#An He looks more like a heron in this picture

[kiramarien]

@lumidotexe

I drew this after seeing poor An He at the end of Chapter 8, and then Ru looking for her the beginning of Chapter 9. I wanted to draw them so badly, and I decided to try drawing them in their animal forms. (Sorry for bad quality.) I need gentle moments between these two and I'm glad we're getting them.

Lumi, can I just say I love your characters so much? Thank you for creating this story! :) These two hurt me in the feels. But I'm SO glad they're coming together again.

[idkwhatever580]

Gina?

Masterlist

Pairings: Regina George x reader

Prompt: reader helps Regina when her life falls apart

Warnings: self hate, swearing,

A/N: I had a request to do this and I did it the other way around so here is a different version. I stuggled with the body part since I kind of was going on and on and it led to something else but I hope you like it!

Y/n’s pov

I just got to my girlfriend’s house. Her mom called me and said she’s been on the treadmill for two hours.

Ms. George called around four and she said that she left school early and wouldn’t get off, so I immediately told her that I was coming over.

I had just gotten out of school too.

So I run into the house and say a quick

“Hey Ms. George!”

And I ran to their workout room.

The door is locked so I knock really hard so she can hear me. She thinks I’m her mom so she yells

“Mom I told you I need to lose three pounds!!!”

“Gina baby! It’s me! Y/n! Can you please let me in?

“No! You need to go! I need to lose more weight!”

I sigh when I realize she’s not getting off that machine until I drag her off. So I quickly find two Bobby pins and pick the lock. Thank god for coach carr.

He might not have taught me a lot of things. Except for that if you have sex you’ll get chlamydia and die. (False) but he once had to pick the lock to get back into the classroom when he accidentally got us all locked out.

So I open the door and find her eating a gross looking bar of sorts.

I turn off the treadmill and say

“Gina. Please. This isn’t healthy.”

She is panting and sweating and she finally kind of snaps out of it.

She is like really fucking tired now so I help her to the bathroom to clean off.

“What kind of bar is that Gina?”

She shrugs while washing her hair and says

“It’s like a Kalteen bar. It’s Swedish or something”

I furrow my eyebrows and say

“Where did you get these from and what do they do?”

“They make you lose weight. And Cady gave them to me.”

She steps out of the shower and I say

“I don’t trust that girl”

She kind of scoffs and says

“You don’t trust anyone”

I look at her as she dries off and I say

“You’re right. I don’t trust very many people. Do you even know what is in this?”

She shrugs and says

“No.”

I squint and grab the package of the bars and I look up the brand. My eyes widen when I read the description.

All of the ingredients are said to be aids in gaining weight. So I turn to Regina and say

“Spit that out. Right. Now.”

She listens and spits it out, but says

“Why?”

I grab her hand and say

“You know how I said you shouldn’t trust Cady Heron?”

She rolls her eyes and says

“Yes come on tell me”

I sigh and pick up the bar and say

“This shit makes you gain weight. She literally tricked you.”

She takes the information in and then starts screaming.

Loud.

I cover my ears and as she is screaming she goes into her closet and grabs this pink book.

She finally stopped screaming. I’ve never seen this book before so I say

“What’s that?”

“A burn book”

She starts writing something in it and puts her picture in it.

“What is it about?”

She huffs and says

“It has all the girls in our class in it. Talks shit about them.”

I look at her with wide eyes and say

“Am i in it?”

She groans and says

“No. You go to north west. . I go to north shore. It only has north shore juniors in it. Also I’d never let them write anything bad about you anyways.”

I frown and nod my head and say

“What are you doing with it?”

She rolls her eyes and says

“I’m taking it to the school. Showing everyone. Blaming the three bitches who wouldn’t let me sit at my fucking table!”

I widen my eyes and say

“Wait. You couldn’t sit at their table?”

She nods her head and says

“Because I was wearing fucking sweatpants and it wasn’t the day.”

I scoff and say

“Wow. That’s stupid”

She nods and starts crying and says

“Sweatpants are all that fits me right now because of those stupid bars. I thought Cady was nice.”

I sign and nod my head. I run to hug her and say

“Let’s think this through baby. Whatever is in this book is going to ruin some people’s lives right now okay? I know she ruined yours. I know. But there’s no need to be the same way. Remember what we talked about?”

She looks at me and says

“What?”

I smile and say

“When someone hurts us. We get back up. Stand taller than them. And come back better than ever.”

She huffs and says

“Why though? Why can’t I ruin her life?”

I sigh and say

“Regina. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Don’t be the girl that hurt you first okay? Cady is a horrible person. She will have to deal with the consequences of that. But you are a good person.”

She sniffles and says

“I’m actually not”

I frown and say

“Huh?”

“I’m not a good person.”

I laugh softly and say

“What are you talking about baby?”

She sits up and takes a deep breath. It almost looks like she is preparing herself for me to leave her or something.

“Y/n. You know I am pretty popular right?”

I nod my head and say

“What does popularity have to do with anything?”

She looks down and says

“I’m not just popular. I’m like the head bitch in charge. I rule that fucking school. Every girl wants to be me. And I am mean. I’m a bully. I’ve never been nice to anyone. Not even Gretchen or Karen.”

I look at her confused and say

“What are you talking about? That doesn’t sound like you at all”

She sighs and shakes her head.

“I know. Because I am different around you. You make me a better person. But in reality. I am no better than Cady. There’s this one girl. I used to be friends with her. Her name is Janis. I ruined her life in sixth grade. I told everyone she was a lesbian because she was sad when I didn’t hang out with her because I had a boyfriend.”

I nod my head trying to take all this information in.

“And I bullied her so bad that she lit our shared stuffed animal on fire. Because I was using it to call her a lesbian without her knowing. So she lit it on fire. And then I caught my backpack on fire. I knew that. I knew she didn’t try to light my backpack on fire. And what did i do? I called her a pyro-lez. Everyone bullied her too. Trying to be like me.”

I look down and say

“Wow. That. That’s a lot”

She nods her head and says

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out. I thought we’d make it to college and I could be a completely different person. I thought I could run and be the person I want to be. But when you told me that you were switching schools for senior year I freaked out. Started focusing on everything that was happening this year like my body and my school life so that I could get it all this year. Because I knew the second you found out you’d dump me and then I’d become a loser.”

I nod my head as I listen to her.

“Regina?”

She stops and says

“I’m ready. I’m ready for you to break up with me”

I shake my head and say

“I’m not breaking up with you.”

She furrows her eyebrows as I continue.

“I’m sticking with you. Okay? Clearly you have a lot of things you need to work through. And that’s okay. We all do. But I am not leaving you. I love you okay? I love everything about you. And I’m not going to leave you because I know you can be better”

She nods her head and looks away and says

“Y/n? Why do you love me? I’m not pretty anymore”

I scoff and say

“What? You mean because Cady gave you those fuck ass bars? Because you gained a little weight?”

She nods her head and says

“I’m not pretty like I used to be. My body is ruined.”

I sigh and say.

“Take off your shirt”

Her eyes widen and she says

“What?”

I shake my head and say

“I’m not doing anything. Just take off your shirt okay?”

She does so and I get on my knees in between her legs. I kiss her stomach and I say

“I love your stomach. I love your stomach whether it is skinny and tiny or thicker okay?”

I move down and kiss her thighs

“I love your thighs. Whether or not they have a gap okay?”

She nods her head and I start kissing all over her and I say

“I love every inch of you. Every single inch. You having gained a little weight means nothing to me because you’re so so beautiful.”

Then I stand up and kiss her forehead.

“I love your mind. Because deep down I know you are good. If you really weren’t good I would have left you a long time ago. But you are good. You can be good to everyone.”

She tears up and says

“I want to be good”

I smile and say

“You do?”

She nods and says

“But I don’t know how”

I smile and say

“I’ll help you with that. But you have to look at me first and say you’re pretty”

She hesitates and shakes her head. I raise an eyebrow so she rolls her eyes and sighs. Then she mumbles

“I’m pretty”

I smirk and say

“Now mean it”

Once she realizes she’s not getting out of it, she sighs and for real says

“I love my body. I am pretty”

I smile and say

“Good job baby. Now. Let’s talk about what you’re gonna do now okay?”

She nods her head and I say

“So obviously this Janis girl has been hurt by you.”

She nods her head and I continue

“What are you going to do about that?”

She hesitantly says

“I’m gonna apologize?”

I nod my head and say

“Good job baby. You’re gonna apologize and explain to her why you did it all those years.”

She shakes her head and looks at me with pleading eyes and says

“What if she doesn’t care and still hates me?”

I sigh and say

“That’s a very likely possibility Regina. She might hate you. And that’s okay. Sometimes you have to understand that if you apologized, although it doesn’t make what you did right, it means you were willing to reconcile with them. And if they don’t care then that becomes their problem because you did what you could.”

She nods her head and says

“What else am I gonna do?”

I think and say

“You’re gonna burn that”

I point to the burn book she has and she says

“Why?”

I sigh and say

“Gina. You heard me. That book has the ability to ruin someone’s life. Honestly if I was in it and whatever had been written about me had gotten out I’d probably have hurt myself. We don’t want anyone to do that because of us right?”

She nods her head a lot and says

“I don’t want them to hurt”

I nod and say

“So you’re gonna?”

She finishes

“I’m gonna burn it tonight”

I nod and say

“Good job baby”

Then she says

“Let’s do it now.”

I smile and say

“Okay. Let’s do it now.”

We go to the backyard and I grab some lighter fluid from the barbecue pit and Regina throws the burn book in the fire pit.

I hand her the lighter fluid and she squirts some onto it and then I take it and trade her for the lighter.

She turns to me not knowing how to light it and I give her a bit of fire starter and say

“Wanna record it?”

She nods so I grab my phone and she burns the book.

We sit and watch it turn into ashes and I give her a hug. She turns to me and says

“It kind of feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders”

I smile and say

“Good. It should feel that way.”

We put the rest of the fire out and go back inside.

“Okay y/n, what else do I have to do?”

I smile and say

“Well I’m taking you shopping. You can’t go back better than ever wearing the sweatpants that fit you right now. So we’re going to buy some cute clothes in your current size and you’re gonna own it”

She smiles and says

“Okay.”

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

We come back from the shopping spree with two bags in each hand

“That was amazing baby thank you for taking me and spoiling me”

I smile and say

“Anything for my love”

She smiles and then sets out an outfit for the next day.

I smile proudly and she turns around with a doubtful look.

“What if none of it works? What if everyone thinks I’m kidding when I start being nice? What if I don’t get any friends?”

I sigh and say

“It won’t matter. You’ll have me. I’ll always be here for you and next year I’ll be by your side. We are probably getting the same classes since we’re on the same course plan so we’ll have a lot of time together.”

She smiles and says

“Thanks baby you always know how to reassure me.”

I smile and nod.

“Of course baby. You deserve to know you’re not alone”

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

My school gets off on Fridays so I stayed home while Regina went to school.

She has been texting me all day asking for reassurance that she can do this. And I have nothing to do so I give it.

She is supposed to be talking to Janis this class period since they both have one class.

I told her to do it privately so nobody feels any pressure.

She calls me and I pick up.

“Regina? Baby are you okay?”

“Yeah! I’m good!”

She sounds happy that’s a good sign.

“How’d it go?”

She giggles at someone who is talking to her and she says

“Janis and I talked it out and she’s so fun. I have been talking and laughing with her all period! Thank you for encouraging me to do this.”

I sigh and say

“Did you tell her about the burn book?”

She says

“Mhm. We talked about it and she said I was having problems with internalized homophobia”

I smile and say

“Yeah. That’s probably it. Than what happened?”

