#I had two meme ideas one night so I have made them and posted them now 😂

[aceofstars16]

🦀🦀🦀

[ericshoney]

Quen's sister ~ Chris Sturniolo (Part two)

Summary: After meeting the Sturniolo triplets and getting Chris' number you've been texting non-stop, which your sister notices and makes a plan.

Warnings: possible swearing, nicknames, surprise date, fluff

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Over the past few weeks, you and Chris had been texting non-stop. It had been friendly but also kinda flirty. You had many jokes and sent many memes to each other. You were often found with your head in your phone, but now a massive smile was etched onto your face and soft laughter left your mouth.

Quen noticed this and knew it was Chris. Why? Only because Nick and Matt were experiencing the exact same thing. Chris was found buried in his phone, smiling and laughing as well.

So the three knew they had to make a plan. They had started simple, group hangout. You and Quen would go to their place, they would go to yours or you'd meet somewhere and do something.

As all this happened, your sister, Nick and Matt noticed how close and connected you and Chris were. They also saw how both of you liked each other but wouldn't dare admit it.

"We gotta get them on a date." Quen said.

Her, Nick and Matt were sat in a coffee shop thinking of another plan. Quen had said she went to meet Larray whilst Nick said he had a meeting for Space Camp and needed Matt to drive him. Neither you or Chris suspected a thing.

"What are we going to do, say we're going for dinner but actually only they show up?" Matt asked sarcastically.

"That's fucking genius!" Nick exclaimed.

"Yes! We can book the table and time but they arrive!" Quen shouted.

"I was joking." Matt muttered.

"It's a good idea, joke or not." Nick said, patting Matt's shoulder.

So the three made a plan. They booked a table at a nice restaurant under Chris' name. Quen messaged you to get ready for dinner at six, whilst Nick said the same to Chris and said they would meet you there, but in reality they would just go home.

~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, you took an Uber to the restaurant, thinking you were meeting for dinner. Not knowing you were about to have a date with Chris.

When you arrived and got out. You sent a message to Quen, but didn't get a reply. You waited a few minutes thinking she must be on her way, when you saw Chris walking over.

"Hey!" He greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Chris." You responded.

He smiled and gave you a hug. You smiled, feeling the butterflies in your stomach. When he pulled away, you felt slightly cold.

"Are we early?" Chris then asked.

You checked the time and saw it was five fifty. You know the table was booked for six.

"Not really, maybe they are inside?" You suggested.

"Let's go see." He replied.

You both went inside and spoke to the waiter who led you to an empty table. You thanked the waiter and sat down, looking at the menu and texting your siblings you were at the table.

Ten minutes past and no responses from either Quen, Nick or Matt. They didn't show up either. You both ordered some drinks, still waiting for your siblings.

"So, how you been?" Chris asked.

"I've been good, I started posting on TikTok more." You answered.

"I saw." He replied, smiling.

"You follow my TikTok?" You asked.

"Of course! Love the prank ones." He said.

You smiled and continued chatting. You shared some stories of your past week and some funny videos you've both found. The night went on as you ordered food, totally ignoring the fact that Quen, Nick and Matt didn't show until it was time to leave.

Chris paid, which you were grateful for even though you said he didn't have too. He smiled as you went outside about to get an Uber.

"You know, it was fun, just us." Chris said.

"Yeah, I totally forgot it was supposed to be a group thing." You responded.

"Kinda like a date." Chris mumbled.

"Yeah." You whispered.

You looked up at Chris as he looked down at you. Both of you smiled at each other.

"I really like you." Chris blurted out.

"I really like you too." You replied.

"Wanna maybe go on another date?" He suggested.

"I'd love too!" You exclaimed, making him laugh.

"Okay, text you later, sweetheart." He responded, kissing your cheek as he got in an Uber.

You smiled and got in another Uber, heading home, a massive smile on your face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags:

@lgbtq-girl @mattsfavbigtitties @onelesslonelygirlbieber6 @riowritesitall @sturniolo-fann

[starry-bi-sky]

I absolutely love your older brother Danyal Who left to protect Damian story, can you add on to it because I wanna know how he would interact with the family and maybe he knew Jason when he was in the league before he left or He would turn invisible and spy on the batfam to check up on Damian from time to time so he knows things about them

i've actually thought about Jason knowing about Danny in the League before! I made a little meme about it in one of my meme dump posts! Ultimately it's non-canon to the au and would have to be part of an offshoot branch or a variant of the au due to continuity reasons.

Meaning that if Jason knew about Danyal, I don't think Damian would have been able to keep his existence (and "death") a secret for long. Or at least long enough for it to be revealed that he was alive. Jason would have asked about Danny at some point, maybe even right away upon re-entering the family and seeing Damian there, depending on the context. I can see him asking whether in front of everyone and in private too, depending on that context as well.

Ooooo and! I just remembered this, but there's no guarantee that Danny and Jason would have even met while Jason was in the league too -- some depictions I've seen of this au have Jason around while Damian is still a baby, or as a young kid. The timelines are notoriously wonky. -- and Danyal "died" when Damian was five. Depending on the ages, the timeline, and all that jazz, Jason could have very well entered the League when Damian was five sometime after Danyal's death.

Or he could've been there to see Danyal, meet him, and eventually become close enough to him to figure out that Danyal deeply adored his little brother and everything he did was ultimately meant to be for his benefit -- in a twisted up way. Hey, we could even go a step further and say he was there the night Danny got his facial scar. It really would all depend.

But that would require me sitting down and recharting the timeline in order to fit that in without any significant plot holes; like deciding ages, how long Jason's with the League before splitting (ultimately he spent five years away from Gotham before returning. How many of those years am I willing to keep him in the au?), when he was there, etc.

Something I am simply not interested nor have the energy to do for this au this far in ashdgf. So for the sake of my own sanity and the continuity of the main au: Jason did not know nor know about Danyal in the League.

However its still a fun idea to think about! So some things I've thought about if Jason did know Danyal in the league:

- For the hispanic jason truthers: Jason sometimes called him diablito; 'little devil' since the whole 'grandson of the demon head' thing.

- Danyal had a habit of sitting right outside Damian's room at night to listen for intruders, something he's done since Damian was a baby after the initial attack that resulted in his scar. Jason would sometimes sit with him if he found him like that.

- If Jason was present -- both physically and mentally -- for the day Damian was born, he saw firsthand the way Danny was so happy to meet him. The light shining in Danyal's eyes as baby Damian latched onto his fingers is not something he could ever forget.

- This means he was also there the day Danyal got his scar a few days later. Bursting into the nursery with Talia and seeing Danny hovered in front of the crib, almost drenched in blood with his face split open, is not something he'll forget either.

- (fun fact, did you know that head injuries bleed the most even if it's a shallow cut? Danny's scar, which in order to still be prominent at 15, would be from his hairline to his jaw, would've been bleeding profusely. And scars shrink with age! This is not only because of healing, but because your body grows except the scar doesn't. This i know from personal experience -- i have a scar on my knee from 2nd grade that used to stretch horizontally from kneecap to kneecap and needed two large bandaids to cover. But now is barely any longer than the first joint of my pinkie. It has not faded.)

- Nor will he forget the thousand yard stare in Danny's little blue eyes as he looked up at Talia and, in a little voice, said; "They were gonna hurt Damian, momma."

- He and Talia both tried convincing Danny to use the lazarus pits to heal his face without a scar, Danny refused and kept refusing. It was proof he'd protected his brother and he wouldn't accept any of their reasoning. It hasn't impaired his sight or ability.

- Jason held his hand while the cut got stitched up. Danyal didn't cry once. He stared at the wall over the doctor's shoulder, and the only indication that Jason knew he was in pain was when his grip tightened in his hand.

- Jason left shortly after Damian turned three, so he was somewhat aware that Danny was going to begin distancing himself from Damian. Damian's memories of him in the League are fuzzy at best.

- When Damian joined the family and Jason was hanging around/reconciled with them, he asked Damian in the cave about Danyal. He said; "By the way, where's Danyal? I'm surprised he's not hovering by your side."

- He did not like the way Damian tensed up and refused to meet his eyes. When Damian finally revealed that Danyal was dead, he refused to believe it, and continued to refuse to believe it long afterward. Danyal? Gone? The little eldest demon was dead? That sounded completely unlike him. That boy was too stubborn and loved Damian too much to stay buried.

- They got into an argument about it right there in the cave. Jason thought Damian was lying to him, and Damian was not appreciating how much Jason cared nor him saying Damian was a liar.

- Jason has a few photos of him and Danyal and Damian in the league. All of them happened when Damian was too young to remember them. He has one or two photos of Danyal before he got his scar. He eventually shares these with Damian.

- I did have one idea where he found Danny in Amity Park once and had to be threatened by Danyal to not tell anyone.

okay that's all i've got for now. Onto the others!

"[or] would [he] turn invisible and spy on the batfam to check up on Damian from time to time so he knows things about them"

He wouldn't do this actually! Danyal is essentially in something like deep cover right now, and his whole reason for leaving the League is the belief that him being near Damian or the two of them being together is dangerous to Damian. That they will eventually be pitted against each other, and Danyal refuses to harm his brother in any sort of capacity.

The very last thing he would do is try and do anything that would indicate that he was alive -- including going invisible and flying over to Gotham to see Damian. The Waynes would figure out eventually that they were being spied on. They have experience with the paranormal and the weird due to Gotham shenanigans and basic hero craziness. They have incredible reflexes and intuition, you know how people can feel it when they're being stared at? That. That would happen, and when they can't shake the feeling of being watched, they'd get paranoid and seek out the cause of the feeling.

In some issues, afaik, Wayne Manor has protections against magical creatures. That place is more secure than Fort Knox; Danyal would not be able to get in or near it without triggering some sort of alarm.

And so, Danyal would do the opposite, and in fact would avoid Gotham like the plague -- in order to stay away from Damian, he has to stay away from Damia. And he'd probably avoid some of the cities where he knows his father's affiliates and allies lay, just to be safe. This is relatively easy to do since he's 15 and not leaving Amity Park any time soon.

If, for any reason, his foster family or school (for the 'visiting gotham' trope) made a plan to visit Gotham, Danyal would find a way to get out of it, by any means necessary.

It's just not a risk he's willing to take, and the 'deep cover' thing is something I mentioned in my Ellie and Damian Meeting oneshot (its in a reblog of my "danny and dani meeting" post). The only reason Damian hasn't immediately flown out to Danyal is because of two main reasons:

he has no idea where he is

Bruce forbade it for the time being because it could spook Danny off.

