#(oh odd this post got blocked)

[the-nysh]

if you had to pick a general aesthetic for Garou if he had kept going down the route of evolution his spiral form had begun (or i suppose in the same vain, for his true strength whenever he reaches some kind of self actualisation), what would you wanna go for?

The whole white-black/yin-yang balanced duality theme was honestly quite inspired (though criminally short-lived) from a design standpoint--right down to his clothes, and reflected his strengths in martial arts as well. Of course, anything also referencing his wolf theme is also fun, so a big yes to him keeping his sharper teef too~

But really, what matters most (to me) is that he's still genuinely Himself--embracing his own strengths, his own agency, his own choices--representing the authentic Him. (Not masking, armoring, or repressing his real self while trying too hard to perform and/or become someone he's not, and definitely not when it ceases being him entirely so you probably already understand which 'form' I did not approve of conceptually, once it stopped being Him; complete faceless destruction of the self.) So any growth that can naturally and faithfully encompass that, I'm game for. :'3

But this I feel is where his post-arc comes into play, towards the more honest route he chooses next. Where he figures out how best to come into his own, almost starting over again more (self)constructively this time from a reverted state. So whether he chooses to still closely take after Bang (like a son/successor)--from his xeroxed clothes to his (short?) hairstyle, or expresses more individuality cause lol manga Garou's 'wolf ear' hair appears be to a permanent identifying feature :P even down to distinguishing/perfecting his own fighting style the next time we see him, remains to be seen. But I DO like that his post-arc self kept the facial scar~ So I'm glad Murata kept that visual change!

[sugarcult]

.

[hkthatgffan]

Hey, Kiki-Kit. Your customers are waiting!

Well, this is a painful post to make given the respect and admiration I had for her, but a long overdue one because I'm not alone in this mess and I refuse to let another fan fall for it when I could've said something!

Back in February, I bought a commission from Kiki-Kit. You may know that artist as she was one of the best in the Gravity Falls fandom back in the day and the illustrator of Don't Dimension It in Lost Legends.

She'd been running emergency commissions at the start of the year and I got one from her for $40 USD.

I have the invoice and everything saved and also messages with Kiki of us talking about the comm and me paying her. I owe nothing on my end money wise! I paid in full.

She said later she'd have them finished by around the end of March but come late April, still no response. So, I messaged her about it. Nothing odd I thought. I get things can happen and if Kiki is busy, at most she'd reply telling me it'll be a while longer and all's good.

But I got nothing. I messaged her, emailed her on the commissions email she had and tweeted at her. NOTHING! Turns out there were other people, including some friends of mine who had not heard back either. Then in June, Kiki made an update post explaining the situation.

Naturally I felt bad and wished her the best. She said iirc, she'd have the remaining comms done by the end of the Summer but here we are at the end of October and still nothing. I messaged her too again and no response.

You know, it's one thing if there's a reason for no response for a few days but then another when it's been months and still nothing. Oh and btw, I very much remember Kiki on Twitter liking tweets (back when Twitter let you see liked tweets) while I was there messaging her for an update. Real sus if you ask me.

But okay, I shouldn't rush it. Everyone has reasons to take time and maybe Kiki is just very busy and can't get back. She went through a very rough and difficult experience and I can understand and respect that. I'm more than happy to wait. But how long is too long without an update? Maybe a bit longer I guess. Art takes time.

Well, IDK about you all, but I don't remember any other Gravity Falls fan artist taking oh, idk...FIVE YEARS TO FINISH A COMMISION AND STILL NOT RESPOND!!

FoxieSkullzArtz on Twitter made me aware she has been waiting since 2019 for Kiki to respond to a commission they paid her for.

2019!!

I'm not an artist, so forgive me if I'm wrong. But I don't think it should take any artist 5 years to make a commission and even if, at least communicate with the person who paid you about it so they're not left guessing.

Oh, and it gets worse. I got another person who let me know they've been waiting since 2020 for a comm and Kiki handled it far worse!

Oh yeah, she blocked them for asking about it!

And okay, even if we give Kiki-Kit the benefit of the doubt and assume she has reasons to not communicate with people and maybe even assume people messaging her are being mean about it, then why not refund them? Nice or bad, you were paid by them to do something but also have the power to deny it and refund their money. And yet, Kiki did not even do that. And even if we be super kind and assume everyone is lying, I'm still here.

I paid Kiki-Kit $40USD for a comm I thought I would get in late March and it's now late October and still nothing. And even if you don't wanna believe me cause you can't believe an artist like Kiki-Kit would do this and assume I'm after clout (which would be odd, given why would I take pleasure in calling out an artist I respected)...well, there's gonna be someone else who says this too. And people have been saying this for years and she still is getting away with it!

It's disappointing honestly. Kiki-Kit is a name so many in this fandom know and love. And I love her art too. She's a fan artist who got to be on Lost Legends. We all celebrated that in 2018 and still remember it. And I know how hard it may be to hear this, but it has to be said.

I do not like having to do this, but I have a platform that can get this message across further than others could and having been someone who lost money to her too, I know first hand what all these people have been through.

And before you say "Kiki was going through a rough time in her life. Why are you blaming her? Be patient and she'll get your stupid art done," read over everything again. I'm not saying Kiki-Kit needs to be making art 24/7 and fulfilling these comms. I'm not saying she isn't allowed to be offline and not finish things on time for reasons out of her control. What I'm saying is that she hasn't communicated properly with anyone here who paid her and has continued to accept more and more commissions from people despite not finishing ones she has backlogs of.

When an artist opens commissions, why do you think they have slots or only accept a few? Because they know they can get that many done in a certain time or know anymore will take longer. And even if it took longer, at least they give updates. I bought a commission for the interview with Alex Hirsch and got it both on time and with proper communication from the artist.

And even if you disagree with all this, be honest with yourself...is making someone wait since 2019 or 2020 for a comm and not responding to them really something still worth defending?

I'm not here to cancel anyone. I don't want Kiki-Kit's reputation to be that of an scammer who stole money from people. But she's painted herself that way to far too many people who have been warning about this for ages but no one either saw or listened to them.

I tried to be nice and messaged Kiki-Kit over and over for an update and she never responded. I had friends who she took money from who similarly have not heard anything back! If you know Kiki directly, tell her to reach out to these people and all the ones she has taken money from and not gotten back to and either refund them or commit to finishing their commissions. Please don't be rude or hostile either though, given despite it all, she is still a person like your or me who deserves a chance to make things right.

I wanna believe Kiki-Kit has just made some negligent mistakes and isn't the best with time management or communication. I mean, I'm not the best either. But I'm not asking people for money for something and then not getting back to them with it. I'm sorry to everyone who is learning about this who saw Kiki in a positive light and I'm sorry also to everyone like me who lost money to her.

I hope if nothing else, Kiki will respond and make whole everyone she has taken money from. If she really cares about this fandom that put her on a pedestal high enough that Alex Hirsch himself picked her to work on his book, she can respond to us and fulfill what we paid her to do.

I'm not asking for my commission to be done tomorrow...I just want an update. That's all. We all do! No more stalling, @kiki-kit. Please respond to us now!

Sincerely,

Every person who has paid you for a commission and has yet to hear back from you and every Gravity Falls fan who your work inspired and are now having to learn this about you!

[itsthecline]

the greatest chapter four

it girl!reader x drew starkey smau

summary what are the odds?

previous chapter

DREW STARKEY SENT YOU A MESSAGE

block delete accept

sorry about everyone ‘spawning’ in your comments

ahhhhhhahaha no it’s fine! ahaha

but it is because we’re all fans of you. if that helps!

ahh that’s so insane! thank you so much<3 me and

my friends LOVE outer banks:)

that means a lot. we love knowing people love

it as much as we do!

i swear me and kaylor talked about it all

the time if we could😭

maddie was the same way with love island😂

she got a bunch of us to watch it with her

good thing she did

hahaha! i luvvv her

how’s it being home now? you were there awhile

i missed my bed!

but i’m really surprised at how much support i have rn

yeah it definitely seemed like you felt alone in there

despite having leah, ree, and jana? yeah. i did lol

well you’re home now… what are you planning to do?

i have to be in nyc in two days to film😖

so that first, and then focus on my content

the reunion?

yeah we’re filming on the 14th soooo excited

jana has reciepts we been saving JUST for this

hmmmm the 14th in nyc

who are you ladies coming for?

haha yes i’ll be there for the whole week

jana got me and i got leah

so i’m coming for ethan’s funk ass

jana is going to call out andrea

pretty sure liv said she’s got my back on that too

yeah… that ethan guy sucks

i’ll be watching to see how you go about that one

oh! well let it be known i’m usually much more

graceful than i’m going to seem during the reunion

i’m sure you’ll handle yourself just fine

clocking ethan will actually possess my body…

u should be worried just a little bit

haha if somebody has to it should be you

maddie always loved when you got into it with him

he did my girl SO wrong how could i not😭

so did you watch it all back?

nay and i did whenever we got back!

we stayed at my house for the weekend and

binged it all, writing down the important

shit to bring up at the reunion

how was that process?

i can’t even watch myself act, so i can’t

imagine watching me go through what you did.

uhhhh ahaha yeah… it was rough

that’s why it took the whole weekend tbh

i bet it was difficult reliving everything

that on top of seeing my best friend’s from

a different pov definitely sucked ass

at least you’re home now! you can move on

that’s the plan. the show didn’t work for me, but it

turns out friendship island is much much better

yeah you seem to have found a good group

the best haha!

now it’s on to bigger n better

that’s the only way to go about it i think

read Sunday

yourusername posted a photo!

liked by korde1ll , madelyncline , drewstarkey and others

yourusername back in nyc with my best friend<3

tagged yourbestfriend

view all comments

username ahhhhh im so excited for the reunion!

↳ username PLEASEEEEE I NEED IT NOW

username so glad y/b/f was in charge of ur ig when you were in the villa she kept us feddddd

username my favorite og villa girlie

yourbestfriend and ur never leaving me again

↳ yourusername maybe if u came to boston more u wouldn’t hate it as much

username hate knowing that u n leah live on opposite sides of the country

drewstarkey hmmm

username city girl winninggg

username i can’t remember a time i wasn’t thinking about you 24/7 if i’m being honest

madelyncline 😍 prettiest girl ever

↳ yourusername actually crazy coming from u

username okay when did obx get here?

username i just knowwwwww u and jana are coming to the reunion with AMMO

↳ yourusername baby, we’re coming in correct i promiseee

username ok so r u like going to post a yt video now that ur home? been missing ur vlogs like crazy

↳ yourusername LMAO u clocked me🙂‍↕️ yes videos are coming soon i swear

username just a girl wishing to meet y/n

leahkateb c u tmrw bb

↳ yourusername crying from excitement tbh

oliviaa_walker okay so we’re getting dinner tn

↳ yourusername yes pls n thx

hmmmm the 14th in nyc

↳ this is actually so sus after ur lil comment

hello again

haha! that was my way of saying i’m

also going to be in new york i get there

tomorrow actually!

oh! ahahaha what are the odds lol

seems like i would have some free time too

haha i will too since i’m making a whole

weekend out of it with my best friend

let me know what you’re up to?

yeah for sure ha!

ISLAND GIRLS🥥🌴

kaylor baby🍰

okay but what r u guys wearing?

liv🖤

real question is:

is y/n bringing a date

y/n🪩

idt it’s that kind of event babe

oh nvm gtg

naynay🤍

LMAO pls tell me y’all kept talking w eo

kaylor🍰

ohhhhhh so you guys have been talking

leah boo🐴

and she left him on read!

naynay🤍

y/n no u didn’t

ree💓

be so fr bitch

liv🖤

WHAT

y/n🪩

😶😶😶😶 hehe no…

leah boo🐴

lyin ass

kaylor🍰

wait what! noooo why would u do that??

y/n🪩

anyways i’m wear a black floor length

dress and evening gloves gtg!

an my giggly girl just geeked drew dms her

taglist @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @willowpains @percysley @rrosiitas @nellyboosworld @ethanthequeefqueen

[quitealotofsodapop]

because this ask brought the Jttw Stone Egged Au (+the Post au) to the front of my brain;

I suggest an... interesting encounter the Pilgrims can have on their Journey while in the Country of Jisai. Macaque was in the middle of baby-carrying duty (a task he accepted wholeheartedly) when he encountered a stranger with odd words to say;

Stranger: "Nüwa blesses you." Macaque, surprised: "Oh! Thanks..." Stranger: "Do they have a name yet?" Macaque, focuses on the baby in his arms: "Yeah, we've been considering Xiaotian. Our Little Heaven." Stranger: "Beautiful." Macaque, cheeky smile: "I credit my mate though. I probably would have called them"Macaque's Kid" or something. I'm terrible for names." Stranger, chuckling: "He certainly has far to go to fit his title! It will take him a long time to be recognised with the renown such a name begets." Macaque, amused: "Oh, let me guess, you're some kind of fortune-teller?" Stranger: "In a way. I can sense when certain actions affect the future." Macaque, interested: "Huh. I have a similar ability, though it's not very reliable. I need the wind to pass by my ears and block out everything else to get something tangible." Stranger: "I know. Your title is Six Eared Macaque for a reason." Macaque, suspicious: "So you know who I am..." Stranger: "I do not wish any harm. I only wish to see the little one who's altered so much of the future. Even I was taken aback by what was changed..." Macaque, cautious: "You can look at them. But if he makes a single chirp, you're history." Stranger, carefully peers past the sling: "I understand. He's too precious. Your lives are enriched tenfold by his presence. Which is why I was surprised to see him born so early this time." Macaque: "This time? Do you mean-" Wukong:, some distance away "Moon! Master found a place for us to stay for the night! Time to regroup!" Stranger: "That's my cue to leave. I don't need the sight of the chaos to tell me that Mama isn't keen on well-wishers at the moment. Take care of that child, Liu'er Mihou. And take care of Sun Wukong. They're the only reason you breath at this moment." Macaque: "Wait! What do you mean-!" Stranger: (*transforms into a green bird and flies away*) Wukong, catches up: "Who was that Mihou?" Macaque, holds out baby for Wukong: "I dunno. Some demon with fortune-telling abilities wanting to see the cub. Says he has far to go in the future." Wukong, taking the baby into his arms: "Hopefully not a future as as eventful as our pasts. How's my little apricot doing?" Xiaotian: (*lazily yawns, having slept through the whole encounter. Reaches out chubby little hands to his parent.*) Macaque, smiling fondly: "Nah. Nothing big. Xiaotian is going to have a childhood we never got. A normal one." Wukong, sly smile as he cuddles the baby: "Oh, is it Xiaotian now?" Macaque: (*blushes as he realises*) Wukong: "Did you finally come around to my naming suggestion? Or did the fortune-teller say you would?" Macaque, still sheepish: "Whatever, sunshine."

A certain green bird would appear from time to time after this encounter. Mostly watching from afar to make sure that the little family stayed safe and out of harm's way. Macaque and Wukong were always suspicious of the creature, but it soon left without much explanation.

