#//edit; i just realized this is the first time I've posted them all together!! a momentous occasion hfbshs :3 :D

[keeps-ache]

!! the sillies.png

[just the lil guys below]

[aparticularbandit]

....

So either I have seen more or read more Haruhi than I remember because there are definitely things I remember engaging with that are. apparently not in the first light novel.

Hm.

I know I did some scouring for extra stuff at some point. I don't think I read the other light novels. But there was a point where I binged a LOT of anime on crunchyroll (multiple times. actually. This is how I found Anohana, I think! During one of the binge cycles!), so...maybe I skipped past what I'd read?

I know I didn't finish it, though.

Hm.

-squints-

[sonicboomseason3]

a brief recap of what has been going on with the sonic movieverse in the past several months:

paramount has come out in public support of israel

keanu reeves, a man who has publicly rubbed elbows with none other than benjamin netanyahu, reportedly gets cast as shadow for the upcoming third movie

james marsden, the guy who plays tom, got exposed as having written a letter of support for a convicted pedophile

there's fucking??? zionist propaganda in the knuckles series???

kind of connected to the last point but adam pally, the guy who plays wade, is evidently pro-israel too

this is a complete and utter joke.

EDIT AS OF 4/30/24: if people see this version of the post, i'd really appreciate it if you reblog it instead of the other versions, as it's the most updated one with all the information that i want included. thank you :]

you know, it's been a few days since i've made this post, and some of you (not most) are staying determined in defending/justifying/giving the benefit of the doubt to keanu for that photo with netanyahu, whether it's because "it was a decade ago," "him being civil to someone he ran into at a party one time doesn't mean anything," "he's probably just silent because his pr managers won't allow him to speak up," etc. i've made my thoughts on the matter quite clear by directly responding to these people, but at this point, i'm tired of both seeing them in my notes and repeating myself, so take this as my final word on the issue.

i can't help it if you don't think the photo with netanyahu is damning, and i'm done engaging with everyone going out of their way to tell me that. i obviously disagree, especially after finding out that 1. the host of the party, arnon milchan, is a former israeli spy who has a history of developing israel's nuclear program and promoting apartheid in south africa (information that had broken out a few months prior to the party and thus would've been fresh news around the time keanu chose to attend) and 2. keanu has been caught hanging around at least two other weirdos, but if you don't find any of that to be cause for reasonable concern, then there really is nothing else i can say afaik.

with all that said, i'm beginning to realize how strange it is that these people's first instinct when seeing this post is to start debating about keanu's political stances without ever acknowledging any of the other bullet points. you guys realize that this isn't just about him, right? i know tumblr reading comprehension is known for being piss-poor, but like… you realize that i was trying to make a point of how there are MULTIPLE terrible things that have broken out about the people and company involved in the sonic movies, right? and yet, a lot of the people leaping to speak on keanu's behalf in my notes are completely ignoring the parts where i bring up paramount, pally, etc. all in favor of zeroing in on the singular point about keanu and making bad faith assumptions about me for holding him accountable. really makes one wonder where your priorities lie if, in a post that talks about so many other things, me accusing an a-list celebrity with, according to google, a net worth of almost $400 million is where you draw the line and apparently the only thing worth your acknowledgment.

ultimately, what i'm trying to say is that the intention of this post was just to gather up everything that i had been hearing for the past several months and put it all together in one place. there were a bunch of people who didn't know about at least one of the bullet points before seeing this post, and i'm glad that i could help inform them, that was what i was hoping to do! but as for the keanu thing, i've said pretty much all i can say for now, and i don't want to derail the original post even more than i may have already. unless something new comes up, i'm done talking about him.

[aethelwyneleigh27]

Realizations

Dad!Simon Ghost Riley x Wife!Reader

Thank you guys so much for 1k, it means the whole world for me because now once did I expect to ever have my page grown this big and not once had I imagined that I would make these many friends here who happened to be so sweet. Also to @connorsui who has been most definitely been waiting the answer to this.

So in honor of 1k, I wrote this long awaited backstory for Ghost and Lovie (Ghostie's parents) that I hope you guys will enjoy since it so happens that our beloved @ave661 has posted another Dad!Ghost render. (Credits to her again for the renders in this post <3) (Sweetie, I love you but that tag on Soap with this render was unnecessary 😭🫶)

To the people who congratulated me, through replies, likes and reblogs, I owe y'all a fat kiss. Mwahhh <333

My CoD Masterlist

Taglist: @wishesforyou @puff0o0 @simp4konig @blingblong55 @azereus @rustic-guitar-notes @shadofireshinobi @09maruchan @anonymuslydumb @skeletalgoats @icarustypicalfall @ghosts-cyphera @cutenote @connorsui @capuccino192 @thesnowurzikdjinn @miss-gms-and-the-rotten-womb @celestialhole @trepaika @starryylies @demidemon09

Warnings/Disclaimers: Stalking (not by Simon), Typical mentions of CoD violence?, Mentions of Simon's past abuse, Creepy guy?? (Not Simon), Mentions of violent and a bit gory descriptions on what wanted to do to the stalker, This is not proofread yet.

With the words of my mother and in true reputation style, Are you ready for it?

I think I need to say this on my account again, English is NOT my first language and all copyrights regarding the plot and some characters within the storyline belong to me. Edit: please help me y'all, I'm losing so much relevance in the span of less than a month, my recent works have gotten nothing and I'm scared that this post proves that. I think I've learned my lesson never to take breaks ever again 😭

Simon never imagined himself in this predicament, always thinking that he'd be out there somewhere, more likely drowning himself in a mission. Not even a home, he thought that if it hadn't for your persuasiveness to interact with him back then then he'd still be back in that shitty apartment complex.

Simon placed his duffle bag on the wood of the porch, the jingling of his keys while he looked for the correct one. He tried his best to make as little noise as possible, it was passed midnight, the last thing he would want was to disturb his wife and daughter from resting.

Hauling the duffle bag in and throwing it on the couch, Simon opt to see what his girls were up to. The giggling and commotion making him smile, you both were supposed to be asleep by now but you were unable to put her to rest because she's just too hyper, so that left you to entertain her by tossing her up and catching her.

"Dada..!" A squeal from the room came, the little one snapping her head to the opening of the door making you look as well, Simon took a peek from the half-way opened door.

Adorable little thing clapping her hands together, pleased that her dad is home while sitting on her mom. She got off, crawling near the edge of the bed with no sense of danger, fortunate for her that her dad is quick with catching her before you could.

You took a deep breath from the shock, looking at your husband and smiling sweetly at him. He asked you not to get off the bed as you were about to, laying next to you he snakes his arm underneath you on your waist and pulls you in.

"I missed my girls.." He said, voice deep and laced with exhaustion, despite that his hold and gaze was the warmest it could be.

"We missed you too Si, so much." You mumbled as your eyes flutter shut to enjoy his touch. You opened them to the sound of a kiss, he kissed the little one's forehead then yours.

Sometimes you vaguely remember the first time he and you met, how it even came to be, this life of domesticity. You, him and your little girl, family is a heavy word for Simon but it was just perfect. This was the family he wanted, the family that he thought he didn't deserve and never would have.

The feeling of coming home to all this started because you were so forgetful, who knew that would be the skill that brought you to him..?

• ──── ✦ ──── •

He emptied his pockets, to the lieutenant's dismay, the box of cigarettes only had one stick left. Since he was going out to smoke it anyway, he might as well get another box from the convenience store nearby. He took his keys from the kitchen counter and headed out, hearing a little commotion that peeked his interest.

Simon never paid much mind to whatever was going on within his apartment building despite the many gossips that were present within the building and the renters. So it happens that the old lady next to his place mentions how they'll be a new tenant in the other apartment next to his.

'Thank God' Simon thought, not that he was particularly religious but he'd been hoping for the longest time for the former renter to leave because let's be honest, who wants to live next to a frat boy with no sense of shame or consideration given that walls are thin? Little did he know he'd be blessed with the next one..

"Oh- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to.." Simon hears a voice from a little below him, he'd only register what had happened after the fact. Poor girl carrying this box bumped into him a little too hard, so much so that she stumbled back a bit.

You stared up to the 6'4 man blinking, he only shrugged it off to which you smiled to. You tried to make small talk since you were new and it wouldn't hurt to at least know one person right? After all, you were trying to step out a bit of your comfort zone.

"Hi.. I'm [Name].." He only stared at you for a while and replied, "Simon.." you gave him a warm smile before nodding and continuing to bring the boxes into your new apartment while your new neighbor entered the elevator.

You cut the boxes open to start unpacking, a few minutes in and you decided to go on a short break, you rummaged through the small box of food only to find that the recently bought box of tea was empty. You sighed at this, humming as you remembered the convenience store you passed by earlier on the way to the apartment.

Taking your keys and locking the door behind you, you made your way out the complex and walked a few blocks, you only started to notice how late it was with the streetlights coming on even though the sun is only about to set. That's something to get used to, hmm?

The cool breeze hits your skin as you enter, scent of faint instant coffee and many other kinds of foods and products made themselves known. You walked around for a while, checking on what other things you might need but then you tried to remind yourself that you were saving up and on a budget so you took a box of tea and walked up to the register.

You heard footsteps behind you falling in line, after placing the box on the counter, you searched your pockets for your wallet.

'Shit..!' you cursed yourself out mentally trying not to panic as Simon basically watches you frantically patting your pockets, you left your wallet back at the apartment. "You left your wallet-" Simon stated the obvious, "I'll cover it.." there wasn't even a time to argue with him, he just stepped next to you and placed the pack of cigarettes.

"I'll pay you back as soon as we get back to the apartment" You insisted to which Simon only shrugged and declined, it's just a box of tea and it's not like it'll make him go bankrupt, besides he liked your taste, the one you got happened to be his favorite brand.

Since you were headed in the same place anyway, you and Simon walked back together side by side, however one thing you did find odd was when he gently took you wrist and pulled you inward next to him, he was the one now closest to the road.

The walk back was silent, a comfortable silence. A few days after that encounter, you made sure to make an effort for him to know that you appreciated his gesture back at the convenience store. The lieutenant was alarmed by the knock on his door, opening it to find no person but a tupperware filled with buttery shortbread cookies.

He smiled at how tiny the plastic container looked in his hands, how he noticed the note attached "Thanks for the tea, this isn't that special but I hope you like it -[Name]" and the Sanrio themed stickers stuck onto the lid and on the top part of the tiny note. You ran out of sticky notes..

Simon found himself snacking on those cookies later on, oddly enough, they reminded him of his mom.. how she used to love baking back then, it was her way of escape whenever Simon's "father" wasn't home, as well as gardening.

