#But yes i do prefer him being a space clown instead of him trying to destroy star systems / j

[mokulule]

A Pinch of Salt - snippet 2

Okay, so I have been reminded by @clockwayswrites that I could post some things instead of just hoarding them like the dragon in my icon. So here ya go. Maybe I'll even get around to updating Catnip in the coming days who knows. Previous

Fuck, Danny cursed internally as he struggled to keep up with the long-legged stride of Trenchcoat. Whatever had happened to that ghost to make it into something like that was not good, he needed to do something! But as long as Trenchcoat was here he couldn’t exactly do as he usually would: transform and punch it. The man had seemed very ready to do something to Danny and the unspeakable soul situation going on had Danny extremely leery of finding out what that something was.

At least getting eaten seemed unlikely from the man’s earlier horrified response.

So running.

They went down a hallway, up a staircase, down another hallway and into a would have been shop. They stopped for a moment in the square space catching their breath. Trenchcoat let go of him to go peek back around the corner. Finally Trenchcoat’s shoulders relaxed.

“We lost it for now.” Actually it was more like the ghost lost interest in them; as they’d gotten further and further away from the central plaza of the mall the ghost had stopped following them. Not that Danny was going to tell Trenchcoat that. He had no idea how he’d explain it in a way that didn’t make him extremely suspicious. His hair was dripping salty water making it hard to forget he’d already been assaulted twice - he did not wanna know what else the man stored up his sleeves.

Preferably, somehow he’d get Trenchcoat to leave.

The moment of inattention cost him as he was grabbed once again by Trenchcoat and towed through the would-maybe-someday be a store to a door in the back. This led to a store room and a door to the outside. It was unlocked it turned out and Danny realized this was probably how the man had gotten in.

“Alright, kiddo, time to leave.”

Trenchcoat opened the door and pushed at Danny’s back.

“No way!” Danny exclaimed digging his heels in.

“Yes way,” Trenchcoat mocked, “go home kid, I’m a professional.”



 There was no way Danny was leaving, not at this point. Ghosts were his area of expertise - or well, Danny couldn’t really claim to be an expert, but they were his responsibility at least! He had a unique skillset and no matter what Trenchcoat claimed, he did not look any sort of professional. He made his opinion of his claim known by giving the man his most dubious look.
 - 
John hated teenagers and this teenager in particular.

He didn’t know what it was about teenagers, but they were just merciless in their judgment in a way adults were probably usually too polite to be. In any case that little up and down there, with the slightly raised eyebrow made him feel like he’d worn a clown costume to an accounting job.

“Bloody Hell, will you just leave before I decide to feed you to the specter!”

The boy crossed his arms, standing his ground. “You can try.”

John dragged a hand down his face, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

“What are you even doing here?” “I’m here for the ghost.” Plain, even, said with not a smidge of hesitation. “You’re here for the-“ John cut himself off, hands opening and closing, inwardly cursing children and their stupid dares. “And what pray tell where ya gonna do when you found the ghost?”“I figured I’d try talking to them.”“You what?!” John spluttered. He’d expected him to say he hadn’t expected to find a ghost, there went his theory of this being a dare.

“There is no talking to that!” He pointed vaguely in the direction they’d lost the spectral storm. “Of all the sodden-“

“Them.”

John’s thoughts screeched to a halt. “What?” “Them. They are a them, not an it or a that.”

John opened and closed his mouth. Was he really getting a lecture on pronouns?

“It is a spectral storm. Whatever poor spirit it used to be, is not there anymore. There’s no mind there, it’s pure emotion out of control. There’s no way back from that.”

The boy scowled at him, clearly disagreeing. It didn’t matter. 
John pointed at the door.

“Leave.” “No.” They stared at each other neither giving an inch.

Urgh, this had to be why Batman was so grumpy all the time. John could not do this. He threw up his hands and turned around. He worked around things, not through them and here he was engaging in the folly of arguing with a bloody teenager.

“Suit yourself.”

Gods, he needed a smoke. He’d hardly finished the thought before he was pulling the package of smokes out of its pocket with practiced ease. He was lighting the smoke by the time he noticed the unimpressed look he was getting. Satisfied, he took a deep drag and slowly breathed out the smoke. The kid grimaced and John smirked.

“Those are gonna kill you.” “As opposed to the rest of my lifestyle?” He returned with a nod in the direction of the Storm that probably couldn’t kill him, but the kid didn’t know that. Satisfied at the way the kid’s nose scrunched, he walked back the way they came from.

“And what are you supposed to be?” Kid asked falling in step with him, and John just knew he was being annoying on purpose with that tone of voice. He was not gonna bite. He was an adult. He kept his gaze straight ahead as the kid started guessing.

“Excorcist? Ghostbusters wannabe?”

There was a pause, then a flash of a sly smirk John only caught because he’d stopped to look down the hallway.

“Ectologist?” The suggestion hit John like a metaphysical sledgehammer and he recoiled in disgust.

“Fuck. No.” He shuddered an extra time as if that would remove the oily feeling. “I’m an occult detective. You happy now? Shit kid, you don’t pull your punches do you?”

-

“So what’s the plan, Trenchcoat?”

“Trenchcoat,” John mouthed to himself before shaking his head. “The plan is you keep out of the way and I deal with the raging ghostie.”

“Yeah, no, you’re gonna do better than that. This is not my first time dealing with a ghost. But I don’t know what occult detectives do.”

John pondered the statement about this not being the first time he’d dealt with a ghost, and maybe there was something to the death magics he gave off after all. He groaned internally, why was he doing this?

“Standard practice, kid. Contain and banish.” He held up first one finger then two.

Danny rolled his eyes. It didn’t sound too different from his approach to ghosts, he caught them and sent them back to the ghost zone, but Mr Occult Detective didn’t exactly carry around a Fenton thermos.

“And how do you contain? No,” he offset the clearly sarcastic response. “I mean what are your requirements?”

Trenchcoat rolled his eyes, but humored him.

“I need a large enough open space and a small moment of preparation, then just gotta lure it in and do a binding spell.”

Danny narrowed his eyes and looked towards where he felt the raging storm of ghost energy. “Like the plaza.”

“Ideally yes.”

“So you need a distraction.” Danny started walking. A hand fell on his shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going? If you’re so insistent to stay, you’re not leaving my sight.”

Danny shrugged off the hand and turned around.

“The plaza is the center of the their power. You need someone to lure them away.” Danny watched the emotions flash across the man’s face with a small bit of amusement. He really didn’t want Danny involved if he could help it. Finally the man’s face settled on exasperation.

“I will figure something out.”

Danny smiled, taking a step backwards.

“No, you will give me a ten minutes headstart to lure our ghost friend far enough away they won’t immediately notice your stench so close to the heart of their haunt.”

As if sensing his intentions Trenchcoat made another grab for him which he dodged. And then he ran. He was sure it was only the threat of the ghost that prevented the man from yelling after him.

He just hoped he’d listened, because Danny was about to go piss off an already raging spirit. Trenchcoat better be ready.

Fun times.

[the-cryptographer]

I think sometimes I probably make fun of Anders too much for his complete logos fails. Like I def share with Fenris that I prefer logically sound arguments to someone trying to wheedle me with pathos. And I do think it's a huge failing that so much of our political rhethoric is emotional manipulation. So I can't help but want to clown on Anders for this on a personal level.

But I'm maybe not making enough space for the fact that Fenris often retreats into like 'I was just stating the facts. mages are dangerous. i'm not wrong.' as if his facts are occurring in a vacuum and not offered in support of what is ultimately politically and economically motivated labour exploitation and genocide.

And, yes, it annoys me to no end that Anders can't point that out and instead has to try to lie to Fenris about how mages (read: people) aren't that dangerous. And, yes, Fenris isn't a templar, and he's largely not doing much of anything to actually make Southern Thedas the exploitative shithole it is, and him being mean is hardly a crime.

But, yeah, Fenris is also being really fucking mean.

[jiye0ngs]

Can I request 'the eleceed cast As students' for the adults like Jiyoung, fatcat, neutered cat, Inhyuk etc

Here they are!

JIYOUNG is an exemplary student. There are no doubts about this. Her grades are a neat set of perfect scores, and her performance in extracurricular activities establish how well-rounded she is. Her strong suit would most likely be sciences or literary/communication arts. Has outstanding penmanship too. Can and will run student council + club president elections. She's well-known and well-liked, both by her peers and her teachers, though she never really goes out to hang out with all of them; she makes acquaintances, yes, but due to her shyer nature she chooses to only hang around Inhyuk. Between the two of them, Inhyuk is more known as the Class Clown™️, but sometimes Jiyoung would drop one-liners that can leave the whole class in shreds from laughing. Owns sets of high-quality pencils, oil pastels, papers, etc. that everyone handles like treasure whenever she generously lets them borrow it. 

INHYUK is a prankster, a jokester, and...an honors list student? Honestly, people don’t know how he does it. He’s often seen exchanging lighthearted jokes with teachers and mischievous smiles with classmates, always with a snack in hand or a cat video on his phone but never a book or a reviewer like Jiyoung. The type to breeze through exams even if he’s seemingly not studying. Is friendly and warm-hearted and often chosen to run errands for teachers; well-known by students from younger batches as well. A known defender of people being picked on; if there’s a group of bigger kids bullying you, trust that Inhyuk will come and hand their ass to them, then take you under his wing right after. Sort of a Father Hen to his batchmates. Leaves school on time to greet each and every one of his fifteen kitties waiting behind the school campus.

KAYDEN is tall, handsome, and intimidating. Rumor has it that he’s strict, rigid, and on a 24/7 grind, beating up people who even dare look at him in the wrong way; in reality, his classmates know well enough that this guy chooses to have the most comfortable naps of his life during class (even if he is on a 24/7 grind, and even if he might go recklessly provoking people sometimes). Opts to tune in and out of lectures: he’ll listen to the teacher with rapt attention if the lesson interests him, but if it doesn’t he’ll just space out and catch up on the topic later on in the library. Self-proclaimed academic rivals with Kartein. Is nearly close to being labelled as a Trouble Kid by the teachers if not for his 1) good grades, 2) honest work, and 3) genuinely kind personality. Has dabbled in at least every single sports club in the school and came out as the top student in it each time; this charismatic and athletic™️ charm of his is only one of the few hundred reasons why he finds mountains upon mountains of confession letters inside his locker every day. 

KARTEIN is so perfect it actually hurts sometimes. He’s intelligent, he’s rich, he’s handsome, and he’s got a humorous penchant for sarcasm too — what else would you want in a classmate? He absorbs information like a sponge and never turns down an opportunity to learn something new, no matter how trivial it may seem. If it interests Kartein, it’s worth his time. Self-proclaimed academic rivals with Kayden. Contrary to popular expectation, he doesn’t join clubs or cliques: he prefers to work by himself, only taking in external input when he allows it. Keeps his seat and locker neat and tidy, never tolerating dirt and unruliness inside the classroom. His penmanship looks like calligraphy. Uses fountain pens instead of ballpoint pens. Has stabbed Kayden with it once when the latter wouldn’t stop being annoying. Like Jiyoung, owns set of premium coloring pencils, craft materials, notebooks, papers, and normal pencils —but do not try to ask if you can borrow it. No one has ever really tried, but...considering the way Kartein loves his belongings, it’s better not to even think about it.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Instead of freeing Nie Huaisang after the indoctrination camp Wen Chao keeps him and forces him to act as entertainment in an effort to humiliate the Nie's. Jokes on him though, as Nie Huaisang uses his new position to send coded messages.

In Here, With Me - ao3 (chapter 1/2)

- Untamed verse -

Left behind in the indoctrination camp when all the other sect heirs escaped, Nie Huaisang found himself in Wen Chao’s clutches, left to his amusement – and his amusement was to force Nie Huaisang to serve at his entertainment.

Are you telling me you’re a clown?!

“Rude, da-ge,” Nie Huaisang huffed, rolling his eyes at his brother’s note. “Very rude. I’m an entertainer.”

Although a rather large portion of his brand new entertain-the-troops routine was being laughed at, yes…

Damnit, da-ge! Leave a man some self-respect!

Sadly, there wasn’t enough space for him to get that sentence in along with the rest of the information he was sending back home, battle plans and supply lines and the rest. Just enough for a single additional sentence –

Sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest.

A little later, he got his brother’s response: Stop making sense. I hate it when you do that.

Nie Huaisang smiled.

-

“Can you stop shoving me around?” Nie Huaisang complained to Wen Chao after the first day of being the Wen sect’s punching bag. “You want me to entertain people, I can be entertaining! In ways other than slapstick!”

“Oh yeah?” Wen Chao sneered. “Like what?”

“I can tell stories,” Nie Huaisang said promptly. “I can paint. I compose poetry on the spot, including lewd poetry. I can do astronomy readings and calculate fortunes. I can juggle my saber. I can –”

“You can not.”

“Which one?”

“Juggle a saber!”

Nie Huaisang crossed his arms. “I can too! Or, well, da-ge always says that’s what I’m doing when I’m trying to train…”

Wen Chao sniggered. “Oh, this I’ve got to see. Someone get him a sword!”

“I can’t use a sword!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed. “Saber, saber! One side sharp only! If I tried it with a two-sided blade, I’d cut my arm off and then where would you be, huh? Without any entertainment, and no hostage, either!”

Wen Chao rolled his eyes. “Saber, then.”

Everyone looked at each other uncertainly – the saber wasn’t a common weapon for Qishan Wen.

“Just get me mine,” Nie Huaisang suggested. “What, are you all afraid I’ll fight my way out if I have my own spiritual weapon with me? Me?”

They were not afraid of him.

Nie Huaisang gripped his proper Nie saber that was warm under his fingers, with the clean blade that (currently) showed no sign of words, and smiled.

-

The Jiang sect won’t listen to my warnings.

Nie Huaisang gritted his teeth and stared at his saber. You’re joking, he wrote on the blade with his finger and a bit of qi. I warned you a whole week ago. We’re attacking tomorrow! With overwhelming forces!

I’m trying my best! I can only smuggle so many cultivators nearby without permission. What am I supposed to do, write off the whole place as a loss and just kidnap all their disciples to keep them from getting murdered?

Why not? If that’s all you can do, at least it’s something.

-

“The wine that’s going to the main table is on the bottom left,” Nie Huaisang said when he found Wen Ning standing there.

Wen Ning jumped. “Oh! Nie-gongzi…”

“You’re here to rescue Jiang Cheng, right? And you’re going to drug the wine? Bottom left.”

“…thanks.” Wen Ning hesitated. “Do you need a rescue, too?”

