#1 that's a batshit crazy but not in a bad way guy

[geddy-leesbian]

I hate that I can walk into a Half Price Books and look at the paranormal section and recognize 75% of the authors because I know them from Ancient Aliens

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Eddie Munson's royal scandal

Written for @astrangersummer, week 15

Words: 1,633 (also on AO3)

Prompt: Royal and/or Modern AU

Relationship: Steve/Eddie

Rated: T

Tags: Modern AU; Royal AU; Rock star Eddie; Royal Steve; Secret relationship; Fluff and angst

Notes: Previous part | Part 1

The fucking photo is everywhere. 

Eddie knows he should stop checking, should probably delete all his social media accounts and drop his phone in the ocean, maybe throw himself right after. Maybe he would, if that would change anything. He groans, slamming the phone down on the table and burying his face in his hands. 

They've been so careful, and for what? 

One second of weakness, one stolen moment by the backstage entrance of Eddie’s last gig, and everything is falling to pieces. He should’ve known better. You're never really alone, no matter how safe you deem yourself. Steve even less than Eddie. 

“I mean, not to be a smartass,” Chrissy’s voice pulls him from his thoughts. She's seated on the opposite side of his kitchen table, laptop in front of her. “But you do realize you could've just waited until you got to your hotel room?” 

Eddie stops pulling at his own hair to give her a tired look. 

“I missed him, okay? Between my Europe tour and his stupid state visit to Asia, it was the first time in months that we saw each other. It was literally just one kiss.” 

Chrissy gives him a look.

“Eddie, I love you,” she says flatly. “But it looks like you're trying to suck out his tonsils with your tongue.” 

Eddie’s forehead joins the phone on the table. 

“I know,” he groans. “Fuck. What do we do now, Chris?” 

She doesn’t answer right away, and that scares him more than anything. Chrissy always knows what to do.

“Maybe it won't be as bad,” she says, but she doesn’t sound convinced. “I mean the picture is quite grainy. You're pretty recognizable with your stage outfit and the tattoos, but Steve? He could be just some guy, really.”

“Yeah, no,” Eddie huffs, picking up his phone again. His private messages are blowing up, but he doesn’t find it in himself to open them. “Have you met those royal fangirls? Batshit crazy, man. They have the shape of his moles memorized and all.” 

“You have the shape of his moles memorized,” Chrissy provides. 

Eddie glowers at her, and her face goes soft.

“Hey,” she says, shutting her laptop and taking his hand. “We'll figure it out, I promise. I know it looks bad now, but-” 

She's interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. 

“That'll be the pizza,” she smiles. “I'll get it, you stay seated. Let's talk about this after dinner, I'm sure things will look a lot less dire on a full stomach.”

Eddie has half a mind to ask her how pizza is supposed to fix a single one of their problems. But he knows she's only trying to help, so he doesn’t say anything and shoots her a tight smile as she flounces out. 

The door opens.

“Oh, hi,” Chrissy says, and Eddie knows from the way her voice goes strained that it's not the pizza. “Eddie didn't mention you were- hey, wait, you can't just-” 

Eddie is already out of his chair and halfway around the table when Hopper comes stomping into the kitchen. He looks intimidating as ever in his shades and dark suit with the royal sigil pinned to the lapel. Today, he's also looking particularly pissed. 

“You!” he barks as soon as he spots Eddie. “You're coming with me. Move.” 

Behind him, Chrissy hovers in the doorway, wide-eyed and pale. 

“I can't,” Eddie says lamely. “I have pizza on the way.” 

Hopper looks at him like he's silently regretting all career choices that have led him to this moment.

“What you have,” he says,” is an appointment at the palace. Now c’mon, or you're paying for my parking ticket.” 

*

Eddie hasn't been to the palace more than a few times, and as on all of his previous visits, the paintings and the chandeliers and the gold and brocade of it all make him feel uncomfortable and on edge. So what if he's been secretly dating the crown prince right under the nose of the public for months? He's still allowed to think that the exaggerated splendor surrounding everything royal is a remnant of a long dead feudal system and a waste of tax money with no place in the modern world. It's called nuance, thank you very much.

Hopper nudges him into a lavish salon or drawing room or whatever the fuck they're called - one with a crackling fire and plush armchairs and a small fortune in antiques lining the walls - and wordlessly pulls the door shut behind him. In one of the chairs, gazing at his phone, side profile lit by the golden firelight, is Steve. 

“Remember all those times Munson said fuck the monarchy?” he says without looking up. It takes Eddie a very confused second to realize he's reading from the comments under the damned photo. “Never realized he meant that literally. Charming. They even got creative with the emoji, look.” 

He flips the phone around. Eddie sinks into the armchair across from him and winces. “I know, I know. So, on a scale from one to ten, how bad is it?” 

“Hm?” Steve says. He's in jeans and a cable-knit sweater, thin wire frame glasses perched on his nose. He looks utterly biteable. Except that's what got them into this mess in the first place. “Oh, very bad. Apparently, you've brainwashed me with some sort of satanic magic to overthrow the monarchy. Either that, or this is a slandering campaign against you, involving a carefully picked doppelganger and-” 

“Steve,” Eddie groans. 

Steve finally lowers the phone, putting it down on the small side table sitting between them and folding his hands in his lap. 

“Eddie,” he says. 

Eddie winces. He knows this tone, this aloof, barely interested drawl. Knows the way Steve holds himself - spine straight, shoulders slightly pulled back, chin up. Eyes so much dimmer than what he's used to. Distant and detached.

This isn't Steve. It's Prince Steven. 

Eddie hoped he'd never have to see the fucker again. 

There's a pile of documents lying on the stupid, fancy side table, right next to the phone. Eddie squints at them, catching the royal sigil at the top, the words non-disclosure agreement below, and his stomach fills with lead. When he manages to speak, his voice sounds hollow in his ears.

“So this is it, huh?” 

Steve sighs. “Father would've loved to speak to you personally.”

The heavy, molten thing in Eddie’s guts twists. 

“Would he now?” he grits out, trying to match Steve’s bored tone and knowing he's failing. Unlike some people, he hasn't been drilled into burying his feelings under a layer of ice all his life. 

Steve nods.

“He had more important things to attend to, though” he says. “Instead, he told me to have you sign this.” 

“Did he now?” Eddie says. It comes out hollow, words snagging in a too-dry throat. 

Steve picks up the documents, leafing through the smooth, white pages. Even the fucking paper is fancy in this place.

“He's instructed our PR team to get me a watertight alibi for the night of the concert. Said we'd deny any acquaintance with you. Forbid you from ever so much as speaking my name in public. I told him to go fuck himself.” 

“Did you no- … Wait, what?” 

Eddie snaps his head up just in time to see how Steve tosses the papers into the fire. The rage on that pretty face is pure, unbridled and undisguised, and Eddie’s heart tugs painfully in his chest. 

“I'm not gonna put a muzzle on you. You can damn well say whatever you want about me. I trust you, and that won't change. Not even if you don't want to continue this-” 

“Woah, woah, wait,” Eddie blurts. “Hold on a sec. You think I'm breaking up with you?” 

Steve blinks at him. “Um, yes? Are you not?”

Eddie can't stop the laugh that bubbles out of him. The weight that has been tearing at his insides ever since the damn photo dropped is gone. He feels like he needs to tether himself to something or he'll float off towards the ugly painted ceiling with the chubby, winged babies. 

“No, you stupid dickhead,” he says, and finally, finally takes Steve's hand in his. “I thought you were breaking up with me.” 

Steve gapes at him. “Why would I- … I'd never do that!” 

“Well, good,” Eddie says. “Cause neither would I.” 

Steve chews on his bottom lip, hope and doubt warring in those lovely eyes of his. 

“I don't think you understand what's at stake here,” he mutters. “If we make this public, it'll be the greatest scandal this country has seen in decades. The press will be all over us, your fans will hate you, my family will tell you to give up your career, they'll-” 

“Honey,” Eddie interrupts him, not bothering to hide the grin that's threatening to split his face in half. “If there's two things you should know about me by now, it's these. One, I'm terrible at taking instructions. And two, I don't give a rat's ass about what anyone thinks about me.” 

Steve's eyes are large and round behind his glasses, but Eddie imagines the hope is winning over the doubt. 

“I wanna be with you,” he says, squeezing Steve’s fingers a little tighter. “And to be frank, I think the system could do with a good shaking-up. Don't you agree?” 

Steve snorts a reluctant laugh, and his entire face lights up with it. “You can say that again.” 

Eddie thinks he's never seen anything as beautiful as Steve’s smile as he slowly lifts their entwined hands to his lips. 

“If it's a scandal they want,” he murmurs, holding Steve's gaze and pressing a long, lingering kiss to his knuckles, “I say let's give them a scandal to remember.” 

[calsvoid]

ten (sorta) thoughts on squid game season 2 (SPOILERS):

1. holy fuck this season was so beautiful and the creative genius behind it was so wonderful

2. the rock paper scissors minus one scene has got to be the most intense game scene out of every single one (not game, but game SCENE, as in watching these two friends who i didn’t even care about half a second before be forced to bet their lives against each other only for one of them to be placed with a guaranteed win and not take it was probably the craziest thing to ever happen and fuck having that be the first episode truly through me for a spin)

3. speaking of, the guy that lived (who is known as guy with the wife because me and my brother kept saying that he has a wife as a reason why we want him to live) is one of my favs for no reason, i hope he gets out alright DONT YOU DARE DO ANYTHING TO HIM CAP’N I TRUSTED YOU

4. i knew as soon as they started having two girls bond i was done for and i spent every moment of theirs begging for both of them to live because i think i’ve seen this film before and i didn’t like the ending

5. soooooo many characters and character dynamics were just absolute chef’s kiss and it helps so much with that buildup of hope and tension; last season obviously had some wonderful people and relationships (i’m still not and never will be over the marble game) but something about this new cast was just absolutely wonderful. there were almost no characters i didn’t like or wasn’t invested in, and i am very excited to see how they turn out next season. hyun-ju’s group, gi-hun’s group, hell even thanos’s group i enjoyed all of them. min-su’s betrayal fucked me up so bad though and him failing to save her and having to see her die FUCK. also young-mi’s death was so painful, especially since she was the first main group member death. the mom and son were hilarious im going to fight god if they don’t end up together in either life or death

6. all about women’s rights and women’s wrongs this season, number 11 i love you and i hope you find your child i will kill your almost rapists for you. i don’t care that i hate the military hyun-ju is hot with a gun and she can fuck me with one of she wants. i pray for that fetus please let them get out alive. the mom was fantastic and such a nostalgic character, very accurate portrayal of an auntie and i love her for that. shaman queen is batshit crazy and good for her

7. the set design yall fucking BEAUTIFUL. i can’t describe it, but it just adds so much to that deceitful hope with all the rainbows and clean lines. and also the use of the stairs during the gun fights, ugh so amazing what a great way to repurpose that set

8. ALSO THE ADDED KNOWLEDGE OF THE SOLDIERS SIDE, god i love the extra lore behind their recruitment, their system, all that. loved the twist and as i’ve said i love number 11 shes my queen

9. god seong gi-hun had me ROOTING for him. his sheer determination was felt by me too and i really hoped that he would finally get to get justice, that finale just hurt all that much more

10. i wanted so badly for inho to end up having a semi-redemption arc even though it was unlikely, i unfortunately fell for his manipulation and wanted to believe in him god it hurt watching him use the sounds of someone else’s death to trick gi-hun

[jenniferlawrencelover]

Wade forced himself to focus on the mirror again, tearing his gaze away from Logan before he did something stupid—like launching himself across the room and kissing the life out of the guy. "Can't help it if you're a fucking distraction," Wade muttered, more to himself than to Logan, managing to get the tie somewhat presentable, though he was pretty sure Logan could tie a better knot with his eyes closed. He adjusted the red pocket square, trying to give himself something to do with his hands that didn't involve reaching for Logan.

