#(( its about time i showed some of the other bendys right

[just-bendy]

If there were more than one of our good little toon friend Bendy, how much mischief do you think they could get into? Or if not just two, but three- or four.... How many Bendy's would be too many?

Feel like society would collapse with more than just one of him, too much stunning demon for any sane person to handle in one room /j

Oh, but there WAS more of me, way more! It was a blast! Yeah, all the way back in the studio, me and a few other Bendys teamed up and formed our own group we called "The Ink Devils!" There were about six of us, and we had our own nicknames since we didn't wanna be called by our numbers. I ain't tellin' ya what my name was, so don't cha ask! None of us went by "Bendy," and that's all I'm tellin ya. There were Specs, Grumps, Mouthless, Loafer (sometimes we called him Shoe!), Rat, and me. We had a lotta fun beatin' up ink monsters, prankin' ink people, gatherin' food, and makin' our sanctuary, but of course, they eventually got taken one by one. I miss them a lot, but I do visit their ink puddle sometimes!

[reel-fear]

Bendy And The Power Of Representation

So those graphic novel pages huh? Seems I posted my cover post at just the right time because literally minutes after I was informed the preview pages came out and uh. This is Buddy and Norman!

Oh dear... I'll put the full graphic novel pages down below but I have so much to say on how awful this is it'll need several posts. However, right now I want to mostly talk about representation and briefly touch on why it's so damn important + inform others about the current shit Mike and Meatly are saying about the books n such.

Now note: All the things I'm saying below are based on my personal experience, maybe some people don't care about seeing the representation of their identities in the media they consume. Maybe some will think I'm merely being dramatic and I might be but I'm not lying when I say I personally believe being represented and seen in the media you consume can be one of the most wonderful feelings in the world.

Look I'm not here to argue with people who think that Norman in particular was never meant to be a person of color, I would argue he is very coded but the points I'm making here are not about how Norman particularly had to be black. The point I want to make is the lack of diversity in our cast in general and how Norman's design has heavily dwindled it considering most people [including myself] rightfully assumed he was at least one of three black characters in our cast. Not according to this though and looking at the the rest of the pages our chances of seeing any kind of decent diverse character designs dwindle more.

So firstly... Buddy a character who has been said to experience discrimination for being Jewish, lacks any kind of ethnic features at all. That's... Cool but yeah I think this shows a rather grim future for the character designs as a whole.

Also, Norman... As I mentioned he was largely assumed to be black due to his southern dialect, his voice, and other factors. But nope, he's a generic white guy. With... Gross looking hair tbh...

Sadly this is not the first time the topic of poor representation has come up concerning Bendy either.

[note how he disregarded the other mentioned minorities and specifically cites LGBTQ+ characters]

This sucks as a response but sadly considering Mike's recent behavior it seems to fall in line with the Bendy team's general lack of care towards representing anyone who isn't straight and white.

So how did Mike respond to all of this? Well...

TDLR - "Who cares if the Graphic Novel we're selling to our fans for full price sucks, we now no longer consider the books canon."

This is horrible, I know Mike and Meatly are only really in this for the money, the fact BATIM is in the state that it is proved that, but they really couldn't have been less obvious about it?

So basically when it benefited them, AKA when it meant people would have to buy the books to understand important lore like Boris' identity... [the character you spend all of chapter 4 trying to rescue] They were considered canon... At least the author sure thought so.

Hell even in the tweet Meatly made here he doesn't say the books aren't canon, he just says they're not needed to understand Bendy's world. Now Mike is using that as a shield instead of doing the right thing and saying "You're right, the poc in our fanbase deserve better we'll have it fixed right away!" Like most reasonable people would considering how his studio has literally been accused of bigotry, poor rep, and general lack of diversity before. Why risk making more people avoid this franchise?

Also just... Imagine how insulting it would be to be an author who helps flesh out so much of this world and gives its characters depth like NONE of the games have managed to do, filling in plot holes, creating a timeline for events, etc... Then because they couldn't bother to change the graphic novel for ur story to be better they instead throw out all ur writing and declare it non-canon.

If I were her to put it bluntly I'd feel insulted and horrible. Why make her do all the work of making sure her works align with the timeline and game's canon if they're not part of it?

I can't speak for her obviously but Meatly and Mike know of her account, so speaking out against this could very much risk her being fired or at least not allowed to work on Bendy anymore... So I would take all her tweets on this situation with a grain of salt. She very much is not in a position where she could be honest if she was against this.

So with all that history now, the question I'm sure many are wondering is... Why does this even matter? Who cares how diverse the characters are when it doesn't affect the story?

Well for one thing, if you think like that consider having more empathy for your fellow human beings but also it does affect the story. One of DCTL's themes is about the bigotry of the period it is set in.

Now the Bendy team has managed to make the discussion of this book centering around their bigotry which is ironic in a way I almost find funny... Though this entire thing is just a bit too hurtful and upsetting to find any humor in, at least for me...

But another thing is representation can bring people such joy when it's done with care. It really shouldn't be understated how far it can go to make people feel more comfortable in their own sense of self to have a franchise choose to represent them and their experiences. I know this from personal experience.

Now if you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a big fan of Transformers. I no longer engage with it much due to baggage from the fandom's awful treatment of me, but before I left I remember being able to witness the release of Transformers: Earthspark first few episodes.

These introduced the Maltos the family who meets the Transformers and serve as our protagonists and guess what?

It's a family of Filipinos!

Now look I'm not Filipino, but I am half Mexican and I have a lot of love for that part of me. So seeing the representation of any Spanish culture in this franchise I loved made me so happy! I remember just watching the first episode I was happily telling my partner how fun it was to see people like me and my family in a world I love!!

But it didn't end with the Maltos in fact... There was another character who spoke to me, their name was Nightshade. Their pronouns are They/Them and they spoke about it on the show! Not just mentioning it and moving on but actually sitting down to speak about their experiences...

This clip in particular really turned them into an absolute favorite among fans and well... I'll let you see it for yourself.

This scene... Fills me with a joy I cannot describe. It is the creators of a franchise I love telling me they see people like me and find the stories of people like me important enough to include in this series. There really is nothing like being able to say there are Non-Binary characters in a franchise I have so much love for. I was far from the only one too.

This is amazing, this is wonderful, this clip and character were moving to so so many people and...

This is a joy the Bendy creators have no interest in giving their audience. They don't care how you feel as a queer and/or black person, which... Hurts...

I... Discovered I was trans while in the Bendy community... It was where I learned the word Non-Binary and started using it for myself. To me Bendy will always have that connection... But the devs themselves seem to hate the idea of being forced to actually represent that in their games... And I still haven't really gotten over that pain or betrayal if I'm being honest.

So...

With Norman now being portrayed as white here, we are down to two black characters. Thomas [who Meatly has claimed is white in the past] based on a vague conversation with Sammy in DCTL they could easily ignore... And Jacob.... A book exclusive character which according to Mike means he is non-canon.

If we don't count Thomas' vague talk with Sammy about disrespect as confirmation he's black [which the devs don't seem to think so] then we have one black character in all of Bendy... And he recently got retconned into non-existence. Great.

Look... The Bendy fanbase has always been full of wonderfully diverse designs for the staff and even more diverse people creating them. Bendy's fandom was built with the work of queer people from all kinds of places.

If the Bendy team continues to show how little they care for anyone who isn't straight or white... I wonder who they are counting on to buy this book or in general financially support their franchise?

I know right now, I am furious, I am hurt and I most certainly don't feel like buying a book that's currently just a massive fuck you to the fans and I hope I've expressed why I feel this way in an easy-to-understand way here...

Either way, I will not be forgetting this anytime soon and I hope the fanbase does the same. Maybe just maybe, if there's enough backlash to this series of horrible decisions they'll learn better.

Right now, it's kinda of our only hope for a better future, and if you know any poc who are into Bendy right now... Maybe consider making sure they're feeling okay.

I know from experience how much this sort of thing hurts, to have the creators of a world you love straight up tell you they don't intend to fix the fact no one in their stories represents your identity or life...

What I'm trying to say is...

This is a really low point for Bendy and its fans... Even more for the poc who have to witness such ignorant and careless attitudes from Mike and Meatly towards their feelings.

Please don't forget them when you discuss these tweets or this situation. That's exactly what Mike and Meatly want right now.

For them to be unrepresented and therefore... Unheard.

[cute-girls-from-vns-anime-manga]

Ooh your display case is really cool! Can you give us a rundown of what stuff is/where you got it etc?

HELL YEAH ID LOVE TO SPEND MY TIME DETAILING ALL MY COOL SHIT!!!

I don't want to overload everyone's dashboards with a ton of HQ pics of ALL of this individually so we are gonna go shelf by shelf left to right! I will try and use bullets to group certain things if they are apart of a set of some sort! (though I'm still working on these display cabinets and organizing things into their sets)

Starting with the Eushully shelf!

Kami no Rhapsody (RPG/VN), Source: Ebay

Kami no Rhapsody guide/art book, Source: Ebay

Madou Koukaku (RPG/VN), Source: Ebay

Ikusa Megami Zero guide/art book. Source: Ebay

Kamidori Alchemy Meister Special Alchemy disk (content pack), Source: Mandarake

Kamidori Alchemy Meister Perfect guide/art book + content pack disc, Source: Ebay

Kamidori Alchemy Meister Hannah's Pilgrimage (content pack), Source: Ebay

Kamidori Alchemy Meister (RPG/VN) Source: Ebay

Ikusa Megami (RPG) Source: Ebay <- STUPIDLY RARE I STILL CANT BELIEVE I FOUND EUSHULLY'S FIRST GAME THEY EVER PUT OUT BACK IN 1999 EVEN A SEARCH FOR IT ON SOME OF MY MORE ESOTERIC VISUAL NOVEL HUNTING GROUNDS TURNS UP A SINGLE LISTING THATS BEEN SOLD OUT FOR YEARS NOW!

Amayui Labyrinth Meister guide/art book + content pack disc Source: Ebay

Amayui Castle Meister guide/art book Source: Ebay

Fuukan no Grasesta (RPG/VN) Source: Ebay

Eushully branded mug printed with MC's of their various games Source: Ebay <- just showed up on my ebay alert for Eushully for dirt cheep probably the most absurd Eushully branded thing I own!

Emilita phone strap (she one of the main three heroines of Kamidori Alchemy Meister) Source: Ebay

Amayui Labyrinth Meister (RPG/VN) Source: Ebay

NEXT IS MY FIGURE SHELF!!!!

Tenryuu (Kancolle) Source: PLAMOYA

Saber Lilly (Fate Series) Source: PLAMOYA

Bendy OL-chan (pixiv artist OC) Source: amiami

Jill Stingray Nendroid (VA-11 Hall-A) Source: GOODSMILE

Yumiko Sakaki Bunny Suit (Grisaia no Meikyuu) Source: Solaris Japan

Marin Kitagawa Swimsuit ver. (My dress up darling) Source: amiami

Konata Cat Lingerie (pixiv artist OC) Source: amiami

NOW FOR MY VISUAL NOVEL COLLECTION (That isnt an Eushully or Minato Soft title)

Tsukihime remake (Switch Limited Edition) Source: Amazon

Witch on the Holy Night (Switch Limited Edition) Source: Amazon

Side note here THANK YOU TYPE MOON FOR MAKING THE LIMITED EDITIONS OF THESE TWO SUCH BIG BEAUTIFUL BOXES!!!!

Grisaia Complete Box (Japanese edition) Source: Jlist <- I genuinely believe this is the RAREST thing I own did a quick search and found only ONE seller on Mandarake selling this and its a used and incomplete copy MINE IS STILL PRISTINE AND COMPLETE!