For the first time in a while Simon "Ghost" Riley let out a smile that wasn't smug or a smirk but a genuine smile, one that had warmth to it, one that no matter how hard his mind tried to surppress it, his body refused to.

It didn't take long for you and Simon to get to know each other a bit, little by little it seemed like you two were becoming like friends rather than just neighbors. Let's be honest, who just randomly gives their neighbors weekly baked goods for the sole reason of "just because they wanted to"?

You found yourself always looking forward to the Friday nights chilling with him at the rooftop, mugs with hot tea on hand while he smoked and you read.

Listening to his stupid jokes and remarks that slowly turn into deep conversations and life things. Simon was just... far more open than he's ever been, sure he's talked about his day before to his comrades but never like this, not in a way where he's pouring his heart out, letting you in on how he feels about certain things.

He just got back from a mission, a rough one to be exact. Shoulders slumped from exhaustion as he walked the streets near the apartment complex, no space for his bike so he had to leave it somewhere private while he fidgeted with it's keys.

Simon swore that he almost jumped out of his own body, first instinct being to push you off but he recognized you. He gave you a questioning look, hands were shaking as you so desperately linked you arm around his.

"Hmm?" He hummed, hearing you mumbling something but it was incoherent to his ears.

"Behind us.. please Si, help..." Come to think if it, you never knew when Simon turned into Si. Best believe he knew and still remembers when perfectly.. not the time, there's a serious threat, he didn't look. He didn't need to, guessing by the heavy footsteps, some creep decided to follow you at this hour.

He slowly slipped his arm away from your grip and snaked it around your waist, pulling you in closer to his side while the two of you continued treading closer to the complex. You closed your eyes for a few seconds at a time hoping it would end.

• ──── ✦ A few days later ✦ ──── •

Knocking, frantic knocking was what Simon heard at his door. He wasn't expecting anyone, so why the sudden visit? He opened the door and saw you, Simon knew something was off from the look on your face, you looked pale as if you were sick to your stomach while trying so desperately to catch your breath.

"Can I please come in.. Simon..?" You asked in between breaths. You looked around you, especially behind you, body shivering a bit. He took notice of this and had no hesitation, he pulled you in by your arm. His grip firm but gentle, Simon closed the door behind him.

"Remember that guy who was creeping around when I asked for your help..?" You tried to explain but Simon already knew the moment your mouth opened. You had a stalker.. it was best to call the cops on shit like this.

Simon did his best even though not knowing much about how to comfort someone, he did well in making you feel safe without having to tell you that he'll do so, you just know it in your gut that he'd protect you even if it's just now.

Your breath picked up, slowly backing away from the door as you heard footsteps, clenching your fists and hoping that he didn't see you enter Simon's door. Simon wrapped his arms around you, keeping you in place and from further backing away from the door.

You felt his palm drag up and down your back, it was extremely warm, it stopped for a while. His arm wrapped around your waist, other hand in your hair pushing your head down a bit so it was buried in his chest while you gripped his shirt. Simon felt your trembling body against him slowly relax.

"Deep breaths, angel.." The nickname he whispered would've made you smile under any other circumstance but not right now, you needed to calm your nerves before you panic and make an impulsive decision that could hurt yourself. Like instructed, you followed along Simon's demonstration, pressing his forehead onto yours maybe just a bit too intimately.

You winced at the loud sound of banging on the door, you knew it too well. Simon shoved the handle of his combat knife in your hand, he told you that if anything were to happen, protect yourself with it.

As soon as the Lieutenant swung the door open, you could hear punches, things knocking over and among other things, your stalker's voice.

You'd never forget that, how pitchy it was. Nails on the chalkboard was the best way to describe it, how the man was cackling almost made you annoyed. Simon called on security and the man was dealt with, you came out from hiding and saw both fear and anger in Simon's eyes.

You would never know how much he wanted to tear that man's heart after skinning him alive for even bringing fear into your eyes.

Simon "I care too much for someone I just met" Riley finally saw how his knuckles and fingernails were caked with blood, went off to go wash it and himself.

Getting back to you after half an hour, you reached out for him only for him to withdraw, you looked at him confused and he looks at you with pure guilt..

Your eyes widened in realization, "Oh Simon.. I'm not scared.." you smiled at him. He reached out a shaky hand to you, hesitating before closing his hand back.

You took his hand in yours, bringing it up to your lips and giving it a small kiss, hoping it calms his nerves. Well it did the opposite, it even more overwhelming for him having you kiss his palm while you look up at him, watching you nudge your face into his palm so invitingly.

The way your lashes just sat perfectly atop your cheeks while you slowly blinked up at him. Pressing the same scarred and calloused hands that almost killed a man that night on your face and rubbing the back with you thumb.

Simon had never felt that much guilt before for hurting someone, only after he saw the look in your eyes, which in turn were not something he caused. For the first time in his life too, Simon was comforted by something or rather someone immensely..

[we-do-be-writing]

Taking Care

Sebastian (SDV) x Reader

A/N: I recently got back into Stardew Valley with the 1.6 update and got this dialogue with Sebastian, which gave me many ideas lol. I may end up writing a part 2 to this or just edit this post to add more

Another A/N: Okay, I totally did edit this to add more, and I think I'm going to do it again at some point lol

Last A/N: I did do it again lol, but now I think I've used all my ideas for this story

"What?! Are you kidding me?" You whisper shout, trying to keep Robin from hearing you.

Who knows what she would do if she found out Sebastian went into the caves alone. To be fair, you were about to knock him upside the head when you saw the gash on his arm.

It was gross, to say the least. It traveled up his forearm, the edges where his skin was split looked wilted, and you were surprised you couldn't see bone with how deep it was. Again, it was pretty gnarly.

"Sebastian, that needs to be taken care of; if you get an infection, you could lose your arm."

"That's a bit overdramatic," Sebastian says, "besides, I can't go see Harvey, he'd tell my mom for sure."

"Fine, then I'm going to take care of it."

You don't wait for his protest, grabbing his other arm and leading him to the couch in his room. Luckily for him, you were just on your way to the mines, so you had first aid supplies on hand.

First, you doused the wound with a life elixir, which stung based on the hiss Sebastian let out. Though already his skin was starting to close back together, the wonders of the Valley magic.

"I can't believe you went in there-"

"Hey, I have every right to go in there, same as you." He snapped, cutting you off.

You looked up and saw the harsh glare he was throwing your way, which you were happy to return as you continued...

"Slow down, hot shot. If you'd let me finish, I was going to say, 'I can't believe you went in there without a weapon.'"

"Oh," He mumbles, his eyebrows softening and his lips frowning, "Sorry, I guess I just didn't want a lecture."

"Well, you deserve one," you remark, "but now isn't the time."

"I lost my mace, but I didn't think it would be a big deal to go into the higher levels."

You sigh while grabbing gauze and a bandage to wrap around his arm. Gently, you take his arm in your hands and begin covering the wound.

Sebastian can feel goosebumps rising as he feels your surprisingly soft hands take care of him. He doesn't want to admit it to you yet, but it feels nice to have you there with him, worried about his well-being.

You finish wrapping his arm and look up to see him already gazing down at you. He almost seems to be in a trance, and you can feel yourself following along. Who knows how long you two spend looking at each other, wondering what will come next.

Taking a chance, you cup his hand in yours, drawing circles with your thumb. Slowly, your other hand travels up towards his face. Sebastian lets out a shaky breath and closes his eyes, ready for anything.

However, before you can make contact, Robin calls for Sebastian from the stairs, breaking the moment. His eyes snap open and you both jolt away, trying to come back to the present moment.

Quickly, Sebastian pulls his sweatshirt sleeve over the bandaged wound and calls back to his mother, telling her he'll be right there. You both emerge from his room, much to Robin's surprise.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company." She says, noticing the blush coating yours and Sebastian's face. You can tell she's trying to keep the teasing smile from showing, though she thankfully doesn't ask questions.

"It's alright, I was just leaving anyways." You say hastily, waving goodbye to them both before booking it out of the building.

Before the door closes, you can hear a faint mumble from Robin. Sebastian, in a much louder fashion, tells her to keep her voice down, and you swear you hear him say something akin to "not yet."

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

It's been 2 days since you last saw Sebastian, but now it's Friday, and you couldn't miss the weekly hangout with Sam and Abigail. Of course, it's not like you were avoiding Sebastian, but you also weren't sure how to act around him right now.

Usually, you would share everything with Abigail, but you had promised Sebastian that you wouldn't tell anyone that he got hurt. Unfortunately, Abigail isn't one to miss things going on with her best friend, so you had to admit to her that something had happened between you two.

This made tonight particularly anxiety-inducing as you didn't know what to expect when you walked into the saloon. You were the last to join, not unusual with your work on the farm.

The trio is in their usual spots, Seb and Sam playing pool with Abigail sitting on the couch. After saying hello to the others in the saloon, you join them.

Robin tries to slyly give you a thumbs up when you pass by. You and Demetrius furrow your brows in confusion, but you give her a smile and continue on.

"Hey, Y/n!" Abigail calls, waving you over to sit beside her on the couch.

Sebastian was just going to hit the cue ball when he heard your name, causing the pool stick to shake. The cue ball ricochets wildly across the table and Sam laughs at Sebastian's frown.

"Hmm, you seem a little distracted, Seb," Abigail says, "I think it's my turn."

You watch as she gets up and ushers Sebastian out of the way, wanting to pull her back to the seat. The boys share a look of confusion, but Seb moves over to the side with you.

While Sebastian's back is turned to her, Abigail tries to give you a discreet wink, to which you squint your eyes at her.

When he gets to the couches, Seb hesitates whether to join you or sit on the adjacent seat.

Before you can move, he shakes his head a little and plops down beside you, considerably closer than Abby was.

You try to mask the surprise and keep your body from going rigid. Why were you freaking out? He's one of your best friends; it's not like you haven't sat together before.

You pinch the inside of your hand to shake you from your thoughts. Looking over, you see Sebastian's eyes trained on the pool game.

Right as the cue ball cracks against an object ball, you lean closer to his ear and whisper, "How's your arm feeling?"

Seb lets out a shaky breath, something he's been doing a lot with you recently.

"It's good, there's just a scar left." He says, moving to face you and lifting his jacket sleeve just enough for you to see.

He's right, the wound has completely closed, and the scar is faded to a light pink. You feel relief flood your system, not realizing how worried you were about him.

"I'm glad." You say softly, going to touch the scar before pausing.

Glancing up, Sebastian gives you a tiny nod, and you watch the goosebumps rise on his arm as you make contact. You gently run your fingers along the mark, making him shiver.

"Does it hurt?" You whisper, lifting your gaze to meet his.

He shakes his head, "Just sensitive."