"You know," he said, "I have to admit, you look pretty damn good in a suit. I mean, it's no Wolverine's suit, and it's not like I didn't know you were built like a tank, but damn... who knew you cleaned up so well?"

Logan glanced up from where he was sitting, his eyes narrowing slightly as he met Wade's gaze in the mirror. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it, Bub."

"Too late," Wade leered. "Why don't you stand up and do a twirl for me, Princess?"

Snikt

"Woah, hey! No! No," Wade turned around, holding his hands out in front of him. Logan's claws glinted under the fluorescent lights menacingly as he glared up at him. "Usually I'm up for a little bit of foreplay, but we're under strict instructions that the claws need to stay away today. If she sees even a speck of blood on either of us, she is going to lose her shit."

Logan's claws retracted with a swift snikt, and he leveled a disapproving look at Wade, who was still standing with his hands up in a defensive posture. "Then, maybe you shouldn't say things that make me want to stab you."

"I flirt when I'm nervous," Wade quipped, crossing his arms. "It's not every day the love of your life gets married to someone else."

Logan gives him a flat look. 

"Right, my bad. We can trauma bond about it later, say over dinner?" He reaches under the sink, pulling out the newest toupee—one of his more elegant wigs, this time a nearly identical replica of Nicepool's long locks.

Logan stared at the toupee, then back at Wade with a look of exasperation. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. You're actually wearing that?"

Wade grinned, holding the toupee up like a trophy. "Oh, come on. It's her big day. Nobody wants to see a walking scrotum sitting at the bar."

He plopped it onto his head, ignoring Logan's winces as he stapled it firmly to his head. He spins in a circle, posing a few times for Logan. "How do I look?"

"Horrifying."

"More or less than usual?" 

Logan didn't answer, his face crinkling into one of disgust. Wade spun back to face the mirror, rearranging the wig in the way he remembered Nicepool wore his--may he rest in peace--eyes flickering between his own reflection and Logan's as he watched him. Finally, feeling satisfied with his appearance, he turned around and clapped his hands. "Ready to rock and roll?"

Logan didn't move, choosing to sit there and just stare at him like he had something completely batshit crazy. His hands tightened around his thighs, white-knuckling the dark fabric. "How do you do that?" he asked suddenly, his voice breaking the stillness.

Wade glanced up, confused. "Do what? The wig? I mean, sure, I watched a lot of tutorials, but really it's all in the quality-" 

"No," Logan interrupted, his tone sharper than usual. "I mean, how do you just...watch the love of your life get married to someone else?"

Wade was silent for a moment, his eyes focusing on the claw mark through the shower curtain. Hm. What fight caused that? He took a deep breath. "Well...when you love someone, when you really, truly love someone, it doesn't really matter who they end up with. Even if it isn't you, you're happy because they're happy." Wade shrugged, "And I think deep down, I knew it was never going to be me. People like her, good people, they don't end up with guys like me. They end up with the good guy."

"You are a good guy," Logan said sternly, startling Wade out of his half-reverie. "Annoying as fuck, a goddamn pervert, but you are a good guy."

Wade laughed softly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm really, really not."

Logan shook his head, stepping closer. "You saved the world for her. For your family. For everybody. You took me in, even though I'm a dick, and I'm 'grumpy' and I'm an alcoholic, and we nearly kill each other every day. When I was nothing but...when I was just nothing to anybody. When I was the 'worst' Wolverine, you didn't give a fuck what I had to say or what anyone else had to say. You told me I'm the best Wolverine. Even when I wasn't. When I haven't been."

Logan poked a thick finger into his chest. "You. Are. A. Good. Guy. Wade Wilson. Fuck her."

"Logan," Wade began slowly, "I've done a lot of things. Some of them... well, let's just say if there's a line, I've not only crossed it, I've stomped it into the ground and done a little tap dance on it."

Logan's expression didn't change, his gaze steady as he waited for Wade to continue.

"I saved the world, but I also destroyed a lot of it in the process. I killed people. People who didn't deserve it, who were just... there. Wrong place, wrong time. And every time I do something good, it's like there's this... tally board, and all those bad things I've done, they just get louder, like they're reminding me of who I really am. Of what I am."

Logan stepped even closer, closing the gap between them, his presence solid and grounding. "You think I don't know what that's like? To be haunted by what you've done? Hell, Wade, I've been carrying that weight for longer than I care to remember. But that doesn't define us. You saved the world not because you were trying to erase your past, but because you wanted to make a future for people you care about. That's what matters."

"Why do you even care? Why are you trying so hard to convince me that I'm worth something?" Wade shot back, poking his chest. "Why does it matter to you so much?"

Logan leaned in closer, and Wade had to resist the urge to pull away from him, pull away from his minty breath and his clenched teeth and those steak knives he called claws. "Because if you're not worth something, then what the hell am I?"

Wade's breath hitched, his brain short-circuiting as Logan's words hung in the air between them. 

His pulse quickened, and he had to bite down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from doing something stupid, like closing the distance and finding out exactly how Logan's lips would feel pressed against his. He could imagine it so clearly, the way Logan's hands would grip his arms—tight enough to leave bruises, to hold him in place—and the way those clawed fingers would curl into his flesh, leaving marks that would fade almost as soon as they appeared.

He wanted to push Logan, to see how far he could go before the older man snapped. He wanted to feel Logan's rough hands on his skin, to have him take out all that pent-up frustration on him in the most primal way possible. Wade's thoughts drifted to what it would be like to be under Logan, to have him growling his name, those low, guttural sounds that Wade had only ever heard when Logan was pissed off or in the middle of a fight.

But as much as Wade wanted to give in to those thoughts, he knew better. He knew that if he pushed too far, if he acted on the urge that was currently making it hard to think straight, he'd be risking everything. Whatever this was between them, it was fragile, and Wade wasn't sure if it could survive if he crossed that line.

So instead, Wade did what he always did—he deflected. He forced a smirk onto his face, even though his heart was pounding in his chest, and tried to push the thoughts of Logan's lips, Logan's hands, Logan's everything, out of his mind.

"Wow, Wolvie," Wade said, his voice coming out a little more breathless than he intended. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me. You trying to get in my pants or something? Because, fair warning, I'm a cheap date—I'll put out after a few kind words and maybe a well-placed claw or two."

Logan's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Wade thought he saw something flash in them—something dark and dangerous that made his stomach do a weird flip. But then Logan just huffed, shaking his head like Wade was a particularly annoying puzzle he couldn't figure out. "You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" Logan growled, but there was no real bite behind it.

Wade shrugged, trying to keep it casual even though his thoughts were anything but. "It's part of my charm. But seriously, Logan, if you're not trying to seduce me, you're doing a terrible job of convincing me otherwise. I mean, you're practically on top of me right now. A guy could get the wrong idea."

Logan's eyes flicked down to where their chests were almost touching, and for a brief moment, Wade thought he saw his resolve waver. But then Logan took a step back, putting some much-needed distance between them, and the moment was gone.

Because if you're not worth something, then what the hell am I?

Wade cleared his throat, trying to shake off the sudden tension."Well, uh, glad we got all of that mushy stuff out of the way," Wade stammered, his usual bravado faltering. "Blech, gross. We better get, uh... going. Yeah, going."

Logan didn't respond right away, his intense gaze still locked on Wade. The silence stretched between them, and for a moment, Wade wondered if he'd said something wrong. He was about to crack another joke, something to diffuse the weirdness, when Logan took a step closer.

Wade froze, his heart pounding in his chest. 

Then, without warning,

*RECORD SCRATCH*

Enticed? On the edge of your seat? Have your special sock out? If you liked that little snippet, you’ll love domestic poolverine. So what are you waiting for??? Click that link!!!

[headless609]

Cartman Angst

Ah Cartman, the bigoted, racist, sexist, overweight, bully, bullied, and a victim. Cartman is my favorite character and it’s not just because he is hilarious. If you watch the show and really looks into it, you can see why Cartman acts the way he does. Let’s start with the obvious. Cartman is fat. We see the show make fun and jab at his weight sense season 1. We see side characters such as Liane and his eye doctor to the main characters aka Kyle, Stan and Kenny making fun of his weight. Especially Kyle. I don’t think people realize how fucking mean Kyle was to Cartman (and Cartman hadn’t even done anything evil yet btw). Kyle is always and stills calls Cartman ‘fatsss.’ Speaking of the earlier seasons, remember Cartman’s eye doctor? Y’know, the one who had no chill and continuously bullied Cartman by calling him porky and just being devious? Yeah him.

Next I want to talk about Cartman’s home life. And it’s bad, like it’s as bad as Kenny. Not only is Cartman quite poor but his dad is gone and his mom is a prostitute. Not only does Cartman not get scolded by his mom but his mom brings in men that are there for sex. Sound bad? Yeah, you can imagine a guy finding Cartman’s room. And you might think, ‘Dude, you’re reading into this way too seriously.’  

We see that Cartman has been assaulted by his cousin and his Uncle, Jessie. We see this in Le Petite Tourette’s and in Fun with Veal. And this is just two of the many other occasions. 