Rewrite limited edition Source: Ebay <- Rewrite has my favorite limited/special edition extras of any visual novel in additon to the beautiful artwork and some interviews and stuff they included SHEET MUSIC FOR TWO OF THE BG MUSIC TRACKS

Clannad Limited Edition Source: Ebay <- This was the first physical visual novel I ever bought and Imported so obviously it holds a special place in my heart, AND OF COURSE CLANNAD WAS THE FIRST VN I GOT A PHYSICAL EDITION OF BEING ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR VISUAL NOVELS OF ALL TIME AND CERTAINLY EARNS ITS STATUS AS A CLASSIC!

Little Busters Limited Edition Source: Ebay <- Not much to say about this one like I did the other two Key VN's ive got just another solid Limited edition of a great classic Visual Novel!

Subarashiki Hibi Source: Ebay <- Honestly with this one I am kind of disappointed in the quality of the box feels REAL flimsy but sadly box build quality isnt what it used to be back in the 90's

LASTLY THE PLUSHY SHELF ONLY THREE AND THEY ARE ALL FROM MAKESHIP!

Glow in the dark goblin: by Jocat <- glad Jocat has recently returned to twitch as his content is really amazing and I loved the little gobo animations he made with these guy's designs!

The absolutely adorable Cardiegon: by Ceroro <- whom is just an absolutely incredible artist whom yall should already be following here on tumblr by now!!!!

Finally the most recent plushie Sky (2.0 WITH BORGOR) the MC of Endless Monday Dreams and Deadlines: both the amazing game and sky herself are by hcnone <- GO PLAY ENDLESSS MONDAY RIGHT NOW GIVE HCNONE YOUR MONEY THEY ARE AN INCREDIBLE ARTIST AND MADE A WONDERFULLY AMAZING LITTLE GAME!!!!

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN TRIP BACK THROUGH THE MEMORIES OF FINDING ALL THIS STUFF AND REMEMBERING BEING SO EXCITED FOR EACH AND EVERY THING!!!!!

[espressoristretto-patronum]

A/N: English is not my first language, and my blogger skills (?) are poor, so proceed with caution!

Meet my MC!

My fanfiction on AO3: To me, she is the sun

Tori's character sheet by kiwiplaetzchen

Tori Lewis and Poppy by pheexblack

Tori Lewis (birthday's present ❤️) by myook

Tori Lewis (and other MCs) by myokk

Tori Lewis (Trick or treat's treat 🎃) by myook

Tori Lewis (and other MCs) by a-florable

Tori Lewis by ladyofsappho

Tori Lewis in girls group by acslytherpuff

Tori Lewis, Cassie and Garreth by acslytherpuff

Tori Lewis and Cassie 🌻 by acslytherpuff

Tori Lewis and Poppy (and three other beautiful couples) by acslytherpuff

Tori Lewis in group MCs by girl-named-matty

Tori Lewis by theladyofshalott1989

You can find how much Tori and Poppy are living in my mind rent free under the hashtags #Tori Lewis and #Tori x Poppy 😁

ABOUT HER

Name: Tori Lewis

Birthday: 14th June 1875

Birthplace: Turin, Italy

Pronouns: She/her

Sexuality: Lesbian

House: Hufflepuff

Wand: Acaia wood, phoenix core, 12' length, quite bendy flexibility

Patronus: Jack Russell Terrier

Quidditch position: Seeker; Imelda practically begged her to join the Hufflepuff team because "I need a good competition in order to improve myself!"

Some extra facts!

Her name

Tori stands for Vittoria. Why Vittoria? Because she is half-British and half-Italian (from her mother's side) 🤌. I chose the name because I like to think that her parents thought about  Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy, both sovereigns by the time of Tori's birth.

Why Turin?

Because well, it's my birthplace! Also, Turin is a special city: it has a lot of esoteric story. In a few words, this city joins London and San Francisco to create the triangle of Black Magic, but also the triangle of White Magic too with Lyon and Prague.

Future

Spouse: Poppy Sweeting (she IS wife)

Career: Auror and Natty is her partner, they're thick as thieves and menace to their superior

I think that Poppy's mission is still saving beasts from poachers, so I headcanon she is a sort of mix of Auror and magizoologist (guys, I have no idea about careers in wizard world lol)

Residence: Hogsmeade (I headcanon that since she is a Keeper, she doesn't want to live far away from Hogwarts, I'm also too in love with Hogsmeade)

My personal headcanons with future wife Poppy 💛

Even if they're in the same house and same bedroom, Poppy had never spoken to Tori before their first Beasts Class together because the last was often away and Poppy herself is a night owl, visiting Highwing or studying beasts, etc.

Poppy was also sure that the new fifth year will become like her schoolmates. Because sure, why the new cool, brave student will be friend with Peculiar Poppy? But fortunately Tori is such a good egg, kneazles can confirm.

Tori decided to kneel in front of the Graphorn (because we're not a monster, right?) following Poppy's example. It was Poppy that waited patiently for the mother dragon to take its egg back. It was Poppy that put down her wand when centaurs came to her. And of course, you should show respect to an Hippogriff before approaching.

That's why she chose to kneel. The Graphorn has fought well, it deserved respect.

Poppy felt in love first. Tori felt harder. Like she is kind of in denial for a while and then BOOM she falls and realises and she is panicking "what? Aaaaah what should I do now?!"

Poppy doesn't need protection but loves how protective Tori is.

Their love language is physical touch. Every single one. Surprise hugs from behind? Lovely! Forehead kiss? Adorable! Cuddles in the vivarium with beasts? The best!

Should I really say it? Poppy is an adorable little spoon and love to be wrapped in Tori's arms.

Tori is a golden retriever. Already from day one when Poppy asked to follow her in the forest.

Tori feel like she could die because of Poppy's cuteness, often screaming "STOP BEING SO CUTE AND SO KISSABLE I CAN'T FOCUS"

Poppy is a great cook, Tori isn't at all. But a few times she has tried to cook to cheer Poppy up. The result was messy but still edible and Poppy appreciated the efforts.

They're bad dancers but they don't care, they're having fun

I have a very sappy proposal headcanon.

Tori proposed to Poppy after a couple of months after graduation (lesbian couples move fast, okay?) and she decided to be extremely romantic.

She studied where and when to find Mooncalves' dance and saved the day on her calendar. When the day came, she took Poppy and flied on Highwing to the special place.

Poppy thought the surprise was the mooncalves' dance, instead she turned around and found Tori on her knees, with a ring in her hand. A very shining ring that a selvatic niffler has tried to steal before Poppy could say yes, jumping from a bush the moment the ring sparkled under the moonlight. The little beast had caused little chaos but fortunately they catched it before was too late. With the retrieved ring in one hand, and the beast thief in the other, Tori asked grinning "do you still want to marry meee?"

I've surely more facts and headcanons for my MC, but I think this post is already long enough!

Anddd that was my MC! If you've read so far, thank you so much!

[idolatrybarbie]

the world tipped on its side

epilogue - a sip or a spoonful

series masterlist | read on ao3

pairing: francisco "frankie" morales x f!reader

word count: 1.9k

rating & summary: mature | he wants all of your love.

warnings: hospitals, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff and feels, discussion of surgery and anesthesia.

notes: we have reached the end of this months-long delve into emotions, disability and family! omg - it's really insane to think that this lil' fic brought me some amazing new friends and introduced me to a great new writing community. twtois is my baby, and i love these two. i hate to say goodbye, but all good stories must come to an end. thank you to everyone who has followed me because of this fic, and/or showed this fic any love. it was a gamble writing about disability - as in, no one coulda read this fic and we would not be here - but like frankie i am a gambling man. and it paid off! so thank you again, and i hope you enjoy.

You’re stuck in the waiting room. Doctors won’t let you past the threshold of the medical floor, so here you are. Family only. Try as you might, the assertion still stings. He’s going to be okay. He has to be. It’s the only thing keeping you from losing your mind.

This ultimate curve ball you’ve been thrown has you reflecting, the flimsy chair you’ve chosen threatening to create a human spill of you at any second. Things with Frankie are easy. You have no clue why you ever wished for anything to come along and complicate that. Except that’s not entirely true—another lie, but you’re getting better at catching yourself.

When you’ve spent so much time acquainted with pain and uncertainty, the lack of it becomes a foreign concept. Existence without struggle is like pulling teeth. Feeling that free-flowing ease that Frankie somehow provides in droves still sometimes makes your skin crawl. It's a learning process. But nothing could possibly be scarier than the thought of losing him. You learned that today. Every other fear, all discomfort you hold fades to the background. He and you are inextricably linked.

A man bursts through the doors of the E.R., a whirlwind for your mind to grasp onto amid the sea of sterile white pain. He’s a bit shorter than Frankie, skin beige and brow creased as he strides through the waiting area like he’s on a mission. His walk makes him impossibly familiar: the way he wears his shoulders like earrings, toddling in the slightest with every right step. When he reaches the front desk and speaks to the attending nurse, his spine only relaxes slightly.

Of course you eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Here to see Francisco Morales,” the man says, speaking precisely.

“I’m afraid he’s not accepting any visitors right now,” the nurse replies.

“You’re looking at his emergency contact. Santiago Garcia…you look it up, you’ll see me.” His words are forceful; a slap across the face with an order to stand at attention.

You mumble an, “Excuse me,” and join Santiago at the attendant's desk. “How is he?”

“Ma’am, I already told you—”

“Please. I’m his…girlfriend,” you say. The word tastes weird in your mouth.

Speaking to Santiago, the nurse says, “I can speak to you. I can’t speak to her.”

Rolling your eyes, you push yourself away from the desk and walk back to your seat. Rubbing fingers into your temples brings no relief to the steadily growing tension headache at your forehead. Your brain is working overtime, thoughts echoing as you try and take deep breaths.

He’s going to be okay.

“Ma’am?”

You’re expecting the nurse again, ready to ask you to vacate the waiting room to make space for the family of someone else—someone more important than him. You fix your mouth to tell her to get bent before you see who it is. Santiago.

“Oh, um—hi,” is all you manage.

He takes the seat next to you, keeping his back straight against the bendy top rail of the chair. “Frankie didn’t tell me he was seeing anybody,” are the first real words to you from this virtual stranger.

“It’s new.”

“I’m glad someone else is here,” he says, presenting you with a hand to shake. You take it, grasp firm around the bones of his knuckles before you let go.

He’s got palms like Frankie’s. Scarred and worn with use, from carrying a gun. From killing people, the back of your mind whispers. You ignore it. What was it that Frankie had said about this Santiago?

“He’s the only one still doing military shit these days…a bit of an asshole. You two probably wouldn’t get along.”

And then there was that other thing—the medical death wish. Perhaps an urge not entirely reserved at the hands of a doctor if he’s out there pretending to be G.I. Joe while all his friends have retired. Suddenly, unfortunately, you understand this Santiago Garcia better than most people you’ll ever meet. The pang of jealousy that hit your stomach at his materialization dissolves as you finally make proper eye contact. You introduce yourself. He does the same, telling you to call him Santi.

“Did they say anything about his condition?”

“He’s fine,” Santi shakes his head. “Just giving him a few to recoup, taking a couple tests.” Silence lingers a while before he broaches the topic of your relationship: when, where, how long. He asks nicely enough that you find yourself answering.

“We met on this stupid fucking movie,” you say. “I needed a helicopter and a pilot to fly it. And I’m sure you know he’s the best.”

“Oh, for sure,” Santi agrees. “You made the right decision.”

“Wasn’t me actually,” you say. Despite yourself, a smile creeps along your face. “My best friend—Mia. She’d worked with him before and it just happened to work out… I don’t know. Strange series of events.”