“Oh, no, I’m good. Tell Jiang Cheng that I’m sorry I couldn’t help more, and next time he should listen when my brother says to run away. He doesn’t say it often, so when he does, he means it.”

Wen Ning hesitated still.

“What?”

“Did you really break Wen Zhuliu’s hand before he could melt Jiang Cheng’s core?”

“It was,” Nie Huaisang said with great dignity, “an accident.”

-

“Listen, I get you,” Nie Huaisang said to a confused-looking Wei Wuxian. “Revenge is nice, rescue is sweet. But I need you to let Wen Chao get close enough to the Nightless City that me making my way there as the terrified last surviving witness is at least plausible, or we lose our best in to get info from the Wen sect. So just, you know, wait a bit longer, okay?”

-

“Meng Yao!” Nie Huaisang hollered, throwing himself into Meng Yao’s arms. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again!”

“Uh,” Meng Yao said.

Wen Ruohan laughed.

Nie Huaisang burst into tears and buried his face into Meng Yao’s neck.

Wen Ruohan laughed harder.

Meng Yao smiled awkwardly, but that was probably the fact that Nie Huaisang had already sealed his spiritual energy and had a knife to his belly.

“You’d better be here as a spy,” Nie Huaisang whispered in his ear as the Wen sect ignored them.

“Definitely,” Meng Yao murmured back, though his tone wasn’t as definitive as Nie Huaisang would prefer. “I need Wen Ruohan’s head to get my father’s approval.”

“Does my brother know?”

“…no.”

“Who does?”

“Huaisang –”

“I have my own ways of passing information. Well?”

“…Sect Leader Lan.”

“I look forward to finding out if he confirms it,” Nie Huaisang said, patting Meng Yao on the cheek, and then blubberingly begs his way into sharing a room with the man. He’s gotten pretty good at getting Wen Ruohan to agree to these sorts of silly requests – the man had just the same awful sense of humor as his son.

-

“I can’t believe you survived this long as the Nie sect’s spy,” Meng Yao marveled when it was all done.

Nie Huaisang shrugged. “I’ll give you lessons,” he offered with a grin. “If you like. It’s my one skill, apparently!”

“The war is over,” Meng Yao pointed out in return, shaking his head and smiling. “My father has accepted me back into the Jin sect and given me a new name. What use do I have for the skills of spy?”

“Of being a Nie sect spy,” Nie Huaisang corrected, and put his hand on Meng Yao’s shoulder. “If things don’t go well for you in the Jin sect…Think about it, will you? If da-ge won’t accept you, then I will.”

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 318: On Your Left

Previously on BnHA: The Hawksquad+Lurkers were all “well this sucks” and sat around a bit talking about how maybe they should actually come up with a new plan that is actually good, but then in the end they were like “nah.” Deku was all, “THERE’S SOMETHING INSIDE ME THAT PULLS BENEATH THE SURFACE!! CONSUMING, CONFUSING!! THIS LACK OF SELF CONTROL I FEAR IS NEVERENDING. IT’S HAUNTING HOW I CANT SEEM TO FIND MYSELF AGAIN. MY WALLS ARE CLOSING IN.” Just, literally that whole entire song. All Might was all “Deku you should take care of yourself, try eating a thing,” and Deku was all “BYE, ALL MIGHT,” and just LEFT. He left!!! What the fuck!!!

Today on BnHA: Endeavor is all, “maybe if Deku didn’t listen to All Might he’ll listen to me instead.” Deku is all, “[doesn’t listen to Endeavor]” because, well, yeah. The Vestiges are all, “surprisingly, even we are a little concerned -- maybe you should get some rest, kid.” Deku is all, “((Ò ‸ Ó)).” The Vestiges are all, “holy shit.” Deku is all, “[wanders the ruined city streets terrifying the populace on account of him looking like Shelob had a baby with one of the Nazgul].” Some shriveled-up puppeteer villain asshole is all, “HORIKOSHI SAID IT’S MY TURN TO ATTACK DEKU TODAY SO I AM GOING TO SUMMON MY FRIGHTENED HELPLESS ATTACK MOB!!” Kacchan is all “WHADDYA MEAN THEY FOUND THE NERD!!! -- oh wait, that’s me, I found him. I found the nerd, you guys.” And just in time, too. I was about to owe a whole lot of people a whole lot of dollars.

so I have been super good about spoilers this week as always, but let me tell you guys, for the past 36 hours my dash filters have basically been nonstop “manga spoilers” this and “bnha 318” that, and so I’m coming in with a fair amount of hype here. your move, Horikoshi

oh, good! they got Endeavor to call Deku to try to talk him out of it. what a great and wonderful plan

“listen up kid, you haven’t slept since March and you are basically a walking biohazard right now, I’m just telling it like it is. didn’t you get shot like three times?? and there was a whole thing about how you urgently needed medical attention?? and supposedly we gave it to you, but I mean you haven’t even changed your clothes and don’t seem to have any fresh bandages or anything, so did we?? did we, really?? and also we all got blown up yesterday, so yeah.” hmm he’s making some reasonable points here you guys, but you sure do go on and on, Endeavor

oh he says foreign aid is finally on its way! I’m sure they’ll be very helpful. I mean in fairness they can hardly be worse than the home-grown heroes at this point

hey Enji, could you maybe try appealing to Deku the sixteen-year-old human boy, as opposed to Deku The World’s Last Hope? he does have value beyond his quirk. I know that’s always been an incredibly difficult concept for you to grasp, but could you maybe TRY, jesus

and also we’re worried about you as a person?? you’re just a kid and you’re pushing yourself way too hard?? you were going to say that part next, right. why the hell didn’t Hawks make this call instead

“don’t worry about me... I’m completely fine” Deku you do understand that saying it over and over again doesn’t actually make it true

and again with the rush!! all the rush rush rush!! we’re running out of time, we can’t let AFO and Tomura keep getting stronger, I have to end this now, there’s no time to rest, etc. etc. etc. just the constant pressure of this whole big countdown on top of everything else

holy shit, you KNOW it’s bad when even the Vestiges are telling him to chill

these guys are basically the walking talking embodiments of self-sacrifice; if even they’re telling him he needs to take five, then he must seriously be like half a step away from death’s door

OH SHIT LMAO

DIDN’T EVEN LET HIM FINISH HIS SENTENCE BEFORE HE SENT HIM INTO THE FUCKING SHADOW REALM WITH THAT FUCKING LOOK. HOLY FUCK. DIDN’T EVEN KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO DIE TWICE. SHIT

(ETA: so I’m pretty sure this was just Danger Sense activating and so he cut them off to go do more hero stuff, but I’m gonna go ahead and stick to my original interpretation anyway lol.)

anyway so how’s everybody doing. we all good? En, you good? Banjou? Shino? I’m imagining you guys all curled up in a little ball on the floor right now lol. can’t say I blame you though, no shame

lmaoooooooooooo

“SHEESH.” sheesh indeed, lmao. “what in the FUCK was that”

see, this is why y’all need Kacchan. you need someone who’s not going to back down from him no matter what. if it’s a matter of out-stubborning Midoriya fucking Izuku, then there’s only one other person on the planet capable of that, and we all know it. don’t pretend like you don’t. I am not going to shut up about this! we’ve had our hurt so now what about SOME COMFORT, DAMMIT

“I’m afraid that he’s becoming influenced by my conscience” nah are you kidding Nana this is all 100% made-in-Japan pure original Deku right here

see, Banjou gets it. “that kid, he’s totally going on his own.” exactly. this was so inevitable it was basically scientific law

“well I for one don’t see the problem with Deku being so obsessed with saving everyone else that he pushes himself until his body and soul literally fall apart” okay, whose speech bubbles are these?? we’re about to have words

lol of course

well you always did prefer the direct route didn’t you. but even you can’t possibly think this is okay lol

dark AU!Kacchan please tell us more about your badass doomed timeline in which everything went to shit and you apparently had the same character arc that Deku is having right now except it somehow made you sexier instead of turning you into a rabid t-rex. I have so many questions

oh so now you want to help??? well -- good, actually. sorry if that sounded offended just now lol

(ETA: so at first when I got to the end of this chapter I was wondering if Katsuki B. had somehow summoned his alternate-universe counterpart through trippy OFA space telepathy lol. but in the original Japanese there’s no reference to “we”, so this appears to be a mistranslation. this line should probably read more like “if there’s something/someone out there that would be able to complement/complete the current Midoriya Izuku [it would be]…” which, oh hello, is that Horikoshi once again reaffirming that Deku and Bakugou complete each other lol. “guess what guys, the Vestiges ship it too" heck yeah. they know what’s up!)

look how admiring his boyfriends are. HORIKOSHI GIVE US THE REST OF THIS BACKSTORY ALREADY GODDAMMIT

“meanwhile somewhere in the depths of the ruined city, Deku was having a dance-off with the villains”

I like how the villains all have this “AHH WHAT THE FUCK” kind of body language to them lol. I mean if it were me, and an eldritch horror suddenly clawed its way from the shadows with its writhing glowy tentacles and pants-shitting nuclear death stare, I would probably just die on the spot. no need to stick around. only pain awaits

lol for a minute I thought this was Can’t Ya See-kun and I was like “WHAT A FASCINATING CROSSING OF PATHS” but it’s just some random girl

he seems genuinely confused lol

Deku it’s because you look like something that crawled out of a sewer drain, sweetheart

lol they just took his word for it?

so trusting. even though they’re immediately hauling ass anyway just to be safe lmao

“my appearance is frightening to others” no shit Deku it’s because you look like a fucking alien exorcism. you look like a Lich that got caught up in an oil spill my dude

NO NOT THE CHOSEN ONE ANGST AGAIN

I RAN OUT OF ESSAY JUICE FOR THIS ALREADY HORIKOSHI!! I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR MONTHS NOW WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!! BUT ANYWAYS, GOOD!! I MEAN, BAD, THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY. BUT YES

“ENJOY THIS MONTAGE OF DEKU BATTLING A RANDOM KAIJU AND WANDERING THE WOODS LIKE A DERANGED GREEN BABA YAGA” okay yes but sir, exactly how much longer is this going to go on. if it’s a matter of you wanting to make sure we get it, let me assure you that aside from a few stray chuunis who think that Deku embracing the Darkness is the coolest thing he’s ever done, all of us here in fandom fully comprehend that this is Not Good

-- OH SO IT’S LIKE THAT

really. with the flashbacks to his loved ones’ smiling faces and everything. not even gonna try to aim above the belt, huh

AND NO KACCHAN??! NO CLASSMATES?!?! IS HE PURPOSELY NOT THINKING OF THEM??? OR ARE THEY BEING SAVED FOR THE NEXT PAGE??? SO HELP ME, IF THE NEXT PART OF THIS SENTENCE IS “CAN PROTECT THEM”, OR EVEN WORSE, “CAN SEE THEIR SMILING FACES AGAIN”, I...

WHAT DID I JUST SAY

(ETA: my man did Sero and Kaminari fucking dirty lmao. I miss their smiling faces too omg.)

the sheer, unparalleled irony of him saying this while he stands there looking like the gargoyle demon from Fantasia got crossed with an umbrella that got struck by lightning. Deku :(

oi who the fuck is this clown

is he controlling this mob with his evil hair. “what if I made an exhausted, running-on-fumes Deku battle a brainwashed mob at Ground Zero.” Horikoshi do you just have like a checklist of horrible things you want to do to your protagonist

easy there Sasori

well joke’s on you buddy because he’s apparently “completely fine”, so

“here’s to hoping that you know more about AFO’s location than the others” jesus christ Deku you really have hung your mercy out to dry huh

now he’s forcing his mob of terrified prisoners to attack Deku ahhhh. sucks to be them. at least they’re not being controlled by bees

so Deku is saying that Sasori’s control can be broken with “physical trauma.” similar to Shinsou’s quirk I guess. but so does that mean he’s gonna have to hurt them? ( •﹏•)

NO NOT MORE SAD EYES

“DEATH BY EMPATHY!!!” HORIKOSHI NO

fuck. he looks like he’s on the verge of passing out

this is what happens when you nerf a character’s self-preservation stats in favor of spamming their bone-breaking stats instead. NOW ACCEPTING BRAIN CELL DONATIONS FOR A BOY IN NEED!! with your loving generosity we can hopefully help him live to the ripe old age of seventeen

OMGFGGG

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[grabs your hands] ლ(*꒪ヮ꒪*)ლ [swings you in a circle] へ(ﾟ◇ﾟへ)

THASSSSSSSS WHATSSSSSSS UPPPPPPPPPP

HORIKOSHI REALLY SAID FUCK THAT MASK (ノ°ο°)ノ YOU FINALLY LEARNED!! IT’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!!

JUST FOR YOU KACCHAN, HORIKOSHI LEFT THIS ONE BAD GUY WHO’S STILL WEAK TO FIRE. GOD BLESS

IT’S YOUR COUNTERPART, KATSUKI B!!!! HOW WE DOIN OVER THERE IN THE TRIPPY COSMIC OFA SPACE REALM LOL. DO WE BELIEVE YET, FANDOM???

LIGHTS!!!!

INSTANT RESULTS!!! IT’S SUPER EFFECTIVE!!!

(ETA: imagine what this must look like to Deku though. he’s been caught up in this dark cloud of despair and exhaustion that’s been building up over... I’m gonna go ahead and say “weeks”, because yeah. and now he finds himself here, in the place where All Might’s legacy ended and the torch was passed to him. and the world is in ruins, and he’s surrounded by frightened people who are all trying to hurt him -- because who isn’t trying to hurt him, these days -- and he’s scrambling to figure this all out, but meanwhile the weariness is finally starting to catch up to him, and so he’s basically just standing there in a fog of complete and utter misery.

and then all of a sudden through that haze, he hears the one voice that’s more familiar than any other that he knows. like, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he thought he was just imagining it at first. Kacchan showing up to save him right when he’s at his most desperate and feeling the most alone. Kacchan, showing up to save him.

this is the person he always looked up to as a child (to be fair he was quite a strange child lmao). the person who was even closer to him than All Might. the person he always thought was amazing. and bam, here he is now. appearing in the sky out of nowhere to one-shot the bad guy with a single blast (which, btw, that was his armor-piercing attack too lmao dslkjlk take it easy there kiddo). like, that must have felt absolutely surreal to him, especially coming at a time when he’s already half-delirious and barely hanging on to reality. he must have really thought that he was losing it there for a second.

but he’s really there. it really is him. and for this brief moment -- before the rest of the situation catches up to him, and he remembers about all of the fucked-up AFO stuff, and remembers why he was so afraid and why he was pushing everyone away -- for just this one brief moment, he’s too exhausted and stunned to do anything except to just react. just stands there, looking up at him in awe.

and you know, it almost reminds me of...

just. you guys. the character development. the freaking character development. someone who brings reassurance. someone who shows up and makes you think, “oh, it’s all going to be okay now, because [person] is here.” the role reversals. the growth. the payoff!! because who is the one person who always had faith that Kacchan would one day grow up to become an amazing hero like that. WHO IS IT. YOU ALREADY KNOW.

omg. anyways, bless you Horikoshi, my feels which have been on backorder since fucking September have finally arrived lmao. yes, good, thank you. worth the wait. it is always, always worth the wait. fuck yeah.)