Everyone knows the episode Scott Tenorman Must Die, where Cartman snapped and went batshit crazy. But most people don’t remember the banned episode where we see Scott again. Where we learn a dark truth. Cartman and Scott were step-brothers, Cartman had killed his own father, the father he had cried himself to sleep wishing he’d come back. And when we see him admit that he’s crying because of him being half ginger to his friends, all I can think is , ‘ Really? After all the tears that your pillow soaks?’ But then you think, would you tell some kids that have always bullied you because of your weight and you thought only hung out with you cause you bully people with them why you’re actually sad? HELL NO! Cartman may be crazy and a sociopath but he ain’t stupid. The reason he is able to stay with the gang is that they think he is cool (which they don’t) heck the only reason why they became a friend group was because Cartman bullied Pip! And with all that piled up, Cartman becomes insecure about himself and to make him feel better lashes out an everyone else, believing he is a victim in every scenario and everyone deserves to pay. 

And that is the debrief of the monster, Eric Cartman. The most hated South Park child in the show. 

There is so much I want to say about Cartman, and I tried to fit it in one Notes page. And I hate it whenever one says they hate Cartman because he is a nazi and all that shit. I understand, but please peel his onion skin and you’ll understand why Cartman is such a good character. This one is the longest one yet so thanks for those who were able to read the entire thing. 🥲

[the-bird-and-the-flute]

My experience reading william's so far

I'm at chapter 12 btw. Also, if you didn't read liam and harrison pls don't read this. Also, this may be an unpopular opinion about kate

yall, seriously. wiliam's route is sth else hahaha

So far, his MC to me is so so. I was not expecting her to fall in love so easily, which frustrated me. I thought it was going to be a slow burn like liam's but apparently that was not the case ('I'm reading chapter 12).

idk if kate is always like that in other routes (I'll definitely try to read all of the boys cuz they are all so batshit crazy and I love that) but she is way more gullible than I expected. Girl, you just don't trust a bunch of villains like that. They are not ordinary guys. Wake up!

I know it's not as if we could control who we'll love, but she deadass fell in love with harrison and william so fast imo. Particularly, I didn't like that.

In harrison's, I think she fell in love because he is so nice and polite. He seems the most normal guy of all of the boys. Just like lots of you mentioned when they released the EN server.

And in william's, it looks like that good girl falling in love with the bad guy, that one your parents always tell you to never get close to. Also, she could have fell in love with william because he was the one who taught her how to express herself and show her true colors.

It gives me the impression that kate sees william's as some sort of savior or deity. No matter what he does, she will trust and follow him. Not a fan of that tbh. And I'm saying that as a william lover.

But, at the same time, I like the fact she is not trying to erase her personality like other MCs in otome/josei just to please others. I'm pretty sure she will do something crazy in the next chapters, so I'm looking forward to it.

Also, I loved that in chapter 11 or 12, she realized she wanted william to kill avatus (is that his name? ahaha). Thank god a MC that is not that prude girl who accidentally is caught up in the middle of a bloodbath and tries to convince the suitor not to kill someone because killing is bad.

And william is so vicious. And that's exactly what I love him lol I highly recommend you read his route if you want to know who he really is. Just playing the events is not enough.

I noticed playing the events and his bday story that he loves freedom. But it never occurred to me that that was not only because he valued free will, but because it is some sort of kink of his.

While reading his route I have this impression that he is also being selfish doing that. And he is aware of that. After all, he is a villain. So, in the end, he also gains from their freedom.

And he not only applauds people when they do what they want but he is also considering letting people use him as they please in this process.

How many other women did he have sex with just to please them? And that reminds me of liam's route. Because liam and willliam to me look the same when it comes to that. I remember when liam implied he fucked a woman just because she wanted to.

I was shocked they had sex so soon on his route ahahha. I liked that kate was honest saying she wanted to have sex with him. I wonder if it's canon she is a virgin. She doesn't seem to be experienced at all.

But, at the same time, I have this bittersweet feeling that she is going too fast to experience everything she didn't try before without thinking about the consequences. I know in the end she will get what she wants, as she is the MC, but this could have ended up on a REALLY bad note for her because william is not in love with her. And if they say later on that he was in love with her since the beginning, I don't know if I'll buy that tbh. Let's see if I'll change my mind.

Did you imagine if the bad end was william rejecting her after fucking kate over and over again for 1 month? This girl would be devastated.

That being said, I love william to death. He is exactly the bad guy I was looking for - manipulative, strong-willed, seductive, has good manners and he is not ashamed of living his best life.

But I can't self-insert in his route. Kate sometimes seems too emotionally dependent on william for my taste. Luckily, in william's events, I think she has a more pleasant personality and is more independent.

I also love the plot so far. Seeing William exterminating butterfly is so fucking entertaining. He has the most wicked ideas of how to order someone to die.

And the revelation he killed his dad was also shocking to me. As I saw in liam and harrison's route that liam's dad was alive and harrison loved his father, and roger's seems to have a nice or normal relationship with his father, I thought we would get the chance to meet william's dad too. But yeah, that is not gonna happen lmao. And I'm glad william killed his father. That guy was hideous.

I wonder if other people in william's family have that curse as well.

Oh, and harrison was so accurate in describing william here. William is not only cruel when he kills people, but when he flirts with them too, even if it's unintentional.

[snezus-christ-risen]

❄️ Agathario Holiday AU - Part 3 ❄️

Forced to break quarantine for a supply run, Agatha had an unexpected encounter at the supermarket that makes Rio feel some type of way. (6.2k words)

Part 1

Part 2

CW: sort of contagion (they’re both already sick but they’re not being careful about it), messy but not excessy

It was the morning of New Year’s Eve and Nicky was going fucking stir crazy. Agatha couldn’t blame the little guy — they were all losing their minds after six? seven? days confined to the apartment, too sick and tired to plan, let alone execute, any outings — but if it was a contest of who was losing their shit the most, Nicky was the winner by a long shot.

“It’s because he’s so healthy,” Rio had sighed as they watched him run circles around the kitchen island. It was such a funny thing to sound disappointed about, especially given his medical issues, but Agatha understood exactly what she meant by it. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”

It was a lot, being in charge of another human life when they barely felt alive themselves. Agatha and Rio had spent the week parenting in a haze, doing the bare minimum to keep their son clean, fed, and mostly happy while feeling guilty about it the entire time. Nicky was an easygoing kid, but even he had his limits, and the lack of variety in his day, which was usually so structured, was clearly driving him batshit crazy.

Agatha was dreading what today would bring without her wife there to share the parenting load. Rio was told she had no choice but to go into work if she wanted to take the rest of the week off on such short notice. She assured Agatha she would try to sneak away early, but stopped short of making any promises. To ensure she got to come home as soon as possible, Agatha decided she would do the shopping Rio had planned to do on the way home. It would be a good opportunity to get out, and a necessary one — between her out-of-control kid and empty refrigerator, she was feeling like a pretty pathetic excuse for a mother. The least she could do was take Nicky out for some fresh air and stock the kitchen with something other than the string cheese and Christmas cookies they had for breakfast.

As Agatha watched Nicky bounce around the hallway like a pinball that went rogue while doing that irritating pterodactyl screech Rio swore he would have outgrown by this age, she started to wonder if she had the energy for this today. It wasn’t too late to turn back — they were still in their building, just on the ground floor — but Agatha knew three things for certain: they needed food, they really needed tissues, and she needed Rio to get back home as soon as possible. So off to the grocery store she went, with her unleashed, sugared-up pterodactyl in tow.

When she sent the message she didn’t expect Rio to answer right away, but Agatha couldn’t deny the disappointment she felt when she arrived at the store without any notifications. She checked her phone once more after getting herself and Nicky into the building, then stuffed it deep in her jacket pocket.

By some miracle or twist of fate, Nicky was back to his calm, well-behaved self the moment they passed through the automated doors. He stopped whining about wanting to ride in the cart and opted to walk calmly beside his mother, holding her hand as he pointed out all the fruits and vegetables he could name in the produce section.

“Did the Mr. Hyde serum wear off?” Agatha laughed at her own joke as Nicky glanced up at her, brow furrowed, not understanding the reference. “Or maybe Mami was home for too long, being a bad influence.”

“It was Mami,” Nicky voted with a smile. “I’ll be good now, Mama. Promise.”

“Oh, baby.” Suddenly Agatha couldn’t look at him, but she gave his hand a squeeze as she fought to keep her voice steady. “You’re always good.”

They cruised through aisles that were blissfully devoid of other people, just her and her sweet angel of a son, collecting every item on their list in record time. Agatha thought they might even be able to squeeze in a much-needed oil change and trip to the coffee shop and still be back in time to welcome Rio home from work. Combined with the fact she made it through the whole morning without a single sneeze, just the occasional, easily subdued tickle that felt like tiny sparklers going off in her sinuses, Agatha was starting to entertain the possibility that the year could end on a positive note — a train of thought that abruptly went off the rails in a fiery blaze the moment she saw the redhead turning the corner.

There she was — Wanda fucking Maximoff. Judging from the contents of her cart, she was planning to host dinner for a dozen rabbits. She stopped to ponder the butter selection before glancing, inexplicably, towards Agatha, who had already started making a frantic attempt to turn her cart full of corn dogs and marshmallow-laden cereals in the opposite direction. The cart screeched as it decided to spontaneously develop a wonky wheel, an incident that probably had nothing to do with her trying to Tokyo drift it out of Aisle 11 and everything to do with the universe hating her.

“Dammit,” Agatha muttered under her breath, straining against the immovable cart. “Fuck me.”

“Those are bad words, Mama.”

“Agatha?” Wanda’s face lit up with recognition as Agatha’s grew hot. “Ag! Nicky!”

“Nope!” Agatha exclaimed, but in trying to manage an unwieldy cart and her squirming son at the same time, she felt Nicky slipping from her grasp. It was too late — he was already charging towards Wanda at full speed. Time for some damage control. Agatha begrudgingly fixed her face before whirling around and feigning pleasant surprise.

“Oh, Wanda, hi! Look, Ndicky,” she said, as if he wasn’t already in the process of throwing his arms around her. “It’s Mbiss Wanda.”

Of course her nose chose that moment to start clogging, blunting the letters in their names as she spoke. Wanda gave Agatha a funny look, unconvinced by her cheerful demeanor after witnessing her failed escape attempt just moments prior. Instead of returning her greeting she dropped her attention to Nicky, giving Agatha some time to knuckle discreetly at her nose. A few soft sniffles helped to shift the building congestion, eliminating the imminent threat of upper lip leakage, but it also tickled — not enough to make anything happen, but enough to distract and irritate her during a situation that was already distracting and irritating.

She refocused on the conversation unfolding in front of her. Nicky was regaling Wanda with a recap of his holidays as she listened and responded with warmth and enthusiasm. She had always been so good with him, never letting what happened between her and Agatha affect their interactions. When Agatha caught her lips relaxing into a genuine smile she quickly refashioned her expression into one of polite disinterest, pretending to peruse the sour cream options.

“And how have you been?” came the dreaded question as Wanda turned to Agatha, who had been holding onto hope that maybe she had passively discovered the ability to turn invisible in the last thirty seconds. No such luck. “How is Rio? Did you enjoy the holidays?”