“Sounds like Frankie.” When you give him a questioning look, Santi explains, “He has a habit of finding himself in unconventional situations. Like crashin’ a fucking helicopter, for example.” The breathy laugh that accompanies his words should lift your spirits, but it doesn’t.

A drop of water falls to the back of your hand, and before your brain can catch up, you’re sobbing in the emergency department waiting room. The pliable chair beneath you threatens to fold with every sob that wracks your body. Santiago sits next to you, frozen in uncertainty.

“Sorry,” you say, voice garbled with tears. “I—it feels like my fault. He shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

“Look, hey. Listen,” Santi starts, “People like us, like Frankie and me…we do dangerous shit. It comes with the job description. That’s the deal we cut.”

You don’t want that. Not for Frankie, not for Santiago. Not for anyone. You love what you do—what you did, before the accident. You know there is no reward without risk, but somehow that doesn't seem quite fair. The hardship you’ve endured is a different sort of pain, but you know regardless. No one should have to live that life.

“But I can tell you that these last few months, Frankie’s been the happiest I’ve seen him since his kid was born. He’s not one for show ‘n tell, so I wasn’t sure why. But I am now.”

“You don’t have to say that.”

“Sweetheart, with all due respect, I don’t say anything that I don’t mean.” He averts his gaze now, staring out at nothing as he says, “Frankie’s been through a lot. Done a lot. I don’t know what he’s told you. But I do know when that man cares about something, he will do anything in his power to get back to it.”

You get tissues from the nurse’s desk, settling in. You’re in the middle of trading Catfish tales when you freeze mid-sentence. The man himself stands before you—patched up and limping, but alive. They’ve taken his clothes and given him a hideous set of toothpaste green scrubs. You practically rush him, pulling Frankie close in a bear hug. The material crinkles like paper beneath you.

Your nose brushes against his jaw, the smell of him under soap and cleaner. Frankie carefully wraps his arms around you in turn. The action warms your skin, bringing you in from the cold.

“You’re okay,” you whisper.

“I’m okay,” he confirms. Frankie pulls back from the hug to look at you. “You saved me.”

“I don’t think—”

“You did. Thank you.”

“Always.” The word falls from your mouth like second nature.

Frankie must spot Santiago over your shoulder, giving him a nod before he pulls you in for another, briefer hug. Then he moves to Santi. You watch as they pat each other on the back like brothers. The shorter man paws at Frankie’s shoulders to get a firm grasp. They share a deep, concentrated stare; their communication is all in the eyes. Maybe that’s where Frankie gets it from. Regardless, you can’t decipher it. Whatever the two men share stays between them. Frankie embraces Santiago, lifting him an inch off the floor for effect.

“Alright,” Santi huffs. “Put me down, Fish.”

“I see you two have already met,” Frankie says as he steps away.

“Quite the lady you got here.”

“He was telling me some stories about your first deployment together,” you say.

“You got here right in time,” Santi says. “Was just about to tell her about how you got that call sign.”

“I think that’s enough storytelling for tonight,” Frankie says resolutely.

You narrow your eyes at him with a laugh. “You can’t escape me, Catfish. I’ll find out sooner or later.”

They let you take Frankie to your car in a wheelchair. Santiago makes Frankie promise to call him before he walks it back to the hospital doors. Frankie’s seat sits at an incline, letting him lay down while he stays buckled in. He looks exhausted, thoroughly worn down and ready for days of bed rest.

“We’re headed home, okay?” you say, readjusting the seat cushion beneath you at a red light. “You’re gonna sleep, and then when you wake up we can order food. That sound alright?”

Your fingers tap against the center console, a tick you’ve picked up from Frankie’s own car habits. You stop when he takes your hand into his own, squeezing gently. He looks up at you with round eyes, dark circles beneath them. He’s okay.

“I’m already there,” Frankie says.

-

You hate hospitals. The smell of antiseptic can never truly hide the stench of death. Your dad died in one; the possibility of living life as you loved it was robbed from you in a room just like this. And yet here you are putting your faith in this hospital, the doctors that work within its walls, and the spirit of hope that lingers here. Or maybe that's just Frankie.

They've got you in a gown, laid out and waiting. Soon enough, the anesthesiologist will come in with another doctor and stick you with a needle. You'll count back from ten...and light outs. It won't be up to you anymore.

Until then, Frankie's by your side. Holding your hand, kissing your forehead. Talking to you about nothing, really, but you like to hear his voice. He stops you short when he asks, "Where do you want to go first?"

"What?"

"When everything is, y’know, said and done. If you could go anywhere?" he explains.

"Home. In a wheelchair. I won't be doing much of anything," you say.

"Come on, just—anywhere."

You laugh. "Frankie, there's nowhere to go. What, are you gonna wheel me across Europe?"

"If you want," he says.

"You are ridiculous."

"And you still love me for it. Where?” Frankie insists. He's not letting this go.

You sigh as you answer, "I don't know. I kind of liked that story you told about Michigan. With the snow."

"The one where I almost froze to death?"

"Yeah, that one. Except maybe we skip out on that part this time," you say.

"There are more glamourous destinations,” Frankie says.

"You said anywhere. That's where I want."

"The great state of Michigan.” He leans back in the plush seat beneath him. “Okay. I think I can make that happen." His phone chimes. Frankie pulls it from his pocket to take a look. "Mia's on her way."

"What? Why?"

"I called her," he admits.

"She won't be here in time, and then I'll be in surgery for a while," you say. Five hours. Three hundred minutes, give or take, to make or break your life. "I won't be discharged for a few days."

"I'll be here. We both will," Frankie says.

"You don't have to—"

"I'll be here," he repeats, firmer this time. The look in his eyes is fierce; halfway between love and a safety net, your own face reflecting back at you.

Part of you, jagged and lingering, wants to call his bluff—expect the worst and you aren't disappointed when it happens. But no, Frankie looks serious. His face is stone, jaw set tight as he holds your gaze. You have no choice but to trust him. Forever and always.

So you nod, squeezing his hand. "Okay."

tags! @wannab-urs @iamskyereads @anoverwhelmingdin

[sarroora]

Omfg I literally just sent that last ask prematurely I only got like 3 hours of sleep last night 😭 that was embarrassing ANYWAYS 🤜🫳

✨🧚 Sleep deprived HC time

Dibble definitely pulls those kinds of pranks on the fellas where he'll secretly put a cucumber by them and try not to laugh as they jump/overreact or shoot a laser pointer out of his apartment window into the alley and watch them go crazy over it from afar

Related to the last one, I feel like all the fellas would jump from the cuke except Brain. I feel like he'd just stare at it for a little bit and then take a huge bite out of it. He wouldn't eat the rest, just that one bite.

I can only describe the way T.C. loafs as a somewhat stale baguette 🥖

I feel like Spook, Chooch, and Brain have to be the snorers of the group. Brain has a cutesey not-obnoxious snore, almost like a purr, Spook snores pretty consistently because ✨brachycephaly✨ and Chooch only snores when he's sleeping the wrong way but when he does it's LOUD. Like he snores like a freight train (get it cos his name's Choo Choo ahhahagagaghh)

Generally the fellas don't like stealing clothes off the overhanging clotheslines but I think Brain disregards the fact that it's stealing if it's a really cozy-looking sweater. LOOK HE CAN DO NO WRONG IN MY EYES GIVE THE MAN HIS SWEATER

Pedro definitely Irish step dances and he fucking kills at it. Occasionally he'll show off in the pizzeria and get a big round of applause. He did try to teach Dibble how to do it when they were kids but Dib twisted his ankle so bad he needed surgery so they never tried it again

I really love to think that Fancy either had stripes when he was a kitten and grew out of them or he still has stripes but you can only really see them when the sun hits his fur right

Similarly to the last one I like to think T.C.'s fur and eyes have an almost metallic glisten to them in the sun like gold (not like Gold Pelt though like his fur just shimmers like gold would)

Yeah uhhh hopefully I get this done today and uh yeah 🧚✨

-YO I'm glad we both agree Dibble is a prankster🕺💃. You wouldn't think he's the type but that's why it's extra funny and unexpected for his victims friends lol

-Hell yeah Brain's a tactile fella and that's kinda how his brain works - rarely takes anyone's word for something being dangerous. He'll touch/taste it first and decide (which is scary for the other guys for obvious reasons)

-T.C. may loaf like a stale baguette indeed but he makes up for it by sleeping like a bendy croissant🥐

-Brain bleps when he's sleeping too just sayin

-Oh yeah, T.C. needs to be vigilant about that - Brain can sometimes look at taking something as simply borrowing, coz he does intend to give it back eventually so what's the big deal? - not understanding that not everyone will see it that way and they could all get in trouble. So T.C. has to drill it in his head: "Anythin' you take from the gang is borrowin' - anythin' else without askin' is stealin'. We don' do that."

-Hell yeah I love the HC that Fancy has stripes. They're just not too differently colored from the rest of his pelt so they're not obvious in dim lighting

-Also, since Fancy is so darn charming and handsome, he and Benny tend to have the best luck getting food from strangers overall

-T.C. feels like Benny is the group's good luck charm. While yeah, the little fella can be a magnet for harmful freaks, he also attracts some kind and generous people who can't help but fall for his sweet looks and demeanor

-We need more Pedro and Dibble shinanigans asdgfkhflfsjl

-I always imagined T.C. and G.P.'s colorings to be opposites when it comes to their fur and eyes. T.C. has light yellow fur that is even paler in the sunlight, but has a nice shine to it when the light hits it just right. G.P.'s fur is naturally richer in its gold coloring even in dim lighting.

However, when it comes to the eyes, T.C.'s eyes are more richly golden and radiant, whilst G.P.'s are a lighter, colder yellow.

[bendy-analog-horror-au]

Sorry if this is lengthy but I have a few questions actually I really wanna ask regarding this Bendy series [feel free to answer this privately btw since I know its mostly discord-related talk n long]

Do you ever think you'll maybe make tutorials on how to create 3D models and animations the way you do? I would kill to learn how you do it or get a closer look at them. Your ability to put rubberhose n cartoony flair into 3D is amazing and so inspiring to me, it's exactly what I strive to learn how to do right now as I learn Blender n such. Particularly those amazing ink demon walk cycles you showed off are the exact kind of animations I would love to learn more about. Such a beautiful blend of cartoony and creepy honestly.

Would you ever allow downloads of ur assets/models? I understand if not, just wondering because like I said I'd love to examine them to learn more on how you build such an amazing style in 3D. Esp with like rigging n such being such a mystery to me right now.

You have mentioned I believe that you wanted to one day make a fan-game based off this series. Are you looking for people to help with that or discuss that with yet? I am currently making my own super ambitious Bendy Fan-Game right now and am learning Unity to do so. So I'd be excited at the chance to help with that since I'm such a fan of ur work. I understand if that's more of a future thing though KJDHFGKJHDFGKJHSD

Are you working on any other Bendy-related projects right now? If not are u interested in that sort of thing? Or are you more focused on ur own projects which I totally understand. It's just like I mentioned I'd love any tutorials or tips on how you create such lovely animations but esp bc they are the style of animations I would love to be able to create for my game. I'd take any chance to learn more. Apologies for this being so long, probably should've been a discord dm but I felt like sending this on Discord out of the blue would've been really intimidating KJHDFKGJHDFKGJHSD. Sorry if this is hard to answer I've really wanted to ask these sorts of things for a while ever since I saw a lot of ur stuff over Discord but I overthink everything n felt nervous asking without knowing if u actually wanted questions over this series or not. [This is cobaltcreations btw we've talked a few times on the JDS Server, love love love ur stuff!!]