You cup his arm in your hands, a mimic of what happened 2 days ago in his room. This time, he flips his arm over, bringing his hand to yours, fingers dancing over your palm.

Now it's your turn to have your breath catch, but you don't break the eye contact. Just before Sebastian can lace his fingers through yours, Abigail cheers loudly, causing you two to break away.

Broken from your shared trance once again, you see Robin walk into the room. Sam and Abigail are looking at you both with a raised eyebrow as Sebastian talks to his mother.

"Seems like something that should happen in private," Abigail whispers to you, and you have to fight the blush clawing its way up your neck.

"Seems like something that's never going to happen." You respond. In your defense, it's difficult to think that the universe isn't stopping this for a reason.

Sam shakes his head vigorously, "It will, be patient."

You huff and roll your eyes playfully, kind of, but the conversation is halted when Sebastian returns to the group.

"Guess it's time to go home," Sam says, guiding Abigail to the door of the saloon.

You and Sebastian follow, but he grabs your arm to make you stop once you leave the building.

"Let me walk you home."

Your mouth drops open, but no words come out. He raises an eyebrow slightly, and you snap your mouth shut, giving him a tiny nod.

You both walk side by side until you leave the town center, cross through the area near the bus stop, and onto your farm. Stopping at the porch, Sebastian shuffles and scratches the back of his neck. Giving him a soft smile, you step closer and reach your hand from your side, ghosting your fingers over his.

Another shaky breath, and you make a mental note to ask Harvey to check into that at Sebastian's next check-up. You're brought back to the moment when his hand grabs yours and he pulls you closer.

Gently, his other arm wraps around your waist, and his hand rests on your back. You follow his lead, running your free hand up his chest to the back of his neck.

Feeling your breath hit his lips, Sebastian decides he's done with the waiting, the tension, and the interruptions. He leans down and gives you an intense kiss, if a little sloppy. You can't exactly complain; it's not like there are many people he would be kissing in Pelican Town.

You pull back a little, keeping your lips close to his. When you look, his eyes are still closed, almost as if he is searing this moment in his memory.

Closing your eyes, you do the same, hoping that you both will make many more memories. Who knows how much time passes before you step back. Sebastian's eyes blink open, and you share a smile as your eyes meet again.

"I don't think I ever said thank you for taking care of me."

"I'll always take care of you."

[leclarifies]

mon ange (CL16)

✰ charles leclerc x !childhoodbestfriend !raceengineer reader ✰

summary: you've been there for charles since day one, even when you think he doesn't notice it, you're always there. supporting him from the sidelines.

wc: 1.6k

genre: lots of angst, drabble

aria's note: short but angsty draft i've had since last year. only gotten around to editing and posting now. not sure if i'll ever extend this or do a part 2, HAHAH. this is also written in third person bc it was from so long ago. no mentions of y/n either. enjoy the angst masochists <3 (also mon ange means my angel)

“are you ready?”

she stopped staring out into the open and finally looked at her colleague, head was elsewhere.

she gave a brief smile, and a nod and the race commenced.

race engineer, not a bad title right?

her mind wanders off a tiny bit to the past as the cars raced off into the distance.

“when i’m old enough, i’m going to race for the top teams in the world!” she could hear charles’ big laugh as she was sitting on the grass.

transported back in time, they were spending time with each other, just the two of them. it was a normal occasion for them to just sit in the dark, together sharing laughs and stories after a karting race.

she just looked over fondly at charles as he zoomed around, pretending he was in his kart, “did you see me, mon ange? i was zooming like this— and WHOOSH, i was like this!”

she cocked an eyebrow, “are you sure? i thought you crashed into a wall,” she joked, pretending she wasn’t there but she was there for every moment of the race. not wanting to miss her best friend’s races.

she was his biggest supporter and he knew it.

time flashes again as you two have your first big argument.

“you don’t get it!” charles yelled as he turned his back to her, “you will never get the pressure of any of this! you just tell me what’s good for me and you never understand! you’re not my anything! you don’t mean anything to me!” as those words left his lips, he instantly regretted it.

he turned around to face her.

the look of hurt on her as she began to turn around and walk off without a singular word, “i didn’t mean it! i didn’t mean it!” charles follows her, tears start streaming down her face. she only wanted what was good for him, racing was taking a toll on him and he didn’t realize it but the more she cared, the more she felt like he pushed her away.“i swear, i didn’t mean it. please-!” he begged as he grabbed her wrist, finally turning her around to see her tear-streaked face, flushed with hurt and anger, “i’m sorry, i’m sorry,” he repeated again and again as he took her into his arms, patting her head as they embraced each other.

“racing has changed you, charles…” she mumbles, sniffling.

“ever since ferrari took you under their wing…”

“i-i haven’t changed… it’s just the stress from all these people and all these investors wanting to see me win-“

“and it’s changed you,” she had said, eyes still red from the crying, speaking the term of endearment softly, “you are no longer the soft and kind-hearted charles i knew before all of this happened.”

“maybe it’s best if i stayed away.”

and as her flashback ended, she heard charles speak on the radio, “radio check,” he mutters, trying to focus on his race but still wanting to hear her voice after what happened earlier between the two of them.

“loud and clear,” she replied back as she monitored the first few laps of his race, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander off again towards their childhood.

after their big argument, she did distance herself away from charles but never missing his races. always there, even though she didn’t make it obvious or even told him that she was coming.

she was still his #1 biggest supporter, he just didn’t know it anymore.

podium after podium turned into win after win and she was there to witness it all.

she distanced herself from charles and he didn’t even try to stop it. it was like he meant what he said when they last spoke to each other.

she didn’t mean anything to him.

but god, did he mean something to her.

her mom had told her countless of times to just go up and talk to him after his race win but she knew to keep her distance. it had been a few months since she had last talked to him, it’d be useless to come up to him now but she made it her life’s mission to continue supporting him from the sidelines. she had dedicated her life to become a ferrari race engineer, one day be his race engineer.

she didn’t notice it either, but charles knew. he knew she was always there to support him, he knew she cared.

he would give anything to just come up to her and just hug her, apologizing a million times but he didn’t want to force her to talk to him when she wasn’t ready.

“hello? is everything alright there?” charles’ voice comes through the radio, she snaps out of it before replying, “yeah sorry…” she silently cursed herself before paying attention to the monitor, realizing what he had asked, for positions and plans, “sainz is behind you. try to keep pace and defend each other,” she had spoke softly as charles listened closely.

following her orders, and finally focusing on the rest of the race, she helped them win a double podium.

she was so proud of the two drivers, she watched from the garage as they celebrated at the stage with the rest of the ferrari crew.

her mind wandered off to their earlier argument.

“all i’m saying is that you have to take care of yourself, get yourself a new hobby,” she had started, “circulating your whole life around racing isn’t healthy—“

“i am nothing without racing!”

“yes, you are a beautiful person without racing, you just have to realize that.”

“no one will love me without racing!”

“i have always loved you even before racing…”

“you know nothing! you have always been like this! since we were kids,” charles threw words at her, eyes sharp, unforgiving, “you always tell me what’s best for me like you know me so well— we haven’t talked to each other in years! what do you know what’s good for me???” he growled as she stayed silent, she shouldn’t have opened her mouth in the first place.

she felt defeated and just sighed and muttered out, “i’m sorry, okay? it won’t happen again,” quietly as she left the hotheaded charles, he always regretted what he said when he was mad to her, ever since he started racing, the anger was uncontrollable. the amount of hurtful words he’s thrown at her was unforgivable at that point.

she was snapped back into reality as she realized that the interview session was over and everyone was retreating for the night, the event was finally over.

her brain was on autopilot the entire day, not being able to focus properly and she wanted to be the first one out of there, she packed her things as she saw the others coming over from their celebration as they talked about going to the party being held by ferrari in a club reserved just for them.

she she was grabbing her things to go, she felt a hand on her shoulder, charles.

“hey,” charles smiled apologetically at her as she packed her stuff, she only glanced at him for a little bit before continuing to gather her stuff, “do you want to come to the celebration with me?”

she shakes her head, “i’m quite tired,” she says simply before finally having all of her stuff and walking away, but charles caught up towards her, “i’m sorry.”

“it’s okay, i forgive you,” she says quietly as she continues walking, she was used to it at this point, charles getting mad at her because she said something that he didn't like and she just took it, but he didn’t want her to go away.

he wanted to talk to her.

“stop walking away, let’s talk, please,” he pleaded as she stopped walking, back still facing towards him, she just couldn’t when it came to him, “what is there to talk about, leclerc?” she asked as she turned around, “you said sorry, and i said i forgive you. there’s nothing to talk about.”

charles felt guilty, she just looked so defeated. so different to the person he knew before shit happened between them.

“i’m sorry for everything, i’m sorry,” he breathes out, he was holding his breath? was he nervous?

“it’s okay, leclerc,” she nods as she tries to walk away again before being held back again by the wrist from a clearly emotional charles.

“it hurts when you do that,” he had a hurt tone to his voice, tears threatening to fall from his pretty green eyes, “when you call me by my last name.”

“everyone calls you that.”

“you’re not just anyone.”

“i feel like just everyone.”

“what happened to nounours?”

“we’re not kids anymore.”

“but you are still mon ange.”

she couldn’t reply back, she hasn’t heard that nickname in so long.

“i love you.”

he choked up, he let his tears out. she didn’t say a peep.

“please say something.”

“what is there to say?” she looked at the ground, away from his eyes. she knew she loved him, more than anything ever since they were kids.

she just didn’t know if she could forgive him even though she had said it earlier.

“tell me you love me,” charles was almost begging, holding onto her hands, “even if you’re lying, just say it back.”

“i love you too,” she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t a lie, it was the furthest thing from a lie, but she didn’t want to appear weak, “is that all? can i go now?”

with those four last words, charles’ heart broke into tiny little pieces.

[brainddeadd]

luke had a massive crush on the social media girl at umich but it was never the right time and she had graduated before he did. they lost contact a bit and he didn’t know where she ended up going so when he gets to the devils he realized she’s the social medial team there…. they finally get together

Luke Hughes had a crush. Not just any crush—the crush. Ever since his sophomore year at the University of Michigan, he'd been captivated by the girl who ran the social media for the Wolverines' hockey team. Whether she was filming behind-the-scenes clips or making witty posts about their games, she always seemed to be around, with her bright smile and camera in hand.

But it never felt like the right time. Between the chaos of school, hockey, and his nerves getting the best of him, he never made a move. Then, suddenly, she graduated. Just like that, she was gone from campus, and Luke lost track of where she went. They exchanged a few DMs, but it fizzled out quickly. Life moved on, and Luke threw himself into his hockey career.