Xiangliu is happy that Xiaotian managed to find another way to be born before his time. Hopefully he'll have more time to prepare for what is to come...

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: HBO show

King: guys, did you hear that there's a new harry potter series on HBO? Barker: steve i could not care less because i am not a child Barker: i'm an adult and when i want to watch a show about child wizards going to school Barker: i watch a show about child wizards going to school that's for adults King: King: King: ok uh well anyway

King: guys i'm really conflicted about this new harry potter series King: i heard that JK Rowling was using the money to buy a giant meat grinder to turn trans people into sausage Barker: i don't think she's doing that, steve King: oh, no? so you're saying it's actually 100% okay to support this new harry potter series? Barker: i didn't say- King: Phew! let me tell you, THAT is a relief!

King: this was a real dilemma! one the one hand, JK Rowling uses her money to fund transphobia King: but on the other, i still have this super cool Gryffindor scarf King: i mean, it's got the right colors and everything King: it would be such a waste not to wear it…

Barker: steve, i think you should really think about what kind of message that sends King: oh right right yeah King: you're right of course King: well, i off to maine Barker: steve Barker: the scarf is still around your neck

King: huh? what? oh King: isn't that odd King: [fingering scarf] yet… after all… why not King: why shouldn't I keep it?!

Barker: i think you should leave the scarf behind King: bah! what business is it of yours what i do with my own things?! Barker: there's no need to get angry King: YOU WANT IT FOR YOURSELF!! Barker: STEPHEN H. KING Barker: DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS

JK Rowling: hello children Rowling: it'ssss me jk rowling Rowling: writer of the beloved manifesssto Harry Potter and the final ssolution

Barker: oh you're back? don't you have some tweeting to do? Rowling: no, twitter's not really fun anymore Rowling: there jusst aren't a lot of trans people to yell at there anymore Barker: aw that's a real shame Rowling: i mean Rowling: i tried yelling at sspooniess and fat people Rowling: but it'ss jusst not the sssame

Rowling: i'm proud to sssay that i'm going to be intimately involved in the new harry potter ssseriesss Rowling: HBO thinksss I've got a lot to contribute Rowling: now that fassscisssm is cool again, assssociation with the Rowling name is a pluss!

Rowling: ha ha ha! you thought it was all over for ol' JK Rowling! Rowling: little did you know that all i had to do was wait for the complete collapse of the liberal democratic consensus and the return of violent populism and then my particularly british brand of stochastic terrorism would be back in vogue!

Rowling: joke'ssss on you! ha ha ha! Poe: yeah i guess it is Poe: Poe: boy it feels bad Rowling: ha ha ha!!! lick it up, bitch!! LICK! IT! UP!

Rowling: i hope you're posting this on bluesky! i really want to see what the no-avi accounts with names like "politically homeless twitter refugee" and "Sebastian gorka daddy complex" have to say! Rowling: and don't even think of blocking them without engaging! Poe: why not? Rowling: cuz Rowling: Rowling: cuz it's not fair, okay?!?!?

Rowling: you can bet that i'll be keeping a close eye on things over at HBO Rowling: especially on these child actorss Rowling: in case they do a gender nonconformity Rowling: we're building campsss right now to deal with the problem Poe: King: Lovecraft: Koontz: Barker: Barker: jesus christ this is getting dark

[anamelessfool]

A Naming

Rated Teen, Papa Emeritus II’s Son and Family

Tags: Halloween Hijinks, Eldest Kid Anxiety, Suburban Dad Secondo, Disabled Secondo, Post-Retirement Life, Magic Rituals, My AU

CW: Underage Drinking

Dedicated to @kissingghouls thanks for cheering me on you’re my little Hell Pumpkin🎃 I’m on AO3 with all my other fics but Tumblr gets mad at me when I post links

Part One (of 5)

Oct 31, 2017

The Leider residence was the only one on the cheery suburban block that was bare of decoration. The house year round was neat, sensible; a single floor ranch with the occasional hearse out front. Neighbors thought the lack of decoration, especially during Halloween, was a choice made out of propriety. One would hope the family responsible for interring your loved ones would have a sober outlook on the macabre. Their entire modus seemed to be one of complete disregard for any happenings outside their own home. Unavailable, discreet, out of the way. A little fortress meant only for its occupants.

And in a way, it was. Its unassuming nature was by design. The patriarch of the house, known to his neighbors as Michael Leider, was a severe man in appearance and temper. His entire family was full of noise and cheer and life but he himself preferred to stay out of the way. The only completely peculiar thing about him was each morning just after sunrise he’d step out onto his back concrete patio and scowl at the sky. A journal would come out, he’d scrawl a few lines, and then return to his kitchen to make that morning’s coffee.

What his neighbors didn’t know was that the man had journaled daily about the weather for fifteen thousand one hundred and seventy-eight days so far, give or take a few due to illness or inconvenience. It wasn’t that neighbors didn’t know, it was more what they have not seen. Or were allowed to see. Mr. Leider’s life was carefully constructed, like the life of any true magician. He had been once the hub of arcane power as Papa Emeritus II, known as Secondo; master magician and the spiritual leader of the Satanic Church of the Void. The Void itself was closer to a true hell than any suburbanite could ever comprehend, but it had been a large part of most of his previous life. For over forty years Secondo had balanced this world and beyond this world. Spirits called to him, demons obeyed his commands. Now all that was left was the old practicum of documenting the weather, but this ordinariness was his choice.

Because a seasoned magician knows of the dangers of attracting attention.

“Yesterday…” Eden Leider’s eyes got wide. The half-nibbled pizza was abandoned on her plate as the eight year old regaled a tale slowly and with great reverence. “Yesterday…there was a kid…at my school…at recess…”

She was surrounded by her family, as always, in the kitchen strewn with handmade Halloween art projects. She had hurried home with her younger brother Sam from the bus and immediately wanted to try on her costume, only to be met with the torture of having to eat before she went out tonight. Pizza AND the green beans. If she was going to be doused in sugar later that night then at least some half-attempt at healthy food was a requirement. Her father Secondo had insisted on it.

“Oh I saw this!” hissed her younger brother Sam. “I saw this!”

“No you didn't you were in gym,” snapped Eden.

“No I saw, I saw the ambulance!”

“He fell…and his arm? His arm was like this!” Eden held out her arm crooked, a primal little grin stretching across her face. “There was his bone sticking out.”

“Bone sticking out?” Their mother Sandra lowered her pizza slice, her eyes wide in amused interest. There was nothing more she enjoyed than encouraging her younger children’s odd sense of wonder. It was like watching kittens attempt to navigate themselves out of a paper bag.

“His bone! Was sticking! Out!” shouted Sam.

The eldest brother Paul let out a too aggressive sigh, subtly glancing down at his phone on his lap. There was another message. He disguised his gasp as a cough.

Dana: u coming

Paul L: trying

Paul nervously cycled through his apps, arriving at Dana’s photo again. A perfect face, a winning smile adorned a photo of her in a theatrical costume. Below, her favorite quote that Paul recently decided was evidence of her profound understanding of reality: Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world! Let your soul take you where you long to be!

I will, Paul always thought.

His father didn’t even have to make a noise for Paul to know he was watching him. Paul looked up and met the Eye embedded in his father Secondo’s skull, white and shark-like. It was usually concealed behind a colored lens but still burned through all the same. Paul was not normally afraid of it, but in this circumstance he swore it could read his mind. It was something that existed beyond his father, an interloper perched on the man’s broad shoulder. The human eye beside it had its normal expression of cool assessment. While his father’s left eye expressed an understanding of the beyond, the rest of the body was that of an intelligent stoic. Someone not interested in seeing their son look at their phone at the dinner table. Paul smiled thinly back.

“We can't even have a jack-o'-lantern?” Eden’s whines came into focus once more. “Not even one?”

“I'm not encouraging anything or anyone to enter this house,” Secondo reminded her stiffly, releasing Paul from his gaze. “Our home is our domain and I keep it well tended.”

Secondo, known in the past as Papa Emeritus II and leader of the Satanic Church of the Void, had always been a serious man. Serious, but never humorless. His wife Sandra has gifted him a bright orange shirt that said “This is My Halloween Costume” and he wore it now as he cut his pizza slice with the grace of some sort of aristocrat. His younger children had dumped tribute drawings around him: scrawled images of him as a skeleton man surrounded by assortments of demons and pools of blood. Eden idolized him, and his youngest idolized his sister and so the two of them had become his most loyal cultists whether he liked it or not.

Paul took the chance to answer Dana back.

Paul L: my dad is

Dana: yeah

ill ask

Dana:🙂

“If you’ll excuse me,” Secondo muttered with a regal bow of his head. He unhooked his forearm crutch from the back of his chair and maneuvered himself to his feet, politely grabbing empty dishes to deliver them delicately to the sink as he left the kitchen.

Paul turned quickly to his mother. “There’s a party tonight and…”

Sandra smiled wryly. “I’m always happy when you want to be social. But your dad will have to drive you.”

Right. Secondo had retired to his study for an hour before taking the younger kids out. In Paul’s experience of suburban fathers, there was a seasonal quality to all of their domestic obsessions. Some dads fretted over lawns, or snowfall, or their collection of vehicles in various states of disrepair. Secondo’s special interest at this time of year was obscure arcane protections. Paul had never once experienced any sort of supernatural event in their home, but as he grew up he suddenly became responsible for helping his father with his weird chores. Burying recycled jars filled with nails and rat bones. Standing on ladders to hand specifically colored yarns around the outside perimeter of the house while Secondo commented on ideal placement. Collecting perfectly good specimens of mullein or rue from the side of the road with the shovel Secondo always kept in the backseat of the truck. In his mind’s eye Paul wondered what strangers thought of the impromptu highway gardening, or the digging, or all the rock arrangement. Maybe they assumed the teen was enduring some old time tough love father-son punishment.

Honestly that would be far less embarrassing.

Paul found Secondo in his office. The room was dimly lit, with scarves draped across the computer and all of his work things. There were more books and journals than wall space, and so some were stacked neatly in piles besides the shelves that went right to the ceiling. Said ceiling was stained with areas of candle soot, the walls doubly so. Secondo stood in the far corner of the room, the doors to an old TV hutch open to reveal the magical seat of his home: his altar place.

“Dad, can I go out tonight?”

Paul saw the familiar diagrams and charts taped on the inside walls, along with some twig and twine poppets right out of a horror film. Deeper into the hutch lay even more oddities: deer jawbones, rocks of Significance. Some desiccated bundles of herbs. A mason jar of old buttons.

Secondo was whispering something into a waterclear crystal skull. He lowered it and stared into Paul, the white Infernal Eye settling in to regard the teen like an old crow. “Hm?”

“Yeah uh…a party. It’s everyone from theater club. Tonight.”

“Parents will be there?”

Shit. Paul wrung his hands. “Uh…I think so?”

Secondo let out a puff of air through his nose, a wordless sign of him mulling over facts. He didn’t speak much, but his elegant movements and subtle expressions spoke more than any words could. He gently replaced the skull on his altar and closed the doors, tying a red ribbon across the knobs. Paul waited with bated breath.

“All your homework done?”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain?”

“I—” The two little ones bounded into the office. Sam launched himself at his brother’s knees and squeezed.

“Put our facepaint on, Paul!” said his sister.

“Yes, please,” Sam added. Paul looked up to meet his father’s eyes once again.

Secondo was smiling.

“What did Daddy’s face look like? I want it to look like that,” Eden insisted. In the bathroom Paul applied the white makeup to the entirety of her face while she frowned and got into character.

“I dunno, some kinda…skull or something.” Paul was deeply indifferent to their father’s past life. He didn't remember the pageantry, or the tours he was dragged on as a young child. He barely understood nor cared that his father was someone who wandered the space between two worlds, who channeled dark powers through his body, who captivated thousands with twisted tales of death and demons.

All Paul really remembered was seeing his father decline. He saw his father have days of extreme pain he chose to conceal, watched his mother help her husband as good as any nurse or wife could. As the Void wracked his body Secondo couldn't do much anymore. Couldn't play with Paul or carry him or do anything more than preserve himself for when he was on stage. So Paul was indifferent to Papa Emeritus II. In some way his earliest thoughts were of happiness now that his father could be around.

And they could finally all be somewhat normal.

Paul darked the hollows of her eyes with black face paint and added long lines across her mouth to simulate snagged teeth. He recalled the exaggerated lines across the jaw. Satisfied, he turned his sister around to show her in the mirror. She nearly jumped out of her skin the moment she saw the face that was no longer hers. But then she laughed wickedly.

“Oh I want to be a skull now!” crowed Sam, tugging at Paul’s clothes. “Make me a skull face!”

“No you're not allowed,” Eden said. “Pumpkin Skull? I'm the skull. Paul tell him I'm the skull!”

“Wouldn't make sense on you, Sammy,” Paul explained. “I'll give you a jack-o'-lantern face.”

“Yeah okay but make it scary,” Sam muttered.

Eden had worked for days on her costume. It was of course an homage to the towering glory of her father’s previous life, in miniature form. She had fashioned a cereal box into a decent miter. Secondo had coaxed her out of applying true upsidedown crucifixes to her outfit, and so wrathful skull heads scowled down the pillowcase chasuble and bats adorned the miter. “I'm a…Hell Priest.”

“She made it herself.” Sandra shrugged. “Turn around, honey, you're the cutest little hell priest I've ever seen since your father.”

Sam extended his little arms and wiggled his fingers, grinning. “And I'm a…Hell. Pumpkin.”

“My adorable little freaks,” said Sandra of her children, nudging Secondo next to her on the couch. Secondo had his usual severe frown as he watched the little ones scurry around the carpet and howl. Sandra addressed Paul. “And you're wearing that? To a Halloween party?”

Paul looked down at his jeans and band tee, old ratty hoodie and sneakers. “Halloween’s for kids, mom.”

“At least the shirt’s clean,” said Secondo.

“You two are really boring, you know that?” Sandra ribbed over the rim of her coffee mug. “But have fun? Extra fun for me.” Out of all of them she loved Halloween the most. It was a love of the macabre that drove her to join a Satanic Church, after all. Sandra held the work phone for the memorial home in her hand as her family got ready to leave for the night. She had selflessly volunteered to be on call so her brothers and husband could bring all their kids around the neighborhood. Then again, watching the goriest horror films at home without the prying eyes of her children was a decent consolation prize.

Sandra caught her youngest in her arms and brought his little body into a hug. “You know, you can die… but no one really stays dead on Halloween.” She immediately pretended to bite him all over, and Sam screamed and laughed.

“You're deeply unprofessional, dear,” muttered Secondo, yet a small rare smile hovered across his face. He gave his wife a peck on the cheek and pulled himself to his feet. “Let’s go. Paul, help me get your siblings in the car.” The younger ones let out shrill shrieks and jumped towards the door, grabbing their candy pails while already whining.

Sandra gave a soft chuckle, then reached out to gently touch her eldest son's hand. “Paul, have fun alright? You need it.”

Paul smiled faintly and returned her affection with a hug. “I’ll be fine. Thanks. I hope you…don't have to work tonight.”