I’ve wanted to do tutorials for a long time now, probably a few years at this point. Unfortunately, I’ve been kinda stuck on where to start with something like that. Thanks for the compliments, though! I have a thing for rubberhose monsters. =)

I don’t really plan to put anything up for release until the series is done (that is if I don’t put it in a fan game first). I do end up doing a lot of model analysis to see how some models are done, though. It really helps me to optimize them for animation.

Speaking of fan-games, I at the very least HOPE that I can make a Bendy Analog Horror game in the near future, but I’ve no idea what it would focus on (I had wanted to do a remake of Chapter 1, but we all know what happened to Moving Pictures: Redrawn. =\).

I am working on a couple of one-off smaller projects—mostly music projects and song covers and have nothing to do with the analog horror series. I’d love to work with more people on their own projects though, but unfortunately, my schedule hasn’t been very reliable as of lately. XP

Lastly, you’re free to DM me any questions you have on Discord. I love talking about these sorts of things! ^^

- Roux

[herrscherofsentence]

summary; Your Father is Samuel “Sammy” Lawrence, he went missing one day and was never seen since so you chose to go to the old studio he used to work at and was the last place he was seen.

——————

•(Platonic) Samuel “Sammy” Lawrence and Male reader

•Pronouns mainly used: You/Yours & he/him

——————

pt. 2 - 『♤〜』

Joey Drew Studio.

The place your father was last seen, of what you remember your father was becoming all crazy, going on long talks about some kind of Ink Demon, a Lord. You missed him but you missed the old him, the part of him that didn’t obsess over a Ink Demon. A sigh left you, opening the door to the old studio it looked different, it was a long time since you were at the studio but it was yellow and cartoon-like, you wanted to leave but you needed answers. “I should start in the music department..” you murmured, slowly making your way through the studio, something ended up catching your eye,stopping you in your tracks. It looked like a horror house but it was just a single room, there was six podiums but five objects. One of the objects was missing. The picture above showed a book, you thought about not getting the book but again you needed answers so you found the book as well an axe, your hand was shaking as it was wielding the axe. Your put the book on its podium and without you doing anything else a sound of a machine running up, producing a powerful noice. Other from the noise it was also producing ink, as well ink filled the room. Fear took over you so you ran but stairs you didn’t see before showed themselves and you fell right into them and the door closed behind you.

Great, now you were in pain basically your whole body was swore but you managed dragging your body up to see the stairs,every time you moved your body it ached more and another door was there, you opened it.

“Some injuries later and the music department shows itself..” you sighed, gripping the axe tighter “where are you dad?” you asked yourself, you started getting slightly hungrydespite not knowing if it was still good you had ate some bean soup. The aftertaste wasn’t good but it was food, after opening and closing doors you found your old man’s office it still had the way he smelt in it still, it was welcoming in a way and you felt like the little middle schooler who had to go into the office if he forgot his house key.

You sept a good while in that office before something grabbed your attention, there was this figure completely made of ink, it had on overall. It had a bendy mask on and holding an axe you quickly hid under the desk,the axe next to your shaking body while you covered your mouth, hoping the figure wouldn’t come in the room, it came in. It walked straight to the desk,kneeling down you were face-to-face with it, it looked like it was going to do something to you but stopped in its tracks it was going to say something but it changed last minute, “Why do you look..familiar?” It said sternly, your eyes widened at the voice it sounded like Sammy’s,your father’s voice. Your hand went towards the ink blob, touching its hand “What happened to you, dad?.” after you said that it seemed to have changed its whole demeanor,got up and walked away.

[insomniacdrabbles]

1 - Nyre returns home [3/3]

Opening her eyes with a groan, Nyre struggled not to gag as she pushed herself out from under the shredded passengers. Looking up to see her world turned upside down.

Peeking out the window, she could see about a dozen people gathered on the train platform. Their horrified faces evident even through the dust kicking up. A furious screech rang through the train. Grating against her eardrums. Covering her ears with her hands as she ran for the exit. Realizing she wouldn't make it and opting to burst through the window. Sword in hand as she landed.

She tore forward with unnatural speed. Slicing through each thick mass of flesh. Her sword coursing with life. The last aimed right for a boy with pink hair. Her eyes meeting his as she flew past. Severing the hand reaching for his head. The momentum of her speed propelling her forward. Landing behind him as her feet slid across the platform. Coming to stop right in front of two other kids. Both wearing the Jujutsu High uniform.

A boy with dark hair and a girl with her hand on her hip. Nyre guessed these were the classmates meeting her here. Not having much practice introducing herself, Nyre simply stared.

A scream from behind told her the fight wasn't over, turning away from their stares. The fleshy sludge of a curse had made its way onto the platform. A hole opening up to show large human shaped teeth.

Nyre shot forward. The creature mirroring her action. Rotating her arm as her sword shifted and changed. Becoming long and thin like a ribbon. Whipping it forward she sliced through the creature with ease. The thing never even getting close to her. Howling as it died.

Knowing this time it was over, Nyre extended her sword. Watching as it disappeared into thin air, as if it were never there to begin with. Her black haori billowing around her.

"Woah that was awesome!"

Flinching, she felt herself freezing up. She had been so caught up in worrying about seeing Gojo again, that she completely forgot to worry about her new classmates. Balling her hands into fists, she steeled her resolve. Turning abruptly and reaching out a hand, as she squeezed her eyes closed.

"Hi, I'm Nyre its nice to meet you," she exclaimed.

Silence. Yet Nyre couldn't bear to open her eyes. Fear of the unknown overwhelming her. Taking root in her stomach and making her want to vomit.

Suddenly, she felt the touch of a hand in her own. Shaking it gently.

"Yuji Itadori," said a sweet voice.

Nyre peeked open her eyes. Standing in front of her stood a boy her age. With an easy smile and relaxed demeanor. She wondered why she had been so frightened to meet someone. Finding herself giving a small smile in return.

He suddenly stopped shaking her hand, pulling her ever so slightly forward. "Woah, you've got stars in your eyes."

Nyre couldn't stop the heat that rose up her cheeks. The boy so close to her face she could smell his minty toothpaste. Leaning back to try make some distance between them.

"Hey, you got moves," a female voice said.

The two students she had landed in front of earlier walked up to join Yuji. A lanky boy who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else, and the girl with the cute skirt.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier," she said, "I'm Nyre."

Holding out her hand to the other girl. She waited for her to take it, but the girl merely looked her up and down.

"Nobara Kugisaki," she said without taking Nyre's hand.

Dropping her hand she looked to the boy with dark hair. Keeping her hand to her side this time. "Megumi Fushiguro," he said in a low voice, looking away from her.

"Looks like were gonna be classmates," Nyre laughed awkwardly. Feeling the tension inside her chest like a knife.

"Yeah! That was so cool how you sliced through that thing. Did you guys see her sword? It was bendy and all woooo," Yuji rambled on excitedly from beside her.

Suddenly, Nyre felt her world crashing around her. Turning upside down like the train as all she could see was him. Satoru Gojo. Her big brother. He seemed older now, a blindfold replacing the glasses he always use to wear. Feeling herself unable to breathe as he walked up to her. "What, no hug for your big brother?"

There was a moment, a moment where the world seemed to blur around them. She felt her heart lift and jump. Beating in her chest like a hammer. Then her face hardened. The moment slipping away.

"Why? So you can think I'm glad to see you," she said harshly. Turning away from him sharply as she crossed her arms.

For a split second, Gojo looked as if she had just struck him. A blow to his heart. The reaction passing quickly before he returned to his normal easy-going smile.

"No, I suppose not," he said. "Come along then, we haven't got much daylight left."

"Huh, but what about the train, and all those people," Yuji asked.

"Don't worry, someone will be by soon to clean all this up," Gojo assured.

"Are we going somewhere from here," Megumi asked his teacher.

"Well, we do have all four of you together. And since two of you kids are from the countryside, that means we're going to Tokyo!"

Nobara and Yuji both began leaping for joy. Gojo goading them along as they chanted, "Tokyo! Tokyo! Tokyo! We love Tokyo!"

Megumi could only manage a, "Huh?"

"Do they usually act like this," Nyre asked as she moved to stand beside him. The two of them watching the kids jump and hug their new teacher.

"I only just met them, but... seems like it's going to be a recurring theme," he replied to her. Placing a hand in his pocket.

Yuji and Nobara were arguing about where in Tokyo to go. Gojo looking past them to Nire who avoided his gaze. Her teeth grit as she waited for him break up the bickering so they could

move on.

"If you'll quiet down, I'll announce our destination."

Yuji and Nobara both kneeled as if a king had spoken. Megumi watching the two with dumbfounded looks while Nyre tried not to laugh at their antics.

"Roppongi!"

[a-very-tired-raven]

Okay, since ive been getting a lot of love for my ary lately, id like to give you guys some top ary blogs ive followed for years, that i feel they dont get enough love.

Keep in mind that these are not in order from best to least, just in numbered order to make things easy.

(Another thing! While i may have found the majority of these blogs from undertale content, i need you to understand that a lot of these either dont do undertale art as frequently as they used to, or not at all. So please dont go in expecting that these are all undertale blogs based on MY intrests. Thank you.)

1. @springbon-t-art /@thecoolerspringbon-t has WONDERFUL roundhouse like style, and her fanart and characters range from all over(cuphead and bendy and the ink machine are just two examples, she has so much more unrecognized works and animatics on youtube that i think deserves much more love)

2. @twitchydoodle i havent visted this wonderful blog in a while, but i have followed for a good time(lets just say for a few years lol) so i cant say for sure what art is posted there at this moment, HOWEVER, i CAN say that twitchy has a Breathtaking art style, and has some of the most interesting and fleshed out ocs!!! Definitely check em out!

3. @calcium-cat i know cals been gettin a little bit more attention over the last year or so, but i still think she deserves much more recognition for her art. She has wonderful and thought out fanfics, not to mention the funny and well drawn fanart she posts for them!

4. @glitchysquidd I dont pop in as often as i used to, but glitchy's blog is one ive looked up to for a while. Here you can find very well written fnaf fics and fanart, chill energ(not to mention hilarious shenanigans),and a very unique and distinct artstyle.(seriously broski ive used your art for reference so many time 😭🤚🏽-). I suggest you guys head down to the basement and enjoy the tour.

5. @meatygutsy oh gee where do i even start- this blog has some of the most unique and well thought out ocs i think ive seen in a very long time. The artstyle here and style of coloring and shading is like nothing else. All of the colors pop and go together just right, not to mention the well fleshed out backstorys of each character.

6.@glaucus22 while this blog certainly isnt as active as it used to be, this is yet another artist that ive used as reference for countless times. They have a very distinct artstyle, and put much thought into their characters and their lore. I highly recommend going through the art tags here and taking a peek, along with a reblog or two!!!

7. @ijustwannahavefunn another blog with VERY well thought out and styled ocs, and a to die for artstyle. I also recommend checkjng out their youtube channel, which has VERY smooth animations and animatics. Definitely a hidden gem.

8. @vrnicky is a very good friend of mine that is WAY WAY WAY too unrecognized. They dont get NEARLY enough love for the anount of love and hard work they out into their characters and art. Please show em some love for me!!!

9. @loupy-mongoose is a favorite pokemon ary blog of mine. While you might find mostly mewtwo and mew stuff, please know that this is because of this creators mewtwo comic. You may know what im takling about if you know about similar more popular blogs (@/xxtc-96xx @/mewtwoandme and more ) but what separates this blog from many others is their very very different story, and an artstyle that'll put you at ease. Not to mention unique and well thought out mew and mewtwo designs.

And lastly, for now at least ,10. @whiteartblood an art blog that i havent visted in a couple months. This creator has some of the best undertale art i swear. One of my favorite styles!! A very lovely and instantly recognizable artstyle(that again, i have used for reference...i dont even know how many times), and even better ocs.