Flash forward, and Luke had just been called up to the New Jersey Devils. The excitement of making it to the NHL was overwhelming, but it came with the expected anxiety of adjusting to a new team and city. He walked into the Devils' training facility for his first media day, feeling a little jittery, when he froze.

There she was.

Standing there, camera in hand, laughing with a few of the other media team members.

He blinked, sure he was seeing things. There was no way—no way—she was now working for the Devils.

His heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, it wasn’t the nerves of making his NHL debut that were rattling him. It was the same girl who'd haunted his thoughts since his days at UMich.

"Luke?" she called out, noticing his stare.

"Y-yeah. Hi," he stammered, feeling like a sophomore all over again.

She smiled, just as bright and warm as ever. "It's been a while! Guess we're on the same team again."

Luke swallowed, trying to hide the redness creeping up his neck. "Yeah... crazy, huh?"

From that moment on, they ran into each other constantly. Whether it was during team interviews, behind-the-scenes content shoots, or just passing in the hallway, Luke couldn't help but feel like fate had given him a second chance.

This time, he wasn’t going to let it slip through his fingers.

---

Weeks went by, and their interactions grew more frequent. They joked around during team shoots, shared stories about UMich, and slowly, the tension between them built until it was palpable. Luke couldn’t deny it any longer. He had to do something.

One evening, after a big win, the media team was finishing up their content. The locker room was clearing out, and Luke found her still editing clips from the game.

"Hey," he said, walking over, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. "Got a minute?"

She looked up, smiling softly. "Yeah, what's up?"

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to go for it. "You know, I've had this massive crush on you since our days back at UMich. I never did anything about it back then, and I regretted it when you left. But now... we're both here. And I don't want to miss another chance."

She blinked in surprise, her eyes wide. "Luke..."

Before she could say anything else, he spoke again, his nerves finally giving way to honesty. "So, what do you think? Want to grab dinner sometime? No cameras, no media, just us?"

Her stunned expression softened into a grin, and she nodded. "I think I’d really like that."

Luke let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Finally, after all this time, it was the right moment.

[chiiroptereh]

[Please zoom in, there's a lot of detail! And a massive file size...ouch]

Hi guys, long time no post! Been working on Art Fight and life stuff, but I've got something kinda fun for you.

This is a compilation exploring how a mortal Bill may interact with our world if there were still some kinda Euclidean instincts buried in there. Y'know, before the Book of Bill ruins all my headcanons >:P (EDIT: IT HAS BEEN READ. YAHOOOOOO)

Also quite an experimental piece as you can probably tell. Lots of details on both said headcanons and the art stuff under the cut, but I invite you to study the colorful texture yourself beforehand and think about what it might be representative of, just for fun because I got some really cool answers from my friends when asked :]c

TL;DR: the headcanon is that Euclideans have exceptional eyes for geometry. They find things like symmetry, tessellating patterns, graphs and fractals very aesthetically pleasing. If pushed into our 3D world, they feel comforted by the familiarity flat objects/spaces bring, as well as high-contrast patterns. Shadows especially are a familiar dimensional reduction that may bring them much comfort.

Bill would surely not be happy about these inclinations, constant reminders of a past long gone, but I'm not sure he's even aware of them here :P I think his ego gets in the way to the point where he just views these interests as common sense, which, of course, us lame humans just don't understand because we aren't nearly as cool as him. Of course he likes perfectly symmetrical leaves and staring at the kitchen floor, it's called taste, look it up!

And yet, he can't seem to shake the strange sense of melancholy he gets from viewing his own shadow.

~ End of TL;DR, long version below! ~

🔺 Headcanon Development

So, the catalyst of this idea was in relation to my friend and I's AU ( @love-triangles-au ). TL;DR, Bill's brought back mortal, meets another triangle named Y.V. (it's his hand holding the paper in the piece, actually), at some point they fall in yaois together, you know how it is. And, in writing a pair of triangles (or, more broadly, writing from the perspective of a different species), something I've had to consider was that you really can't get much further removed from a human being than sentient geometry.

The anatomical aspect was mostly figured out (see my piece on Bill's eye-mouth), but I wanted to consider what psychological differences might be at play. I wanted them to be weirder, more alien, double-so for Bill. At first I explored these possibilities through the lens of Bill and Y.V.'s relationship, specifically the question "what might a triangle find appealing about another triangle?"

Well, really the only things that came to mind were straight lines and symmetry, anything related to the geometric form of such a creature. That's more-or-less where that ended until the thought struck me that there's no reason this aesthetic appreciation couldn't extend to the rest of the environment, and then further when I realized, "wait, this is a species that is designed to live in a 2D environment. Like, they should seriously be really weird. I need to push this like 200% more."

So...yeah! I did some thinking and brainstorming with others and came up with a pretty long list of things a Euclidean in our world may be inclined to enjoy or find some level of comfort in. It's worth noting again that in this piece specifically this is a mortal/powerless Bill, so he can't really escape this Earthly environment. IF he's aware of these instincts at all (and that's a big "if"; when have you last been cognizant of your own instincts let alone known where they were stemming from?) I think he'd have snuffed them out in immortality and/or purposefully gone against them; he doesn't take kindly to being told what to do.

In order from left-to-right, top-to-bottom, here's an explanation for each!:

Flat objects such as paper are something he may find particularly engaging. It's basically 2D!

Tessellations are especially fascinating, and our world has them everywhere in the form of tile floors. Symmetry and such a predictable pattern...as the infinity of the starry sky might for us, the infinite potential of tessellations might invoke a similar sense of awe in him. Add on the maximum contrast of black on white kitchen tiles and the forms are only even better defined! A sensitivity to contrast would be very helpful for a 2D being navigating their environment.

Fields are flat and open, much like Euclydia itself. Laying flat may make him feel a little more at home.

More tessellation in the honeycomb of hymenopterans (bees, wasps and friends)! It helps that pain is hilarious.

The city is an absolute treasure trove. Rectangular buildings, precise architecture, square sidewalks and straight lines abound...he may as well be looking at a rainbow or an art gallery! I think a Euclidean's brain is very fine-tuned to mathematics, especially in regards to trigonometry. What may appear to be a straight painting might appear obnoxiously crooked to him.

Zebras are high-contrast :]

Another flat surface, another relaxing space <3

I think graphs are about as high as high art gets to most Euclideans.

I've touched on shadows before, and for good reason; truly they must be something borderline magical to the Euclidean and perhaps bitterly nostalgic.

This one kinda speaks for itself. Dweeb.

🎨 The Artsy Stuff

Lately I've been trying to find ways to fit more color into my work, as color is perhaps one of my favorite things in the world. My wardrobe is rather garish; my dad jokes that you could see me from space. My fursona is obnoxiously bright for a reason -- I feel my soul is a very colorful one!

I also realized recently that I don't actually know the exact style that speaks to me. I could talk about the phenomenon of the "style crisis" that many artists have all day, but in my mind the best cure for this feeling is to go against it entirely and begin stealing as much as possible.

So, I've tried to keep an eye out for more sources of inspiration everywhere I go, physical and digital. I've tried to train my mind into making a habit of considering, "can I do anything with this?" everywhere I go, and it recently paid off!

The glittery rainbowy texture you see plastered all over Billiam is this one, a photo-manipulated set of fruit stickers. I must confess I've been obsessed with this image for the past 72 hours, and this seemed like a good excuse to try it out!

I worried throughout the process if it might be so abstract that it loops back around to being horribly deliberate, if that makes sense -- like each sparkle was not a piece of a whole but rather an object in itself -- but it seems like that hasn't been a problem, so I'm grateful for that :Dc

I hope it can dazzle and delight you as it does me, but as long as you find it fascinating at the very least then I consider it a success! I really enjoyed hearing my friends' interpretations while workshopping it, and got tons of amazing answers from opal to kaleidoscope to fossilized bone marrow! I truly believe that the best art has some room for interpretation and it really excites me to be surrounded by that kind of creative energy that follows said pieces. That definitely adds to my pride in this work. It's weird, it's colorful, it's detailed and yet ambiguous. I'm feeling pretty autistic about it

Alright, I think that's about it. Thanks for listening!

[enchantedflameandflower]

Gavin x Reader Part 6!

Morning nuzzles before breakfast…

I had a request to post an update and I had only a bit of editing left so here we go, I hope this brightens your day!

co-written with CheshireCatSmile

@kus-babygirl @shirley-girly @jynx15 @everchar-of-the-shire @scraftsku35

@vavafaure1994 @deathlesun @sickforbillybutcher @butchers-girl @hippo2211

@bohemianblasphemy

karl urban masterlist

direct link to part 1

part 5

warning: very brief mention of past bad relationship

6.

Gavin shifts to start unzipping his sleeping bag. You move a little so he can take yours too and zip them together, shivering again, but this time because of the cooling air. “And you’re sure you don’t mind I come with a whole truck load of baggage?” you ask. It wasn’t your plan to get involved with anyone but it feels so good to have someone actually seem to care about you. But you don’t think you can handle being hurt again.

"I have baggage myself. I usually rush headlong into everything, but...this…I want to build something special. If you do, too.”

You nod and bite your lip. You know there’s so much more to him than what he thinks and you’ve always admired his determination and strength, even if he made mistakes in the past. Some never do anything for themselves and only tear others down and in your opinion that’s far worse than his faults. The rain is still tapping on the tent and nothing sounds better than curling up with him. When the sleeping bags are joined, you slip in and stretch out, watching him, and not minding the glimpse of his strong masculine legs as he moves around.

He slides into the sleeping bag beside you zipping it up so you're both inside tucked away cozy and warm. He has an innate heat coming from him and you can't help but be drawn to it. When he gathers you into his arms you can't help just melting against his body. 

"I can't believe how perfectly you fit against me,” he murmurs low and soft.

You bury your face against the soft henley covering his broad chest, making a quiet little sound. He’s right. Nothing has ever felt like this before. You want to say something back but you’re already drifting off and within a few moments you’ve fallen asleep. At first you’re not sure what disturbs you, but then you realize a low roll of thunder from off in the distance sparked a nightmare that woke you and for a second you can’t remember where you are as your body jerks awake.

Gavin’s arms tighten around you and he murmurs, his voice gruff with sleep. "It's alright sweetheart; you're safe. Just a bad dream. I've gotcha."

You blink rapidly in the dark, but Gavin’s low voice makes you remember immediately where you are. You take a breath. Safe, in his arms. And he feels so good. You close your eyes but your heart is still beating fast and you know it’s going to take a minute before it starts to slow.

"That thunder's just gettin’ to you, that's all." Soon the rain starts a steady drumming on the tent's thick canvas roof.  His large warm hand begins rubbing your back soothingly.  "I can still feel your heart pounding sweetheart. You don't need to worry. I'll keep you safe.” You can feel his breath warm and ruffling your hair lightly.