“I’m good, she’s good, holidays were good.” Though it had been her intention to rush the conversation to a premature conclusion, Agatha cringed as she found herself continuing to speak. “How are the twins?”

Just as Wanda adored Nicky unconditionally, Agatha had a soft spot for her boys that hadn’t hardened despite her history with their mother. While her interest in their wellbeing was genuine, her desire to get back home to the stuffy, germy apartment that felt like a prison just this morning was even stronger. It didn’t help that she could feel that little tickle from earlier slowly gaining strength. She could also sense that Wanda was studying her, sage green eyes flickering almost imperceptibly as they moved about her face. They seemed to linger longest on her nose, no doubt taking in the visible damage wrought by days of illness — sore, chapped nostrils on the verge of running, rims tinged a semi-permanent shade of red. Agatha shuddered to think what the overhead fluorescents were doing to her complexion and smoothed her hand over her hair a few times, certain she must look an absolute wreck.

“Well…” Wanda said before pausing, as if giving Agatha an opportunity to withdraw her question. When she didn’t take it Wanda eyed her suspiciously before continuing. “They’re doing pretty well. Tommy has really been loving school this year, and Billy, you know, he’s always loved school, but he’s got this new—”

Agatha had been trying so hard to focus and keep a lid on the nonsense her body was brewing, but she couldn’t stop a gasp from slipping out. A few more shaky breaths followed, tumbling rocks loosened by the first pebble to break free. A landslide was coming — Agatha could feel it, and she wanted nothing more to be sequestered in the relative privacy of her car, music turned up as loudly as Nicky could tolerate so she didn’t have to listen to herself when it hit. As her eyes fluttered shut she could see Wanda actually stepping towards her, expression creased with concern.

“Hey, are you—”

“H’hehh!—hold od,” Agatha warned, taking an unsteady step backwards. She forced out a flustered explanation with what little vocal control she had left, hoping to deter Wanda from coming any closer. “I’be—h’hiih—s-sorry, juhhst ndeed a sehehh!-secodd…”

Gripping the base of her nose, she crushed her nostrils between her thumb and forefinger and quietly strangled a pair of sneezes to death. The only evidence they ever existed was the wavering sigh she let out afterwards, like she was dumping the bodies.

“Bless!” Wanda chirped, even as Agatha shook her head, bottom lip quivering, clearly in need of more.

“I’be — h’huhh!” she gasped, releasing her nose to cover it with both hands. Fuck fuck fuck.

“She’s not done,” Nicky volunteered helpfully. She and Rio didn’t call him Captain Obvious for nothing.

“I can see that,” Wanda said, laughing as Agatha pitched into her cupped hands, one knee jerking up slightly from the force.

“hehIHSHHhhyoo!” That felt better than stifling, but not by much, and Agatha wasn’t sure if the mess she felt splatter her palms was worth it. Her nostrils stayed flared, the searing agony of an inevitable second locking her face in a pre-sneeze contortion she was determined to keep hidden behind her hands. “hih-hehh!-h’huh… eh-DZSHHhhieww!”

While the first sneeze had been… well… nothing to sneeze at, the second brought an explosion of relief that sent aftershocks rippling through her body. Goosebumps rose along her arms as she bit back a moan. It felt like an inappropriate time to savor the sensation, what with her unwanted company and all.

“Goodness,” Wanda exclaimed, in a way that Agatha feared — but had no evidence to prove — was judgmental.

“What?” She frowned, sniffling as she cautiously lowered her hands. Not as much of a mess as she expected — just very wet — but she wiped her hands on her jeans before she could think of something better to do with them. “You’ve never seen someone sneeze before?”

Not only had she seen someone sneeze before, she had seen Agatha sneeze before — a lot, with even less restraint, and in settings way more intimate than the dairy aisle at Trader Joe’s. Seeing Wanda looking at her like that, Agatha suddenly felt like she was dreaming that she was naked at the grocery store. Digging some crumpled tissues out of her left pocket, she gave her nose a few quick rubs, just enough to make sure she didn’t leave a mess on her face.

“No, it’s just… those didn’t sound so good,” Wanda clarified, her voice infuriatingly tender in a way that made Agatha soften like butter when she was feeling unwell. And she was still feeling unwell — she had no choice but to admit it to herself now, after those last sneezes dragged up all the itchy, drippy misery she thought she would be leaving behind with this year. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Mami and Mama are sick,” Nicky chimed in, before Agatha could concoct a convincing lie.

“I’m mbuch better ndow,” she added quickly, betrayed by the congestion that shifted to replace what she had just sprayed onto her hands. “But Rio’s id pretty rough shape, so we should probably get back with the goods. It was so ndice seeing you. I hope we cad do this againd. Let’s say the Walbart baking aisle, sabe tibe ndext year?”

“No New Year’s Eve plans?” Wanda asked, blowing right through the bullshit to get straight to the point. It was the only way to have a productive conversation with someone as chronically unserious as Agatha Harkness. “I can’t imagine you’d have much fun going out with that cold.”

Agatha knew she was quickly losing steam when she didn’t jump to challenge her comment. It would have been wasted energy to reassert a lie that Wanda clearly didn’t believe the first time. All Agatha had the energy to do right now was stare back at the her expectantly, tiredly, wondering where she was going with this.

“If you and Rio would like some time to yourselves, the boys and I are having a little New Year’s Eve shindig,” Wanda continued earnestly. “Just some crafts, old TV shows… snacks, of course…” Agatha could only assume those were back at the house, because she certainly didn’t see any in her shopping cart. “The boys each invited a friend from school, and we should be wrapping up at 10:30, so you can still be together at midnight. I know Billy and Tommy would love to see Nicky and introduce him to their friends. They ask about you all the time, you know.”

She directed the last statement at Nicky. It was a dirty trick — his face lit up so brightly that Agatha knew she wouldn’t be able to say no to him.

“I, ah…” She stalled as Nicky turned to look up at her, his eyes wide and hopeful. He was bouncing on his heels, the bottoms of his shoes lighting up green every time they made contact with the floor. “I’ll have to run it by Rio, but… I don’t see why ndot… what do you think, buddy?”

As if his thoughts weren’t already incredibly obvious, he gave an enthusiastic nod of affirmation.

“We’ll have to mbake sure it’s okay with Mbambi,” she reminded him, to his continued bouncing and nodding.

“My number hasn’t changed,” Wanda said. “If you’d like to let me know what you guys—”

“Yeah, definitely.” Agatha thought it was presumptuous of her to assume she still had her number (she did). She waved her away with one hand while the other hovered near her nose, which felt ready to run any second now. “See you around, Mbaximboff.”

Agatha would have hated how congested she sounded had she not stopped caring approximately thirty seconds ago. She was exhausted, she was done being polite, and she was determined to get the fuck out of there. There were still more items on the list that they needed, but she hated the idea of being stuck in a public space when her nose was acting up like this. The chance of losing control completely or running into Wanda again (or both, God forbid) was too great, so Agatha dragged Nicky and their cart straight to the first available self-checkout lane. The previous customer, an older woman with a small dog in her handbag, had just recently vacated the area, leaving behind the faint stench of freesia and peony. Just what the doctor ordered for this fucking cunt of a cold.

Nicky was pestering her about texting Rio, but Agatha was focused on trying to breathe as little of the perfumed air as possible. She thought she was doing a pretty good job until a sharp gasp took her by surprise. Holding it hostage in her lungs, she squashed her nose firmly against the back of her wrist for a moment before easing up and releasing the air in a shaky, frustrated huff. This tickle was both stubborn and infuriatingly impotent, just irritating enough to make her eyes water but too weak to bring about a sneeze without some extra effort on her part — effort she was not willing to exert right now. Lowering her arm, Agatha tossed her hair back with a careful sniff and got back to scanning, eager to bring this little misadventure to an end as quickly as possible.

A couple hundred bucks and three spaced out, tightly controlled, extremely unsatisfying stifles later, she and Nicky were on their way to the car. Agatha tried calling Rio, hanging up before she could be prompted to leave a voicemail. Instead she tapped out a message without looking, alternating between watching Nicky and the other cars as she navigated her cart one-handedly through the parking lot.

Despite the fact that there were plenty of open spaces near the front, some even dedicated to parents with young children, Agatha had parked at the other end of the lot to avoid other cars (and people). It was a decision she was starting to regret as the cold wind battered her face like it had a personal vendetta. Her phone vibrated and she squinted at the screen, shaking her head back and forth to keep her hair out of her eyes.

Agatha had to refrain from tossing her phone into the nearest pothole. As if sensing her reaction from miles away, Rio followed up with a quick apology.

It was starting to feel like too much at once — the rapidfire replies, trying to craft her own response with her non-dominant hand while pushing a heavy, wonky-wheeled cart with her left, Nicky asking again if she had spoken with Rio about the party, all while the wind whipped her hair around her face and her nose — her fucking nose, forever the bane of her existence, somehow numb and runny and unbearably itchy all at once. Shoving her phone into her pocket, she poured her focus into getting herself and her son to the car in one piece as flurries began to fall. Only after securing him in his carseat and closing the door did she allow herself to lose it completely.

“IHSHHhh’oo!” She sneezed with abandon towards the pavement, staggering into the empty space beside her car. Pulling her jacket sleeves over her hands, Agatha buried her nose in the fabric just in time to catch the next outburst. “hh’EFSHHHhieww—hnng, fuck…”

It always felt a little better to sneeze into something soft, especially with her nose in such a delicate state. She could feel it running against her sleeves and used them to swipe away as much of the mess as she could in one go. The wind chilled her through her jacket as she let out a congested moan of self pity. It felt like such a waste, to endure this suffering when Rio wasn’t even around to enjoy it.

But someone else was.

Upon hearing laughter in the distance Agatha glanced up, bristling, to find Wanda smiling at her from across the lot. She was walking towards a red Volkswagen Tiguan from the direction of the nearest cart corral, where she had no doubt completed the socially expected and considerate task of returning her shopping cart. Apparently she had the same idea about parking far from the entrance, but knowing Wanda it was probably for health reasons and not the misanthropy that fueled most of Agatha’s behavior.

“Egészségedre!” she shouted cheerfully over the winds, before turning her hand into an old phone and holding it up to her face. “Call me, Agatha! I mean it!”

With one last wave she vanished into her car and drove off, leaving Agatha alone with that naked feeling again. The wind stung her face, making her eyes water and her nostrils prickle, but she waited until Wanda was completely out of sight to explode with a “hh’AHSHhew!” towards the vacant parking space beside her. The sneeze sounded just as much a curse word as the biting “Fuck!” that followed it. Shaking her head, she flung open the trunk and started stacking the bags haphazardly, stopping occasionally to blot her streaming nose against her sleeves. Once all the bags were loaded Agatha had a horrifying realization.

