough request. Raegan didn’t seem to agree with the way her lips curled back in obvious distaste, but after a moment she pursed them again.

“One hour.”

"Deal.” It was more than Sebastian had dared to hope for, honestly. “Now, go on, hand them over. You look exhausted, you should get some sleep."

Raegan scrunched her nose, irritated by his blunt observation. "My eye bags aren't nearly as bad as yours."

But she obliged, whipping the roll of parchment into his awaiting hand.

"Maybe not." Sebastian accepted the offering and delivered a light thwack with them to her pert nose. “You do pull it off, though."

Before she had time to answer with an angry huff or a scathing remark, Sebastian waved the pages in the air in a nonchalant farewell, catching her eye over his shoulder as if he couldn't help but steal every last look he was able.

"By the way! I’ve found Calming Draughts help with the night terrors. You should have Garreth make you some, in addition to whatever else he's been brewing up for you."

How lucky Sebastian was to see the mix of emotions playing across her face before the doors clanged shut and the darkness swallowed him up once again. Even her (admittedly adorable) scowl was insufficient in wiping the grin off his face that lit up the night; a ray of sunlight in a shadowy wood.

Bonus pic of the losers aka the part where Seb gets all up in her space with that dang clover:

#hogwarts legacy #harry potter #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy screenshots #ominis gaunt #hogwarts legacy mc #garreth weasley #sebastian sallow screenshots #Hogwarts legacy oc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #sebastian sallow x f!mc #sebastian sallow fanfiction #sebastian sallow x oc

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kazutora-lover · 1 year

Text

Title: Spa Day

Wakasa Imaushi x gn!reader

——————————————————————————————

Genre: fluff and fluffier

Summary: a little spa day at home with none other than best boi Waka ~

Warnings: implied suggestive content (like one sentence)

Notes: my little something for the —» "fluffvember event" — please check the calendar to find more precious works from equally as precious authors ~

Word count: ≈ too much to count on my own o.'o

——————————————————————————————

"Please don't make a mess this time."

You huffed out in faux irritation, "What do you mean? I never did such a thing."

Wakasa shot you a quick look which made you understand that he didn't believe you in the slightest, especially since he was there and was involved in the mess you created. Involuntarily so, if you asked him.

The white haired man moved around in the bathroom as he loosened his bun to prepare for your treatment, "Want me to remind you again that you almost flooded our apartment the last time we had a spa day at home?"

You sighed in defeat, "It was once and it happened because you kept distracting me." Your hands were now wildly flying through the air as you gesticulated like a mad person, "If anything, both of us are the culprits of the mess created."

Wakasa wanted to chuckle at the memory, but he didn't want to let you know that the flashback was indeed quite amusing to him. His complaint was halfhearted after all.

After your little and utterly idiotic 'argument', which wasn't really an argument, Wakasa sat down on the floor in front of the tub. Your legs were situated at his sides as you sat down on the edge of the tub, getting ready to massage your boyfriend's scalp before applying the hair treatment.

Said man hummed in delight at the feeling of your delicate fingers in his hair. He was enjoying this, your touch and the way you knew how to make him feel relaxed.

A few minutes went by and Wakasa found his hands playing with the little strings of your ripped jeans as he had his elbows on your knees. "Don't destroy them any further, I still remember what you did to my last pair."

The man in front of you scoffed slightly, "You sure are a smartass. Those were mine."

"Yeah? And they were my favorite pair until you ripped them open even more."

With a little slap to your knee and a little yelp from you, giggles erupted in the small bathroom the two of you sat in. "Meanie, what was that for?"

Cute, he thought, "That was a reminder to not get distracted again."

And then you did something Wakasa didn't allow just about everyone. You slightly pulled on a strand of his hair that was still laid out between your fingers. Your mission was to tease him but the small groan that left his lips didn't miss either of your ears.

You stifled the mischievous giggle that threatened to escape you, "You liked that, didn't you?"

Instead of answering you, he tilted his head back until it almost laid atop of your thigh, his eyes staring right back into your own, "Why don't you do it again and find out, hmm?"

Oh, he was definitely testing you right now, almost challenging you with the way his gaze intensified. But you didn't want to risk driving him nuts so you decided to test that out later, under different circumstances.