“LOWFRIES” SO YOU’RE TELLING ME THE WHOLE GANG IS HERE, AHHHHHHHH (º̩̩́⌣º̩̩̀ )

BEAUTIFUL. WONDERFUL. SENSATIONAL. I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT JUMP IS ON BREAK NEXT WEEK. THIS RIGHT HERE WILL SUSTAIN ME

[cg29fics]

Pick and Mix Collection

A selection of Little Tracy fics for @gordonthegreatesttracy and @psychoseal

All can be found with other short stories in my Pick & Mix Collection on AO3 & FFNet: CreativeGirl29

School Reports. Aged 8.

Scott Tracy:

Scott is a bright young boy, who is extremely popular with all his classmates. He is always first to put himself forward for team challenges and is a natural team leader. However, Scott tends to be impulsive and rush into an activity or challenge, which on occasions as cost him a higher mark. Scott excels in English, Geography and Physical Education but tends to struggle in maths.

John Tracy:

John is a quiet, introspective and intelligent young man, who excels in Science, Maths, English and Information Technology. John as the potential to go far in life and could be moved up a grade if he was to apply himself to what he once referred to as the ‘boring subjects’ and stop correcting myself and my other colleagues when we are trying to teach.

Virgil Tracy:

Virgil is a lovely, thoughtful boy, who always listens in class, speaks when he is spoken to, and on occasions has gone out of his way to support other classmates when they are struggling. Virgil has a gift for art, music and history. He also recently earned top marks when we taught first-aid in his class. However, I would like to bring to your attention Virgil’s tendency to day dream when he is not taking part in one of his favourite subjects.

Gordon Tracy:

Gordon is a conundrum and seems to have two sides to him. On the one side, you have the sweet boy who will always be there for his friends, excels in physical education, especially swimming and did surprisingly well when we did our big baking day. However, the other side of Gordon has a habit of constantly chatting in class, despite being asked to be quiet and as unfortunately become known as the school clown. If Gordon were to apply himself in all his work instead of drawing pictures of himself as a fish, he could gain good marks in all his classes.

Alan Tracy:

Alan is a smart boy who as always got a smile on his face. When he is interested in a subject, or as been caught by an idea he is an absolute pleasure to teach. However, like his brother before him, he tends to chat in class, and on many occasions, has had his portable computer console confiscated when he has been found playing on it, instead of learning. Alan struggles in History but excels in science and maths. I would also like to bring to your attention Alan’s report on ‘Our Heroes.’ All the children in his class decided to write about a celebrity, sports personality or historical figure. Instead, Alan wrote a fantastic and touching report where he named his older brother John as his hero and who he would most like to be like when he grows up.

5 more fics beneath the cut

**

STAR BOY:

"John you've been told not to run in the house." His father complained, catching his 4-year-old son in his arms.

"I'm not John." John answered with a serious face.

"Oh, you're not?" Jeff remarked, observing the cape John had attempted to make out of his comfort blanket. "Well, I must say, you certainly look like my John!"

"Shush! Daddy." John whispered. No one can know my secret ident…" John paused, thinking about the word he was struggling to say. "Ident…"

Jeff smiled. "Identity."

John grinned. "Yeah, my secret identity."

"So, who are you then?" Jeff inquired curiously.

"I'm Star Boy." John shouted, as he managed to struggle free and started running around in circles.

Jeff let out a chuckle at his son's exuberance. "So, Star Boy. What powers do you have?"

"Fly in space." John cried with joy.

"And what's your current mission Jo… I mean Star Boy?"

John ground himself to a sudden halt. "Find baby Virgie!" He stated with a thoughtful look.

"Virgil." Jeff corrected. "And he's not missing, he's nice and safe in your mummy's tummy."

John stared at his dad in confusion. "But I heard you and mummy say that he was late, and then mummy said if he didn't turn up soon she would…"

"Okay, John." Jeff said cutting John off. He would have to have a word to Lucille about what John had overheard. He knew she would be mortified but John seemed to have exceptional hearing and they both knew that their boy was very bright for his age. Jeff held his arms out for his current youngest son. John happily ran into them, and let himself be pulled up onto his father's lap. "Now, Virgil is still safe in your mummy's tummy, the reason he's late is because your mum has made it so comfortable in there that he doesn't want to leave yet."

"But I want to find him, cause then I'll get to be big brother like Scotty." John frowned.

Jeff pulled John into a warm hug. "And you will be a brilliant big brother just like Scott." He assured him.

As Jeff held John tightly in his arms, a shout from his mother came from in the kitchen, followed by his oldest son running into the room.

"Daddy, Grandma said to tell you mummy's waters broken!" Scott panted.

Jeff pulled himself to his feet, keeping John firmly in one arm, and taking Scott's hand with the other. "Well, my Star Boy." Jeff said, looking at John with pride. "It looks like your mission was successful!"

"It was?" John asked with a puzzled expression.

Jeff beamed as he stood John next to Scott, who automatically took his little brother's hand in his. "Yes, you did!" He added, with a concerned look towards the kitchen as he heard his mother and Lucille call for him once more. "Looks like baby Virgil is on his way!"

Several hours later:

John grinned with joy, as with his mother's help, he held his new baby brother in his arms. "Hey, Virgie." He said softly. "I'm John, your big brother… And my secret is I'm also Star Boy." He whispered. "I helped find you today!" John looked at Virgil who gazed at him with his big eyes. "And my next mission is to be your big brother." He said with a contented sigh.

**

4 little brothers.

12 year old Scott Tracy stretched out in his bed, enjoying the warmth from is duvet on a cold winters night. Yes, this was his time. His time to relax after a full on day spent with 4 hyper younger brothers. His time to bask in the peace and quiet his room provided…

… THUNDERCLAP … the pouring rain began hammering at his window …

Scott sighed, threw back his blanket and began counting "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…"

… THUNDERCLAP … 4 scared little brothers rushed into his room …

"Come on then, jump in."

… THUNDERCLAP… 4 scared little brothers scurried noisily into the bed.

Pulling the blanket over them all Scott smiled when he felt each of them snuggle up to him. 'Forget the peace and quiet,' he thought to himself. He would prefer to have his 4 brothers any day!

**

First Day.

“Don’t want too…” Alan whined, clinging desperately onto his father’s trousers.

“But you have to,” Jeff returned, trying to loosen his son’s grip.

“Why?”

“Because…” Jeff paused, then exhaled, he had no answer for his baby. Honestly, he was out of his depth, normally this was Lucille’s job, but she wasn’t here like she had been for his other boys… He glanced at his four sons standing close by, none of them had wanted to miss this moment, none of them wanted Alan to feel like he was missing out on something, even though they knew that he was. After all, it shouldn’t be them doing this, it should be their mother. They’d all had her here for their first day, but Alan wouldn’t… And even though he hadn’t said anything they could see it in his eyes that he knew he was different from all of the other kids who were being dropped off by their moms.

“Because,” Scott said, stepping forwards, “you will get to make some cool new friends.”

“I will?”

“Yes,” John replied, “and you can play with some neat toys.”

“And when I was here,” Gordon added, “they had some awesome toy dolphins, and a submarine…”

Alan scrunched up his tiny nose.

Gordon grinned. “They also had some cars and toy rockets!”

“Wow!” Alan exclaimed.

“You can also draw and paint,” Virgil informed him.

“Without getting told off for using your paints?”

“As long as you share with your classmates,” Virgil said with a big smile, “then you can use whatever you want… And maybe you could bring me a picture back of your favourite toy?”

Alan nodded enthusiastically, then looked up to his dad. “I’m ready to go now daddy!”

Jeff knelt down so his eyes were level with Alan’s. “Have a brilliant day son.”

Alan beamed, loosened his grip, then immediately ran towards his teacher.

Standing, Jeff reached out and brought his four other boys into a warm hold. Knowing that whenever he was out of his depth then his amazing sons would always have his back.

**

The Beast

It was dark. Only a few rays of sunlight managing to penetrate the lair he had entered. He had been warned on numerous occasions about the beast that inhabited this area and was known to attack when woken, but he had not believed. Yes, he had seen it on many occasions, but all of those times it had been funny, friendly and caring. Surely, just because it was woken early it wouldn't attack. Especially since it was him.

He creeped closer. Currently it was lying on its stomach, eyes were tightly shut, and bizarre noises were emitting from it. Finally, reaching his destination he leant towards it, his hand reaching out, but then a sudden snort from the thing in front of him was released causing him to jump back. Maybe it wasn't best to disturb it? Maybe Gordon was right, and the beast did attack if provoked this early? Although his brother was known to make things up. This probably was just one of his jokes and the usual encounter would be received. He had to be brave and find out the truth. Straightening himself up, he stepped forwards, and placed his hand confidently on the shoulder in front of him…

"Virg…"

No movement, no signs of him waking, so he tried again…

"Virgie?"

This time a groan emitted from his brother, then once again he grew quiet…

"Virgie," he pushed harder on his shoulder, "please wake up."

A yawn, and a pair of bleary eyes opened, grumpy and nothing like the kind-hearted peaceful ones he was used to… He moved backwards… Maybe this was a mistake… But then there eyes met, and a soft gentle smile illuminated the features of his brother.

"Hey Alligator, what's up?"

"Nothing," Alan replied with a little snigger at the nickname.

Virgil regarded the three-year-old in front of him. "Nothing, really?"

"Well, Gordy said you were a beast in the morning, but I didn't believe him, so he said I should come and see for myself."

"Did he indeed?"

Alan nodded his head.

"Well, I'm not a beast."

"Knew it!" Alan cheered happily.

"But," Virgil looked at his clock, "when I am woken this early, I am known to turn into a bear."

Alan gasped in shock.

"And you know what bears do, right?"

Alan scrunched up his little nose and shuck his head…

"Well, they are known to attack."

"Really?"

"Yes, with…" Virgil paused for dramatic effect… "tickles!"

A fit of giggles erupted from Alan when Virgil pounced, flung him over his shoulder, then onto the bed where he began tickling him madly.

**

Baby Talk

"Hi, I'm Scott, I'm four years old, I love aeroplanes and jumping off the couch. Although mummy and daddy tell me off for that one. My best friend became a big brother to a little sister last year, he's really good at it, and I want to be the same. So, I will always cuddle you, care for you, and when you get bigger I will help you to learn all of the things I found hard. I promise that I will be the best big brother you could ask for…" He leaned in and kissed his mother's tummy, feeling a kick back in response… "Love you too!"

[ghost-band-aids]

Interview with GHOST and TRIBULATION

The Undisguised Truth

TOBIAS FORGE and JONATHAN HULTÉN have a lot in common. While one of them currently slips into the role of the exalted charmer Cardinal Copia as the singer of GHOST, the introverted TRIBULATION guitarist on stage transforms into a fascinating, expressive being who exists beyond genre and gender boundaries. What is real, what is an artificial figure? METAL HAMMER met both of them during their tour together for a conversation that allows far more than just a look behind the scenes of two of the most popular metal bands at the moment, but also unexpectedly intimate insights.

Tobias, originally you didn't want to be the singer of Ghost. Did the mask help you to come to terms with this exposed role?

Tobias Forge: Yes, well, at least from today's point of view. But I never wanted to be unknown.

What function does your stage make-up have, Jonathan?

Jonathan Hultén: It helps me to put myself in a certain mood. The idea behind it is to isolate and reinforce a fraction of myself, an aspect of my personality. To immerse myself in this is an experience beyond the everyday state of mind.

Strengthen also Cardinal Copia or Papa Emeritus facets of your personality, Tobias?

Tobias Forge: I'm not shy, but I'm not as sociable as Cardinal Copia - and also not a "physical clown" like him. What I do is a kind of mixed bag. I imitate people I find funny or interesting.

Basically, the way actors do it. If you asked Robert DeNiro how he came up with the young Don Corieone, he would probably say: Well, there was this guy in my old neighborhood... The costume gives you the opportunity to completely surrender yourself in that moment and just be that new person. That's interesting, because you only reveal it to a few people for a limited time. You don't have to see how that person lives the other 22 hours of the day. Like with actors: James Bond is cool because you only see certain sides of him. Never in the bathroom or shower. Well, not in the toilet, in the shower. But always in the company of a snake or something he kills.

How long does the transformation take?

Tobias Forge: But you finished much sooner than I did.

Jonathan Hultén: For pragmatic reasons. I like to get it done as soon as possible so as not to get in a bind later. How about you?

Tobias Forge: We have a very tight schedule. Pretty much exactly one hour before the show starts I walk in the door as Tobias and come out as someone else.

What does this transformation do to you?

Jonathan Hultén: You have to enter a stage with emphasis. So it's good to be prepared.

Tobias Forge: And that's what happens within this hour. You slowly start to move differently... I love being a different person for two hours and then changing back. But I need some time for that, usually I stay alone for an hour after the show.

Jonathan Hultén: That's good. As far as I can, I try to do the same. Mostly by doing something that I can be introspective about... ...carry things back and forth or something.

Tobias Forge: I think that's very important. There is potential suffering in art, especially in mental health. The smaller the discrepancy between yourself and the person you are portraying on stage, the harder it is to deal with. If you are merely associated with your stage character, people expect you to behave like that in real life.

And that can be problematic...

Tobias Forge: Exactly, because they created this super human being who can do anything, who has a carte blanche. Everyone applauds, everyone laughs, and everything you do is funny or cool. And if you take it to the bar afterwards... There are bad examples of people who can't get down in normal life, become alcoholics or, well, die.

Jonathan Hultén: Sure, all that can be destructive. But in my case it was very helpful to discover my more explosive, extroverted sides. And to dare to give them more space, because privately I am quite shy. That's also part of the process of building up, which takes a long time.

I gradually gain self-confidence from this, so that I can now express myself better in everyday situations.

Tobias Forge: I think they are one and the same. It's like mental martial arts, where the person who doesn't like the fight, but still has to face it - within the limits of the dojo, of course, so as not to hurt anyone. And, yes, art is basically good for anyone who has the desire to become someone else. It's a generalization, but I think there's a lot of truth in it: many artists choose this path because they weren't very popular at school. Or they can't come out of themselves, but their art offers them an opportunity to do so. It's fun to go on stage, to transform and feed off the energy or admiration.