“We just started talking and it was like before! When we used to be best friends you know?”

I say

“Mhm”

And she continues

“Hey! So I have to go okay? I don’t want to get in trouble for having my phone out but I just wanted to say that Janis and I are gonna hang out tonight. Is that okay?”

“Yeah that’s fine. Wait before you go did you mean like you’re gonna hang out with her and then hang out with me?”

She giggles at that person again

Probably Janis

“Oh um. I think we’re gonna catch up like a bunch so probably not. We can hang out tomorrow night though right?”

I sigh and say

“Yeah that’s fine baby. Call me tonight?”

She laughs and says

“I will. I love you baby bye bye”

“I love you too bye”

We hang up and I throw my phone on the bed.

Of course I’m a little hurt. We were supposed to go on a date tonight. Like we do every Friday night. But it’s fine. She is just excited about Janis. And that’s okay.

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

My sister comes into my room in the afternoon and says

“You’re not going to Regina’s?”

I shake my head

“But it’s your date night?”

I smile and say

“She’s catching up with an old friend.”

She makes an oh face and leaves me be.

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

I’ve been watching movies all evening and it’s almost midnight. I do have to sleep eventually but Regina hasn’t called me yet.

I sigh and accept that she’s not gonna call me tonight so I turn off my tv and go to sleep.

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

I wake up and check my phone to hopefully see some texts from Regina but nothing shows up.

Just a few emails and snap streaks.

I check all of Regina’s socials and I see her story.

She went to the movies with Janis to watch Inside Out 2.

We were supposed to watch that together.

I tear up because we had planned that since we first saw the trailers for it.

And she watched it without even a thought of me.

I get lost in my thoughts.

Maybe this was her thing the whole time. She bullied Janis because she liked her. And I was just someone to take her mind off of her. But she got her. And I am gonna be left. And after all I did for her? Are you kidding me?! I helped her. I love her. I have so much up for her. And she’s just gonna drop me for this girl?!

I didn’t realize until my phone started ringing that I am crying.

It’s Regina. I check the time and see it’s noon.

I wipe my tears and make myself a little more presentable even though she can’t see me and I pick up.

“Wow baby. You usually pick up after the first ring”

I laugh and cover up the fact that I was just crying and say

“I was in the bathroom sorry”

She hums and says

“How was your night?”

I sigh and say

“It was fine”

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you. It’s just Janis and I had so much fun and she decided to stay over at my house last night and I felt like I would be a bad friend if I called my girlfriend while she was there.”

“It’s okay Gina. I get it. I just wish you texted me”

“I know I just got caught up and had so much fun and forgot. I’m sorry”

“It’s okay.”

After a pause I decided to bring up the movie and say

“So… you and Janis went to the movies last night?”

She hums and says

“Yeah it was so much fun. You would have loved it.”

I feel another tear coming and I suck it up.

“Yeah. What did you guys watch?”

“We watched.. inside out 2”

She trails off when she realizes what we were supposed to do next week. But before she says anything I say

“So you’re cancelling next week? I mean. It would be kind of wasteful to just watch it again right? Waste of time.”

She sighs and says

“I’m so sorry y/n. I completely forgot. Janis had asked me and I just said yes without thinking. We can still go if you want to?”

I say

“No it’s okay. I’ll watch it when it comes out on Netflix or something. I don’t like the movies anyways.”

Lie. I love the movies.

“Huh. I thought you loved the movies?”

I huff and say

“It’s fine.”

She says

“Janis left a few minutes ago and I called as soon as I could.”

I hum and say

“Oh that’s nice. I’m glad you’re catching up with her”

She then says

“Yeah. Want to hang out today?”

“Uhh I don’t know, I’m kinda busy today. I have a lot of chores to do.”

“Oh. Well I could help you with them! Then we could spend time together and they’ll be finished faster so we can hang out!”

I reluctantly give in. I kind of don’t want to hang out with her since I’m hurt but maybe it’ll be easier to explain to her in person.

“Sure. Come over”

“Okay!”

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

Regina gets to my house and immediately hugs me. I melt into her embrace and say

“Thanks for coming.”

“Of course! Anything to hang out with my person!”

I smile awkwardly and just walk back to my chores.

I start folding clothes and Regina tries to talk to me.

“So. What did you do this morning?”

“Slept in”

“Oh. Um did you sleep alright?”

“I slept fine”

“Okay. Did you have a good day yesterday?”

I sigh and say

“Not really”

This is the perfect set up to tell her how I feel. I need to communicate with her better.

“Oh. Why wasn’t it good?”

I fold the last shirt I have and pick up my pile and take it to my room and Regina follows me.

“I don’t know”

I get scared and shut down a bit but Regina knows this play

“Don’t do that. Tell me why it wasn’t good baby”

I put my clothes in my drawer and pick up some shoes and put them in my closet. I end up picking some stuff up and I’m on my knees by my shoes.

I try to say something but nothing comes out. So Regina peeks her head in and says

“Hello?”

I turn from my spot on the ground and tear up slightly.

“Oh baby! Don’t cry! What happened?”

She comes and sits down next to me in my now cramped closet.

“I don’t know. I’m having a hard time saying it”

“I understand that. Take your time baby. I’m here”

I sigh and smile slightly when I realize she has picked up my words from when we were in this situation but reversed.

“I guess- I- ugh this is so hard”

I run my hands through my hair and Regina just listens. She gives me a reassuring look and I feel better about telling her.

“I am hurt I guess. By you. See I love that you are rekindling a friendship that you lost a long time ago but it’s not like you to dip on me okay!”

She furrows her eyebrows and says

“Dip? We didn’t have any plans last night did we?”

I sigh and say

“It was Friday last night. We always make plans. Remember? It was your week to plan it. But that’s not even the only thing. You dipped on me, which I said it was fine because I knew you were excited about being friends with her again, then you didn’t call me like you said you would. And to top it all off I woke up this morning to see you watched a movie with her that we had plans to watch together! I’m just really hurt that you didn’t remember all of that.”

She looks down feeling bad that she did all of that.

“I’m so sorry y/n”

I look at her and say

“It’s fine. I’m just being over dramatic.”

I wipe my tears and go to get up but she grabs me and says

“No. It’s not fine. You should be my priority. But you were not last night. I got so caught up in me and Janis that I completely forgot about you. And that’s not okay. I should have remembered that you and I were going to watch the movie. I should have remembered to call you. But I didn’t.”

I sigh and say

“I’m sorry I just am jealous I guess. I feel like you never act like this and I got scared that you’d leave me for her because you didn’t want me to begin with. I thought maybe you had wanted Janis but didn’t know if you could have her but you knew you could have me”

She laughs and shakes her head

“No baby. I love you so much. I had a lapse of judgment last night. And I apologize. I don’t like Janis like that. Thank goodness. But I won’t leave you. Ever. And by the way. I really appreciate you telling me this. It can take a lot and you’re helping our relationship be better by communicating with me.”

I smile and say

“Thank you baby I’m sorry I got so worked up. I just let my thoughts get to me.”

She nods and says

“I can relate to that”

I smile and say

“So. What do we do now?”

I look around and she does too. We’re still on the floor of my cramped closet and she says

“I guess we cuddle and watch a movie together?”

I smile and say

“I like that idea.”

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

A/N: this totally went the opposite of what I planned but it’s fine 😚 it’s cute either way. I hope y’all liked it!!

Taglist

@ilovesnat @ihartnat @marvelnatasha12346 @moistblobfish @justarandomreaderxoxo

[crystalandparrot]

ROTTMNT x Reader

Part 1, Part 2

The flashing of cameras and the voices of reporters was the first thing Leonardo heard as he stepped out of his limo. Due to the long plane ride, Leo decided to wear comfort over fashion, although it's hard for him to look bad in anything. He wore a white wife-beater, revealing his plastron and tattooed arms. Much like his brother, Leonardo loved art, he just loved it in a more show-off sense. Of course, he let his brother give him his first tattoo, a large colored portrait of their family on his thigh. On his legs were blue sweats, a personal favorite that his agent always advised him not to wear. Expensive shoes designed for him specifically adorned his feet. Finally, silver chains decorated his wrists and neck (he would have chosen gold, but his brother advised against it. C'mon, blue and gold?), glistening with each movement. He flashed a smirk at the cameras and gave finger guns at fans. One of his bodyguards leaned close to whisper in his ear, "You have a meeting with the executive producers in thirty minutes."

"Which means I get at least twenty-eight minutes to strut my stuff." Leo chuckled. With split-second motions, Leo changed between poses, performing for the camera.

"-mask!"

Leo turned and stared into the crowd, "W-Who said that?" The crowd parted as if making way for a royal or God to walk without interruption. A small woman with a microphone in her hand shook as Leo approached. "Just now, you said something, what was it?"

The small girl stuttered, "I asked i-if you could put on y-your mask. F-for a picture for Channel 10?"

Leo's heart dropped, and his breathing quickened. A pat on his shoulder shook him out of his mini panic attack. He nodded thanks at his bodyguard and gave the reporter a quick grin, " I don't even know where that old thing went! It's been, what, psshh, five years? It's probably shoved in a box somewhere." That satiated the hungry reporters and fans, for now. Leo and his bodyguard left, heading off to the large building behind the crowd.

Okay, first things first. You don't know the old password so you can't change it to one you'll remember. So you changed the screen dimming time to never. Now the phone won't shut off on its own. Dialing your number, you called about three times with no answer. A sudden thought crosses your mind, causing your palm to hit your face. Your phone was on silent. Taking a deep breath, you quickly texted your number, explaining the situation and the password to unlock your phone. That way the turtle Yokai won't be as clueless as you are now.

With nothing else to do, you connected your headphones to the turtle's phone and searched for Spotify. It was his fault, the least he could do was spare some tunes. Wait a minute...his Spotify account...this dude was Othello Von Ryan? Man, you couldn't wait to see him again. His studying playlists kept you awake and alert through college! His barrage of random music, ranging from 80's dancing music to hardcore techno kept your mind alert and focused. Donnie, or, Othello Von Ryan, helped you with memory. Oddly enough, some of the quirky tunes in his playlists gave you memorization songs.

In fact, now that you think about it, Donnie looked an awful lot like your favorite actor--

"(Y/n)! Come in, dear! I've been expecting you!" A shrill voice called from across the street.

You looked up, spotting Mrs. Erin, the Heron Yokai. You grinned, pulling your headphones out of your ears and shoving them in your pocket. You waved at the Yokai as you crossed the street, stepping into her swampy garden. "How's your husband, Mrs. Erin?"

"Oh, Harry's fine! Come in! Come in! Let me get you a cup of tea." The old Yokai hobbled inside, her talons dragging across the waterlogged wood. You followed behind closely, used to the drab environment. You learned throughout life that the more you understand how something came to be, the more beautiful it becomes. With a clap from you, the twinkling string of lights came on. It's warm glow bouncing off the waxy leaves that broke through the cracked windows. Dew drops fell onto the wet floor, filling the room with quiet plip plaps.

A chipped cup of lukewarm tea was placed in your hand. A feathery hand pushed you down onto an old rocking chair, the owner of the hand sitting down across from you. "I want you to tell me all about this new job!" Erin grinned with a toothless smile.

"It's just a small librarian job at the school up top." You said, sipping your tea.

"Up top! With all those-those monsters?" Erin screeched.

"They're not all monsters! Some of them—"

"(Y/n). When your mother died I promised your father I'd make sure that you were safe! W-wouldn't you rather stay home? Marry a nice Yokai and settle down?" Erin tottered closer to you and grabbed your hands.

