#[has no clue how to give invite codes]

[sitronsangbody]

Warning: this gets grim

I'm up at night thinking about an episode of Supernatural and how it demonstrates some really heinous public attitudes toward fat people.

Mild spoilers for Supernatural season 6 I guess:

Dean Winchester has to take on the job of Death for a day, meaning he has to go to those who are supposedly destined to die, witness their final moments, and give them the touch of death, thus claiming their lives and sending them to the afterlife. He soon struggles to live up to his responsibilities as he's required to end the lives of a sick child and a young nurse. His first two victims, however, don't bother his conscience at all. The first is an armed robber who threatens to shoot a little boy and gets killed by the boy's father. The second is a fat man who has a heart attack.

When I say fat, what I really mean is fat-coded; the man is simply not stick thin in the way that nearly every character on the show is, so he counts as fat and his storyline (minor though it is) is tied to his size. He is in his 50s, maybe early 60s. We first see him wolfing down a cheeseburger, and Dean says "this looks like a heart attack situation", before the man indeed clutches his chest and dies. When he asks why he had to die, Dean's reply is: "you think maybe it was the extra cheese?"

His death is not portrayed as tragic in any way. He himself is only mildly distressed. We don't get to see anyone grieving for him. His death is there to be one of the Easy ones, an unsurprising, almost comical and even deserved(?) death to make Dean think it's not that bad of a gig, ending people's lives. And we, the viewers, are supposed to agree. We're not invited to feel sad for this man in the slightest, even in retrospect. Everyone who created this scene and decided to keep it in the show, believed this to be a normal way to think of a fat person suddenly dying. This came out in 2010.

It just encapsulates so much stuff - really fucking dark stuff, I might add - about how fat lives have been viewed through the years. That scene (and scenes like it) says:

- when fat people die, it's because they brought it on themselves. They are ticking timebombs and their death is expected.

- when fat people die young, no they don't, because being fat means living on borrowed time anyway, so a fat person dying way earlier than the average life expectancy is not tragic the way it is if a thin person does.

- when fat people die, it's definitely because they are fat (and they are fat because they make bad choices).

- when fat people eat what's considered unhealthy food, it's depressing and stupid and they're out of control. Dean Winchester is canonically a big fan of fast food and eats burgers all the time on the show. Because he is thin and fit, this is portrayed as fun, relatable and manly.

- when fat people die, it's not sad.

And like, I wish this was exclusive to fiction, but there are real people who act like this when real fat people die. Like they know why, even if they have no clue, like it shouldn't be shocking, like it's self-inflicted and therefore deserved, and like it probably wasn't much of a life anyway so it's just not that tragic, really.

This stuff is, just for me personally, one of the roughest sides of anti-fatness. When people deny us dignity in death. Partly because it's so ghoulish, and partly because it's so ubiquitous it appears in media like this, without controversy. I'd like to believe there would be stronger reactions had this plotline come out today in 2025, but I am not confident.

[sergeant-angels-trashcan]

CoD girlies (gender neutral), this one is for you. (but also Sam Wilson coded. anyway)

So. My mom was flying home and she had a stopover in The Big Fucking Airport in Chicago, I don't remember the name right now. The point is, she gets Chicago Pizza for me. And cheesecake.

And on the flight home, she is sat next to a military boy (boy is her designation, not mine. She's three weeks away from seventy, this is not a helpful description)

And she starts talking to him, because that is who my mother is, she finds out that he's coming home for the holidays and then he's getting stationed and such-and-such base.

At some point, because of who she is as a person, and because she had spent nearly two months Momming and Grandmothering as hard as she could and had not yet turned it down, she asks this young man if he is hungry. Is he hungry? Does he need food? She has pizza. Would he like the pizza? Oh, no, no it's okay! Take the pizza! it's fine!

He then reveals that this is the first food he's had all day (it's like 4pm) and my mom :0 and finds more food to give him. As they deplane she gives him $20 which is the last of her American cash. This is the end of the story

My mom. is so, so close to being the meddling matchmaker the sitcoms of my youth promised me she would be, and she drops the ball EVERY. TIME.

However, the point is now I can't stop thinking about this with the CoD boys. Maybe it's not even a few weeks before Christmas, maybe it's the day of due to bad luck or whatever idk idk doesn't matter

Honestly Ghost is objectively the funniest just because he'd be about two feet taller than her and she would absolutely not be intimidated by him. At some point she would share stories from before she retired and would say something about how she "had to take down a big boy like you once" and that "I told him it was a good thing my daughters weren't in town". I'm sorry he would be so fucking endeared by this. And he'd track her down somehow to say thanks or to pay her back and then obviously he gets invited in for baked goods and falls in love with you (me)

Gaz is so effortlessly charming. He asks if he can Venmo her money, and she has no idea what that is. Paypal? She doesn't have one. Her daughter does that, she's not very tech savvy, you know? She goes off on a tangent about having to use a typewriter to write papers in college. Gaz is undeterred--could he send it to this daughter and she could pass it on? Then again, maybe this is a teenager, and him having the number of a random teenager feels weird. He's out of time, they're deplaning. She's hard to keep track of, a short woman, but he's, well, Gaz. He spots her making for a car at the curb, the driver's door opening, and presumably the daughter getting out. Gaz makes a beeline for them. After a moment of confusion, you get introduced to Gaz, who tries to explain the situation while you're being yelled at by airport security and honked at by other drivers. It's not ideal--but he gets your number. He waits maybe an hour before texting you.

Soap is the hardest. My mom struggles so much with British accents so I think she'd get about half of what he says to start with. He'd call her bonnie (cos he's a charmer like that) and she wouldn't know what it means. I think she shows him a LOT of grandkid pictures and he's fully endeared by how she knows her oldest grandchild likes linkin park and slipknot while having no clue who they are. Soap is the one who tracks her to the pickup area and books it to your car so neither of you have to lift her luggage ("your mam said you have shoulder troubles, cannae let you make it worse, aye?"). Something something your hands brush as you reach for the same piece of luggage

Price would be a little awkward until she weasels his age out of him and then she realizes: ah! baby age! boy! (man's 40 max). I think he'd be better at getting her to talk, she's absolutely whipping out her phone (complaining about how it's old and doesn't have enough memory) and showing him pictures of the grandkids and a rundown of their hobbies and trash talking my sister's in-laws just a little. I can imagine her realizing he doesn't have a ride and volunteering you to drop him off at a hotel. You pull up to the curb and are like. Who the fuck is this man towering over my mother. He winds up in the front seat because his legs are longer and he turns so he can keep talking to your mom which is pretty sweet to be honest. You drop him off and it's not til you finally get home and start hauling luggage out that you realize he's left something in your car, maybe his phone or a watch, something important. And you heave a big sigh, haul all the luggage in, hug you mom, and trudge back to the car to drive back to the hotel. Or maybe your mom tells you to return it tomorrow, it's too late and it's raining. And the next afternoon she sends you to the hotel with fresh baked goods for him. He asks you out to lunch and suddenly it's 5 hours later and your mom thinks you're dead in a ditch somewhere because you haven't answered her texts. It's because you're too busy flirting.

[monster-squid-ink]

Hmmmm..

i would fight thousands of people for a toyhouse account.

[randomfoggytiger]

Mulder's Alien Baby Baby Trauma In-Depth (Part XIV): Worth the Effort

As discussed in the previous post here, Mulder finally, finally took up Scully's invitation to touch her-- the first conscious touch since his abduction.

Symbiotic reciprocity restored (and a bonus baby kick to boot), it's time for the (former) X-Files team to have a necessary conversation.

Well. A necessary conversation in their own coded terms, of course.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING "WORTH THE EFFORT"

Although Scully pivots them back to business-- “Where have you been?”-- she can’t keep the soft, satisfied sparkle out of her eyes. 

Mulder is snapped back to the present by her question, quickly glancing at his partner before returning to her belly. Eyes glued to the bump, he slowly removes his hand, smile dropping only after the disconnect is complete.

“I’ve actually been out in the field with Agent Doggett,” he confesses, mood clouding over. “He’s, um....” Mulder looks down, gathering his thoughts. “And this, um, female agent, from New Orleans.”  

“Agent Reyes,” Scully perks up, remembering Monica immediately.

“Yeah.” 

“I like her.”

Mulder is amused: Scully never likes just anyone, anymore-- not after various Coltons and Kryceks and Belvins have matured her good opinion. There is also a touch of surprised judgment in his expression, as well: he raises his eyebrows, chuffs incredulously, and adds, with a smirk, “You’re nothing at all alike.” His way, perhaps, of saying that he only appreciates the way Scully pushes him-- not dissimilar to the mild correction he gave Diana Fowley three years ago, when she tried to assert her usefulness over Scully’s (“I’ve done okay without you.”) 