She forgot the fucking tissues.

Their household was in desperate need, but the parking lot stretched out before her like a vast black ocean full of unknowns. There was no way she was hauling herself and Nicky all the way back inside; she hadn’t even intended to go as far as the cart corral to return her shopping cart. Brushing snowflakes out of her hair, she slid into the driver’s seat and just sat for a bit. The warm air from the car vents felt good on her face, but made her sneeze twice in quick succession as she pulled out her phone to tap out a message to Rio.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

When Rio arrived home it was with champagne in one hand and a tissue box in the other. She also had the handles of a reusable bag looped around her wrist — knowing Rio, Agatha could only assume it contained gas station snacks, blunt wraps, and enough cough medicine to subdue a miniature horse.

“Let’s party,” she said, rattling her findings for emphasis.

Nicky flung his action figure to the floor with a shriek and ran towards Rio, who quickly dropped the non-breakable items so she could scoop him up in a one-armed hug. Agatha took off her glasses and closed her book, rubbing at the spot between her eyes where she could feel some tension building.

“Mami!”

“Hey, conejito,” she said, smiling at Agatha over the top of his head. Agatha lifted the corners of her mouth in response, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I missed you guys so much.”

“Mama and I saw Miss Wanda today!”

Agatha loved that kid more than life itself, but he had terrible timing. If she had to talk about it — and she did have to talk about it — she wouldn’t have chosen to do so within thirty seconds of Rio walking through the door.

“Wanda?” Rio repeated, talking to Agatha now. Other than the faintest flare of her nostrils, which could have been due to any number of things, her expression was neutral. “Maximoff?”

“Do you know any other Wandas?” Agatha asked dryly.

“We saw her at the store!” Nicky said, oblivious to the growing tension in the room. They had gotten really good at hiding it from him over the years. “Can I go to the party?”

“What party?”

Another question for Agatha, who responded with a shrug and a pointed effort to avoid eye contact with the asker.

“Mama!” Nicky turned around to face her, the look of betrayal on his face making her feel worse than she already did. “You said you would ask!”

“Mi corazón,” Rio said, her soft tone grounding him as she guided him towards the hallway. “Why don’t you go play in your room while I talk with Mama about the party? We’ll come get you when we’re done and you can tell me all about your day.”

Agatha took that as her cue to get up and take care of those dishes she had been leaving until the last minute. Rio hated going into the new year with a dirty house, and Agatha had planned to clean a lot more before falling into a useless pile of sickness and depression on the couch. Seeing Wanda had really thrown off her whole day, and it didn’t help that the cold she smugly thought she had kicked in record time was still going strong. On top of it she felt hot and uncomfortable, though she couldn’t tell if it was from the water scalding her hands, the fever she had been spiking on and off for two days, or the thought of an impending confrontation with Rio.

She could sense her presence in the doorway — even at her quietest, Agatha could always feel when she was there. Her heart pounded as she waited for Rio to say something, but it was a pair of unexpected sneezes, not words, that shattered the silence.

“ATCHH’ue! huh’ASHHhh-oo!”

Agatha dropped the plastic cup she had been rinsing with a startled curse. As annoying as it was to jump out of her skin whenever Rio sneezed without warning, she felt a little pang of sympathy when she thought about how shitty she might be feeling, especially if she had a busy day back to work. Rio rushed to apologize.

“Shit, I’be so sorry. I did’t mbean to scare you.”

Agatha said nothing, simply picked the cup back up and resumed scrubbing it furiously. After a moment she felt Rio right behind her, close but not touching, filling the space between them with a comfortable warmth. Familiar fingers began to comb through the ends of her hair, gently detangling the knots that had formed there during a short and restless nap on the couch. Just as Agatha was softening into the touch it ceased as suddenly as it began, leaving her scalp tingling for more.

“Ahhg,“ Rio warned. “I’be godda sdee… huh! sdeeze.”

“I know.” Agatha had anticipated it — she rarely stopped at just two. “It’s okay.”

“huhh… hh’ATSHhoo! ESHHh’ue! huhh’IHH! huh… hah’TCH!—uh…”

Not only were the first two muffled, like Rio had covered them with her hands, but it sounded like she attempted to stifle the third one. She must have also taken a few steps back, because Agatha didn’t feel her presence right behind her anymore. All of this made a significant difference in the volume (sound-wise and spray-wise), which Agatha appreciated after feeling overstimulated for most of the day.

“Bless you,” she said as Rio sniffled, a thick, gurgling sound.

“Ugh, fidally.” Agatha could hear her voice traveling to the other end of the kitchen. “Those have bed drivi’g mbe crazy sidz I left work.”

At the sound of paper towels ripping Agatha glanced over her shoulder, looking at Rio for the first time since she entered the room. She stood poised with a cluster of them against her nose, her eyebrows raised in confusion as Agatha fired off what sounded more like an accusation than a question.

“Didn’t you just buy more tissues?”

“Yeah.” Rio stopped to blow her nose, then pinched away the mess with a wince before tossing the towels into the trash can. “I’m saving them for you.”

She returned to Agatha, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Agatha tensed up, suddenly feeling sick in a different way. It wasn’t because of her touch — on the contrary, she had been craving to be held like this since Rio left for work — but because she knew she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve Rio. Nobody did, but least of all her. Part of her wanted to crawl out of her arms, go lie alone in the darkness somewhere like an animal waiting to die, but Agatha didn’t have the willpower to leave an embrace that felt so much like home.

“Don’t need them anymore,” she said tersely, tossing some utensils onto the drying rack with a clatter. “Feeling much better. They’re all yours.”

“Pretty sure you said we needed tissues. We.”

“Must've been another typo.” Agatha sniffled, annoyed that her nose chose this particular moment to start running again. “I had a lot going od today.”

“Mm,” Rio hummed. “So I heard.”

Agatha thought she could detect some acidity in her tone, but the way she started pressing kisses along her jawline was so sweet and soft she wondered if she was imagining things. She tensed again when she felt Rio pull back, expecting more sneezes. Instead she voiced her concern, which was even more annoying.

“My love, you’re warm,” she said. “Like, really warm.”

Agatha was prepared to blame the hot water, but when she opened her mouth all that came out was a stuttering gasp that seemed to surprise them both. Normally she had more warning before the sneezing started, but the whole process became annoyingly unpredictable whenever she had a cold. The sensation was sneakier, popping up loudly without notice, or sustaining itself at a level just irritating enough to keep her on edge while only teasing at the possibility of relief. Her typical pattern of two sneezes could range anywhere from almost one to what felt like a hundred off the same tickle in the span of ten minutes. She never thought to keep count, but it wouldn’t surprise her if Rio did.

Before she could even think of how to handle the current situation Rio was handling it for her, cupping her hand over her nose and drawing herself closer so she could serve as a stabilizing force. Agatha held her own hands uselessly above the sink, resisting the urge to knock Rio’s hand aside so she could grab her nose and stifle; she wasn’t particularly in the mood to get a face full of soap suds on top of everything else. Her breath hitched uneasily, then stalled altogether as she grappled with the discomfort of allowing herself to be this vulnerable with someone.

Not someone. Rio.

“It’s okay,” Rio said softly, as if sensing her hesitation. “I got you.”

Agatha surrendered in increments, her desperation finally outpacing her reluctance. Some of her breaths were so vocal and needy they sounded more like moans, a fact that made her face burn so hot she was afraid Rio might say something. When it became obvious she wasn’t going to sneeze right away, Rio lowered her hand slightly, giving her more space to breathe. Frustrated, Agatha wondered why she was suddenly working so hard for a sneeze that had been so eager to fly out without provocation just moments earlier. There were some tricks she could try to get it moving along, but only one that was guaranteed to work everytime. It also happened to be the least dignified of the options.

“It’s — h’huhh! — it’s s-stuck,” she stuttered, scrunching her nose as she pressed it into Rio’s waiting hand.

Agatha hated how desperate she sounded, but she was desperate. She only ever volunteered that information if she wanted help doing something about it, and Rio knew that.

“Well, can you blame it?” she teased, allowing Agatha to rub her nose back and forth against her palm. “With the way you murder your sneezes…”

“Wh-whose side are you od?”

“Justice.”

Smirking, Rio uncurled her hand so she could gently scrape a fingernail along the contours of Agatha’s nose. The light strokes ignited little sparks here and there, but nothing catching until she grazed her left nostril. It was here that Agatha gasped sharply, which Rio seemed to take as permission to devote more attention to the area. Somehow she always seemed to know which side was giving her more trouble and just how to handle it. It was a strange kind of intimacy Agatha had never imagined sharing with another person, especially since she had a hard enough time being intimate in “normal” ways.

“Aqui,” Rio said, tracing her finger around the quivering circumference of her nostril. “Adelante, mi vida.”

Agatha could feel her lungs aching for relief as air rushed to fill them. At this point she was gripping onto the edge of the sink, soapy water dripping down her arms onto the kitchen mat. She was vaguely aware of the fact that Rio was stroking her other hand up and down her hip in a steady, soothing motion. Tilting her head back, Agatha felt her hand follow, then pitched into it with a pair of sneezes.

“ISHHHhyu-ISHHhoo!”

“Bless—”

“eh’Hh-ESHHHhoo!”

“Bless you!” Rio planted a kiss on her shoulder as she sagged over the sink, then waited a moment, keeping her hand in place in case there were more. Agatha sniffled against it and groaned, the noises soft and muffled behind her hand. “Seems like you might need those tissues after all.”

Those sneezes left Agatha so drained she surrendered without a fight, leaving the remaining dishes for another time as Rio steered her away from the sink. She dried her hands, blew her nose, and drank some water, ushered through the process by her very patient wife. By the time she was done she was melting into the couch, ready for another nap, having finally forgotten about whatever it was that had her feeling so anxious in the first place. It was then that Rio spoke, her reminder like a bucket of cold water to the face.

“So…” she said, giving off that weird energy she put out whenever she was asking a question she didn’t want to ask, but needed to know the answer to. “You saw Wanda today?”

“She was at the store,” Agatha said, feeling uncomfortably hot again. “I had Nicky, Rio, I wouldn’t have… I mean, I wouldn’t have—”

“Hey,” Rio interjected, easing onto the couch beside her. “I’m not suggesting anything. I was just curious, since Nicky had mentioned it. What’s this party he’s so amped up about?”

“Wanda—” Agatha interrupted herself to cough, as if the very act of speaking that name was causing her to have a physical reaction. “S’cuse mbe, Wandahh… huh!”