How you interact with the audience has changed over the years.

Tobias Forge: Sure. The masked person has an advantage of about 70 concerts, so 1,000 hours on stage. If I had given myself the same amount of time to develop without the make-up, without the role, just with acoustic guitar, I might have created a completely different stage personality. But this is completely uninteresting for me, because I prefer this super character! (laughs)

Jonathan Hultén: transformation would then no longer be so dramatic, but much more subtle.

Tobias Forge: And you'd have to be comfortable in your own skin.

Jonathan Hultén: I'm working on it. (laughs)

Jonathan, your solo debut, CHANTS FROM ANOTHER PLACE, will be released soon and you will also be touring with Chelsea Wolfe. Will you be different on stage there than you are here with Tribulation?

Jonathan Hultén: It has become harder to separate the two. They are like different shades of the same color. And I've found that they both borrow a lot from each other. The tribulation performer exists much longer, so he has much more experience. He/she is like an archaeologist who explores an inner wildness and passion. Over the years a lot of weird stuff has been dug up and included.

On the other hand, the solo performer, who has only been around for about three yen and is still is at the beginning of the excavations. However, I expect that also here many interesting things will appear

What can we expect from you live?

Jonathan Hultén: Just like with Tribulation, the atmosphere will be very important. But apart from some dramatic excursions, the show will be mostly silent and contemplative. The silence gives more room for more complex emotions to unfold in a way that I miss in the energetic performances of Tribulation.

These in turn defy the unwritten rules of a traditional metal show, not least thanks to you. Tribulation are considered a death metal band...

Tobias Forge: I wouldn’t call you guys like that.

Do you see yourselves as pioneers? Do you enjoy being different?

Jonathan Hultén: I stopped thinking about whether people see me as stupid, weird or whatever. It's the only way I can do it. Headbanging just wasn't enough. I felt there had to be something bigger, some kind of ectase. This may be weird, but it feels good.

How important are grace and style to you?

Jonathan Hultén: Both are important, but it's equally important not to be obsessively attached to them. Someone once said that grace is a combination of spontaneity and control. It's a good rule of thumb - on and off stage. It's always about balance. Every situation is unique and requires a unique approach.

Tobias Forge: You should be really proud of it, apart from the fact that your music is great. Your performance is dramatically different from any other. Besides the music, your physical attributes and the way you present yourself make you a very unique and interesting person. Strange, cash, different. You should definitely pursue that. Yes, I think you should see yourself as a pioneer.

Jonathan Hultén: Mm, thank you. (chuckles)

What does that do to your audience?

Tobias Forge: If you are a live musician, have an antenna for it and you don't completely care, you always enter a symbiosis with the fans. Give and take, almost like in a physical relationship. You will try to perfect ways to give pleasure to each other. I know it sounds weird, but every decent relationship changes with age. You grow together, you have new needs or ideas. That's why some couples bring in other people, or whips or plugs. It's the same with you and the audience. During our second show I noticed that our audience is very positive, but I couldn't make a rhyme out of it.

Why that?

Tobias Forge: The room was filled with Hard Rock people, the kind of people I've been playing to since I was a teenager. But they weren't headbanging as usual. Instead they did something else.

Jonathan Hultén: Wiggle.

Tobias Forge:  Yeah, they were wiggling around. (laughs) And singing and laughing, very different from what I knew from Death or Black Metal shows.

Are there any other special features of your fans?

Tobias Forge: When we played the first headliner shows in America, I noticed for the first time the gender diversity in our audience. Our fans are a lot of girls, a lot of guys, and a lot in between. We've always been a magnet for people who are unhappy with their gender or don't feel they belong anywhere: Kids, many outsiders and outcasts in various fragile states.

Jonathan, Tobias' words seem to resonate with you.

Jonathan Hultén: Yes, they do. I don't speak for tribulation as a whole when I say this, but I personally don't feel I belong to either gender. But I've never felt the need to choose either. Androgyny is what I feel most comfortable with. This tendency probably also applies to performance, whether tribulation or solo.

Tobias Forge: The best portrayal of the devil I've ever seen is from the movie 'The Passion of Christ'. Satan is portrayed by a woman, but speaks in a man's voice and thus becomes the epitome of androgyny, completely genderless. For incorporating this aspect into your stage personality, I give credit to you and the band. Especially when you get together with Adam (Zaars, guitarist of Tribulation) on stage, it seems elfish and feminine, but also masculine. This is incredibly interesting and unusual, especially in the rigid heavy metal genre with this "men are men" and "women are women" thing: Doro Pesch, girl, Manowar, guys, great. But when I think of all the metal bands I like, there are also examples of very attractive androgyny, which is not necessarily sexual. Not to mention seventies rock bands.

You have been confronted with different kinds of music and art forms from a very young age. Does that give you an artistic advantage?

Jonathan Hultén: It helps me to keep my relationship to art fresh, to get excited. Whether in childhood or in adulthood: open-mindedness helps the creative process. If you're not afraid of opening up to all kinds of different music styles, you can find inspiration in the most surprising places. No matter where the idea comes from - the important thing is whether it works. Certainly, this is reflected in all areas of creative work. Become the medium through which the flow of inspiration flows - then collect the gold pieces that this flow carries with it and create something beautiful out of them.

Does the metal context limit your expressiveness?

Tobias Forge: I don' t feel restricted with Ghost at all. There are only a few ideas I can' t realize with the band, because Ghost is a combination of all the things I like about music, cinema and theatre. But if there is enough time in the future, I would love to be in a completely different band where I am not the center of attention. I am a guitarist and would like to sing backup. That corresponds to me much more.

Jonathan Hultén: I'm exploring something new, and it's been quite interesting - and different. There are endless possibilities to discover yourself, artistically and as an artist. Only unfortunately there is not enough time.

I'm afraid that we don't have enough time either.

Tobias Forge: Yes, but these things are existential. They are not only about art and being an artist, but also about how both are connected to the human psyche and why people, artist or not, need art to function in modern times. That, by the way, is also one of the things I appreciate about tribulation: You are artists, not just any death metal band. I don’t want to hang anybody on the fence but especially in metal many musicians claim that they make music for themselves first and foremost. That’s not true! As soon as you go on stage you want to get something back. Even GG Allin! And his gigs were really a confrontational and bad experience for every lover of the fine arts. Playing just for yourself? That's not how it works. You either do it to please or to deliver something. People laugh, cry, clap, scream, whatever... And when they leave, they feel a little bit better. That's entertainment!

Anja Delast/ Metal Hammer

-------------------------------------------------

Please do not share without naming the origin. I have taken a lot of effort with it and unfortunately it is distributed without stating the origin. It's somehow sad...

[cloveroctobers]

(A/n: this might be a little biased since I’m in love with this man & I’m basing the relationship parts of this on my mc/myself so hope y’all don’t mind 😬)

IG info/bio: @/lucas.koh | 93.1k followers | for business inquires please visit: kohptr.com

LUCAS KOH —

27 (28) years old

From Oxford, England

Father is Korean & a car salesman at a Nissan dealership, he’s a strict/serious man who has high morals but beyond that he can actually be a softie in rare moments (+ that’s who Lucas gets his height from 🤤)

Mother is actually Chinese but lived in Korea studying abroad and eventually became a successful chiropractor (s/o to doctor mondragon on YouTube who I watch to help me sleep some nights and wish I could see! Lol) with her own practice. She’s a firecracker, intelligent, and quick to say what’s on her mind and doesn’t care if you like what she’s got to say. Most patients like that about her, she’s honest and her family is used to her ways but in the same way it’s more loving than offensive? (Smol woman but will remind you when she’s cracking your body she’s got enough power in her)

Either he’s a only child or he comes from a family of all boys with two younger brothers (they’re all in their 20’s) or he has one younger brother and one younger sister idk you decide

I’m feeling like he’s a Sagittarius? Carefree in the terms of he wasn’t viewing finally getting with MC when she’s dating someone else as cheating. Mans was READY to risk it all for me okay and I was down for it but ofc I had to react realistically and NOT “cheat.” *sigh* one part of me was debating ‘are we really dating tho bobby? We’re on reality tv. We’re not gonna die without each other if we hang out in seperate rooms’ *cough* Nope. but I’m a woman about her loyalty

He’s definitely adventurous. I don’t see him as the type to want to stay home all the time even tho his work definitely keeps him busy/exhausted. He’s down for road trips 💯

Occupation? Physicotherapist. His mother inspired him to get into the field and watching sports + the way players got their injuries always intrigued him? So to provide the best plan to have someone heal was something he loved to do plus being hands on while teaching/helping was a passion for him + I feel like he would also use a massaging technique instead of the usual exercise part of it

Now as someone who suffered a ACL & Mensicus tear & is STILL dealing with this BS pain years later, I would be so thankful to have him around! I feel like he’d have a optimistic attitude towards his patients and that’s what people need not someone that’s insensitive (like my surgeon/PT’s I had)

He models from time to time, when he was first approached about it he was upfront about not wanting to do it. It was much different than getting your picture taken for the office. That’s usually quick, the whole modeling process felt longer but somehow he was talked into it by his brother who’s a photographer and his mother. “Do you think you’re ugly? ‘Cause I’m not and you’re a part of me, so therefore there’s no such thing. Just look at your cheekbones, your jawline! I gave you those. The only good thing your father gave you was height.” Which filled the house with snickers while Lucas’ father just rolled his eyes and continued reading his newspaper for breakfast

Has a motorcycle and some luxurious car—not a Tesla those are basic now 🤷🏽‍♀️

Loves his motorcycle so much he’s got a tat of it on his right bicep

He has two available parking spaces in his parking garage at his penthouse but keeps his bike away in a storage unit due to a neighbor scratching it after his girlfriend broke up with him? Saying she was off to date Lucas? But that wasn’t true at all. He barely knew the girl, they didn’t live on the same floor. People were crazy but if you push him his temper might come out

Owns a leather jacket that he paid a lot for

Believes in “treat yo self” if it means in quality when shopping and has no issue being a big spender but he knows how to manage it well (his father told him all about how his own father dealt with bankruptcy)

Since he’s often at the office the whole day, he’s usually a night owl. He loves night drives and night dining. That’s usually when he finds the best places to eat

There’s this one pho spot that he loves and it’s his go to spot when he wants something quick on the way home

Cannot sleep with his entire body covered in covers, either his arms/shoulders have to be out or his legs, which would be a issue for me/mc since I sleep with the covers over my entire body...yes even in hot weather with the AC cranked up😂

He also makes great kimchi fried rice & loves Italian food

Will wine and dine. I believe it. I envision it! He loves going out on dates with his significant other (If he’s single and not with me, I think he’d try out speed dating)

Will dress to impress, will buy you a new fit he wants to see you/us/mc in especially if it’s your anniversary

Loves taking bubble bath’s with infused oils or flower petals with significant other

He’s the type that takes long showers & it brings him a true sense of freedom. He’s never able to take a quick shower, he gets lost in his ideas of what to do next in this world & it’s limitless

If he’s in for the day, which usually doesn’t last long—he’s either in sweats or in a robe all day

Only drives his bike on the weekend or if he’s going out of town but if he’s going on a trip for a couple of days with MC & if she’s got a bit of anxiety like me? He’ll stick to his car to make them comfortable

I feel like he enjoys the winter season. Maybe if it’s a slushy rainy winter more than a blizzards/snowy season. He loves bundling up, much to people’s surprise. He’s more than just his good looks and body love island fans!!!

Doesn’t post much on his socials. If you need to see what he’s about then you should do so in person or already know who he is. The internet can’t tell you much, in his opinion

Keeps himself in good health, I mean duh what kind of PT would he be 😉 goes on night jogs with reflector clothes on & occasionally morning jogs & at home workouts

Probably will date someone younger than him. Not by much, I don’t think he can take immaturity well. (That maybe how he views it) The most is 4 years younger than him

Henrik is his best bud from the show. They hang out all the time, crash at each other’s places, and vacation together all the time. They will be each other’s future best men forsure

Doesn’t go out of his way to talk to the rest of the guys from the show but if he happens to browse his feed and sees something he wants to comment on then he’ll carry a conversation of course

Far as the girls? He talks to Hannah & Priya from time to time. He also follows Hope and they like each other’s posts but not much communication is there either?

Either has a mint or black phone case, probably a Samsung galaxy user

Likes pistachio frozen yogurt but he’s lactose & doesn’t want to believe it :(

Smokes cigars when he’s out with his boys

Has a tight knit group of friends, majority of them are from the medical field since they all went to uni together + most of them are also married so the pressure is so on

*He’s the oldest out of his sibs so according to his parents he’s expected to be married first yet his baby sis is engaged and she’s 23*

wants a family...eventually. Probably will happen in his early thirties? The max for children is 2 for him. He knows they can be a HANDFUL due to his own friends who have kids + he’s a godfather and he’s babysat before so he knows how it goes!

enjoys his freedom as stated which further proves he’s a sag lol

Enjoys going to saunas to cleanse his pores/ get rid of toxins. It’s the easiest way for him to do so even tho his brother clowns him for it

His love language is deff physical touch. He loves hugs and resting his chin on top of your head, forehead to forehead, his nose pressed in between the space of your neck and shoulder, gentle squeezes, sitting next to each other with your legs touching, cuddling, sleeping on top of you or you on him, etc

He loves kissing. It’s automatic for him and it can also easily rile him up

Has strong opinions & will show them but will feel like he’s being attacked if it brings on a confrontation/argument

Will forgive and forget

Plays strategy board games

Makes his own natural healing creams & gives samples to his patients depending on their needs

His fav colors are: blue, white, & grey

Will grow a bit of facial hair in the cooler months if it’ll make mc happy (I’m a sucker for facial hair but hate it on myself lmao) but if he dislikes the feeling on his face he will shave and finds he likes a shaven face better, the facial hair makes him look a bit older—which is okay but that’s just his preference

When he stops putting gel in his hair/styling his hair in a quiff hairstyle it shocks fans with mc commenting on one of his pics, “you’re welcome x”

Likes going to the Hard Rock Cafe on causal weekends

also likes getting freaky in public, down for whatever 🤪

He’s a traveler so if he leaves the UK, I’m seeing him land in Toronto, Canada first and falling in love with it. I feel he would vibe well with the culture there, might even consider getting a vacation home in that location

Celeb crushes? Anne Hathaway, Beyoncé, Lupita Nyong'o, Anna Diop, Imaan Hammam, Jodie Comer, Megan Fox, Shay Mitchell, & Cassie Ventura Fine

Oh Lucas. I feel like we have similar tastes? Somewhat. He probably listens to more rock than I do? Maybe 80s rock moreso? & He listens to: WALK THE MOON, Allen Stone (his fav) , Emily king, Gavin Turek, Melanie Fiona, THEY., DPR live, & Sik-k

Anthem = Young the Giant, “Something to believe in”

[always5hineee]

Depreciation- Chapter 6: Vendetta

Chapter warnings: Mild language

Word count: 1520

-----

       "Miss Y/N, we've been informed by the defendants that... you are in charge of organizing their legal committee?"