David Duchovny-- rightly, I believe-- tempered the script’s original vision to one more in line with Mulder's penchant for bristling at interference. Instead of a heightened, sunshiny admiration flowing between Agent Reyes and Mulder, there exists an understanding but unrelenting mismatched stubbornness on both sides-- a dynamic not unlike (though not to the same degree as) Mulder and Melissa Scully’s past association (posts here and here). Reyes, as discussed here, means well-- and Mulder knows this. But he also doesn’t want to be prodded, pushed, or shoved into positions that make him uncomfortable, which her dogged insistence (no matter how right or well-intentioned) is currently doing. 

Scully slowly considers, then gives a quiet, negating hum. "Well, then, neither are you or I." She is drawing a parallel from Mulder's to Monica's beliefs, just as she will draw a parallel from Monica's and Melissa's later (Existence); and purposefully so.

This is an interesting little clue to her psyche, and one that slots in with her struggles leading up to This Is Not Happening. As she tells Doggett in Badlaa, "...in an instant I realized that it's what Mulder would have seen or understood. Because that's just how he came at things... without judgment and without prejudice and with an open mind that I am just not capable of." She feels like Mulder and Melissa (and Reyes, by extension) are true believers, and she is one convinced into belief. Scully believes she believes because she has to, not because she yearns to; and that that yearning quality for the unknown draws and shapes her partner, her sister, and her new friend in ways she doesn't fully understand. It's a differing flavor of belief she had to grow into, and one which she half-doubts whenever Mulder makes seemingly impossible leaps or bounds. At times this brings peace, and at times it causes insecurity-- but that's a part of life, and herself, she's grown to accept.

Mulder, meanwhile, feels that he and Scully are the only solid believers: Melissa and Monica will stir up a ruckus and preach at other unbelievers while he and Scully will only fight for and chase after the truth. His partner's, "Well, then, neither are you or I" shakes him up: he'd considered Team Spooky to be a solitary party of two, and feels threatened-- and a touch frightened-- by Scully's choice to broaden her allegiances. This continues through Vienen and Alone until Mulder himself makes peace with Doggett's presence and starts to rely on him as an asset to the files (which will be discussed in future.) What Mulder doesn't know-- and what Scully doesn't communicate until Alone (mostly off-screen, again)-- is that she, too, resisted opening up the basement for new allies; and that his partner's regard for Doggett and Reyes was hard-won.

But he isn't an idiot: in a second, Mulder reads that Scully isn't distancing herself from him-- far from it: her statement was simply a fond reminder not to judge on appearances-- and turns the page on his temporary paranoia.

Scully squints, fighting off sleep: she doesn't want to nod off until he's told her everything.

"This--so this is a case you’re working on?” Her tone is casual and serious-- a leading question asked without mal-intent. 

“Yeah. Actually, one that involves Agent Doggett’s son." Mulder closely studies her face, trying to ascertain what she knows. “The son who died?”

“Yeah, he’s never talked to me about him; but I know something.” Although her eyes are tilted away from his, Scully’s tone remains open-- this topic isn’t a secret, nor a point of pain for her-- and after a considerate silence, she meets his gaze, pressing, “Are you able to help him at all?”  

Looking to the side and down, her partner shakes his head-- apprehension and discomfort masking itself under exaggerated gestures.

“You can’t help a man who can’t help himself.”

It’s a particularly dark, hands-off perspective that only surfaces during Mulder’s bleakest moments-- another sign of the disconnected, downtrodden, and defeated emotions he’s still working through. 

While she may not know or completely understand everything Mulder is going through, Scully is able to intuit what his answer means; and stares intently back at him, trying to formulate the best attack against this melancholia. In the vein of her past reassurances-- ala Herrenvolk's “Nothing is in contradiction to nature, only in what we know of it. And that’s a place to start"-- Scully insists, “He’s worth the effort, Mulder.” 

Mulder’s expression goes through three important phases: his face softens at her words; his gaze sinks into hers, as if drinking in Scully's assurance; and his mouth ever-so-slightly quirks in a tiny, heartened smile as his eyes begin to glow. 

What does this mean-- why is he cheered instead of envious or jealous?

Scully's conviction, here, reminds Mulder of her steadfast, unbreakable loyalty: she won't give up on anyone who is “worth the effort.” And, having been on the receiving end of this lion-like loyalty for nearly eight years, he is reassured, in this moment, that she deems him “worth the effort”, too. Even when his whole world is falling apart, she still remains his touchstone.

CONCLUSION

Mulder and Scully had a very needed (though characteristically cryptic) chat-- one which will help him get his head in the game.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[wistfulnightingale]

A Hefty Jigger of Death (Coffee Checkmate)

Part 4 in the 8-part Chess Moves Theory Set by @wistfulnightingale.

For over a year, we have been scrutinizing not only the agonizing Final Fifteen, but the chess game that is in play from the moment the Metatron walks into the bookshop. Derek Jacobi is a sublime British actor. In a show with so many clues and layers, we were certain that his nuanced words were loaded with meaning. But what to focus on?

"Do people ever ask for Death?" He had pondered with philosophical detachment. "So predictable." The Metatron doesn't even see his own angels as unique individuals with identities and feelings, let alone humans. Earth is disposable, merely a stage for the Great Plan, and he is here to reinstate the advancement of that plan. Without further interference from Our Ineffables.

Our intuition screams at us that Death, or the threat of it, is somehow part of his purpose. But where? How? We know to whom, though. Crowley. We saw The Look. He hates Crowley. And the Metatron needs 3 things:

(1) The Ineffables separated. (2) Aziraphale under his control. (3) Crowley neutralized as threat to his authority, by any means necessary. The coffee nearly accomplished all 3. If they had done what the Metatron had suspected they might do, Crowley would now be dead.

He made certain that Azi knew. We were watching. We saw how oddly, and intensely, Aziraphale reacted to that "hefty jigger of almond syrup."

I have an idea about what might have caused Aziraphle that degree of worry, and his compliance later.

What if the "hefty jigger" the Metatron added was HOLY WATER?

Checkmate.

The Metatron is giving off loud danger signals. His extreme collegial politeness, his dismissiveness of Crowley and Muriel, his suddenly treating Aziraphale as if he's one of the most important beings in the universe. Our angel is suspicious and guarded, watchful. Even the camara angle and timing in the scene are creating a moment we're meant to notice.

When Aziraphale sips the brew, we can see he's not truthful when he says, "It's... Ooof... It's very nice." He's confirmed what he suspected-- the coffee isn't just coffee. A discrepancy in the sweetness level wouldn’t cause Azi to look so worried. He recognizes that the coffee is laced with Holy Water. Deadly poison if it had been Crowley, looking like the angel.

The Metatron responds, "I should jolly well hope so." Coded Language. "Do you understand the threat I'm making?"

Yes. Aziraphale understands. Look at his eyes as he's invited to "take a little stroll." He's not just guarded. He's aware. In the next moments, his face shows he's nearly defeated.

The Metatron has a "Tell", and we see it in this scene. A Tell is an unconscious action that shows a person is lying or deceiving. The Metatron's Tell is a deep breath, a sigh, when the deception succeeds. We see it in the elevator -- his sigh of relief when Aziraphale gets in. Here, it's a small breath with a full shoulder shrug as he says, "Well we have things to talk about." The Tell signals, "Ah, that worked well. Just as I planned."

He knows by now that they had Appearance Swapped after the almost-Apocalypse. He's very clever, and scorns the angels as foolish. He would not have believed that Aziraphale could suddenly spout Hellfire. He's a master at the game of interpersonal chess. He would have recognized that bold bluff.

The Metatron pressured Azi to drink, showing him the "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" logo, and watching him so closely-- because if they had Appearance Swapped again, Holy Water would DESTROY Crowley if he drank it.

It was a potential check/mate move. A win-win. If that was Crowley, appearance-swapped with Aziraphale, he'd either have to admit it to save his own life, which would put Crowley completely under the Metatron's authority for the ruse, or he would drink and Die. (Did the Metatron want him to?)

If it's Aziraphale, the Metatron wants him to be fully aware of the Holy Water (which Azi is, especially after tasting it). Our dastardly Heavenly Host wants him to know Very Clearly just how Dangerous the Metatron can be. "I've ingested things in my time, you know." His tone is odd, purposeful. His face is intense, watching in an almost predatory way. Is he really saying, "I've destroyed demons before, you know"?

It's the threat to Crowley that we suspected was right there all along.

There is an essential post by @f0ul-f13nd (and @embracing-the-ineffable ) about the ominous meaning of the word "jigger" you really should also check out. When the Metatron says "jigger", it's a dangerous, terrifyingly loaded code word. Aziraphale is now "captured", imprisoned. There will be no free choice for him.

The Metatron also wanted Crowley to know, or to at least recognize the threat. The Glare. It's why Aziraphale looked back, to make sure the Metatron wasn't lingering to smite Crowley then and there.

Crowley is a brilliant, and suspicious, demon. Based on the way he rose from his seat and paced, he suspected something nefarious had occurred. He was sitting back watching everything vigilantly. He knows his Angel.

It's very easy now for the Metatron to put Aziraphale in final Checkmate at the cafe. All he needed was further mild implication: "Previous exploits... de facto partnership... the demon Crowley...Your- Friend... highly irregular..." It's very possible that the memory we saw was real, undistorted, and undiluted. Perhaps even word-for-word.