Her eyes narrowed as she turned away, nose wrinkling, but not before she caught a glimpse of Rio looking mildly annoyed. Agatha had never seen her respond to her sneezing that way in the history of their relationship, unless she was attempting to stifle, but this felt different from that. It was so unexpected it almost scared the sneeze away.

Almost.

“EH’TCHshhiu!”

She caught the brunt of the spray against her closed fist, then left it pressed against her nose in anticipation of a second sneeze. Her breath hitched once, expression drawn tight with irritation, but then the sneeze just sort of… vanished. Agatha released the unused air in a long, weary sigh, hoping to effectively convey just how over this whole being sick thing she was. As she grabbed more tissues she glanced over to find Rio watching her with a shocking level of nonchalance. Her indifference was even more disconcerting to Agatha than her frustration.

“Is that it?” Rio asked, as if she had just watched a very short and underwhelming play.

“You seeb bothered,” Agatha said, scrunching her nose up as the tissues tickled the sensitive skin. “Ad dot ih-hh-id the way I’be accustubbed to.”

“I am,” Rio admitted. “A little… I—”

When Agatha began blowing her nose Rio closed her eyes, waiting with rapidly withering patience for her to finish. Another sneeze — “ESHHhu!” — and a series of harsh blows later, Agatha glanced up to find Rio regarding her coldly. Her pathetic attempt to sniffle her way through an apology failed to melt her icy gaze.

“I feel like you’re dodging my question,” Rio deadpanned.

“I’be dot dodging eddythig, sweetheart, I’be sdeezig,” Agatha said, trying to show her wife the same patience she somehow always managed to show her. “We saw Wanda at the store, that’s all. She told us about sub party she’s throwig for the kids todight and said Ndicky should cub.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I dote kndow.” Agatha shrugged. “Because our kid’s abazig? She said the boys mbiss him, and I believe her. I think it would be ndice if he could go socialize with his own kind for a bit. He really ndeeds it… hodestly, I think we really ndeed it…”

“What if…” Rio fiddled with a loose thread on the arm of the couch, brow tense and gaze murky. “You don’t think it will confuse him, going over there?”

Agatha hated seeing her so insecure, especially when she knew she was to blame. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Rio was worried about how this would impact Nicky, but Agatha could tell her concerns extended beyond that to a place they really didn’t need to go. She had nothing to feel insecure about, but Agatha wasn’t sure how to show her that.

“Hey, if it’s…” She cleared her throat, then licked her lips, treading carefully over her wording. “If it’s too weird for you, we—”

“Nothing’s too weird for me,” Rio interjected, almost defensively. “I’m just concerned about Nicky.”

“Okay, well.” Agatha inched her fingers closer to Rio’s until they were just barely touching. “I’m concerned about you. Nicky will survive missing a party. Will you survive him going?”

“You make it sound so dramatic,” Rio scoffed, but Agatha could see the relief in that teary-eyed half-smile she finally gave her. “Of course I’ll survive. If he really wants to go, and you think it’s okay, then I trust you… as long as he’s back home for a kiss at midnight. He’s only going to let us do that for a couple more years, you know.”

“I think we have a while yet,” Agatha said, saying whatever she could to keep that smile on her face. “At least you do. He’s a Mami’s boy.”

“He is,” Rio laughed, then sniffled, grabbing one of the tissues to dab at her eyes. She looked down at their hands, stroking her pinky finger along Agatha’s as she sucked in her lower lip. “My love?”

“Yes?”

“Will you always want to kiss me at midnight?”

“I’ll kiss you anywhere, anytime, always,” Agatha declared, leaning in to press her lips to the rising corner of her mouth. “In fact, there’s a few places I’d like to kiss you later…”

“Mm.” Rio shivered as Agatha moved her lips down her neck. “How early we can drop Nicky off?”

[herestomyhaters]

i have remained silent for too long. i forgot to post this so here are my thoughts on 2x06/2x07!! as always brought to you by a bisexual black girl 🫡

i understand it's a teen drama so cheating is bound to happen but lorddd i was really hoping they wouldn't do that w/ noa cause i hate that bi stereotype. atp it's just bad writing bc why would she want to be w/ jen after all the batshit crazy things she's done ???

call me crazy but i Do Not think shawn punched that whole in the wall and even if he did i still don't trust jen (why would anyone 💀)

also were they expecting him not to react after noa's been cheating since JUVIE, all the lying and the stealing ???

hope i won't need to backtrack here (that'd suck) but why are ppl so obsessed w/ christian being evil/related to bloody rose somehow?? like besides being too obvious i really don't think they would do that to tabby again. also it feels jarring that ppl want to assume the black guy is the threat

i want more 1:1 moments between the girls!! the only dynamic that's been explored so far is tabogen (we got faran/imogen crumbs last week). praying for that in s3

is it me or are all of imogen & johnny's scenes just her trauma dumping myyy god. don't get me wrong i like them together but it just sends me, i also wish they'd explored the whole "player" trope a bit more it could've been interesting to see. i just don't know how believable it is to go from THAT to loverboy in the span of an episode but i guess we have the 8-episode season aspect to blame

redemption house was CRAZY. it was giving "is this fucking play about us?" tbh it ate

speaking of crazy kelly has fully lost it. imogen clocking her was one of my fave moments in the episode. looove imogen she's easily become my top 3

there is also no way kelly's dead

"HENRY, you're a dancer. most of your friends are GAY"

faran and greg: where to even start. i saw this ship coming before the season even started and (hear me out) i do not think they'll be endgame. i personally don't hate greg (maybe it's just elias' charisma) but it feels very contradicting to the show's values to pair faran & greg together. still, it is a semi-realistic situation. i just hope they proceed with caution & are smart about whatever happens next. i do not want faran to be babysitting him into becoming a decent human being

just need to bring up the "my cousin kevin, who lives in riverdale" moment cause i was crying w laughter. this show is so unserious sometimes (shoutout kevin keller tho)

speaking of gays i was quite surprised bi noa wasn't canon already?? might be bc maia has spoken about it many times but i always assumed she was already out 😭

besides that, the fact that NONE of them called noa out for cheating??? they were like "yesss queen slay 😍". i can't, feeling so sorry for shawn atp

also imogen bursting out laughing when noa brought up the "throuple" thing even she was weirded tf out

bloody mary playing while they raided redemption house was ICONIC

that bloody rose reveal was INSANE. imogen tearing the mask off??? bailee's emmy worthy scream queen moment (AGAIN)??!

do y'all have any theories for tabby's final girl moment/who br is? how are u liking the season so far? lmk your thoughts and we can kiki 🫶🏽

[the-spirited-one]

So… I, again, have the attention span of a fucking squirrel, so I’ve started working on ANOTHER AU, this one inspired by two wild, goofy ideas @amimuu and @bioquill came up with! 1) What if COTL was one of those really bad webtoons where the lamb was a Mary Sue protagonist and Narinder was controlled by a guy who used to make fun of it, and 2) Aym and Baal never went to the Veil so Narinder spent those thousand years all alone and lost his mind, creating a whole other world in his head. (I.e. ours.) I LOVE these batshit-crazy concepts so Imma just *consumes brainfood*

So, I decided to combine these two and a few unrelated things into something even wilder: a world where Narinder was killed by the lamb in a fit of rage after their battle, because the lamb was furious he asked them to sacrifice themselves to him after all they did. (They fell in love with him and were hoping to be with Narinder forever) But once the lamb realizes what they just did, it’s too late. Narinder’s body has already disappeared into the veil and without his bones, there’s no way to revive him.

The lamb spends the next 100 years wallowing in their grief and fury at themselves, slowly becoming corrupted by the Red Crown and turning away from the kindness they used to show their followers, pretty much becoming like the Bishops. And ALL OF THIS exists in another world as a damn furry webtoon.

A webtoon Narinder, reincarnated as someone else in the human world, has read and shits on endlessly. Unfortunately for him, he’s been diagnosed with an incurable condition that’s set to kill him in a few months. Now laying in the hospital, he’s scrolling through this stupid comic one more time since he figures he doesn’t have much time left and he may as well die entertained. Which he does.

Until the Mystic Seller ✨yoinks✨ him through the Gateway, back in his old body, and plops him on the ground in front of the lamb.

This ought to be interesting!

I’ve decided to post this fic to Wattpad, and this the rough sketch of the cover art!

(There is also no name for this dipshit story and I am absolutely open to suggestions.)

[the-most-humble-blog]

The Great Disconnect: Why Pro-Lifers See Pro-Choicers as Literal Monsters

When You Think You’re Fighting for ‘Rights’ But They See You as the Devil in Yoga Pants

There’s no middle ground in the abortion debate—just two groups staring at each other across the moral apocalypse, each convinced the other is batshit crazy. But here’s where it gets real interesting:

Pro-lifers don’t just disagree with pro-choicers. They don’t just think they’re misguided.

No, no, no—they see them as full-blown, selfish, soulless, degenerate female monsters.

And honestly? From their point of view, it makes sense.

Let’s step inside the mind of a pro-lifer for a second. Not to agree, but to understand why they see pro-choicers the same way you’d look at a dude kicking a puppy for fun.

1. The “Kill a Baby, Call It Self-Care” Mentality

Imagine you’re a pro-lifer. You believe life begins at conception, that every fetus has a soul, and that killing it is no different than drowning a toddler in a bathtub.

Now, imagine scrolling Twitter and seeing a chick with blue hair posting:

💅 "Got my nails done, had my latte, and aborted that clump of cells! Self-care, ladies!"

To a pro-lifer, this is a horror movie. It’s like watching someone casually update their Instagram story:

📸 "Just poisoned Grandma for her inheritance! #Blessed"

In their minds, you’re not just wrong—you’re a literal death cult member bragging about body count like you’re collecting Pokémon.

2. The “Shout Your Abortion” PR Disaster

Now let’s get into the really unhinged part.

The Shout Your Abortion movement told women to be loud and proud about their terminations. From a pro-life perspective, this is like watching someone remix genocide into a TED Talk.

Think about it: If you truly believe abortion is murder, then a woman gleefully “shouting her abortion” is no different than a dude wearing a “Shout Your School Shooting” T-shirt.

This isn’t debate to them. This isn’t politics. This is straight-up serial killer energy being marketed as feminism.

3. “B-but What About the Men?!”

Oh, but it gets worse. Because pro-lifers don’t just see women celebrating abortion—they see them acting like it’s some kind of empowering flex.

Picture this:

A guy gets a girl pregnant. He says, "Nah, I don’t wanna be a dad," and ghosts her. Society calls him a deadbeat loser.

A girl gets pregnant. She says, "Nah, I don’t wanna be a mom," and gets an abortion. Society calls her brave.

To pro-lifers, this isn’t equality. It’s feminist hypocrisy on crack. You wanna be equal to men? Cool. That means taking responsibility like them too.