“Same,” replied his mother. “But you got to take everything as it comes, right? Be always ready.”

“Paul,” said Secondo.

“Hm?” Paul had been staring out the window as they drove across town. Behind them in the backseat the younger kids were chatting wildly about all the candy they were going to eat later. By this time in his life Paul was used to drowning it out. Ever since Sam could talk, Paul finally got a break and Eden got a perfect little peon to hang on to her every word.

Secondo had both hands on the wheel as he drove sensibly. He never looked up from his task but he never had to do more than slight gestures or certain tones of his voice for Paul to know what came next. “Name it,” he said.

Secondo was talking about the feelings rolling around in Paul’s insides. From a young age this was a common ritual he shared with all of his children. Paul realized more and more that Secondo now didn’t demand a vocal response to this request anymore the way he did of the younger ones. After years of this, Paul had an automatic cool response to any sort of restlessness in his mind.

Paul let out a soft breath, imagining himself holding the feeling in his hands, like always. It felt prickly, hot. Torn right from his chest and squirming like an impatient puppy. So he looked down and named it. Apprehension. Worry.

The little feeling stopped jostling him. But there was something else tugging at him, gripping its sharp little teeth into his pant leg and pulling. Dana’s picture on his phone came to mind. He swallowed.

Crush.

The truck stopped, Secondo put it in park. High school kids idled out on the front porch of a large house cheerfully decorated with pumpkins and the warm glow of string lights. The little demons of feeling that tugged at him skittered away to wait in the shadows. Paul gave a weak goodbye utterance to his family and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Secondo spoke. “And Paul.”

“Yeah?”

The intensity of the whitened eye in his father’s skull never ceased, even when freed for an instant as he blinked. “You are a person of integrity.”

Paul gave a half-hearted nod, slamming the door. He watched the red lights of the truck veer slowly away and occasionally stop to avoid throngs of trick-or-treaters. Now before the house, before this strange new world, his nerves began to circle.

Like it? Reblog it! Thanks so much, see you in Part 2…..

Next chapter link in comments!

[jojikawa]

Kiss Currency 💋

Somehow, you’ve lost your powers leaving Sukuna as your only means of protection. He uses this as an opportunity to get affection from you.

tw// fluff, adult language, MC is Lilith! (a powerful demoness), lewd/suggestive themes. (Inspired by a post I saw on Twitter), a little bit of blood, biting, lewd themes (sexual intercourse + outercourse)

Masterlist

Ryomen Sukuna was rather anxious while lying on the floor of your living room. The couch and coffee table were pushed aside to make room for the sigil that was etched into your floor that was previously hidden by a cute rug. Your husband was in the middle of the sigil while you sat beside him with a grimoire floating next to you. This was the first time you’ve conducted a demonic ritual on him and he couldn’t say he was excited about that.

He came to you, wanting you in more ways than just kissing and cuddling. He wanted to feel you. But you were uncomfortable with Yuuji being present, so you always denied him. But his pining for you proved to be stronger than any will you had. So, you offered to perform a ritual that would temporarily block Yuuji out. It would be like putting him to sleep and Sukuna was all for it.

Although, this was odd. He could hear the cries and screams of sinners from another dimension invading his ears when his mind was quiet. It was uncomfortable. And it takes a lot to make someone like Sukuna uncomfortable so casually. If he thought about it hard enough, he could feel Lucifer prying into his mind, forcibly putting Yuuji to sleep.

“How long is this shit supposed to take?” You heard him grumble, making you smile a bit. “Oh, you’re so impatient.” You teased, raising your index finger to rub his cheek. The simple gesture actually caused him to blush and break eye contact with you. 

“I have to make sure I do this right. This is Lucifer’s thing. Not mine. If the ritual is interrupted, you’d be put to sleep too.” Your eyes scanned the pages that were filled with the scratch marks of creatures before you and recited things in a language that Sukuna couldn’t understand. With every word that left your mouth, he felt the presence of the boy would vanish without a trace.

“And, we’re done.”

Sukuna heard the soft growl of the demonic book as it closed itself and fell to the floor. He sat up and you stood as well.

“Can you put everything back for me, please?” You asked politely before hearing a standard “Yeah, whatever.” from him. 

You went to the kitchen, as you had plans to bake that brownie mix you had got last week from the grocery store. As you did your hand motion to summon Gnaar, you noticed that the little demon didn’t appear. You frowned before doing it again.

Still, no imp assistant.

You sighed and left the kitchen to look for him manually but, of course, you were intercepted by Sukuna. His masculine arms linked themselves around your waist, trapping you in his grip so that you couldn’t move. He didn’t say a word and only lowered his head into the crook of your neck. You felt his lips place soft kisses on your flesh. The contact made you giggle. “Aw, Ryo.” You cooed, not being able to resist holding him close to you.

“Ow.” Suddenly, you jumped. Between his kisses, he tried using his teeth to mark your skin so that it would be impossible to wear anything with skin showing. He wanted everyone to know you were taken. Even if he weren’t around. 

This was somewhat common. He did this to you in his true form as well…but it never hurt this badly. Your actions caused him to pull away. ‘Ow?’ He thought. Sukuna also realized that your aura was different. For a moment, it felt as though he had lost his mind. Whether you knew it or not, your physical form had cursed energy. It was the kind of energy that could suffocate him if he weren’t careful…now, it seems as though it’s hidden itself inside of your body.

No…it was gone.

It couldn’t be. How can a Goddess just disappear? This had to be an imposter pretending to be you. Of course, that made him angry. Only fools would toy with his emotions this way and feel as though they can get away with it.

“R-Ryo?” You raised an eyebrow when you felt his body stiffen. It took him a moment to reply, but when he did, he wasn’t himself.

“Don’t tell me I’ve been played with this entire time.”

You blinked. “Oh…” You pursed your lips. ‘I suppose it’s time I tell him.’

You sighed softly. “I’m not a copy of myself if that’s what you think. My powers have been somewhat…unstable since I’ve been resurrected. I guess they’re just gone completely…for now.” As you explained, his eyes grew wider and wider. “What? Why is that?” He replied.

“Those sorcerers who exercised me…I think they had help from Adam. Mortal powers typically do not affect me.” You told him. Your face held a subtle frown. He couldn’t tell why but it made him…feel bad. You’ve always been so high and mighty, never needing anyone else, not even him. And suddenly, one day, it was gone. Temporarily, mind you, but still gone, nonetheless. 

But, seemingly out of nowhere, he felt a sense of pride. He remembered all the things you’d say to him. You loved referring to him as little because his power was nothing compared to yours but now…you were the little one. Well, littler than you already were.

“Looks like you have no choice but to depend on me.” His neutral face turned into a twisted grin. You knitted your eyebrows together. “Don’t get any ideas. This is serious. Adam could come at any time and you’re not nearly strong enough.”

“You worry too much about that scumbag…” Although he was concerned for you, there was no getting rid of his amused tone as he fully began to understand just how helpless you were in this situation. To be honest, he wasn’t worried about Adam, but he’d never tell you that.

“...but, it looks like you don’t have a choice. Meaning that from now on, you’ll be taking orders from me.”

At first, you expected Sukuna to refer to something vile…but his wants were rather simple. It was probably the most innocent thing ever that could come from him. He insisted he do everything for you that needed to be done—in exchange for kisses. It didn’t matter where you kissed him. His face, his neck, his mouth. Just kiss him, please. (minus the please part. He never says please.)

Although, you agreed to this, a lot of the things you engaged in didn’t require anything supernatural. Yes, Gnaar was your assistant but you could easily just bake by yourself. Not only that but you were a much better cook than him. There seemed to be no immediate threats that pursued you either. It had only been a few minutes but he was half expecting someone in Heaven to notice and try to eradicate you.

So, he would make up scenarios where you had no choice but to kiss him. He would take advantage of your size difference by holding things over your head so that you could reach them or he’d do something cheesy like hold you and refuse to let you go. No powers = no strength to resist him. And so, you would do it. Every time.

You’d puff out your adorable cheeks before stepping on your toes and placing your lips on the crook of his neck. When you’d kiss him on the mouth, he would grab your wrist and force you to stay for longer.

Sukuna wanted nothing more than to savor your lips. But unfortunately for you, your mouth was beginning to get dry and cracked from all the kissing. You needed to apply chapstick several times. Unbeknownst to you, Sukuna enjoyed this. He loved the taste of it, that faint fruity flavor coating your lips. 

Although he was satisfied with kissing, he wanted more from you. Your husband didn’t follow the rules of his own game after some time. He just demanded things of you.

“Kiss me.” He would growl into your ear. You were trapped between him and the wall. You’re unable to break away from him.

“Kiss me until I’m sick of it.” Even as a mortal, your feminine energy was intoxicating. He couldn't decide what he liked more.

His face was peppered with kisses so much that you could see every mark you left behind. You gently grabbed either side of his face before kissing him one last time. You felt yourself being lifted from your thighs. “Ryo—?” You struggled to hold on as he lazily carried you through your house to the bed. He missed you so much and he didn’t even know. Memories from the past flooded his mind every time your lips touched his face. He loved you.

You.

You.

You. ♡

Butterflies filled your belly when you felt the fabric of your clothing being torn. You wanted to scold him for such brash behavior but you were unable to. Sukuna shoved his head between your thighs, kissing and biting your soft flesh and making you hitch your breath. At the sound of your panties being ripped, you gasped. In an instant, you felt his breath hitting your exposed cunt. “Slow down!” You yelped, feeling his wet, hot muscle glide over your lower lips. Your hands tangled in his hair and you sank into your mattress. You began to remember all of your lewd times with him together.

As always, he was so patient and gentle. You remembered that he was always a good lover to you as well, putting your needs before his own. Making your needs his needs. Despite the popular opinion of someone like Sukuna, he was actually what restored your faith in men. At no point in your relationship with him did you feel ugly…you never felt used…you never felt like you weren’t good enough for him. Even when his tongue was inches deep inside of you, swirling around and causing so much pleasure that you couldn’t help feel pleased with him and wet his face with your juices.

He loved to go down on you for many reasons. The most obvious being that he thought you tasted good. It wasn’t enough to get him addicted, no, he was most addicted to the feeling of your lips on his.

“Ryo~!” You mewled, sending blood rushing to his cock. Your beautiful voice caused him to growl and become rougher by the second. Your essence dripped all over the bed and he knew by then you were ready. Sukuna was practically salivating at your gorgeous holes. It had been so long that he had forgotten how much he loved indulging in your godly flesh.

In an instant, he pulled out his cock. The tip was already shining from his leaking pre-cum. His hands roughly grabbed your waist. You gasped at the contact before you were pulled towards his pelvis.

“Slow.”

Normally, your soft, sweet voice becoming firm was a good indicator that he should probably listen to you or he’d risk being crushed into dust.

But, instead, he flashed you a demonic grin. His teeth were showing and it didn’t seem like he wanted to bend to your will.

“Slow, you say?” He repeated before chuckling darkly. “You’re not as big as you think you are anymore. No—now, you’re smaller than me.” His hands crept up your waist. The tips of his fingers ran up the sides of abdomen that it almost tickled. He held you as if you were the most precious thing in the world but the expression on his face looked like he wanted to devour you.

“You listen to me now and frankly, I think I want to go at my pace.” Sukuna thrusted lightly, the base of his cock rubbed between your folds. Your stomach burned with delight. It was like he knew his strength…

You rubbed your thighs together with anticipation, wrapping yourself around Sukuna and creating friction that made him want to cum. He grunted at your contact but he didn’t fold. He wanted to have his way with you.

“You know, while I’m at it, I might as well fuck those fat ass thighs.” He licked his dry lips as if he was looking at something delicious.

Sukuna effortlessly moved your legs so that they stayed closed around his dick. Both of your legs were thrown on his shoulder where he began thrusting into it.

The man could barely contain himself. He hadn’t felt you in so long. So much precum was leaking on your pelvis and belly. You were surprised that he hadn’t emptied his balls yet from how much of a mess he was making.

A heavy blush was set on your face. All you could do was lay there and allow him to use you…not that you didn’t want it. It has never crossed your mind how Sukuna would act towards you if you were born mortal, perhaps as a concubine, but you sorta liked that he wasn’t afraid of taking control.

You yelped as he picked up his pace. His pants began to fall as he was overtaken by lust. He wasn’t even inside of you and you needed to squeeze your eyes shut at the force he was hitting you.

“Fuck!”

His large hands gripped your thighs and his fingers sunk themselves to into your flesh. “Ryo…we have all night…” You tried to free yourself from his grasp but he was so strong.

“Hell yea—ugh! We do.” Sukuna groaned deeply before releasing himself all over you. His cum stained your stomach and your inner thighs. You were nearly horrified with how much he was able to produce. You sat up but was quickly shoved back down by him. “ ‘m not done.” he hissed, resting his heavy cock on your pelvis. Your belly filled with excitement as you felt his tip rub between your lips once more.

Without warning, Sukuna pushed his length into you, slowly. His grin intensified when he saw you squirm and buck your hips at the contact. You squeezed your eyes shut, unable to move from his grip at all.  “Ryo—”

“Shut up.” His hand wrapped itself around either side of your cheeks, pushing them together and making your lips pucker up. His licked his own at the sight of your plush ones. They were chapped from the constant kissing he made you do, but they were still so good.

“M-Make me…”  You could barely get it out with how firmly he held you. “Hm.” A hum escaped his mouth let you go. He spread your legs apart, briefly pulling out to climb on top of you. His lips let yours again, shoving his hot muscle into your mouth. He fucked into you nice and slow, reveling in every moan that you made. Occasionally, you’d break the kiss only for him to reattach himself to your neck. He didn’t care how much you fussed about bite marks or hickeys being impossible to hide…he marked you up however you wanted.

You held onto him in desperation, digging your nails into his back and clawing at him any chance you got. The pleasure was so overwhelming that he left you begging for him to cum. “Ryo, make me cum, p-please!” Your voice was breathless, and it made him want to give you what you wanted but that was no fun. The best part was overstimulating you until you cried for him to fill your womb with his seed.

“Nah, not—yet.” He grunted, his balls were audibly slapping your pussy. Your panties were so stretched from the activity and drenched in his cum, they were surely ruined now. Sukuna ignored your pleas and went harder. You could see his skin start to glisten with sweat. He was really holding back for the sake of your body. It must have been hard, feeling your tight walls close around him and he couldn’t even breed you as hard as he wanted to.

But you could tell that he was reaching his climax as well. He was always known for his stamina amongst his concubines in the Heien Era, but once you appeared, he was suddenly known to finish quicker than he’d imagined. Your energy was so feminine and alluring. It was like breathing fresh air in a world of pollution. When he met you, he never slept with a prostitute again. He only ever wanted you.

“Damn, is it getting hot or is it just me?” He muttered to himself but you heard him. In an instant, he sat up from you, ripping off Yuuji’s hoodie, tearing it in two. He threw it over to the side and you could see just how intensely he was feeling you. He continued to fuck into you becoming inticed by your moving breasts through your thin shirt. He saw your nipples poking through. What a sexy woman you were, wearing no bra near him. So, he tore your shirt too so that he could watch your breasts bounce along with his strokes.