And with a slight push to the back of his head you urged him to sit upright again, "Who's creating a mess now, huh? You almost smeared the deep conditioner all over my pants." Followed by a small. "Clumsy," from you.

With a few final touches you finished massaging the product into his hair and so you switched places, well Wakasa did. The only difference was that Waka was now standing in front of your still sitting form.

Wakasa washed his hands and prepared to apply a face mask to your skin. "You might want to keep your smart remarks to yourself, darling," his hands roaming your face with a wet wash cloth, "Your pretty face is at my mercy, don't want anything to happen to it, right?"

The very much visible smirk on his face told you he was just trying to mess with you. Of course he would never do anything bad. He always treated you like royalty, silently threatening the people who wanted to put harm upon you.

With your face now well moisturized, Wakasa got ahold of the little tube that contained the face mask in form of a gel. One of his hands was placed under your chin as his other hand began applying the cold gel onto your skin. "Hold still, okay? Don't want anything to accidentally get into your eyes."

And with a small nod you just relaxed under his touch, carefully observing his face which wasn't far from your own. You could tell he was concentrated, genuinely trying his best to get your skin covered evenly.

Waka started on your forehead, spread the gel there and then gradually made his way down your temples and to your cheeks, carefully and delicately moving his fingers around the area. Then he squeezed some more of the liquid into his hand and went for the area above your jaw, making sure that the lower part of your face was also covered.

You tried to move back, thinking he was done until he pulled you back in, "Getting impatient? We're not done yet." His last station was your nose, yet not finished and not satisfied without booping it once.

Before you knew it, he tapped your chin two times as he backed away, observing his work. "Now we're done, where's the payment?"

With the playful smile he threw you, you couldn't help it so you leaned forward to place a sweet kiss onto his lips.

And with a teasing smile of your own, you replied, "This one was on the house, the next one? Who knows."

The End ~

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #wakasa imaushi #wakasa imaushi x reader #wakasa x reader #wakasa imaushi fluff #fluffvember hosted by maehemthemisfit #fluffvember #kazutora-lover

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thecruellestmonth · 10 months

Note

Hello!

I saw your fic recs post (Jason Todd fics 2022)!

Aaaaand I saw Bloodstains Won't Make It Matter there. The fic about Jason resurrecting Stephanie and going for revenge in Gotham.

Do you know any other Steph fics? Maybe with Jason and Steph. Because... this one is great, but very biased and some things are VERY different from canon. Kinda like the writer didn't really read War Games and consequences. Which is sad, because it's a story that is placed right after the War Games and have Stephanie as one of two main characters.

have a good day/night✨

I made a Steph & Jason fic rec list a while back! "Jason and Me" and "Just Another Kid" are some of my top fics ever for Steph and for Jason, but I think everything there is solid! "Bloodstains Won't Make It Matter" is over here too.

Anyway, more random Steph fic recs!

"What's So Amazing That Keeps Us Stargazing" by Cerusee - Batman doesn't take another Robin after the second one, and Spoiler is effectively his third kid sidekick. Bruce has an actual heart in this fic, and he uses it to connect with Steph.

"The Unseen Garden" by Nokomis - Steph has a lot of emotions about the baby girl that she placed for adoption. This fic might make you a bit misty-eyed.

"Birthday" by CrimeAlley1048 - Like the last fic but softer.

"she’s like a shine on your shoes (or hearing the blues)" by Anonymous - The Bruce-is-Steph's-bio-dad fic that you didn't know you needed. A series of disembodied vignettes with hilarious comedy, mean-spirited pranks, and heart-melting moments.

"Have I Told You About Minnie?" by Hinn_Raven - Funny and sweet Malone family shenanigans.

"hit 'em up style" by TheResurrectionist - Really silly comedy. Bruce's perfectionist dad instincts lead him on a quest to buy the best menstrual hygiene product ever.

"Crepe Suzanne" by Cerusee - Steph deserves waffles and to tell Bruce that she hates him.

"little matchstick girl, asleep in the snow" by lifetimeoflaughter - NOT A HAPPY FIC! Revisits Bruce's abusive treatment of Steph and her alienation from a support system in canon.