His hand on your back feels so good. You feel like you already know him so well and know you’re safe with him. After awhile you fall asleep easily again and sleep better than you have in years. When you wake, your face is buried against the curve of his neck and before you realize what you’re doing in your half asleep state, you nuzzle there softly against his skin.

A low hum comes from deep in his throat and he tightens his hold on you again, dragging you close to his body.  "Mmm...that feels good. darlin’. A sweet thing to wake up to." He rubs at your back again then rests his hand on your hip, squeezing softly, steady and warm.

You freeze for a moment as you wake fully and realize what you’re doing. Slow. Slow, you tell yourself again. With 5 more days of this trip left alone with him though you have a feeling that is not going to happen. Every part of him feels so good and you feel like if that big, strong hand started sliding under your shirt right now you would be nothing but exuberant. 

Carefully you shift back a little so you’re not completely on top of him and take a breath of the crisp morning air trying not to think about the two of you naked in this sleeping bag. But suddenly you remember what had happened during the night. Your cheeks heat as you think about how silly it was to have nightmares and be scared of thunder. “Sorry about last night,” you murmur softly. “My ex broke in once, before I moved…so sometimes I’m a little on edge at night, I guess.”

He's quiet for a long moment. "That's awful. I didn't realize how much you'd been through. No woman should have to live with that kind of fear. You certainly don't need to apologize." He presses his lips against your forehead in a tender kiss.

Your eyes sting with his kindness, it’s overwhelming to you and you don’t really know why you told him that, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. You nod mutely and take a breath then slip away from him to stretch tight muscles. “I suppose we should get going.”

He catches your eyes with his own as you look up at him. There's still a myriad of emotions there but something you recognize as…respect? "I can't believe what it must have taken to pull yourself together and pick up to start a new life someplace completely different. That's incredibly brave."

You shrug a little but a small smile tugs at your lips. “I didn’t really have a choice. So I just kept going. But thank you.” His hazel eyes swirl with color and you could get lost there forever if you let yourself.

“You're among friends now. And we don't take kindly to anyone trying to hurt one of our own."  He glances up at the top of the tent. I suppose you're right...we should get going while we have a break in the weather." He looks back at you and smiles softly then tucks your hair behind your ear gently.

For a moment all you can think about is pulling him back into bed on top of you, but instead you turn your head to kiss his palm. “What’s for breakfast?”

He chuckles as he shifts to unzip the sleeping bags.  "A girl who keeps sight of the important things in life." He gets up from the warm fabric and quickly pulls his jeans on. "I'll go get coffee started."

In a short time, as you're pulling yourself together for the day, you smell the heavenly scent of coffee wafting into the tent.  "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes, " he calls into the tent.

You pull your sweatshirt on and shift to climb out of the tent. Sitting in the open doorway, you pull your boots on and look up to find Gavin crouched by the fire, his jeans molded around his ass and you end up staring as you tie your laces until suddenly your stomach grumbles.

He looks over his shoulder grinning at you. "Sounds like last nights dreams worked up an appetite." He beckons you over to the fire and hands you a plate with pancakes and bacon and you wonder how the heck he managed that and coffee too so quickly.

“Oh my gosh,” you smile. “How did you do all this?” He pours some syrup over your pancake and you take a big bite, humming appreciatively. It’s really good. “It’s amazing Gavin, you’re going to spoil me…”

He smiles at you. "Maybe it's time you had some of that in your life." He sits down beside you and takes a bite of his own pancake. Even the campfire coffee is good. His leg is just barely brushing yours as you sit beside each other.

“Mmmm I love bacon…” you murmur, and he’s cooked it perfectly, crisp and hot. Then you pick up your camp mug and sip the dark coffee slowly, savoring then flavor on your tongue. “You better be careful or I might just show up at your house every morning,” you joke.

"Now that's a pleasant thought," he chuckles and winks at you. He's quiet then for a moment. He looks at the fire and says softly, "Though it was nice having you in my arms when I woke up this morning." The way his voice drops low makes you want him with every fiber of your being.

“It was very nice,” you agree, a little breathless. “Except for the thunder I don’t remember the last time I slept that well.” Your mind drifts back to the night before, him pulling you close and kissing you like he couldn’t get enough. You wonder if you can get a replay of it tonight.

Breaking your thoughts, he leans toward you and steals a quick, soft kiss before getting up to quickly take care of the breakfast dishes. He pours the last of the coffee into your mug and smiles at you then continues with his task, drying everything and putting it away in his pack. “I'm going to take the tent down, you just enjoy your coffee."

“Gavin, really, you should have at least let me clean the dishes,” you sigh softly knowing that’s going to be an argument you’re going to lose. But you figure you might as well accept it for now and settle back to enjoy watching him. “I owe you one.”

"I'll keep that in mind," he says with a charming grin that causes his dimple to show. He's so efficient tearing down the tent and packing everything away in his pack. You at least rinse your cup and dry it off to hand to him before gathering up the few things you still have to pack.

It’s not long before you are all packed up and you head out a bit further to survey more of the land that will be part of the cut and then off to the west so you can document the saplings from 3 years ago. It was late midday when the clouds started to roll in again. “Maybe we should have headed to our next camping spot sooner,” you comment, but you really wanted to get all that work done.

"Yeah...there was another area a little farther in I wanted to take a look at too. If you don't mind spending a little extra time...I know you probably have work piling up. But if it’s okay with you?"  He studies you a moment then walks over and adjusts your pack on you so the weight is more even.

“Oh, I don’t mind at all. We have our raincoats after all. I should be able to get a cell signal at the cabin to answer a few emails, but I won’t have any trouble catching up on work when we get back. I know you wanted to make some repairs at the cabin as well and I can work on the reports.”

"Okay, that sounds great. Ready?" He caresses your cheek softly before turning to start up the trail. After hiking steadily for about half an hour he stops and pulls an old map out of a pocket and studies it a moment. "I think it's this way," he catches you when you start off too quick and stumble over an old root system from the ancient adjoining trees. He holds onto you a little longer than absolutely necessary then makes sure you have your footing and starts off again.

This time he takes your hand in his, warm and strong and steady and you almost melt. You walk for a little bit longer until he finds the spot but you realize you are near a ridge and you go over to find an amazing view over a valley of evergreens below.

"It's beautiful isn't it? Now...I think there's a meadow...oh, right here! It should be right...oh my God, it's real!"  

~.~.~.~

part 7

Next up: a little bit of magic enhances the romantic atmosphere ❤️ Let me know what you think!

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

How to tell Arcane leaks apart from trailers and teasers

There are NO LEAKS in this post, so please read.

In summary: to identify leaks, look out for 1): watermarks, 2): unfinished animation rendering, and 3): poor image and video quality.

Tumblr isn't too bad right now, but Twitter is rife with clips and screenshots of the leaks, and YouTube has full uploaded leaked clips. These leaks show up on YouTube if you even search just "Arcane" or "Arcane season 2."

Here is a list of legitimate trailers and teasers posted by Netflix and Riot. These are not leaks and the clips and gifsets about them on Tumblr are from legitimate sources:

Season 2 first look

Season 2 teaser (short)

Ekko and Heimerdinger sneak peek

Season 2 teaser trailer

Jinx and Sevika sneak peek

There's some confusion in the tag about what constitutes a leak and what is simply a trailer or a teaser shared legitimately by Netflix and/or Riot. This is understandable because the first 5 episodes of season 2 leaked at the same time that Netflix and Riot were accelerating season 2's marketing.

Most people in the fandom do not want to be spoiled at all, and so are not excited about the leaks. Most people don't want clips, screengrabs, or even vague allusions to the leaks in the Arcane tag. They most certainly do not want spoilers sent to their inboxes, either. (DO NOT DO THIS. Don't be that person either on anon or off. Goodness gracious.)

Still, there is always going to be someone who posts the leaks in the fandom tags. However, there are many more people who make gifs and posts about the legitimate season 2 teasers and trailers. There are still almost 3 months until the first episodes drop, so we will be dealing with dodging these leaks for a long while.

Here's how to tell what's a leak and what isn't:

1): Watermarks

From what I've put together, someone at one of the dubbing studios leaked the first 5 episodes of Arcane season 2. In their entirety. However, these leaks were not production ready. The leaks are also completely watermarked and have a big running timestamp ticking throughout the run of all of the episodes.

This is difficult to visualize beyond what little Riot shared about the production of season 1 in Bridging the Rift. So I will post a NON-SPOILER screengrab of the title card of one of the leaks I took (just a few seconds before I realized I was looking at a leaked episode).

Below is a screenshot I took of nothing more than the Arcane title card from the season 2 title sequence. This is not a spoiler! Please use this example to help you tell a legitimate teaser from a leak:

Can you imagine watching 5 EPISODES of Arcane with these watermarks all over every single frame??? I'm begging you, do not subject yourself to watching Arcane in this manner, no matter how bad you want to know what happens in season 2.

These watermarks are practically impossible to remove, especially from every single frame. So any visuals you see that look clean, production-ready, and gorgeous from season 2 are definitely from trailers or teasers, not from leaks.

Here's a screengrab from the recent sneak peek posted by Netflix/Riot for comparison:

No watermarks, the animation is finished, the video quality is high. This is a legitimate teaser and not a leak.

2): Unfinished animation render

You don't need the full finished painterly animation from Fortiche to complete a dub. You just need basic character models and their movements, along with the finished script.

Much of the leaks are just this: the full complete scenes from every episode, character models are moving as they will in the final edit, the episodes' composition is complete, but the animation is unfinished and doesn't have the final painterly polish yet.

Below is a NON-SPOILER screengrab from Riot/Fortiche showing the animation process. This screenshot is from season 1 episode 5 during Vi and Sevika's first fight and shows the stage of completeness of the animation that most of the leaks show:

Notice that the scene is comprehensible, but the lighting effects and painting-like style of Fortiche is missing. It looks... okay, but unfinished-looking compared to what we know Arcane looks like. A big chunk of the 5 leaked season 2 episodes look like this.

Here's the final render of this scene for comparison:

However, I will say that I accidentally watched the first few seconds of the leaked season 2 episode 1 before it registered in my brain that I was watching a leak. There were watermarks like in my first point above, but for this particular scene, the animation was finished, and it seems like the sound mixing was finished too.

So it is possible that there are leaks floating around with gorgeous finished-looking animation. So look out for watermarks no matter what, and also -

3.): Poor image and video quality

When people say that the leaks are "potato quality," they mean it. On top of the watermarks and big timestamp across the runtime of all the 5 leaked episodes, the video quality is also pretty bad, certainly less than 360p.