Now i know there are so many more blogs that are deserving of recognition, but its late and i cant look up 50 usernames at the moment.

However, while you are not obligated to, I sincerely hope you go show these guys some love(and reblogs!!!!!!!) For me. These guys have been a very big influence on my art, artists ive looked up to for YEARS now, and luckly for me some of them even being friends of mine, which im so very thankful for.

Ill definitely be making another post like this, with more writing inclusion and even more deeply hidden gems that require some digging.

I apologize for any typos that are unfortunately guaranteed as thats kind've what im known for lmao <- has made a fool of herself countless times) and i cant help but feel nervous that these talented people will see them, but know ive done the best ive can.

Thank you, and have a great time everyone!

[bootycallofcthulhu]

I haven't really engaged with a whole lot of fandom stuff aside from just liking fan art/memes on here and twitter. Anything beyond that is usually just not within my boundaries because this old man still has war flashbacks from superwholock and homestuck (and also danganronpa but thats a whole other can of worms).

But I especially don't really talk comics with people because they're usually just the most gatekeepy motherfuckers and I can't vibe with that. All I can ever think of is the guy in college at best buy, looking for a mythical 3ds port of Undertale that was never announced who immediately ended a conversation and walked away because I thought the GotG movie was mid. I didn't even say I disliked it. I just said it was fine.

For the most part, that hasn't really changed and the introduction of Miles Morales kind of just made it worse (read: racist). Back at A&M, there was a hispanic heritige group in the student union that were having a study session around the time Miles started getting better story arcs (a few years before secret wars for those of you familiar with his comics). I as a mixed hispanic guy was pretty into it, despite Bendis not really having an identity for Miles just yet. This group of dudes called it pandering (which like, yeah could be valid who am i to tell the otherwise but they were also asked by someone if they even read it and they just said nah Mexican spider-man is dumb theres only one) which was about the tamest I ever heard it get because man if you ever go on twitter and say Miles Morales is Spider-Man, you run into some people really desperate to prove theyre not racist by getting really racist.

And to be completely honest, I have never seen that community agree on a damn thing until the current run of Spider-Man when MJ got married to some dude named Paul and stayed with him after their lives turned out to be fake or something idk I'm still catching up, but its one of the funniest things to see from the outside.

But then the previews for Ultimate Spider-Man #1 dropped a few months ago. Great art, an adult, married Peter Parker with a whole new dynamic. I preordered this issue 2 months ago, everyone, reviewer and reader alike loved this take. It was the second time I've ever seen anyone in this space agree on something.

But my local shop forgot to include mine. I was pretty bummed, because I ordered it months ago, didnt show up day 1 and my issue was gone due to a database error. Then the cashier looked at me, said hold on, went back and grabbed one of his own personal issues, readded it to the inventory and sold it to me.

Now, its not uncommon for people to buy one issue to read, one to preserve. He will probably get reimbursed. But he didn't have to. He acfually could have sold it for a tidy profit since its around $60 USD on ebay right now. His only reason was I looked like a fan. And honestly this stupid community needs more people like him.

[moonstrider9904]

I'm about to go on a probably incoherent ramble about how Bendy is indeed peak character design but also how shocked I am at the fact that I'm enjoying a horror game so much

Context: I'm not a fan of horror at all in any of its forms. Movies, games, literature, none. Nope. On all fronts, there is no reason why I would find my interest piqued by a horror game, of all videogames, and I certainly didn't dwell over to it because it's a horror game.

I found Bendy and the Ink Machine because every so often I like to browse around for music new for me, and I stumbled upon the songs that were created for the game, with my favorites being Build Our Machine and Welcome Home. Debating internally, because I know I am naturally very adverse to horror as a genre, I decided to watch a gameplay of it to test the waters and opt out in case I felt like it (thank you, jacksepticeye, for having played the game years ago)

So with that out of the way I kinda just want to scream WHY AM I OBSESSED

WHY am I finding it so enjoyable to feel inside a chilling environment, why is that rush such a.... well, a rush?!

And I really think it comes down to Bendy.

When I first saw Bendy, this very unique, very stylish character designed in the style of the old Disney cartoons, I thought "Cool!" And yes, he is indeed, very cool - his design is fuckin' amazing.

Now, the very first time I ever saw Bendy was in the video for Gospel of Dismay, so my first impression was cool looking character who dances and moves up and down! So cute! Cool!!! And, sure, listening to the song a first time was like super sweet and all-

Then I actually paid attention to the lyrics, and I realized "Ok, this isn't the bubbly pal I'm thinking he is"

To make the story short, I finally decided to watch the gameplay because I watched Welcome Home and realized he's fucking unhinged - and you know me, guys. I'm not really a stranger to an unhinged boi with an interesting design

What I'm really trying to get to is:

Look at this dude (reference intended)

IT'S A SCHMOL BOI, RIGHT?!

RIGHT?

(more below because this got really long lol)

No, you see, the thing about Bendy is that you're meant to have this first impression about him, and you're meant to associate those white gloves and those big pac-man shaped eyes with Mickey Mouse and others, which gives you a little mislead to follow, say, a "sense of comfort" when you associate him to things most of us have known as children.

But, have you noticed that a lot of those old Disney cartoons can feel creepy at times?

Bendy gives you this first impression because sure, he looks good and chummy, he was designed to be that, even ingame. Always smiling, dancing, etc.

What happens with Bendy is that the more you look at him, the more you stare at that unwavering grin and look into the shape of the eyes, something becomes unsettling. Bendy's first impression morphs with time the more you look at him and the more you watch him, for example, in the music videos; he appears angry, cocky, mocking, etc, no longer just the happy smiling dancy boi TM you first believed him to be. And, what's more is, you don't even need the rest of the music videos or the context for this to happen, staring at him is enough for you to, at one point, become unsettled by his presence. (love that word for this lol)

Taking Welcome Home as an example, which is the animation that ultimately made me obsess over this character's design (gosh, if you haven't watched it, do so!!) you see Bendy juxtaposed: what he was meant to be with what he's become, and you see some expressions like these (and these were seriously just my favorite look at that unhinged BOI-)

And, my favorites, which precisely show a spiral from what could have been to what turned out, and the pain felt over it in some deep corner (these frames are in one same sequence):

Please, give me characters who show pain over what's happened to them shifting into the fury and rage that they feel because it's happened to them--I want to forgive you, I want this to be better, but I'm furious that because of you I am in this living hell and it's been so long that this is the only way i know now--this is good shit as far as my historic preference in characters goes

And don't let me forget THE UNHINGED BOI:

talk about unsettling-

and this was all progressive. The more you see him, look at him, see that he's not the smiling happy boi, you fear him more - understandably. The concept is very logical and not revolutionary in itself, but what I'm saying is, applied to this character, it's pulled off incredibly well thanks to his base design. (Kudos to the animators who worked on this!)

What's even more mesmerizing to me is that this is the exact same principle the game uses in its own gameplay. Yes, when you start playing Bendy and the Ink Machine, you know you're in for a horror game and you expect certain things, and I'm not an expert on this since it's my first horror game pretty much ever but I expected jumpscares and gory images and shit.

While there are a few in what I've seen so far of the game, and the gore is ink rather than blood, the game doesn't rely on this.

No, the game lets you play through it in an eerily silent environment, where in many corners you will see that same. smiling. face. staring right at you, unblinking, unmoving. Watching you. Little by little, you learn of Bendy, you learn of Boris, of Alice, you learn of the people who put their lives (quite literally) into them and slowly, the game becomes more unsettling, filling you with a greater sense of dread the more you become immersed in it.

I think I'm so obsessed with this game currently because it's pulled off so well that even I, someone who runs away from horror, am captivated and mind-blown by this (but also, it's not a brutal, gross horror like what I would never engage with, rather a subtle horror that builds up in the environment that almost feels more psychological and is, I believe, harder to pull off).

[indiekidsau]

Chap. 10-Moving Pictures

Here it is! The long-awaited Bendy chapter! I originally planned this as Chapter 9, but I wanted to celebrate Basil’s birthday first. I know I’ve been releasing new characters left and right, but I want to introduce as many characters as I can before I can get into major story stuff. 

I know after the Bendy chapters I’m gonna take a break from introducing more characters and get some limelight on our other characters! Though I know who I’ll be introducing next after Bendy!

Thanks to @gigilefache for being my beta reader!

Hope you all enjoy it!

Art class was one of the most relaxing lessons for the kids. The lesson was run by Henry Stein, an artist and a pal of Vice Principal Joey Drew. He smiled seeing the kids painting and drawing together, enjoying art to its fullest.

Henry was an easy going guy. He wore a rusted gold jacket over a white shirt with a loose tie, black jeans, and black shoes. He had graying hair and his eyes looked like he hadn't slept in days even though he always said to his students he did. He was the type of art teacher who didn’t care how you drew or what style you went with. Henry respected all art styles, even anime.

Kel wasn’t much of an artist, but started to draw thanks to his friend Mincy; a young girl with black hair, who wore brown glasses, a gray jacket with darker gray stripes, a black hood, jeans, and brown shoes.

“So what are you drawing this week Mincy?” Kel asked.

“Well, after what you told me about Hat and Bow I figured I would draw something for them.” Mincy explained, her eyes not turning away from her drawing.

Kel carefully put down his paintbrush and looked at the drawing. It showed Hat and Bow on top of a hill looking at the stars and planets. Kel smiled as he looked at Hat Kid, who was also in their art class drawing away with some colored pencils. She and Bow have made the kids' lives a little bit brighter.

Henry glanced at the clock and saw it was five minutes before the bell was about to ring. “Alright class, your next lesson, or lunch depending on your schedule, is about to start soon!” He announced. The class did what they were told by putting their art away, and their supplies in their lockers before gathering their stuff and waiting for the bell to ring. Once it did, the kids walked to class or lunch.

Kel and Mincy made it to their history class and sat down at their seats while they waited for Mr. Prince to enter and start the lesson. Kel and Mincy took out their notebooks for their lessons until the latter noticed something missing from her backpack.

“Oh no!” Mincy exclaimed. Kel turned to his friend seeing her dig through her bag hoping she just misplaced it. 

“What’s wrong?” Kel asked.

“My sketchbook! I thought I put it in my bag, but I must've left it in Mr. Stein’s class.” Mincy yelled.

“Don’t worry I can run and grab it!” Kel replied. He got out of his seat and ran out of the classroom to get to Mr. Stein’s art room, however, Mr. Prince caught him running off and grabbed him by his shirt.

“Where are you going?” Mr. Prince asked.

“Mincy forgot her sketchbook so I’m going back to Mr. Stein’s class to grab it for her.” Kel explained. The warning bell reminded the kids that there was one more minute left before heading to class or they’ll be tardy. Kel sighed knowing he wouldn’t make it to the art classroom in time.

Mr. Prince smiled and led the boy back to class. Once back in class Kel went to his seat and put his head down. Mincy looked back at her friend and patted his back. “There’s always after class before you go to lunch.” She reminded him.

“Thanks.” Kel muffled from his seat. Once the final bell rang, Mr. Prince started the lesson for the day.

The bell to end classes rang, and Kel took this chance to book it and go straight to Mr. Stein’s art class. Luckily, everyone was to busy coming or going to lunch to notice Kel sneaking into Mr. Stein’s classroom. Good news, Mincy’s notebook was in the same place, and like a spy, Kel was low to the ground as he crawled his way and grabbed the notebook.

“Easy! Mincy is gonna be so happy!” Kel whispered. He was about to leave the classroom when he heard a voice.

“C’mon Henry, can we please join everyone for lunch?” A voice asked. Kel’s eyes widened, not recognizing the voice as any of his classmates. He took a small peek to see the silhouette of the art teacher as well as Vice Principal Drew, talking to someone in the art closet.