Fan fiction replaces the biases of canon with different biases, and that's to be expected as a rule. If I want to engage with canon, then I read canon or talk about canon. I do bring in Doylist and Watsonian perspectives about canon events, but I try to exclude fanon and non-canon apocrypha. But when it comes to fan fiction and other fan-made content? I freely enjoy things that absolutely contradict canon. I'd definitely say my fic tastes do stick much closer to canon than most Batfandom/Batfic trends, but you can find some aggressive and gleeful butchering of canon in my fic recommendations.

About "Bloodstains Won't Make It Matter"... I'm not sure what you mean that it is "biased". I think the fic does a good job of portraying how Steph and Jason descend into terrible cruelty, violence, and grief, while also acknowledging them as victims of unresolved injustices. And just looking at canon only, without bringing fanon into the discussion at all, I believe War Games is part of a long deconstruction of Bruce Wayne/Batman in comics that continued all the way through Final Crisis. As a fan fiction, "BWIM" obviously does take some liberties with fudging canon, but I don't think the story is unfairly biased in favor of the Dead Robins or of Batman.

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kabutone · 2 months

Note

Hi!! I hope this is okay to ask but you seem to be really knowledgeable on masks so i was wondering what type you recommend the most?? :0 i'd love to get more masks since i do mask already but want to get better ones and i feel like you'd know which ones are the best!! Tysm in advance and feel free to delete this if this is weird!! ^^

yes ofc im glad you asked!! this might get kinda long so bear with me lol (TLDR: I'd recommend to find an N95 that is comfortable and fits you well! My go to is the 3M Aura 9210, but there are a variety of other masks for every face shape if the 3M Aura isn't a good fit!)

It can be kinda tricky to name one specific mask since face shapes differ so much, but I'll list the ones I've tried and some styles you could explore! But my main recommendation is to look for an N95 or better! The most important things to look out for is a mask that has good filtration material and that it fits well on your face (no big gaps or leakage)! And of course, that you're getting a legitimate product.

I prefer N95s because they're generally more protective than KN95s and KF94s. There also isn't as much regulation for KN95s and KF94s as there is for N95s, so it can be easier to come across fakes. People also sometimes find that head strap masks keep their fit better than earloop masks. This isn't a one size fits all rule, however, some people have passed fit tests in ear loop masks! It's just something to keep in mind.

I'd recommend looking at masks on ProjectN95! These have been vetted to ensure they're good quality, and there should be links to buy directly from the website. Unfortunately there's a lot of fake or underperforming masks out there, so it's important to buy from a trusted source. Here's a video that covers this issue and what to look out for! Another great resource is Aaron Collins, who has posted a lot of tests and info about many different types of masks.

I use the 3M Aura 9210! I like this one for the material it uses for the straps. There are other kinds of 3M Auras (like the 9205) which are just as good, but they have those rubber straps and I just don't prefer those. This is the only trifold-style I've worn, but it's pretty comfortable!

And this is just anecdotal, but I've heard the 3M Aura tends to fit more faces better than other styles. Compared to other masks I've tried, it has a stronger nose wire, so its easier to shape it to your face! Some others have had flimsy nose wires that don't hold very well, while others (like cup-style masks) have rigid ones that you're not really supposed to mold at all. This one has passed fit tests for me, and is comfortable enough for me to sleep in!

Another style I like is the Gerson 3230! This is a duckbill style mask!

It looks a little silly but these are SUPER breathable. So much so that I feel a little exposed wearing them lol but I've passed fit tests in them multiple times!! One downside to these though is that unlike the 3M Aura, they don't have as much structure, so if you inhale too hard they kinda suction onto your face.

This is the 3M 8210, which is a cup style mask!

These didn't work for me, but that doesn't necessarily mean they won't work for you! This specific mask is very rigid, so you can't really form them to your face, but they will not collapse when you breathe! I haven't tried other brands' cup style masks though, just 3M's.

This is a bifold mask! I just grabbed a photo of the Demetech one because I thinnnkkk I've worn this before? But its been YEARS, I don't wear bifolds anymore. KN95s also usually come in this style

This style can be a bit tricky because they come folded in half, and that sharp point at the nose bridge can cause issues for some people. I see a lot of people walking around with a big gap at their nose because of that folded point, so just be sure to properly fit it to your face if you use these! Here's a video demonstration on how to do this, and here's a good photo example:

Finally, there's also this strapless adhesive mask. They're kinda pricey compared to the others, but kinda cool I guess? Can also get them here

Strangely I didn't pass a fit test in these? I think maybe I just need more practice putting them on lol

These are all N95s, but there are also masks like N100s, P100s, and PAPRs if you wanna get really intense. And I can also ramble about those but this is already so so long lol

Finally, it's important your mask fits well! This is to make sure that air is going through the filtration material, not going around the mask. For example, it'd be safer to wear a well fitted N95 than an ill fitted N100. A quick way to check for leaks is to do a seal check when you put on a mask! here's a guide on how to do it, and here's a video demonstration!