The Metatron didn't need to say anything more explicit. The attempt on Crowley's life was already made. He implied another would occur, if his will was not followed. Look at Azi's eyes. There is no escape.

Checkmate by coffee. The Metatron's winning move had already happened in the bookshop

Aziraphale will protect Crowley at all costs. We know this. Our angel is a loving, protective, self-sacrificing Badass. So he did. He's on his way to Heaven, grinning madly in an elevator.

..........

Once I suspected that this direct attempt on Crowley's life happened, my brain started lighting up, and all the theories and ideas I've been trying to work out for months suddenly fell into place! This is only part of a theory I'm calling The Chess Moves Theory Set. The Metatron believed this was the winning move, Checkmate. It Was Not. Our Ineffables are in Check, in serious danger, but they have more moves to play in this Matter of Life and Death. (Yes, I'm referencing the 1946 movie "Stairway to Heaven" that @sendarya talks about in Good Omens Love or Law, Which is Stronger? )

There was far more in play here than we could easily see. There is coded language, and distraction. This 8-part series explains how it all might fit together, all the moments that made us asks questions. If we look at all of them at once, instead of one by one, I think they start to make more sense. I hope you might enjoy checking out the rest of The Chess Moves Theory Set @wistfulnightingale.

Thanks for joining me on this crazy ride!

The 8 Chess Moves MetaTheory Set:

1 - The Metatron Misdirection

2 - The Metatron's Second Coming

3 - Ineffables in Check

4 - A Hefty Jigger of Death

5 - Nothing Lasts Forever

6 - The Circle Kiss Theory

7 - The Nightingale DID Sing

8 - Aziraphale's Jubilant Smile (Not the crazy elevator grin)

Also: The Chess Moves Theory Set, Why Chess & Magic?

Shout out to @imagopersonal for their post about finding coffee in the opening credits, and a great analysis in Give me coffee or give me death !

[Btw, there may (or may not!) be a miracle sound at 35:49, precisely as Aziraphale begins to raise the cup and says, "Shall I?" Some people hear it, some don't, and some disagree about what it is. With earbuds and high volume, I clearly hear a light jingling/sparkling sound. It reminds me of a "whispered" version of the miracle sounds when Nina takes Maggie's hand at the Ball, and when Aziraphale suddenly appeared next to the Bentley in the "Our car, our bookshop" scene in E2. If it IS a miracle sound, I propose that it is Aziraphale himself, miracle-scanning the coffee to see if it's safe.]

[fangirltothefullest]

Thoughts on the welcome home update because YES. Spoilers below the cut.

That sleep aid pill is called remderem which is almost "remember" but the d would be backwards, and its also almost "murder me" while missing the u. Is this anything? I don't know. Im always looking for names of things in args.

We have seen through two puppets eyes. First it was Wally and his discomfort and/or dissociation, and now it's Eddie's discomfort and/or dissociation. Which is fun because we've heard that Eddie would do crafts for the show and you'd just see his hands so that was a fun touch.

First iteration of the website we had mail letters (Eddie) giving us clues. Second iteration had bugs (Frank?) and active drawings (Wally?) giving us clues. Now we have symbols giving us clues and they remind me of stickers a little bit so possibly a connection to Sally? Who else would give the tiny pictures? Questions questions.

At the end of that commercial before his existential crisis, they say Eddie has been invited and they did his job for him so he could rest. Eddie does not seem happy about them doing his job for him instead of letting him do it himself. I am reminded of how clumsy with the mail he seems to be sometimes and how much work they make him do in the other audio clips. I wonder if he is feeling extremely overwhelmed but also unappreciated and that they can do all this work to help and choose not to most days? Sally insists it was easy to do and Eddie does not sound pleased.

One thing i can't stop thinking about and i have to go back and really re-watch the commercials closely, is Poppy. When they invite Eddie to the party they say everyone is there but there's no Poppy in the picture? And earlier they poured gravy on an ornament that, to me, looked very oddly shaped and almost like meat, and we hear Poppy, but we don't see her. So... a pea on a plate..... "P" on a plate? My brain could be misconstruing but did they eat Poppy and is that what he's actually seeing and is that why it's all red? I'd he seeing the reality beyond the mask? Is it more than a pea?

Eddie says "where?" In his crisis as a response to Frank calling his name. People are talking about this as if he doesn't know where he is. I agree this is a likely idea but what if he's asking where Poppy is? Do we ever actually see her in any of the videos or do we just hear her?

Wally has feelings a lot which is good to confirm he has feelings! Eddie also said he would be happy with an apple every single day and my he is an innocentbautism creature wally agenda is flourishing.

The amount if commercials has me fascinated because people used to do that for TV shows (still do but those earlier type ones welcome home is referencing is spot on) commercials for basically everything is accurate and what is funny is the accuracy of what each person is selling. Howdy with the cigarette commercial- he takes every opportunity to sell you something no matter what even if it's not good for you. Sleepy looking Wally selling you sleeping pills happy with the thought of the dream.

Wally being nervous about getting the holiday correct. Is it because he's never done it or ia Home going to hurt him?

Did home hurt Eddie because he was upset during the party? It sure fucking looks like it with home watching him so intensely. Does the chair have something to do with it?

Eddie's scribbled writing reminds me of the people trying to decipher the code on the safe.

On the secret pages it's signed "-W." But it talks as if it's a human person who watched the show and is working either the WHRP team. It also talks too grown up to be wally. Who is this?? Is it the same person from the terrified scribbles of the hidden page previously? It seems maybe so because of referencing needing the cleanup.

[galedekarios]

FWIW I think the reason people don't know about Gale's follow up line to the Drow 4some is because it doesn't actually trigger in the game which might be a glitch but also maybe that it got cut.

it's not cut! it's in the code and has flags. it's probably bugged, however. which isn't surprising given gale's overall state in the game and the care put into him past act i.

although i do have to be honest here, the follow-up drow convo by far shouldn't be the only thing to clue people in that gale is not comfortable.

the dc 25 check and this being the set-up:

and this being your options to "persuade" him (i'm only using persuade because it's a persuasion check, but it should very much be called what it is under these circumstances, namely coercion):

"you might have a good time, if you don't overthink it."

i don't think i have to point out how gross this line is, or how manipulative the follow up is with "only if you want, though."

especially in the context of gale's own history.

and 2. lead to an auto-fail:

if you fail the check he says:

"i'd rather tangle with a dragon than get tangled in all those limbs."

and even if you do persuade him, he says that he "might" enjoy it if he's "five paces back". he doesn't participate himself, but leaves behind a projection of himself, just like the one he used to guide the protag to him in act ii:

he is "involving" himself in a way that is solely perfunctory, to please the needs of a partner, who sprung this situation on him without any prior discussion, told him not to "overthink" a foursome/potential fivesome, and not because this is something he chose himself or because it's something he's comfortable with.

again, in every other instance that inviting another is brought up and it is properly discussed, gale refuses (halsin, mizora, any time the protag begins another relationship alongside gale, etc.).

this is the last line you get from the real gale, whereever he zapped himself to:

"I'll enjoy myself well enough from back here! You go on and do... the rutting or what have you."

considering how gale usually words things, especially when it comes to being intimate with his partner, this is another indication of how he views what is happening.

the orb glowing is the one of his projection and yes, while a "part" of his mind is open to the projection, it's not gale himself. it's an "automated" mimicry of gale:

the projection here even has the same lines as the one from act ii.

nevermind that that line always read to me like larian giving the player a little pat on the head, instead of having there be actual consequences in line with what exactly happened here.

(disclaimer: i don't care what you rp/hc with an oc. knock yourselves out. this is a look at this scene out of the game and out of character.)

[black-flag-if]

So just some things I am seeing in my inbox. I'm glad that everyone is enjoying it. I'm glad for that because I was worried. I'm still not satisfied with it so I will change some things for my peace and hopefully less stress and frustration when I try some new things with codes.

With that said, some answers from some questions/comments in my inbox:

Black Flag is not aro/ace friendly. You can try to play but it's very romance based so if you aren't into that, you might have a very short experience. I do offer friendship routes, but the story becomes very short without the romance. If you find it okay even without the romance, awesome! Just know what you're getting into.

Jacques/Phoenix/Riley I don't see this as a issue on the coding side but someone said they got Phoenix at the party even if they don't romance them. You can get Phoenix to come on the romance path only. You can invite them as a friend but they won't or shouldn't come. Is anyone else having an issue? Jacques should also not comment on you flirting with others if you don't flirt with anyone. I played a messy route and played a loyal route. Both end up fine and work as intended so I'm not sure, but if others are having an issue too maybe I can get a better idea of what's going on.

Ryder kiss is only available on the bold path . So if you got it once but not another time, that's why. Should you replay it for bold? I wouldn't since there'll be a kiss only meant for the shy route, too. Ryder as flirtatious as they are actually doesn't like making the move first, hence why they hold back on the shy path. F!Ryder is bolder and she would make the move first but only when certain conditions are met.