“God, you’re beautiful—” His speech began to slur. His vision clouded with lust and he lowered your himself onto you. He spread your legs further apart, so fast and easily that your lace panties ripped as well. A montrous growl left his mouth as you felt breath hitch against your neck. Your nails broke his skin, causing blood to be drawn when you felt his teeth sink into the other side of your shoulder. “R-Ryomen!” You moaned as loud as you ever have before, releasing all over his cock and at the same time, he fucked his cum into your womb, breeding well just like he used to. Your moaning gave him the last bit of energy he needed. He kept growling and thrusting into you. Your legs went numb with pleasure and eventually you couldn’t keep your legs elevated anymore. Sukuna lost his strength, having a deep sigh and slumping onto you.

The two of you sat in silence for a bit. There was nothing but the sound of the both of you panting. Sukuna was heaving the most.

“I have to get cleaned up.” Your voice was small, throat strained from the loud moaning of his name. But, your husband didn’t budge. You felt his cum and your juices threatening to drip out your cunt around his cock but he held no sense of urgency. “Ryo!” You tried to nudge him but he didn’t allow you to move him. He just grunted in response anytime you called him.

He was still hard and throbbing inside of you.

“Please, I can’t do anymore…” You whined, “Hurry and move before the sheets get ruined.”

Your experience with him took your mind off your missing powers but when things were said and done, you couldn’t help but wonder what happened to them and when they would be coming back…

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #27

The Battle of Big Wand

Part 2 of reacting to this episode (spoiler-free)!

Cosmo talking about the Big Wand going down: Better check with I.T. Hazel: Just I.T.? No fancy fairy name?

why is this so funny to me

Y'know... I've have a post in my drafts for ages that mocks Anti-Cosmo's castle entrance for not being wheelchair-friendly (because the road is covered in spikes). If he took over and then put spikes on this new road, I'm gonna lose it.

OH, I NAILED my "After thinking about it, this is my final answer" prediction. Dev is in the house! oh, good gravy.

This is the second time he's tried to be a king, and I think it's funny he hasn't tried to be a company president or anything. Not fantasy enough for him.

It's stupid funny to me that Dev just turned 10 and he's got impressive muscles when he flexes. what is this child doing- bench pressing solid gold??

We've been robbed of Dev wishing himself into one of the puzzle games he likes and getting buried under, like... Tetris blocks and having to claw his way out.

That might make a good 'fic; I feel like "wishing to be inside an app" is very correct for him.

??? whaaat does he have? He's got portable wishes of some kind? Is it a shooting star? oh, goodness. Let me think, let me think...

!! Crocker has these in the finale of Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 1. He throws them at the ground near fairy guards to poof them into animals. They're grenades. lmao, Dev got into the Fairy Armory.

Canonically, the Fairy Armory is the only place in Fairy World that still has power during outages, so... epic magic fight with weapons?? Ooooh, I hope so!

Irep is back, I knew it!! Part of me suspected he wouldn't be here because he's not really known for being a team player, but I'm glad he is :) Let's go Anti-Fairies!!

I'm delighted Anti-Cosmo isn't taking lead. Also, for some reason it's hilarious to me that Irep is focused on Hazel and not interested in addressing Cosmo or Wanda. He used to greet them as Auntie and Uncle, and now he's like "I don't need their approval or love."

Uh-oh... Has he sorted out his needy issues? If he's too old for naps and we can't bribe him with hugs, how will we defeat him??

I wanted to see if he uses their honoraries in "Fairly Odd Fairy Tales" (since he does it when he's being polite and I knew he was offering food). He doesn't, but I like how Wanda straight-up fed her nephew an apple that puts him to sleep until his true love kisses him, then looks dead at the viewer and says "And then we all lived happily ever after." Is the implication that no one will ever love him, so he's unconscious forever?? omg. Wanda's very black and white view of things is so incredibly funny to me, especially since she grew up in a mob family.

I'm excited to see Dev and the Anti-Fairies. Who would win: the species that invented papercuts, or a little boy who longs for lemonade?

Are you telling me Cosmo and Anti-Cosmo are BOTH intimidated by Irep now? Either this is about to be super funny, or they've switched.

Did Anti-Cosmo finally step up his parenting? Not out of the question; in Season 10, Foop was in time-out for putting spiders in his spaghetti.

(How ironic, considering Foop liked eating spiders).

I rewound and Cosmo jumps when the magic hits, before he sees Irep, so he's not necessarily afraid of him. Also, keeping my fingers crossed for anti-family interactions. I'm really looking forward to a face-off between Irep and Peri; their banter is my favorite and we didn't get much in "Best of Luck."

I'm so glad that despite changing his name, Irep presents himself with the same flair he always did. He is the same person...

omg, his little cufflinks. He's adorable.

For some reason, I've called him "posh British boy" in two previous posts, but... idk why, because he's literally never been posh and I know that. I'm glad he looks like his aesthetic is "bad boy with the tiniest detail of fancy."

I hope he's still friends with Sammy Sweetsparkle :) Maybe they're in a gang. I know there's 0 chance of Sammy being in this episode, but can you just imagine if Foop took out his wallet and there's a picture of Sammy in it.

Actually... if he's got a little metal circle there, I think that implies his jacket is closer to denim than leather. Lemme check......

OH, interesting... Yeah, he and Sammy don't match.

I don't say it enough, but it's really freakin' funny to me that Foop spends a distressing amount of "Certifiable Super Sitter" following Sammy or spying on Sammy and/or reacting to everything Sammy says. He's just Like That... Like, I enjoy the implication that of all the places Foop could go when his parents canonically left him unsupervised for the week, he likely chose to hit up the Turner place in spite of his hatred for Poof because Sammy is there. Silly.

Anyway...

Dev: Yeah, yeah, yeah... and Irep. Joint conquerors of Fairy World.

OMFG, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Was I RIGHT that Anti-Cosmo isn't even at the takeover!? Local introvert hates leaving his house and never wanted Fairy World anyway; more at 11. I'll be there!!

Plot twist, Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda don't actually show up in this episode because they're busy flirting while Irep's away.

I clocked the design aesthetic of the taken-over Fairy World as "This is Irep and Dev as partners; Anti-Cosmo wouldn't do this" so hard. crying. how did I do that. it's not getting better than this.

"Let's get DEV-ious!!"

dlkfgm, once again losing it at Dev using his first name rather than the "Dimm" part of his surname when he makes puns. He's a Dimmadome, but... he's kind of his own twig on the tree.

It is unreasonably funny to me that Irep's wand is so heavy considering he had massive muscles as a child after his Abracatraz imprisonment ("Spellementary School" & "Timmy's Secret Wish").

Also, I am FASCINATED by the decision to give Irep one little zipper tab that hangs off his jacket. Impeccable.

I love this team already. These are two people who are both known for:

- Coming from upper class families - Having parent-related abandonment issues - Not showing a lot of restraint - Only showing restraint when they've REALLY gone too far

Hmm... Oh boy, let me think. We know Dev's [previous] line was that he didn't like his dad shocking people's brains for money, with Dev having strained feelings even when he was trying to convince himself the shocks could be good ("You can help kids!") And he did feel bad about fighting with Hazel, though he's definitely Going Through the Wringer right now.

And Irep's line in the OG series is that he was totally down for:

- Tormenting his parents - Annihilating Crocker for not inviting him to his house party (whom he hilariously calls Denzel when he's mad at him) - Pointing his school's playground slide into the void - Sending Cosmo and Wanda on a dinner date to a black hole - Poof dying (despite the fact their lives were tied together)

- but he wouldn't allow anyone to harm Chloe, who finally introduced him to hugs.

He made it very clear he wasn't willing to face Vicky to save his own life, even on the verge of death, but he'd do it for her or for chicken cordon bleu. And she's not here, and we're all out of chicken cordon bleu. Uh-oh…

- Would Irep rate Hazel hugs 10/10? Inquiring minds need to know. - Is Dev bribing Irep with hugs? Or is Irep just here for the chaos and assurances that Dev's having more fun with him than Peri? - Is Irep bribing Dev with hugs? Are they pumping each other up with positive affirmations?? Go king; continue the healing cycle!

If Irep's parents show up, I hope he's on good terms with his mom, who used to pack chicken nuggets and anti-venom in his lunch box :)

Dev's faith in his ability to not fall off his O-pairs makes me nervous every time he's ever been onscreen.

His dad might let him down, but the O-pairs never have.

[ cnt'd - #Long post ]

All I've been thinking about for ages is an AU where Dev and Mikey Munroe (Bunsen Is a Beast) switch drones for a day, so Mikey's parents freak out that they can't monitor their son 24/7 and meanwhile, Dev just... can't get his dad's attention despite the two-way microphone and camera screen. Also, Mikey spends most of his time making noises into the O-pairs' fans. It's always been my headcanon that Mikey's parents installed the Buxaplenty's and Leadly's security systems (hence the buttons releasing different dogs & the lethal lightning bolts) since I think "ooh, rich people want us" helps justify why his parents are gone for months or years at a time when we know their job is designing home security, so basically... all the cool rich people use them. I actually have a WIP of Mikey and Remy playing near the Buxaplenty train tracks when they were little, but I never found a plot point strong enough to carry it to the end. Anyway, I've been waiting to see what the Dimmadomes have in terms of security, but it's... nothing yet. Plot twist, Dale has trust issues even with the people installing security?? ... I think he'd be friends with Mikey's parents. Maybe. Actually, I might need a 'fic about Dale having a meltdown when he goes home for the first time in 7 years and doesn't trust that Vicky won't sneak in to get him. He needs the world's best security team. It's two terrible parents afraid of literally everything. Yes, they ditched their kid for this. Don't worry about it. y'know... It's really messed up that Mikey's parents are terrified of everything, but they leave their 12-year-old home alone with the pets for months or years at a time, "but it's fine because they're spying on him 24/7 and sometimes give him gifts (like medicated wipes)." His dad is implied to have a fear of germs and I've always wondered if that plays into them not being anywhere near Mikey... Plot twist- We pull a "My Gym Partner's a Monkey" (where the reason we don't see Adam Lyon's parents is because they're severely allergic to animal hair and Adam has to thoroughly wash when he's home and they can't go to school events), but it's Mikey's parents fleeing Muckledunk because they're either allergic or afraid of Beasts. They left their son... Okay, I just checked my notes and I have a line here that says "Mikey's obsession with soft things like animals, beards, and blankets is probably because his parents never touch him." help??

Anyway, I think an AU where Dale hovers over Dev 24/7 and is still a terrible dad would be funny. Instead of neglect, it's obsession... Especially at this age since Dev's as old as Dale was when his trauma started.

... Is Dale putting distance between himself and Dev on purpose because Dev looks exactly like him and is now the age when Dale's life came crashing down? idk if Dale had access to mirrors back then, but that's gotta be weird.

crying at Irep waiting for his cue to pull Dev's flashbacks down from the top of the screen. They rehearsed this. Painfully in-character (In "Secret Wish," Foop claims he waited 10 minutes outside so he could burst in at a dramatic moment).

The way Irep twists his legs gives me Anti-Cosmo vibes.

Rare "Winn without cap" spotted in the wild.

Dev has the room oriented the wrong direction and in doing so, he forgot to include the door. Emotionally, he's stuck in this room. lmao.

Maybe it's a class that's not Guzman's since we know from "Multiverse of Jenkins" that these kids do attend other classes. But... Dev, what's goin' on, buddy?

INCREDIBLY funny to me that Bev sits directly in front of Dev? I gotta go back and fact-check that sometime. Has he been harboring his crush on her because she's right there? That's great!

??? If she DOESN'T sit there then I have to assume Dev is just so Bev-centric that he WANTS her to be there, and that's very funny. Go chase your sporty crush, rich boy. I support you.

Okay, I went back, and it seems his canon seat is between Bev and Kev (with Kev behind Hazel), but Kev vaporizes when we need to center Hazel and Dev onscreen at the same time (such as Dev faking sick and Hazel glaring at him). Oh my glob, he's another witch... Dev, embrace your ancestral witch-hunting for me, plz and ty. It would be funny... /checks my witch notes as a joke and screeches to a halt. Oh my goodness, I could finally get a Soil Tribe child in my roster... I have their magic down as "causes host to fade unnoticed into the background," and it would be very funny to do something magical with the child model. ??? On my first watch of "28 Puddings Later," I don't think I saw that scene of Dev falling over and losing his shades when the pudding throne collapses. Must've missed it while taking notes. That's cute.

I like how Dev's memories are 2D like the photos we've seen throughout the series. Also, Hazel's so dang cute.

I'm glad Dale's pants look the same in both the New Wish and old 2D style despite no FOP character ever wearing anything with that many dots.

I like that Dev's hair is much shinier than his dad's, implying Dale still has the dullness that comes with being soft instead of slick.

- I'm assuming this means either Dev's hair is gelled or he gets that from the maternal side of his family? - idk man, this is very in line with my "Dev's mom is a Leadly" headcanon... At this point, I can't NOT torment him with two very rich and extremely messed-up sides of his family... They both have extreme branding and weird fixations and funky buildings and run big businesses that have brought in incredible amounts of money and they like tech and call people the wrong names... do you see what I see...

I'm DELIGHTED Dale's hair curls up in the back. I've been so sad that he lost his tuft when he grew up. This is clever.

!!! oh yeah, Dale has his dad's stripe! Technically he and Dev both have the stripe, but I love the subtle differences in their hair. While collecting screenshots for an earlier post, I noticed the hair above their ears is combed in different directions, like this:

- with Dale showing the stripe much more clearly than Dev does. I like the implication that Dev's stripe is gold. That's really cute.

I checked, and the gold streak does seem to be in the place he has the Dimmadome family stripes in his 2D form (Eyebrow level). Neat!!

Aw, Irep's a big boy! And his hair grew out blue!! Parents' genes came out kickin'. I did wonder. I think it's funny his mustache and goatee are still black.

Despite losing the black hair, he's not yet immune from "Irep, are you sure one of your parents wasn't actually pixie?" allegations. This is stupid funny to me... In my Cloudlands AU, the Anti-Fairies are always dunking on him for having black hair like Anti-Cosmo's ex-wife, but no one can say anything because unlike Anti-Cosmo's first heir (Talon), Foop was born with the iris virus (colored eyes), so he's "been accepted by the nature spirits" and is heir apparent.

... Seeing this many colored eyes is giving me incredible amounts of anxiety, but it would not be appropriate to clarify why out of context. I like the guy with hair over his eyes and a big hat.

Is Irep leading the charge these days? Do the Anti-Fairies take orders from him?

Did Anti-Cosmo step down!? Because considering how much he hates conflict, I wouldn't be slightly surprised, omg...

I think it's funny that if Dev uncovers any official documents or watches memory clips that flashback to Irep's past crimes, he'd probably be like "Why is there no paper trail for this Irep guy? who tf is Foop?"

WAS that his experience of browsing the anti-web? I have to assume it was- I can't imagine Anti-Fairy World would cross his path without Foop's name coming up.