The legitimate teasers and trailers and screenshots released by Netflix and Riot are all of very high video quality.

A note on early leaks

There are some leaks from earlier this year pertaining to Vi and Caitlyn's story that came from the Annecy Animation Festival Arcane panel. These leaks weren't treated as seriously because no full clips leaked, and they were mainly high-level summaries of season 2 plot points.

Those leaks are now difficult to tell apart from text posts about these new complete episode leaks. There are a lot of text posts out there about Vi and Caitlyn's story in particular as well as extremely spoilery text posts about certain characters who were in the Council tower at the end of season 1 episode 9.

There isn't much we can do about text posts

In the end, Tumblr has been pretty okay with keeping visuals from leaks out of the tag. I still see a potato-quality screenshot from the leaks every now and then. But most pervasive is people talking about spoilers from the leaks in text posts. These posts are tagged with the fandom tags and spoilers are only tagged sometimes.

Often, if the person is only vaguely alluding to the spoilers, they won't tag spoilers at all because they think being vague is enough. It usually isn't, because the post is still alluding to events outside of season 1 and the teasers/trailers.

The only thing we can do to completely avoid these posts is to not only block "spoiler" or "leak" related tags, but to avoid and block the Arcane fandom tags altogether, which is a shame.

Please, if you're someone who saw the leaks and wants to post about them, all I can ask is to at least tag your spoilers: "arcane spoilers", "arcane season 2 spoilers", "arcane s2 spoilers", "arcane leaks", or even just "spoiler", "spoilers", or "leaks" is better than nothing.

Even better would be to simply avoid using the word Arcane in the post and not tag the post with any fandom tags at all, keeping the post relegated to your blog with as little context as possible. This includes avoiding using the correctly-spelled character names in the post as well. Until the episodes drop in November, this is the most polite way I can think of to talk about the leaks and spoilers on your blog.

[hayleytheewriter]

I've been working on this Timkon friends to lovers prom fic for like four months and the second after I post it, Ao3 goes down 😭

I've gotta share it somewhere, sooo here is a snippet!

Edit: here’s the link to Step Five: Follow Him To Canada!

FLASH. 

Another pretty picture. They were in the foyer, framed by the grand staircase and twirling chandelier. 

Tim’s hands were stuffed in his pockets. 

He wore a tux— chosen at random like five minutes before everyone showed up. 

His friends clearly put a lot more thought into getting ready. Cissie’s hair was pinned up, with a few curled tendrils framing her face. She had a cream dress that clung to her body with a long slit down the side. Cassie looked just as hot in a lavender suit with a matching cream pocket square. Her short hair was slicked back, in the rockstar fashion, and her eyeliner was sharp. Bart wore a grey suit with a matching skirt. Greta wore a puffy, tulle dress that was as pink as her cheeks. She looked particularly alive tonight. 

And then there was Kon. 

Kon was in a league of his own. 

The suit itself was gorgeous— navy blue, silky, with a shirt loosely unbuttoned— and had a vaguely 70s vibe. But it wasn’t just his clothes. His smile was bright. His eyes sparkled. Getting to see this exact shade of happiness on his face was the whole reason Tim bought tickets in the first place— but wow. His imagination paled in comparison to the real thing. A part of him couldn’t believe his best friend had been this attractive the whole time. Tim should’ve realized his feelings sooner. It wasn’t fair. It also really, really wasn’t fair that Kon got to go through life looking like that. Of course he had a boyfriend. Was Kaldur his boyfriend? 

Like it mattered. 

If any part of Kon ever momentarily entertained the thought of liking Tim like that, he would’ve said something. Like with Cassie, like with Kaldur, like with girls Kon hit on with the subtly of wack-a-mole throughout the years. Every flirty line or stupid wink got under Tim’s skin. Now he finally understood exactly why, but knowing why didn’t help. Nothing could help. Everything was awful. Tonight was supposed to be fun, but he’d never escape the ungrateful little voice whispering, but imagine how much better this would be if he liked you back. Tonight would be torture. He wished there was a surgery to remove these feelings from his body. He’d rather feel nothing at all. 

FLASH. 

“Okay, now do a silly one,” Dick said, lowering the camera. 

“Dick,” Tim said. 

“Let’s do it,” said Bart. He jumped into Cissie’s arms with a grin, Cassie and Greta did Charlie’s Angels, Kon floated into the air and did a cool kick upside down. Tim did a peace sign with an expression that gave nothing. 

FLASH. 

“Okay, we’re good,” Tim said. 

“Wait,” Cassie said, nudging Greta toward Tim. “We need to take some in pairs. Cissie and I did ours already, but you guys should, too.” 

“Yeah!” said Bart. “Let’s take some.” 

He grabbed Kon by the hand and pulled him in front of the camera. 

“Let’s do a serious one,” Bart said, posing with his arms crossed. “OH wait,” he sprinted away and returned with sunglasses. 

“Okay, now I’m ready.” 

Dick snapped a few pics of them, while Tim and Greta kinda stood to the side. 

“It would be nice to take a few pictures together,” she said. She tucked her hair behind her ear and added, “But if you’d rather not, I totally understand—” 

“No, no, it’s okay,” Tim said. “I don’t mind. I’m just… not very photogenic.” 

“Really? I don’t know about that. I think you look great.” 

“Thanks. So do you— I mean, you look beautiful.” 

She glanced down, smiling sweetly at the floor. 

“Thanks.” 

“Okay, boys. Take five. Tim and Greta’s turn,” Cassie said.

Bart appeared at Cissie’s side and they whispered about something. Kon walked over slower. 

As reluctant as Tim was, he was determined not to show it. Greta seemed excited by the classic prom experience. So many classic experiences had been cruelly denied to her. He wanted to make her happy and if that meant posing with his arms around her waist like a traditional prom photo-op, he would do it with a smile. 

FLASH, FLASH, FLASH. 

Greta turned to face him. 

“Maybe we should do another pose?” 

“Sure,” Tim said. “Unless, I mean, do you want some with Bart or something?” 

“Oh. Yeah, of course.”  

Bart and Cissie stopped whispering. Tim walked toward the group, but Kon cut him off before he got too far. 

“Can I talk to you alone for a second?” Kon asked. 

Tim nodded. He looked unbothered, but inside, he was bothered quite a bit. 

The only thing Kon would need to talk to him about privately was if he wanted to invite someone else tonight, since this was technically Tim’s event. Maybe he decided he wanted to invite his boyfriend. Tim lead Kon to the parlor, trying not to drag his feet. 

The parlor had a high, domed ceiling, with dark, heavy furniture. The couch was pale blue, like the old wallpaper, and as hard as the floor. Tim shut the door behind them. 

“What’s up?” he asked. 

“Hi,” Kon said. 

He was nervous. 

Well, he should be. If Tim wanted his boyfriend there, he would’ve invited him. 

Of course Tim was going to let Kaldur could come. He wasn’t a jealous asshole. At least— he didn’t want to act like one. 

“Hi,” Tim said, with an edge. 

Kon bit back a smile. In this suit, the move was lethally attractive. Somehow, Tim persevered.

“I— well. I brought you something.” 

Tim’s eyebrows shot up. Kon just kept rambling. 

  “But if you don’t like it— or think it’s— whatever. You can just throw it away before we go back out there. So. Here.” 

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a boutonnière. 

A burgundy rose with ivory accents. 

It was a moment of shock like someone pulled the rug out from under him— but instead of belly flopping onto the unforgiving ground, he discovered he could fly. That was how his stomach felt at least, swooping like he was doing figure eights through the clouds. 

Tim took the flowers.

“Technically, you invited all of us,” Kon continued, finally back to his usual confidence. “But I know you’re only going because of me.” 

Something about Kon’s stupid little smirk was actually grounding. Tim found his footing with sarcasm. 

“I’m also dying to know who’s gonna be prom king.” 

“I already know. I’m looking at him.” 

That surprised a laugh out of him. 

“You’d have a better chance than me,” said Tim. 

“Really?” Kon asked. 

Tim pinned his boutonnière on his lapel. 

“Really. Especially if I was your campaign manager. Smile at the right people. Shake a few hands. And if all else fails, I’d stuff the ballot box.” 

“I don’t know,” Kon said, feigning modesty. He reached up and adjusted the flower. His hand wound up on Tim’s chest. The teasing was done when he looked Tim in the eye and said, “I’d vote for you.” 

Something was weird. 

Tim broke away, feeling flush, and told himself it was all in his head. 

“…Thanks,” Tim said, eventually. “For the flower. I feel like I’m really getting the full prom experience.” 

[magnifythesun]

Hiii so mexican salsa YES this post is a prompt! Feel free to change it to whatever you like, but I'd love a lil' story like this:

Ian and anthony are both very obviously in love and the whole smoffice knows it, but them lmao! I'd love this fic to be just text messages or slack posts or sth, where the cast and crew report of sightings of Ian and anthony doing very ianthony stuff and not realize it themselves. Maybe they come up w a way to show or nudge them in the right direction? But Ian and Anthony will still make it a bro moment (broment) bc they think the other one just wants to be bros LMAO ~ Japhan2024 💖

@japhan2024 FANTASTIC IDEA I have to believe that the Smosh cast legit has a secret group chat for stuff like this hahaha the looks on their faces whenever Ian and Anthony do something shippy is priceless

im going to wrack my brain for my favorite moments lolol I hope you enjoy!

(mid writing note: i first wrote basically all texts but it wasn't quite flowing the way i wanted it to so now there's a little more prose lol. this also taught me i do NOT know enough crew members' names)

read on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56346769

---

It took Erin less than ten minutes to create The Group Chat following the slapping video caress incident.

Erin: "okay so what the fuck"

Tommy: "i'm beside myself."

Angela: "SO WE'RE FINALLY TALKING ABOUT IT"

It began, and all hell broke loose from there.

Most of the cast and crew didn't know Anthony too well when he first returned, but everyone could tell Ian began to positively glow once he came back. It had started mostly with little under-the-breath comments about how big Ian had smiled at something Anthony did, or shared glances after they looked lost in each other's worlds. It's not that everyone wanted to speculate about their bosses, but rather that their bosses were practically giving them no choice.

The real watershed moment was the birth of The Group Chat, which finally provided an outlet for all ianthony incidents witnessed by the cast and crew.

---

Shayne: "Please tell me how Anthony managed to turn his smosh cast interview into an hour of us complimenting Ian."

Tommy: "i swear he practices in his car on the way to work"

---

Erin: "not them discussing deepthroating injuries for like three whole minutes..."

Erin: "while Anthony sucks on his rainbow lollipop......"

Chanse: "they are not beating the allegations"

---

Josh: "So this is I think the fourth video I've edited where Anthony has called Ian daddy??"