Riley has a small crush on MC and the only one, too, but I don't know if it's romantic as it is that they just think MC is just really cool and someone new on the team. If you don't romance them, they'll just be a good friend. If you do flirt, and you see them being more friendly, it's because of that. So if you see some things on one playthrough and not on another, that's why.

Someone mentioned having clues which paths are flirty/romantic. I think the choices are pretty straightforward but if it's something you'd like, I can implement icons next to the choices. Are you finding the choices difficult to distinguish?

No, you don't have to improve friendships with others or your team. Yes, it will have consequences, and a different ending/path. But negative relationship with the team will not stop you from having a happy ending. You'll just have a different ending. And no, I don't know how many endings there'll be yet. So far, I have three but that is bound to change and because I plan to take into account how MC actually does in the competition.

No, you don't have to know about racing. I did add vocab for those that might not be familiar. There will be choices when we get to the driving in Chapter 3 that will have an affect overall on MCs capabilities but I will also try to give those answers either a chapter before or earlier in the same chapter so you just need to pay attention.

I think that's all for now.

[oneshlut]

Hello!!!! Love your writing!!!! May i request a platonic Sun and Moon (or eclipse its up to you!) With a favorite child reader? I just think that would be adorable!!!

P.s. i LOVE your writing!!!! And your headcanons!!! Dont overwork yourself!!!! Keep being cool/pos!!!!!!!!

A/N: UGHHH you guys are SO SWEET!!! pls stop im gonna IMPLODE /j tyty for all the kind words, also i really needed some1 to tell me not to overwork myself lmaoao, ive been getting so many requests lately.. promise i'll get to all of y'all! OHOH AND I LOVE WRITING FOR THESE THREE! and child readers for them, especially!

(since im feeling extra silly i'll give you a fanfic recommendation: New Consciousness! i think it can be found on tumblr too.. its a yandere sun/moon fic&child reader, one of my favs and greatest inspo!)

Your Best Friend (Sun/Moon/Eclipse & Child!Reader) [Headcanons]

Rules For Requesting

Characters I Will Write For

Masterlist

Summary: General meeting, friendship, and attachment headcanons for The Daycare Attendant with a child reader.

Extra Info: Sun and Moon share bodies, just like in the game. If I mention them talking to each other, they're talking with their shared consciousness.

Sun:

Sun can usually tell when someone new joins the daycare. If he doesn't hear the obvious audio clue of the ballpit, he'll have a sensor that will go off so that he's notified. Every time Sun gets a notification, you can almost see his built-in smile grow wider. A new friend!

As a child new to the Pizzaplex, entering the daycare for the first time was terrifying. I don't think the current horrible reputation on the Fazbear company helped one bit. The animatronics were definitely scary, you didn't need to know that there was a chance you could go missing because of them.

But the daycare had attendants, so that calmed your nerves. Slightly. Until you realized, they too were animatronics. The statue in the entrance of the daycare was massive compared to you. You suddenly wished that you hadn't accepted that birthday invitation.

Sun immediately goes in to meet you! He's practically radiating happiness onto you, skipping to where you were. He's definitely very intense when first meeting you, waving to you like a maniac. You eventually find yourself getting used to his upbeat energy, agreeing to do most activities with him that he brings up. This includes making macaroni art, crudely put-together paper pals, and a few drawings that he's sure to hang up in his room afterwards.

The security officers seem to catch on over the next few weeks how Sun has grown attached to one child. It pretty much went against his code, as he was supposed to be keeping a watchful eye over all the kids, not just one. But the officers at Freddy's get paid minimum wage, so they don't really care about the two of you unless they've got a lawsuit on their hands.

If you were ever feeling down, he'd immediately try to cheer you up. He will spend the entire day with you if he needs to! He may be intense, clingy, and won't let you out of his sight for a mere 2 seconds, but he's got good intentions. Sun hates seing children sad, and the one thing he knew how to do best was cheer them up. Whether this be silly faces, drawings, or hide n' seek, he always had something new to distract you from the little raincloud utop your head. However, Sun knows he can be a bit chaotic at times. If you want him to, he'll give you space. Sometimes, kids just need calm, and that was definitely not his strong suit.

Sun tries not to have "favorite" children, but he couldn't deny he was growing a bit attached. You were enjoying his company anyway, so why should he have to stop? You seemed much less nervous around him aswell, so as far as he knew, he was doing the right thing. A new term had suddenly seemed to form in his memory bank: "best friend".

Moon:

Now, Moon definitely caught you off guard. You had grown so used to Sun's warm, exatatic nature, that when the atmosphere to the daycare had a sudden chill, yet calming feel to it, you immediately thought something was wrong.

Given this, you met Moon when, apparently, Sun was going under.. technical support of some kind. You didn't know the full extent to the details, but what you did know was that Sun was gone, and in replacement, Moon took over both the day and night shifts. You watched as the kids in the daycare scrambled around, some trying to hide, and some just trying to get all their energy out before Moon came out for the night shift. You had intended to just stay away from him in a random corner, since most kids seemed afraid of him, but with the "night" shift coming up, you really had no way to avoid him.

Moon wasn't in the mood for hide n' seek. Not like Sun usually was. He recognized that he had a job to do, so if anything, he'd get it done. He did enjoy working for kids--it was in his code, after all--but this didn't distract him from his work. As most children were, you were scared of him at first. Moon normally just forced the kid to go to bed, either with a Moondrop candy, or tame threats like time-out. But you seemed.. different. He didn't want to be seen as mean, not to you. Instead, he tried to gain your trust by telling you that he was friends with Sun, assuming you were more favorable towards Sun.. again, as most kids were. Surprisingly, he was right to assume.

You, on the other hand, were thrown completely off guard. For the most part, you had thought Moon was this mean, strict, and harsh version of Sun--as you've heard from other children. But instead, you found him to be much more calming, if anything. Maybe the kids just hated having to tone down their energy, that when someone forced them to, they grew naturally afraid of them. That was your reasoning, anyway.

Unlike Sun, Moon is more of a "denier" than anything. He had things to do, and didn't need things getting in the way. But you were different. You weren't a distraction--no, far from it. He wouldn't admit it, but as Sun did, he grew attached. Out of all the kids he's taken care of during his career, you were definitely the calmest. Your presence is.. nice.

If you're going to anyone for comfort, it's Moon. This is if Sun didn't manage to cheer you up previously. Moon's version of comfort was more of quiet, small ambiance, plushies, blankets, and pillows. Sometimes storytimes! That's one method the two had in common. So if you ever have trouble sleeping when nap time comes around, Moon may or may not give you special treatment to ensure you sleep soundly. This means absolutely everything I just listed above for comfort.

He soon discovered what it was like to spend the whole day with you. He'd now ask Sun every now and then if he could take over the day shift for him. At first Sun denied, that would mean less time with you! But, if he made it equal..

Sun made a somewhat "deal" with Moon, where they would now just take days instead of shifts. This.. didn't look good to the staff, though. Instead of making them go back to their shifts, though, they would make sure they both got what they wanted. And in the staff's eyes, what the shared animatronic wanted was to each have both shifts. Not too far off.

Eclipse:

A day passed one day, where neither Sun or Moon was watching over the daycare. In replacement were just the.. extremely creepy staff bots. You began to grow worried--if he'd ever come back again. Luckily, you only had to wait a day.

The day he came back, the animatronic was.. new. Different. You tried to listen in on the clumps of children's conversations--listening until the words blended together to form the name "Eclipse". The name definitely made sense for their character.

To say you were ecstatic would be an understatement. You were practically as happy as Sun was when he first met you! Eclipse was everything you could ever want--it was both of your best friends put into one personality, one animatronic. But if anyone was more excited than you, it would be Eclipse himself. One thing that was different now was his ability to tone his excitement and clinginess down. With the two brought together, their personality fell on a balance.

Meeting you was much less of a shock for him as it was for you. You liked the new look, though. As soon as Eclipse caught your eye, he immediately skipped over to squeeze you in a tight hug. Don't worry, he tried not to squeeze too hard. Even if you were confused at first, you warmed up to him quickly. You noted his voice as he spoke to you for the first time. Not too frantic like Sun's, yet not too quiet like Moon's. Something about it was.. comforting. Which leads me to my next topic.

Eclipse is the best source of comfort you can get. He can most likely tell if you're having a bad day. If you ever feel overwhelmed/overstimulated at the daycare, he'll take you to his room for the first time. If he's being honest, he's never really shown anyone his room before--until now, that is. You immediately fell in love with the room! You would ask to go there more often, and on some days, stay in there the entire day. Eclipse didn't mind, though! Anything to cheer you up, after all.

Eventually, your birthday will come around, in which Eclipse goes all out. He didn't truly expect you to visit the daycare on your birthday--he had figured you'd like to see the Glamrocks instead, but no! Eclipse was honestly so honored that you'd want to spend your birthday with him of all animatronics. With this in mind, he tries to make today the best day of your life! The best day for you in the daycare, at that. He won't go too overboard, but he will spend all his time having fun with you. Eclipse would schedule activities to do, such as macaroni pictures, creating puppets to be used in future puppet shows, and if he's feeling nice enough, he'll sneak in some FizzyFaz into the daycare. When the day starts to near an end, he'll take you backstage to his room, where he has fully decorated the small spot with birthday balloons, banners, strings, and small gifts scattered across the floor. In the center was a.. poorly made cake. Eclipse was only an animatronic after all, his coding didn't have any baking intelligence in his mainframe. It was the thought that counted.