       "Yes, that's right." She said over the phone. She had since bought a new one, of course, with Kun's money, but there was no reason the court or the police department needed that information. Speaking one the old one, they were trying to sort out WayV's affairs. She was unsure as to whether they had any evidence, but it seemed like they were expecting an open and shut case.

       "So, you'll be seeing to finding them a lawyer? You have the option between a private firm or an appointed attorney."

       "I'm handling it."

       "Understood. Could you please put the court in contact with them as soon as possible so that we may begin proceedings?" Apparently as celebrities they had the right to a much earlier trial than she had expected.

       "All information will be traveling through me until further notice."

       "I see..." The person on the phone seemed concerned with this. "I suppose we'll work the majority of it out in person with the shared evidence meeting. How do they intend to plead?"

       "Not guilty." The secretary paused.

       "Sorry, I think you're breaking up..."

       "I said that Kun, Ten, WinWin, YangYang, Hendery," she took a breath. "Lucas and Xioajun are all pleading not guilty." There was a silence.

       "I... We'll recount this at the meeting. Your date with the other attorney is in two weeks. Please make sure yours is present. If not, you concede your right to see their case evidence. Understood?" She agreed, thanked the person, and then hung up the phone. Two weeks. She had two weeks to put together a legal case. The lawyer Kun had recommended mentioned that he would work on the case, but not to call him again until a search had been through the house. If they found something suspicious, it could throw off their entire plan.

       As expected, they soon arrived. It had actually taken them longer than she predicted to come up with a search warrant. Even more to her disdain, the interviewer had showed up. Was he some sort of detective? It would be difficult to convince him of anything new should she slip... She'd have to watch her step.

       "Ah. Miss Y/N." He said as she answered the door. "I see you completely disregarded my advice to leave this place."

       "Yes, sir. There's a reason I left home, and I find no troubles with residing here, besides it being lonely, that is."

       "I see. Well, we have a search warrant," He stated bluntly, holding up a paper. "Do you mind if we take a look around?" She had no choice, obviously. It was a bitter, fake politeness.

       "Of course. Would you like me to give you a tour while your-" she looked to the bulky, uniformed men behind him. "Colleagues search more thoroughly?"

       "That would be appreciated, thank you." She took him in towards the elevator, mentioning to the other men that she'd prefer if they didn't break any locks. She made sure that they knew if something was locked, they could come ask her for the keys.

       "So, this is the elevator, although we have staircases on either side of the building." Taking him in, they started at the top floor. She showcased the conference room, the offices, the bedrooms, the kitchen- it was all very mundane. He actually touched very little, assumedly leaving it to his men to deal with. As she was explaining the pleasantries generally associated with dinner in their household, he cut in.

       "Where were those two killed?" Her voice caught.

       "Excuse me?"

       "The two. The other ones- show me that, please?"

       "They're... they're not dead." He tilted his head in a mocking, pondering way.

       "Oh? We may have heard something from different sources, I suppose. If I recall, the big one was dead undoubtedly, and the thin one had been in the ICU for a few days now. I doubt they're keeping them alive, unless the detained ones have managed to send a hospital fund."

       "Where are they keeping Xiaojun? What hospital?" She asked, panicking. They had the money, she just had to make sure he wasn't taken off life support or pain medications.

       "Sorry, hun, I'm not allowed to tell you that. You can request that information from the police station if you see fit." Asshole- she knew he was allowed to tell her. He just didn't want to. He was quickly making an emery of her, clearly aggravated that she wasn't cooperating. He believed that she was a liar, and he planned on proving it.

       "I see. I'll do so as quickly as possible then."

       "I'd like to see the locations, please." He demanded a second time. It seemed like there was no way around it. taking him to the far staircase, he pointed out a still-stained patch of concrete.

       "This is where Lucas was attacked by my ex-boyfriend. He was covered in cuts and remained unconscious for days after. Xiaojun was in charge of taking care of him, as he had sufficient medical knowledge."

       "I see. And did the big one die here?" She didn't like how this man called Lucas. He had a name. Several, actually. His disrespect was rubbing her the wrong way.

       "No. He was taken to the medical bay to be taken care of, as I said."

       "Let's see that, then." They took the elevator back up to the medical bay, somewhere that she hadn't been since she'd heard. Turning on the light, her stomach dropped at the sight. Having been detained so quickly, no one had cleaned up. She'd been avoiding it. She could easily say that it was for crime scene reasons, but in reality she was scared.

       It smelled awful, like rust and mold, and there were clearly two blood covered beds by the far wall. Walking over, he looked to them.

       "Who was in which bed?" She knew that Lucas had been situated in the one near the wall, so she just assumed that it was still the case. It was also the bed with more blood on it.

       "That was Lucas's. That one's Xiaojun's. He wasn't in it for long, though." The man took a few more looks around, quickly popping into the back room for a moment.

       "Interesting. I only have one more request of you." Gesturing back towards the door, he mentioned, "Let's visit the basement, shall we?" She couldn't show the fear on her face as he said this. She had been hoping they would all just ignore it. Could she distract him? No, that was suspicious. The best she could do is hope he bought the new wall. With a hard swallow, she nodded, leading him to the elevator and pressing the lowest button, feet tapping nervously as it descended.

       "So, what's down there?"

       "Just... just storage. We don't use it for anything, really."

       "Hmm. Seems wasteful to have a whole floor for such little purpose. Is it as large as those above?"

       "God, no. Not even close. At this point, we're underground, so there's no need to keep the same size room. We just had to edit the foundation a bit." She was just spewing bullshit out of her mouth, hoping it stuck. He looked to the door expectingly as the tiny room came to a halt, doors opening.

       They were both surprised by the sight. She was expecting the sight and smell of newly poured concrete, a dead giveaway. Instead, she was met with a minuscule space, basically a glorified broom closet. It smelled slightly damp, and the walls were dirty and cracking. There were even a few cleaning utensils and tools strewn about, many laying on a rusty shelf to one side. It looked as if all these had been down here forever.

       "Hmm." The man hummed in confusion as he stepped in, laying a hand on the wall. "Has this room ever been anything else?"

       "Not since Kun moved in, no. I can't speak for earlier generations." He paused another moment, then picked up his phone. Dialing a number quickly, he spoke in a mutter.

       "I'm leaving. Make sure to check the basement again, something doesn't sit well with me. Oh? You- excellent, I'll regroup with you later." Hanging up, he turned to his tour guide, completely aware that she had heard. "Thank you so much, Miss Y/N, we're sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you. I'm sure I'll be seeing you very soon? I assume you plan to testify as a witness." Breathing in, she mentioned,

       "Actually, I plan to be their attorney." She knew it wasn't wise to let them know her plan, but she couldn't help it. She relished the look on his face as it shifted from confusion, to realization, to anger. Then, he plastered on that disgusting clown smile again.

       "How intriguing. I do hope you know what you're doing. In that case, I most definitely will be catching up with you soon."

       "I'll see you to the door?"

       "Yes, thank you."

Go to Chapter 7

[calypsomarshall]

intro !

⌠ BRITTANY O’GRADY, 21, FEMALE, SHE/HER ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, CALYPSO NATALYA MARSHALL! according to their records, they’re a SECOND year, specializing in LINGUISTICS, CULTURE, & ASSIMILATION + ADVANCED ENCRYPTION; and they DID NOT go to a spy prep high school. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of (dark red combat boots, a mass of messy curls, the smell of coffee and cinnamon spice, ink stains on her fingers, multilingual curses falling off her lips). when it’s the (capricorn)’s birthday on 01/11/2000, they always request VEGETARIAN LASAGNA from the school’s chefs. looks like they’re well on their way to graduation. ⌿ lily, 20, she/her, gmt ⍀  

[@gallagherintro​​]

|| CONNECTIONS PAGE || PINTEREST || ABOUT || STATS || BIO ||

[ c h a r a c t e r ; ]

the basics:

Full Name: Calypso Natalya Marshall

Nickname(s): Cal, Callie

Age: 20

Date of Birth: January 11th

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Ethnicity: African American

Nationality: American

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Orientation: Bisexual

Language(s) Spoken: English, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Latin, Dutch, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Ancient Greek, Archaic Latin

Accent: Central American

Relationship status: Single

the personality:

zodiac sign: capricorn

mbti: INFP

temperament: melancholic

element: earth

enneagram type: type 5, the investigator

five positive traits: determined, loyal, hardworking, patient, intelligent

five negative traits: guarded, stubborn, impractical, self-critical, moody at times

likes: the smell of lavender and woodsmoke, the colors purple and red, the sound of busy new york streets at night time, neon lights, reading a good book, being flirted with

dislikes: cigarette smoke, ignorant people, rudeness, being vulnerable, feeling trapped, sports

bad habits: picking at her fingernails, tapping surfaces when anxious

hobbies: reading, learning languages, playing guitar, watching old sci-fi/horror movies, coding, flirting

fears: enclosed dark spaces, clowns, needles, car crashes

[ s t o r y ; ]

background:

born on January 11th to her mother Olympe and her father Alexei, she grew up in a little red-brick apartment in Brooklyn

her mother was a ballerina, having been a dancer all her life, and worked with a dance company as a teacher

her dad was always gone on ‘work trips’ (he actually worked as a spy, but never told calypso as he didn’t want her involved in his life)

he was a big part of calypso’s life when he was home - making blueberry pancakes for her on the weekend, teaching her a little bit of self defense, taking the family out to the movies, etc.

when he died she was 15 and it hit hard - calypso was told it was a car accident by his ‘company’ and her mother (though he was really killed in action on a mission)

her mother, grief-stricken, became distant - and plagued by the secret of her husband’s death, she became entirely focused on her job, leaving calypso alone at home most of the time

calypso became pretty closed off, choosing not to make any real friends to avoid opening up to anyone about her dad

instead spending countless hours reading and learning

she speaks french and russian due to them being her parents’ mother tongues

she used read all of her dad’s old mythology books as it would help her feel closer to him, and bring back memories of when he would teach her about constellations

however, when she was 17 she opened one his old books she found it hollowed out, with two extra passports of his (each holding a different name) and a wad of russian money

her mother finally broke and admitted everything when calypso confronted her, and told her that he was killed in action as a spy (though they were never given specifics) instead of a car crash

she instantly did as much research as she could on her father and how he died, which is how she picked up computer skills and hacking - to bypass firewalls on encrypted websites

managed to crack a firewall of a russian intelligence agency, which was coded in russian, ancient greek, and archaic latin to keep people out -- all languages she knew

this is how she was noticed by the school, as one of the alumni worked for the agency and had to rethink their whole security system after the attack

when she received her letter, she said yes instantly, knowing it was her only chance to either find out what happened to her dad through the school, or gain the skills to find out the truth on her own

now:

she can get super obsessive about things, and buries herself in her studies - unfortunately, not always the ones she needs to be doing for school - but the things she’s most interested in

for example, she currently head over heels into ancient greek / archaic latin

she’s always been in love with the idea of love - her parents were like the romantic movie example of a perfect couple, and she yearns for that perfect relationship

she’s flirty as a result of that, desperate to try out relationships all the time and find love whenever and wherever possible

which results in her heartbroken nature -- she’s constantly searching for the perfect ideal of love, and has never found it, so constantly carries a sadness with her

lots of one night stands, friends with benefits, etc, as a result of that

she has a lot of trust issues due to her parents lying to her over her whole life, as well, so that element will pop up from time to time when she starts getting really close to people

others:

her father gave her a pair or dark red combat boots for her 15th birthday - the last gift she ever received from him - and you will hardly ever see her without them. they’re so worn in they feel like a second skin to her

weirdly good at hitting a target, but still learning how to properly use any weapons - they still freak her out a little, especially as she knows they were somehow involved in killing her father

she still sometimes has panic attacks in/around cars - although she now knows that’s not how he died, she spent two years thinking that was what killed her dad

she’s p thin and small so in a fight her strengths are stealth and agility

but she way prefers being the ‘behind the scenes’ person, like translating or coding

loves mythology and old stories

is basically obsessed with the constellations: she feels like they connect her to her dad’s memory, as well as the fact that they’re a constant factor in life, something she doesn’t have a lot of 

stubborn as hell, once she sets her sights on something she’s entirely determined to get/do it, partially why she’s so good at languages - pure willpower.

uhh she’s really empathetic?? if a friend of hers is sad or angry or anything she tends to adopt those emotions, burdening herself with other people’s problems constantly

that’s also why she’s a vegetarian -- she can’t think about meat separate from animals.

connections page 

[darkpoisonouslove]

“Take You Home”

Summary: Coming back to the penthouse after a social event with the elite of society leaves Griffin and Valtor with some emotions that need to be assorted. After so many years of being deemed unworthy to receive any adequate emotional care, Valtor is happy that Griffin was there for him to teach him how to bring them both back to the comfort of their home and ground them in it. Part 10 of “Sparks of Life”.

I wasn't expecting all the angst in this but there's also a good dose of fluff to compensate for it. Or so I hope. I'd be glad to hear your opinions.

"Home, sweet home," Valtor said as he parked the car in the garage. He was being a bit overdramatic since it'd been just a few hours since they'd left for the charity gala but they'd honestly felt like years. Even with Griffin's warmth at his side and her laughter in his ears. He hated to think about ever going to a social event without her. He had no idea how he'd survived all those years before he'd met her but he knew he couldn't do it now that he'd tasted the respite her company provided even when he couldn't taste her lips in the hall full of people.

"At long last," Griffin huffed as she unbuckled her seatbelt slowly, her movements drained of energy. She hated those gatherings with a burning passion–especially when they were some sort of fundraisers for the "less fortunate" as if luck had anything to do with gaining millions–but she hated the thought of staying home alone while he was at an event on his own so she always came with and he'd be forever grateful for it. And maybe a tad bit smug that she preferred his company over that of a good book even when she had to endure the presence of annoying "high society" members. It was a testament to her love and while he didn't need proof to know how vast that was, he still appreciated it.