“I told you, no one can see you.” Henry told them. 

“Please, Henry!” The voice begged again.

While Henry was trying to convince the voice to stay put. Kel decides to look a bit closer and sees what looks like a cat talking with the art teacher.

“I’m sorry Bendy, but I’m not sure if anyone is ready to see you yet.” Henry told the figure named Bendy.

“Now, now Henry. He’s been cooped up in here long enough I’m sure he’s ready.” Joey told the art teacher.

Kel tried to get an even closer look, but he ended up bumping into a chair causing it to scratch along the floor. It caught the attention of the two adults, but before they could see who was watching them Kel had bolted out of the classroom.

In the lunchroom, everyone was enjoying lunch when Kel came rushing horrified and catching his breath. “What’s up with you Kel?” Aubrey asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I have.” Kel whimpered.

Aubrey and Micahel looked at each other, but both had different expressions over this whole thing. Aubrey didn’t believe this whole ghost in the school thing while Michael was planning an idea after hearing Kel mention the ghost in the school thing. “Care to explain before Michael gets too excited and comes up with something stupid.”

“Well, I went to get Mincy’s sketchbook. Then I heard Mr. Stein and Mr. Drew talking to someone named Bendy, and that’s it.” Kel explained.

“So it could be another kid at the school?” Aubrey replied.

“Yeah, but has there ever been a kid at this school named Bendy?” Kel asked.

“Maybe a relative? Plus if it was a ghost, how can Mr. Stein and Mr. Drew see them?”

Kel sighed and stared Aubrey straight in the eye. “They see dead people.” He whispered.

In a split second, Aubrey smacked Kel in the back of the head. “You're an idiot!” Aubrey yelled. Kel glared as he rubbed the back of his head. “I can think of hundreds of theories and none of those is the school being haunted.” 

“Well, I’m willing to see this ghost.” Michael said.

Aubrey groaned. “Look there is no ghost!” She yelled.

“What’s this about a ghost?” Mincy asked as she passed by the lunch table.

“Oh, Mincy!” Kel exclaimed. Quickly he saw her sketchbook and held it out for her. “I found your sketchbook! Safe and sound.”

Mincy smiled and put her lunch down, grabbing her sketchbook and hugging it tight. “Thanks, Kel!” She beamed hugging her friend tight. Kel chuckled in reply. Mincy let go and left the lunch room to go draw, forgetting about the ghost Kel mentioned.

“Okay, after school let’s check and look for this ghost.” Michael suggested.

“Michael there is no ghost.” Aubrey repeated.

“That’s why I said look. We went to the art room, took a look and if there’s no ghost then you're the hero of the day Aubrey.” Michael explained as he teased Aubrey.

Aubrey glared ready to smack Michael in the back of the head. The latter gave a smirk testing Aubrey, which proved her point as she smacked him in the back of the head too. “You two are idiots.” She grumbled. “But,” She continued with a sigh, “I’ll take a look too.”

Kel sighed as well and smiled. “Great!” He beamed. Kel didn’t know why he was excited. Maybe it was for the fact he, Aubrey, and the rest of their friends would do Ghost Hunts when they were kids. This brought back memories for him.

By the time school ended Aubrey and Michael followed Kel into the art room. On their way there they stopped seeing Audrey go into the art room. “What is Miss. Drew doing?” Kel asked.

“Maybe she’s gonna see Mr. Stein or her dad.” Aubrey guessed. “Remember, Mr. Drew is the father of Miss. Drew.” 

The three kept walking and looked through the window of the art room. From the other side of the room, the strong smell of ink lingered in the hallway. “Man I didn’t know ink could smell that strong!” Kel complained, keeping a low whisper.

Michael sushed the taller boy as they kept looking at Audrey as she talked to a figure in the corner. The shadow of it showed two horns.

“See no ghost!” Aubrey mentioned.

Michael got a closer look and glanced at Aubrey. “Yeah, but do kids have horns? We don’t have a ghost, we have a monster in the school!” He yelled.

The trio saw Audrey look through the window, which quickly made the three dash out of the classroom and out of the school. Once the three were out of there they caught their breath.

“Now do you believe me?” Kel asked.

“For the ghost thing…” Aubrey paused so she could continue to catch her breath. “I still don’t believe it, but with the wacky shit at this school. I can believe that!” She yelled.

“You know what this means?” Michael asked, making Aubrey and Kel look up at their friend. “We could do a monster hunt! Tonight!” He beamed.

Aubrey’s eyes widened as she turned towards the boy. “Oh no! We are not sneaking into the school again!” She yelled.

“Oh yes, we are!” Michael chuckled. “This time we are not gonna steal test answers, but gonna go on a monster hunt!” He beamed.

“You're an idiot, Michael.” Aubrey groaned, slamming her hand into her face.

The trio waited until sunset before coming back to the school. This time equipped with flashlights and Michael brought his video camera in hopes to capture the monster on tape and make a profit out of it.

Along on their journey joined Hat, Bow, and Basil who was dragged into this by Michael. The latter did ask if his siblings could come along, but they refused before Michael could explain more of the plan.

Aubrey thought bringing Basil and two little girls to this was crazy, but was surprised that Hat and Bow were excited to go.

“I can’t wait to tackle the monster!” Hat Kid beamed as she swung her umbrella.

“A-are you sure you should be doing this? Your father will kill us!” Basil yelled.

Michael scoffed. “He won’t!” He replied. “As long as we stay quiet, and get footage my dad won’t harm us.” If he kept his eyes on Basil, the latter whispered something under his breath. Michael did hear whispers, but couldn’t make out what he just said. Michael then used his sister’s bobby pin to unlock the door and let the group in.

Once inside the school, Micahel turned on his camera and Kel and Aubrey turned on their flashlights as they walked inside the school. “Alright gang, let’s hunt for this monster.” He said taking the first steps inside the dark and quiet school.

The school felt different at night. It was quiet and dark, and every corner felt like someone or something was watching you. Basil flinched every time they stumbled upon a corner. “S-so-w-where is this monster?” Basil asked, stuttering.

“It’s in the art room.” Michael replied.

Basil slowly nodded. “Okay, you guys go into the art room, while I stand outside to be safe.” He replied.

“Alright, but if the monster gets you first don’t come crying to us.” Michael replied. Basil whimpered as he slowly followed the group. Aubrey linked her arms to Basil’s in hopes to calm him down. It made the nervous flower boy smile seeing his best friend help calm his nerves.

“Hey Hat. Promise me you're not gonna fight this thing like previous monsters?” Bow Kid begged.

“Ha!” Hat Kid laughed loudly. “Bow you should know me by now! I'm not scared to fight some monster!” She yelled. Soon she was shushed by everyone.

“Don’t let it hear you.” Kel whispered.

A loud bang was heard from the art room causing Bow and Basil to yelp and hug each other in fear.

“Too late. It did.” Michael said. The group paused to see they were just inches away from the art room. It felt different for the trio to approach the room as it was night time and whatever they saw in there would have escaped and was hiding in the shadows. “So who’s going in first?” He asked.

“Well,” Basil gulped before speaking up. “Kel was the one who noticed it first he should go in.”

“I agree to that.” Aubrey replied. She then used her bat and pushed Kel to the door as everyone stood behind. Kel turned to his friends as Michael and Hat Kid gave him a thumbs up for luck. 

Chuckling nervously Kel slowly opened the door and was ready for whatever they were gonna face. Once Kel opened the door wide open he was surprised not to see a looming monster. Just an empty dark classroom.

“Okay, keep your guard up. The monster can strike at any time.” Michael said. Basil and Bow Kid whimpered as they held onto each other with Michael behind them using his camera to scan the art room. The ink still scented the room knowing the monster was around.

Soon a low growl shook the room causing Basil, Bow, and Kel to hug Aubrey for comfort. “What…are you…doing here?” The monster growled.

Michael turned to the group and shushed them. “Keep quiet.” He whispered.

“I can smell your fear.” The monster growled. “No need to go quiet.” Soon footsteps were heard as the group looked around for the monster.

“Alright, stop with the jokes Mr. Afton! You scared us good!” Aubrey yelled.

Michael’s eyes widened seeing something horrifying. “Uh Aubrey, if this was my dad, that door wouldn’t be turning into ink,” He yelled.

Aubrey was confused until she faced the door to see a spiral ink portal and something, or rather someone, coming out of it. The group started freaking out seeing the figure slowly coming out from the ink.

“You fools, you dare disturb me?” The monster roared. The group whimpered as they backed into the wall as the creature’s horns and feet appeared. “Well, prepare to fear, Bendy the Ink Demon!” Soon a small black and white cartoon imp came from the ink door.

The group opened their eyes in shock seeing that their “monster” was just a harmless imp. “Wait, THAT'S the monster?” Michael asked.

“Yep!” Bendy replied. “So do you fear me now?” He asked.

Bow Kid looked closer, her eyes widened as she blushed seeing how cute Bendy was. “Oi me Cutie!” Bow exclaimed in her alien language as she ran and scooped Bendy into her arms. “You're so cute! Aren’t you? Aren’t you?” She said in a gushing baby voice.

“No, I’m not cute!” Bendy yelled. “Alice! Boris! Help me!” He yelled just as soon as Bow started to nuzzle the demon.

The rest of the group stared in disbelief seeing Bow just cuddle and nuzzle the demon like it was a pet cat. 

“Don’t worry buddy I’m coming!” A deep voice yelled. The group turned back at the door and soon they heard another voice that followed suit.

“Wait Boris no!” A female voice shouted and two other toons came out from the door and fell to the ground. The toons in question were a black and white wolf wearing overalls, and a black and white Angel with horns and a halo.

“There’s more of them!” Aubrey yelled.

Soon footsteps came running across the hallway and quickly opened the door. “What’s going on?” Henry shouted. He then groaned seeing the kids inside the art room. “And how did you guys get into the school?” He asked again.

“Uh…” The kids all stuttered.

“Henry! Henry! What’s going on?” Joey asked, running into the art room. He then saw Bendy, Boris, and Alice as well as Michael and the gang all together in one room. Joey just let out a chuckle. “Well guess the cat’s outta the bag!” Henry sighed seeing none of this as a joke.

“Mr. Stein, Mr. Drew, could you explain what’s going on!?” Aubrey asked.

Henry sighed. “Alright. Alright. I’ll tell you.” He said. “So many years ago, Joey…” the second Henry said his name Joey let out a bright big smile. “Somehow brought my creations, Bendy, Boris, and Alice to life.” The second he said the toon's names, Boris and Alice did a little bow.

Kel and Michael had to think of how they were born, but before they went too far, Hat Kid quickly spoke up. “So they were just born like how everyone is born or…”

“Well with just a pencil and a dream, and a whole lot of ink,” he stated before mumbling, “from an ink machine.” 

“What?” Aubrey asked.

Joey ignored the girl and continued. “I was able to bring this lovely trio to life!”

“Like this bundle of joy?” Bow asked as she continued to nuzzle the ink imp.

“Henry! Joey! Help me!” Bendy called out.

Henry and Joey chuckled seeing how cute this was; Bendy was being treated like a plushy as Bow continued to cuddle and snuggle him. Bendy glared seeing he didn’t take this as funny. Henry stopped laughing and cleared his throat. “Uh… Bow could you put Bendy down?” He asked.

Bow Kid smiled and put Bendy down but not before giving him a head pat. The imp sighed as he brushed himself off. “Thank you! Now that I’ve been discovered, could I please be enrolled in the school!”

Henry sighed. “Bendy we talked about this. I can’t have you enrolled here.” He told the little ink imp.