But it's important to note this is not a foolproof solution, and the best way to measure fit would be a qualitative or quantitative fit test. Unfortunately, fit testing can be rather inaccessible to most people, so it's hard for me to recommend it. There are DIY kits and DIY tutorials in addition to official kits, though. Quantitative fit tests are even less accessible, and I'm still trying to figure out how to get one :( But if you're interested in it, I can also ramble about that.

If you read this far thank you so much for listening to my lil mask infodump :') I hope this was helpful !!

#yayayay thank u !#i spent like hours writing this cause i kept trying to make it shorter #i made it as concise as possible but i have so many words to say #and as always u can always ask more questions and i will answer to the best of my ability :3 #long post #asks

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pjsk-writin · 1 year

Note

hello! can I request Akito, Rui, Nene and Ena with an ENFP reader? tysm in advance, also happy new year! <)

yaya ofc u can ! i did use an image i looked up so if any of this is inaccurate lmk (i took the myers briggs test and saw i was an infp and didn't pay attention to anything else so. oops/lh) and happy umm end of february HDKAKF- hope u like this ! <3

♡ ENFP - Akito Shinonome, Rui Kamishiro, Nene Kusanagi and Ena Shinonome x Reader

Akito:

In terms of personality, you were definitely quite different from Akito-

While the two of you definitely preferred to be in the presence of others, he found that you were incredibly playful and optimistic, something that he often wasn't

He definitely appreciates your enthusiasm and support, finding it something he leans into and uses for inspiration more often than not

Your creativity inspires him as well, and he often finds himself asking you for ideas and your thoughts on different plans he has for shows

If you ever want to start a project or a creative adventure with him, just say the word! He might not be able to keep up with your ideas, but he's more than willing to help you if he can!

Rui:

You and Rui are very similar in some ways, but very different in others

He prefers to not spend time with people he doesn't know, keeping to his small circle of friends and companions, but you were different. He admired you for it in ways

Your enthusiasm never fails to make him smile, he's never really been around someone who's so supportive and enthusiastic to show it. It's a lovely change of pace!

The two of you are incredibly creative, so one of his favorite things to do is bounce ideas off of you! The two of you could talk and exchange ideas for hours

He is absolutely down to start any projects or creative endeavors with you! He starts new projects almost daily anyway, so why wouldn't he want to start one with his dearest? <3

Nene:

You and Nene are definitely very different, to say the least-

She does not like spending time with people unless she's comfortable with them, so she doesn't understand how you do it all the time. She would be exhausted, but you do you

Usually, overly enthusiastic people also tend to tire her out, but it feels...different with you. You were always so supportive of her, and she had to admit that it was nice to have someone at her side like that

She may not make things by hand, but she is creative in her own way! She has a lot of ideas swirling around in her brain, and she finds it nice to talk to you about them. She also likes hearing your ideas, because they're (probably) not as insane as her troupemates-

She might be a bit hesitant to start creative projects, mostly because there's a high chance she won't know what she's doing, but she's willing to try for you!

Ena:

Ena is also another person who you share a lot of similarities and differences with

She wants attention from other people, but spending time with people face to face usually drains her. She admires you, but she could never talk with people like you do-

She will try to not make it obvious, but she always looks for you whenever she finishes working on something to get the enthusiastic support you always give her. It makes her want to melt every time <3

We all know that she's a very creative person, but she does tend to run into an artist block more often than not. She'll ask you for help or ideas on what she should do. She starts to keep a notebook so that she can scribble down the ideas the two of you have

She would absolutely love the idea of starting a creative project with you! She'll try whatever you want to try, and also ask if she can post the final product to her art page. She loves to show off what you can do!