"Yes, social events certainly feel like a punishment straight out of hell when the guest list is only made up of boring snobs," Valtor said as he pushed his door open and got out of the car and she followed his example, looking like she wanted to feel the comfort of their home as much as he did. He couldn't wait to get out of his suit and into her embrace. He'd spent all night practically glued to her but with all those eyes on them it'd felt more like he'd been trying to shelter himself inside her being instead of cherishing her simply for the sake of it. He needed to fix that. "Good thing I had some quality company with me," he said as he caught her gaze over the roof of the car while he was locking the vehicle.

Griffin grinned at him. "I'm starting to think you'll never stop getting distracted by me so I suppose you have nothing to worry about there," she said, drawing his attention to the way the mirth radiated from her as if to prove her words when she made him forget everything else for the time being as he walked over to her, never breaking eye contact and Griffin turned to meet him when he came to stand in front of her.

Valtor took her hand in his, content washing over him when she immediately closed her fingers around his. "You are the most beautiful sight both my eyes and my heart have seen," he said, watching her eyes shine like they were made of light as he brought her hand up to his lips to put a kiss on it and just the thought of him being the one who put all of it inside her heart was enough to make him the happiest man in the universe and erase all of his problems. They were all inconsequential when he had her there with him to love and worship and get the same in return from her precious soul. It was a dream she'd made come true when he hadn't even known it existed in his heart and it made her the most special person he'd ever known.

"Sweet talker," Griffin teased lightly after she'd made sure he knew the compliment was met with reverence and welcomed in the core of her being where it would live from now on along with all the rest of those he'd offered her during the years. It was a good thing her soul was so big–endless–that it had enough space to be the home to all of his admiration for her.

"Well, of course it's sweetness that comes out of my mouth when there's nothing else inside of me thanks to you," Valtor said, smiling when she chuckled even when it was in the midst of an eye-roll. He'd deserved that but it was a sweet price to pay for managing to amuse her. Especially after the evening of stiff etiquette they'd had.

"Come on, I want to get rid of these shoes," Griffin said as she pulled on his hand and he let her drag him towards the elevator. "I'm considering throwing them off the balcony and the possibility of hitting an innocent passer-by is the only thing that's stopping me," she confessed.

Valtor understood the impulse to get rid of everything uncomfortable–he himself was dying to finally escape the hold of his tie that had had to remain "properly" tightened around his neck the entire time–but he thought her discomfort could have something to do with the fact that she was mentally exhausted from the whole thing when she hadn't been burning with the desire to be there to begin with. She was used to wearing heels and rarely complained about them so there had to be something else. It almost made him wish that he'd left her home where she could have rested instead of dragging her along with him but he knew she wouldn't have heard a thing of it and it was him who had to relent. Her stubbornness was one of the things that had charmed him anyway.

"That and the fact that it would be a crime to throw them out after how much you paid for them. I've barely worn them," Griffin said as she let go of him to press the button for the elevator and gave him the opportunity to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her closer to him like he'd wanted to the whole time but he hadn't wanted to draw not only the eyes but the whispers to them, too, when he'd known she hadn't been comfortable anyway. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly and it made him wish to never leave their private space again when he wouldn't get to feel that whenever they weren't alone.

He would happily grab the shoes and throw them in the nearest incinerator but he knew she hated to be wasteful. She was always so thoughtful and he loved her all the more for it. "Too bad there's no way to drop them on the head of every single one of those clowns we had to stand all evening," he said when he knew that at least would lift her spirits even when it needed to remain just a fantasy.

"Truly a shame," Griffin said quietly but he could hear the smirk in her tone as the mental image was no doubt doing its job of entertaining her just the way he'd intended. There had to be something in the whole ordeal for them, too, and coming up with somewhat violent scenarios of retribution for the scrutiny they'd been put under during the entirety of the gala was sort of a tradition at this point. They would make for one hell of a murder couple despite Griffin's usual kindness and his oath to never become like his mothers who may have gotten away on the charges of murder but he knew they were guilty through and through.

The elevator brought them up to the penthouse and it was still striking how much relief flooded him at the sight of the apartment. There was security in the memories he could see everywhere around him and the place was truly a home when it was imbued with their shared life. There was magic in knowing she was there with him, sharing the space not only of his apartment but of his existence as well and enriching it with her presence, helping him truly live. It was so intimate and at the same time so open when he could just reach out and touch every detail of her life when it was all sheltered there along with his own.

Griffin threw her clutch on the couch and went straight for the shoes, leaning on him as she unclasped the straps that held them to her ankles. She didn't even have to ask for him to hold up her dress so that she could actually reach under the long dark green fabric and get rid of the heels that had tormented her more than enough for one evening.

She dropped them next to the couch as well, carelessly like she almost never did. "Will you unzip me?" she asked as she moved out of his grasp and in front of him when she already knew he would help her with her predicament.

"It will be my pleasure," Valtor said as he instantly reached to free her from the satin that clung to her body beautifully but adamantly like it was ivy that needed her life energy to sustain itself. It almost made him wish he hadn't helped her put it on before they'd headed out even if the color did look spectacular on her. Though, on the other hand, everything did so she could have chosen anything else from her wardrobe and she wouldn't have been any less gorgeous. He would've appreciated it the most if they could have just stayed at home and gotten each other out of their clothes instead of going to a black-tie event.

"I'm afraid pleasure is going to have to take a backseat to sleep," Griffin said just as he was sliding the dress off of her to leave her naked except for the black lace of her underwear. "I am too tired," she said and he understood. The evening had been mentally and emotionally taxing on both of them and he would love to simply curl up with her in bed and fall asleep to the sound of her even breathing. It was the most calm and secure thing in the world and soothed him like nothing else could. "Necklace, please," Griffin reminded after he'd left her dress to drop on the floor and he wasn't doing much more than rubbing her shoulders to help her relax.

"Of course," Valtor agreed–to everything she'd said–and reached to unclasp the golden chain that had the blood red ruby at the end of it suspended between her breasts where the plunging neckline of the dress allowed it to be. It looked like a small version of her brilliant heart and had made him so proud of both their taste – his for buying it and hers for wearing it so appropriately on a night when he needed her support with his predicament as much as the children that the donations would go to.

He let go of the ends of the chain when he felt the weight of the ruby was supported by Griffin's palm. It had her turning to him instantly and slipping the necklace into the pocket of his suit jacket to leave her hands free to work on his tie. He could sigh in relief although she hadn't even started taking it off yet.

"You're breathtaking," he said as he watched her deftly undoing the tie and loosening its hold on his neck. He didn't need her nakedness put in the context of sex to appreciate it. It was enough to know she felt comfortable sharing the sight of herself like that–so natural and exposed–with him. There was trust and intimacy and all of those warm, fuzzy feelings that left his heart full but didn't make him afraid it could explode because they just had it swell and expand until it was big enough to shelter all of them, like an entire universe of happiness right there in his chest.

"I wish that were true in the literal sense so that vulture Hankens would just drop dead the next time he decided to spent the entire time he was talking to you staring at my cleavage," Griffin said, the anger seeping through in her words now that she wasn't grinding her teeth in order to crush it before it could get out like she'd been doing at the gala. "Just because my neckline is so low doesn't mean that he should stare at me like I'm a piece of meat on sale," she said, the words not any louder now but they sure carried a lot more negative energy than before. She hadn't had her chance to express her disdain for the whole ordeal yet and it was finally starting to pour out now that they were at the safety of their own space.

"I'm afraid that nothing will make him take a hint if the fact that I was on your arm the whole time didn't succeed in that," Valtor allowed himself to join her. Frankly, he would prefer to leave the whole dread of the experience right there at the gala but she was still angry and it would be far better for her to let it out rather than bottle it up inside. She'd taught him that and it had worked miracles when he'd finally released all those feelings he'd been stuffing inside himself ever since he'd been little. She'd been there to listen through all of it and help him free himself from all the hurt and rage and he wanted to do the same for her when she needed it.

"I thought that it was me who was on your arm," Griffin teased and he could see in her eyes that her laughter had come out to the surface and would just need her to release it to fill the penthouse. She was still amused by that time he'd let her walk around with him on her arm to shut up the tabloids that had been speculating whether she'd become his "trophy wife". Good. He was glad to know that she still held that memory dear even long after it had done its job of cheering her up after the articles had upset her visibly despite her attempts to hide it. He would have let her parade around with him as her arm candy for the rest of his life if that was what would be necessary to brighten her mood. He was hers and he didn't want anyone to have any doubts about that.

"Please, I was clutching at you so hard I had to put conscious efforts into loosening my grip to make sure I wouldn't bruise you." He'd wanted to pull her out of there and hide her from the world until she told him she wanted to go back outside. The lustful stares she'd received had made it hard for him to contain himself and his violent impulses. If there was anything that could change his mind about bringing her along to these events, it was definitely the ogling that he knew made her nauseous.

Griffin paused right as she undid the buttons of his shirt she'd started on after she was done with the knot of his tie. "I don't know why I hoped that us being married would make any difference when it came to his staring when the fact that his own wife standing right next to him never did," she whispered and he was ready to swear that her voice had that tremble in it that paved the way for tears of helplessness but she pulled his tie off sharply. "I'd feel sorry for her if she hadn't spent the entire gala looking down on me like I'm scum she needs to scrape off the soles of her shoes," Griffin spat out as she bent down to pick up her dress and throw it on the couch along with his tie to deal with them in the morning. The whole event had drained every last bit of her energy, not to mention her restraint when she'd been close to destroying Mrs Hankens simply with words.

She headed towards the bedroom and he was quick to discard his suit jacket–right after he took the necklace out of the pocket–and shirt and follow her. She needed all the support he could give her as she wasn't used to being trampled so blatantly and dispassionately by someone's self-imposed superiority. Nor would she ever get accustomed to it, he knew that. She hadn't already and she wouldn't in the future either. Not with her righteousness and flaming self-respect. And he wouldn't want anything less of her but he knew it just left that acrid taste in her mouth when she had to confront the contempt she was met with by a hypocrite of high social status that didn't even have half of her brains not to mention her kindness yet still acted like they were more than her just because they were born rich.

Griffin was already sitting in front of her vanity and taking out her earrings, her gaze so intense that he would have been scared for his life if it had been directed at him. Currently, her focus was on the earrings and ridding her ears of their weight which he had no reason to object to except that she was putting all the anger she couldn't pour out on those who'd ignited it and deserved to feel its burn towards her own jewelry and he was afraid she'd hurt herself instead.

He left the necklace on the vanity so that his hands would be free to put on her shoulders and help ground her in the relaxed atmosphere their home provided. He didn't need her accumulating even more restless rage and was happy to see his touch was actually helping. It seemed to drain the momentum of the anger and left her muscles slackening under his palms.

Griffin sighed as she let her hands fall away from her ears to leave the earrings on the wooden surface in front of her as she couldn't be bothered to put them back in her jewelry box. It demanded too much energy that she simply didn't have. "I know I don't have her upbringing and decorum but the look she gave me when I actually laughed instead of making that soulless sound that echoes through all of them like a cheap imitation of an original that had never existed made me feel like I was too human," she said, her voice small like he hadn't quite heard it before, even when she'd been met with contempt for her lack of falsity. "It made me feel like I had to be ashamed that I was a living person instead of a robot that had any remote chance of meeting her standards," she admitted and the words were enough to send him on a rampage but he couldn't when he had to take care of her. It was because of him that she was even introduced at those circles and had to go through the hell of the upper class etiquette and the resentful stares she received when she dared be different, when she dared be herself.

"Just ignore her," Valtor said, knowing it was easier said than done when the woman's stare was piercing through you like needles the only purpose of which was to find your weak spots and attack them vehemently. "Nothing we do will ever be good enough for her." Ignoring her was their best bet since they'd never win her approval no matter what. It'd been the same with his mothers when he'd striven to do his best but it had never satisfied them, sending him on a wild goose chase in the name of perfection that was simply unachievable. But he'd only figured that out after he'd realized he was enough for Griffin just as he was, just trying and not necessarily succeeding. It'd made him want to put all of his efforts into being better instead of forcing him to despair when he could never reach the impossibly high standard set for him.

"Don't you mean nothing I ever do?" Griffin asked but there was no malice in the question when her venom had never been directed towards him. She just sounded perplexed by the fact that he'd included himself and it pained him that she'd been so distressed by the woman's behavior that she hadn't even noticed that he was right there with her in her misery.

"I will always be just an undeserving brat picked up from the masses when Belladonna was too cold to even give birth to a child of her own in Hankens' eyes," Valtor said, the words coming out with ease now that he could tangle his hands in Griffin's purple tresses and feel held in her love for him. It hadn't always been like that but he preferred to focus on the softness of the present as he started pulling the pins out of Griffin's hairdo to help her out and pull the enjoyment he knew she got out of having him playing with her hair to replace the negativity suffocating her. "It was always there but she just didn't dare show it when my mothers were around since she was too scared of them. Once they were in jail, though, the resentment instantly surfaced and she's made it more than clear that I will never be worthy of having everything that I do."

It had stung in the beginning, burned even. What little joy he'd gotten of finally being free from his mothers' hold on him had evaporated instantly when it'd become clear that not only she, but no one else thought he was capable of running the company nor did he deserve it when he was forcefully carved into the shape of a proper CEO and hadn't been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. It had sent him overworking himself even more than the habits he'd been abused into had been forcing him to prove himself to people who had deemed him incompetent and unworthy without ever bothering to pay actual attention to any of his work. It had been a doomed mission that had, thankfully, changed when Griffin had entered his life.

She'd always made him feel seen and appreciated and like he didn't need to deserve any of her love because she just wanted to give it to him. It'd finally convinced him of his worth both as a person and as the heir of the business and that was something no one else had bothered to do for him. So her opinion had become the only one that mattered. She was the only one who'd truly made a difference in his life turning it into something beautiful that he cherished every day and as such, she was the only one allowed to influence it. It was as much hers as it was his and no one else's.

"Valtor... " Griffin trailed off when the words would turn right into cries but the tears were still there in her eyes threatening to run free and destroy not just the makeup that she didn't need anymore when they were finally home but also their peace when he knew they were forcefully dragged out of her by the imprint other people had left on his soul. She knew just how much his position as Belladonna's son had cost him and it pained her just as much as it did him to hear someone accusing him of receiving things for free when he'd almost paid with his entire life for his wealth and status. He would have if it hadn't been for her to share her own with him and fill the emptiness that'd been left when all of his joy and happiness and everything that made life worth living had been taken from him.

"Don't cry, Griffin," he said as he ran his hand through her hair that was now free from the hairdo to feel her shiver which left her muscles relaxing once again from the tension that had entered them. "They don't deserve neither your tears, nor mine," he said as he didn't want to see her upset even if she'd been the only one that had cared enough to live through his pain along with him. He didn't want her to suffer when he'd already been through that. He just wanted them to be happy together. "They already took enough from both of us."