You chuckled, "I'm not exactly looking for someone to settle down with yet. I'm ready to get out there and explore! Besides, I can protect myself!" You said, proudly.

"E-even with all the humans?" Erin stuttered.

You blinked at Erin, your face neutral, "Mrs. Erin. I'm human."

"I know! B-but you're one of the good ones! I'd hate for you to go up top where I won't know what happened—Oh!" The old Yokai snatched the cup of tea from your hands and peered into the old china. She glared at the leaves and swirled the remaining liquid in the cup. With a gasp that jostled your core, Erin’s beak stretched into a long smile. She breathed a sigh of relief and set down the cup. “I was worried for nothing. You’re going to fall in love and get married to a nice, young, handsome Yokai.”

You shook your head, yet a smile still sat on your cheeks, “Maybe in a couple of years, Mrs. Erin. I’m not in any rush to get married to anyone right now.”

“Oh, I’m sure!” The Heron chuckled like she knew something you didn’t. Without warning, she began pushing you out of the house. “Okay, bye-bye now! The quicker you go up top the faster you fall in love!” With that, the door was slammed in your face, the sound echoing through the marshy area.

“Love you too.” You said flatly. You pulled the mystery phone back out of your pocket and put in your earbuds again. When you clicked onto Spotify, a notification popped up.

“Leonardo Hamato back in NYC for upcoming movie shoot, exclusive interview from Channel 10.”

Huh. How weird would it be if you ran into your favorite actor while after just moving back up top? Probably entirely impossible, but it was nice to hope, right?

"Shoved in a box?! Did you hear him?"

"I did."

"Shoved in a box?! Ugh! He's just so—"

"Annoying, pompous, overconfident, lacking in empathy, ass-like?"

Mikey turned to Donnie, his hair falling into his face as his head whipped around. "I was gonna say stupid, but yeah, those work too." Mikey nodded, turning back to the T.V, seeing the reporters final words to the camera once Leo left the cameras view.

Donnie felt himself N.E., which stood for Nose Exhale. Mikey learned that phrase years ago and thought it was more fitting than L.O.L for his emotionally unavailable brother. While it was rare for Donnie to "laugh out loud", when he found something humorous, he always let out a little breath of a chuckle through his nose.

"I just...out of everything he could have done...why'd he have to take away the one thing that..."

When Mikey paused, Donnie looked up from his purple holographic screens that he had been typing on. He saw Mikey looking at the screen sadly, and he knew it wasn't from the sad dog commercial that came on, but the interview that came before it. "That what, Michael?" Donnie asked, the screens disappearing.

"Nothing, it's stupid," Mikey sniffed, wiping his eyes before tears could escape.

"Leo is stupid, you're emotionally intelligent. You obviously have a reason to feel what you feel. You're not stupid for feeling emotions, Michelangelo." Donnie used his full name with the intention of leaving an impact.

Mikey chuckled and turned to Donnie, tears running down his smiling face, "Thanks, D."

Donnie nodded and sat up in his bean bag (yes it was his, the purple color made it obvious), "I may have taken a page or two from Dr. Delicate Touch," he shrugged.

"Nah, that was Dr. Feelings for sure," Mikey joked, knowing his brother was rather uncomfortable with feelings, but to be fair, he had gotten a lot better. Realizing this, Mikey sighed. Donnie appreciated honesty over anything, so this was something he needed to get off his chest, for his sake and his brother's. "Dad always called us by the color of our masks. Red, Orange, Purple...but Leo's not wearing his anymore. It's like he disowned us...he's not Blue anymore." Mikey began tucking his head and limbs into his shell with every word. By the end of his sentence, only his shell was visible sitting in front of the empty recliner.

This time Donnie sighed, he stood and gripped the purple beanbag so it stayed comfortably on his rear while he shuffled towards his brother. Letting gravity help him, Donnie let himself and the beanbag fall to the ground. He wiggled slightly and hummed, pleased at the fact that his position hadn't changed and the beanbag was still holding his shell and rear perfectly. Using his hand, he hesitantly patted Mikey's shell in comfort. "Leonardo's done some idiotic things in the past. I'd put this in his top ten, actually." Donnie thought aloud, but shook his head, remembering his original point, "He’s a dumb-dumb but, unfortunately, he'll never stop being our brother."

Mikey poked his head out, looking in Donnie's eyes for...something. A lie? Hope? Donnie didn't know, but whatever he found, he liked it, because the next moment, Mikey had his head and limbs out. He outstretched his arms, but didn't move aside from that. Donnie rolled his eyes, although a small smile poked at his lips. With a nod from Donnie, Mikey jumped onto him, giving him the tightest hug that he thought he'd ever received. Donnie hugged back.

Thankfully for Donnie, Mikey understood boundaries, and separated from Donnie before the hug got too overwhelming. Sloppily wiping his tears and sucking up his snot, Mikey gave Donnie a sincere smile. "Thanks, Don."

Donnie nodded, a small smile on his own lips. Out of his battle shell came a robotic arm holding a tissue. Mikey took the tissue and blew his nose as the robotic arm retracted back into the shell. "Hey-"

"I would prefer if you finished blowing your nose before you change the subject, please." Donnie asked, pulling up his holographic screens once more with the help of his Ninpō.

Mikey obeyed, then tossed the tissue into the trashcan on the other side of the room. When it landed, Mikey pumped his fist in a silent cheer. "What happened at the Mystic City? We were chasing Meat Sweats and you stopped to talk to some girl." Mikey remembered.

"Oh, yeah. Raph was texting about meeting for dinner, so I naturally opened my messages to form a reply, when—" Donnie pulled out his phone to show Mikey the texts when he immediately felt something amiss. The case was the same, the weight was equal to his phone, the model was the exact same, everything looked fine. But this is Donnie, he lost his phone for less than a day and went nearly insane when he was still a teenager. Give him a week and he might've made a phone from just things in the woods. He knew everything about his phone.

"Donnie?" Mikey called, noticing his brother's sudden silence.

Shakily, Donnie turned over the phone, noticing the background first, then the surplus of texts and calls from his phone number. He whispered something too quiet for Mikey to hear.

"What?" Mikey asked, putting his hand up to the side of his head where his ear would have been.

"This. Isn't. My. Phone."

[hp-hcs]

1.3k words of the author bullying blaise zabini just for the plot (Chapter Three of The Doll) — slytherin boys x gn! ‘the boy’ (2016)! reader

Requests open

tws: dolls, obviously; reader referred to as ‘it’ (presumed inanimate); mentions of past child character death(s); mentions of a house fire—implied arson; violence; & murder

based entirely off of the 2016 film ‘the boy’. the painting? dear jesus fuck. that’s my trauma. watching that scene when i was like, thirteen.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Without further ado, Blaise snatches up the fucking doll, stomping upstairs with the doll carelessly dangling by one porcelain arm. Reaching Y/N’s bedroom (of course the freaky doll has its own bedroom, why wouldn’t it?), Blaise opens the door with much more force than necessary. He pauses in the doorway, taking in the room that the L/Ns had so carefully decorated—as if it were an actual child’s room—with brightly colored bedsheets, cartoon animals painted on the walls, and toys scattered everywhere.

He aggressively chucks the doll onto the rocking chair in the corner, (“The reading chair,” the L/Ns had cooed. “Y/N just loves when we read them bedtime stories”), and shuts the door as he leaves, digging through his pockets for the skeleton key the L/Ns had left the boys and locking the door with a resounding clack!

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, he tries to calm his racing heart. Drawing the key back out of the lock and tucking it away safely, he makes his way back downstairs on shaky legs.

He pointedly looks down at the floor as he passes the painting of the L/Ns.

Returning to the living room, his friends stare at him with wildly curious expressions.

“You okay, man?” Draco asks slowly, tilting his head.

“You guys aren’t getting popcorn tonight,” Blaise says with finality, his voice cracking on the last word. Blaise Zabini is not the kind of person to waver while speaking.

The boys don’t press the issue.

They instead scoot over, making room for him to join their blanket pile on the floor as they start the movie. Once he’s settled in, Blaise focuses on watching Cady Heron fumble her way through high school and tries to push the fuckery with the doll out of his mind.

~~~ Passing through the main narrow hallway, Blaise precariously carries a stack of antique books, liable to disintegrate at just the wrong glance. The rain is still going strong, a sudden clap of thunder causing the hallway’s oil lamps to splutter feebly. Cursing under his breath, Blaise sets the books on a decorative hall table and fumbles through his pockets for a lighter. Just in time, another crack of thunder seems to shake the whole house, the lamps giving off one last sad spark of light before giving up entirely.

His thumb slips against the flint wheel a few times before the lighter finally flickers, a flame catching on the wick. The tiny pinprick of light in the otherwise murky and oppressive hallway does nothing to light up Blaise’s surroundings. Moving the lighter around slowly, so as not to accidentally catch anything in the old house on fire, he slowly makes his way down the hall, immediately banging his hip on a console table.

Cursing again, Blaise swings the lighter around, looking for any more furniture boobytraps attempting to further maim him.

Then, a soft sound could be heard.

Blaise freezes, his breath catching in his throat.

It’s the unmistakable sound of a child crying.

Holding the lighter out in front of him like a weapon, Blaise takes a hesitant step down the hall towards the sound. The flame of his lighter then glints off of something hanging on the wall, a very large glossy wooden picture frame.

It’s the damn painting.

Frozen in place, Blaise can’t do anything but stare up at the imposing painting in terror. In the meager light, the L/Ns faces all look demonic and twisted.

The sobbing gets louder, closer.

He glances down the hall towards the sound, his heart pounding in his chest, before glancing back at the painting.

A hand shoots out from the canvas and seizes him around the throat, sharp nails digging into his flesh and squeezing squeezing squeezing-

~~~

Blaise wakes up in a cold sweat. Heart practically beating out of his chest, he breathes heavily, every one of his senses on overdrive, screaming at him to get out of there.

The clock on the TV stand glows a comforting green, whispering the time as an early five in the morning. The sun has only just begun to break over the horizon, gentle morning rays leaking through the decorative bits of stained glass at the top of each of the windows and casting warm shades of colors over the ceiling.

Mattheo lays stretched out next to him, dead asleep and hogging all of the blankets. Enzo and Draco fell asleep on each other, in a way that looks terribly uncomfortable. Theo is sprawled out across all of them, his head on Blaise’s knee and half of his body sandwiched between him and Mattheo. They must’ve fallen asleep before the movie ended, because the little DVD logo box slowly bounces across the screen, avoiding the corners like the plague.

Blaise scrubs his hands over his face, looking around the inviting and entirely non-threatening room. Really, the house is rather cute, in its own charming way. Like how a grandparent’s house is always tacky and poorly decorated, yet still perfect and homey nonetheless.

Knowing there was no way he’d be able to fall back asleep, Blaise carefully moves Theo’s head onto a blanket, sliding out of the group pile and standing up. His knees snap crackle and pop as he grunts to himself, shuffling to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

The kitchen is even cuter in the sunlight, with pale gingham curtains framing the window above the sink and cross-stitch frames dotting the walls. As he flicks the start lever on the coffee pot, he takes the opportunity to look around the room. Tacky linoleum floors? Check. Kitchen towels with embroidered kitschy sayings? Check. Live laugh and fucking love, everybody.

Blaise leans against the counter on his forearms, listening to the coffee pot hum. Taped onto one of the kitchen cabinets in front of him is a faded polaroid of a family in the outdoors, the woman and man grinning widely at the camera while the young child in the foreground appears to be mid-laugh, clinging to their father. The scrawled handwriting at the bottom describes the photo as ‘Y/N’s 9th birthday at the lake!’