#project sekai x reader #pjsk x reader #akito shinonome x reader #shinonome akito x reader #rui kamishiro x reader #kamishiro rui x reader #nene kusanagi x reader #kusanagi nene x reader #ena shinonome x reader #shinonome ena x reader

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trigunwritings · 1 year

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So I have some THOUGHTS about episode 9 now that I finally was able to watch it, so I’m gonna ramble on about them below the readmore

- The brief flashback to Knives and Vash playing the piano together was interesting, not only in that it means both of them are fairly talented on the instrument, but also because it means the song that Knives has been playing in the times we’ve seen him has been only one-half of the full thing perhaps? I’m sure there’s something quite symbolic about it and how it pertains to the brothers being so interconnected, so I wonder how that might show up later 🤔

- Though I would have preferred to get some more depth to Knives via the scenes with Tesla (since that both showcases the stark difference between their viewpoints and establishes a really good reason for Knives to fear/hate humans so much) I did like that we got to see a direct act that shows the audience just how little the common population thinks of plants as anything more than tools

- “We’ve hit the production limit. They put too great a load on the plants, it cut them off from the higher dimension. They can’t maintain their bodies.” <- I have no clue what the hell that’s supposed to mean but, as the person becoming known in this fandom as the feral plant headcanon-er, I am VERY interested to see if they’ll ever elaborate on that since the manga/first anime never did. *shakes the Stampede series* LET ME KNOW THE SECRETS OF THE INTER-DIMENSIONAL ALIENS

- The ‘Last Run’ scene in general was fairly disturbing, but I know that was the point in order to hit home how Knives so far has interacted with humans (the mental pain had to be horrible, given how bad the distress of a single plant had affected Vash)—but who was the man he was with? Was that supposed to be Conrad? Has Knives already started up his cult?

- Even though Knives totally murdered some dudes, he sure did look cool while doing it

- “Outside of human control, plants use up all their energy in one burst and die.” / “So you bought into that nonsense… No matter how comfortable, chains are still chains.” 🫣

- WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON WITH VASH’S ARM

- “Is that… a gate?” WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT AT SOME POINT THANK YOU

- I find it interesting how Vash losing his arm was not from the direct influence of Knives—either his Angel Arm doesn’t exist, or its a wildly different kind of power. Either way, Knives having to make a split-second decision to remove his brother’s arm in order to keep that ‘gate’ (looks like a black hole to me tbh) from swallowing up everything is a really neat twist on intention.

- I saw a post recently joking about Knives being utterly obsessed with his brother and I thought it was hyperbole. I SEE THAT IT IN FACT ISNT. Knives you are a lonely fucker I swear to god.

- Last episode I was so confused on the timeline and was worried that they had shortened the time between the flashbacks to the present day—and I’m super happy to be wrong! Putting Luida and Bradley in cryosleep in order to prolonged their lives was a very creative way to keep those characters interacting with Vash.

- Meryl being SO surprised and impressed by flowers really hit home that they straight up DON’T exist on Noman’s Land…. which, jesus, that was a surprise. I assumed at best sickly little potted plants might have existed, but none? Very interesting…

- Roberto being pessimistic is really hitting home that I know he’s going to die soon and will likely be replaced with Milly in the following seasons. I really enjoy the way his character pairs with Meryl’s energy and positive realism 😭

- Ngl Zazie the Beast is lightly growing on me, mostly as a neat antagonist since they represent the native species on Noman’s Land before anyone else arrived. Wonder if their alliance will alter at any point…

- “Outside of human control, plants use up all their energy in one burst and die.” / “So you bought into that nonsense… No matter how comfortable, chains are still chains.” 🫣

- Totally thought Luida was going to die either by Vash (accidentally) or Knives (purposefully).

#trigun #trigun stampede #notwriting #trigun spoilers #trigun stampede spoilers #stampede spoilers #stampede saturday #spoilers #ep 9 spoilers

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practically-an-x-man · 3 months

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A BUNCH of questions for Kat please?

Appearances: 6, 15

Objects: 2, 4, 14

Food and Drink: 3, 15, 16

Weather/Nature: 4, 15, 16

Community/Relationships: 1, 5, 10, 20

Mind/Body/Soul: 8, 14

Hobbies: 10, 16, 18

Ahhhh thank you so much!! This will be a lot of fun!

Under the cut for space

Super Long Hopefully Fun OC Asks

Appearances

6. How much interest does your character take in trends?

Not much. Mainly, she just doesn't have the budget to keep up with trendy clothing or makeup - she'd rather spend that money on art supplies.