He left the hairpins he'd pulled out of her purple strands on the vanity as he tried not to think about all the times she'd been robbed of her peace of mind because of her relations to him and took her hand, immediately relaxing when she clasped it tightly in hers like she wanted to protect it from the possibility of them being pulled apart. She'd chosen to be there with him at every turn of his crazy life that no map could help you navigate and she'd remained at his side to help him steer it out of trouble and towards happiness. She was giving him peace of heart and he knew by the matching golden bands on their fingers that he was doing the same for her. It certainly was a magical knowledge that left him confident in himself and their love and that was the best gift he could ask for. It was the best present to help him make his peace with the past he'd had to live through because of someone else's whims.

"I know what I have, Griffin," he said as he held her gaze in the mirror to lend her some of that confidence she'd given him for safekeeping when she'd known she could trust him with that now that his heart had recovered from the violence it'd been subjected to from everyone, including himself when he'd allowed others to get in his head. "And I know it's mine because I'm the one who can best take care of it," he said, letting his love reach her even when she wasn't facing him. She had all of it wrapped around her as she was the only one who'd earned his heart and the right to wear it as her crown that put her far above anyone else clawing at their feet to reach them with their selfish and cruel intentions. They were in their own heaven and no one else was worthy enough to get so high up and reach them there.

Griffin squeezed his hand. "Just let me remove my makeup and I'll be there with you," she said, her voice quivering slightly when the tears were still present but he could see even through the eye shadow and the mascara that those were happy ones because she was always real and honest with him and allowed him the privilege to see her soul. Something Hankens would never get to witness no matter how closely they observed her body or dissected her behavior. They were simply undeserving of witnessing all that beauty that she gave to the people she cared about and that was him, her friends and her students.

"You're always with me," he said as he let go of her just to make them both even more aware of that as the feeling of their connection wasn't severed even when their skin wasn't touching anymore. It could never be when they lived inside each other's souls, their love for each other tangled together to flow through every obstacle with the force of a flood and to nurture the budding happiness inside them to grow when watered with it.

Griffin smiled at him and he knew he'd taken her home.

[crapitskizaru]

Could you do a scenario of the Law, Sabo and Ace being walked in on while yanking the snake.. if ya know what I mean? And their s/o walking in and helping out *wiggles eyebrows* You’re awesome love ya❤️❤️ 

Warning: filth + law being a bastard his usual self and the ace one is almost like a shitty melodrama i have no idea why i wrote it this way lmao i apologize hes a total clown tho

Word Count: 937 + 922

The Law

Hips buckled into his hand when he picked up the pace of his pumps, the slicky sound of lube filling the room and somehow turning him on even more.

His head reclining against the back of the chair as he closed his eyes and focused on the erupting, cold pleasure in his member.

The irresistible need washed over him when he least expected it - usually he was one to stick to the schedule, but today? It must have been the tension in the air or the fact that he hadn’t gotten a chance to turn intimate with his lover last night; at that time, he considered it a good idea to stay up and read about the effects of a juvenile hormone. A great idea indeed.

He cursed silently when his back arched - thousands of electric bolts accumulating in his body signaled he’s already close to release.

Hand overrun by his own precum, he massaged his cock with shorter, more rapid strokes, head leaning further back and eyes squeezed shut in anticipation for the icy feeling to erupt. “O-oh~Fuck-”

Just as he was about to reach his peak, someone’s light footsteps echoed behind the door, on the corridor. With only few rational thoughts in his tired brain being able to function properly - all the other ones focused on visualizing his partner very close and very naked - he realized there are only a couple of seconds left before someone catches him on the act. 

He let out a heavy huff and came to a conclusion that, whoever’s coming towards his cabin right now, he doesn’t mind their audience - if anything, one member of his crew will be left with the image of their captain beating his cock imprinted in their mind forever, most probably leaving scars that are far beyond healing. Law determined it’s a pretty low price to pay in exchange for his pleasure, so he kept going. 

“You really have no shame at all, don’t you?” 

At the sound of his lover’s voice, he stopped his hand just as he was about to give in to the orgasmic wave and made a show of lazily turning his head in the direction of the door, as if the whole situation much rather bored him than, God forbid, made him embarrassed. 

“I didn’t know you talk to yourself. I shouldn’t be surprised, especially when it comes to this crew.” Law retreated to his previous position with furrowed eyebrows, a slicky sound produced when he wrapped his palm around his warm member once again. “It is indeed quite shameful to be barging in to a stranger’s cabin without knocking. Good for you for realizing that. Now leave me alone and go think about your sins.” 

He forced himself to close his eyes and catch up to the previous pleasure. It already felt good when he started straining his wrist over his shaft one more time. 

“Oh, you’re no stranger to me, Law~” 

Their approaching voice caused yet another sparkle of excitement to rush through his veins, but he didn’t want them to think they have such an effect on him, so he tried his best to hide it. 

“I’ve been trying to cum for over half of a goddamn hour,” Law murmured, fixing his eyes on theirs. “Either get on your knees or get out.” 

As they slowly sank to rest in between his legs, he couldn’t help but flash them a cocky smirk. Their tongue could do wonders to his cock, he already knew that. 

But, apparently, it was not to be. A faint pulse of pleasure striked when they delivered a small kitten lick to his tip, only to stand up again and climb up onto his lap. 

He groaned in protest - their mouth was so close to where he needed them to be just mere seconds ago - but it was soon muffled by their lips pressing against his in a rough manner. 

“Oh, God, you’re the worst,” they muttered into the kiss and grasped his warm shaft. “Of all the pirate captains, I had to run into you.” 

“How unfortunate.” The sarcastic tone lacing his voice was soon turning into one of surprise when they started massaging his cock in slow, precise movements, each stroke delivering a spike of pleasure down his core. 

They kissed him again, seemingly satisfied when he was in no state of mind to answer with words. Instead, the way in which his whole body stiffened indicated how close he was to the edge.

“Does it feel good?” they asked, pulling away from his lips and studying his face. His jawbone taut, eyelids fluttering and mouth parted open in a silent moan - the look of an absolute sin. “Is my captain satisfied?” 

“Make me cum and we’ll see ab-” he paused, suddenly reclining his head back against the chair and thrusting up with his hips as the strokes of their hand eventually caused the wave of pleasure to flow through his body that one final time. “Oh, fuck.” 

They held his cock firmly, steadily, until the last bits of cum dripped down the shaft. Law had his breath almost fully back by then, observing their face with such interest as if it was another one of the study subjects in his textbook; his fingers reaching up and tangling in their hair when they sat back on his thighs. 

“You’ve officially satisfied your captain,” he said, voice returning to its usual level of cockiness. “Your life is complete now.” 

“I really think I hate you,” they muttered and leaned in to kiss him again. 

Acey 

“C’mon, c’mon!” he grunted, impatient. His wrist started to hurt like mad, but he had to ignore it for the sake of cumming as soon as possible, preferably before someone catches him. 

And it would be a rather unfortunate turn of events. 

The room he found himself in was dark and as tiny as it could get. Although it was hot, stuffy, filled with heavy bags of flour and practically uninhabitable, Ace definitely liked it in the pantry; the courtesy of his annoyingly persistent erection being hidden from prying eyes - which let him take care of the problem himself. 

His black suit kept restricting his movements and the red tie clutched far too tight around his neck, only spurring the droplets of sweat to form on his face. It was getting increasingly harder to breathe, the unpleasant fact acting as yet another factor that convinced him to pick up the pace of his pumps. 

“Shit,” he gasped, throwing his head back, his upper body shaking from the movements of his whole arm. “Shit, shit, shit.” 

His climax was almost there - but not yet within reach. Ace grunted again, this time from sheer frustration. At this rate, he’ll get to leave the room somewhere over the course of a decade or a millenium. Or at least that’s how it seemed from his perspective. 

Eventually, the pain in his wrist became unbearable, to the point where he could do nothing more than just sneer in resignation and rest his sweaty forehead against the wall in front, his breathing ragged and irregular, his hard cock in one hand. 

“Have you guys seen Ace?” 

A muffled question emerged from behind the door and the man immediately straightened up. His partner would surely want to help when he was in such a dire need, wouldn’t they? 

He carefully opened the door, peeking through the narrow gap. There they were, tauntingly standing close enough for him to reach. 

“Hey,” he whisper-yelled, almost smashing his face into the door gap. “Hey, (Name), you busy?”

Only when he started speaking did they manage to notice him. Ace would have regretted not capturing the horrified look of surprise on their face that appeared upon seeing him, but he had more urgent matters to worry about. 

“Ace? What the hell is-”

The words were cut off from their mouth when he suddenly pulled them inside the pantry. Afterwards, when the situation was conjured up in his brain, he wondered how it was possible that his lover hadn’t been scarred for life - after all, having a man in a crumpled tuxedo randomly dragging you into a stuffy, completely dark room in the middle of a party certainly wasn’t something you’d experience everyday. 

“Listen, the situation’s bad-” he murmured conspiratorially while closing the door behind him. “-but my dick is hard and I really need to cum.” 

There was a moment of silence, during which Ace wondered whether or not he’s taken it too far. Since he couldn’t see anything in the dark, he had no choice but to awkwardly stare into where he assumed his lover currently stood. 

“What?” The accusing tone in their voice somehow caused a spike of excitement to run down his still-hard member. “Ace, for God’s sake, are you completely out of your mind? It’s your father’s birthday!” 

“Yes, I am aware of the fact. Try telling it to my fella down here. And also, if you could kindly restrain from mentioning my father while I hold my cock-” 

“You’re such a fool,” they whispered, searching for his chest in the dark. Eventually they found it and, clutching the drapes of his suit, pulled him into a quick kiss. “Don’t mess up my hair.” 

Ace grinned, excitement flaring up his whole face as he shifted to move closer to them. Immediately, he tripped over a bag of flour on the floor and stumbled into his lover, making them yelp in surprise. 

“Sorry, baby,” he breathed, holding onto one of the shelves. “I really wanna get out of here.” 

“I wouldn’t have guessed that one.” 

He could already feel the heat radiating off of their body and the salty sweat on their neck as he sent a trail of kisses along it, just to get them into the mood. And when they eventually sank to their knees and grasped his erection, he could only pray that no one on the damn ship will hear his moans. 

“Oh~” The first indication of pleasure ringed in the small space when they took him in their mouth. His hand clenched on the shelf even more as he restrained himself from tangling his fingers in their hair, which he usually did during such situations. “Fuck, yes, baby. Keep going like this, I’m gonna cum soon.” 

The deliciously cold feeling of bliss took over his lower body, making his thighs tremble and hips snap forward without a warning, the darkness only strengthening all of the senses besides sight. 

Their tongue rolled over his shaft and he knew it was the final trigger he needed to finally climax - his eyes closing shut and mouth rolling open in a silent groan. 

“Baby!” he gasped after a short while, pushing his cock further into their mouth to ensure their swallow every last bit of his cum. “Oh, baby, you’re so good~” 

The slicky sound could be heard when they licked their lips clean and stood up, careful not to stumble in the dark. 

“Can we get back to the party now? I need a drink.” 

[cg29]

Little Tracy’s

Little Tracy fics from my Pick & Mix collection

***

TITLE: School Reports. Aged 8.

Scott Tracy:

Scott is a bright young boy, who is extremely popular with all his classmates. He is always first to put himself forward for team challenges and is a natural team leader. However, Scott tends to be impulsive and rush into an activity or challenge, which on occasions as cost him a higher mark. Scott excels in English, Geography and Physical Education but tends to struggle in maths.

…

John Tracy:

John is a quiet, introspective and intelligent young man, who excels in Science, Maths, English and Information Technology. John as the potential to go far in life and could be moved up a grade if he was to apply himself to what he once referred to as the ‘boring subjects’ and stop correcting myself and my other colleagues when we are trying to teach.

…

Virgil Tracy:

Virgil is a lovely, thoughtful boy, who always listens in class, speaks when he is spoken to, and on occasions has gone out of his way to support other classmates when they are struggling. Virgil has a gift for art, music and history. He also recently earned top marks when we taught first-aid in his class. However, I would like to bring to your attention Virgil’s tendency to day dream when he is not taking part in one of his favourite subjects.

…

Gordon Tracy:

Gordon is a conundrum and seems to have two sides to him. On the one side, you have the sweet boy who will always be there for his friends, excels in physical education, especially swimming and did surprisingly well when we did our big baking day. However, the other side of Gordon has a habit of constantly chatting in class, despite being asked to be quiet and as unfortunately become known as the school clown. If Gordon were to apply himself in all his work instead of drawing pictures of himself as a fish, he could gain good marks in all his classes.

…

Alan Tracy:

Alan is a smart boy with a deep smile always on his face. When he is interested in a subject, or as been caught by an idea he is an absolute pleasure to teach. However, like his brother before him, he tends to chat in class, and on many occasions, has had his portable computer console confiscated when he has been found playing on it, instead of learning. Alan struggles in History but excels in science and maths. I would also like to bring to your attention Alan’s report on ‘Our Heroes.’ All the children in his class decided to write about a celebrity, sports personality or historical figure. Instead, Alan wrote a fantastic and touching report where he named his older brother John as his hero and who he would most like to be like when he grows up.

***

Title: John: Star Boy.

“John you've been told not to run in the house.” His father complained, catching his 4-year-old son in his arms.

“I'm not John.” John answered with a serious face.

“Oh, you're not?” Jeff remarked, observing the cape John had attempted to make out of his comfort blanket. “Well, I must say, you certainly look like my John!”

“Shush! Daddy.” John whispered. No one can know my secret ident…” John paused, thinking about the word he was struggling to say. “Ident…”

Jeff smiled. “Identity.”

John grinned. “Yeah, my secret identity.”

“So, who are you then?” Jeff inquired curiously.

“I'm Star Boy.” John shouted, as he managed to struggle free and started running around in circles.

Jeff let out a chuckle at his son’s exuberance. “So, Star Boy. What powers do you have?”

“Fly in space.” John cried with joy.

 “And what's your current mission Jo… I mean Star Boy?”

John ground himself to a sudden halt. “Find baby Virgie!” He stated with a thoughtful look.

“Virgil.” Jeff corrected. “And he’s not missing, he's nice and safe in your mummy's tummy.”