If Danny found out that Damian knew he was alive, knew where he was, and was going to come see him, there's no guarantee that Danny will just... stay. There's no guarantee that Danyal won't freak the fuck out and disappear off the radar, and then they'll be back to square one. Finding and meeting Danyal requires patience and proper planning, they can't dive headfirst into this.

Besides! Danny keeps tabs on Damian and his father (and eventually by extension his siblings) through news reports and articles about them! Sure not all of them are truthful, but the things reporting their actions, whereabouts, etc, he keeps and prints out and puts in a little shoebox/scrapbook in his room!

The folder on his father is huge because he started it a few months into moving in with the Fentons and it spans back decades. and Damian's is currently the smallest since he just recently appeared in public eye. Most of it is things like, Wayne Inc announcements for charities, galas, etc. Not tabloids or gossip. Positive publicity stuff.

He keeps them under his bed, and he pulls out his father's scrapbook to tell him about patrol whenever he comes back and needs to stitch himself up. It lets him pretend that he's actually telling his father about what he's done.

As for Danny interacting with the fam -- it'd be awkward but non-hostile! Danny's... not sure how to act with them, he'd be not unlike a skittish stray cat that you're trying to befriend who keeps running away. He only knows them from what he's parsed out from news articles written about them -- both civilian and hero -- and anything Talia's told him.

There's for sure a resemblance between him and Damian in more than just looks -- they both hold this sort of powerful or confident air around them that seems exclusive to the Al Ghul family -- and there's of course that pride in their abilities. They have similar speech patterns -- although Danny's more relaxed due to Sam and Tucker's influence. And they both share an intense care for animals and the environment that's also pretty standard for the Al Ghul family.

Overall though he's just... rather quiet. Snarky and witty, but quiet. Unsure and seemingly analyzing them, trying to figure them out. He's quietest around Bruce -- not because he's afraid of him or anything, but he's overwhelmed by him. He's wanted to meet Bruce since he was a child, and now he is and he doesn't know what to do. It's a strange feeling to have.

You can find him sitting in the same room Bruce is in and find him just, watching him. Watching him from various, obscure places. He seems content to just exist in his presence, and confused when Bruce speaks to him -- like he's not totally comprehended the fact that he's actually there in front of him.

Damian and Danny have perhaps the most awkward interactions with each other out of everyone -- they have old issues they need to sort out like Danny purposely distancing himself from Damian, and intentionally orchestrating their past interactions to result in Damian hating him, and Damian needs to figure out who his brother really is beyond what he led Damian into thinking.

There's a lot of one-sided yelling matches where Damian airs out his grievances at Danny, and Danny sits there silently and lets him. Danny apologizes to him for treating him so coldly in the past, that if there's anything he could go back and redo, it would be that. That he doesn't expect forgiveness from Damian, but he wants him to know Danyal's sincerity. He tells him that if he wanted, Danny could return to Amity Park and he won't bother Damian or his family again. Al Ghuls don't cry, but i think Danyal does when he apologizes to Damian.

[rs-hawk]

I submitted the idea for day two and I just wanted to say I loved it so much! I’m a huge fan of your work and really appreciate you indulging us with your talent ♥️

If you’re still taking B&B ideas, I love the idea of the Beast using the magic mirror and it always showing Belle. And he, frustrated by what he sees, shaking the mirror like a magic eight ball, but it allows for him to learn about her and fall for her.

But also… Beast having a hard time taking off Belle’s ball gown with his big claws, so she gives him a strip tease and leaves him high and dry as payback for ruining her other dresses.

Use whatever you like, or none at all 😊

Okay crying?? Thank you so much. I love getting to write and the fact that I get so much love is sometimes overwhelming. While I'm not making enough off my writing to live off of, the fact that I'm making anything is amazing to me. I appreciate it more than I can say that you enjoyed it enough to request another post. It's like that old meme "They like me. They really like me!". Lol. Anyway, Day Five 😭 ❤️

CW: this post contains graphic depictions and smut. This is intended for an 18+ audience. Knotting, excessive cum, talks of pregnancy, light pain and blood, etc

After the previous day’s encounter, Belle was too embarrassed to see Beast. She just wanted a small break. Her feelings about him were still so mixed up, and she was so sore that with every step she could still feel how he stretched her. It made her cheeks flush red every time she thought of it.

“Belle, the Master requests you for dinner,” Cogsworth announced outside of her door.

“I’m not hungry. I don’t feel very well,” she called out, curling up on her bed.

The clock did his best to encourage her to come out, but ultimately, he gave up. Just as her wardrobe did. Her pussy ached to feel the Beast again, but she knew that she could never go and ask him for that. Her head was still spinning from the day prior, especially the surprisingly tender kiss they shared. Absent mindedly, her fingers grazed her lips, still swollen and puffy from their shared kisses.

When Beast found out Belle wasn’t coming, his heart sank. Had he hurt her? Or did she not enjoy herself as much as he had thought? Growling to himself, he stalked back up to the West Wing. His claws curled around the mirror he held.

“Show me my girl. Show me Belle,” he asked of it.

The mirror obliged after a moment, showing Belle in her bed. Her fingers were on her lips, a small smile tugging at the corners. The sight made his heart skip a beat. Was she thinking about him? She laid in the bed, one hand slipping under her blanket. Was she touching herself? If she was, was she thinking about last night?

In annoyance, he shook the mirror. “Give me a better view!” he demanded of it, shaking it as if that would chance the angle he was shown.

Of course it didn’t, so in frustration, he tossed the mirror aside. Yet, after a moment, he picked it back up. He spent the rest of the night watching her, and from then on, every moment she wasn't with her, he was watching her. He saw the things that made her laugh so loud she snorted, and that made her just give a small half smile. He was obsessed with that mirror because he thought that that was the only way that he would ever be close to her again.

Eventually she was able to be around him again without feeling like she was reliving the feeling of his brutal pace once again. When Mrs. Potts set up a date for the two of them, she shyly agreed. The wardrobe helped her get dressed, but she knew the basics of how to take it off. It would just need to be slightly loosened. Just enough for her to be able to pull the cords from. The underclothes were easy enough to take off.

After the dance, she was happy to be close to him again, as he was with her. The mirror lay forgotten in his room. He only had eyes for the gorgeous woman standing in front of him, her gloved hands caressing his arms, his fur.

"Do you want to come back to my room?" Belle asked in a soft voice, knowing that the wardrobe would scamper off at the sight of the Beast, leaving the two of them alone.

A low groan left his throat as he nodded, "Yes."

The two of them practically sprinted to her room, him scooping her up in his arms when they got close. Just as Belle predicted, the wardrobe ran off out of her room as Beast came in. With a gentleness that made Belle's heart soften even more, he set her on the bed. His claws immediately were on her gown, trying to undo the intricate lacework of the corset top.

After a few moments, he huffed in frustration. "Why do these things have to be so difficult?"

He raised up a paw, clearly to just rip the dress off of her, but she jumped up. "No! It's gorgeous. I can take it off myself."

Beast relented, feeling bad for upsetting Belle again. He hadn't thought of how she would feel getting a gown that was so high quality, and then him immediately wanting to destroy it. "Alright."

Belle smiled. As she slipped off her gloves, tossing them onto the bed besides Beast, she thought about how the last time they were alone together, he had ripped her dress. Her favorite dress. Maybe she could show Beast how it would feel to no longer have something you enjoyed.

A mischievous idea formed in her head as she slowly began to undo the dress in the back. Maybe she could get back at him, teasing him just a bit. Sure tomorrow she might feel a little guilty and give herself to him, but for tonight, she wanted to be at least somewhat in control.

Beast's hungry eyes followed every movement of her body. The way she slightly jutted out one hip as she was unlacing the corset. The way her hands ran down her waist after she dropped the gown to the floor. When she had gotten the hoop and underskirt off, leaving her in little more than a glorified ruffled one piece, she made her way over to him.

His mouth was watering as she closer to him, dropping the remainder of her clothes to the floor. The air between them was almost thick enough to taste. However, when he reached for her, she stepped back.

"What are you doing?" he asked in an almost hoarse voice.

Almost coyly, she smiled, leaning over to grab a simple nightgown that she had set out before she left. Slipping it on, she smoothed it out, hiding what the Beast considered the glorious sight of her body. "I'm getting ready for bed. I did enjoy seeing you like this tonight though. Maybe we should have breakfast together."

Stunned, frustrated, and a little confused, he started to protest as Belle led him out of a room, but she shut the door in his face, silencing any further protests. At least he had the mirror to watch her as he touched himself. Maybe she would touch herself for him too. At least then he would get something out of tonight.

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[natsukishinomiyaswife]

𝓒𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓭: 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓐 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰

I originally wrote this for my OC, based on this video my friend Mah (@midnightmah07) sent me! I decided to make it a x Reader, so that everyone can enjoy it (and because I love this fic lol) but if you want to read the original, you can find it here! ♡ Enjoy! ♡

⋆ The Pop Music Club was sitting in their club room, eating snacks as they talked. They had a show coming up in a few weeks, and were debating on what to perform. There were certain songs they would always play, but this time they wanted to do something different, to really make the show stand out. Lilia suggested they try a new genre, while Kalim suggested they incorporate a new instrument. Cater didn’t really have any suggestions, scrolling through Magicam for inspiration. While scrolling he comes across a new post from you, a smile coming to his face as he likes it.

⋆ As he continues scrolling he comes across fan edits, dancing videos, comedy skits, memes. He was about to switch apps when he comes across a post, a girl gushing about how her partner wrote a song for her, as a surprise for her birthday. The post includes a short clip of them singing to her, the girl standing there in shock for a moment before looking like she could cry. In the comments everyone talked about how romantic it was, some saying how they wished they had a partner like that.

⋆ A sudden thought occurs to him, looking up from his phone and turning towards the others as he suggests, “Why don’t we try writing our own songs?” Kalim and Lilia look to each other for a moment before agreeing, the two of them excited at the idea of writing their own song. After eating a few more snacks and talking for a little bit longer, they go their separate ways, each of them needing to have a song written for their next club meeting.

⋆ Cater stretched in his desk chair, sighing. He had been staring at his computer for a few hours now, a blank word document in front of him. He kept thinking and trying yet a song just wouldn’t come to him, getting up from his chair. He grabs his phone and earbuds before moving to lay on his bed, needing a break. He scrolls through Magicam as he listens to music, liking and sharing certain posts. He sees a post from the bakery in the village near Night Raven, announcing new items they would be adding to their menu soon. One of the items is a dessert that seems to be trending right now, everyone talking about how good it is.