“Why not Mr. Stein?” Kel asked. “I mean we have Cuphead and Mugman in the school, why can’t Bendy be enrolled?”

“Because,” Alice spoke up. “We’re different from them. Like we weren’t born by regular means.”

“So you're just gonna hide and live in the school for the rest of your days?” Hat Kid asked.

“Yep!” The ink trio said at the same time, though Bendy sounded not impressed.

Hat Kid frowned, feeling bad for the three as she looked up at the art teacher. “Mr. Stein, could you please give Bendy and his friends a chance?” She begged.

“Please!” Bow spoke up. “I wanna be best friends with Bendy!” Her eyes then grew big, which made Joey clench his heart.

“Oh Henry can’t you say no to that face?” Joey asked, pointing at Bow.

Henry tried to be strong and stick to his word, but he couldn’t handle the cuteness. With that he let out a sigh, giving up. “Fine.”

Bendy gasped with a big smile. “Really?”

“Yes, you three can go to school here.” Henry said.

Bendy cheered as he hugged Boris and Alice excitedly going to school. “Did you hear that guys? We’re in!” Bendy cheered.

Henry let out a soft chuckle seeing the little demon happy. Once Henry took a good look at the time he knew the celebration could wait till tomorrow. “Alright before Mr. Afton could see that we all should go home and sleep.” Henry said.

“Oh right!” Joey realized. He then cleared his throat and went serious. “Okay, kids! Get out of here! I hope to see you all bright and early.” He said. The kids complied and went out of the school building and went their separate ways home.

Not long after, Henry, Joey, and the Ink Trio followed and went home as well. Bendy was constantly talking about how excited he’d be about going to school and making new friends. The more he talked about it the more Boris and Alice smiled at the thought of going to school.

Once everyone left, the camera that faced the art room manually shut off.

[limestoner]

Laughing uncontrollably at the character names in LGIO’s playthrough of Meeple Station.

I like to stim on videos that have vocal intonation that I like. I’ll dip in for the stim lines, wander, have some Bubblegum OG, recite more stim lines.

Stim lines sounds like something that is in urban dictionary. siiiiiiigh

I checked and it isn’t. Great! I mean stim lines are lines spoken in a movie or show with intonations that hit my ears just right. It feels good to recite them along with the original. In my ears, in my brain, in my mouth, in my body. If that sounds orgasmic, that’s because it almost is. It’s a rare state of physical synchrony of sensations. No anxiety.

Oh god. It feels good to hear and speak, but it is so hard to listen and express.

I need to know the audio. I need to control the audio. I need to be able to jump in and dip out based on how I feel internally, whether or not it fits within the conversation. Like mid sentence, speaking or listening, I just need to be done, walk away. Destimulate.

Usually I’m a sensory avoider rather than a sensory seeker. But I seek for synchronizing my voice to the original voice saying the words in the intonation that I like. It’s extremely similar to how I feel about spicy food. I don’t like bland food. Like I’ll eat it and never complain, but it’s not my favorite. I like a medium-hot level of spicy with bountiful pepper and herbs and spices. But if the food is too spicy and it’s physically uncomfortable you can’t enjoy it. So I’ll take bland food over too hot. And don’t get me started on temperature hot!

Tasty! Tasty! Tasty!

I like a medium level of hearing and talking, but don’t understand or sync up with the conversation rhythm. It takes me too long to process what the person really means because I’m stuck in all the sounds.

I think it helps me hear sounds new to me in other languages because that is what my brain prioritizes.

When I have ear infections, not being able to hear on one side makes me feel unbalanced. Not in the vestibular system sense, but because the patterns of sounds in the environment aren’t balanced between my two sides. I’m not sure which side is heavier: blocked or healthy ear.

I’d love to have MRI scans done to see if this is what’s going on. I think a lot of people with autism who are thought to be “nonverbal” but make sounds are in fact saying words that are unintelligible due to motor speech problems. Gestalt Language Processors (GLP).

I always knew that my life was easier than it would have been if I wasn’t able to speak the way I do. I never had difficulty with motor speech though motor skills for the rest of me are a different story so everything I said sounded pretty good, because it was cobbled together chunks of audio that I had heard and sensed that “fit” the context in some way.

The level of precision with which I have to have and in real time, and how much to keep up with its like trying to build a railroad with an oncoming train. But I have to do it! There are expectations, you see. People usually expect small talk topics. Polite conversation. The content and and implications are critically important. I bond with people over stim lines. When I hang out with my friend and do that, it’s the happiest feeling ever.

If an autistic person makes a sound, especially a repeated one, try making it with them. It’s comforting. More comforting than asking, “Are you okay?” The shared sound feels like “I’m with you.” Not a song. Just regular words.

I guess you could say that’s my hobby. Reciting stim lines and walking around all weird and bendy. Though according to George Carlin, “it’s not a hobby. Hobbies cost money; interests are free.” I could go for some George Carlin stim lines. From his stand up and from Shining Time Station.

[thatpersonwhosaidtheywouldnt]

Love this so much 😭 See if DC was smart they'd pull out the forgotten plot Tynion set up with Tim heading off to college. I know exactly how I would set it up too... We start out with Tim and Dick teaming up in Bludhaven, catching each other up on their lives. The conversation turns towards Tim feeling a bit aimless, both as Robin (with Damian's return and the general calming of the chaos in Gotham and with Bruce) and as Tim (seeing as he... has like no proper civilian life). Dick and him have had this conversation a few times but this time Dick presses a bit harder. "Remember how you were gonna go to college, what happened with that?" Well, what happened was Bendis and editorial, but what happened in comics was Tim and Steph decided to get Tim's lost memories back, and then he ended up finding Young Justice again, and Kon and Bart came back, and they went on some crazy adventures and... basically being superhero and the multiverse got in the way.

After Tim gives all his excuses, Dick would encourage him that maybe it is time to try college out and maybe it is time to try out a new identity, something that was his like Nightwing was Dick's. "Try a new color maybe, Blackbird kinda has a good ring to it."

And Tim would say he'd think about it and he'd go home and he'd look around his dumb little boat and the fact that all his friends from highschool were off doing stuff with their lives, including his boyfriend, and here he was, doing the same thing he did as a teenager and man his dad and mom and Dana would be so disappointed. So without much thought he applies to a million schools with no real idea of where he wants to go and when he gets back an acceptance letter for a school a few hours away and, oh its the school Dana graduated from and he tells them yes... and he hasn't talked to anyone about it, hasn't told Bernard or Bruce but even though he thinks it might just be a stupid idea he's going to regret the next day, it makes him feel just a little bit like he has a purpose again, just like he did when he gave that speech to Batman all those years ago. And so he calls Dick, and he tells him that maybe Blackbird does have a little bit of a ring to it.

And then he goes to college, and he and Bernard try long distance, which we all know won't work, and he finds himself taking on a couple cults, joining a skateboarding club, doing the school newspaper where he runs into a bunch of the stuff Blackbird has to take on and his college town is confused about what they did to get their own vigilante and why those former Young Justice people are showing up on occasion.

Just saying, DC, this could easy be Tim for the next like... decade cause time doesn't move right for ya'll and he would probably be in college forever with that course load above.

What major do u think tim would be in?🤔 i have a few options in mind, like archaelogy, mechanical engineering or even psychology, but havent been able to settle for any of them

Tysm!

Tim is that one kid who changes his major every semester for the first two years because he can't decide on what he wants to do, takes a gap year in the middle of his degree to go hiking in Albania, and then comes back and graduates with a double major and a minor with a solid B average because he decided if he couldn't choose one thing to do, he'll just do it all, and then got overloaded while trying to finish because nothing he picked has any overlapping reqs.

In my mind, he starts off in business because "it's the major my dad would have wanted me to pick", switches to computer science after a serious come to jesus talk with his advisor because it's what he thinks he's interested in, and then finally lands on mechanical engineering after he sits down and realizes he only actually likes doing computer stuff for fun and Robining and not as an actual job. He ends up coupling the engineering degree with a double major in sports medicine and a minor in photography.

[dearcraziness]

Chapter 78.

On one of the cloudy days, the devils were spending their time at home in a measured way - Bendy was twisting pipes in the Spare tools Room, Lara was reading a new issue of the Ink City News in her room. Raindrops were slowly rolling down the glass of the slightly open window ; moisture from outside brought freshness and clean summer air. The noise outside the window delighted the ear with its monotony and rhythmicity, gently enveloping the mind with iridescent, luminous thoughts.

The young man closed the door, paving the way to his beloved with his gaze. The wizard entered quietly, approaching the desk. He conjured himself a second pair of hands, so that he could hug the girl; support the magazine she was looking at from behind; gently stroke the tip of her ponytail; run his palms through her hair, gently twisting long curls in turn on a huge finger.

"Have you found some interesting news for yourself, cinnamon?" the demon asked, warmly kissing the imp on the cheek and forehead. "Looks like you have plans to visit a new place - I see a ray of delight in your eyes."

"That's right, ginger, a boutique with fashionable clothes and stylish dresses in Western Edge will open in a week." the demoness smiled. "I'm thinking of going there to see the outfits."

"Great, I'll keep you company. By the way, about future plans..." the devil looked away, continuing his thought. "Do you remember, we were choosing holiday houses and found a wonderful option for ourselves: five rooms, two bathrooms, a spacious but cozy kitchen, a small living room, a spacious attic - and all in calm colours! A well-maintained terrace and a beautiful garden, turning immediately into a dense dense forest... On the other side of the house there's a veranda with indoor plants, a small glam-style building, completely glazed. Berry, shall we go to the 'Green Oasis' for a couple of weeks?"

"I'd love to spend time alone with you, nut." Lara raised her eyes, meeting Bendy's gaze. "Let's not waste a minute."

"I take you at your word!... An unforgettable journey awaits us, because every day with you, like a holiday, brings a sea of vivid impressions and precious memories..."

A couple of hours later, when Bendy prepared dinner in advance for friends left in the studio, the devils said goodbye to Boris and Alice and moved into the dimension of Ever-Blooming Plants. Sweethearts were observing the accommodation and were very satisfied with the interior in warm colours and brilliant furnishings. The young man and the girl, being in home clothes, remained in the small bedroom located on the right side of the corridor. Opposite the bed hung an ordinary widescreen TV, which the demon soon turned on; a movie was shown on the channel "Romance Forever", which interested the wizards, but soon caused mixed emotions with its twisted plot. Lara heard a funny quick dissatisfied murmur of her beloved and smiled.

"I don't understand, first Dylan meets with Jessica, then confesses his feelings to Marissa and says he has been in love with her for a long time... What's going on, anyway? Moreover, the characters are so frivolous about each other, as if this should make someone laugh. I know everyone has their own preferences, but is it really difficult to make a film about sincere feelings, touching love at least once in ten years? Where the characters, first of all, think about the well-being of their beloved and really worry about each other. But it turns out otherwise - solid comedies with strange humor - I don't even see a single funny episode, only attempts to joke. Simply put, it's all nonsense. Garbage."

The demon noticed the girl's soft laugh and smiled himself, stroking his precious head, her torso.

"Perhaps I'm reacting too emotionally to the behavior of others again..."

"It's okay, I'm always curious to know your opinion..."

"So do I, Laurie... And I suppose you would have watched the show on another channel."

"Yeah, let's see what sports are being played on the third channel..."

"What if football is being shown... It would be great to see the game live somehow, of course..."

The darkness of the night covered the forest wilderness, only the edge of the moon, emerging from under the clouds, illuminated the paths between trees and bushes. The lights went out in the bedroom, a peaceful silence reigned in the house.

The next morning, Bendy was putting the dish on plates and noticed Lara coming in and sitting down, waiting for goodies. Although, there was something missing in her pajamas... The demon blushed, cautiously asking, "Peony, shall I get you some shorts?... You probably feel cold without them."