But instead, they see modern women happily skipping down the "Do Whatever the Fuck I Want" road while men are expected to shut up and pay up.

4. Abortion as “Plan C” (After Bad Decisions and Birth Control Fails)

Then there’s the fact that abortion has become the backup plan to the backup plan.

Plan A: Don’t sleep with dudes you don’t trust.

Plan B: Use protection.

Plan C: Fuck it, let’s just get an abortion!

To pro-lifers, abortion isn’t some tragic, rare necessity. It’s a get-out-of-jail-free card for women who made reckless decisions and don’t feel like dealing with the consequences.

Imagine watching someone speed drunk through a school zone, hit a kid, then casually sue the school for “not having a better fence.”

That’s how pro-lifers see pro-choicers. Not as people making difficult choices, but as reckless degenerates shamelessly sidestepping responsibility.

5. "If You Wouldn’t Kill a Puppy..."

And then there’s the biggest, most frustrating argument pro-lifers have against pro-choicers:

🐶 "If we put a puppy in your womb instead of a fetus, you’d be pro-life instantly."

The same people screaming "Free Palestine!" and crying over factory farming will swipe left on their own flesh and blood like it’s a bad Tinder match.

Tell a pro-choicer they should feel bad for terminating a pregnancy, and they’ll say "My body, my choice!"

But tell them "Hey, maybe let’s not mass-exterminate baby seals," and suddenly they’re gluing themselves to the freeway in protest.

To pro-lifers, this double standard is pure insanity.

You wouldn’t microwave a kitten, but you’ll crush a fetus for being inconvenient? Yeah, okay, lady.

Final Thoughts: Monsters vs. Monsters

The real disconnect here is that pro-choicers see abortion as personal autonomy, while pro-lifers see it as a straight-up war crime.

And once you see someone as a baby-killing, morality-free gremlin who laughs in the face of what you consider sacred?

There’s no conversation left to have.

So while pro-choicers are out here chanting "My body, my choice!"

Pro-lifers are looking at them like, "Nah, bitch, you're a walking horror movie."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why the divide isn’t closing anytime soon.

🔥 Follow The Most Humble Blog for more brutally honest, no-BS takes. If you're mad, take a number, because you're not the first.

[aldritch-ao3]

genuinely this is my fav jjk fic ever. better than canon. i like how seamlessly you weave in all the new lore! The way we slowly learn more about jian's life (and btw. character who is possesive as fuck? yeah:3 thanks) is so well done. the interactions between jian & the rest of the cast kill me - i think part of the reason i ship everyone/jian is because you write their interactions so well it just feels like you can already tell how their relationship would progress, like it would be the most natural thing in the world. also more jian+gojo interactions. 4 me. or more jian+geto interations. 4 me. or- this fic is the one i am most excited to see update in my bookmarks atm, i'm so obsessed. genuinely feels like it's own origional story. jian is my #1 fav guy of all time. i am right behind you in being about to make jian doll. also i love the way you make og!naoya feel like a part of the story still - he's almost a ghost in it, despite still living, because irregardless of how little he appears on screen he still deeply affects the story. i love his parent arc btw. insane place to take his character and yet. it's so good. also you're single-handedly making me obsessed w/ muta despite not caring about him at all before this fic. your background character promotional agenda strikes again. i think he and yuuji should talk. two guys losing control(idk how to better put it but. you get me) of their bodies because of the jujutsu system.

ALL THAT AND YOUR ART FUCKS TOO. this ask is already too long so perhaps i shall return another day to gush about your artstyle.

this is such a nice ask ive been going crazy abt it since u sent it ... singlehandedly revitalizing me after a bad sleep night twice in a row. my hero and savior ...

i'm SO pleased to have any sort of impact on any of my readers, ESPECIALLY in making them more fond of certain characters! i think muta is like, my shining star hero and saviour and best friend and im overjoyed to hear i made even a single person consider his merits as a character more. he's so spectacular and has such remarkable potential and charm. ive said before that while i adore mechamiwa (and the rarepair of throwing kamo in the mix, even!) i wish there was more media, especially fic, exploring who he is as a person outside of the girl he loves. theyre sweet but both of them deserve to shine as individuals, too! my muta agenda. everyone must love him for ever and ever

even im surprised by the directions naoya has taken in this. it just felt right. natural. jian's influence on him, and his influence on jian, makes me kind of like, bouncing off the walls batshit unhinged in a way im not sure i could articulate because i have very little room to really showcase how they are removed from each other - after all, even when theyre separate, theyre bound together as something close to a single entity. im really attached. how did this happen? no one has answers especially not me

extremely flattered you enjoy my art, too ... im very out of practice drawing people on account of the one-two punch of a warrior cats and then sonic fixation that lasted like a year each, and getting to toy with it in a fresh exciting way is a treat for me. motivated entirely by My Guys! not that jian counts there because hes like a weird animal creature. but ive rambled enough about jian's design i shant bore everyone with it again.

asks are like a little treat for me forever. just for you i post more of my Drawigns

[ircn-mvn]

Alpha/Alpha 1

Inspired by Speak No Evil by Exonerin

TW: omegaverse, mental health

Iruka did his best not to look up and keep both eyes on the twenty-ish kids throwing sharp objects around him. It was harder than usual though as he couldn’t help but wonder why Tsunade was in such a bad mood and who the hell was growling and using their alpha voice while talking to the Hokage of all people. They were either dumb or crazy or both. 

Unfortunately, Iruka found out soon enough.

There was a loud crash coming from the Hokage’s office and then multiple people came out from the windows and landed in the middle of Iruka’s students. 

He recognized most of them easily enough. They were all jounins. The usual gang including Kurenaï, Asuma, Guy, Izumo, Kotetsu, and even Genma. But the one who caught Iruka’s attention was no other than Kakashi.

Iruka hadn’t seen him in a while. Probably since Naruto left with Jiraya-Sama. 

He had wondered what the man had been up to since all his students had found new senseis and the answer clearly was: nothing good.

Kakashi looked exhausted and bloodied. His eyes — both of them! — were unfocused, and his posture was way too aggressive for an adult facing Iruka’s six-year-olds.

“Kakashi,” Asuma said.

He was tense. They all were. And that was when Iruka realized this wasn’t some crazy jounins stupid game. Kakashi truly was out of it… and he had his sharingan looking at the pre-genins.

“My —” Guy started then seemed to think better of it and his expression grew horrifyingly serious. “Kakashi, you’re scaring the children.”

Iruka’s children. Who were all holding kunai and shuriken and probably all looked like threats despite the fact they definitely were not. At least not to Sharingan no Kakashi. 

Kakashi’s eyes narrowed and many weapons fell to the ground as tears started to run down the pre-genins’ faces. Iruka was trying to come up with the fastest and smartest way to get them all out of harm’s way. And he was failing.

“Kakashi, you need to calm the fuck down,” Asuma growled.

Literally. Using his alpha voice and getting surprised hiccups from the children. 

Kakashi on the other hand only growled right back and took a step toward Asuma, and more importantly, toward Iruka’s students. He went as far as to pick up a kunai from his belt when some of them failed to move quickly enough, and that broke Iruka’s restraint — and survival instinct.

“Enough,” Iruka said.

Or growled, he wasn’t sure. What he knew was that he had just used his alpha voice on probably the strongest shinobi Konoha had birthed since the Sanins, and considering said shinobi and alpha had gone batshit crazy, it couldn’t possibly end well for him.

Except Kakashi froze.

The ongoing growl coming from behind his mask suddenly died and he blinked at Iruka, eyes wide. For a moment, Iruka wondered if Kakashi felt so offended by Iruka’s order it had actually broken the mind state he had been in but then the second ticked by and he still wasn’t moving. He still was looking at Iruka like… Like he was waiting for him to tell him what to do. 

That couldn’t be right.

“Iruka,” Kurenaï said.

But he didn’t dare to break eye contact with Kakashi. Even if he could feel the jounins’ gazes on him. All of them. 

Iruka took a deep breath before his next move.

“Drop the weapon,” he ordered. 

And Kakashi did, his fingers uncurling immediately. He still looked wild but more like a deer-caught-in-headlights kind of wild. 

“The children are going to leave, you are not going to move, am I clear?”

Iruka wasn’t sure if he was still using his alpha voice or just his teacher’ voice but still, Kakashi nodded slowly. Obediently. It made no sense. They were both alphas. And also Iruka knew he was better than most people thought he was, he was honest with himself and knew he wasn’t Kakashi’s level. Far from it. The jounin could have killed him a hundred times by now. Should have too considering his mental state.

[bagelsand-creamcheemse]

Friendly reminder that even if voting seems hopeless and like yours won’t do anything, you should still 10000% get out and do it tomorrow if you haven’t already. This election is not just a fight for the presidency but so so so many other positions. Your vote for local candidates, which you absolutely should be paying attention to, I PROMISE will count far more than you expect.

My local school board has three places in the running this year: each of them has 1 super normal candidate (2 of which are incumbents that have done a great job so far) and 1 batshit crazy opponent. the cuckoo-for-coco-puffs candidates are as follows:

1) a guy who was at the jan 6 insurrection and is running his campaign on essentially “lgbt and dei ideology is destroying student’s brains and opportunities” and the only way to fix the system is to go back to the good ol days and stop limiting “normal” students or whatever.

2) a white christian nationalist who has openly said she was christian nationalist “and that should tell you where I stand on most things” and supports extensive book banning and also going back to the good ol days.

3) a guy who is potentially less cuckoo for coco puffs but is still an absolute dingus that has literally no idea what’s going on. his campaign statements for various publications include a lot of “oh I don’t know how they’re doing things these days but I think we need to fix something. when I was on the board ten years ago we did it like X, but I dunno what they’ve done in the time since then or what it’s like now. I just know parents don’t seem to feel heard. we should change that.” with zero examples of any details or plans on how that would be achieved.

I can’t remember if that last guy is endorsed by them or not but I know that Moms for Liberty have endorsed the first two for sure, which is more than enough evidence for me to not want them in office even if I didn’t already know any of the above other stuff. (if you don’t know who Moms for Liberty are, they’re a group advocating for the removal of any mention of LGBTQ+ rights, gender and sexuality, critical race theory, race & ethnicity, discrimination, and more from school curriculums, and, as far as I can tell, were also initially formed to fight mask and vaccine mandates during COVID.)

If you think the climate is not as bad locally as it is nationally I can assure you that is not the case. I never would have imagined my city specifically — an average sized one with its own pride festival located in the greater hub of an even bigger left-wing metropolis — to have anyone like the three above to be seriously in the running. And yet here we are. The difference here is that there are far less constituents in a local election than there are nationwide, and a single voice weighs infinitely more here.