⋆ He smiles as his mind immediately goes to you, knowing how much you like sweets. Without thinking he shares the post with you, sending another message right after that asking if you’d like to go with him when the bakery debuts their new desserts. It takes a few minutes before you respond, but your reaction was what he expected, telling him you would love to go with him and how excited you were to try the desserts. Your message had a mix of heart emojis throughout it, something you always did. Their was one particular heart emoji you seemed to use more than the others, Cater putting it next to your name in his phone. He did it because the heart emoji reminded him of you, that’s all. There was no other reason. (At least, that’s what he keeps telling himself)

⋆ It’s a few days later when the bakery debuts their new desserts, Cater waking up early knowing how busy they will be. You were already waiting for him outside campus, standing at the entrance gates. You were dressed more casually than usual, no longer wearing the uniform he was used to. He couldn’t help but stare, thinking how good you looked. You ran over to him as soon as you noticed him, thanking him again for inviting you. Cater wasn’t paying attention as you continued to talk, eyes focused on your mouth. There was just something about that lip balm you wore that he was drawn to, tempting him. It makes him want to…

⋆ He shakes his head, stopping himself from continuing that thought. You made your way to the bakery, talking and laughing as you walked. As you pass by a house Cater catches a glimpse of your reflection in the window, the sight almost making him stop. He never thought about how you held hands whenever you go somewhere, enjoying having you close. But seeing your reflection, your hands linked together as you talked, he couldn’t help but think…

We look like a couple

⋆ It doesn’t help that others would mistake you as such, strangers calling you his partner or his dorm mates telling him to enjoy his “date”. Trey had even complimented his appearance that morning, asking him what he was dressed up for. They’re wrong, Cater thinks. We’re just friends. Yet, the idea of you being “just friends” hurt, Cater choosing not to linger on it.

⋆ There was already a line when you got to the bakery, having to wait around fifteen minutes before you could enter. Cater’s attention was drawn to the dessert that was trending, ordering it to take a picture for his Magicam. You went to order one as well before Cater stopped you, reminding you that you could just eat his. You laughed, saying you forgot and thanking him. Once he got the dessert you went to sit outside, not wanting to stay in with how packed it was.

⋆ It was a nice day out, the table he chose giving you a nice view. Cater took the dessert out of it’s container, setting it up so that it looked good. He used the natural lighting to help take his photo, immediately uploading it to Magicam. When he looked up from his phone he noticed you sitting across from him, eyeing the dessert eagerly. His heart raced as he told you he just needed to take one more photo before you could dig in, focusing on you rather than the dessert as he took it. As soon as he said you could eat it, you started digging in, looking happy due to how good it was.

⋆ You stayed there for a while, Cater scrolling through his phone as you ate, talking and laughing in between. Whenever Cater saw a video or a meme he knew you would like, he would hold his phone out to you, watching as you tried not to choke on the dessert while laughing. Before you went your separate ways Cater gave you a hug, thanking you for coming with him. You hugged him back, telling him that you should be the one thanking him, considering he paid for the dessert. You promise to treat him next time as you wave goodbye, Cater watching you go before heading back to Heartslabyul.

⋆ As soon as he got back Ace was there, a teasing grin on his face as he asked how his “date” went. Cater gave him a look, used to his behavior as he tells him it wasn’t a date. After a moment he goes on, letting him know he had a good time, and that the dessert seems to be worth the hype. He heads to his room, running into Deuce along the way. He too asks how his “date” went, though his question seemed more genuine, Cater not having the heart to correct him. He breathes a sigh of relief once he’s inside, immediately laying in his bed.

⋆ He did his best to relax, mind racing as he pulled up the picture he took of you earlier. It had turned out better than he thought, your eyes lit up as you looked at the dessert on the table. You looked almost like you were glowing with how the sun hit your face, your hands clapped together in excitement. You looked so happy, so cute. He had to resist the urge to make it his phone background, shaking his head. He sat his phone on his chest, holding his arm over his eyes. He just needed to calm down, everything would be alright. You guys were friends, you were only hanging out. You weren’t dating, you weren’t his partner, he wasn’t…

He wasn’t…

“I’m not in love with them” he mutters to himself, though his racing heart wants to prove him wrong.

⋆ It’s in this moment that he realizes what he wants his song to be about, slowly getting up and moving to his desk. He writes what he’s thinking, what he’s feeling, using it as inspiration. After having to edit and rewrite it a few times he was finally happy with it, realizing how late it was when he checked his phone.

⋆ At their next club meeting Cater bursts into the club room, presenting the song he had written. Lilia gave him a knowing look as he read the lyrics, Kalim complimenting him on how good it was. After talking some more and discussing the songs Lilia and Kalim had written, they decided to perform the song Cater wrote, with him singing the lead vocals. As it got closer to their show date they began advertising it, posting on their socials and putting up flyers around campus. You even made a post on your Magicam about it, encouraging anyone who could to attend. You texted Cater the night before the show, telling him how excited you were, and wishing them good luck. He tried not to think about how it made his heart skip a beat.

⋆ The night of their show the Pop Music Club was buzzing with excitement, a fairly large crowd coming to see them. As they went on stage Cater’s eyes were drawn towards the front, right where you stood in the crowd. You waved at him, mouthing good luck as he gave you a small wave back. They did their usual introduction, playing some of the songs they were known for before playing the one Cater wrote near the end. He did his best to focus on different parts of the crowd as he sang, but he couldn’t help how he would always go back to you, locking eyes with you more than once.

You’re always on my mind I think about you all the time Um, no Let’s not talk about it Drama, we can live without it Catch a wave if we’re bored There’s a clock we’ll ignore Find a way around it Hey, I can tell there’s something Even when you say it’s nothing When you’re playing with your hair Like you just don’t care It’s a tell you’re bluffing Now please don’t take this the wrong way I love the things you do It’s how you do the things you love Well it’s not a love song, not a love song I love the way you get me But correct me If I’m wrong This is not a love song, not a love song I love the things you do It’s how you do the things you love The way you sing it, Put me through it I guess I always knew it (I always knew) I love the way you get me But correct me If I’m wrong This is not a love song (not a love song) Not a love song (I know it’s not a love song)

Bonus scene:

⋆ After their show the boys headed backstage, ecstatic by how well their performance had gone. Lilia turns to Cater, a knowing smile on his face as he informs him, “You do realize that was a love song you wrote, don’t you Cater?”

Cater stumbles for a moment, laughing awkwardly as he shakes his head. “It totally wasn’t! I don’t know where you got that idea from, Lilia!”

Lilia eyes shine with amusement at his response, asking, “Oh, really? Can I ask what the inspiration was for the song, then? Perhaps, you had someone in mind…?”

Cater was quiet after that, knowing his response wouldn’t help his case. He couldn’t say that he wrote the song thinking of you, after all. ♡

𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾! ♡

[practicedvmm13fullofpotatoes]

Things in The Neighbor's Under the Bed that drive me insane

(WARNING: IT'S A REALLY LONG POST FOR SOME REASON. CONTINUE IF YOU DARE)

Mark said "They beat us 7-nil", implying that Abigail was also a Raccoon. So. Both of them are retired Raccoon City players but Mark cares about football and getting back at Johnny and Janae's father. Abigail loves the guy enough to let him do his plans, occasionally helping him (like with the tunnel thing) but she doesn't obsess over football like he does

"A nipple a day keeps the Rangers at bay!" "That's what we've got on our house crest" I know all of these things are supposed to be for comedic purposes but that implies that Abigail's been doing the nipple thing since the Raccoons lost to the Rangers (hell, she could have also been doing it before they lost to the Rangers but I don't think she'd have the need to do that unless conspiring with Mark to get back at the Rangers)

THE ADDAMS JUST HAVE A BLUEPRINT OF THE EVANS' HOUSE. WHAT??

"We love you too, Dad!" Janae, that is your mother--

"Don't hit your brother anymore, that's not very nice okay?" "I try to but the night terrors" This is Janae responding. I can't tell if this is because Janae has nightmares and is hitting Johnny in their sleep or if Janae hits Johnny to wake him up from a really nasty future dream

Johnny coming out of nowhere while Martha was already telling the boys goodnight and her not knowing that he wasn't in the room shows how neglectful of a mother she is. Sure, she comforts him but also tells him to "shut up" and to "stop being weird".

"Yes, Johnny, that's the one" WHY DID JANAE HAVE TO CONFIRM THAT THEIR MOTHER WAS RIGHT WITH WHAT THEIR OLDER BROTHER'S NAME IS??

"I did say that he was my older brother. But he's emotionally less mature" This is definitely to clarify to the audience but I'm taking this as Janae knowing that their mother can't differentiate them sometimes.

"What do you mean you had another one of your future dreams?" SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT. AND THIS IS A REGULAR OCCURRENCE, MIND YOU. SHE DOESN'T LISTEN TO HIM WHEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT HIS FUTURE DREAMS!! HE LITERALLY HAD TO EXPLAIN WHAT HIS FUTURE DREAMS WERE

"I'll try but I do have to finish the Oxford curriculum" Implies they're in school and then Tom throws the next line "Because, you know I'm lecturing in the morning" which throws my previous idea out the window. JANAE LECTURES AT OXFORD?? JANAE FUCKING GRADUATED AND TEACHES AT OXFORD??

"I dreamed a man came out from under my bed :(" I mean, sure, it's technically correct but not exactly correct?? Which implies that Johnny either has 80% accurate future dreams or his dreams come from another perspective sometimes??

"But sometimes they come true, mommy!" SOMETIMES?? SO THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME TRUE?? I MEAN. OKAY

"It's okay, I'm familiar with the carnal act" what has this eight-year-old seen....