Blaise’s eyebrows shoot up as he looks over the photo again. He hadn’t recognized them immediately, but sure enough, the woman and man in the photograph are the L/Ns. They look so much younger and happier in the polaroid, the weight of life having yet to set in.

Caught up in his thoughts, Blaise barely notices when the coffee pot dings to let him know that it’s done. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he pulls down a few mugs for him and the rest of the boys. He glances down curiously when the coffee pot continues to hum.

His brow furrows as he taps at the machine with a fingernail. The coffee maker splutters indignantly and beeps again, then goes silent.

But the hum continues.

Abandoning his quest for caffeine, he peeks out into the hall, wondering if one of his friends had woken up. He peers into the entrance of the living room from the kitchen doorway; he can see the still-bouncing logo on the otherwise mute TV, and his four friends still sprawled out on top of all of the blankets.

But the hum continues.

He steps a little further out into the hall. He can now hear distinctly that the sound is coming from upstairs. Looking back at his abandoned mug on the counter forlornly—and mentally cursing himself for being insatiable in his curiosity—Blaise slowly starts up the stairs.

Once he reaches the top floor, the sound grows louder. It’s clearer now too. Blaise can tell that it’s not a hum.

It’s a child’s sobs.

Eyes widening, his gaze immediately latches onto the door of Y/N’s bedroom.

Surely not.

Holding the skeleton key retrieved from his pocket between shaking fingers, he slides it into the lock and twists, the door slowly creaking open.

The doll is still sitting in the chair, exactly as he left it.

He sighs in relief.

It’s a doll, dumbass. You’re just being paranoid. The war just left you on edge, that’s all.

He turns to leave, to go back downstairs and enjoy his coffee, when something catches his eye.

The doll is crying.

A single tear tracks down its face, hanging still for a moment before dripping off of its porcelain chin.

Blaise stumbles backwards, dropping the key with a clatter. He tugs the neckline of his shirt down frantically, feeling the phantom hand from his dream wrapping around his throat once more. He could swear he feels those damn nails again, slicing into his skin.

Watching the doll with bated breath and terror-stricken eyes, Blaise waits a long moment before another tear runs down its face, running down the bridge of its nose from its forehead.

Wait.

Forehead?

Blaise slowly looks up at the ceiling, a bit convinced that if he looks away from the doll for too long, it’ll lunge. He releases the breath he’s holding when he sees that the ceiling has a leak, rainwater from last night’s storm dripping down. Down from the seam of where the shut tight pull-down ladder to what must be the attic—or some kind of storage space—meets the rest of the ceiling.

It’s just an old house. There’s no crying dolls, no monstrous paintings. Just a wacky old house with wacky old owners.