15. Would your character wear something someone else picked out for them?

It depends on who picked it out. She of course trusts Jace, Emily, and Ahk and wouldn't hesitate to try out something they picked (though Ahk's tastes may be a little antiquated). Others, it kind of depends. She's not picky about clothing, but she's kind of curvy and it can be embarrassing for someone else to pick out an outfit only for it not to fit... she'd rather shop for herself

____

Objects

2. What gift would your character give to someone they didn't like but felt obligated to?

She'd try to still put some thought into it and tailor it to their personality, but she'd stick to something easy like a gift card, or a book/movie in their preferred genre.

4. Is there an item your character liked that they can’t get back?

She's always a little sad when art companies change the formulas of their products (goodbye, Dandelion Yellow...), especially since her choices are either to hoard what she has left of the old formula and never use it or to use it anyway and lament when it's finally gone.

14. Is there an item your character is embarrassed they own or want?

I think she'd realllly want to try out some of those trendy gimmicky art products, knowing they're stupid but wanting to try them out of curiosity anyway.

___

Food and Drink

3. Is there a food or drink your character is unwilling to try?

Not that I can think of. There's foods she dislikes for sure, but she'd try anything once.

15. What food or drink does your character consider a treat?

Tiramisu and a latte from her favorite Italian bakery! It's her go-to "finished a big project and I'm gonna treat myself" prize

16. Is there a food texture your character doesn't like?

Look. She's a Southern gal through and through. But grits have to be a very certain texture for her to enjoy them, otherwise they just feel strange and a little slimy.

____

Weather and Nature

4. Is there a natural phenomenon that scares your character?

I think she always gets a little wary of tornadoes. She's seen them do some damage, though thankfully not to her own home.

15. Is there a creature that scares your character?

She's got a healthy appreciation for venomous snakes. And she gets freaked the fuck out by ticks - she's the one loading up with bug spray every time she'll be out in nature, because if she has to get a tick off of herself she might cry.

16. What celestial body would interest your character the most?

Not one particular celestial body, but she likes linking astronomy with history. The star Antares representing the goddes Serket, Polaris and Sirius and their historical significance, how stars are translated differently by cultures... she finds it fascinating and beautiful

____

Community and Relationships

Does your character prefer company or solitude when sick?

Company, for sure. She'll never ask, but she loves being taken care of at times like that

5. Who would your character first seek if they needed medical help?

....a hospital. None of her friends are really skilled with medicine, so she'd rather be safe than sorry (the closest would be Jace, as a tattoo artist, but that's still iffy)

10. Is there a habit your character has that they learned from someone else?

I feel like she's started to adopt Ahk's regal posture when she needs to do something intimidating (like talking with McPhee, or doing midterm evaluations with her instructors). She doesn't even realize she does it, but she sort of pulls herself up the same way he does.

20. What would it take for your character to get into a fight?

It would take a lot for her to get into a real, physical fight, but if someone were posing a genuine threat to one of her friends, she'd be the first to jump to their defense.

____

Mind, Body, and Soul

8. What scents does your character find comforting?

She loves the smell of old parchment. She associates it with Ahk, for one, but it's also a very nostalgic smell for her and reminds her of wandering the aisles of her local library as a kid

14. Is there a secret thing your character longs to hear?

She wants to hear that she'll be remembered. Not in the sense that she'll be famous, but she wants to hear someone say that one of her art pieces moved them, and so there will be a piece of her that will always stay with them

____

Hobbies and Activities

10. Is there a skill your character doesn’t know they’re bad at?

She doesn't realize how many insecurities she still holds onto. She's gotten a lot better about that, but there are some things she still hasn't fully let go of and she doesn't entirely realize it

16. What’s an activity that reminds your character of someone else?

Cooking always reminds her of her mother and her grandmother, since they would cook together every night.

18. What is a topic your character wouldn't want to talk about?

She doesn't really like talking about the future. For one thing, it's so uncertain, especially in an art-based career - she doesn't know what opportunities will or will not pop up for her. And for another, there's always some difficult thoughts about the future, particularly in how her life will move on but the museum will stay constant.

#my friends!!!#answered asks #ask game #my ocs #oc katherine johnson

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