"My seis-- my seismogram" Tom was blanking on what it was called but yes, a seismogram exists (I saw it on my exam. But now I'm starting to think that an 8 year old just recently invented it)

"It's not true" IMMEDIATELY TOLD HER CHILD THAT IT ISN'T REAL. DOES SHE CARE ABOUT HER CHILDREN? PROBABLY NOT

"If it was true, it would be called a seismoGRAPH" BOTH OF THEM SHUT JANAE DOWN. WHAT?? GUYS. HEAR 'EM OUT. COME ON

"I said I made it myself, it's something new, father!" NEITHER OF JANAE'S PARENTS WOULD LISTEN TO THEM. ALSO, THE EMPHASIS ON "FATHER" IMPLIES JANAE DOESN'T LIKE THEIR FATHER MUCH

"I know where he gets his power. I have to sleep with his wife" THIS IS LIKE THE MEME. ["I'VE CONNECTED THE TWO DOTS" "YOU DIDN'T CONNECT SHIT" "I'VE CONNECTED THEM"] NO BUT WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GET THIS IDEA I'M SOBBING SO HARD

"ENGORGE HIM AND HAVE HIM ENTE-- no wait-- ENGORGE HER AND HAVE YOURSELF ENTER HER" TOM WAS READY TO MAKE THIS GAY. I LOVE THAT

"It'll just be me and the boys--" "No, me and the boys" THEIR FATHER IS TOO FIXATED WITH FOOTBALL THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN CONSIDER HIS CHILDREN

"Tasting menu" "Expensive.." THIS ISN'T REALLY RELATED TO THE LORE I'M TRYING TO MAKE FOR NEIGHBOUR'S BUT THIS IS HILARIOUS

The nod to Luke before patting the chair. Again, not related to lore but I love this moment

AJ going to drink in the background until Luke spoke. Took a moment to pause because that was definitely not what Johnny sounded like previously (not related. again)

"We had a different daddy. Our daddy was not our daddy it was the neighbaah :(" Okay so going back to Johnny's future dreams, they aren't 100% accurate to what actually happens but rather a caricature of it?? Dreams don't always make sense in real life, so Johnny's future dreams being a bit exaggerated makes sense kind of??

"WHY ARE THEY DOING IT IN THE RECORDING STUDIO WITH ALL THE MICS ON?!" THEY HAVE A WHAT IN THEIR HOUSE? THEY HAVE A RECORDING STUDIO???

"I was going to suggest a fire but okay!" JANAE IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT THAT A FIRE WAS THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE THIS. THEY MAY BE BOOK SMART BUT THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT FUCKED UP IN THE HEAD. JOHNNY, THE ONE WHO GOES MORE ON EMOTION RATHER THAN GENUINELY THINKING, WAS THE ONE WHO HAD A RATIONAL IDEA. CALLING THEIR DAD WAS DEFINITELY THE BETTER IDEA. AND THEN HE JUST AGREES WHEN JANAE SUGGESTED A FIRE. YEAH, NO, NEVERMIND THEY'RE BOTH A BIT FUCKED UP (then again, younger children have wild imaginations. Janae might be intelligent but that doesn't mean they're not a kid. Hell, their boosted iq may or may not have aided with the fucked up ideas they might have)

Janae just being a news anchor/football announcer in a normal speed while Jack and Mark are in slow mo. Why is that? To make it a bit more dramatic? Because it's a slow mo playback? Huh??

"I'll be seeking forced adoption for myself and my older brother" GOOD BECAUSE BOTH OF THEIR PARENTS ARE NEGLECTFUL. THEY DESERVE TO LIVE IN A BETTER HOME, GODDAMN IT

Tl;dr: This play is insane and these two kids need a family that actually care about their interests and don't shut them down/force them to play football

[victimcentral]

John's second victim

This is written super quickly and might be kind of long but bare with me! I think I found something regarding Mikoto's case! Theory under cut :D

Ever since the trial 2 ending video I been thinking non stop about the fact that seemingly it confirmed the theory that John was a serial killer, for context ever since Double released I was in the belief that John only killed one person (the blonde guy we see in MeMe) and that his memories were just fragmented (since he was still forming during the events of the murder) leaving him to believe he killed multiple people (especially considering how dismissive and well how he doesn't seem to recall much about it, only remembering the fact that he wanted to protect Mikoto). Of course now we know that Milgram basically told us Mikoto is one of the people in Milgram with one of the most kills (idk why they translated to “the most kills” when Shidou is right there, but in jp it’s more like “one of the most”). 

This led me to question, how and who. For John’s blonde victim who for now I will call Blondie, I had a pretty good idea on how the murder and everything happened, I won't get into detail since it would take a lot of time to cover, my oomfie made a post that I agree with. Tldr Annoying coworker Mikoto was not very fond of, pent up rage for this person led to John killing him to get rid of this “stress” that was causing Mikoto (maybe someday I will go more in depth with this idea). But then there was the problem that, ever since the trial end video, I started to notice that MeMe in fact does show two victims, Blondie (the train murder), and… another person. 

From the framing of everything, John wearing the same clothes during both murders, and that it’s shown that it happened on the same night, I concluded John killed two people in the same event, but… my main question was, who was this second victim, I had a pretty solid theory on who Blondie guy, but this second person was a complete mystery to me, I reread everything to try and see if there were other clues but really I had nothing, we don’t even have a design for this person, but we know it exists because of the Undercover crime location, it matches up pretty well with where we see John kill this second person.

(Especially the wires)  Meanwhile we know Blondie died by the train, so no doubt about it. (I mean he died in a sort of tunnel place, where we can see here clearly they are more in the open, we can see the sky..!)

While talking to my friends about it this night, rewatching MeMe on loop to try and see something, I spotted something interesting: In the scene that we see Blondie crawling away, the screen has like the same effect on the edges as when we see a person walking towards Kayano at the start of MeMe, this effect is supposed to resemble the inside of an eye, as if we are seeing from the point of view of a person.

In both of these scenes we can see that the ���screen” blinks, making it obvious we are seeing from the perspective of a person. 

And it’s not just some visual effect of the scene, as we can see when the scene zooms in, the effect is nowhere to be found.

But look, during the murder, this eye like effect is on full display

This person is no other than the second victim. And this shows that victim two witnessed the murder of Blondie, they saw John kill, and once John noticed he killed them to keep away from anyone knowing. Basically victim two is just a witness who saw the first murder, ran away, and got killed. We can tell they ran away since the crime location in MeMe is noticeably somewhat close to where the train station is. (Credits to Doctor Bunny, I wouldn't have been able to notice this haha)

in here I will lay out how I think the events happened, because my wording probably doesn’t make any sense lolll

also this could explain all the imagery of Mikoto feeling “observed” in both MeMe and Double images here

(in fact, we even see the same effect on the edges as the victim two pov in here lol)

(All the eyes… he is being observed)

And to add last, it would make sense of John’s statement of “killing whoever was passing by”, because truth be told, that second victim truly was just a random person that was passing by, who just happened to witness the murder. 

Thx for reading! This probably makes no sense since I literally just noticed this and wanted to talk about it! In the future I may rewrite this honestly… this is prolly written like shit LMAOO, just wanted to spread the idea around :D! And if someone came up with it before and I never noticed it, let it be known :o !! Sorry if that’s the case haha ^^’ And if I explained somth awfully and want me to elaborate let me know pls!! I love rambling bout Milgram haha

[kipperlillyforpresident]

ratgrumblr ask meme

To celebrate the Rat Grinder fandom's unofficially being named, I put together this ask meme!

Some of the questions are open-ended, so that you can answer them more then once if you'd like. Or don't! I'm not the boss of you. You know the drill: reblog the post, get sent asks with the questions, answer, and profit.

Kipperlilly Copperkettle - What are you obsessed with?

Food Trucks - What do you normally have for lunch?

Ruben Hopclap - If you were a celebrity, how much would you interact with your fandom?

Puka Necklace - What were you like when you were younger? How different are you today?

Oisin Hakinvar - Do you fall in love easily?

Dragon's Hoard - Do you have any interesting family heirlooms/inheritances?

Mary Ann Skuttle - Do you enjoy any sports? If so - which ones?

Mango Soda - If you were a fandom character, what food or drink would people latch onto as your Favorite and make it a personality trait?

Ivy Embra - What's your ideal fashion sense? How close is it to how you actually dress?

Party Girl - What's your idea of a perfect Saturday night?

Buddy Dawn - Do you take pride in your hometown?

Light Domain - Do you believe in fate? Free will? Some combination of the two?

Lucy Frostblade - Are you the type of person to 'stick to your guns' on your opinions?

In Memoriam - How do you think others perceive you? How accurate is this perception?

Porter Cliffbreaker - Who was the worst teacher you ever had?

Jace Stardiamond - Which would you prefer: a fulfilling career that is difficult, or a boring career that is easy?

Henry Hopclap - If you could study anything in college, with no financial burden, what would you pick?

Shatterstar - What's something silly that makes you unreasonably mad?

Devil's Honey - Confess a lie you recently told. Optionally, share the reason you told that lie.

Bakarath - Share an inside joke - with or without context.

Quokki Pets - If you could adopt any fictional animal/creature as a pet, what would you pick?

My Clerical Gnomance - Share a favorite piece of fanart/fanfic/fanwork that somebody else made.

The Last Stand - Have you ever cheated on a test/academic assignment?

High Five Heroes - Share something that makes you happy.

[putellas11]

A/N:  Merry Christmas everyone! 🎁🎄 So happy to participate in the Christmas Writing Challenge alongside such an amazing group of writers. Thank you to @nytb for putting all this together! Check out @nytb’s fic that was posted earlier as well as @redhairedwolfwitch's fic coming out soon!

Small but Meaningful (Mapi Leon x Reader)

You’re not one to make impulsive decisions. It’s crucial to think things through and carefully consider all the pros and cons before making a final verdict. It doesn’t matter if it's deciding on a new job or a new pair of shoes, the process is the same. 

To you, this is completely normal. It’s the way you’ve always been. To others, however, it’s a little extreme. Everyone in your life, at some point or another, has encouraged you to be more spontaneous. To not think things through so much and to just go with the flow. But, they quickly realize that it’s just not in your nature. 

And yet, you managed to fall in love with one of the most impulsive human beings you’ve ever met. Unlike you, María Pilar León rarely gives more than five minutes of thought to any decision. If her heart calls for it, she will do it. Mapi doesn’t fear consequences. She knows she can handle anything and everything that is thrown her way. And that’s why you love her so much.

Her tattoos are a perfect example of this. One night, the two of you are just lying in bed, scrolling through social media and occasionally showing each other a funny video or meme. 

And then all of the sudden, Mapi sits up with a gasp, “me encanta!” 

On her screen is a tattoo design of a skull with an outline of a light bulb. The moment you see it, you know the two of you will be in a tattoo parlour in less than 24 hours. 

And just as you predicted, you’re now sitting next to Mapi as she discusses a few modifications to the design with the artist. Within seconds, Mapi made a decision that can last forever. She liked it, so she’s getting it. For her, it’s that easy.

You’ve thought about getting a tattoo before. The idea initially excites you, but once you really start thinking about it, you end up talking yourself out of it. Although Mapi’s personality and perspective on life have certainly rubbed off on you a little, just the thought of getting a tattoo gives you a headache. 

With the design finalized, Mapi can barely contain her excitement. “Do you like it?” she asks, looking at you with a sparkle in her eye. 

You may never actually get one yourself, but that doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate the beauty of tattoos. Not to mention how hot they look on your girlfriend. 

“I love it, babe.” 