Josh: "WHAT is the thought process. I just can't put it together. is Anthony just like yeah I'm going to call my bro daddy about seventeen separate times with varying levels of seriousness and that's good and het and normal."

Erin: "Josh, istg you don't see the half of it. Come watch them film and pay special attention when the cameras are OFF."

---

Erin: "im losing it"

Arasha: "oh god. what happened"

Erin: "i am not fucking kidding right now anthony just called him submissive and breedable."

Keith: "WHAT"

Erin: "he said what he said."

Angela: "BREEDABLE????????????"

Erin: "in front of god and everyone."

Angela: "BREEDABLE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

---

Tommy: "catching up on the main channel sketches and i just have to ask"

Tommy: "How many men can Ian date in his sketches until he realizes he'd like to date one in real life?"

Chanse: "don't SPEAK to me about it"

---

Tommy: "bicurious, hmm? Ian would you like to share something with the class???"

Chanse: "hes so deep in the mental closet his art is trying to scream it at him through his subconscious."

Chanse: "ive been there 😞"

Josh: "I've never been more prepared to edit a video in my whole life"

---

Angela: "Erinnnn not u directing them to stand closer together 😭😭"

Erin: "look I'm at my wits end. I'm thinking forced proximity might do it"

Keith: "if that could work they would have gotten it during kissing currency 😙💸"

Shayne: "@ courtney is this your thought process behind wanting a kissing video"

Courtney: "HA"

Courtney: "yes."

---

Courtney: "okay so if our plan at this point is just to make them read so many fanfics about themselves out loud that they spontaneously realize they're in love, we've got to find some fics that don't contain the word 'cummies'"

Angela: "what are cummies?? 😇"

Shayne: "ANGELA I SWEAR TO GOD"

---

As the incidents kept piling up, a plot began to form. Maybe Anthony and Ian were just so oblivious that they all needed to adopt a certain 'push-comes-to-shove' mentality, and do what had to be done. Everyone agreed, they had to find a way to put them in such a charged situation that this would all finally boil over, and the astounding tension that had plagued the office would be resolved. The ultimate achievement of this long-weary Group Chat.

Erin: "okay so one more time. everyone has talked with HR, yes? and everyone slated for the vid is comfortable with the concept of spin the bottle"

Angela: "what's spin the bottle? 😇"

Tommy: "STOP"

Shayne "1) Yes for the thousandth time, we promise. 2) What the FUCK are we going to do if this bottle never lands on Anthony and Ian"

Erin: "I will keep this shoot going as long as necessary."

Shayne: "That sounds like a threat?"

Chanse: "I'm suddenly regretting my decision. May I take my week's vacation right now?"

---

Erin: "how..."

Courtney: "did you see the look in their eyes????? :O"

Angela: "FATE WAS ON OUR SIDE. IT LANDED ON THEM THREE WHOLE TIMES"

Erin: "yes but,,,,,"

Tommy: "don't speak to me I'm still reeling"

Keith: "oh please don't tell me it didn't work."

Chanse: "i just have one question. how did they kiss THREE TIMES and still not realize."

Courtney: "they were both practically levitating from giddiness"

Arasha: "they just kept looking away from each other and laughing it off... they didn't see each other's expressions 😭😭"

Angela: "guys. guys"

Erin: "what"

Angela: "do u know what this means"

Angela: "now that we've pushed them over this hurdle... They're going to start bro kissing in their sketches"

Chanse: "oh my god"

Josh: "oh fuck you're right"

Erin: "that's it."

Erin: "im quitting smosh"

Amanda: "Oh hey guys! We have a group chat?"

Shayne:

[criticalbeauregard]

how agathario could've won

EDIT: people are taking this post as me saying every ship needs a happy ending to have value or that the ending was bad bc they don’t end up riding off into the sunset. let me clarify this was just an idea i had (also without context for several jac interviews that have since come out)

i've been thinking a lot about the finale and how some people have been saying "what did you think was going to happen? you thought they were going to live happily ever after?" to which i didn't really have a good answer for but i've been collecting my thoughts and i have a bit of a "fix it" or alternate concept for ep 8 & 9 that could possibly turn into a fic down the road:

episode 8 is the earth trial and final showdown. i feel like the earth trial itself was pretty underwhelming in favor of sending jen and billy out of the "road" and also in the larger context of the rest of the episode i'm unsure of the purpose it serves. with the later knowledge that the road is all billy's design this makes sense, but agatha's growth (literally) in that moment alone seems inconsequential and essentially washes away when she exits the "trial" and sees rio. she says, with something that sounds like acceptance, "sometimes boys die." and she's in what would be rio's trial. she talks about life coming out of death, she literally grows a flower from a seed within the momento she carries for her dead son. it feels like an acceptance or understanding of rio's actions in a way. and possibly a nod to nicky not being fully gone. i would've liked (i suppose in a world where the road doesnt hinge on billy's knowledge of the coven members) for rio's trial to be more centered around her loss of nicky and agatha. the other trials focus on the greatest fears of the coven member associated with it after all. perhaps a trial that also forces agatha to reveal the true story of what happened to nicky to jen and billy, even ending similarly with sending the others away and finding true acceptance of what rio is and that she was nicky's mother too. maybe with prompting from the others and reassurance about how the truth is not "too awful" (which i think is a belief born of agatha's shame for not being able to protect nicky).

in the final showdown, rio is expecting a fight since agatha didn't make good on her deal. but agatha is coming to rio with something she doesn't expect, understanding. maybe rio thinks it's a trick and there's still some sparring there, billy then shows up and powers up agatha. rio asks which one of them is coming with her. agatha, injured, yells out "what would our son think of this?" rio falters at that. agatha talks about what she's learned and maybe even how that very nature she's hated for so long is what made her fall in love with rio to begin with. agatha wants to make a new deal, rio lets billy go and when agatha dies (a long long time from now) they will go reunite with their son together. rio regretfully tells her "that balance still must be maintained, i can offer only time" and agatha tearfully says "i know." they kiss, not a kiss of death, but of life. a renewal of their love. flowers bloom around them, all of the ones rio never got to give to her over the years. and when agatha opens her eyes again, rio is gone.

in episode 9 we see agatha and rio meet for the first time, agatha have nicky, rio play with nicky in the woods on some nights while agatha sleeps, everything else we see with nicky and agatha's relationship, rio and nicky's last walk and maybe also rio and agatha's first encounter after nicky's death, perhaps in which we gain some insight into why agatha is keeping up the witches' road con.

having heard the story during the earth trial and through witnessing her deal with rio, billy has a deeper understand of why agatha is the way she is. this reminds him of wanda and he realizes why agatha actually was so interested in what wanda did. she says the bit about him reminding her of nicky and how he always did even when he was young. he thanks her for buying him time, agatha tells him to make the most of it and that things might move quicker with another set of hands. "coven two." they go to find tommy.

idk lmk what you think and if i'm forgetting something very glaring but this idea was heavily inspired by @agatharkn3ss 's nicky's parentage theory post.

[angryplebianart]

I don’t wanna sound rude at all but I am genuinely curious as to why you ship 2doc? I’m not trying to like target you in particular or anything I’m just wondering in general why do people like it

This is gonna be a long one lmao

A little backstory: When I first got into Gorillaz I really hated Murdoc. My sister showed me a playlist of all the videos in order. The whole playlist I kept going on about how I didn't like Murdoc and my sister was like "well, just wait." By Lost Chord I was a bit sympathetic and beginning to like Murdoc, I loved seeing that he was helping everyone else escape before he did and I really liked seeing 2D save him despite everything.

I've always been a sucker for relationships with drama(even platonic relationships), for one, for two I love when characters have chemistry (even platonic chemistry) because of what they've been through together if that makes sense.

This was before I really knew much about the band at all besides what was shown in the videos and the first time I heard about 2doc I was confused and kind of weirded out that people would ship such a toxic and dysfunctional couple. As I learned more about the band and the characters, though, and as I dug into the lore, I found Murdoc to be a much more sympathetic character than I had originally seen. A flawed character, deeply flawed, but sympathetic nonetheless and with the inkling of a redemption arc forming. I also found it interesting that even after all that had happened, 2D and Murdoc still had this indescribable bond (that a lot of people label as Stockholm syndrome but I do not).

I was on twitter one day and stumbled across a discussion about the song Souk Eye and heard that in the live shows, every time the line "I will always think about you" was sung, Murdoc's face was up on the screen. I dug into the lore for TNN album and became even more intrigued with the ship. I saw a Souk Eye animatic that depicted 2D having these battling emotions over Murdoc being gone. That he really missed him but still resented him as well and by this point you could say I was dipping my toes into the 2doc waters.

I started looking for other signs that maybe it was implied to be a canon thing and found so much stuff thanks to a couple "2doc Daily" accounts on twitter (that really just regurgitated the same things the other account said, to the point that I didn't realize it was two different accounts for a couple months lol) that only posted canon evidence.

Maybe it's silly and a lot of people don't like it, but I really do like it. It's so fun to headcanon about the ship and their dynamic.

It really seems like 2doc has been somewhat implied since the beginning in the lore and some interviews, and even some of Jamie's art (them wearing each other's clothes, 2D with Murdoc's monogrammed razor hooked on his necklace, them sharing accessories like the little crown necklace and them sharing hats on PB, the original storyboard for the newspaper comic in Do Ya Thing, there's more examples but those are the ones off the top of my head rn).

Regardless of the ship's popularity, I've come to really like it and it just adds another layer of enjoyment to my love for the band! 🩵💚☺️💚🩵

Thanks for the ask! Sorry if this is rambly or doesn't make a lot of sense, I'm writing this right before bed lol

Edits: I separated this long ass wall of text into digestible paragraphs 😛

[benjineedssleep]

a very long intro to a very long sambastian fic

before anyone gets baited and upset with me, i have to get this out of the way and say this fic is not out yet. i'm still writing it! but it does currently stand at **93k** words and has plenty of life left in it. with that said, if you wanna join the ride and see this fic come together (now that i'm finally ready to talk about it...) this post is for you!!!

BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, while the fic itself not heavy on the 18+ content (most of it merely suggestive) it still has it. as a result, i'm kindly reiterating that this is an 18+ blog and for minors to not interact!!! this place is not safe for you!!! thank you...