Going home afterwards was definitely a challenge, though. You were practically dragged away from the daycare, and Eclipse had never felt more flattered. On your drive back, you had discovered that you had a new best friend. Animatronic or not.

[mysecretlittlelibrary]

Battle Of The Knights Pt. 4: Round 3 -Marc

Pairing: Moonknight trio x Reader

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: nothin- you're safe

Genre: fluff- still just fluff lol

Summary: "So let me get this straight, you all like me, so you each want to take me on a date and let me decide what to do after?" You can't believe the words you're hearing even as you repeat them back.

What happens when the relationships you've built with Marc and his two alters are turned on their heads by a proposition that is anything but simple? How can they expect you to risk blowing up the carefully crafted dynamic you've worked so hard to create? And why do you agree to such an insane suggestion?

***

As much as you'd like to sit and stew on your date with Jake the way you did with Steven, you're starting to think it's best for everyone not to draw this out any longer than absolutely necessary, so the following Friday you text the trio again, this time addressing Marc, with a message identical to the one you sent Steven and Jake.

Marc. Your week starts Sunday. You have until next Sunday to plan and execute a date on a day of your choosing or you forfeit your turn.

Marc almost immediately shoots back an affirmative like Jake did.

Okay.

But it wasn't until the next day that he reached out to give you any information on your date.

Hey y/n, right now my plan is to pick you up at 7 pm on Friday. Is that okay?

You chuckle to yourself as you read the message. He's the only one who asked if his choice was convenient for you. Even if that time didn't originally work you would make it work, if that's what time his plans are for you have no intentions to make it any harder.

Of course! See you then.

You shoot him back your reply quickly. Friday. You just need to make it through Friday. That is doable. On Thursday you remember to ask for a dress code since none of them seem particularly fond of revealing their plans in advance and when you're again told to keep it casual, you pick out a pair of shorts and a crop top for your third mystery date. Marc knocks on your door just after 7 looking a bit frantic when you open the door.

"Sorry I'm a bit late. I brought you flowers." Marc says holding out a bouquet of pretty purple and white blooms.

"Oh, it hasn't even been five minutes, don't worry about it. Give me just a second to set these up in a vase and then we can go. Okay?" You tell him, turning back into your apartment to put the flowers somewhere.

"Sure!" He calls after you without crossing the threshold. You don't actually have any vases lying around so you stick them in one of your reusable water bottles until you can get them a better home. No one's ever gotten you flowers before so keeping a vase in your apartment has literally never occurred to you before this moment. Marc waits patiently at your door until you return. It's strange to realize this but before now you hadn't really thought about it much until now. Usually, the boys move about your apartment as if they live here but through this whole process, none of them have stepped inside. Whether that was something they agreed on in advance or just a subconscious side effect of the temporary dynamic change you're not sure but you're not about to tip the scales for any of them by inviting Marc in. He can wait at the door if that's what he's chosen to do.

"Okay! Let's go." You smile at him once you're done, stepping out and locking your apartment door.

"Do you have your underground card by the way? We'll have to hop on the train from here." Marc tells you before you leave the building.

"Yeah, I've got it. Where are we going?" You ask.

"Oxford Circus." He says.

"Oxford Circus? What are we doing over there?" You ask frowning in confusion. The name of the station does not give you any clues as to what you'll be doing.

"That's all I'm gonna give you til we get there babes." Marc says.

"Fine." You say with exaggerated annoyance that makes Marc laugh as the two of you walk to the nearest underground station. You catch the next train headed for Oxford Circus while Marc asks you about how your week has been at work. Once you're off the train Marc takes your hand as he walks the streets to an unknown destination. After a few minutes, he pulls open the door to a building that you just barely catch the name of.

"Minigolf?!" You gasp.

"I thought it'd be fun, something laid back and low stakes. You know, except for the fact that you're definitely gonna lose."

"I'm gonna lose?! Oh, you are so going down Spector." You laugh.

"Yeah sure totally." He scoffs as you walk up to the desk at the front. The two of you pick your course, get your clubs and choose from the basket of colorful golf balls, yours blue and his yellow, and then the competition begins. You keep score because Marc is notorious for not doing that properly whenever you play games. By the time you get to the last of the nine holes of the course, it's not hard to guess how things will end. You line up what should be your final shot and knock the bright blue ball against an edge of the course that pushes it into the hole.

"HA! That's game baby! You lose." You jump up when it rolls in.

"Hey now, I could totally make this shot you know. It's not over til it's over." Marc defends.

"Even if you do make this shot Marc you're still five up. You can't beat me at this point." You shrug and Marc lines up for his next putt. It takes Marc two more shots to get his ball in.

"Damn." He shakes his head.

"Yeah- I totally wiped the floor with you." You laugh.

"No no, you wanna have the higher number obviously, so I win." Marc says looking at the scorecard.

"I know I've called you an idiot a number of times but I don't think you're that dumb. Or maybe you are if you think that's gonna work." You scoff. Marc slaps a hand against his chest dramatically.

"Ouch! Must you kick a man while he's down?" He sighs.

"Aw poor baby." You pout at him. "I'd feel worse if you hadn't declared that you'd beat me before we even started." You smirk at him.

"How evil." Marc smiles.

"That's what you get for saying I would and I quote 'definitely lose'. Looks like the stakes weren't what you thought they were."

"When did you get so good at mini golf anyway?" He asks.

"Oh I don't know. I don't play that often."

"What?" He blinks at you.

"I'm just good at most things." You shrug.

"I'd do well to remember that then." He hums.

"Yes. You would." You smile and turn to walk back to the desk to return your club and golf ball with Marc quickly catching up to walk beside you.

"So- I was thinking we could get burgers, or if you want something that's more upscale there's an Italian place not far from here that's pretty good." Marc suggests once the two of you have exited the building.

"In the theme of laid back and low stakes- burgers sound great." You say with a slight nudge.

"Awesome, there's a burger joint a couple blocks down that's so good even Steven likes going there." Marc throws an arm over your shoulders as you walk.

"Really? They have vegan options I'm guessing?" You ask.

"They do indeed. Although- since Steven isn't rambling in my head tonight I think I'll pass on the vegan options this time around. Don't tell him." Marc winks at you.

"Your secret is safe with me." You giggle. You've always found it sweet that Marc, despite not actually being vegan, tries to accommodate Steven's lifestyle as often as he does. Jake really can't be bothered- not that you blame him honestly- he's not vegan either, there's no reason for him to go out of his way to choose vegan options but Marc's attempt at consideration is nice. It only takes you about five minutes to make it to the restaurant Marc was talking about and since the place isn't busy when you get there it doesn't take long to get your food once you've ordered.

"I can see why even Steven likes this place." You hum popping a fry into your mouth.

"Good right?" Marc smiles.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be coming back here." You nod.

"Well- sounds like I'm doing pretty damn good tonight then."

"You're certainly better at planning dates than you are at playing mini golf, I'll give you that much." You shrug.

"I think I can accept that as your official assessment." He says.

"Yeah?" You chuckle.

"Yeah! Imagine if I sucked as bad at date planning. Now that would be something I can't recover from."

"I mean- it's not like I'd go home and block you if you planned a bad date." You wink.

"Sure but not getting blocked is such a low bar. I'm aiming for way higher." Marc says.

"You're doing great so far." You chuckle. The two of you joke and chat while finishing your food and even once all that's left is the rubbish you keep talking until eventually the place is getting ready to close and you have to leave. Your train ride back to your apartment is similarly filled with chatter. It's always interesting to you how no matter how long you spend with Marc you never actually run out of things to talk about with him. When you think about it, that actually applies to Jake and Steven too, it's like you can never spend enough time with them. It's nice, having someone, or in this case, a trio of someones, that you don't get tired of being around. Once you're back at your apartment there's an awkward transition from whatever you're talking about to goodbyes- neither of you particularly rushing for the night to end.

"Well- we made it back." Marc says.

"We did. I had a good time tonight." You tell him with a smile.

"That's all I was hoping for." He says. You chuckle and turn your back for long enough to unlock your apartment and then you face him again, leaning forward a bit to give Marc a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight Marc." You say quietly before stepping into your apartment.

"Wait-" Marc says before you can shut the door.

"Yes?" You tilt your head at him. You can practically see the gears turning in his head before he speaks again.

"When will we see you again?" He asks. You pause for a moment and consider what would be the best answer.

"Soon." You offer. Giving a specific date wouldn't do any good. If it's too soon you'll be pressured to rush the decision, and if it's too far anxiety may eat the boys up before you even get around to giving an answer.

"Just- soon?" His brows draw together in confusion.

"I'm sorry that I don't have a better answer it's just- well I've got a lot to think about here, I need some time to sort through my thoughts." You tell him.