Mapi, satisfied to hear your answer, leans back to allow the artist to apply the stencil to her skin.

“And when will I have the honor of tattooing you, Y/N?” asks the artist, still focused on her work.

Mapi stifles her laughter. She, of all people, knows the chances of you ever getting a tattoo are slim, if non-existent. 

“Por favor, don’t make me laugh,” Mapi shakes her head, a teasing smile on her lips, “I think her brain would short-circuit trying to pick out a tattoo.” 

You nod, in full agreement with Mapi. “Not an exaggeration.”

“You should have seen her last week trying to pick out a new toothbrush. She had like five tabs opened on her phone, just reading review after review.” 

You squint your eyes at Mapi, giving her a little kick. “Hey! It was a big decision and it didn’t even take me that long to decide, anyway.” 

“Remind me again how long it took you?” 

You look down at the floor, feeling a little warmth creeping up behind your neck, “I don’t know,” you mumble, “like 30 minutes.”

Mapi turns to the artist and gives them a clear and obvious, I told you so, look. “You see what I’m dealing with?” 

“I’ll get one, one day…” you say, trying your best to sound confident. 

“Sure you will, baby. Sure you will.” 

You and Mapi may be two very different people, that doesn’t mean you don’t share a few similarities. Like Mapi, you are very competitive. The very few times in your life when you’ve said, fuck it, without thinking of the consequences, have been for the sake of winning. 

“Go ahead, underestimate me. That’ll be fun.”

Mapi, noticing the change in your tone, blows a kiss in your direction. She loves to tease you, but also knows not to push you too much. Unlike so many others in your past, she never wants to make you feel bad for what some might consider a flaw. 

“You could always just be a little one, y’know,” the artist says, working on the lines of the tattoo “and if it means something to you, even better. Small but meaningful.” 

You remain relatively quiet for the remainder of the session, lost in thought. What the artist said resonated with you. 

Small, but meaningful. 

___________

For the first time in years, you don’t have to stress about what to get Mapi for Christmas. She has loved every gift you’ve given her in the past — no matter how simple or expensive the gift. But still, you agonize for months on what to get her. 

Now, just a few days before Christmas, you’ve never been so calm. Of course, Mapi has noticed how out of the ordinary this is for you. 

“Something’s not right,” she says, standing in front of the TV and blocking your view. 

“What do you mean?” 

Mapi looks you up and down, “you’re acting weird.” 

“How am I acting weird?”

“Two days before Christmas and you’re sitting here, watching TV, calm as a cucumber.”

“And what’s so weird about that?” you try to look past Mapi and at the screen, acting oblivious as to what the big deal is. 

Mapi snaps her fingers at you in an attempt to get your attention, “you should be freaking out!” she exclaims. “This is like the most stressful time of year for you. I mean, did you just decide not to get me a gift this year?”

“I already know what I’m getting you, amor” you tell her, brushing her off.

“You do?” 

“Mhmm.”

Mapi squints her eyes at you, one eyebrow slightly perked in suspicion. She knows you have something up your sleeve, but you know she’ll never be able to guess as to exactly what. 

For the next two days, you find Mapi snooping under the bed, in the closet, in every cabinet and every possible hiding spot in the apartment. If you were able to decide on a gift so quickly, it must be a good one. 

Now, sitting together under the Christmas tree, Mapi’s gift is still nowhere in sight. 

“I can’t take this anymore!” she says, tapping her knees impatiently, “come on, stop messing with me and give me my gift.” 

You’re just as excited to show Mapi her gift as she is to receive it. Her impatience is to be understood. This is the first gift you've given her that did not require any second guessing out of fear that she’ll hate it. 

Wanting to draw out the suspense, your movements are slow. Very carefully you tug up the sleeve of your Christmas sweater. Mapi can’t help but lean forward when she sees the reindeer band-aid on your wrist. 

“What happened?” she asks with concern. The gift is suddenly of no interest to her. 

“Go ahead, take it off,” you encourage her. Now only a few seconds away from the reveal, you can’t help the grin spreading across your face.

Mapi delicately pulls on the end of the band-aid until a small, number 4, can be seen. As soon as she sees it, she leans back. A puzzled look on her face. 

“What is that?” she asks, refusing to believe what she's seeing.  

“What do you think it is?” 

Mapi shakes her head, refusing to even believe the possibility. “No, I don't believe you” she says, leaning in again to get a closer look. “It can’t be real.” She wets her finger and tries to wipe away the number, but there it remains. 

“I know I tend to overthink everything and that it drives you crazy sometimes — even though I know you’ll never admit it,” you tug her chin so she’s looking you in the eyes, “but if there’s one thing, I’m hundred percent certain of, it’s you.” 

Mapi melts under your touch. She’s perfectly aware of how big of a decision this was for you and the fact that she’s the inspiration for your first tattoo makes it all that more special.

“I love it,” Mapi gives you a big smile and leans in to give you a soft and tender kiss, “and I love you,” she says against your lips.

Her reaction is everything you hoped for and more. 

“I have so many cool designs to show you!” she says, shaking you side to side with her hands on your shoulders. 

You put up your hand to stop her, “wait, don't you get too excited now.”

But it's too late. Mapi's already reaching for her phone.  

[howlsofbloodhounds]

Alright so the post about the idea of Delta being severely depressed and attempting su*cide by sneaking into a battle between the Stars and Nightmare, and tries to kill Nightmare by giving it his Whole Ass Everything has been living in my head rent free and makes me ask two questions.

1. If the "good ending" happened and everyone lived, how would Color and Epic react to Delta's attempt? (Especially knowing that Beta would have had to allow the body to die as well, meaning that the poor kid was ok with death?) How could they (Color and Epic) possibly attempt to cope with the fact that their best friend(s) was going to commit suicide and didn't want to tell anyone because they didn't want to be any more of a burden than they had to be, in their (Delta/Beta's) view?

2. If the "bad ending" happened, how would they react to his death?

(I was also thinking about how Zorox would be affected but then I decided it was too sad to put a dog through that lmao, so we're gonna leave him out of this one)

Zorox paws at delta’s bedroom door. sleeps in front of the door. will sleep on the bed if anyone opens the door, drags delta and beta’s old clothes out of the drawers and closet and whimpers when anyone tries to take them back (likely to clean them.) he whines all night at the closed door of delta’s workshop/garage.

whenever taken to their gravesites he just slumps down on the ground nearby and whines like hes been stabbed. He barks and panics whenever epic and color are gone too long and probably develops separation anxiety. he probably keeps trying to constantly linger around color and do specific things he only did for delta and beta (like lying on their lap or chest for deep pressure) and color suspects its because of the bravery soul he absorbed.

dogs cats and animals in general are said to be sensitive to the supernatural and the like. perhaps he sense the bits of colors bravery soul and its familiar.

can see a scene where zorox can sense epics pain and grief despite how epics constantly doing everything to pretend that hes not in as much pain as he is. hes constantly making his jokes and memes and trying to focus on avoiding the topic and changing the subject and avoiding sleep more often than not and forgetting to eat.

and zorox keeps doing his old alerts that he used to do for beta and delta for epic and color now and he keeps pushing and pushing epic to eat or sit or drink and color may be too simply because he shifted gears into full caretaker mode and is trying to avoid feeling the anguish—both his and epics—that he can feel building in his chest.

and I don’t maybe there’s a scene like from mockingjay, the one with Katniss and buttercup. This scene. with zorox and either color or epic.

as for if delta and beta survived (especially if they’re injured) I feel like colors gonna immediately turn on that therapist/mother henning instinct. i feel like hed be treating their injuries and hed have tears in his eye because the thought of how much pain they must’ve been in to make that decision, how he “didn’t notice,” is fucking painful.

and i feel like beta and delta are going to feel so guilty and ashamed and constantly avoiding looking color in the eye. (honestly i like to think that colors just the type of person no one really likes making or watching or listening to him cry (except for nightmare) especially delta and epic and beta.

especially not in this situation, where he could’ve lost two more friends to the likes of nightmare. fighting and struggling to save and protect killer from him was traumatic and stressful on its own. the thought of losing anyone else to nightmare is terrifying and makes him so angry.)

i feel like delta and beta might have an easier time meeting epics eye, if only because he has that ability to make people laugh. and because they dont have the added feeling of guilt of having made him cry (they did epic just knows how to hide it).

epic would probably try to hide any pain from this under a joke and a meme, expressing his worry and concern and care of course.

but i feel like he wouldn’t allow the two to see how deeply it effected him and colors probably the one who’s aware of it and holds him whenever he allows himself a cry or wants to have a serious talk about it. (please feel free to chime in and add more onto this i feel like my brain stuttered to a stop near the end 🙏)

(side note but do yall think killer would call color pretty and beautiful whenever he cries. and like when hes wiping away colors tears and probably nuzzles or kisses his cheeks. like hes a sadistic little freak would he find colors crying pretty in certain situations.)

[serial-serializednovelreader]

Nova’s Notes - Dracula Daily - June 25

Where Jonathan springs into action!

“No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and how dear to his heart and eye the morning can be. When the sun grew so high this morning that it struck the top of the great gateway opposite my window, the high spot which it touched seemed to me as if the dove from the ark had lighted there. My fear fell from me as if it had been a vaporous garment which dissolved in the warmth.”

His poetic side is just…*chef’s kiss*. It’s interesting also how he uses religious imagery here with the dove from Noah’s ark in the Bible. I want to dive a bit deeper into this because I think it holds meaning.

For those who may not know, the story goes that God flooded the earth and Noah and his family (plus two of every animal) were the sole survivors because he built an ark as he was instructed to. Well, after many *many* days of this flood, Noah sent a dove from the ark out. If it came back empty-beaked, they would know the flood was still on, but if it came back with something (which it did — an olive leaf), they would know the flood was ended and it would soon be time for them to be on dry land once again.

I think Jonathan comparing the sun to this dove in particular tells me that he sees it as a messenger, both of peace to him (because doves are often used as symbols of peace and his fear falls away) and that he needs to stop being passive. If he imagines that this time as a prisoner has been spent like he’s in the ark during the flood, that time has now come to an end: now it is time for him to step out onto the “land” which is almost quite literal here. He confirms this by saying:

“I must take action of some sort whilst the courage of the day is upon me. Last night one of my post-dated letters went to post, the first of that fatal series which is to blot out the very traces of my existence from the earth.”

“Let me not think of it. Action!”

He knows his time is limited and — wisely — treats it as such. As many have pointed out, Dracula has made a mistake by giving Jonathan a time limit. As he himself has said, he knows the span of his life and that is one heck of a motivator. Not to mention, he just experienced two horrific events last night (even if he didn’t see them exactly, he knows they happened and that’s enough) and it is justifiable cause to get him moving. Some people would sink into despair and wait for death to approach them, but for Jonathan, it has the opposite effect.