?? Considering that in my previous post, I said I couldn't think of any reason for Anti-Cosmo to desire taking over Fairy World unless he managed to score the earth and/or godkids out of it...

I'm so glad Dev just dropped "They have to take over Fairy World so they can rule Earth." slkdfj?? okay...

Irep: Now we can rule BOTH! Anti-Cosmo: That just sounds like scoring godkids with extra work.

THEM!! I am once again so intrigued by the lore that A.J. went into parascience and is following in Crocker's footsteps?? You've no idea how much I need to know what the A.J.-Crocker relationship is.

crying at Irep making a peace sign when he gets in front of the camera with Dev. Doesn't he do that in his profile pic on Dark Laser's phone? He's literally the same person he's always been. I missed him so much.

PLEASE do not tell me Dev's full name is Development "Devin" Dimmadome. The quote marks Dale puts around "Devin" are making me lose it.

Dale's partner: Honey, can you stop thinking about business for 5 minutes so we can pick a name for our son? Dale, who comes from a family that usually just slaps their name on things: I got this.

?? I'd LOVE to know what's going on with Dev's mom. Did she die in childbirth and had no say in naming her son, and Dale took over from there? Is she alive, but divorced from and/or passive around him?

Like... I have to assume she had the most exquisite prenatal care through a rich family like this, especially if we assume she also came from a wealthy family cough- Leadlys.

Holy flipping plot twist, does Dev not have a mom at all? He looks exactly like his extraordinarily wealthy dad. Was he just cloned so Dale could pass the business on someday? Did Dale just kinda buy him and wait for the surrogate to hand him over, and he never formed any attachment to him as a baby because he had the O-Pairs / au pairs raise him? lmao!!!

Traumatized beyond belief for 7 years by a girl his age so he trusts absolutely no one and never learned what a healthy relationship was like even with a partner, let alone his son. smh.

Actually, it's very funny to think of him and Vicky splitting up. Like, it was extremely toxic and not romantic in the slightest, but she straight-up identified him when she saw his face in "Operation: Birthday Takeback" even though logically, that would have been 70 years since she was last close to him. She probably knew him pretty well, especially since his hair has changed.

Timmy can't have frozen the timestream any earlier than Channel Chasers in Season 4 when he learns he'll lose Cosmo, Wanda, and his memories when he grows up, which is the reason he cites for freezing time in "Timmy's Secret Wish," and that was 50+ years. It's been 20 more on top of that for Dale to grow up and his son to turn 10. We know Vicky and Doug Dimmadome very, very occasionally crossed paths in later seasons (Vicky tries to sell him the Stryker Z in Season 3's "Engine Blocked").

If anyone cares, this (Season 3) is presumably where Dale grew up unless Doug took him to Dimmadelphia.

Like?? Something about the fact that Vicky and Dale are the same age is funny as heck to me. New Wish canon heavily implies Vicky's been taking advantage of Dale since they were 9, and they might've been friends once upon a time (despite the fact that in both New Wish and the OG series, she can never remember who the Dimmadomes are, lol).

There's no way Doug did a good job of looking for him, or Vicky would've turned him in for reward money. I wonder if Dale had a history of sneaking off to play with Vicky and just never came home one day.

Do you think that after her bossing him around for 7 years, Dale was really messed up and didn't know how to make choices for himself?

Oh, that's awful!! Who would write a 'fic about him running away to look for Vicky and beg her to take him back because he doesn't know how to be a person anymore and needs schedules and instruction? Who would do that?? I'm fascinated by their dark, twisted, and incredibly under-explained vibe. Haha, I'm in danger...

oh no, and Dev even told us his father relies on algorithms over his own thoughts, and we KNOW Dale was upset his publicity team said he should talk to people face to face instead of sending the O-Pairs or hiding behind holograms... A snarky Dev told us he thinks "talking to people isn't [Dale's] thing..." I'm connecting the dots...

hey wtf. does Dale have issues with scraping by in the dirt and dark with limited food and water and nothing to his name for 7 years and that's why he freaks out when he loses money? He can't handle the thought of not having a house??

Holy flip, I wish he'd communicate his trauma to his son, but I'm yelling that we keep seeing hints that he's withholding things from Dev. Like ?? Dale explains his thoughts all the time (in monologue fashion), but he's clearly keeping some things under wraps since Dev didn't have any concept for who Vicky was or why she knew his dad.

I genuinely think Dale doesn't want Dev to know the details. Dev didn't even seem to have a good grasp of why he isn't allowed lemonade, or at least that was my read considering how grumpy he was about it.

omg, this is horrible. who would write a 'fic about Dale taking his son camping and then slipping off to have a total meltdown where Dev won't see. who would do that.

Like, I think at this point they're so rich, you'd have to assume they're not at risk of losing everything if Dale took time off work, but we KNOW he's stuck on that schedule Vicky raised him with (working on Saturdays, which we see him do multiple times), and we KNOW he's always trying to claw his way up despite having the money to buy literally anything he could ever want.

And we KNOW Dale's big thing is that he loses his entire flippin' mind when the money slows down ("You still making sales?" / "Yes, but they're dropping, Dev!") and he's willing to stalk and hurt people to keep it coming in.

Y'know, this is continuing my theory that Doug Dimmadome is probably dead. I legit think Dale lost his support system (possibly around Dev's birthday considering how clingy he is about boots and says they came into his life on that day, plus the golden boots with the "In honor" plaque he has in his house). Daddy's not bailing him out of this one...

Lovely that Dale's first words to Dev after finding out he's taken over Fairy World are "My son." Oh, NOW he wants to talk...

I also find out my son is working with the fey and immediately drop his full legal name.

Why is Dale both the worst person alive and the only dad ever? I need to flatten him with a cruise liner (carnally).

Happy boy... (Dev, don't trust him.)

omfg, Irep's not buying this for a second.

?? I feel like it makes things WORSE that Dale seems at least a little aware of how upset Dev is about the boots? "I'm so proud of my son; it almost makes me want to throw away my boots." - There's no way he doesn't know he's been screwing with Dev's head for the last 5 months. omg.

- Hey, does Dale treat Dev this way because Doug made Dale feel like he was playing second fiddle to his giant hats?? I can't help but notice this whole city has a hat theme, yet Dale doesn't seem to care for hats at all... which is interesting, because we know Dimmadelphia existed way before Doug got here. Doug in my theory: /died 10 years ago Dale: If I touch Dad's hats or add boot statues around the city, he'll totally kill me. - ?? I guess the alt theory is that Dale put all the hat stuff up as memorials to his dad, which doesn't sound far-fetched since again... he keeps THIS in his house:

... Huh. I guess it could be a trophy for Dale instead of a memorial. That's another relevant time to use "In honor." What does it say about me that "omg his dad is dead and he bronzed his boots as a keepsake" was my first thought when I saw this in "Operation: Birthday Takeback" and not "Dale is successful of his own merit"? Obsessed with the implication that Dev's brand image is his sunglasses... Three Dimmadomes go down in history: The Hat, The Boots, and The Shades.

I still think Dale should have a gun. Not to be helpful; just to keep things spicy...

Please go to the Fairy Armory: the one place in Fairy World that canonically keeps power during blackouts. I am begging. I feel like his Southern daddy would want this for him. Doug had a flamethrower.

Is Dev still holding those magic grenades, and what would happen if someone tackled him in a hug?

SDLJKFSDKLFJSDF I'm on the floor. Did I call it? No way... But is Anti-Cosmo only going to show up now that Dev's giving godkids to Anti-Fairies??

Irep: Yo, I'm going to take over Fairy World; anyone want anything? Anti-Cosmo: The same thing I always want: a new child. Irep: wtf

Oh, all that time I spent speculating instead of actually watching the episode the night I started was so worth it. I was really nervous people would grump at me for how I see Anti-Cosmo, but now I feel like I was set up for a slam dunk.

Also, I like how Dev's taken over Jorgen's office. I didn't notice at first, but that's clever.

Dale is so proud despite the fact Dev taped his mouth shut and tossed him aside. That's so funny...

omg, this pit looks dark.

Will Dev torment his dad with lemonade? Is Dale going into the dark torture pit that swings open from the top like a trapdoor, which parallels his underground trauma to a T, or is that going too far?? Is Dev going to dump on his dad about Vicky? Will Dale freak out when he realizes he accidentally hired his abuser of 7 years to babysit his son? Will Dale be joining Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped? (I hope not, because Vicky's in it). Will Dev bully his father while he has all this power and then wipe his mind?? So many questions. Find out next time...

[typewritingyip]

Hi ! I don’t know what hour is it where u live but it’s pretty late for me so : apologies for this hehe

LETS BE HONEST HERE : I LOVE YOUR STORY ! Im currently only on like….chapter 4, but

BUT i love the world building, we can see you really thought about all of that deeply

And. *chief kiss*

I have a proposition my dear writer.

If you describe me how you see Hound, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Breakdown in this AU, both in human and mech form (important things, like weapons, or facial features for the human part)

Then I want to draw them. I don’t know if I will have the time to actually illustrate this but AT LEAST I wanna have a full image in mind when I read this blorbos in your (amazing) style

Also also it’s funny because I was reading your story and I saw your pfp and I’ve been like ‘eh ? I know this’

And yes. You are the kind person that always like and comment on my drawings and I wanted to say TYSM <333

Oh my gosh, Hi!

I’m so glad you love the story, it’s been entirely amazing to be able to write like I have been. You have made my entire day so much better, thank you!

As for the crew of Arcturus One, man, I don’t even know where to begin. I know I briefly described how the ingrained tech was different for each of them in a different post probably here, but actually describing them and their suits…

Hound is what I’ve pictured as the very typical run of the mill military guy, he’s in his late 20’s/early 30’s and has been piloting for around 10 years. Probably started between 20-22, younger but not the youngest to become a pilot. When I’ve spoken about him out loud, I kinda have described him as a better version of Duke from GI Joe, but a lot less blonde. He’s probably a brunette in my minds eye. He stands without the suit around 5’11, on the fitter side of things, and had perpetual eye-bag syndrome. Mans is always tired. He very much would have had that “boy next door” look about him in his younger days (when he first met his ex-wife *cough*) but yeah. That very typical American who is mostly white but generally has a bit of everything there. He has been known to have facial hair but prefers the military look, just cause he does emulate his father in that respect.

Breakdown is from Ukraine, he is the tall guy of the group like 6’ and above. Very stoic in appearance, but the guy is so kind that he is only really intimidating when you don’t know him. He’s on the older side of things, has been a pilot for around 15 years, and probably is one of the longest standing ones. His number came about when he emigrated to the US, getting things changed and re-organized so he has been a pilot longer than Jazz but not in the same programs till after Jazz was around. He’s the eastern block guy of the group, dry humor and certainly knows more English than he lets on. But he still learned a lot of it from movies and things. I’d put him on the slightly bulkier side of things, he’s put in a lot of hard labor and his mech is harder to control than the others. It’s older and heavier, but familiar.

Now the twins, I probably know the most about their appearance. Being born and raised in Florida, I wanted to give them a bit more history and culture, (make Hound feel like the odd one out, sort of) but their mom was from Cuba and their dad met her when he was visiting from New York. They are fraternal twins and Sides took after his dad while Sunny took after their mom. Meaning Sides got hella straight hair and Sunny has got curls, which he will be the first to say are the biggest pain in space. They both are around 6 foot, not taller than that and are pretty lanky. The reason they became pilots is cause they were going to get arrested for drug dealing and street racing, they weren’t dealing drugs but welcome to America. This happened around 16/17, and they’ve been pilots for about 7 or 8 years, so early to mid 20’s right now. Still pretty young.

So to just briefly explain, Hound remind me of just a better/older looking Duke from GI Joe (comics not movies), Breakdown is Ukrainian with the touches of scaring from growing up behind the iron curtain. Sunstreaker is Cuban-Italian, with more features from his mom’s side. Sideswipe is also Cuban-Italian, with more features from his dad’s side. They look incredibly alike and can be confused for identical but they certainly are fraternal.

Now for the Mech suits, the hardest part for me.

Hound is green and very military themed, kinda take War Machine from marvel but make it typical military green in a way. They still have the smoother edges and rounded corners, unlike the Cybertronian’s. The military wanted to make him look approachable to kids, so he sorta looks like a giant thing wearing a helmet to them, but his visor is whole face (like Soundwave sorta in TFP) It had the ability to light up and darken, it was newer tech that they were attempting to make the mechs seem less threatening (*cough cough* blame vortex *cough cough*) He does not have wings or additional thrusters other than the ones that help him stay upright, so he cannot fly/float. Hence the parachutes in chapter 4. His gun stores in part of his leg just cause there wasn’t many other places it would fit, it’s a hand gun with the ability to add a longer barrel to it to make a rifle. It’s not mounted or anything so it looks kinda like he’s unarmed most of the time.

Breakdown is very utilitarian, I mean it doesn’t look dissimilar from the mech suits that the Russian’s pilots in pacific rim on the bottom half, they got a bunch of regime contractors and engineers together to make a defense system and that’s what he pilots. The head was re-designed on his entering Mecha’s service to be more appealing towards marketing. Hence the orange battle mask, I really haven’t described it so much in person but his suit’s head looks much more cybertronian than the others, spots for eyes etc. I’d say his head is much more Earthspark shaped than TFP but that’s just me. His suit is mostly blue though like TFP. He had a soviet era anti-aircraft style cannon attached at the top of his arm/shoulder but that’s received some upgrades. I think I also mentioned other weapons for him but I can’t find it at the moment.

The twins suits aren’t dissimilar other than for the shape of their heads, weapon choice, and color. Their suit’s aren’t dissimilar in shape to Hot Rods here, but once again lack the door wings. They also only have the partial facial visors, mostly covering where eyes would be. They effectively have blades on the outer side of their arms, the bracers I mention in later chapters, for Sunny that is all he has preferring close combat because his mech is lighter and faster than most other pilots (other than Blur, which your design for him is peak I might add.) Sides has those but one side can pop out to be an actual sword/blade that he prefers to use. That took a lot of trial and error to make work.

—

Wow, that was a lot to write out. Also, if you want more information on them or other character's who will appear in later Arcturus missions (because I have a list, muhahaha) feel free to reach out! I love talking about these guys, I love writing them, and it’s just my current escape from the hellscape that is LSAT prep. Also for everyone, I live in eastern standard time, so New York time zone. Next part will hopefully be out tomorrow night at 4:30 ish.

[lexosaurus]

I worked as a substitute teacher for a few years and one day I helped sub in an 8th grade science class. They were doing math like speed=distance/time. But they had a...really odd method for it. That I commented on because I'd never heard of it before.

And the teacher was straight up like "Oh yeah, this makes it really easy for them to do it for the tests. But its going to really fuck them up next year when they are in high school because they won't understand how to reverse the division. But that's not my problem."

And that comment has lived in my head so much. Like, she just did NOT care that the method was bad in the long run. She just needed them to pass the state test that year.

Also, it's literally a very basic formula, what do you MEAN?