"Sorry- we shouldn't pressure you. It's all so- strange, we know. It's just- well you know how we can be I guess." Marc says. You look at him for a moment, it's not often that Marc's nerves show, but right now he's fiddling with his fingers and you know for a fact that he's more anxious than he wants to let on.

"Before the month is over. I'll text you all." You say in an attempt to ease his uncertainty.

"That's three weeks." He says.

"Yeah, I know. That- should give me enough time to work out my feelings about this whole thing. And- you can pass that message along to Steven and Jake, yeah? Before the end of the month. I'll message you all and we'll meet up to talk." You nod as Marc's shoulders visibly drop slightly. As if having a timeline just drastically decreased how tense he was.

"Okay. We'll be waiting, whenever you're ready." He tells you.

"Goodnight Marc." You say.

"Goodnight y/n." Marc says. With that, you fully enter your apartment and shut the door behind you. Tonight was fun. So was your date with Jake the other week and Steven's before that. You simply enjoy spending time with all of them- which, you already knew. The more you think it over the more you are sure that you're in way over your head, but it's a little late to worry about that now. You have a decision to make. But you also have three weeks before an answer is expected. Tonight you'll just let yourself enjoy the post-date bliss and you'll worry about the decision tomorrow. Or the next day. You'll get to it. Just not tonight.

***

Taglist: @queerponcho @avengersinitiative2012 @stressed-cherry @animechick555

[thatuselesshuman]

Caspers Guide to Social Events

(Specifically events where you don't really know anyone so you have to smile and make small talk)

Whether it be a baby shower, a wedding, or just some random ass get together, we've all been in that situation where you have no clue who anyone is except for the person that invited you but you're expected to not implode. No one likes it, but we all have to laugh and pretend we're not watching the clock, hoping enough time will pass that it's socially acceptable to leave.

You may be thinking that you're just resigned to this fate forever, cursed to make small talk you never really understood in the first place because you're autistic, but fear not! This very guide is here to help

Hopefully this makes those events at least go by faster, if not bearable

Without further adieu...

Step One: Dress for the Occasion

Most events you go to will have a dress code of some sort. If you're not sure what it is, ask whoever invited you. Usually, it'll be one of a few options: casual, Sunday/church wear, business casual, semi-formal, and formal. We'll go through each of these below.

Casual: This is exactly as it says, casual. Wear what you feel most comfortable in. Don't wear anything too dumpy though, like pj's or stained jeans. This one is very dependent on your personal style, so I'd say a good rule is to pick something you'd go to a nice restaurant in.

Sunday/church wear: Nicer clothing. A safe bet would be khakis and a polo for guys, and a sundress for girls. If you go to church, this one is pretty easy, as you literally would just wear what you'd wear to church.

Business casual: This one is the toughest in my opinion. I'd say a nice blouse and pants is a good approximation, but this one is where I'd ask my friend what they were wearing.

Semi-formal: Dress shirt and pants for guys, nice cocktail dresses for women. Don't wear anything too revealing or flashy.

Formal: Suit and tie for men, ankle/calf-length dresses for women. Nothing too poofy, but it's fine to have a bit of flare. Just once again, nothing revealing or too flashy. Showing your shoulders is fine, but I'd say limit your cleavage and no super high slits.

Step Two: Brainstorm Talking Points

Life is much easier when you have talking points. If you go in with a plan of attack, you won't be put on the spot so often. Below are some common events and usual conversation topics.

Wedding: The couple getting married, relation to the couple, basically just anything about the person getting married

Baby Shower: Baby name, relation to couple/mother, how cute the baby is going to be, if you're going to be an aunt/uncle/etc how excited you are

Work Get Together: Current project, your position, basically anything about work

Generally Good Topics: "cute outfit, where'd you get it", "The weather has been good/bad", "The food is delicious", "how are you"

Step Three: Getting to the Event

A good rule is the five minute rule. Either be 5 minutes early, on time, or 5 minutes late. For something like a wedding, on time or 5 minutes early is great. For a Baby Shower, on time or 5 minutes late is good. For a Work Get Together, 5 minutes late is acceptable. Basically, if it's formal be on time, if it's more casual you have some leeway.

Step Four: Have a Drink in Your Hand

This one may seem silly, but there's logic behind it. Having a drink in your hand makes you look less awkward, gives you something to do with your hands, and gives you an excuse not to talk to people. It doesn't have to be alcoholic (it's probably better if it's not tbh), I've done this with water. What matters is that you can take sips of it which gives you something to do. It also has the added bonus of helping you blend into the crowd as just another face.

Step Five: All Things Small Talk

The dreaded small talk. No one likes it, we all do it. Fear not, however, as I will personally walk you through some common small talk and explain it in a way even me, an autistic individual, would understand.

"How are you?": Unless you're really close, they aren't asking you how you're really doing. If you're doing great say great, if you're doing okay say good, if you're barely surviving say fine/okay. Once you answer, it's courteous to say "How about you?" back. Keep the conversation light.

"The weather is good/bad": Basically just talk about the weather. If it's decent, then say that. If you like cold weather better, say something like "It is pretty nice, but I personally would prefer if it cooled off a bit more. I'm not built for warm temperatures". If you like it warmer, say the inverse of the sentence above. Keep the conversation light.

"Cute outfit": Say thank you then find something about their outfit to compliment. If you can't find anything specific, you can just say "thanks! Your outfit is cute as well!"

"Cute outfit, where'd you get it?": Don't go through the list of where you got everything. Pick one or two of the biggest components and tell them that. "Oh I got this dress from target" "Oh I got this shirt from Anne Taylor". If they ask further, that's when you can add more details.

"How is school/work?": a joke or something would work wonderfully here. "Oh y'know how it is, I'm chugging along" "I'm surviving" "it's been alright" are all also good options. Once again, keep the conversation light.

Step Six: Leaving

Our favorite part, am I right? Now, to leave tactfully, there's some rules that'll make leaving seem alright. If one of the following occurrences is true, you are free to leave

Over half of the event has passed

Someone has already left

It's past 10 pm (assuming the event didn't start at 10 or later)

A lull in the event occurs (switching between areas, etc)

You have already informed people that you can't stay long

"Oh I have to get [person] home"

"I have a test to study for/a project to complete/something to do early tomorrow"

"I have [different event] to get to"

Any of the above accompanied by enough goodbyes and apologies (usually a "sorry i couldn't stay longer") will be seen as perfectly acceptable in most applications.

Now, that should be all you need to get through any social event life throws your way. Get out there and suck at small talk slightly less than before!

(If you have any extra questions I'm happy to answer them)

[moviedreams]

I think this one wasn't done cooking yet maybe it will continue tonight maybe not 🤷🏽‍♀️

it’s the start of the masters program and there is the introduction round like every semester 

This semester although we have a few new ba students

The profs introduce their courses and at the end I basically go up to the new students to get them into the WhatsApp group most of them say yes except for one (I wonder who it could be🤭😂 I just realized that we need to come up with some sort of code name because there’s no way I’m typing that out, I value my digital footprint) 

Anyways I ask him again like “Are you sure ? It’s helpful especially in the first semester to get information on cancelled classes etc.”. He stares at me deadpan and is like “No, thank you.” And then I’m like all right not my problem anymore. 

A couple of days passed, I think it was a Thursday, and our non-language classes are in full force and one afternoon we just see him sitting there in the lounge part of GW1 almost looking depressed. So I decide to go up to him and ask him how he’s liking his classes and if he needs any help. He just replies “No, I’m fine and the classes are fine as well.” to which I remind him that Whats app group chat is always still an offer and that it might make his experience easier. He friendly declines again and so we leave. 

A few more days pass and language courses have started which he seemingly does not attend so after the same classes on Thursday we see him again. So I take one final moment to tell him “Hey, I know you don’t want to really socialize with the other students but you’re truly are making this harder for yourself than it has to be. Bayreuth is quite a draining experience in the first semester. So even if you don’t want to take a lot of classes or really socialize in the few classes you take, at least take my number in case you ever do want to join the group or hang out with other classmates. just write me a message. Because trust me it’s better to not have to struggle alone if this is like the first time studying or studying humanities.” I hand him a piece of paper with my number and name on it. He takes it and looks at it and does this “meh smile” and then says thank you. I leave.

I wake up on a Sunday, check my phone and see a message from a new phone number. it reads “Hey, I still don’t want to join the group but wanted to ask if you had time to hang out today in the afternoonish. I wanted to also ask some questions about our study program if you can help me.” I reply “sure what time do you want to meet and where?” and so he replies “Around 3 pm and 205…”. I look at the text confused and then ask about the last number again to which replies “It’s our apartment numbers, you should also have one…”. I give a thumbs up and just assume he lives above me. 