Yep. That’s all.

~~~

Chapter Four <3

[trollprincess]

So I think the Academy may have screwed over “Oppenheimer.”

Now I know what you’re thinking. “Wait, what are you talking about? Did you miss the Barbie snubs? Are you paying attention?” Yup, I’m totally paying attention. Let me explain.

This year’s crop of Best Picture nominees is very good. There’s not a one that doesn’t make me immediately flinch as to why it’s even there. There are some I might have added (“The Boy and the Heron” and “Across the Spider-verse” both deserve to be there, for example), but this is a good list. Not just by Academy standards, which can be questionable as hell, but by anyone’s standard.

Up until now, “Oppenheimer” has pretty much been a lock for this. It’s very well made, acted, directed, written, all of it. It’s good. It deserves it.

But. BUT.

Final voting is between February 22nd and 27th this year. So that’s an entire month of press and interviews and predictions and whatnot. And already the big story is not “Oppenheimer has 13 nominations.” It’s “Why the fuck weren’t Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig nominated for best actress and best director for Barbie?!”

And the thing is, they DID get nominated - Margot for producing and Greta for writing. Which is not me dismissing the fact they *should* have gotten nominated for directing and acting. (Note: There will be no Ryan Gosling shaming in this house. He deserves his nomination. So does America Ferrera. This is not a case of “only the man got the nomination.” Don’t erase America’s well-deserved nomination.)

So back to Greta and Margot. The next few weeks are going to be the Hollywood media asking “Did the Academy fuck up?” about their nominations. Did they not get the point of the movie? How does one of the best movies of the year not get a nomination for it lead actress and female director? Did Oppenheimer only get so much attention riding on “Barbenheimer”’s coattails? (Monetarily, oh, yeah. Awards show-wise, no.) Like, today we’re talking about their snubs, but it’s not going to stop today. There’s going to be discourse and prediction discussion and “Annette Bening stole Margot’s nomination” bullshit probably.

Basically, the Academy accidentally made the fact it snubbed Margot and Greta the story, and not the fact three other movies got more nominations than “Barbie,” including the likely winner of Best Picture.

The next part depends on if Hollywood can feel guilt and shame. So, you know, it’s anybody’s guess. But directors only voted for directing nominees, and actors only voted for acting nominees. Everybody gets to vote for best film.

Now, here’s the thing. Even IF they got nominated for directing and acting, they wouldn’t have won. Actress is between Gladstone and Stone (I’m hoping for Gladstone), and Nolan probably already has an empty mantel spot prepared. They just wouldn’t have won, it’s just nice to be nominated, yadda yadda.

But the Oscars have this *thing* where sometimes it’s not so much you getting an award because *that performance* deserved it, but because YOU deserved it. Leonardo DiCaprio should have gotten an Oscar for “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and/or “Wolf of Wall Street,” they gave it to him for “The Revenant,” which isn’t as good as either previous role. Kate Winslet wins for “The Reader,” which if Best Acting By Kate Winslet were an Oscar category wouldn’t even make the list and would probably get beat by “Mare of Easttown,” which isn’t even a goddamn movie.

You’re an Oscar voter this year. It’s the end of February, and you’re looking at your ballot. And you’ve spent the past few weeks hearing about the Oscars fucked up. How Hollywood didn’t get the point of “Barbie.” How the Academy didn’t even nominate BARBIE for the fucking “Barbie” movie. And you might be thinking, “… I mean, we CAN still give them Oscars.”

Greta’s an easy choice. The Barbie script is incredible, and detailed and smart and funny. Greta already has Oscar nominations for writing. Adapting a book is one thing. Adapting sixty years of canon is a high achievement. I think this pretty much locked her screenplay win.

Margot is nominated for best producer. We’re going to spend the next four weeks seeing articles about just how much work Margot put into this movie. When Margot Robbie loves a project, she works her ASS off on it. And the work shows with Barbie. It’s a good goddamn movie, AND it made $1.4 billion dollars. As good as it was, “Oppenheimer” doesn’t make $955 million if “Barbenheimer” isn’t a thing. There’s an argument to be made that Margot deserves the producer nomination AND win MORE than the actress nomination, because as a producer she made TWO movies reach a billion at the box office, *and she had fuck all to do with one of them*.

So, yeah, I think the Academy might have fucked over “Oppenheimer.” Because for the next month, while people are debating what and who to vote for, all that right there? That’s going to be the discourse they’re sitting on right before voting for Best Picture.

[cheriedies]

Naoki Urasawa's Monster in real life

So, I spent my holidays in Czechia and realized it would be a good opportunity to try and find the real life references and inspirations for one of my favourite anime series - Monster (haven't gotten my hands on the manga yET). After a bit of research I found that @fuckyeahjohanliebert has already done this almost a decade ago and their account has been extremely helpful. I also used the websites that I've linked at the very end of the post and you should definitely check them out as I didn't get the chance to visit every single location. It is honestly incredible how much work this person has put into their research. With that being said, here is what these places look like as of January 2023, alongside some tips I wanted to share in case you decide to visit them during your stay in Prague!

Let's start with the easiest location: Charles Bridge. It is probably the most visited place in Prague and so it can be quite crowded, especially around NYE.

Next, we have a shot of a tram in front of what today is the Palladium, a large shopping mall. Location: Nám. Republiky 1078/1, 110 00 Petrská čtvrť, Czechia

Okay, this one was a bit tricky because I wasn't able to find the exact reference for the Tri Zaba (Three Toads) sign. Most sources pointed me towards Hotel U Tri Pstrosu (Three Ostriches) which is right besides the Charles Bridge. However, a reddit user posted a picture from U Tri Capu hotel (Three Herons), and someone mentioned it being a possible inspiration in the replies. Therefore, I took pictures of both and upon looking at them closely I honestly cannot be certain about which of the two served as the main inspiration, maybe it was a mixture of both? Looking purely at the shape of the sign the Three Herons (Far Right) seems to be the closest. The positioning of the three ostriches on the other hand (Middle) is more similar to the way the toads are positioned. If you have any sources I've missed pls link them!

I also found this detailing you can spot if you are walking by the Vltava River. A thing to note: I could find this specific fencing only of the side of the river that is next to the Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu, If your cross the bridge the design is completely different. Location: Petrská čtvrť, 110 00 Prague 1, Czechia

Now onto the Red Rose Mansion. Fans figured out that the Břevnovský klášter (Brevnov Monastery) served as the main inspiration for the Red Rose Mansion. Unfortunately, the monk that is responsible for the visits was sick during my stay in Prague, and would not be coming back until after I left. You can see the exact room that was referenced for the murder scene in the websites I've linked below. I was a bit sad that I wasn't able to see it with my own eyes but I hope he has a speedy recovery. After all, this gives me a reason to visit this wonderful city again! Tip: Don't be an oblivious zoomer like me and bring cash with you to leave a small donation at the Bazilika svaté Markéty Antiochijské (Basilica of St. Margaret of Antioch). You can get a postcard with the picture of the monastery for about 10 koruna and I'm sure it helps with the maintenance of this beautiful place. Also, there is a small, cozy cafe on the territory and they have really tasty Medovnik cake!

The Rose Garden at the Mansion actually has no roses! It is actually a Cherry Garden, and can be visited at the Orangerie right behind the Monastery (tip: as far as I know it is only open on weekends and closes at 8pm). During this time of year it is obviously not blossoming however it was nice to visit nonetheless and walking in between the tall shrubs made me feel like I was Nina :p

As a bonus I wanted to add this picture of a hanging Sigmund Freud that absolutely startled me on my first day in Prague. Many fans have speculated that the character of Franz Bonaparta was inspired by him, given their similar looks and involvement with Psychology

I hope this was enjoyable and I hope you visit these amazing places if you ever happen to be in Prague! Once again, I'd like to highlight how grateful I am for the research fans have done and as mentioned above here are some of the websites I used:

[lexsssu]

If you love the art style of the animated Castlevania on Netflix, have you seen Blood of Zeus on netflix? Its made by the same creators so the art is the same; THE Men, Apollo, Hermes are looking fine as hell! not to mention how sweet they are to Heron - Since they understand Heron's situation, because they too were in that position - I can picture Lucifiel getting into shenanigans in that universe, A dragon protecting Heron and gaining the attention of certain gods LOL

I've actually heard/seen screenshots of it when it first came out but never actually watched until now cuz of this ask HAHAHAHA

So far Hermes is turning out to be my fave cuz he's such an overall sweetie <3 But also damn, Apollo's chara design certainly caught my eye asdfghjkl

Lucifiel is probs outcasted as a 'foreigner' who doesn't look like anyone in town and gets taken in by Heron and his mom. Throughout the events of series she'd probs be hovering over Heron, or hecc, might even pretend to be his mount the whole time like Sera's winged beastie and fly him around

That would look so badass but also t's gonna be so hilarious if like, after the big fight she turns back into her more human form and catches the attention of certain handsome gods-- HAHAHAHA

Apollo: "Bruh, where tf did you find her and can I have her--"

But also ngl I'm kinda getting a soft spot for Seraphim after seeing his back story too :'))

I imagine if Lucifiel gets isekai'd into BoZ and is the one to find Sera broken and bleeding just before he found the giant's remains, she'd have scooped him right up and healed his avenger ass-- HAHAHA

Tho considering how fate works, I'm sure some other poor fool will end up at Meladoni and find the giant instead which will push the story right back to where it more or less originally was

I feel like once the canon timeline starts tho, Sera would still choose to live in the forest with Lucifiel and the bears, but by that point they'd have already gotten revenge on his uncle's family.

I imagine that thru a twist of fate, Heron will come across them, or they themselves might end up at Heron's home and perhaps unknowingly meet with Electra and prevent her untimely death

Who knows, Sera might become a king still, albeit with reluctance, but then again who best to rule the people than someone who doesn't want to rule?

But anyways, all these scenarios are so fun to think of while watching asdfghjkl

[toweroftickles]

Who are your favorite underrated ticklees? like characters you think should have more tickling art/fics about them?

Oh, now you’ve done it. You’ve unleashed a tangent. 😂 Buckle up, kids; this word-and-picture vomit is gonna take a while. All 30 slots gettin' used up on this one.

UNDERRATED LEES

Let’s start with Avatar. When the second movie came out I went through a bit of a phase…half the characters in it could go here. The whole Sully clan. The Na’vi are perfectly sculpted ‘lee material - their long bellies, the ribs, the feet - and NOBODY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF IT.

(Literally just think of all the tickle torture they get up to)

Moving on to anime, Studio Ghibli is packed with characters who deserve more tickle attention. My favorites have gotta be Ursula from Kiki’s Delivery Service (I really wanna see content with her, Kiki & Tombo together), Lisa from Ponyo, Fio Piccolo from Porco Rosso, and Young Kiriko from The Boy and the Heron.

(I could watch that gif of Ursula wiggling her toes for the rest of my life)

I'm also a fan of this girl Pipirika from Magi: Adventures of Sinbad. Not sure why. I don't even watch the show.

Then there’s Suki from the other Avatar. Less-popular character in a popular fandom. Crowded out by the rest of the Gaang.

Victoria and Mr. Mistoffelees from Cats 2019. SHUT UP I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK 😖

VICTORIA IS SO PRETTY AND SWEET AND PURE AND THE WAY THEY NUZZLE EACH OTHER AND THIS WHOLE MOVIE IS TICKLE-CODED

I'M NOT A FURRY

Vi and Caitlyn from Arcane/League of Legends. That show (and this pairing) is massively popular online, they are insanely hot together, so WHY is no one making tk content except me? HMMM? These bitches are ticklish as hell and they deserve this.

It’s. Not. FAIR. I am so thirsty for CaitVi content in the leadup to Season 2 the inside of my mouth looks like the Atreides family is going to set up a base camp and harvest exotic spice from the back of my uvula.

Art3mis from Ready Player One. Book Twitter has seemingly made it their life’s mission to demonize Ernest Cline and anyone who loves the novel/movie, so fan content is already a little thin on the ground as it is. But she needs to be put in a tickle machine, stat.

Ben & Gwen Tennyson. OG series; none of that reboot horsehockey. They fight and antagonize each other so much I’m genuinely surprised there was never a tickle torture moment in the show.

From the Nintendo side of things, Imma go with two underappreciated gothic sorceress baddies (Veran from Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Medusa from Kid Icarus Uprising). I'm also very fond of the various "hot ninja lady" iterations of Impa, particularly her orange-and-black ensemble from Skyward Sword.

And both Wii Fit Trainers.

Red Savarin from the obscure Tail Concerto DS game Solatorobo: Red the Hunter. Never played it; he just looks insanely ticklish to me. You know, some characters you can just tell.

Still not a furry.

Let's see now, Disney/western animation...Kida, obviously. Robin Hood & Maid Marian, especially the latter. (I love her giggle so much.) Mowgli is more childhood wish-fulfillment on my part: that insane Jungle Book tickle scene messed me up, and each time my prepubescent self rewound the VHS tape, I played a game with my mind. I kept desperately believing/wishing that this time, it would be different: Baloo would get Mowgli back, or their tickle war would resume later. No such luck. It's about him & Baloo specifically.

The 2004 iteration of Batgirl is my favorite one. Plus she's got a great laugh. XD

The Spider-Verse movies continue to be a Tumblr phenomenon, and yet I have not found a SINGLE solitary tickle post about Rio Morales. Can you imagine how adorable she would be as a lee? ❤️ ((Ticklish moms + older women in general warrant more appreciation.))

I also made this here list a while back. This community can tend to neglect characters who are canonically ticklish, perhaps because the question has been answered already.

********************

WHEW. Got all that outta my system. XD If any of you are still alive and still reading this, anybody on this list that you agree deserves more tickling fanart/fics? Any thoughts on underrated lees of your own?

[hanzajesthanza]

the mishmash of clothing that geralt’s company wear during their journey is delightfully piecemeal. it’s like half-brokilonian, half-stolen from banditry, half-clothes which actually belong to them. ik i made this post as a joke but i actually really love the outfits of the company