Ohhhhh yeah. That's not exactly the issue in my district, as funding for us isn't directly tied to our state exam scores (thank god). Mine is dealing with both grade inflation and no grades below high school. So kids don't want to learn things if they're not graded on the material. Which is fair, honestly, as I also would not have wanted to learn things I didn't like if I wasn't given a grade or any consequences for not knowing it either. Mine's also dealing with a lot of the "memorization bad" thing that's going around, hence why the kids are entering high school not knowing any of their times tables. They just used a calculator their entire lives. They have NO concept of what numbers mean.

Like, at the start of the year, I asked one of my classes what 2 + 0 was and I got about thirty seconds of 15 kids shouting every number except 2. Which was sort of wild to witness.

At the start of the year, we did a week of review and then we had all the freshmen take a quiz of 7th and 8th grade level easy math problems as a sort of wake up call for them. No quiz corrections either, which they've never not been allowed to retake a test before...

The class average was a C-. Unsurprisingly.

Content Teacher warned me right before she posted the grades, and I spent a LOT of time that afternoon talking the kids down from a metaphorical ledge.

Lots of angry parent phone calls, too, but the math department held firm. The students HAVE to know how to solve this stuff. They NEED to know their basic times tables, they NEED to know how basic fractions work, they NEED to know how to rearrange one-step equations.

After that, we had our Very Frank Class Discussion about how they felt about their education. They felt very frustrated and unprepared, which we validated as we're also frustrated that they're so unprepared. But we were honest about other things. We told them that they couldn't get by just sitting there on their phone and copying the answers off the key anymore. We aren't going to reward an A for minimal effort. Yes, you have to take notes, and yes, you have to follow along with classroom example of problems or you won't pass the class. The students are responsible for their education, we all offer extra help, all our emails are open, all they need to do is ask and we'll never turn them away. But they do need to start taking advantage of all the learning opportunities/supports they have now.

Honestly, I'm so glad we had that convo with them. Felt like they got to vent a lot of their frustrations, and they realized that we were here to push them, but we're NOT their enemy. All our students have a study hall block, and if they come to one of our rooms for even 10 minutes out of the entire hour, we will help them however they need.

A lot of my Freshmen have been really really good about coming for extra help, or emailing and asking if they can stop by for a few minutes to do a few homework problems 1-1 with me.

(And yes, for those worried, while we didn't let them retake that first quiz, two weeks later we did give them another assessment after on the same material, but with slightly harder problems and worth more points. Class average was a B!)

I tried to keep this short, but I guess I had a lot to say aksjnfksjdnkajn

[f1fanatic29]

dinner dreams - daniel ricciardo

daniel ricciardo x f1 driver!reader [3k]

summary: after receiving a delayed invitation to sebastians retirement dinner, strange feelings arise after a run in with the infamous honey badger.

warnings:none, just bad writing lmao

a/n: first time posting on here, please me kind but also would appreciate some feedback. anyways thank you and enjoy

italics---> thoughts or exaggerated words

It wasn't often you got lost. The cool November breeze that wizzed by didn't seem to help with your lack of directions either. You couldn't remember why you decided to leave the warm hotel, thinking foolishly that you would just find your way to the restaurant eventually right? Wrong. On top of that you decided to wear the most uncomfortable thing you could, a green mini cocktail dress and the skinniest heals you've brought. 

Why you'd ever except Mick's delayed  invitation to Seb's retirement dinner , you had no clue why. After just winning your second drivers championship in a row you wouldn't expect to see you getting all dressed up again even after just spending the entire week on a bender with everyone and anyone you even semi liked. The original plans before you received the delayed  invitation was to take a nice long hot bath maybe go and order some sushi on Door dash. But a final dinner with your idol and good friend was something  you knew you just couldn't miss. 

Ah fuck this, 

 as the breeze began to pick up again. About a block away from the hotel you had been staying at for the past couple days a fancy black SUV pulls up next to you with the windows rolled down.

"You don't happen to be Y/N are you?" the driver asked. Your eyebrows furrowed as you debated answering as that question doesn't often lead to good places,"depends on who's asking?"you responded, narrowing your eyes at the mysterious driver he chuckled lightly at your expression. 

"Well I was sent to come pick you up at hotel intercontiential miss, to bring you to the dinner if I've been told correctly?" he responded, you smiled awkwardly and let out a small Oh as you opened the side door and sat down in the back.

"Um I guess you would be correct, but if you don't mind me asking sir, which one of the guys hired you tonight?" you asked curiously as the car began to move down the road.

"Sorry Miss, I was told not to disclose that information to you tonight, he said that you would probably figure it out on your own anyways"

The rest of the drive went by fairly quickly for you, as you  arrived at a hotel after only a couple minutes. The SUV drove up the road a little further as you noticed from the inside of the tinted windows a unique hotel at the top of the hill. It was mostly wooden and stone built it was odd looking compared to the rest of Monaco's modern style but has a welcoming feeling towards it, it definitely was picked by Sebastian. Going underground you assumed you were going into a parking garage as the car came to a stop in front of the underground entry.

"So this is where I leave you" the driver said unlocking the doors as you then climbed out,"I guess it is, thanks again for coming to save me..."you paused wait for him to give you his name, "Clint, and it was my pleasure Y/n, I hope you enjoy your evening"he said as you smiled and gave a quick you too as you closed the doors. 

As the SUV pulled away back up to the street, you turned and made your way inside. The inside was luminated by warm lights and dark accent walls, you made your way to the elevator at the end of the hall. As you got in a small pit of anxiety made its way into your stomach as the elevator moved upwards. You wasn't quite sure why you were suddenly so nervous, you were around these guys more than your own family for christ sake. 

It still confused you on why someone hired a driver to come get pick you up tonight, and why choose for you not to know who did it. Despite it being a kind gesture it bugged you, but you set herself a special mission for the evening, find out who hired the driver.

The elevator let out a ding as the doors opened revealing the main entrance to the hotel and the restaurant that you had finally managed to get to. You stepped out into the hallway first noticing the extremely large Christmas tree an other various Christmas decoration in the restaurant that you had finally found. 

Why the hell are there decorations up already its only the middle of November?

Before you could see him, you could definitely hear him. The boisterous laugh that anyone on the grid could recognize from a mile away. His gaze then lands on you just as he rounds the corner, his already shining smile getting brighter by the second, he picks up his pace and walks straight for you. Her heart beat picks up as she finds herself smiling just as wildly back at the Honey Badger, the one and only.

"About time you got here sweet heart" he said with that iconic Aussie accent, pulling you into a close to bone crushing hug, as you laughed loudly."Danny I think we both know I'm early" it was now him time to laugh as he continued to hold you like his life depended on it.

"I missed you" 

The innocent comment made your cheeks tinge red at the sudden unexpected seriousness from the usually goofy driver. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek as you pulled away from the tight embrace."Missed you too" you said with a warm smile now seeing the slightly surprised and happy look on the drivers face as he clears his throat as he tries to brush the blush off his face

"I gotta go help Max, I'm pretty sure he got lost down in the parking area or something,  I'll be back in a minute love" he says still staring at you but making his way towards the elevator. Just as you starts to turn around he grabs your hand and pulls you back locking his gaze with yours.

"You look beautiful tonight love, incase you didn't already know" he says holding your hand and his eyes rake you body and face carefully.

"Thank you Danny, I can always count on you to bring the fun to the party" you said fixing the collar on his brightly patterned shirt, giving him a cheeky wink. He smiled planting a light kiss on the corner of your mouth, before making his way towards the elevator as you then slowly continued down the hall with a sharp blush on your face. That pit of anxiousness from earlier had been filled with a strange other feeling that rose up to your throat, a weird a feeling you hadn't felt for someone in a long time. And you couldn't help but wonder if that made you excited or terrified, either way it was rather unexpected. 

"Hey Champ, over here!" Lewis called with his arms open wide as you made your way around the corner, picking up the pace you practically jumped into your teammates arm as his silly laugh ringed over in your ear.

"Have any trouble getting here, love?" Lewis snickered

"We're you the one who sent that driver? God Lewis I should've known" you said rolling your eyes with a slight sense of disappointment."No sadly, but I know who did" he said with a snicker as you got pulled into a hug by the main man of the evening.

"Y/n, I'm so glad you could make it tonight. I'm sorry for the late invited, I just guessed you'd have other festivities going on this evening that you'd rather attend." Seb said with his classic gentle smile."Oh Seb, that's non sense there's no other place I'd rather be than here tonight. Thank you for including me, it means a lot". He just gave you a reassuring squeeze on your arm as he was pulled away by Mick to greet more of the incoming drivers. The rest of the grid slowly started to pour into the lobby, as for you, you migrated to George and Alex who were now pestering you on your new two time champion status, aka your lack of arm candy.

"Oh come on Y/N/N, just spill the beans! It's your second world championship and you're telling me you still haven't got a date to the Gala, mate I'm sorry but I don't believe a word." Alex said shaking his head in disbelief. "Mate see the writing on the wall! She's definitely got a date she just to scared to share it because it's probably some unworthy chap! Look she's even blushing Alex!"You just shook her head in response to the two Williams drivers as you hoped they would drop the un-entertaining conversation on your love life. 

Just as you began to zone out again as the two continued to bicker on if you did or didn't have a date yet, a knowing arm slide its way across your shoulder as you instantly knew who had joined the group."Ah sorry to interrupt the harassment but I just wanted to say hi to MY best friend and give HER a hug" Lando says glaring his eyes at Alex and George as the Mclaren driver pulled you into a tight embrace. 

"Hi Little Landi, how are you doing tonight." you said stepping back from the brunette."Not bad, I hope these two muppets haven't been bugging you for too long. They ever get too much just remind them they drive for Williams." he says with a smirk, you burst out laughing just seeing Alex and Georges face drop at the slightest mention of their current teams standing. 

"Ah excuse me Muppet, I'd like a moment to say hi the our two time champion here, you've had your time" Carlos said pulling Lando away and then pulling you into another hug."Wow I guess it's a hugging kinda night,  isn't it Chili" you said hugging the Smooth Operator back letting out a chuckle."Well, it's not every day you see all of us together outside of a race weekend right?" the local Monegasque quipped, pulling you into a side hug. 

"I just wanted to say congrats Y/n, you were amazing this season, really" he said smiling brightly at you. "But I will say, with the new Ferrari upgrades for next season, it won't be so easy" he said with a wink as the rest of the listening drivers groan, you let out a breathy laugh."Yeah yeah Charlie, you keep saying that from my rear view mirror, eh?" 

_______________________________________________________

"So, when are you gonna tell me what is going on between you and Daniel?" Lando whispered into your ear, snapping you out of your thoughts. "Lando, what are you on about mate? Nothings going on with us ok. Maybe we had a small run in earlier that's it" you said trying to cover your blush as the moment earlier with the Aussie earlier replayed your head.

"Well the muppet has been making hearts eyes at you the entire time I've seen him over there with Alonso, so clearly it wasn't nothing to him." He said to her with a raised brow. You glanced up looking towards the Daniel and the Spaniard as you instantly caught his eye. Surprising to you, he didn't look away he just continued to gaze into your eyes with that infamous glowing smile.

Caught you looking, didn't I?

It was a bit of a struggle to get all 20 drivers into the private room on the second floor, as Seb has requested for the evening, but you all managed to figure it out. It was a busy moment to get everyone seated as no one could hear a thing amongst all the chatter going on. You being one of the first sat down choose a seat towards the end of the table, having already been in the middle of enough chaos for the evening you were hoping  for quieter place at the table. But also secretly pray you'd manage to be at least able to see the Aussie from your position. Turns out, you have to be careful what you wish for. 

"Enchante, mademoiselle. Uh is this seat taken?" The Australian said with a terrible mock French  accent. But non the less it making you laugh which was the entire point.

"You know I was just hoping that I would get a calm spot at the table tonight, but I guess not anymore." you said sarcastically with a smirk."Oh shoot sorry, I'll move, you probably don't wanna be hearing anymore of my blabbing, I'll-" you grabbed his hand cutting him off.

"Dan, I was just kidding, I'd love for you to sit with me." You said still holding his hand in your small grasp. He didn't reply he just looked at you in awe?  Sorta gasping like a fish out of water, cute. Snapping out of his trance he clears his throat and sits down next to you as Lando squeezes onto your other side as the rest of the grid begin to settle into their places.

The dinner went by surprisingly smoothly, despite the extraneous time it took for all the drivers to make a decision on what to order. Many different conversations poured out all across the table as there was never a dull moment. Shockingly none being racing related, as an unspoken rule of the night was to talk about anything other than work to each other since they did that enough. But rather talk about each others families, friends, Christmas plans or an other plans during their next couple of months off, it felt strange but oddly very nice. 

As Lando and Charles talked about dates that they could to some possible streaming over the winter break. Yuki, Pierre and Daniel talked about some funny memories from the past couple of season, you sat there quietly just observing the many different conversations across the table, just sorta taking in the moment.

It was strange. That these are the people that you are the most competitive within the world and here they all were sitting talking, having a meal together. The crashes, the battling, the rivalries, all left out on the track. It made you smile, the thought that all these amazing people were able to share this one in a life time dinner and that this would be the last time you'd ever be with the same 20 people, ever again.

"Hey, you doing ok? You kinda just zoned out there." Daniel asked with a worried gaze."Yeah I'm good, just taking a break from the small talk." you replied almost nervously, taking a look back around the table seeing only smiles all around.

"Do you wanna come get some air with me, it's gotten pretty hot in here." Daniel said sitting up extending his hand out to you. You nodded in response getting up from your seat, yet no one noticing the departure of you two as you walked away from the table quietly.

Walking out onto the balcony, it felt warmer than it did previously in the night. The couple flutes of champagne must have been acting as you jacket for the evening as you could being to feel a small blush on her cheeks arise from the alcohol, or maybe for other reasons. Noticing that you and Daniel were still holding hands, you pretended not to notice as you looked out at the Harbour as the moon reflected off the water. Strange nervousness washing over you. It was weird you had never felt the slightest bit nervous around Danny despite all the years you had known each other. A small shiver running down your body.

"Here love, take my jacket."He had it off his back and onto yours before you could ever protest, you let out a small thank you as you both lean on the railing, admiring the view.

"Hey I totally forgot to ask, did you get here ok? Hopefully had no problems?" Danny said with a smirk as he leaned closer to you. Pulling away slightly looking at the satisfied look on his face, you try your hardest not to start smiling at him as hard as you wanted to.

"You're such an asshole" you say halt heartedly as you punch his arm, he starts to double over laughing, his contagious laugh making you laugh as well. The two of you giggle for quite some time before finally calming down as you wiped the stray tears from your eyes.

"Why?" you asked still trying to suppress your giggles from earlier, a few slipping out."Why what?" he asked with the proud smile still on his face."Why did you hire the driver Danny?", facing your body towards him.

"Well I first kinda guess that Mick would forget to  send you the address. Second I knew if I came to pick you up, which was my initial plan, I would've torn that dress right off you in the lobby." 