He figures that the Count must need some time to rest and if it’s not at night (which is always the time he’s harassed), it must be daytime, right? And the best way to find him would be to infiltrate his room — if only it weren’t locked.

But then Jonathan gets an idea. An awful idea. A wonderful, *awful* idea!

Sorry, y’all! Had to make the Grinch reference. Anyway, yes, Jonathan decides that if Dracula can crawl up walls in a lizardly fashion, so can he. Desperate times call for desperate measures. If he doesn’t make it back well…

“Good-bye, Mina, if I fail; good-bye, my faithful friend and second father; good-bye, all, and last of all Mina!”

First of all, this is so sad and so sweet that he says bye to Mina first and last (again, that first and last thing to show you care is becoming a running theme here) and calling Mr. Hawkins a second father is also very sweet.

Secondly, if you also thought of the “you said bye Squidward twice” meme like I did when you saw this (I promise I’m trying to be serious), there’s fanart for that! Check out this lovely art by @count-skribula!!

“I went whilst my courage was fresh straight to the window on the south side, and at once got outside on the narrow ledge of stone which runs around the building on this side.”

So it’s interesting that he chooses to not go from the window on his room, but instead to go from the South window. One reason may be that, as he says in the next sentence, the stones are bigger here and can probably hold him better, but I don’t think that’s the only reason.

I went back to the first Lizard Fashion entry to figure out a bit more about why that may be. Here’s what I found:

“The window at which I stood was tall and deep, stone-mullioned, and though weatherworn, was still complete; but it was evidently many a day since the case had been there.”

So this is referencing the South window and it sounds like this window is much easier to fit a human being through than, say, the one in his room. Going back to this entry was also useful because it references where the Count’s room is in relation to this window:

“As I leaned from the window my eye was caught by something moving a storey below me, and somewhat to my left, where I imagined, from the order of the rooms, that the windows of the Count's own room would look out.”

So while this window is more ideal for his ease of movement, it will be more difficult for Jonathan to reach the room itself.

“I took off my boots, and ventured out on the desperate way. I looked down once, so as to make sure that a sudden glimpse of the awful depth would not overcome me, but after that kept my eyes away from it. I knew pretty well the direction and distance of the Count's window, and made for it as well as I could, having regard to the opportunities available.”

He even gets the Lizard Fashion down to taking off his BOOTS and going barefoot. Also, have I mentioned I love Jonathan and his smartness today? Because I do!!! Him looking down once so it doesn’t catch him off guard later is so….UGH. I don’t go into fangirl mode often, but for him? Always. What a guy, so smart. I don’t know why that detail gets me but it does!! Love that man.

ANYWAY, you can tell he’s been watching the Count very often — probably every night — if he knows exactly where the window is. So another cool detail right there.

I love how he describes himself as excited initially until he reaches the window, at which point he feels agitated, whether it’s from trying to open the windowsill or just from his proximity to the Count.

After diving (feet-first) into the window, he discovers that there’s no Count! The room, in fact, is practically empty. He is able to make some astute observations about it, however:

1) It looks like most of the other South rooms he’s seen.

2) It’s dusty — obviously in disuse.

3) the Gold CornerTM — filled with gold from different countries (that he’s able to name!). It’s also dusty as if it’s been in the ground, but less than three centuries old. The jewels and chains that lay there are old and stained. It’s interesting that he takes the time to note this. It must’ve taken a while to go through the coins and note their age and where they’re from!

While he can’t open the outer door and there’s no key to speak of, he does notice a heavier door that’s open. It leads to a big spiral stairway…this is usually the part where I’d say “turn around and go back!!!” But Jonathan has proven himself quite capable for a horror protagonist thus far and he’s already taken so much effort to get to this point, why not?

At the bottom of the tunnel, he finds a door which leads to an old and broken chapel which smells of “old earth newly turned” — a horrible smell, apparently. Inside, he finds the ground has indeed been dug up, with the dirt now in boxes, the same boxes the same he saw from the Slovaks’ wagon. There are also three vaults to go into. Ever the sleuth, he carefully combs over every inch of the chapel. Going into two of the vaults yields nothing but the heebie-jeebies (with coffins and more dirt), but the third…

“There, in one of the great boxes, of which there were fifty in all, on a pile of newly dug earth, lay the Count! He was either dead or asleep, I could not say which—for the eyes were open and stony, but without the glassiness of death—and the cheeks had the warmth of life through all their pallor; the lips were as red as ever.”

Yep, Dracula jumpscare! He’s in a dirt bed (has anyone made a teenage dirtbag edit for him yet? Can we make that a thing?) and sleeps with his eyes open. *shudders*

It’s interesting that Jonathan notes while he seems dead — he even searches him for signs of life by bending over to look at his breathing — he notes that he can’t have been dead long and seems to retain some signs of life. And, most disturbingly, when he goes to search him for keys (one of his original missions here) his eyes have taken on an expression of hate. Either he has RBF (literally) or he’s not as lifeless/asleep as first thought.

“I fled from the place, and leaving the Count's room by the window, crawled again up the castle wall. Regaining my room, I threw myself panting upon the bed and tried to think....”

Now, I know you may be thinking “Jonathan, WHAT??? You went all that way just to do nothing and run back??” And yeah, I get it. But he actually did find out some good information here, both about this castle and himself:

Where Dracula sleeps

Dracula *does* rest during the day (although how is uncertain)

Dracula has currency from around the world (less than 300 years old and likely kept buried — why?)

What the Slovaks are doing

There are hidden passages in this castle (possibly more?)

Jonathan can go into Lizard Fashion ModeTM and even in a rush, too!

Keys may be a lost cause here (try something else to escape)

I would consider this productive, because above all, some of the scariest part of this whole experience for him has been his inability to gain information. Hearing the Slovaks do their work, seeing Dracula come and go, being simply locked in his room has been grueling on him. At least being able to gain some kind of information is extremely valuable and the fact that he’s setting his mind straight to thinking tells me this was not an idle trip.

Also, as a fun note: another user (here’s the post) pointed out there are airholes in the cover of Dracula’s dirt box and…yes there are LOL. Like he’s a little bug 😂😂😂 I have no special reason to point this out, I just really like that this is a thing.

Keep going, Jonathan — you got this!!

[sleepysheepiiee]

What the lore of the streams? I missed the first and second one you had.

Okay, lore from the Cotl streams I’ve done are as follows;

“Third Time’s the charm”; a lot of the times when I got to the bishops it took me three tries to beat them, so after the fights i started saying that the third time is the charm

“Praise Be, Praise Be”; something I’d say whenever chat would say ‘Praise the Lamb’, usually when I was struggling/entering or completing a boss fight.

Eat Grass ; I unlocked the grass eater doctrine and every time before I’d leave for a crusade I’d make myself a normal meal, and then make a ton of grass gruel for the followers to eat so they wouldn’t starve while I was gone (i didn’t put on the pause time while on crusades toggle) this made the chat act ravenous about grass, demanding for me to make them grass or they’d dissent

Eat Wood ; Same fucking thing that happened with grass happened with wood, but wood is a building material and not food so I’d have chat demanding I let them eat wood or they’d dissent

The Tent ; I unlocked the sin mechanic and everyone subsequently started yelling at me to use the mating tent

LuluStan420 Jr.; so the twitch plugin glitched during a raffle and a chat member, Lulustan420 somehow got to make two cultists, both the cultists are identical purple hedgehogs with no relation to each other, once we got the mating tent, I went to it and did a raffle to see who’d be the first one, Lulustan420 won, I then went down the list, and Lulustan420 had the highest chemistry with the other Lulustan420 and I thought it was really funny so I bred them, the baby is also a purple hedgehog but is named LuluStan Jr

Juulda and Alnaar hate each other; Juulda and Alnaar are my Lamb’s wives, and when it was time for me to put them in the mating tent, they had no chemistry and it said that they were enemies. Right of Lust changed that a bit and after they left out the tent Alnaar had a thousand yard stare and I joked that she had post nut clarity

Sven the mega simp; Okay so this one is a bit more long winded, in my first ever game file for Cotl I had a white deer/stag that always proposed to my lamb, and I’d always tell them no. They didn’t get the name Sven until I asked my friend Candy if she could help me come up with names for prominent followers in my AU. Eventually Sven became a mainstay cause I loved the idea of a simp character and funnily enough every Sven I’ve had in game has tried to propose since. In the stream before last, I was about to sign off for the night, I got back to the cult and everything was in chaos, there was shit and vomit everywhere, a corpse that desperately needed to be buried asap, and in the madness Sven ran to me asking for my hand, I said no.

Sven Broke the game from beyond the grave; another Sven meme, after I had beaten the one who waits, I went back to the cult and was about go marry Narinder, only to see that Sven died (from old age) I decided to go on with the wedding, and was like, I’ll revive Sven after, I don’t want them to suffer a third wedding. Well, the moment the lamb and Narinder’s lips touched, the game froze and subsequently crashed, causing chat to joke that it was Sven enacting their revenge.

That’s the big memes and lore from the streams, thus far.

[trashlama]

Heeeeeyyyyy.... guess who's ADHD can't let them write for shit?~ This bitch✨~

I suuuuuucck guys I know! I did a poll and everything just so I would have to write some of these! I just couldn't help but get side tracked.... My brain is in the LMK and Spiderverse fandoms!!! Though I will say I basically got this Rise Donnie x Big Mama Assistant req almost done. Almost I say. We'll see if I post it in the next two days and not something else random instead.... I suck lol

Anyways— here's my 3am thoughts from the other night that I'm finish up tonight ironically at 3am again. Soooo bare with me these are basically a bunch of summaries/plots/not fully flushed out possible one shot ideas I might do. Probably could've re-read it a couple more times buuuuttt it's about to be 4 now so....

I hope you guys enjoy!

Sorry this is long↓ I don't own these memes. I've never claimed to do so. I just come across them on Pinterest when I'm on break at work and think they're funny so I like to share them. If I mistakenly put one on here that I shouldn't have please let me know! I like to respect people's wishes. And if you could add the creator names too that would be great so the same mistake isn't made twice. Sorry for the inconvenience that my sharing may cause. I hope you have a good day.

+++++++++++++++++++

Sooooo I was going through the Across the Spiderverse tag(specifically Miguel O'Hara) because you know he's hot. Priorities— Anyways— I kinda had an idea. Brahhzz what if I just took the whole Miguel kidnapping his dead wife/lover's alternate dimensional copy deal that everyone has been throwing around and introduced a new take on this tale?