geralt and dandelion are dressed in hooden grey elven mantels. later in chapter 4, they’ve exchanged them for homespun cloaks stolen from the guards, which they used to escape the camp. from though he still has his recognizable headband and medallion, geralt is seemingly almost incognito as he wears a leafy-patterned elven jerkin from the dryads. (and for even more brokilon influence, before zoltan gives him the dwarven sihill, he has a sword from col serrai).

speaking of dwarven fashions, dandelion receives a quilted jacket and a ‘swashbuckling’ marten-fur kalpak from zoltan and his company. he replaced his plum hat with the heron’s feather with this marten kalpak, so he as well is almost incognito. as far as accessories go, he has a brass-studded belt and the cruel-looking knife from the dwarves, too; although he immediately lost the knife. after the events of chapter 4 and in the middle of 5, his head is wounded and bandaged.

zoltan tells milva that she “looks too much like a squirrel” to approach humans alone — which is probably a result of her dress and her bow, of course. asides from her mahogany bow with whalebone risers, measuring 5 foot with a 24 inch draw length, shooting grey-fletched arrows… and one silver arrow… she’s likely dressed in some brokilonian or elven garb, owing to her work as an agent for brokilon. but she also wears “human” clothing, a blouse and woolen leggings. her belt is described, with a pouch and a hunting knife with a bone handle hanging off of it (and in the next book, she gives this knife to angoulême as a gift). perhaps most curiously, milva’s not mentioned to be wearing her iconic braid or plait during this book, rather her long hair is described as falling into geralt’s face when she leans over him in tense conversation in chapter 1, tossing her hair with a sudden movement when offended in chapter 5…

cahir is almost unrecognizable as nothing he wears betrays him as nilfgaardian, instead he’s dressed in a hauberk, leather tunic and cloak from the men who were transporting him. but this hauberk becomes ever-so iconic in its own right as it plays such a role in the fish soup… as a strainer.

regis, of course, dresses modestly and is perhaps the only one of the company dressed in his own clothes not signalling affiliation to a larger faction or taken from some roving banditry. black robes, something like an apron tied around the waist. when they meet him, he has a linen bag, but when they leave, he’s exchanged it for a leather one. and also, a walking stick, which is never mentioned again by the writing... he also has his nigh-iconic black, woolen cloak-cape, which he wraps himself up in…

and the horses! do not forget the horses. geralt’s elven roach, a bay mare who rides as if bitted by horseflies. the lazy and docile bay gelding pegasus, of course, remains dandelion’s steed. cahir rides on a chestnut colt, which he loses but later recovers. milva’s black horse, which she tells geralt not to touch in chapter 1, which also becomes the subject of debate in chapter 4. regis rides on a nilfgaardian bay near the end of the novel, by which point they’ve also obtained a riderless grey horse which carries their modest belongings.

these small little details are all just described so wonderfully across the course of the book, the picture is painted for you eventually, over time, your attention is rewarded with an intricate picture at the end…

[noisyquokka]

Banshees In The Night

PAIRING - Felix x Jisung x GN!Reader

SYNOPSIS - Haunted houses can be quite the hoot... if you know what you're getting yourself into...

WORDCOUNT - 4.2k

WARNINGS - Established friend-group, a bit of rural exploration, Mild Language, Humor, Mentions of insects/untidy surroundings, Mentions of murder (for the lore of the "haunted" location), no one comes prepared || Let me know if I've missed any warnings!

A/N - Spooky season is upon us and I'm so excited to write some horror and October-themed fics! This one was a first attempt at more descriptive writing and for my first time, I'm pretty proud. And the edit was a little last minute thing I did. Dunno why I did it, but it was fun!! Let me know what you think, constructive criticism is always appreciated!

"Nope! No fucking way!"

"Oh, c'mon." Felix rolls his eyes, pointing at the laptop screen. "Look, it says here the property is fenced in and secure. No big deal!"

You crane your neck so far that you look like a heron fishing on the bay. Jisung snickers beside you, taking a swig of his energy drink. No big deal, he says...

It was just a few days ago when the three of you were talking about exploring a supposed haunted house on Halloween night. You had agreed to this as a joke, but knowing these two, you should've seen this coming. It wasn't a surprise to you when Felix had called earlier, asking if you and Jisung were home and brought himself over. Turns out he'd been doing some research on the haunted locales around town and, much to your dismay, was now trying to persuade you into a night of absolutely no rest at one of the "most haunted houses in the area". You aren't having it.

"You do realize that Halloween is the worst time to do this?" You say, pacing around the living room. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the boys share a glance. They know where this is going. Jisung takes a breath and leans forward, snatching your laptop off the coffee table.

"I seriously see nothing wrong with this..." Felix mutters, resting his forearms on the back of the couch as Jisung moves the cursor across the screen, tapping on the album of photos that's attached to the article with curious eyes. "It's just an old, abandoned house. No one lives there."

The first photo pops up, an older one taken circa 1934. Back then, the farmhouse stood in the midst of the prairie fields, newly erected, the original owners standing before it with pride. It had belonged to a family of six; husband and wife standing at the top of the wrap-around porch while their four children stand on the descending steps. Oldest to youngest, it seemed, their clothes wrinkled from probable horsing about prior to this photo being taken. The farmhouse itself was classic and elegant in design, with its whitewashed clapboard of the time framing the tall, single-sashed windows. The pine bannister lines the edge of the porch until it wrapped out of sight.

"You can't be serious." You mutter, shaking your head as you watch Jisung flip through the album. The house erodes away with every single picture, the hairs on your arms standing at attention. You catch the quirk of Jisung's lips as you turn away.

"What if we spent the entire night?"

He's joking, you can tell just by the tone of his voice, and soon after, he's chuckling. But Felix's eyes widen with a rare excitement. He claps his hands together, reeling back from the sofa and pointing an index finger at his friend.

"That is a great idea!"

"NO, FELIX!"

You're glaring before he's even looking at you. There's a crazy glint in those eyes, something like adrenaline that rushes his veins at the thought of a whole night at such a location. These boys would be the death of you...

"Halloween is the time of year when the v-"

"The veil between worlds is at its thinnest," Felix interrupts in a mocking tone, rolling his eyes, "I think you're watching way too many supernatural movies. None of it's real!"

You turn your head to him, shooting him a look that you're sure could cut if it physically manifested. Maybe it wasn't real. Maybe it was. You sure as hell didn't feel like being the one to find out. In fact, you would much rather spend your Halloween night right here at home, curled up with a blanket and a horror movie marathon.

You lick your lips, setting your gaze back on the computer screen. Felix paced around leisurely, listening as Jisung reads aloud the info on the house's history. Your ears pick up Jisung's voice, vowels that evolve into syllables until they craft into a whole story, but nothing computes.

"English decent...hard-working values... two of four children homeschooled.... ongoing Infedelity... wife took the hatchet from the barn.... murdered her husband... three of the kids... eldest daughter survived by escaping through the second story window... wife was never seen again..."

You stand there with a jittering foot, Jisung's voice fading in and out in a garbled buzz. The words slowly sink in, the air charged with tension. Your eyes drift back to the album. The youngest daughter's expression is unmistakable as she stares straight at the camera, her gaze cold and piercing as a dagger's point.

"Are you serious?" Felix stares at the photo with wide eyes, his lips parted in astonishment before he bursts out laughing. "Oh my god, this house would be amazing to explore on Halloween, are you kidding!?"

You're still in shock. A lump in your throat. Your eyes locked on those pixels that stare back. Dead eyes. Your mind races.

Was it just a rumor? A ghost story spun by bored residents at the time?

Something tells you otherwise.

"Says here it's been vacant since 1998. The last family to live there did some renovations but reportedly left shortly after."

"You're joking, now." You shift your attention to your roommate sitting on the couch, tilting your head with a pointed look. Jisung's gaze finds your pinned pupils for a split second, only to go back to his scrolling without another word. "Tell me you're joking."

Felix's laugh actually triggers you, your fists clenching until your fingernails are leaving indents on your palms. He rounds the sofa to sit beside Jisung, eyes darting across the laptop screen.

"Come on, it'll be fun! Imagine what cool trinkets might be in that house."

"That fucking house has been vacant for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS! Murder is bad enough, but to top it off, the last people renovated only to leave without selling it?" You turn to Jisung again, "Is that on the record? The last owners didn't sell it after reno?"

Jisung searches the paragraph again, double checking what he'd read.

"Yep, they bought it in 1991, made some renovations, but never sold it. They just left."

Felix groans in response, rolling his eyes as he leans into the elder boy's side to get a closer look. Jisung continues his scrolling through the website, searching for any other news stories on the property. Another Google search only returns regurgitated legends of the original family, all with different endings. More dead ends eventually lead to Jisung closing the tab and leaning back into the couch cushions.

You shake your head, crossing your arms over your chest. "I don't feel good about it, Lix. I'm out!"

"Are you serious? It's a fucking house and some old ghost stories."

"And I'm not about to fuck around at a murder sight on Halloween with you two imbeciles! I'll go literally anywhere else on Halloween night, a fucking party if you so insist."

"A party?" Felix scoffs, "That's boring and you know it. Don't you wanna have an adventurous Halloween?"

"I don't want to get haunted or arrested. You will not persuade me into following you along like a lost puppy to some haunted farmhouse!"

—

"I can't believe you talked me into this shit..."

You're stuffing your hands into the pockets of your hoodie, glancing around the dying overgrowth of the wooded area you three currently travel through. Despite everything you'd said two weeks ago, here you stand.

"It'll be fine. They say no one has been seen in or around the house for years! And besides, all those reports of paranormal activity were probably made up for the sake of scaring kids." Jisung says. The flashlight in his hand dips, the LEDs trailing off between tree trunks and the darkness of the woods, dancing from one spot to another as he follows behind Felix. The moon beams an eerie glow from high in the sky, most of the trees barren so late in October, casting shadows that twist and distort against the rustling leaves. It's full tonight, unfortunate for your anxious little mind. Your eyes are already playing tricks on you in the dark of night, shadows peeking their heads out from behind the earthen bark.

"Oh ho hoo, you didn't say that last week, bro!" Felix's voice echoes, looking down at his mobile device to keep the group on track. "That's even more perfect. We'll be the first to explore it in over two decades!" He's practically shaking with excitement, though you're completely numb at this point. And not from the October chill.

Your fingers twitch in their confines, your breath forming in puffs of ghostly clouds in the night. The trees loom over your head like guardians, gangly limbs reaching out to scrape and pull at your hair and hoodie. Others lean against their brethren, uprooted by the anger of storms, their battering of wind and rain. Still, some of them fight for survival, their strong roots piercing deeper into the Earth's soil. You press on through the foliage, the silence of the forest only broken by the muffled sound of your best friends' conversation fading.

"When all this is said and done, you're doing the dishes for two weeks." You say, glaring at Jisung's back.

"I feel like all that hostility in your voice is so uncalled for. I haven't done anything."

You chuckle bitterly, staggering over tree roots that breached the surface of the soil.

"You're right! You haven't made one objection to this stupid idea since Felix brought it up. And to top it off, all that research you did on my laptop? Yeah, I'm now the victim of true crime news stories from the early 1900s."

"Don't you clear your search history every night?" He asks.

"Don't you have your own laptop?" You counter, watching him slow his pace and huff. Part of you feels a little guilty for being so harsh. You know the boys love doing stupid shit; Halloween or otherwise. But after all was said and done, you just didn't feel good about this little trip. Felix turns back to you two, the light of his phone illuminating his face.

"Oh lighten up, Spitfire! For all we know the stories are a load of crap. We're already this far, right? No point in backtracking now. It'd be a shame not to check it out."

"The real shame is the classic horror movies I rented for us that are just sitting on the damn coffee table back home." You grumble, your eyes darting over your shoulder. Jisung snickers ahead, cooing at you.

"Awww, are you disappointed we aren't sitting on the couch, lights off, snuggled under a blanket together?" He teases, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Felix chuckles and keeps walking, looking down every few moments to the GPS on his phone. As you trek further, your spine tingles with electricity. The air in this heavily wooded area seems dead, the feeling of being watched growing like mold spores beneath the leaf litter. It's as if something is lurking just out of sight, just beyond the shadows.

"We've spent almost half an hour in these woods," Felix's words ring out in the darkness, and you realize in your moment of weakness, you'd stopped walking. "If you wanna give up and run home, that's your business. I wanna see this through."

Your feet move again, quickly catching up to your friends with heavy breaths. This place gives you the creeps and you haven't even gotten to the house yet.

"Besides, it's just a few minutes ahead. Look, there." Felix smiles as he points up ahead, the old farmhouse rising out of the dark ocean of those tall prairie grasses. Your eyes are drawn upwards to the thinning canopy of the trees above, mind racing with the possibilities of what you may encounter. And still, you follow behind the boys.

"Have you considered the idea that we might not be the only ones out here?" Your question is accompanied by a hollowness in your throat as you all wade through the overgrown field; invasive Johnson grass swaying with the wind.

"Jason Voorhees isn't gonna pop out and welcome us to the house, if that's what you're asking."

"Funny... I'm talking about real threats, Felix."

"Technically, Jason doesn't live in the woods..." Jisung says. Felix stops walking, turning his attention fully onto his friend.

"Yes, he does."

"No, he doesn't." Jisung replies, and now you've all stopped walking.

"Yes, he does."

"The guy spends half his slasher life slashing around a lake house!"

"At a summer camp in the woods!"

"Near a lake! Boom! Mic drop. I'll humbly take this win, thank you."

"You haven't won shit, it's in the wo-"