You weren't quite sure how long you remained silent for, trying to process what he just said, or even trying to tell if you were dreaming or not. The feeling in your stomach that you had been feeling all night, just grew right into your heart and felt more like a bursting flame overcoming your entire body. Yet you were frozen, the man you had found attractive for years now that you had assumed was totally out of your league just said that to your face. You had no idea how to respond.

"Ah fuck I totally fucked this up didn't I? Ah God, nice going Riccardo you bloody-" your lips were on his in milliseconds cutting him right off. You didn't even think, your body just moving on instinct. 

Finally regaining his senses he began to kiss you back with just as much intensity. Pulling you snug against his chest by your waist, tilting your head to the side by your chin trying to deepen the kiss even further if possible. Grasping at the curls on the back of his head trying to keep your balance on your unsteady heals, he let out a small groan. You both pull away as your body finally had run out of oxygen. Resting both your heads on each others as you stare into each others eyes with wild smiles, panting as you both shake with excitement and passion.

"Well, its about time you kissed me" he said with that cheeky grin.

"Had to find some way to shut you up" His boisterous laugh filling the otherwise quiet November night. The regret of excepting the delayed  invitation from earlier, no where found in your mind.

-

-

-

I will probably be doing some other fics for other drivers on here as well soon, so stay tuned for that. thank you for reading, please lmk if you have any feedback or suggestions!

[winniefrezcomics]

You got that jimtim crack bro?

Oh shit uuuhhh- fuckin- hang on- (frantically flips thru notes app)

Here’s a shitty phone doodle and a Drabble that I wasn’t gonna post bc it’s kinda boring abswbfndjcjdj, unfortunately I don’t have any more competent JimTim on hand rn but hope these suffice, chief 🫡

(This is more implied JimmyTimmy than anything, the focus is on Jimmy meeting Timmy’s siblings lmao)

A teenage Jimmy Nuetron steps through an interdimentoinal portal, looking around at his surroundings and his own hands

“Okay… this looks right…”

In the background, Teen Timmy Turner takes out an earbud, and turns from his desk

“JIMMY!” Timmy leaps up in excitement, scurrying over to his friend

“Greetings, Timmy! Hate to drop in like this, but there’s been-“

Jimmy is interrupted as Timmy BEAR HUGS him, lifting him off the ground for a second

“how ARE you man? It’s been forever!”

Jimmy sighs, hugging back briefly with an awkward pat before stepping back-

“Yes, yes, good to see you too, sorry I’ve been so busy…”

Jimmy’s face suddenly hardens into a serious scowl, activating his wristwatch to project a hologram of a weird little bug man

“Listen, Turner- I wouldn’t drop in unannounced if it wasn’t a DIRE situation. ZIM got into the base. We don’t know how, or what he took, but we need ALL hands on deck to ensure he doesn’t-“

Jimmy looks over to see Timmy texting in his phone

“-aaaand you’re not listening”

Jimmy sighs with exasperation

“Yeah yeah yeah, important multiverse stuff- just a sec, this is important too!” Timmy continues to text excitedly

Jimmy sighs, tapping his foot impatiently “aaand, what exactly could you be referring to that’s more important than-“

Jimmy jumps slightly as all the lights in the room suddenly go out, darkening it completely despite it being visibly midday outside moments prior

Timmy however is unbothered, grinning as a SPOTLIGHT flicks on from nowhere to illumiate him

“Jaaames Neutron, I’d like you to meet-“

Jimmy reflexily raises his watch-lazer in alarm as a purple POOF of smoke fills the room,

Jimmy COUGHS, glancing down at his wristwatch with alarm when it beeps to indicate that another person, and some undefinable other lifeform, have suddenly teleported into the room with them

The smoke slowly disperses to reveal GIGANTIC BLOCK LETTERS have also appeared, mirroring Timmy’s excited shout of

“myyyy SIBLINGS!!”

Timmy runs over to one side of the gigantic “SIBLINGS” block letters and hits the dab

Jimmy blinks with confusion, eyes darting all around the strange scene- after the un-ignorable letters, Jimmy notices a human silhouette, about Timmy’s height, step forward out of the fog with a friendly wave, and flashing her gap-toothed grin

“Hi! I’m Chloe Carmichael!”

Timmy looks up from his silly pose and sighs with disappointment-

“Chloeeee, you didn’t dab with me!”

“Oh, sorry? Was I supposed to?”

“Poof poof!”

Jimmy immediately directs his gaze and watch upward, locking eyes with a toddler-aged Poof, who waves excitedly with the hand not holding his rattle

Timmy approaches Jimmy and nonchalantly lowers the wrist watch for him

“Easy, tiger- that’s just my fairy god brother! His name’s Poof!”

Jimmy blinks with confusion, then laughs to himself- “ah, of COURSE! I almost forgot all about your holograms! This must be a new model! An awfully cute one…”

Jimmy notes with amusement- poof floats closer, and Jimmy gives his chubby tummy an experimental poke, making him giggle adorably

“Oh heyyy, you must be that scientist Timmy thinks is cute!”

Timmy RUSHES over to cover Chloe’s mouth, hissing through his teeth- “CHLOE!! WHY WOULD YOU TELL HIM THAT?!”

“Cause you’re not GONNA!” Chloe responds with a grin

Jimmy doesn’t even hear them arguing, he’s too busy scanning poof with his watch, and squinting at the screen with interest

“How odd… according to my sensors, your holograms appear to have biological components…”

Jimmy looks up at Poof, smiling awkwardly- “Heey, little guy- ‘poof’, was it?”

“Poof poof!” Poof nods with a big smile

“Iiii don’t suppose you’d mind if I, uh- ran a few tests on you?”

Poofs face falls into one of fright, and he teleports to hide behind his brother, who looks up with alarm upon hearing the word ‘tests’

“OY! Put that mad scientist-ass face AWAY, J-Bird! That’s my baby brother you’re talking about!”

“Baby… brother? How exactly do you have a familial relation to a hologram? And weren’t you an only child last time I was here?”

Timmy suddenly looks mildly uncomfortable, clearly u are how to explain- he looks at Chloe for help, who just shrugs

“Well- uh- ya see- the thing about that is-“

“HANG ON-“

“Oh thank god”

“My sensors are picking up something…”

Jimmy squints at his watch, before his eyes go wide, suddenly shouting

“EVERYONE, GET DOWN!!” JUST as the wall to Timmy’s room has a gigantic HOLE blasted into it

Timmy tackles Chloe out of the way, and poof transforms into an umbrella for a moment to shield them from debris, but reverts back to his fairy form with a gasp of excitement when he hears a familiar voice-

“Just WHAT do you think you’re DOING in here, TURNER?!” FOOP demands, floating through the hole he made to survey the scene, pointing accusingly at the portal when he spots it

“A-HA! I KNEW IT! You ARE opening Interdimentional portals!!” Foop suddenly turns to Poof, looking hurt-

“And you DIDNT invite me?!”

Poof Floats over to comfort his frenemy, ‘poof poof’ing gently at him

“What. Is THAT.” Jimmy deadpans from where he had ducked for cover from the blast

“Oh, that’s just Foop.”

Timmy sighs, walking over to clasp Jimmy’s hand and help him up (tho doing so makes Tim blush a bit)

“That… doesn’t answer my question…”

“Yeah, he sucks. Do as many tests on HIM as you want.”

Jimmy starts to grin with excitement, but Chloe steps between Jimmy and the toddler fairies with her arms outstretched, looking offended

“Hey! No way, mister Science guy! Step AWAY from the babies!”

Jimmy deflates with annoyance at being stopped a second time, Timmy pats him on the back.

[hexxedghost]

So, I think I only posted a little sneaky peek on bluesky.

Some of you might know I'm taking part in the big bang that's being run, and I got paired with the lovely @yeenybeanies who had the galaxy brain idea to do NikPrice in a Witcher AU. (there might also be a dragon >.>) I get the vibe this is gonna be a long beast, but there's a little sneak peek of Price and Nikolai meeting beneath the cut~!

He lets his eyes fall closed; the fight leaving him. He expects the harsh tear of claws into his belly, the burning pain before the blood loss could leave him numb and cold. Instead, there’s a sharp smack to his face and a heavy rumble above him.  “You make a poor corpse, Wolf,” a deep voice says.  Price blearily opens his eyes, squinting up at the silhouette blocking the sky above him. “Who’re you?” he croaks, voice rasping.  The man doesn’t answer him, instead there are hands tearing at the buckles in his armour, slipping into his pockets.  Oh, he’s being robbed.  Price struggles to gain enough control of his limbs to swing out, catching the person unawares in the jaw, knuckles stinging from the impact.  “Least wait til I’m fuckin’ dead, thievin’ bastard,” he grits out as he tries to push to his feet. The wound in his side opens further, and his feet can’t gain purchase amongst the slippery river stones, leaving him awkwardly slumped to the side. He’d still fight, not wanting to spend his dying moments being stripped bare, his valuables tucked away into some grubby pockets to be sold at market.  There’s a loud booming laugh that makes him pause. It isn’t edged with cruelty, instead warm and joyful and completely at odds with everything happening.  “I have Kiss if you want it, Witcher,” they chuckle.  “Fuck off, cunt,” Price snarls. The larger figure shakes their head and sighs, digging in their belt pouch and holding out a vial.  “I’m flattered, but I think this may be more useful,” he says, pressing it into Price’s hand. The vial is one that’s instantly recognisable to Price. It’s a Witcher staple. Kiss, the potion. It staunched bleeding, making a Witcher’s blood run sluggish like tar in their veins. Better than draining himself into the river’s waters.

[cyllres]

hi hi, :) how do you think reader and other jjk casts would react to squid game? I've been OBSESSED with season 2 and i find jjk x squidgame memes or contents so funny

Devil Casts in Squid Game Headcanons

(Normal People AU, Everyone is in the Game AU, very short)

- You? A death game? Hilarious. The odds of you orchestrating one of these twisted competitions are astronomically higher than you finding yourself as a participant. But, well, you have a brother. And that’s where the chaos begins.

- Yuuji, being Yuuji, probably got tricked into this mess—or worse, thought it was just another fun event with some cool prizes. And you, being the loyal sibling you are, ended up dragged along.

- Your debt? Almost certainly tied to your grandfather’s shady history and death. It’s not like you and your brother willingly took on debts; it’s just that the financial mess he left behind became y'all inheritance.

- Sukuna’s (y'all uncle) presence is baffling, especially since that man didn’t even bother showing up for your grandfather’s funeral. The audacity.

- Megumi’s participation? Blame Toji. Those inherited debts didn’t just disappear, and the guy probably gambled himself into oblivion.

- Speaking of which, Toji is here too, grumbling about his luck but somehow still finding time to smirk at Sukuna’s predicament. Are they both old friends? Who knows.

- Nobara? She’s here because she got reckless with credit cards—a lot of them. Identity fraud to fund her shopping sprees? Classic Nobara.

- Satoru’s reason for being here? None. He’s just vibing, claiming it’s for “research,” but everyone knows he’s only here to cause chaos.

- Suguru? He’s not a player—oh no, he’s the mastermind behind the whole operation. He probably roped Nanako and Mimiko into being cute yet eerily efficient circle guards.

- And Yuuta? He’s the 456 in this scenario, the everyman who wins it all, witnesses the horror firsthand, and then decides to come back and fix things. Be the hero.

Game 1: Red Light, Green Light

- After the individual photos and other weird introductory procedures, it’s time for the first game. Yuuji, of course, is way too excited for someone who was just kidnapped and thrown into a mysterious facility.

- You, on the other hand, are the skeptical one. While Yuuji marvels at the doll, you’re already grilling the pink guards with questions they obviously won’t answer.

- The seriousness of the situation doesn’t hit either of you until the game started and someone moves and gets shot. The blood spray and subsequent screams quickly silence Yuuji’s enthusiasm.

- Yuuta is immediately shouting orders, his tone so sharp it sends chills down your spine. His urgency makes you and Yuuji nervous—why is this guy acting like he’s seen this before?

- The doll starts chanting again, Yuuji instinctively moves to shield you. One deadly glare from you stops him in his tracks.

- “Don’t. Move,” you hiss, watching him twitch in panic beside you. He nods, rooted to the spot.

- As the game progresses, you two fall into a rhythm, with Yuuji subtly blocking potential danger while following Yuuta’s lead. The focus is survival.

- But then there’s him. Satoru. The white-haired menace, skipping toward the finish line like it’s a picnic. He’s pushing people—old people, no less.

- “Why is he floating?” Yuuji whispers as he looks at Satoru, he would've find this amusing but not now. You have no answers.

- Satoru’s antics almost cost Toji and Sukuna their lives. The two survive, of course—plot armor seems to favor them—but there’s instant bad blood. Sukuna vows revenge, while Toji simply mutters something about Satoru being a pest.

- Post-game, Satoru decides to recruit you and Yuuji into his “group.” Begrudgingly, you agree. Better to be his ally than his target. Your group now consists of you, Yuuji, Nobara, Megumi, and the unhinged menace himself.

- Satoru somehow befriends other groups too, including Nanami’s crew (which features Maki, Inumaki, Panda—yes, an actual panda—and Yuuta). Even Player 001 seems oddly fascinated by Satoru. Is this the old man yaoi

- Who’s player 001 again? Sagugu? Doesn't matter.

Game 2: Six Legged

- After the voting system is initiated, you and your brother are one of the loudest advocates for leaving. Sure, the games are darkly amusing to you, but with Yuuji present, there’s no way you’re risking his life for entertainment.

- Unfortunately, the majority votes to stay, and you’re stuck.

- Sukuna, of course, is the loudest supporter of continuing the games, which only irritates you further.

- The game is straightforward, but the tension is palpable. Thankfully, your group works well together, completing the task quickly. Satoru even manages to annoy the guards by flipping off the guards just for fun.

- During the break, Yuuji starts feeling guilty. He climbs into your bunk, his expression downcast. “Y/N… I’m sorry. If it weren’t for me…” His voice cracks, and you realize he’s blaming himself for everything.

- “It doesn’t matter,” you say firmly, taking his hand. “What matters is that we both stay alive. Together.”

- Satoru, of course, overhears and mocks the emotional moment. “Ugh, so cheesy,” he says, rolling his eyes. But deep down, even he understands the weight of the situation.

[afictionalwhor3]

Found Family

a/n: I know this isn't hotd related but I've had this idea since finals started and had to get it out of my head.

Summary: Maybe you and Peter can help each other heal

Warnings: domestic abuse, suggested sa (not described), past trauma, suggested eating disorder, angst

Word Count: 3.9k

Post No Way Home Peter Parker x Reader

"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit at this table with you? I'll sit at the other end and I promise I won't bother you," You ask gently. Peter looks at you taking one of his headphones out and nodding his head.

"Oh uh yeah go ahead. No problem" He says smiling politely and you nod appreciatively. You sit down at the other end of the medium-sized wood table. You proceed to place your bookbag next to you while taking out your notebook and laptop. Peter takes one more quick glance at you before going back to the work in front of him.  