I get ready and go upstairs at the meeting time, I go to the room number and then stand in front before wanting to ring the bell when the door swings open and he’s standing there gesturing me in. I walk in, and take off my shoes. He then shows me to sit down on his bed which i do(NOT IN A SEXUAL WAY YOU FREAKS). there’s a bit of an awkward silence so i interrupt by asking him about his questions regarding the study program. I try to answer his questions as thoroughly as possible which he is nice and thankful about. i then ask him why he wont join the group to which he just replies privacy. I retort “That’s a contradiction because you invited me to your apartment instead of outside somewhere since I had no clue that you lived in the same dorm as me.”. He replies “You were going to figure it out at some point by seeing me so might as well tell you. Besides I don’t like being out in public here. too empty.” I just answer with a perplexed face and then he switches the topic to something more casual to like hobbies interests, at some point music and likes. Around like 7ish I head back to my apartment. 

this continues for multiple weeks, occasional texting(NOTHING HARAM), hanging out at each others place and genuinely getting along decently enough. Through this he becomes more open up not towards entering the groupchat but at least he is not as cold anymore and sometimes even goes out in public in extremely specific cases but clearly he is still hiding something. 

that’s where it ended because i had to use the bathroom too often tonight yk not being dehydrated anymore and all 😂

[lavenoon]

hi so I am extremely soft for Sun basically being all-hands-on-deck for assisting Y/N with outfits, Moon wanting Y/N to be comfortable, and Eclipse being all here for nice textures

how would the boys react to Y/N asking them (independently) to help them put together an outfit (something complicated that needs an extra pair of hands with buttons/zips). can be pre/post-reveal depending on desired fluff content - @clxckwork-sun-n-moon

(:

Pre-reveal: Sun: Flattered beyond compare - them asking means they trust his judgement enough to put their outfit in his hands! For a peacock like him, who's job is reliant on looking the part, that's a big thing. There's also, uh, the thing about having to go up into their room, their private space, to maybe survey what they have? The thought will fluster him enough to fumble, and ask if they have a few things in mind already, and ends up moving the fashion show downstairs. Just take anything that could come in handy to the living room, he can work with that! Would love to take his time and invite them to a shopping trip, but feels like that might just be too much and sticks with what's available. Will however gladly offer to lend things to them - perhaps a specific tie would match better, or a certain set of cufflinks... Very gentle, but focused while working with buttons and zippers. He takes pride in being asked, so he won't risk damaging anything or hurting them by getting distracted. By the time he's finished the bitter pang of knowing this outfit isn't for him comes back to punch him square in the face, and he's lucky he's always smiling because otherwise it would be hard to keep up. Y/N doesn't miss the way his expression twists, and can't quite make sense of it before he leaves with a quick, but genuine compliment.

Moon: So you have chosen violence. Given that this is reverse coded, you have the shy boy, who is awkward af around the nice landlord already, who has no clue about fashion as his only focus is "dark color scheme and good to move in." He near panics, but agrees to help in any capacity he can - then follows Y/N into their home while just listing off disclaimers about how he's really not that knowledgeable and doesn't know what he's doing with outfits half the time, but if they're really sure - Ends up being the one giving the least "advice" because Y/N could try on anything and he'd say they look great, with that earnest expression that just makes it impossible to be mad about it. Y/N can try the process of elimination, and he does a lot better answering "this or that" questions. The living room ends up a mess by the time he's actually starting to help, almost hesitant to make contact. His gaze keeps flitting up to their eyes, checking in with them if things are still okay and he's good to continue. Ends up losing his anxiety by the end of it, giving them a couple earnest compliments. But once he's out the door and back alone he realizes that's it, that was his role in this and that's what it'll always be, and that does sting a good bit.

Post-reveal: Sun: And here you have chosen death. No longer concerned about propriety and overstepping, because now boundaries are all in the open and secrets no longer exist, he's very eager to show Y/N the full extent of his knowledge. Will no longer be too shy to go into their room, either, and Y/N will have some mild regrets over him judging what they have available. Will also be much less coy about sharing his own wardrobe, and given that he wasn't shy about it before there's just a lot waiting for Y/N. Will still be focused during the actual buttoning and zipping, but his touch will linger longer when he draws his fingers back down the line of clothing he just closed up. God help them when it's at their back - you know what you do when there's sudden pressure drawn down your back? You arch into it, and Sun is living for it when Y/N just moves with his hand, maybe eliciting a small gasp... "There, all set" - and his grin is entirely too innocent when they turn to glare at him. Maybe missing the touch already, which is exactly what he intended <3

Moon: A little less violence, good for him. Given the lack of secrets Moon is much more comfortable explaining that his sense of fashion is very much just "I need to work in it and not get killed by Sun if he happens to switch into it" which will make Y/N laugh and set the tone for the rest of the little fitting. He'll be much more of a menace, pretending to contemplate and at times even impersonating Sun and trying to mimic his speech patterns just to make Y/N crack up as they hold different shirts in front of their body. But when he asks them to "Come here?" with that gentle smile, they don't even hesitate for a second. He's much more confident, maybe even letting out an appreciative hum as he works the buttons/ zippers. Of course, he'll want to look at his handiwork, and helps them turn with his hands on their sides, before grinning like a Cheshire cat and asking if they'll need help getting out of it later, too? Earns him another laugh and a playful smack to the face, but he only laughs too knowing that he will get to help them get comfortable after, too <3

Eclipse: (though not for AU!Y/N, and more a s/o) Eclipse: Oh, he wants to have fun with this! He'd love to start from scratch, and start it all off with a shopping trip to just look around! If the energy is there, he'd love to go to multiple stores and compare, mixing and matching whatever you like, and looking for accessories in the same go! (or another go. multiple trips is also fun, he just gets excited! online shopping he's also definitely open for, if that's more comfortable - he just likes the added bonus of exploration) The actual putting on he'll be quieter, but still giddy. Torn between reverent staring, excited noises and hand clapping, and actually helping, he's a bit of a scatterbrain about it, but it's okay! Just take enough time to get ready! Very, very careful and gentle with any buttons or zippers - he doesn't want to pinch you, or break anything, and animatronics are strong enough for a mindless little tug to end with a loose button or damaged zipper. With four hands he's got a good advantage though, and two can take care of buttons and zippers, while two can hold the rest of the fabric in place. If that happens by having his hands rest on your shoulders, sides, hips, or even all of the above depending on where he's currently zipping/ buttoning, that's between him and you! Will shower you in compliments as soon as he's done, before quietly asking if you like it, too - because he knows that's the most important part, and if he hasn't helped you before and/ or you have very different tastes in fashion, he'll want to check in that everything went well and you're satisfied! <3

[densi-mber]

We Swear It’s Not Real

A/N: Thanks to @mashmaiden for the scenario! Set at the end of season 7, but AU in that Kensi and Deeks are not already together.

***

“Ok, so I think that should be the last thing until the actual wedding,” Kensi announced, double checking the expansive color-coded list placed in front of her.

“Sweet.” Deeks peered over her shoulder on the way to Kensi’s fridge. “Wait, was there always a dove release on the itinerary?”

“Yep.” Kensi made a face. “Kat says it’s regal.”

“I could debate that, but it would be futile,” Deeks said. He came back from the fridge with a bucket of cut fruit, and offered it to Kensi. “Did I tell you Kip has some extra tickets for next weekend? You want to go?”

“Oh no, we can’t go then. We’ve got Kat’s wine tasting on Saturday,” Kensi reminded him. “Sorry.”

“Right,” Deeks sighed, like it was perfectly reasonable. “I didn’t realize that wine tastings were a part of wedding preparation. And requires the entire wedding party.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s just a Kat thing.” Kensi paused to roll her eyes. “You know how over-the-top she is.”

“Oh, I know. The the whole show ponies thing was kind of a clue.”

Deeks smiled, sending a quick text to Kip.

Pretending to be Kensi’s date to Kat’s wedding had seemed easy enough when she first presented the idea. Given her chronically terrible dating history, she hadn’t felt like explaining the complete absence of a plus-one at any of Kat’s events. Or worse, be set up with every available male by her well-meaning friends.

Deeks wasn’t exactly entangled himself, so after a very small amount of consideration, he’d agreed to be Kensi’s fake date for Kat’s wedding season. He’d even thought it might be fun, and certainly would give him ample reasons to tease Kensi.

What he hadn’t anticipated was just how much time they’d spend together, pretending to be a couple. It was their undercover roles as Melissa and Justin on overdrive. Because as ridiculous as it sounded, Kat, Mindy, Mandy, Tiffany, and Tiffani scrutinized them far more intensely than any Russian spies ever could. If they were holding hands, kissing, and just generally exuding an air of absolute bliss, one of the girls noticed.

The hardest part though, was pretending that he didn’t enjoy it. He enjoyed every kiss, snuggle, dance, or moment when he got hold her hand. It made him feel like he was cheating, even though Kensi encouraged it.

It was an awful kind of torture. One he kept coming back for more over and over again.

***

They ate dinner together, which seemed an increasingly regular occurrence neither of them bothered to question. Tonight, Deeks threw together a stir fry and rice; since he’d started coming over more frequently, Kensi’s kitchen stayed better stocked.

“Thanks for cooking and cleaning,” Kensi said from her position at the table. He’d gladly have cleaned a thousand dishes then deal with sorting through the pile of invitations in front of her. Though he’d probably end up helping out anyway.