We all know that the Spiderverse is very open to a wide selection of possibilities and versions of Spiderman and we're all aware that the same thing applies to other characters as well. Soooo who said that Y/n has to be a civilian/or a version of Spiderman for this idea to work?

My fellow peeps I introduce to you Earth 2099 Miguel O'Hara x  Villain/Alchemax worker/Morally Grey scientist Reader!

I can kinda see this playing out in a few ways.

1.)Villain reader investigating the strange phenomenon that occurred a couple months before hacking the multi verse and stirring up trouble. Miguel intervenes and takes what he wants.

For the last year since the bizarre phenomenon in downtown Brooklyn you've been stirring up more trouble than you typical due to collecting the materials needed for your "experiments" to figure out what that phenomenon really was and what the hell was Alchemax —your ex-employers— were up to with your research. With some finessing of the illegal kind you figure out what the corporation was up to. Before being fired you had discovered the existence of the multiverse however before you could investigate any further you were let go. Now that you have your research back you're able to Doc Octo this shit and break into the multiverse. If you could pull this off nothing was stopping ya' from fulfilling yer goal and maybe scoring some fame while you were at it. After some convoluted ass science mumbojumbo. You manage to Doc Octo this shit and break into the dimensional web that held the spider verse. Inside the alternate universe you immediately start messing up shit straight off the back as soon as you fly through the colorful portal. Miguel is quick to pick up on this anomaly and sends some Spiders out to handle the issue. Long story short— they fail. Forcing Miguel's hand to go and correct the anomaly himself. Only to find that it was you. Her. His dead wife/or dead lover. The only problem is that you're obviously not a good guy. Miguel being Miguel will try to rationalize it to himself as he demolishes your equipment/suit that you're not his Y/n, you're a villain, he can't keep you without risking a whole universe just for his selfish desires. However as he stood over your defeated helpless form. He decided. If one anomaly can exist and not destroy existence why can't another? There were ways around this. There had to be. Holding you in his grasp again the hero wasn't sure if he could let you go once again....

2.) You're an inventor/scientist that works at Alchemax/or your another rogue scientist . Either way you're looking to get into the Spider verse. Since the phenomenon from a couple months ago you've been intrigued by the strange occurrence. The news labeled it a "strange weather occurrence" however you knew that wasn't the case. If you're working at Alchemax you've known about the phenomenon since the beginning. If you're an inventor/scientist (with some grey morals) you found out after some research and trespassing. Either way your tinkering pays off thanks to the help of some stolen tech from Alchemax and an interesting glitch from the hacked tech. You eventually have yourself a fully operational universe hopping watch. And where do you end up? Right in the middle of Earth 2099. Miguel is immediately alerted of your presence. An obvious stranger to this Jetson world you find yourself quickly apprehended by a small group of spiders/or Miguel. Either way the red & blue leotard nosferatu as soon as he catches sight of you the dude is all over you. Miguel may be a man who would like to believe he is in control of himself and his rash decisions buuuuttt that's gonna be a nah. Never had the Spiderman ever expected to speak to an alternate version of his dead wife. Especially in person. Every time he's stolen a glance it was from a distance or behind one of his various monitors. He couldn't risk ruining another verse. However somehow regardless of his attempts to keep his desires at bay you've still managed to break past that last thing that was keeping you from him. Now that you're here the thirty year old wasn't sure if he could let you leave him again...

3.) What if instead of breaking into the multi verse. Alchemax employee/Morally Grey scientist Reader! is lured into the multiverse? In your home verse the Miguel who you had married was dead. Struggling with piling debt and depression you choose to bury your problems under research into the weird phenomenon that occurred in downtown Brooklyn a few months before. During this time of trial and error you figure out how to access the multiverse thanks to some misplaced Alchemax files and risky choices. The documents aid in building the device that would aid in your plan to find your ex-husband's alternate universe copy. All the while you were walking right into Miguel's clutches. Cause like you Miguel was having an equally hard time getting over his family's death. Although they are gone the widowed father couldn't help but, search for his loved ones amongst the various worlds that rest at his finger tips. He needed them. He needed you....and you needed him. Although you guys weren't from the same earth you both can replace the pain that was birthed from this tragedy and regain something more. Just be a family.... Hopefully you want to play his game because Miguel couldn't watch from the sidelines any longer.

Alrighty guys that's all for now! Sorry if they're a little all over the place. Regardless I hope you guys liked them and I hope you guys have a good week!

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 04/05/2024

FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE

Season 8 No Album Release (Read More) Circus (3mixphilip) - Five Nights at Freddy's

Ripped by KnightOfGames (@knightofgames)

Hey everyone - remember Stuck Inside? The Five Nights at Freddy's fan song I covered back in Willievan Afton Polkka, the one pushed entirely by long-time team member KnightOfGames? Back when I first wrote that post, the meme was just beginning to take off, sitting at seven rips total by the beginning of March. We've now reached the two-month anniversary of that post - and in the time since, the amount of Stuck Inside being done has grown exponentially. Not only has the total rip count more than quadrupled - currently at 33 - but the tune has also caught on with more rippers on the team than just KnightOfGames, bringing about a huge variety of more takes on the song. Granted, today's rip is still one from the man himself, but after you've listened to FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE I highly recommend checking out all the other Stuck Inside rips if you haven't already - 12 AM - Maroon GO got a really good chuckle out of me in particular.

But yes, no matter - it's been three months since KnightOfGames first had the idea to start putting a silly fan song into his rips back in February, and it's arguably turned into the most prominent reoccurring tune to specifically debut during Season 8. And like, you'd think that would lead to a sort of overexposure to it, that one would get fed up hearing the same joke in so many places - but this deep into the channel's life, rippers have learned just how to leverage running jokes in a way that keeps them sounding fresh at every turn. Last time it was vocaloid - today, months after my post on SING A SONG ABOUT HOPES AND DREAMS, we're returning to the world of hyperpop, with one of the most cool-sounding interpretations of Stuck Inside that we've gotten yet. To be completely honest - this rip may alone have perked my interest in 100 gecs' music.

Yes, we're at one of those rips again, the kind where I'm woefully unfamiliar with the material that the rip's joke is using. But even moreso to an outsider looking in, there's a whimsy to 100 gecs' music that I just can't help but be allured by, a sound that somehow feels like a nostalgic calling to the early days of internet expression: to be loud, cringe and unashamed of being as such. FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE is in particular using the band's debut single Money Machine as a baseline, both using parts of its instrumental and tuning the original Stuck Inside vocals to that level of distortion and higher-pitch that 100 gecs is known for. It's a surprisingly natural fit (hence why I'm writing about it here) for how different you'd think the two songs are in terms of tone - but then, Stuck Inside had its chorus be sung by a rather filtered voice to begin with...perhaps this combination of tracks isn't as far-fetched as one would initially think?

In truth, I don't know if there's much I have to say beyond my absolute highest recommendation to FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE in particular - I'm just incredibly happy that Stuck Inside is continuing to see use in general. KnightOfGames' passion for the track is infectious, and it's really sweet seeing just how much its caught on with fellow SiIva viewers in the comments - despite how blatantly prevalent it was during the April Fools event in particular, I've hardly ever seen anyone complain about its overexposure the way people did with Grand Dad or Snow Halation back in Season 1. Perhaps that just speaks to how much better the rips have gotten over the years - Stuck Inside is incredibly prevalent, but each rip is made with such care and with such a distinct feel from the last to where it never feels as if the jokes are getting redundant or stalel.

Stuck Inside is just a damn good song - and through rips like FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE, its presence on SiIvaGunner is also helping me uncover my tastes in music in a rather fun way. It's not an inherently funny leitmotif nor something grounded in any sort of meme culture - it is merely a tune KnightOfGames saw tons of potential in, and has leveraged to incredible lengths in the months since. I cannot wait to see what the future of Stuck Inside looks like, but FEEL SO FINE STUCK INSIDE will do just fine in the meanwhile.

[deepseacolors]

Branching Line

@spr-ingo April, Day 3 (ft. The Parent Trap AU Nobody Asked For)

... There's no sense belaboring the point. I'm the epitome of the Slowpoke meme.

ANYway! I came up with this concept a... year? two years ago? And this felt like a good excuse to play with it.

I actually got it mostly done on time, but got too embarrassed to post it because it felt like an odd AU... but then I posted that OTHER AU for May 3rd's prompt, which is a way way weirder premise, so now I don't feel quite as silly! It's still not completely finished, but it's close enough and I'm tired of looking at it!

Anyway! Onwards!

----

Though it is early summer, Bertha and Ingo arrive at the Canalave docks early enough in the day that they beat the worst of both the heat and the crowd.

Nonetheless, she grips his hand and keeps him close as they move towards the boat that will take him to Johto. At nine years old, he’s still small enough that he could easily be swept away in the clamor, and the last thing either of them want is for him to miss his ride and lose his spot at summer camp.

Ingo himself is absolutely buzzing with excitement and nerves alike, clutching her hand like a lifeline. They had done all they could to prepare for today, for his first big trip alone; but all the preparation in the world likely means little compared to the wide open world before him now.

It certainly means little to Bertha.

But this trip will be good for him, she tells herself. And for her as well. He’s almost at the right age to leave on his own Gym run, and a few weeks away from home in a structured environment will help him adjust to the idea of a longer journey when the time comes.

And it likely doesn’t hurt that he’ll get to spend those weeks next to one of the world’s most advanced railway systems.

The only times he’s ever been up close and personal with his beloved locomotives were during vacations to other regions, which are sadly few and far between when a single mother must budget for not only a growing boy, but also the seven Pokemon between them.

So when she caught wind of a summer camp in Johto taking place near the Magnet Train’s railyard which touted it’s own railway program… Well, what else could she do but start saving up?

The look on Ingo’s face when she showed him the brochure made it worth every penny and then some.

At the moment, he is tapping an uneven rhythm on the handle of his rolling luggage, eyes taking in all the hustle and bustle of the growing crowd. He’s already on edge, and it’s only going to get busier. If he gets wound up now, she’ll never get him grounded.

Best to get him talking, then.

“What do you think, Ingo? Are you excited?”

Ingo is pulled from his thoughts at the sound of her voice, and beams up at her (not so far up as he used to, though—it won’t be long now until he surpasses her height. A bittersweet thought).

“Yes, I am!” He exclaims. The volume is enough to net them a few stares and annoyed glances, but Bertha pays them no mind.

Ingo, however, flushes when he notices the looks. He hunches his shoulders a bit and looks down, suddenly seeming to find his shoes very interesting.