"Will the two of you please shut up!" You hiss, eyes darting around the open field. Your feet are shuffling beneath you, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. You look off to that creepy looking house, shaking your head. "It's too fucking quiet to be raising your voices out here, and frankly, I'm already pissing myself without the help of you two talking about some slasher in the woods!"

"Slasher in the woods, see." Felix gestures to you, shooting Jisung a grin. That's what he picked up from your little anxiety-ridden rant? He turns on his heels, the gravel drive just a little bit further. It snakes through the field like a serpent, winding its way up to the old farmhouse. Jisung starts walking ahead, but you don't miss the sound of him mocking Felix's snide remark. You sigh heavily, shaking your head and following close behind.

The gravel crunches under three sets of shoes, the pebbles shifting with every hurried step. You can see the entrance from here with the help of Jisung's light; the dark shadow of a door. You swear there's nothing keeping nature out. The windows are boarded up, the sheets of plywood slowly eaten away by termites and other wood borers over some time. It's bare bones, the exterior of the building left to rot and be reclaimed by the surrounding nature. Somewhere nearby, an owl claims the woodlands with its haunting song.

"That's it?" Felix's tone is drenched in disappointment. His eyes dart back and forth with the crappy light of his cell phone over the Tim Burton-esque husk.

"Why the fuck do you sound disappointed? This house is terrifying!" Your eyes scan the surrounding property, and something dawns on you. "There's also no signs of a secure fence anywhere, like it was stated in the article."

Felix shrugs, his phone's light scanning over your form. "Must've been an older article, then. But it doesn't look that bad."

It looks far larger than it did in the photos online, although you admit it's seen better days. You have yet to notice anything that looks different to the original photos, even if it is crumbling and peeling. Perhaps it was an interior renovation? Jisung's light washes over the building from the porch to the second-story windows, the rickety bannister casting shadows along the disintegrating clapboard. Your blood prickles at the realization that the door was indeed gone, phantom arms reaching out from the depths. It lays on the floor of the main hall, a victim of someone's full-bodied force. The air shifts, it seems. An oppressive static energy that stabs you in the lungs. You swallow, eyes drifting to Felix's shadow a few feet ahead.

"This feels like a terrible idea, Lix. Can we just please go back to mine and Jisung's place?" You're pleading now.

"Come on, it's just a house. There's nothing to be freaked out about," Felix calls from over his shoulder. He's already pressing onward, taking careful steps up the steep and rotting wood stairs of the porch like a sacrifice to the dark maw of this structure. "This is gonna be fun! Can't believe you're backing out after all the build-up."

You try to ignore the anxiety festering in your chest, your stomach. The smell of moisture from the tall grass surrounding you creeps up your nostrils. The place is making your skin crawl. You glance to Jisung, whose expression is a tad cautious now. His eyes dart to you, and in the light of the moon, you swear you can see some concern etching his face. He doesn't speak, just shakes his head and starts toward the entrance. You follow; two more sacrifices to appease whatever horrors lay dormant inside.

The porch groans with every step you and Jisung take, like the wooden boards were protesting you being here. He takes the lead and you aren't about to argue that one, pulling your phone out and turning the flash on with a twitching finger.

"Can't believe we're dumb enough to be walking into the live-action Monster House." You grumble, careful with your foot placement. You step over the door with Jisung's help, covering your nose with your hoodie sleeve.

"Hey, it's not that bad." Jisung says, scanning around for Felix. "We can't leave him here alone."

You scoff.

"One sign of a serial killer or a cult, and I'm sacrificing his Sunshine ass!"

Your fingers flex around your cell phone as you shine it down the main hall. The place looks like it's been ransacked, abandoned furniture turned on its side and litter piled up in corners, scattered across the floor with the help of the winds that seep through the old boards. To the right is the kitchen, simple and small. The cupboards are new, though considerably outdated in present day; old hickory covered in a thick layer of dust and peeled paint. You shine the light up to the weakened ceiling. The plaster has warped, bubbled, and sagged, brown blotches taking over a once pristine eggshell white. You don't like the black growth in the farthest corner where part of the ceiling has fallen, and you're telling Jisung to cover his face before he goes any further.

"Felix! Cover your mouth and hurry up, there's black mold in here!" You raise your voice slightly, but you don't get a response back. Jisung turns to you with a roll of his eyes.

"He's probably hiding somewhere to scare us." He says, heading down the hall. His light shines down the main hall, illuminating dust particles that have been roused with the help of the Aussie that's already exploring around somewhere.

There's a large web that sprawls over the eaten doorframe of the living room to the left, a large orb weaver sitting pretty in the middle of her silken cemetery. You blink at the many insect carcasses she'd captured, no need for further convincing that that room is off limits. You move forward, scanning the other rooms with little interest, but just enough to notice that a few of the house's back windows haven't been boarded up. Or perhaps the plywood has weathered away. The moon light shines through those windows, and you jump at the sight of a field mouse scuttering across the floor, squeaking at your intrusion.

You jump again at the thump of two feet on the landing of the stairs. A flash of cellular light and black boots. 

"There's nothing here," Felix says, glancing back through the rickety bannister to the shanty rooms. His light blinds you momentarily.

"You are an idiot!" You release the breath you're holding, glaring at the cracks in the wooden staircase. "Those stairs look about ready to give out under you, get down here!"

Felix rolls his eyes at your scolding, but does as he's told, skipping down the last few steps. He stops on the third one down, a chuckle leaving him.

"I'm telling you, whatever's in this house is just fake stories made up by bored locals. Now-"

Felix's words are interrupted by a loud crash that rattles your bones. Spikes your pulse. You both jump at the sudden noise, Felix almost drops his phone as he turns to look for the source of the sound. It echoes from the kitchen, something like the lid of a stainless steel pot ringing, reverberating over the wood as it dances on its rim. Your throat swallows itself, strangled by an all-encompassing fear. A phantom hand grips your left shoulder. You startle, reeling your elbow up and back.

"Easy, easy!" A familiar voice says, shadow ducking out of the way to save him an elbow to the throat, "It's just me!" Jisung. His voice hushed as his wide eyes glance toward the exit. Toward the noise. You sigh in the slightest relief, because while all three of you have been accounted for, you now know that the noise is someone or something else entirely. The rim stops its dancing on a dime before anyone can speak, like a spinning coin that someone stops with the smack of a hand. All is quiet, only the sound of wind through rotting window frames and the shallowest breaths from three spooked youngins.

"What the hell was that?" Felix is the one to ask, and you're almost surprised to hear his voice shake in the back of his throat. Jisung shakes his head behind you, a small frown creasing his brows. Brown eyes stick to the doorway, waiting for... fuck, you don't know what you're all waiting for.

"We need to lea-"

BANG!!

Something metallic flashes in your peripherals and you can't stop the shriek you let out, bringing a hand up to your mouth. The weapon of choice lays in the middle of the door; a pan lid that rolls around on its handle, a dull rattling on hollowed wood. You all stand still, each of you paralyzed with fear. The loud bang against the wall gives you enough of a jolt to break the silence.

"Now! We need to leave now!" You hiss. "And I'm not taking one step towards that door, so what is our game plan?"

"Finding another way out?" Jisung suggests, his eyes burning a hole through the kitchen's doorframe. Felix shakes his head.

"There's no other exit. All the windows are boarded up upstairs." He whispers.

"Are you serious?" You can't stop the shakiness in your tone, your nerves getting the better of you in this moment of weakness. Whatever the fuck is in that kitchen isn't happy to have guests, and your only way out is past that doorway? You may as well have dug your own graves.

Another flash of movement, something tiny thrown into the adjacent living room. The object vibrates the silk strings of the spider's web and its inhabitant jolts, unsure whether or not to stay in the relative safety of her space or to take shelter elsewhere.

The loud thumping noise returns, this time from upstairs... scratching, clawing, pounding. The floorboards creaking loudly as something large scrapes back and forth across the surface. They keep getting louder, whatever is in here is only getting angrier. Another sharp bang against the wooden walls.

"Fuck!"

"Run!" Felix yells, and he's already clambering down the last few stairs, bolting for the door. "Just run!"

Jisung grabs your hand before you can protest, and the both of you dash through the open maw of the house with pounding hearts and trembling fingers. You take the moisture-laden air into your lungs, squeezing your roommate's hand to ground yourself. Everything is fine. Jisung is doing the same, hunched over with his free hand on his knee.

"What the fuck was that?" Felix asks, shining his phone back towards the house. He's panting too, his confidence completely snuffed out by the weird shit he's just witnessed.

"I don't know, I didn't see anything." Jisung pants as he struggles to catch his breath. He turns to face you as the sound of something falling to the floor is heard from the living room.

"Do we go back in there?" Felix asks, wide eyes on the entrance to the house. The light from Jisung's flashlight cuts through the darkness in patches, moving with every swing of his arm.

"Are you seriously asking if we should go back in there?" Jisung asks. For the first time tonight, you're both on the same wavelength. How Felix could want to go back inside after all of that, you don't understand. Perhaps it's the shock? Or he's got a death wish.

You don't have the chance to consider the choices because your ears perk at the sound of what you could only describe as killer clown laughter, just inside the doorway. A grunt. Growling. More laughter. It leaves your spine ram-rod straight, the hairs on your body all standing on end.

Oh, fuck this!

Now that you're outside, you see no reason to stand here and twiddle your thumbs. You're gripping Jisung's hand like he's your lifeline and bolting for the trees. Back the way you all came. It seems Felix has finally come to his senses as well, breaking into a full sprint down the driveway as he screams for you two not to leave him behind. The house recedes quickly into the distance with no one even bothering to look back to see if you're being followed. All you know is that running for your life is better than death by hatchet or crazy killer clown cults. The three of you don't stop until you're back to the main road and in your car.

Beady eyes peak around the door frame as all three book it, a mask over those eyes to hide their identity. Another head pops out, and a third. All masked up and chittering away as they amble onto the porch, munching on junk food that had been left behind by other explorers. 

Raccoons. 

The furbearers climb down the steps one-by-one, almost cackling on their way as the trio of two-leggeds scream into the night.

Psst!! If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my work 💕 I appreciate you!

[jup1tersparx]

buck silver and That Damned Bird compilation

-> actually i was gonna talk a bit in the tags but i think im gonna put this analysis in the actual post here we go explanation of significance of That Damned Bird 💪💪💪

alright. so i think within fort freedom there are three corners of symbolism, that being 1) fire, 2) birds and 3) light.

fire generally represents cruelty and violence, birds represent ostracisation of anyone/anything that doesn't Fit In (yk. frogsticker clipped wings) and the light is holy and purifying. these concepts clearly translate to rick rounds, buck silver and TECHNICALLY heaven/god but mrs wicker considers herself a vessel for both so also mrs wicker. uhh heres some examples of that (minus buck) ↓

furthermore, when Rick and Buck both respectively leave Fort Freedom, it kind of loses the fire and the birds! like this is the introduction to Fort Freedom. bonfire in centre, described as ‘nest’, not pictured but theyre gathered around the frogsticker heron’s fighting pit

obviously when buck leaves the heron also leaves, but after rick leaves, FF stops the patrols and the cockfighting - aka the places they use fire!!! (bonfire + fuckign bombs or something idk look at ep23)

PLUS check this out:

Mrs Wicker being angry in a way she can't control is described with fire, and her obvious loud horror/disgust at Jacob having become disabled (Literally in front of Buck also) is described with 'birds taking off from the treeline'!!!!

if you look at what happens for each character to start their healing arcs, it also lines up; Rick literally has the fire in his blood taken out, the Frogsticker breaks free from it's cage and escapes. (idk if Mrs Wicker Has a healing arc im not far enough into season yet lol)

i think the point of all this is that all three corners serve as a microcosm for the critique of certain facets of american culture that Fort Freedom ofc exists to be an exploration of, with all three representing different ways growing up in that type of environment can impact someone! :DDD

IN CONCLUSION: That Damned Bird represents Fort Freedom’s violent rejection of anything/anyone different, the lack of control/autonomy Buck had over any part of his life, and the constant social exclusion and outcasting he experienced from a young age that led to him considering himself fundamentally Different and lesser than his peers/everyone else, only tolerated as far as he could make himself useful!!! yayyy 🎉🎉🎉🎉

anddd for funsies here are a couple more miscellaneous examples of all 3 characters interacting with fire/birds/light from which you may draw your own conclusions from:

[enbyleighlines]

Misc. thoughts about the Forging Bonds (with the Dawn Brigade):

Leonardo’s conversations are kind of super boring and bland, but I suppose that’s on point for him. He does seem to be a rather boring and bland person.

I did appreciate Prince Alfred randomly showing up to, once again, affirm how gay he is for muscled men.

Also, they made Leonardo seem kind of… stupid? I always figured he was the smart one since he’s portrayed as being more mature than Edward, but he was very clueless. He was absolutely baffled by Alfred saying he was a passerby who appreciated a good physique. “What does that mean?” Leonardo asked. It Means He Gay, Leonardo. Keep up.

I haven’t gotten very far with Edward’s story, so I don’t have much to say about it.

However, Edward apparently likes to draw? Was that in RD anywhere, or did they add that to his character?

The fact that the Dawn Brigade is so reluctant to join the Order of Heroes just because some of the people are from Begnion is… understandable, but at the same time, they didn’t put up that much of a fuss over fighting for Begnion during part 3 of Radiant Dawn. Like, they questioned it a bit, but they also got over it pretty quickly.