"No thanks, I didn't wear them on purpose."

"Alright, just asked you in case you forgot..." the young man's voice sounded somewhat shaky.

The demon looked down and smiled nervously.

"You know, seeing you practically in your underwear feels like a privilege..."

"Good... I am pleased - when we are alone, you don't wear your magic costume..."

"Only you know how suits and other clothes look on me without the magical small transformations of my body... I have nothing to hide from you..."

"I understand now why you hide some parts of your body with magic..." Lara said, glancing below Bendy's waist and shifting her eyes to the side. The imp abruptly moved his lips, fidgeting in his chair trying to gather his thoughts into legible sentences.

"The main thing is that we always have a great time together; whether we are embarrassed in front of each other or not, we are equally comfortable, because you and I are able to talk even about awkward topics... Laurie, let me add : you constantly delight, surprise, attract, inspire me unimaginably... Whether you are dressed in sportswear or an evening dress, a bathrobe covers your whole body or you walk in underwear - you're incredibly beautiful and alluring to me in any case, you're very seductive and sexy, my honey miracle..."

"Finally, after seven years, you began to linger with your eyes not only on my face..."

"I just used to think it was impossible to look at the other parts of your body... But recently you convinced me the opposite..."

"I do this sometimes, why can't you?..."

"I was worried I'd make you uncomfortable or seem cheeky..."

"Don't worry, none of the above happened..."

"I also don't mind at all when you look at different parts of my body... Every piece of me belongs to you, whether it's my flesh or heart, soul..."

"After such catchy phrases, I won't be able to express my embarrassing sentence, well, it's okay..." the demoness hastily smiled.

"No, no, fishy, your words will only strengthen the warm mood of our conversation; the ideal moment to tell about your thoughts is the one in which your thoughts appeared... What were you thinking about, Laura?..."

"It just flashed through my head..."

"Yes, emerald?..."

"Even through your shorts, I can see your reproductive organ is quite long..."

"Oh, h-hope when we get intimate in the future, it'll give you pleasure... Damn, I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, dear..."

"Why?... I like to listen to your thoughts... There's nothing to apologize for, I like your words..."

"I just meant I like to give you happiness in different ways... I want to do with you what you want, fill your every day with bright emotions..."

The day of sweethearts proceeded smoothly and comfortably; Bendy and Lara happily and enthusiastically engaged in the usual creative activities, playing board games, solving a couple of puzzles; however, when evening came, a burning desire penetrated into the hearts to give each other pleasant feelings in a different way; putting aside collections of crosswords and sudoku, the devils began to caress each other with their lips, lying on the bed; the demon hugged his beloved gently and tightly, she was stroking his head and horns...

"My lovely flower, let me leave traces of kisses not only on your mesmerizing face... I want to cover your whole fascinating body with kisses... In the places where you allow me, of course..."

Later, sweethearts finished their drawins, praising each other, as usual, and gathered to walk along the inviting green paths with amazing nature; Bendy took a small box out of the drawer of the bedside table and, hiding the gift behind his back, approached Lara with the words, "Baby, before we go to explore the impressive landscapes of the dense forest, may I ask you one question?..."

"Of course, my ruby, go ahead..."

"We have spent so many years together, and I consider all the years of my life the best thanks to you... Probably, even after saying 'thank you' millions of times, I won't sufficiently describe my appreciation and admiration for you... I love absolutely everything about you: your behavior, your character, your habits, your opinion, your spiritual qualities, your sensitive heart, your irresistible appearance, your coal eyes full of miracles... But most of all I love you just for being who you are, I adore your magical personality... Stay true to yourself and your preferences, my comet, all your friends will be here to support you; I'm forever your most ardent fan... I wish to share eternity with you, go through every stage of our relationship and please you day after day, fulfilling your cherished dreams; you and your happiness are my priority, your smile illuminates the meaning of my destiny... I'm grateful to you simply for your existence; I'm glad to write the pages of our history with you... And so I decided to find out if you would like to..."

The imp swallowed sharply, bending the fingers of his free right hand, and continued, "Laura, would you like to... Be my fiancee?..."

The young man presented a gift at the moment, opening a cream case in front of his beloved; inside, on a little pillow, lay a smooth bracelet made of white gold with pendants: each figure reflected the interests of the girl, hobbies close to her soul. The imp looked at the decoration in surprise and, smiling good-naturedly, replied, "Of course, Bendy... I will be your fiancee..."

"Glad you accepted my offer, my little devil... Let me put a bracelet on your elegant wrist..."

The demoness stretched out her arm, bent at the elbow; the wizard placed the jewelry and kissed his beloved's hand.

"You will mean everything to me endlessly, Laurie... I strive to constantly turn your plans into reality..."

"Thank you, Bendie... I noticed the details on the wonderful bracelet reflect my hobbies, I really appreciate your observation and your care..."

"You know, my little mermaid, my key desire is to warm your soul, to evoke warm emotions in you; I intend to give you even more love, attention, affection, sensitivity; take everything I have, because I only want the best for you..."

"Believe me, my dear, you are enough for me... I think we have an amazingly spectacular future together..."

"You're completely right, my dearest, don't even doubt what has been said..."

"It turns out you are..."

"Yes, moonlight?... Please continue..."

"Will you ask me to marry you soon?..."

"Oh, sugar, of course, I plan to ask your hand in marriage, but not in the near future... I'll ask you the marvelous question earlier, if you wish... I think we both need to reflect a little on the proximity of the moment of our wedding..."

"I don't mind if we slightly postpone the date... I hope we understood each other correctly..."

"Definitely, honey, I'm not rushing you at all... No need to hurry - there is an eternity ahead of us... Are you ready for our miraculous journey, raspberry?..."

"Right, orange, let's go..."

"I'll certainly take a picture of you against the background of picturesque landscapes... I won't miss the chance to capture your brilliant beauty..."

The path turned out to be excellent: the devils saw a lot of fantastic plants, fabulous animals, magnificent birds, glorious rocks on their way; on the same day, the young man filled the album with new photos and, together with his beloved, examined the moments of the past day remained in numerous pictures.

"And here, behind you, multicoloured caihongs flew by, leaving a pinkish trail with a flap of their wings..." the demon pointed to the upper right corner. "Oh, a wide rainbow in the sky got into the frame, great..."

"We saw enchanting places..."

"They have become even more wondrous, because you were walking on them, sweetie... Your attraction spreads its rays to the nearest objects..."

"I love your compliments, my sugarpie..."

"I love you very much, vanilla..."

Bendy bent down and began to kiss Lara on the top of her head, on her temple, on her nose, on her closed eyes, on her cheeks, on her chin, on her lips. She smiled, and his face lit up with joy.

"I'd like you to put hickeys on my body again... And I'd do that on yours..."

"S-since you don't mind, dear, we'll repeat last night's activity... Love touching you with my lips, hugging you for a long time..."

The devils were kisding each other with their mouths slightly open, hotly, but carefully, trying to convey their affection, tenderness. The traces of love stained the bodies of sweethearts, their faces, even their tails with dark spots; the honey sensation grew on a grand scale, as if accelerating the hands on the clock...

Suddenly a phone call rang. Bendy, without stopping kissing Lara, extended his right hand and turned off the sound of the melody on his device.

"What if something important happened..." the girl suggested.

"Nothing can be more important than you and your desires, love..." the demon replied, again surrounding the girl's waist with both hands, twisting his arms around the body, legs of the imp in the form of a spiral in a magical way. The end of his tail was gently stroking her little tip, which was lying on the amethyst bed. "Let the world wait..."

The devils tuned in to continue the conceived ideas, but they were again prevented by the signal of Lara's mobile. The dark-haired lady picked up the phone and said, "Yes, Alice?... Is there any trouble in the studio by any chance?..."

"Oh, no, no, it's okay." the angel's voice rang out. "Boris and I are looking for boxes with decorative crafts, we assumed you took them last time..."

"Hmm, I don't remember their location..." the girl confessed.

"They are in the second small warehouse..." the young man said quietly, but audibly for the sorceress, continuing to touch with his lips and tongue the areas of the beloved's skin, uncovered by clothes.

"That's right, they're in the second small warehouse." Laura answered her interlocutor on the phone. "Good luck with your crafts."

"Thanks. Hey, aren't you busy right now?..."

"In general, we were going to devote the evening to a special kind of creativity..." the imp began, and the demon smiled when he heard her words.

"I wanted to take just a couple of minutes..." said the brunette with a halo over her head.

"I just have a few minutes... Bendy and I still have urgent business to attend to..." the edges of the girl's lips lifted higher after the end of the phrase ; a wide smile spread across the young man's face.

The demoness was talking with her friend about her future plans for adventures in fashion clothing boutiques, or rather, for the most part, she was listening to Alice's intentions to visit almost every fashion house in Verssia and Glabgon. The demon was kissing his beloved hotly, lovingly, sitting over her, bending his knees and tightly wrapping her in his caring embrace. He felt her pulse; his head was so close to her that when he listened, he noticed the steady beating of her heart; his horns were right next to her neck - he admired her calm and imperturbable voice; stroking her forearm with his palm, he stopped his fingers, and for a moment it seemed to him as if he felt the movement of ink through her veins, which he didn't even see with his eyes...

The demon watched the expression of the beloved's face and after ten minutes found out she clearly wanted to end the conversation, because the thought of kissing clearly possessed her. The young man approached the imp's face and whispered in her ear, "Tell her it's time for you to go, otherwise you won't have time to finish the things you started today, or you're going to carry out all the planned activities and arrange an evening of creativity, something like that..."

Lara smiled, covering the demon's lips with her finger. The devil kissed her phalanges, hand, palm, wrist, moving to other parts of her body, as the girl removed her hand, dropping it on a soft pillow, where she was met by a huge imp's hand, gently stroking the sorceress's palm, then firmly, lovingly tsking her hand.

"Okay, Alice, I have to go... Once when I'm back, we'll definitely visit all the planned places, agreed?..."

"Oh, of course, see you soon..."

"Bye, good luck to you..."

The demoness clicked the 'end of conversation' icon, intended to put the phone back in place, however, the young was faster, carefully took the device from her hands and returned it to the bedside table.

"Finally we are truly alone..." the demon said.

"I like to talk to Alice, but right now my thoughts aren't about shopping or new clothes at all..." Lara said.

"I don't understand why it was necessary to call to discuss the purchase of new outfits?... You would have come back, and you would have had a great live conversation..."

"Apparently, she wanted to share her ideas as soon as possible..."

"Now no one will distract us for sure..."

Closer to midnight, sweethearts managed to stop covering each other with kisses, they were sharing their feelings from the past evening. Bendy was hugging the girl tightly, she relaxed her hands into a lock, resting her head on the young man's chest.

Soon, when Lara looked at her hands, she saw a pretty detail on her palms.

"Judging by your smile, cupcake, you liked the traces of kisses in the form of hearts..."

"Even here you show creativity..."

"How else, Larry?... You're the very embodiment of art..."

"I understand, dear, you like to compliment me..."

"Your unsurpassed inner and outer attractiveness deserve reverent and constant attention, sapphire... You're the only beautiful creature for me..."

After a minute Bendy added, "Kissing you is always so astonishing in a good way, as if for the first time... Your hickeys really excite my mind, even right now..."

"I'd love to continue our kissing, but..."

"Are you tired and you want to sleep?... Then, of course, caramel, let's go to rest..."

Bendy fluffed up a pillow for his beloved and, covering her with a blanket, kissed her on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams to you, fruitcake..."

"Good night, marshmallow..."

"Tomorrow we'll definitely have unforgettable, breathtaking moments..."