Research your local ballots and throw your support behind those who would support you — don’t let crazy people who hate your guts to get into your local school board or in a local judiciary position just because you didn’t feel like it would matter. Those are the people who will be making education decisions for your friends and families, who will be presiding over any cases that you and yours get involved in over the years of this next term.

You can’t always rely on the party markers on the ballots either — your area may have non partisan school board or judicial districts, which would only list the names of those running and nothing more. Sometimes a polling location will have party representatives set up outside to tell you which candidate falls under their party endorsement, but not every location will.

If you don’t know where to start for research, getting a sample ballot from your county’s website and just searching the names on it and going to their campaign websites to evaluate their policy statements (and check for any dog whistles) is always a really simple start. If your town/city/county has an active subreddit or facebook group, there may be people who have posted more candidate/campaign information there. If you live in Texas like I do, the League of Women Voters of Texas is a good resource for basic voter guides as well.

Please don’t let the doom and gloom mindset prevent you from having an active say in the people who represent you and make decisions for your community. With the way the political climate is right now, it may be a decision that haunts you for years. Get out and vote tomorrow.

[flowitch]

okay i actually do have so many thoughts about dynamite

kyle hesitantly leaving will to follow don was so good and so sad

britt & mercedes is the natural choice for a wembley match, i just hope that britt learned how to wrestle while she was away so mercedes doesn't have to carry her like stat did

I'm glad britt's okay, that shit sounds so awful and scary. her & adam can't catch a break with head injuries

there's an alternate universe out there where britt is a heel and joins the evps and goes by her god given name brittany

hangman's new theme (as far as i can tell from the one time we've heard it) is great and fits him perfectly. the dim yellow lighting is also so perfect for his presentation. i saw someone on twitter say that they should pay for hurt by johnny cash to be his theme for PPVs and i think that'd be so awesome

thank god the cowboy is home. there was a distinct lack of cowboy these past few months

using jeff jarrett's real life investment & babyfaceism in the owen as a way to get hanger more heel heat was fantastic

the crowd doing the swerve's house chants to hanger was so fucked up when you remember they're chanting for the dude that broke into hanger's house and his child's bedroom LMAO that shit was so crazy. he has every right to go batshit after being made the bad guy. babyface swerve & heel hanger ended up being inspired booking

hangmatt i missed you so dearly. the angst is wonderful but i was sad for a moment missing the elite being all together. so much has happened in the past year!

i need kris statlander in ways I'm not allowed to say publicly

stat vs willow was great per usual. honestly if they wanted to run that again at wembley maybe with a stip that'd be awesome

bryan vs pac was great as expected. i did some looking and the only times they've fought 1-on-1 was once in 2007 for roh and once in 2009 for a UK indie promotion

will vs danny was great. usually my dad and i joke that certain people in matches have a -3% chance of winning when we can guess the booking but in this instance i upped danny to a 40%. i feel like he honestly had a shot based on the storyline they're doing with will. even though he didn't win im glad he has a feud now instead of just squashes or run-ins to help other people

it was def time to turn mjf fully heel again. i think his babyface run was great especially during the btybb era but being a heel is his bread and butter so it was def time.

we should all start assuming someone's about to die when they're wearing white. that's how u know the blood is coming

one minute danny is thrusting in will's face and the next he's dead, daddy magic has his eyes ripped out, and mjf is throwing trash at fans while they attempt to fist fight him

I'm so so so excited that the build to all in has started. they have so much time for it i think it's gonna be amazing

mark briscoe declaring for blood & guts made me very happy. he's gonna do some crazy shit. i really wish the acclaimed weren't in it because i cannot stand max caster but sadly that's probably happening. i keep thinking maybe swerve will declare since they hinted it & that's what'll help the bucks convince hanger to join their team. I'm all for them being in forced close proximity and angst happening. god bless

there was a chompy-shaped hole in the heart of this year's shark week episode. i liked him terrorizing commentary last year. speaking of commentary, taz being kicked off commentary should be considered a crime

i think that's all for now

[marianas-trench-is-not-that-deep]

My (Pretty Quick) Review on Haven - Marianas Trench (2024)

PSA: So my plan is to write a total of probably 3 reviews of Haven. this one being the short one with just rating each song from 1-10 with small commentary. the second being an extension of this one with better commentary for each song, and the third being a review as an album in general instead of focusing on each song. I just have way too many thoughts and I don't want to overwhelm anyone with everything in one post. It also helps me keep my thoughts organized. I just want to join in the fun (despite me being a few weeks late to the party)

okie thanks! :D

Normal Life: ngl it took me a few listens to really like it. But when it hit, it HIT. Not the best opener in their discography tho. 8/10

Lightning and Thunder: i like it as a single, but kind of flops compared to the other songs in the album. Still a bop tho 6/10

I’m Not Getting Better: it took me a two relistens to like it. Again, good as a single but something about it just gives “FOR RADIO”. Can tell they drew some inspo from the 80s and seems a little Astoria-esque (still don’t know if I like it tho). 5/10

Down to You: first single that I automatically fell in love with. However, it sounds way too similar to Kid Laroi’s Stay in some parts and I don’t like that 💀 7/10

Now or Never: 😬 guys, I’ve seen your reviews and I was surprised to see this was a fan favorite. It was not mine (pls don’t kill me 💀). Lyrics,, a little cheesy. Production,, a little boring to me tbh. However not a bad song. Vocals are killer - as always - 4/10

Into the Storm: lyrics are nice (still a little cheesy tho). Production and composition, awesome ! Josh really worked his ass fr. Love the crescendos here. Sounds like it will be killer live. 7/10

Ancient History: another fan favorite for some reason that I was surprised with. Melodically: fan of the verses, not a fan of the chorus (more on that later). Saxophone goes HARD tho 🎷🎷 serviceable bop 5/10

Stand and Fight: pretty good song in the context of the album. Not so good standalone (a little debatable). Josh’s vocals made me tear up hear tho. Gets pretty inspiring 🥹 7/10

Turn and Run: same review as stand and fight except it’s inspiring in a different way. To me: (masterpiece theater II —> Masterpiece Theater 2009) = (turn and run —> Haven 2024) idk if that makes sense but it’s an analogy. Sounds like it’ll be killer in live 6/10

Worlds Collide: BANGER BANGER BANGER. I liked it when I first heard it but it took me til the third to be like “ 🥹I get it.” This song was made for ME. The masterpiece theater references made me tear up. The drama, the composition. Spectacular. However, in the context of the album, it gets held back. More on this song later. 9.75/10

Nights Like These: giving “story of tonight”. Sweet message. Sweet song. (Congrats to josh btw!)6/10

Remember Me By: SLAPS!! Straight up. Loved it as soon as I heard it. Catchy and love the 80s vibe here a lot more. Also reminds me of Try Me from his solo project. Certified BOP 9/10

Haven: KILLER OUTRO! Once more, marianas Trench knocks it out of the park with their outros. I think this is their most ambitious and musically complex song yet and it tears me up how far they’ve come 🥲🥲. 10/10⭐️

Final Notes: Solid album, not my favorite album. I have a bajillion more thoughts on this album because I’m batshit crazy about Marianas Trench. I’m so HAPPY we got new music and hopefully I get to see them soon!!! (my date got postponed 🥲)

Overall Rating: 8/10 💕

Stay tuned for my in depth analysis 👍

[yuri-ray]

No-Spoilers Review #1: Otherside Picnic (Urasekai Picnic)

Content Warnings: guns, general horror genre themes and visuals

Starting with a series I own in print, it's Otherside Picnic by Iori Miyazawa, a novel series with manga and anime adaptations. This series is half horror and half yuri romance, about two university students exploring and being harrowed by a world full of urban legend horrors.

Is it good? Yes! I recommend it very highly to anybody who can take a little horror.

After all... as the author said himself... "This too is yuri."

Before I start, yes, it's THAT Iori Miyazawa who popularized the concept of "yuri of absence" in a batshit crazy pair of interviews. I think a lot of people would read that and assume that his actual work, Otherside Picnic, is full of bait and subtext. It's not. It's a slow-burn, sure, but it's legitimately canon and it's really good, OK? This guy knows what he's doing.

Anyway...

Our two leads are two university students, Sorawo Kamikoshi (the brown-haired girl in the art) and Toriko Nishina (the blonde girl). All of Otherside Picnic is told from Sorawo's perspective. While urban exploring, Sorawo stumbles upon a portal to the Otherside, a dangerous realm of urban legends and internet horrors (imagine famous Japanese creepypastas). She meets Toriko and they explore the Otherside and how its horrors leak into the real world and their perceptions, pulling them in and becoming more dangerous over time.

What I love most about Otherside Picnic is how complicated Sorawo and Toriko are as people. Sorawo is both extremely relatable at times and also extremely unrelatable at others. She is not a self-insert protagonist in the slightest, and she's not even a good person. She doesn't care about others very much. Meanwhile, Toriko has some difficulties with social situations and is overall a pretty normal (in comparison) likeable person with realistic worries. The two of them become closer organically and, yes, they do kiss eventually. No one is an idiot and all of their conflicts make sense.

The horror is also good and well-executed. It's decently scary and the world of the Otherside is intriguing and unpredictable, but not in any bullshit way. The horror drives the plot just as much as the romance does, and the manga does an amazing job bringing the novel's descriptions to life with creative paneling and art.

A supporting character, Kozakura, is that classic maligned trope of an adult that looks very young because she's short. However, Kozakura genuinely acts like a normal independent adult, and is a very likeable character who is the voice of reason.

As a side note, Iori Miyazawa also happens to like guns. The leads carry them as defense against malicious Otherside entities and there's a scene where Sorawo expresses pretty abject disgust at a tank designed to kill civilians, so it's not pro-military or whatever. It doesn't go in-depth because neither Sorawo nor Toriko care for them.

Final thoughts:

THE ANIME IS REALLY BAD. It totally misses the point and all of the things that really makes this series stand out--the episodes got shuffled for no reason which caused plotholes and character progression issues galore, and it cuts out all of the scenes where Sorawo and Toriko actually talk properly to each other. Plus the budget is like, one corn chip.

THE MANGA IS REALLY GOOD. It takes a lot of care to really adapt everything from the novel, which means that although updates are slow, you get to see everything Sorawo feels and thinks.

This series is one of my top favorite yuris, which I recommend to basically anyone who likes romance and doesn't mind some spooky visuals (or anyone who likes horror and doesn't mind some girls navigating complex feelings). It has close to no explicit gore. I'm currently up to date on everything... I can write a lot more on this, but these are my spoiler-free thoughts. The title references Roadside Picnic (the inspiration for the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) which is an inspiration for the series, but as I've never read it, I can't say more than that.