Of course Micaiah’s whole story is about her focusing on the fact that the Order of Heroes is super diverse. At that point in the story, she is worried about what Daein would think if they found out their Silver Haired Maiden was part laguz. It was the obvious choice for her forging bonds. Nevertheless, I appreciate that they acknowledge what Micaiah was going through at that time. Micaiah being Branded is more of a sub-plot, and doesn’t get nearly enough focus, in my opinion.

Micaiah asking someone to make her a dress to match Sothe was super cute. I love how Sothe’s reaction was to just stop functioning for a moment. That boy is down bad.

Also, Sothe’s reaction to seeing Micaiah was to shout “Micaiah?!” much in the same way that in Engage Soren shouted “Ike?!” and I gotta give a nice chef’s kiss to the cinematic parallels.

Sothe’s insistence that Micaiah hasn’t aged at all since he met her is… super weird. I know that’s in line with that picture of their first meeting, but it’s just… so weird. And it does not fit with what we know of canon.

At most, Micaiah would be 24 or 25 years old in Radiant Dawn. Yet the game wants me to believe that she hasn’t aged in over 10 years, which is nearly half of her total lifespan? What, did she speedrun her childhood and adolescence in her first 10-15 years and then stop aging completely? That’s… not how Branded aging works??

Also, if heron Branded really did age even slower than Soren, a dragon Branded, then don’t you think someone in Begnion would have noticed that the Apostle just… doesn’t age?

Sothe and Micaiah’s relationship is supposed to be a parallel to Ike and Soren’s. Ike and Soren met as kids, about 10 years prior to PoR. Ike saw Soren and realized that he needed help. At the time, they appeared to be the same age. But later, when they meet up again, Soren looks younger than Ike due to the fact that his aging has begun to slow. But at the same time, Soren really doesn’t look thaaaat much younger.

So how could Micaiah be the exact same after a decade has passed? It doesn’t make sense! Make it make sense!

Overall, I will continue to take the Christian approach to feh, wherein I decide what it is or isn’t canon according to my own personal preferences.

And besides all my nitpicks, I am enjoying the Forging Bonds. It’s nice to see Edward and Leonardo given some time and space to exist as actual characters, and not just units meant to help the player progress from one chapter to the next.

[midnight-scrivener]

Kids are wild, dude.

Couple days ago, me and Partner popped over to Disney Springs to a) buy some mead, and b) spend gift card money to go see the Boy and the Heron (10/10 so good).

I was chilling on a wall outside, waiting for Partner in the bathroom, and behind me, I hear a tiny, clear voice, filled with the plaintive ennui of someone who's been trapped in a time loop for aeons unknown, say, "just let me die."

*Freeze, slow turn*

Reader, allow me to paint you a picture.

There is a man, the daddest man perhaps ever to dad. He is wearing a visor. The visor says something like, "have a Disney day™️" on it in red swirly font. His hair is sticking straight up out of the top of the visor, like a mad scientist who forgot he was leaning on the Tesla coil when he told his Igor to throw the switch, henchman! This gives the distinct impression that this is not his visor, but rather was hastily thrust upon him, likely by a spouse who is also in the bathroom. It was cold out (for Florida anyway), so this man was wearing a heavy Patagonia fleece, and, in true Dadly fashion, little cargo shorts, pockets bulging, dragging the shape of the garment parabolically earthward, laden with the responsibilities inherent in being the Vacation Manager and Bearer of the Visor. His legs were covered in gooseflesh. But, reader, he bore it.

He had sunglasses, those iridescent mirrored kind that make you think of sport fishermen. But they dangled around his neck, so I could see his eyes, vacant, staring, lined with the patient resignation that can only come from loving someone who is A Lot To Be Around. His hand, large and calloused and properly Daddish, was clasped with another set of tiny digits.

Dangling from his arm with a comfortable drama that implied this was but one time of many, was a tiny girlchild, no more than maybe five years old, wearing a full length Rapunzel princess gown, light-up Sketchers, and pink, glittery mouse ears that had been knocked askew in the process of her collapse and gave her hair the air of waging a losing battle with a little bird.

This girl, with the face of a cherub and the serious manner of an elderly man of state, stared off into a slightly different middle distance than her father. Her sketchers trailed over the ground as she rocked slightly in his gentle-but-firm grip. She sighed, and reader, I felt that sigh. In my bones. No one who's never experienced the weight of deep debt looming over them should be able to sigh like that.

She opened her mouth and said again in that clear, innocent voice, "Please won't you let me die?"

Her father, aware that people had begun to take notice, shook his head. "We're just waiting for Mommy."

This did not satisfy the tot. Still without a shred of distress, just the solemnity of a gig worker with twelve different 10-99 forms to file come tax season, asked "Yeah, but why can't I just die now?"

Her father closed his eyes. He was silent for long enough that I knew on some level he was wondering the same thing about himself. People were Aware of the situation now. Eventually he took a deep breath and looked down at her, still hanging from his arm. "It's against the rules to die at Disney World," he said. "Even if you want to. But tell you what, if you wait until we get back home, you can die there instead. That way Mommy and I can both be there."

The girl's mood brightened immediately. She got her feet under her and straightened, beaming up at her dad. "Oh, okay," she said. "After Mommy comes can we go to Legos?"

There's not really a proper end to the story, Partner just came out of the bathroom and we went to the movie. But damb. I hope that little girl knows I'll think about her at least once a day for the rest of my life.

Don't die. There might be Legos in it if you stay.

[pattywinchester]

Suptober 2023 Day 5 -Portrait

Their life is a portrait of simplicity these days. Gone are the chaos and the battles, the danger and the death.

They have their lake house that Dean is refurbishing with the same loving dedication he puts into everything he does.

They spend their days puttering around the house. Cas springs a new recipe on Dean every now and then, as he learns to navigate his humanity. The results meet with occasional and surprising success.

When the weather is just right, they sit on the dock, on the two Adirondack chairs that Dean rescued and refinished. They sit in quiet companionship with their hands intertwined, feeling the breeze in their hair and the sun warm on their faces.

Once a week or so they hop into Baby and drive into town, where they are greeted warmly by the locals. While there, they pick up what food items they need, and check the P.O. box. More often than not, other than household bills, they receive a letter or card from Sam and Eileen, in which they are always sure to include new pictures of the twins. Little Dean and Cassie are growing like weeds and, those pictures fill their hearts between visits. It’s become habit on these forays to always stop at the downtown café for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Always home in time to watch the sun set over the lake from their front porch.

In the evenings, the men open the windows to enjoy the crickets chirp and the bullfrogs croak on the edge of the backyard pond Dean dugout last spring at Cas’ request. They sit intertwined reading or laughing at each other’s stories and reminiscences.

And at night, alone in the quiet of their bedroom, they love each other passionately, yet with the care and tenderness of their unwavering bond... only to wake up each morning to the song of a heron calling across the lake to usher in a new day, a new day in which they can do it all again.

Some might look at their life and judge it wrongly to be a small or dull and simple life, but Dean and Cas know the truth. It’s a mundanity that’s been hard earned and one they have sworn to protect.

The idea for this ficlet was handed to me whole cloth by Re_Create over on Ao3. Go read her.

[oldfashionedmorphine]

well now i can’t say “nobody asked for this…”

(dear anon, i hope this helps!)

fyi—i spend way too much of my time looking things up for this fic… and this is some of what i saved when it came to outfits/hair and also just some basics info/stuff :)

———————

mike in 2004

hair: styled like johnny depp’s hair in the 90s… he’s kept it shoulder length or longer since 1986—he ditched the bangs at some point in the early 90s! and since he doesn’t dye it, there’s some gray throughout

outfits: white or black t-shirt’s, black jeans, and converse high tops are still his bread-and-butter base. his style is pretty consistent because he’s not a big fan of change—he likes what he likes! it’s just super easy for him to throw something else over a plain t-shirt and walk out the door.

overall: he doesn’t typically keep his face clean-shaven, call it laziness, but sometimes he will wait two weeks or more between picking up a razor. he’s still skinny because he doesn’t always eat right, skipping meals because he gets too distracted with video games, but years of drinking are starting to take a toll and reflect in his skin, at times looking sallow

———————

will in 2004

hair: styled basically like whatever hayden christensen was doing to his hair in 2003/2004, also not a fan of hair dye, and also as he got older there was a bit more wave to his hair

outfits: wears lots of flannels, band/graphic tees, polos, button ups with sweater vests, jeans/corduroy/khaki pants, adidas/saucony jazz/new balance style sneakers—usually laid back but he will also use any excuse to dress it up! wears square-framed tortoiseshell glasses since 2001 (when he had to renew his driver’s license he couldn’t pass the eyesight test—got his eyes checked and sure enough he needed glasses!)—and included that picture of noah wearing glasses cause when i saw it i was like, wow yeah, that’s not too far off, just change the frames and age him 15 years… lol

overall: usually keeps his face free of any stubble, also has a few gray hairs but not as many as mike and he likes to walk or run for exercise to better keep in shape, in the summer he’s been known to pick up a tan, and he has one tattoo—the word “love” written in morse code under the scar from where nancy burnt him with a hot iron [ .-.. --- ...- . ]

———————

holly in 2004

(holly is 24, about the same age as kristen bell so I kinda picture her from veronica mars season 1 but with long hair/dyed like cady heron from “mean girls”—holly watched the movie earlier that year and liked the look!)

outfits: low rise flare jeans, denim jackets, fitted shirts, canvas vans sneakers, low top converse

———————

el in 2004

hair: long, always past her shoulders at least—she doesn’t like cutting it short for obvious reasons—she also dyes it and never skimps on spending money to maintain it and loves adding things like butterfly clips or barrettes with sparkles

outfits: she loves fashion and experimenting with her wardrobe. lots of delicate details and whimsy. a lot of what claire danes and anne hathaway were wearing 2002-2004

what she’s up to: el never went to college, but attends a few business seminars in between all her world travels and eventually invests some of her government hush money into opening a vintage/antique shop in hawkins that her and joyce run together.

el’s exact outfit from ch 8!

———————

outfit inspiration for mike + will in 1999 (aka for ch. 15)

mike: black jeans, ochre yellow striped button down, and of course he would’ve worn his typical converse shoes if he had to physically travel to the house that night, but alas… lol

will: brown dress shoes (normally wears sneakers, but for special occasions he gets fancy), light wash denim with navy turtle neck, plus brown leather jacket

(yes… i purposefully made them wear each others colors 😏)

———————

the mood board i made for nancy + jonathan’s wedding in 1993

(i’ve posted this before but idk how many of you saw it lol)

of course there is more i could add and sadly there’s things i’ve since cleared from my phone like the picture i had saved of a wedding dress i thought nancy would wear… but if there is anything else you’d like to know, i’m always down to talk more about this story! send me a message—you don’t have to stay on anon unless you wanna, but i don’t bite!! ;)

[butcherlarry]

Exercise Fic Recs 18

I am honestly surprised how much I have been reading.  Holy Moly.  

look how sweet life has become by susiecarter  (Superbat, WIP (but will probably be finished tonight).  A six plus one fic for Clark Kent week.  Slice of life and very sweet 💗)

The Power of Family and This Stalker I Found by JackHawksmoor  (Batfam, WIP.  An AU were Bruce found Jason after he was resurrected, and Tim joins the family.  Also, Tim knows about them being vigilantes, but the fam doesn’t know that he knows, so shenanigans ensue.) 

Everything Will Be Just Fine by lonelynpc  (Batfam, WIP.  More goth dad Battinson)

always an angel never a god by Arwriter  (Batfam, complete.  Trigger warning for suicide attempt.  Jason gets hurt, and Bruce talks to him about his concerns.  Much hurt/comfort ensue.)

Unbelievable by BoredomBeckons  (Superbat?  Kinda?  They are at least good friends :)  Complete.  Bruce’s persona is a bit too good.  Clark thinks Batman is joking when he tells him his secret identity.  Shenanigans ensue.)

WE’LL SWIM WITH THE CURRENT. by orpheusaki  (Batfam, complete.  Mermaid AU.  Bruce carries baby mermaid Jason.  It’s super adorable.)

Giant of the Waves by supermanstoddlerleash  (Superbat, complete.  Mermaid AU.  Bruce goes to visit his boyfriend, who happens to be a giant fuck off mermaid shark 💖)

Action and Re-Action by Mithen  (Superbat, Complete.  A retelling of Bruce meeting Clark.)

Dynasty of frauds by msOdds  (Superbat, WIP.  Omegaverse Injustice AU.  Palace drama!!!!  In Kandor!!!!)

the color violet by TheResurrectionist  (Batfam, complete.  Slice of life.  From the point of view of a EMT.  Newly warded (is that a word?  it is now) Dick gets hurt, and New Dad Bruce deals with it.)

I was in a candy mood, so I got the snickers latte with my croissant.

There is a pond next to were I work, and it is common for us employees to take a walk around it during lunch.  I always see so many cool birds, and I’ve been itching to bring my nice camera there to get some good pictures.  The only time I’ve willingly come to work on the weekend, and it’s for some birds, lol.

I FINALLY GOT A GOOD PICTURE OF A BLUE HERON!!!

Also look at this little guy!  A robin!  And he caught himself some breakfast!!

The whole geese family!!

BABIES

MORE BABIES

I’VE BEEN DETECTED

Grackle!

Green Heron!  I’ve only ever seen the big blue guy, so it was excited to see this little green guy!

I was so excited when I got this picture, because I only see them when they’re flying!  It’s a barn swallow!  For a while, I couldn’t figure out what kind of swallow where flying around the ponds.  I thought they were probably barn swallows because of the red bellies and necks, so I’m super happy I got this picture to confirm my suspicions! 

I also saw some new birds at the arboretum, along with the usual suspects :)

A male and female wood duck:

I had no idea what this guy was until I got home to examine the pictures, but it’s a yellow-billed cuckoo!

A red-bellied woodpecker:

I crossed paths with another birder when I was walking, and he let me know that there was an owl in the area I was coming up to!  I was so happy I was able to spot him.  A barred owl:

I have been trying to get a picture of this little guy for a while.  An Acadian flycatcher:

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTTED.  AGAIN.

Tree swallow!

a cute little white-breasted nuthatch!

A BEEEEEEEE:

I just really like this view:

Pretty flowers!

Lily pads!

More flowers!

I also have tomorrow off because of the holidays, so don’t be surprised if you see another post from me with more birds!