After Peter passed his GED test, he decided to start taking college classes. It was nothing crazy, a couple classes, a few credits, but he knew he owed it to everyone no longer here to pursue a college degree. The workload allowed him plenty of time to be Spiderman while giving him some semblance of what a normal life feels like again. Which was one of the reasons he came to the library. The apartment was often too quiet. Not for the lack of his neighbors trying. The people down the hall had an affinity for rock music, and the people above him… they liked to get it on you could say. He could block that sound out, but when he looked around his apartment it was a painful reminder of how alone he was. The few pictures he found of himself with May, MJ, and Ned he got framed and lived on his dresser. They brought him both pain and happiness every time his eyes landed on them. Peter loved them all as much as person could love someone else, but they were also a painful indicator of a life lost. The library was quiet, but the people that came in and out constantly alleviated a little of that lonely feeling. And the table he was currenly at had become his favorite. Peter did not have much these days so a table had become his favorite. The light directly above was bright, but not blinding compared to the naturally low lighting in the building. It was right next to a window with a beautiful view of outside, and he could see a good amount of entrances and exits.  

These were all the same reasons you loved this table. You had sat at others before and found you could not be as productive at those. You understood how odd it was to ask to share a table with someone when there were at least fifty free tables on this floor alone. But, you had a paper due in afew hours and you needed to be your most productive self. You too were taking classes at university and appreciated the quiet calm of the library. Life back where you were from was anything but stable, so the places you found serenity in you tended to cling tightly too. 

You and Peter went about your lives like this for a few months. You didn’t always run into each other, but when you did it was nothing more than a tight-lipped, polite smile before you both went back to whatever you were working on. You both were nothing more than a blip on each other’s radar. Peter began to pay closer attention to you when one day his gaze drifted to you while you were deep in thought as you wrote furiously in your notebook. It was December in New York so naturally the heat in the library was blasting making it hotter than usual. With the sleeves of your sweater pushed up he noticed bruising on your forearms. He didn’t think too much about it, choosing instead to mind his business. For the next couple of weeks there were no more signs of bruising so he figured you must of got in an accident of some sorts. 

But then the next time he saw you there were some serious bruises around your neck and collarbone. He brushed it off as being nothing more than a few extreme love bites not wnating to get involved in anything that didn’t concern him. He told himself he would focus on classes and being Spiderman, not getting distracted by anything else. However, he knew he had to do something when the next time he saw you there was bruising around your eye. He could tell you attempted to cover it with makeup, but he knew more than anyone what a bruise looked like. Peter knew he needed to do something, but he couldn’t exactly Spiderman his way into this situation. Obviously something was going on, but Peter had no idea how to approach this. He could web sling and fight bad guys all day, but helping someone as Peter? He didn’t know it that was possible. While he thought over a plan your bruises only got worse. You would slip up and scratch your arm or adjust your collar and he saw them, bright as day from his perspective. God only knew how many more you had that he couldn’t see. It was breaking his heart and he knew he had do something sooner rather than later. If everything he had to do wasn’t hard enough, you were running into each other significantly less. 

A month since he first picked up on what was going on, Peter saw you again. This time when you sat down Peter took out his headphones. You were immediately concerned thinking he was going to change his mind when he extended an outstretched hand towards you,

“I’m Peter,” He said with a genuine smile. You looked at him suspiciously before putting your hand in his. 

“Y/N, nice to meet you,” You say shaking his hand pulling away after a few seconds. You both could feel the awkward tension growing between you before Peter broke the silence, 

“Sorry I don’t mean to disturb you I just realized we’ve been sitting together all these months and I didn’t even know your name,” He says chuckling a little which makes you smile. 

“Oh yeah, I guess that is kind of nuts. Well nice to meet you Peter, and thank you for letting me sit here. This is gonna sound odd but this is my favorite table,” You say and Peter’s smile gets bigger. 

“Mine too! I-” He starts before getting a few shushes at how loud he got “Sorry. I like it too because I can see all entrances and exits and the view is so nice.” He says and you nod your head quickly in agreeance. 

“Wow- I actually feel the same way,” you say shocked you both were the same type of weird. 

“Well, I’ll let you get back to work. But it was great to finally get your name,” He says as you nod. 

“You as well,” You say opening your laptop and putting your headphones in. That was the last time Peter saw you. 

~2 months later~

It was the middle of March as Peter stood at the top of building looking over the city. Winter refused to let New York out of its crushing grip, a cold chill remaining in the air. Peter replayed that day between you a million times over in his head. He didn’t ask about the bruises he saw because maybe at that time you just needed a friend. He could build your trust and maybe you’d come to him about what was happening. But he never saw you again. The next two weeks he went to the library everyday for hours on end hoping to see you, but you never came. He only hoped that you were out there somewhere okay. You would live in conscious for a very long time. A symbol of one of his many regrets. He takes a deep breath before free falling off the building catching himself with his web as he begins his nightly patrol. 

Moving around steahily his enhanced hearing picked up yelling, there was always yelling in New York. Ready to continue his patrol and not think twice about until he heard “God damnit Y/n!”. There was a million and one chance someone else had your name, but he had to go check. 

“I’m so sorry Jack I promise I’m trying to be better” You plead before feeling a burning sting to your cheek. Before you had a chance to process that the punch to your gut sent you reeling into the glass coffee table. The air left your lungs as you landed feeling the now broken glass did into you . 

“You stupid bitch. I go out there and bust my balls and come home to bullshit every night. The place is a fucking mess,” kick “your food sucks,” kick “And I swear every time I come back your fatter” another kick. There was no point in fighting the tears that streamed down your face. You couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the pain was because everything hurt. Every kick hit a place that was already bruised already elevating the pain. 

This latest fight had been going on for an hour since he got home. You’ve been in this situation for four months. As pathetic as it sounded, he was all you had. You began dating at the beginning of the semester. You moved across the country for school, but you werne’t leaving much behind. You didn’t have any friends, no family. You ran into Jack one day in the street. He bumped into you and made you spill coffee all over yourself. He apologized so sincerely, and offered to buy you a new one to make it up. When it came to sweeping you off your feet he did everything right. Romantic dates, the perfect gentleman, devilishly attractive. You began dating and moved in with him quickly because his apartment was nicer than the dump you lived in. That was when he first started hitting you. 

It didn’t happen often at first. Maybe if you raised your voice or forgot to pick up something. But he always promised it was the last time. He cried and apologized and begged you to forgive him and you always did. Because in truth, you needed him a lot more than he needed you. Then as time went on everything you did was not good enough in his eye. You didn’t clean well enough, you were too big, even the way you breathed. The first time he broke your rib he told you it was because you were breathing too heavy after going out on a walk together and he’d give you a real reason to have trouble breathing. You had lost about thirty pounds in the last few months both from him restricting your food and yourself.

The library was the last safe space you had. That day Peter talked to you, oh Peter you missed him so much. That day he talked to you, it felt so good to talk to another human being. He seemed nice and genuinely interested in possibly being your friend? You were sitting with each other for so long it would make sense. But you didn’t know Jack followed you to the library that day becoming suspicious of how much time you spent there. When you got back he was furious assuming you were cheating on him. He didn’t give you time to explain yourself and got right to hitting you as soon as you closed the door. You blacked out that night waking up on the floor by the door. 

The rational part of your brain knew you deserved more than this. You didn’t have or deserve to be treated like this. But what if what he said was true? What if you really were unlovable? Beyond fixing? Maybe he really was your best option. Or what if he went back to the way he first was? Loving and attentive, but would all this pain be worth it. When Peter first talked to you you thought about telling him everything. Which is a terrible weight to dump on a stranger, and he seemed so nice. Kind in a way you haven’t experienced in a long time. You decided quickly this was not his problem, there was no reason to burden his life as well. After that incident Jack told you if you ever told anyone he would kill you first and then them. You didn’t want to put Peter in harm’s way which is why you stopped going to the library all together. You thought about him often, and hoped he was out there somewhere doing better than you. 

“I’m sorry Jack. Please just give me another chance. I can be better. I’ll do better for you,” You whimper your body trembling in fear. The anticipation of what he was going to do to you was almost worse than the abuse. When he got like this he was entirely unpredictable which was an entirely different monster. 

“No you dumb bitch.” He says taking his belt off and getting on the ground “You never fucking learn and you never will huh? Well since I can’t teach you I will just have to make sure you never fuck up again,” He says as you start immediately shaking your head and fighting back. He manuevers around your flailing legs and arms landing a few blows to your side and one to your head leaving you defenseless before wrapping his hands around your throat. You shake your head and scratch at his hands trying to get him to stop. You begged and pleaded to any god that existed to help. You weren’t ready to go, you knew you weren’t. Just as your vision started to go black you felt the pressure go away and watching through one good eye as Jack was thrown against a wall. Was that Spiderman? That cannot be right, but it was becoming hard to stay awake. The last thing you remember is a voice talking to you and them promising to call 911.  

7 days later…

You wake up to the sound of rustling beside you. It is a struggle to move your neck to the side to see who is beside you. God, it feels like you got hit by a train repeatedly. There is a nice looking older woman writing on some papers. She has on purple scrubs with lollipops on them. You try to take in your surrounings. The nurse, flourscent lighting, sterile smell the air, you had to be in the hospital. Or this was your sick version of the after life. “Good morning hun. It is nice to see you are awake. I’ll make sure to let the doctor know and as soon as she gets the chance she will come explain everything to you okay?” She says in a gentle voice and you do your best to nod in understanding. “Now that you are awake I’ll come back later with a lunch and dinner form for you, but if you need anything sooner hit that button by your left hand and I’ll be here,” She says as you move your hand around and feel the button nodding your head again. She smiles at you sadly before leaving the room. You listen to the monitor beat systemically as you look at the ceiling. Your head is pounding and it hurts to breathe but you are pretty sure you are alive. Your eye isn’t swollen anymore because you can see out of both of them. 

The rest of the day consists with a variety of people entering and exiting your room. The doctor comes in and explains they put you in a medically induced coma hoping to stop anymore trauma to your brain, get fluids in you because you were extremely malnourished, and hopefully give your body stress free time to heal. Three broken ribs, a broken orbital bone, multiple severe contusions, glass removal and stitches, and a moderate concussion. You would be in here for at least a couple more days so they could monitor you and make sure you were healing properly and there were no complications. After the doctor it was the cops. They were doing a full reprt on Jack. You were scared at first, he promised to kill you if you ever told anyone. What if he kept up his end of the promise. You told the police that and they promised they would protect you and your testimony would put him away for a long time. Turns out you weren’t the first woman he has done this too. Optimistic, you told the officers everything. Relieved all the painful details if it meant you could put that monster away and put an end to this horrible nightmare. Then it was the psychiatrist. She had to make sure you didn’t need to be put on suicide watch and assess your mental state after everything you went through. You couldn’t get a read on what she was writing but you didn’t get moved to a padded room or handcuffed to the bed so you assumed you were in the clear for now. Your guiding light in all of this was your sweet nurse. Her name is Rose, and she has been beyond kind to you since you opened your eyes. 

The next morning, Rose is once again the first person you see. She is bringing your food to you and helping you get comfortable. “Rose I don’t think this is your job,” You say smiling appreciatively at her. 

“Well I won’t tell if you don’t” She says making you smile. You felt much better today. Your pain meds got adjusted now that you were awake making everything more bearable. Knowing you gave the cops your statement and there’s a chance Jack will never see the light of day again was something to look forward to. You had to believe the justice system would do the right thing, but hope was powerful and you chose to believe in it for the time being. 

While eating your applesauce you notice someone approaching and sighed wondering who could possibly need to speak to you now. You look over and see Peter walk through the door, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. He waves awkwardly and for the first time in weeks you smile. “I would wave back but it hurts to do anything more than lift my spoon to my mouth” You say and he smiles. He walks over and places the flowers on your bedside table. 

“How do you feel?” He asks and you lean back looking at him

“Oh you know. Feels like I got hit by a truck, everything hurts, but I guess I’m luck to be alive right? The doctors and nurses here are really good so today is better than yesterday. I’m pretty sure I owe my life to Spiderman? I’m not sure if I was halucinating or not but I owe someone my life.” You say trying your best to retrieve the memory but those moments before you passed our are all a blur.

“Do you mind if I sit?” Peter asks as you shake your head and he pulls a chair over. 

“Do you mind if I ask how did you know I was here? Or what happned to me?” You ask as Peter scratches at the back of his neck thinking of an explanation.

“I um volunteer at the hospital. I heard some nurses talk about you and what happened. I saw the cops come in and figured out where your room was. I didn’t wanna come empty handed so I came back today. I’m glad you’re okay though, I missed my table buddy,” He says looking at you as you laugh softly then start to cough. Peter looks concerned but you nod your head. 

“It’s okay I’m all good. The broken ribs make it hard to breathe and it hurts to laugh” you respond looking at him as he nods in seeming understanding. You brush that off adding, “I appreciate you coming here Peter. It means a lot to me.” you say as he nods and you feel the awkward tension begin to build between you. This time it is your turn to break the void, “I don’t- I don’t have any family. I don’t have anyone. I haven’t in a long time.” You say your voice cracking as he looks back at you. Not sadly, but in understanding. 

“Y/n you don’t have to-” He starts but you shake your head. 

“No no it’s fine. I know I don’t know you that well but between you and my nurse, you are one of the kindest people I’ve met. You barely know me and still came to check on me,” you say. Maybe it was the drugs in your system but they had you becoming extremely loose lipped. 

“My dad died when I was 10, my mom turned into an alcoholic after. Even before then she wasn’t much of a mother. She abused me, sometimes physically, but mostly verbal. The drinking caused her to lose her job. We mostly slept in her car, or a home if they let us in. We begged for money or meals and even then she would usually use me to get more and then keep it for herself. When I was sixteen I ran away. Slept on benches, couches, wherever I could. Made it the best I could on my own. When I got a scholarship to come here I knew I had to take it. I thought coming here would be my fresh start. I’d be free of that alone feeling that’s clung to me like a cancer and I could get a frest start. Leave my past behind me. Looks like I just traded one nightmare for another.” You say tears running down your face as you try to wipe them away “But Peter, I want you to know that the little bit of kindness you have showed me has been paramount. It has made a difference, truly.” You say looking at Peter again tears running freely down your face as you do nothing to stop it. Peter feels a few of his own tears spilling over. He doens’t know what hurts you so opts to put his hand softly over yours and squeezing it gently. 

“I am so sorry you had to go through that. You are strong in ways I never will be or could comprehend. And I promise you I understand that lonely feeling. Why do you think I go to the library? I enjoy being at least around people. I lost all the people that were important to me. In one way or another they are all gone,” Peter says a faraway look in his eye. You squeeze his hand bringing him back to the presence as he looks at you again, “The silence is the worst part right? The silence… it overwhelms you. Creates a space that allows every bad thought to run free and you just can’t stop it.” He says and you nod your head in understanding. Peter had that sad and lost look in his eye. The same one you often saw when you looked in the mirror. 

“Well if it makes you feel better you have me. Maybe we could… create our own thing? Something that feels like home for the both of us. Then, we don’t have to be alone anymore” You reply smiling weakly at Peter. He smiles at you wiping the tears that fell from his eye

“I think I’d like that”