“No problem. I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, leaning in to kiss Kensi before he headed for the door. It wasn’t until he was halfway down sidewalk that he realized what he’d done.

He’d kissed Kensi. And it wasn’t under any pretense related to the wedding or a case.

He’d kissed Kensi, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

***

Deeks went into work the next morning with serious misgivings. Kensi hadn’t texted him at all since he left her apartment last night. He debated calling her immediately to apologize, but chickened out and ended up pacing for most of the night.

He walked into the bullpen, still uncertain what to do. Kensk was already sitting at her desk when he entered; she looked up briefly, her expression giving nothing away.

“Hey.”

“Hey. You’re in early,” Deeks noticed, testing the waters. She didn’t seem angry at least. Though maybe she was just waiting for the right moment.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been slacking on paperwork with all the wedding stuff. So, I figured I’d knock it out today before Hetty gives me one of her notes,” she explained, eyes tracking her computer screen as she typed.

“Makes sense.”

Setting his bag on his desk, he logged into his own laptop. Silence settles around them as they both quietly worked. A good 20 minutes passed, and Deeks realized he would need to broach the topic since Kensi clearly wasn’t.

“Hey, um, I’m sorry about what happened last night,” he started, and Kensi frowned. “You know, the uh, the kiss. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Oh.” Kensi shrugged, focusing on the brushing some crumbs off her desk. “I didn’t even notice.”

“Really?” Based on her refusal to look him in the eye, he sincerely doubted that.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s just a habit right? And we’ve kissed so many times by now, that it’s no big deal anymore,” Kensi continued, letting out a nervous chuckle that approached cackle.

“Yeah, no. You’re completely right,” he agreed, and Kensi looked up sharply. “It meant nothing.”

“So no reason to apologize.”

“Exactly.” They stared at each other, neither breaking away until Sam and Callen came in, bantering as usual.

He swore a hint of disappointment flash across Kensi’s face in the second before she turned away again.

***

A/N: In direct contrast to my recent story, Kensi and Deeks apparently have all the time in the world in this fic.

Part 2 to come.

[everlasting-rainfall]

Hey! How are you doing? Hope you have a beautiful and wonderful day bc you deserve the best!!!!!! Love you!!!!

Sorry for rambling but...

Omg your animal crossing au make me go brrrrrrr (even though I never played the game). Just imagine the more introvert ones trying to keep readers island isolated! Like poor reader just thinking they are messing up the game and losing people and friends but in reality is the yandere one threatening everyone to keep reader to themselves. Getting more and more agressive with their s/o for closing the game.

Oh god, good food good food. (Sorry to bother you)

Oh! That’s so kind of you to say!! Thank you so very much for saying something like that and I hope that you have a beautiful and wonderful day as well! Don’t worry, you aren’t bothering me at all!

Also I’m so glad that you like my animal crossing au as it is something that I personally enjoy and it has a bit of an origin story as I originally came up with it around the same time that the newest Animal Crossing Game was released

If I remember then it actually started off as a JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Story but I never posted it and I no longer have it, I never thought I would be writing for it again as I always thought I would just keep it sitting and thinking about it a bunch instead of writing about it

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

Sentient Game Characters, Threats, Isolation, Death, Kidnapping

!-POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNINGS-!

!-MINORS DO NOT INTERACT AT ALL-!

I always have envisioned the game as kind of like a rom hack with a shit ton of effort out into it where no one has any clue who made it like it sure as hell wasn’t the developers, that’s for certain

Like I like to think that the start of them game gives you an option that will decide if you get Marine or Pirate Villagers, you can still get other factions but that also depends on what you choose during the start

Let’s say that you went with Marines, you can also get villagers relating to the World Government and Impel Down like things like that with the NPC’s who run the stores and businesses being different too

On the other hand, if you pick pirates then you’ll get villagers relating to things like Revolutionary Army and things like that

You’ll always get two starting villagers too that you can randomize or select from a list, some people like Benn and Shanks will get along well and are good to go with plus they’ll make it so that the other members of the Red Haired Pirates are more likely to move in

If a character has a relationship as well like Yassop and Banchina, if one shows up first then the other will soon appear and there’s also a chance of Banchina even winding up pregnant with Usopp after a certain amount of time has passed

Certain villagers can even live together if they get along well enough and it’ll free up a spot in your town for a new villager to move in, the same thing will happen if your character winds up in a relationship as the character will move in with you and free up a spot for someone new to move in

As you can tell based on the fact that they’re Yandere’s, breaking up isn’t an option and instead you have some normal options alongside some more romantic ones then there’s the one where you spend some alone time with your partner or partners

As I did state before, there is the immersive interactions option which is basically like a switch to make it so that your villagers will become sentient and eventually drag you to their world inside of the console

But if you don’t turn it on then you’ll probably be fine unless one of your villagers decides to go against their coding and turn it on so they can finally have you

Immersive interactions is also what causes your characters to react when you have visitors as I can imagine the game can connect to people who have the actual game like let’s say you invite a friend over to your town and the villagers just cannot stand them which is mostly because your attention is on them instead of your villagers

Your villagers will try any strategy to get you to stop focusing on them and if your friend wanders off with their character to go explore, they’ll be approached and sufficiently threatened to the point where they no longer want to hang out with you in real life due to fear of your in game villagers

One by one as well, if you keep inviting people to your game then you’ll keep losing them and if one decides to stay then that person is going to disappear without a single trace as to where they went because guess who got dragged inside of the console and killed for not staying away?

Try to turn the game off and put it down as much as you want as well, you’ll come back eventually and when you do they’ll be waiting for you and asking you to never leave again

Getting more and more insistent that you stay each time that you shut the game off and leave until eventually there’s no escape for you, they’ll drag you inside and leave the console with the game on the floor

Your save file is archived and locked away within the game files so the next person who plays will think no one else has played it and fall victim to the same fate as you did with their save file getting archived and locked away as well making it so there really is no escape

I hope this response was pleasing for you and I hope that you enjoyed it!

[nokingsonlyfooles]

The Glitch

Heh. I rendered it for ya, Tumblr.

I've been told (repeatedly) this isn't a problem. I should know that when you say "white" you don't mean me... unless I get a little uppity (my dad, who is much browner than me, used to call me that) about being more than one thing, then I'm definitely white. Shut up. This isn't about you.

I know. It's never about me. It's never about anyone like me. I should just put myself wherever you wanted me to be, and if I guess wrong, you'll tell me. My unearned privileges are on a yo-yo string. Depends how I dress, how I code switch, who I'm near.

I understand that people who look a certain way will get treated a certain way, and then they'll act a certain way, and when they get treated white, the way they act is super irritating. OK, fam. I get it. But I see you acting that way too. I'm in the room, you don't see me, and you say some shit, which you assume is OK because everyone looks like you. And if they're not like you, you're confident you can say whatever you want because it'd be rude for them to mention it. Like Karen-the-feminist explaining that this is not the time or the place to mention that Take Your Daughter to Work Day doesn't do much for immigrant field workers.

Every time you offer me a binary choice, you're expecting me to erase half of myself without comment. If I sit down, I'm white today. If I stay standing, I'm "brown," which is... Jesus. If you thought "Black" made a monolith out of a shit-ton of identities, see what putting me in the same box with Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, Persians and both kinds of Indian gets you. We share a few marginalized traits but we do not all get along or need the same things.

I can't eject the white or the brown from my body on command, I can only fake it for ya to be nice. And you don't notice me doing that and think you're entitled.

I have a good dose of the autism, which I'm also expected to hide on command, so I can't help but bring media into this. You know this asshole?

He's mixed-race Creole. (And, ah, Vivzie, I'm enjoying the show, but I have... I have some notes.) I am positive this thin-skinned, narcissistic, serial-killing creep used to pass both ways, like me. I am positive he heard smiling people of both races say some real stupid shit about him and his family, to his face, and that's why he's like that. (I'm also pretty sure nobody writing for him has a clue.) But people sure do respect the serial killer and give him space. It gets better results than, "Hey, the collection of privileges you're calling 'whiteness' is a spectrum and you and I are both on it." And people react like I'm being just as much of a jackass anyway, if not more of one, although I am not literally murdering anyone about my grievance.

I am not saying I'm going to kill and eat you, my fellow activists, I'm just saying - in a gentle, loving, and metred tone - I understand.

The level of violence I inflict upon you will remain a polite reminder that I am in the room and I will not be erasing myself to conform to your language today. That seems to be difficult enough for y'all to deal with. Just, do be aware, I am still being civil. I am using my words. This is what civility looks like. Uncivil looks like drop-kicking you into a bucket of remoulade. OK? Please adjust your outrage accordingly.

(Though I have elected to share these aspects of myself with you, Tumblr void, please be aware this is only a small part of who I am, and not an invitation to define me. If you wanna talk about you, that's cool. If you wanna be friends, I will tell you how I want to be treated as we go along. I will not perform my identity in a public forum in order to justify my - polite and not-at-all murdery - request that you maybe try not to be dicks about assigning people whiteness, or brownness, or any identity that you think ought to behave a certain way.)