Bertha squeezes his hand. When he looks back at her, she gives him a warm smile. “It seems that they have a lot of fun things planned. I’ll want to hear all about it when you get home!”

Ingo relaxes a little, and squeezes her hand in turn. “Of course, Mother!” He says, at a more even volume this time. He stops, letting go of his suitcase and reaching into his pocket for the brochure, now soft and wrinkled despite his best efforts.

He points at the bulleted list on the back. “There are many fascinating activities planned for us! Such as…”

Bertha is already very familiar with the camp’s itinerary; even if Ingo hadn’t chattered excitedly about it every night at dinner, she herself had done plenty of research before ever bringing it up.

But as Ingo regales her with all that information and more, she finds that his enthusiasm is as infectious as ever.

--

Reviewing the itinerary does the trick. Now much calmer, Ingo carefully replaces the brochure in his pocket. But when he goes back to pick up his bag, he seems taken aback by an unexpected weight. “What? It feels heaver now than it did a few minutes ago...”

Something inside the bag shifts.

Ah, so that’s it.

Bertha covers her grin with one hand. “Whatever could be the matter, Ingo?” She asks, not able to fully hide the laughter in her voice.

Ingo sighs, heavy and dramatic, kneeling down and unzipping his bag. Neither of them are surprised when a pair of pointed purple ears immediately poke out.

“Gligar,” Ingo scolds, crossing his arms and giving his best stern look at the little bat. “We have already discussed this.”

Gligar pins his ears back and tries to dig further into Ingo’s bag. He must have gotten impatient when he felt them pause and tried to pop out of his smuggled Poke Ball to get a better idea of what was happening.

“Ah, no--!” Ingo dives in to fish out his errant Pokemon. “Do not move things around! I already packed them just right!”

After a struggle, Ingo stands, holding Gligar aloft. Very seriously, he tells him, “You know I am only allowed one Pokemon on this trip. I understand that you are unhappy,” he yields, when Gligar starts to pout, “and I am truly sorry. But those are the rules we must abide by. You have to stay home with Mother and everyone else.”

Gligar scowls, and points a claw at Ingo’s belt, where a lone Poke Ball rests. It wiggles a little, but it’s occupant wisely decides to stay out of the discussion.

Ingo sighs. “This is also something we have discussed.” He sets Gligar down on the ground, and kneels in front of him. “We drew straws, remember? And since Litwick emerged victorious, she is the one who will accompany me on this trip.”

Gligar hisses softly, turning away. Bertha has to cover her mouth again to suppress a laugh at the little bat’s petulant expression.

For now, she opts to simply stands back and watch. If Ingo intends to become a successful Pokemon Trainer—and she knows with all her heart that he will—then managing a Pokemon’s difficult temperament is one of the challenges he will have to overcome.

Still, though. She’s watching the time, in case she and her own Gliscor need to cut the negotiation short with some motherly intervention.

Ingo’s own expression is not quite as amusing as his little Gligar’s. His lips turn downward even more than usual, and his brows knit together.

“Gligar,” he says, and his solemn tone is enough to catch his Pokemon’s attention again, “I promise that I am not playing favorites.” Ingo leans down a little, to be on a more even level with his Pokemon. “How about this? The next time I go on a trip and I only am allowed to take one Pokemon, you can be the one who accompanies me. Okay?”

Pinning his ears back again, Gligar seems to consider this. After a long few moments, he sulkily nods his assent.

Ingo’s shoulders slump in relief. “Thank you for your understanding, Gligar.” He reaches a hand out, and when Gligar doesn’t pull away, rubs the smooth chitin between his ears. “I promise, I will only be gone for a few weeks. You will hardly notice!”

Privately, Bertha doubts that. She herself is already dreading returning to the apartment, certain it will be too large and too quiet without her precious child.

(One of her precious children. The other--)

(--She can’t think of that now. Not when she’s about to see Ingo off, bound for another region, headed so far from home. Even if it’s only for a little while.)

For now, Bertha says, “he’s right, Gligar. I promise, we’ll have a lot of fun together at home!”

Gligar regards her and Ingo with open doubt, huffing.

Well, it was worth a shot.

Ingo glances up at her for just a moment, before waving Gligar over. “Actually, Gligar, there is something else I want to tell you.” He looks up at Bertha seriously. “But I am afraid it must be a secret between the two of us. May we have a moment of privacy, Mother?”

With a soft laugh and an “oh, of course! Excuse me, you two,” Bertha steps a few feet away, keeping her back turned to the young trainer and his even younger Pokemon. She is the very picture of minding her own business, don’t mind her.

Ingo nods, satisfied with her distance, and waves Gligar closer.

Gligar, ever curious, forgets his bitterness for the moment and approaches.

“Now, Gligar, I have a very important job for you to perform while I am away from home,” Ingo whispers, solemn, leaning down once again to his level. “It is incredibly vital, and you are the only one I can trust with this task.”

Interest piqued, Gligar’s ears perk up, and he leans up into Ingo’s space.

“While Litwick and I are away, I need you to look after Mother, okay?” Ingo’s already-serious expression is downright grave now. “I am concerned about leaving her alone while I am in Johto, so I hope that I will be able to count on you and the others to watch out for her in my stead until our return. Can you do that?”

Gligar’s eyes widen at the gravity of this request, before he nods enthusiastically and salutes as best he can.

Ingo straightens up and returns his salute, crisp and practiced. “Thank you, Gligar! I will be counting on you, so please do your best!”

(Several feet away, Bertha is covering her face with both hands. It’s taking everything in her power not to melt on the spot.

Despite his best efforts, her darling son’s volume control still leaves much to be desired.)

[BOAT CALLS FOR BOARDING; Ingo kisses Gligar goodbye, hands him to Bertha, and kisses her goodbye before rushing to board.

He hesitates, looking back to Bertha, suddenly overcome with nerves. Bertha knows what’s happening, and waves encouragingly.

Ingo gathers his courage and boards.]

[laufire]

april reading meme!

BOOKS

We Will Devour The Night by Camilla Andrew. The version I read is available in the author's ko-fi (aninkwellofnectar), and the final version will come during fall of this year. I've talked about this saga before (The Essence of the Equinox), and I still recommend it to those of us who like complex characters (especially female characters), gothic horror, and lush prose. This is a sequel, and I like it even more than the first instalment. It gets deeper into the darkness of the world and it's an amazing read. The third and final part has started been posted on ko-fi as well, for anyone interested.

Why Does He Do That? Inside The Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft. I wish I could make everyone read this book. It wouldn't fix everything, because it runs against a lot of people's deep-seated belief systems, but maybe it would make SOME of them start second-guessing those beliefs... Anyway. A MUST read in terms of abuse and intimate partner violence.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I read the book for the first time about 15 years ago, and only reread it now. I loved it even more than the first time. The atmosphere, the revenge tale, the love story between Catherine and Heathcliff, all the ways these families' lives affect the others, how you have to parse through Nelly's account of events... I still wish I could hit Lockwood in the head with a stick lol. Just once. Not even too hard! But hit him in the head, I would xD

COMICS

Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma. One of those "it could've been so good if it was good" comics. It would've had to NOT been written by Dixon, of course. His ideas about these two characters are palpable here. He's met real women and girls, I know this, but he's completely failed to take anything from these meetings into account to understand them as people. And boy, does it show in his writing.

Green Lantern: Willworld. I've had this comic in my list for aeons and I moved it up when I found out its author would be writing Jason's upcoming ADITF "what if" story starting July. I really liked this one, and how it showcased Hal's character. It's not a guarantee I'll like his Robin Lives run, because comic writers have biases and blind spots and huge gaps in their knowlege regarding certain characters, but "he seems to be a good writer" is already a huuuuge leg up compared to most modern Jason content lol.

JLA: World Without Grown-ups. This was interesting because I've watched the Young Justice (cartoon) version of this premise, which is VERY different, from the villains to their goals to the handling of the crisis (since the cartoon had an established teen team), down to the emotional beats (the Zataras). They're too different to be compared, tbh. This one was quite fun though, and it made me feel very fond of Bart. Also Tim's parasocial relationship with Jason's memorial made an appearance LOL.

Colin Wilke's appearances. I am MOURNING this kid. He has like 9 appearances (and a couple of them are barely a few pages) but each one is gold. Bring him back. Make HIM Damian's best friend. Integrate him in the storyline!! His character and his dynamic with Damian had so so much potential. I am definitely going to include him in my fics.

Batman: Li'l Gotham. (plus the two stories introducing it in Batman Annual #27 and 'Tec Annual #11). A couple of things conspired (including me finding out there's a version of Colin in this lol) and I ended up reading it while I was sick. It's mostly fun fluff (as opposed to just corny fluff) and a quick read without much meat in it, but a few things nudged the inspiration muscle and Dustin Nguyen's art is adorable.

Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime. I liked this one more than the above! It follows in that universe (a Gotham where everything is smaller and cuter lol), mixing it with some fairy tale vibes. Pinocchio!Damian is A Concept. Although my favourite story was "The Snow Queen", with Mister Freeze. The art goes into a whole other level in all of these, but especially that one.

Batman: The Chalice. Bruce Wayne receives the Holy Grail. I read this one in my list of Talia appearances and hers is the part that interested me: Ra's wants the Grail to make her immortal, like him, and Talia tells him that she has no desire to live forever. Her words are "Having lived my life in your company, the prospect of eernal life is not the attraction for me it might be for another." There are A LOT of things you can read into that sentence, and one of them, to me, is the idea that death to Talia would be an escape from Ra's, which is... interesting. Sidenote: this one was written by Dixon, who once in a while gets his wired crossed and is not wholly terrible with female characters xD

Ghost/Batgirl. I hadn't heard of Ghost before but I'm kinda curious after reading this mini run. I found a lot of the concepts it worked on (resurrection, mind control, etc.) quite interesting, although I ended up feeling the execution didn't delve too deeply into them. It's an story I might want to reread and pick apart at some point, though.

JLA: Tower of Babel. Yeah, THAT arc lol (also part of my Talia-reading). I also read JLA Secret Files and Origins #3 (in May, though), which shows Talia's whole thoughts on it as she steals the plans + some of the consequences the whole thing has for the other bats whose teammates no longer trust them (Dick, Tim, Barbara) + the wording of Bruce's contingency plans (which btw includes acceptance of lethal methods against Clark lol)... he certainly got off easy after this añsdlkfjasdf. Honestly, imo, the most selfish, cowardly thing he did was walking out before the JLA could tell him they'd voted him out. I know he and the comics probably won't frame it like that afterwards, but that's how it felt to me. The very least he could've done is face his teammates.