NOW ONTO THE POST *KISS* *KISS* *KISS*

so benji, what's the fic about?

amazing question. come 'ere. closer... closer... okay! right there is good! let's not good too personal. *clears throat* IT'S ABOUT SAM AND SEBASTIAN STARDEW VALLEY!!! but more importantly, the fic is a slow burn and goes through almost every single part of their relationship until the final payoff. here's a quick summary:

sam spent summers in stardew valley when he was a kid and sebastian was his best friend. sebastian doesn't remember any of this. frankly, sebastian doesn't remember most of his childhood, not even the stupid shit he and abigail did that solidified their friendship. he just remembers the pain, the isolation, and the way everyone in town looked at him when he passed them by. he's grown content with the idea no one likes him, and ever would, until sam shows up at his door on his first day back in nearly a decade, and wants to be friends again.

or, alternatively, sam makes sebastian realize why exactly people move to stardew valley in the first place.

well, is it just sambastian? that's kinda boring.

tch, no. what do i look like? this fic is going to have a number of other pairings, platonic and romantic. even if your pairing isn't explicitly romantic in the fic, or not endgame, you will be fed well. trust me.

i'm talking platonic soulmates sebastian and abby, catty besties sebastian and haley, gay and confused sebastian and alex, haley/abby, seb + robin, seb + emily, seb + maru and more. Don't forget about all the trios. ass trio? gotchu. haley + seb + abby? gotchu. robin + maru + seb? i gotchu!!!

The characters in this fic are treated like human beings, more than just plot devices that push along the development of the main pairing. (and that's the way it should be, if you ask me.)

you said this fic is 18+ does that mean it's really nsfw?

no. that's the short answer. there are a couple of sexually explicit scenes but they are a) what i would consider "light smut" and b) solely there for the plot. if i expand on anything, which i have, it will not be in the main fic. it'll be posted elsewhere in a collection of fic-canon one shots and such. those things will not be prioritized though.

when will the fic be posted?

the fic will not be posted until i'm completely done with it. i've been in fandom spaces since i was 12-years-old and the stress that updating brings stunts my creativity. i've since learned from my mistakes and as this all started off as a passion project of mine, it's going to continue to be that way until i see it through.

with that said, i've been working on this fic since august and have more than half of it completed. the fic is set to end in fall year two and i'm currently at the end of winter year one. winter is also the bulkiest season in the entire fic, and currently makes up half of the word count. so we're in the home stretch at this point.

i still cannot give you a solid timeline but at the rate i'm working, and taking into consideration i'm a full-time college student with a part-time job and well, a life, i'm gonna say drafting will be done by the end of the year. from that point on i'll be writing additional chapters for the beginning of the fic (and where needed), revising, editing, and getting in secondary beta reads from my friends. that seems like a lot of work but the hardest part is getting words on the page. and i'm already more than halfway done with that!!!

so are we just... getting nothing?

lies! lies and untruths! i wouldn't be making this post if you weren't getting anything. for a matter of fact, there's already a post out! it's about writing a character's style into a story! (and since drafting this, there's another!)

now, the deal here is that while i'm working on the fic, we get to talk about it and hype it up. i really do work on excitement and hype and my friends Robyn, @itslc123, and @bitterpoison have really been here for me since the beginning, before this fic meant anything at all. So yeah, shout out to y'all. I love you so much =((( /pos

anyways!!! whether this gains traction or not, i'll be periodically posting my favorite bits of the fic, ideas, frustrations, and overall just bringing anyone who cares along on my train of thought.

i'm also trying my fuckin' hardest to be more involved in fandom spaces as i've been on the sidelines for much much much too long. so please, babble to me. share your ideas, headcanons for the fic, anything really. i don't bite! i'm just scared of... social interaction LOL

where will this be posted?

ao3! and it won't be posted anywhere else so don't ask.

do we get any extra goodies with the fic?

yes you do!!! because i can't do anything normally!!! if you know nothing about me, music is my special interest and pretty much everything i do revolves around it. as a result, you will be getting tons of playlists to go along with this fic. a general fic playlist, a playlist for certain scenes, a playlist for certain characters... YOU GET THEM ALL!!! I might sneak some other things in there as well. what it'll be? i dunno, but we shall absolutely see how far my brain goes and how committed i am to this fic + fandom.

once it's done, how will things go?

you're thinking real far ahead here, like, 2025 far, but it's okay. you're just a little excited AND SO AM I!!!

but in all seriousness, once the fic is completely finished, i'll be uploading it chapter by chapter to ao3. since it'll be complete, you can expect frequent and consistent updates. and the chapters will be thick for the most part. the average chapter length once it gets into the meat of the plot (about 20k words in) is 2.5-6k words long. but right now there's a super long, super important chapter that's 13k words long! trust and believe that you guys will be fed so very well.

is there anything else you have to say?

not that i can think of but-- OHHH THE FIC TITLE!!!

it's called "baby seasons change, but people don't" and is pulled directly from the take over, the breaks over, a fantastic song by my FAVORITE BAND EVER fall out boy. wanna know something cool about the title? a little silly? i picked it because i noticed a pattern in fob song lyrics/titles/related things being used for the titles of sambastian fics. and i wanted to keep the theme goin', so i had to do it too.

the title is subject to change, as the fic has come a long way since i first chose it, but i'm kinda sentimental about it right now so... we'll see.

but that's all! i said a whole lot just now. so take a break after all that reading.

i hope to see you around friend!

xoxo benji <3

[hananoami]

Xavier's Directional Orbit: Light - Stage 130 Clear + Vod

I realize this post clear write up is hella long over due, but July was such a busy month for me between balancing irl schedules and processing those Illusio Requests (which were more time sensitive). Nevertheless, for record keeping, Xavier and I cleared his Directional Orbit: Light - Stage 130 on July 22nd!

Some important information to know before challenging Xavier's Stage 130 is that you will need two teams. Team 01's protofield Stellactrum is 5-Emerald and 1-Pearl. Team 02's Protofield Stellactrum is 5-Amber and 1-Ruby.

By having a ’perfect match’ with the Protofield Stellactrum you will receive additional attribute bonuses (for every color you match increase DMG boost 5.0% and DMG reduction 5.0% up to 30.0%), as well as the ability to shatter two protofield shields in a single strike.

For this stage I opted to match the colors for each team. The bonuses of having a perfect match was more optimal rather than me trying to brute force it. I also decided to use Xavier's Lumiere companion for both fights; more about that below.

Looking back at this stage I'm pretty sure my first few run was with Lightseeker Companion in the first half. I actually had difficulty grouping up the 4 wanderers together since none of them seem to want to be near each other in order for me to utilize Luminescence Blade's Active skill for cleave damage. This is why I opted to use Lumiere companion instead of Lightseeker here; I needed his control abilities.

My advice is to focus on the Carmine Talons first and then eliminate the Elysian Lacertus. Kindly overlook my messy game play, but in my clear vod you can see that I can have the Elysian Lacertus come to me instead of jumping all over the place while I focused on the Talons. Having Lumiere's Support Skill, Lunar Vortex, made it easier for me get all the wanderers grouped up together while we did AoE damage. It was such a close fight, but thankfully my Ardent Oath came up in time.

For the second half of the fight, I don't want to say it was a joke but... Lumiere really is the best. His Passive Skill, Moonfall, is so broken when combined with Moonchaser's Active Skill, Moontide. That's why, if you have R2 Lumiere, having 2-Expedited Energy Boost beta protocores on Lumiere is BiS is highly recommended. If you don't have Lumiere ranked up I would still equip 1-Expedited Energy boost with 1-Oath Recovery Boost beta protocore at 11% in order to use Ardent Oath twice.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Unfortunately, I don't have screenshots of my stat attributes or have any recollection of which protocores I used for this fight. I'm also unable to recreate those stats I used for this fight because I've upgraded his memories and protocores since then.

EDIT: HUZZAH~! I FOUND THE MISSING SCREENSHOTS. They have been included along with any other information I could pull from them below.

So we'll just go off with what information I do have from my clear vod. If anyone has any questions or concerns about this particular stage I would be happy to help!

TEAM 01

Companion: Xavier's Lumiere [ DPS | Burst | Control ] Weapon: Moonchaser (guns) [ DPS | Sustained | Single-target ] Attribute Bonus For each matched stellactrum, increases DMG Boost 5.0% (currently increased: 30.0%) and DMG Reduction 5.0% (currently increased 30.0%). ♡ Affinity Bonus: 104 (Xavier’s Protective Skill) When you take a fatal blow, Xavier teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP xxx || DEF xx || ATK xx ] Pair Bonus [MN] - Starting Effect: increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. The Enemy [Moonstruck] is extended by 3 seconds. - Duo Rank 1: boosts Ardent Oath charge by 20%. [Moonlight] will attach 1 stack of [Phasing Moon] to the enemy, increasing DMG dealt by 25%.

5☆ LIGHTSEEKING SHADOWREND (emerald/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 1 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ LIGHTSEEKING OBSESSION (emerald/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ 21 DAYS (emerald/lunar) Lv 70 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ ROMANTIC AFTERNOON (emerald/lunar) LV 70 rank 1 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ FLUFFY TRAP (emerald/lunar) Lv 73 rank 2 using xx SSR protocores

4☆ BEST WISHES (pearl/lunar) Lv 60 rank 3 using xx SSR protocores

TEAM 02

Companion: Xavier's Lumiere [ DPS | Burst | Control ] Weapon: Moonchaser (guns) [ DPS | Sustained | Single-target ] Attribute Bonus For each matched stellactrum, increases DMG Boost 5.0% (currently increased: 30.0%) and DMG Reduction 5.0% (currently increased 30.0%). ♡ Affinity Bonus: 104 (Xavier’s Protective Skill) When you take a fatal blow, Xavier teleports to you, blocks a hit, and counter attacks. Enemies will be knocked back. [ HP xxx || DEF xx || ATK xx ] Pair Bonus [MN] - Starting Effect: increases team DMG by 8%, and reduces team DMG taken by 8%. The Enemy [Moonstruck] is extended by 3 seconds. -- Duo Rank 1: boosts Ardent Oath charge by 20%. [Moonlight] will attach 1 stack of [Phasing Moon] to the enemy, increasing DMG dealt by 25%. -- Duo Rank 2: increases Energy Charge cap by 1. When [Moonlight] is activated, the cooldown time of your Active and Resonance Skill is reduced by 0.5 seconds, and a small amount of energy charge is restored. -- Duo Rank 3: increases team DMG by 8%. When your Active Skill or Charged Attack hits a target with [Moonstruck], [Moonlight] will be activated, boosting CRIT DMG by 30%.

5☆ MIDNIGHT WHISPERS (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ MIDNIGHT RAINFALL (amber/solar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ TENDER NIGHT (amber/lunar) Lv 70 rank 1 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ HEARTSTRING SYMPHONY (amber/lunar) Lv 70 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ FAINT SENSATION (amber/lunar) Lv 60 using xx SSR protocores

5☆ UNIQUE AFTERTASTE (ruby/lunar) Lv 80/awakened rank 3 using xx SSR protocores

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