John stared at his dad in confusion. “But I heard you and mummy say that he was late, and then mummy said if he didn't turn up soon she would…”

“Okay, John.” Jeff said cutting John off. He would have to have a word to Lucille about what John had overheard. He knew she would be mortified but John seemed to have exceptional hearing and they both knew that their boy was very bright for his age. Jeff held his arms out for his current youngest son. John happily ran into them, and let himself be pulled up onto his father’s lap. “Now, Virgil is still safe in your mummy's tummy, the reason he's late is because your mum has made it so comfortable in there that he doesn't want to leave yet.”

“But I want to find him, cause then I'll get to be big brother like Scotty.” John frowned.

Jeff pulled John into a warm hug. “And you will be a brilliant big brother just like Scott.” He assured him.

As Jeff held John tightly in his arms, a shout from his mother came from in the kitchen, followed by his oldest son running into the room.

“Daddy, Grandma said to tell you mummy’s waters broken!” Scott panted.

Jeff pulled himself to his feet, keeping John firmly in one arm, and taking Scott’s hand with the other. “Well, my Star Boy.” Jeff said, looking at John with pride. “It looks like your mission was successful!”

“It was?” John asked with a puzzled expression.

Jeff beamed as he stood John next to Scott, who automatically took his little brother’s hand in his. “Yes, you did!” He added, with a concerned look towards the kitchen as he heard his mother and Lucille call for him once more. “Looks like baby Virgil is on his way!”

…

Several hours later:

John grinned with joy, as with his mother’s help, he held his new baby brother in his arms. “Hey, Virgie.” He said softly. “I’m John, your big brother… And my secret is I’m also Star Boy.” He whispered. “I helped find you today!” John looked at Virgil who gazed at him with his big eyes. “And my next mission is to be your big brother.” He said with a contented sigh.

***

Title: 4 little brothers.

12-year-old Scott Tracy stretched out in his bed, enjoying the warmth from is duvet on a cold winter’s night. Yes, this was his time. His time to relax after a full-on day spent with 4 hyper younger brothers. His time to bask in the peace and quiet his room provided…

… THUNDERCLAP … the pouring rain began hammering at his window …

Scott sighed, threw back his blanket and began counting “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”

… THUNDERCLAP … 4 scared little brothers rushed into his room …

“Come on then, jump in.”

… THUNDERCLAP… 4 scared little brothers scurried noisily into the bed.

Pulling the blanket over them all Scott smiled when he felt each of them snuggle up to him. ‘Forget the peace and quiet,’ he thought to himself. He would prefer his 4 brothers any day!

[lettersofsky]

There’s a Beginning Here, If Only You Were Brave Enough To Grasp It

Week One of Conciliatory Theme Month for @diamondsandclubsmonth ! Flirtations/Beginnings I’m definitely using this as an excuse to play around with some pale gamruss between working on other things yes I am.

Homestuck Gamzee Makara, Horuss Zahhak | <> gamruss Earth-C AU, Pale Ship, Moiralligence, Fluff, Small bit of background angst?

Horuss… had not meant to pale flirt with the Alternian Makara, he really, truly had not meant to it had just… it had just occurred without his conscious thought or effort. He was not even truly sure how it had happened, he had just…

Horuss did not even know how to start to explain what he had done to imply to the other purpleblood that he had been seeking out their attention and regards in a pale manner, he had just done so apparently.

It had not truly been his intention to fuss and worry over the other purpleblood in the manner he had upon meeting them for the first time, but Gamzee had just been so thin, so skinny and messy that Horuss had just… He just had to fuss over them.

Kurloz had brought Gamzee along to their friend group’s regular meet-up, something about wanting to get the other clown out more without exposing them to their Alternian counterparts for one reason or another and Horuss, had immediately taken to the young clown and tried to get them to eat literally everything he reasonably could. No one had really stopped Horuss, or brought the actions to his attention, not even Gamzee themself, so he had just continued with the behaviour for the rest of the night.

Thinking back on his own behaviour upon that first meeting; trying to feed Gamzee and tidy them up even the slightest amount, and the wide-eyed acceptance Gamzee had reacted to it all with. He had come on so strong, far too strong for a first meeting with someone and it was only natural that Gamzee had assumed he had pale intentions towards them.

Really Horuss was lucky that the purpleblood had not taken offense to his forwardness, he might not have been so lucky with other trolls. And Gamzee was more than within their rights to respond to them however they wished.

And if however they wished was to pale flirt with him in return then who was Horuss to stop them?

It, was not as if he was particularly unhappy about being the recipient of such intentions. It was nice to experience being on the receiving end of messages meant only for conversation and checking in on him, informing him that Gamzee had been thinking about him and just wanted to speak with him for a little while, wanted to converse and learn about Horuss and his interests and share theirs in return.

It was nice.

It should not have been nice, but it was. Horuss knew what the other Makara had done, what they were capable of and with all the warnings he’d been given about Gamzee, he was aware that allowing the pale flirtations to occur and continue might not have been in his best interest.

terminallyCAPRICIOUS started trolling clandestineTECHNICIAN

TC: yO :o) TC: HoW YoU DoInG ToDaY PoNyBrO?

CT: 8=D I am fairing quite well on this hay, thank you for your inquiry. CT: 8=D Hay I inquire as to how you are doing in return?

TC: oH HeLl yEaH PoNyBrO :oD TC: I’M DoIn aLl kInDs a gOoD ToDaY TC: MoThErFuCkEr wEnT An hAd tHeMsElF A GoOd aF DaY GeTtIn tHeIr bAkE On TC: mAkIn aLl kInDs a dOuGh XoD  

CT: 8=D So you are prospering in your current career choice then? CT: 8=D That is mare than good to hear, I am glad that things are working out well for you.

TC: aW BrO TC: YoU MaKiN A MoThErFuCkEr bLuSh yOu iS TC: AlL Up aN BeIn hApPy tHaT I’M DoIn gOoD FoR MySeLf TC: nEaR DoWnRiGhT ShAmEfUl yOu iS ;o)

CT: 8=D I suppose you could hay that, though I would neigh call concern towards you shameful by any meaning of the word, neigh at all in fact. CT: 8=D I am simply very glad to hear that you are doing well for yourself in the occupation you hoof chosen as worthy of your time. CT: 8=D I can only hope that it continues to treat you kindly as time continues to pass.

TC: PoNyBrO’S BeIn aLl kInDs a bLaTaNt wItH HiS AtTeNtIoNs iS He? ;o) TC: ‘NoUgH Ta wInD A MoThErFuCkEr’s pUmPeR Up fOr hE’S TaKiN IfFiN He wAs tHe kInD Ta bE TaKiN It ;o) TC: bUt a mOtHeRfUcKeR HaD A DiFfErEnT ReAsOnIn tA BeIn aLl uP An iN CoNtAcTiN WiTh yA

CT: 8=D Oh really?

TC: MoThErFuCk yEaH I DiD :oD TC: I WaS WaNtIn tA KnOw iF Ya’d bE CoOl wItH Me cOmIn tA ExIsT In yA HiVe a bIt TC: gOtS A ThInG I WaNnA Be gIvIn yA :o)

CT: 8=D A gift? CT: 8=D You did neigh need to acquire anything to gift to me, truly you did neigh.

TC: NaH I AlL Up aN WaNtEd tOo :oD TC: i tHiNk yA GoNnA Be aLl kInDs a eXcItEd tA SeE It! TC: I Be hOpIn sO At lEaSt XoD

CT: 8=D I am sure that whatever you hoof decided to gift me with I will enjoy it immensely.

TC: dAwW! TC: lOoK At tHiS PoNyBrO BeIn aLl kInD ToWaRdS Me TC: sTrAiGhT Up mIrAcLe yOu iS

CT: 8=D Now you are starting to approach acting foolishly.

TC: It’s bEiN AlL KiNdS A TrUe tHoUgH ;o)

CT: 8=D I shall see you soon enough Gamzee.

TC: Be sEeIn yA SoOn pOnYbRo :o)

terminallyCAPRICIOUS has ceased trolling clandestineTECHNICIAN

Horuss did not really care as to listen to anyone else’s warnings regarding the more dangerous of the Makaras. What he thought and his decisions did not really effect anyone but he himself and if he wanted to be the recipient of Gamzee’s pale attentions and give the clown his in return then he would.

This was not the first time he had had Gamzee within the space of his hive, nor did he believe it was going to be the last. He enjoyed having the other within his space, it felt good to have them there, to have them so wrapped up and surrounded by things that were wholly and completely Horuss’ was a very good feeling indeed. Especially when the clown decided to stay for dinner and let Horuss feed them with things he had earned and prepared himself, that was definitely an occurrence that inspired a number of pale feelings in his chest.

He had not had the courage to bring up the flirtations and intents with Gamzee, not face to face as he wanted to he just… was not quite ready to take that final step to tell Gamzee as to what he wanted with their… relationship. He believed that they were both more than aware of what they wanted from each other, that they were being more than blatant with their flirtations towards each other but neither of them were ready to actually talk about it.

They would talk about it eventually, Horuss knew they would it was only a matter of time really, there was no need to rush either of them, none at all, they would get there at their own pace.

Gamzee arrived within the next hour, dressed in clean clothing that pleased Horuss quite a bit to see, a gift held within their hands and a small smile on their face, lips quirking more so when Horuss stepped back to invite them into his hive.

“It is good to see you,” he said as he closed his door behind Gamzee, secluding them both within the safety of his walls. “Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Gamzee nodded and moved with the confident assurance of someone who’d been in the space a number of times before and was comfortable in the space they were in, another thing that had pale starbursts firing off inside the base of his chest. Having someone else so comfortable and at ease within his space, watching Gamzee drop into the corner of the couch and immediately press their spine into it, churring a soft, content noise once they were comfortable.

Horuss blinked, shaking his head a little bit as he realized that he was staring at the clown, forcing himself to move forward and join Gamzee on the couch, attempting to settle on the opposite side of the purple blood in a near-instinctive motion before the clown gestures for him to sit closer, next to him on the piece of furniture. He swallowed once they were both seated and settled, looking down towards the fidgeting clown next to him, looking them over closely.

“You look good,” he said, watching Gamzee’s head snap up towards his, purple eyes blinking up at him curiously before they realized when Horuss had said and a flush of colour became just barely visible under their face paint. “You hoof been eating correctly, hoof you neigh? You certainly look like you hoof, which is mare than good because I GREATLY prefer when you look healthy and neigh like you are about to crumble into yourself at a marement’s notice.”

“Aw you motherfuckin smooth talker, you,” Gamzee said, head ducking and the half-formed fins on their ears fluttering slightly. “Know how ta get a motherfucker inta their pumper cavity, ain’t ya?”

“I suppose so,” Horuss chuckled lowly, raising a hand to muss through his long ponytail. “But you came around to gift me something, did you neigh?”

“Yeah,” Gamzee breathed, turning the plainly wrapped package in their hands for a few breaths before they handed it to Horuss, keeping their attention focused down instead of on Horuss himself. “I be hopin ya enjoy it.”

“Thank you,” Horuss took the package from Gamzee’s hands, carefully starting to unwrap it to reveal what was being held within.

The paper fell away to revealed a round metal tin, cool and smooth under Horuss’ hands. Opening the lid of the tin revealed a number of decorated biscuits in the shape of hoofbeasts, Horuss recognized each one’s colouring as hoofbeasts he’d shown the clown at previous points in time, either through trollian or in their day to day interactions.

“I…” he started, falling silent as he was unable to think of anything in particular to say in response to the gift.

“Do you… like ‘em?” Gamzee questioned softly, shifting closer to Horuss on the couch, a clawed hand reaching out to curl purposely around his wrist, a steady, comforting weight on his skin.

“I do,” he breathed, picking one of them up to inspect it closely, looking over the details in the frosting, the main, the hoofbeast’s face, so much little detail worked on just for him. “Thank you Gamzee.”

[kira-moonrabbit]

*claps my hands*

so you all remember the post i made about the “boyz from space” yknow??? if you dont that’s cool they dont come up like, at all in this. it’s just they’re relevant because they came from a time when i loved to make ocs and think about them and talk about them. well, guess what, the slog of breeding clown wigs has given me a lot of time to think. and guess what, I decided to take some of my old ideas and make them less awful. i dont know if I’d do anything with them. but i will share them nonetheless.

basically, it’s a story about a bunch of magical creatures who go on an adventure to stop a dark, evil force. bog standard. except almost everyone isn’t exactly protagonist material. or antagonist material. if you were to slot them into another story they’d definitely fill the quirky talking animal sidekick role. there are a grand total of 5 characters who are taller than a large soda can. In general it’s called the Spriteland Story.

The rest of the information will be under a cut!

So, basically, the protagonists are a pair of bunny-like creatures, called Pink-Bun and Blue-Bun. Pink-Bun is optimistic, loves eating, and is caring, but she’s also really stupid. Like, reaaaaaaally stupid. And she overworks herself once she’s set on a task.

Meanwhile, Blue-Bun is snarky and picks too many fights, but she has really good common sense. Her anger gets ahead of her quickly, but she’s really reliable. That’s of course assuming you can get her to help you in the first place.

Above: crude drawings of them both

The two of them live in an idyllic village along with other small creatures similar to them. There’s an owl who runs a library, a fox who is in charge of protecting town, and a frog who does some farming alongside his best friend, a snake. Pink-Bun and Blue-Bun have a very important job: protect the temple built to the goddess of light, Moonpie, who is a cow spirit. Yes, roll with it.

One day, an excessively large (actually just human-sized) humanoid spirit breaks into the temple. Pink-Bun and Blue-Bun try to stop it, but it’s too strong for them. It steals an artefact and books it. Pink-Bun takes responsibility for what has happened and takes Blue-Bun with her on a journey to get the artefact back.

Along the way, they learn that there are 3 other temples that house similar artefacts. There’s the Fire Stronghold made to honor Nyabetha the Cat, Spirit of Fire. And the Shadow Dungeon made to honor Mumford the Wolf, spirit of Darkness. And finally, the Undersea Castle made to honor Jules the Sea Dragon, spirit of Water. The evil spirit is trying to break into them all to... do something. I haven’t gotten that far yet.

There are also some other spirits that they meet along the way. For instance, Pink-Bun accidentally disturbs a settlement of these creatures that I’m going to just call Bugs for now. They’re a lot more than bugs but i can’t come up with a better name for them. Particularly, there’s Skwirt, who’s a wannabe hero.

Above: drawing of Skwirt, based a drawing my brother did of him

Pink-Bun and Blue-Bun are shrunk down and made to do some menial tasks as punishment for disturbing the Bugs, but eventually they make a deal with Skwirt. The buns have to help Skwirt take down an enemy base, and in exhange he will up-size them again and help them on their journey.

Skwirt is a very big hothead. Even angrier than Blue-Bun. But unlike Blue-Bun, he’s actually concerned about the fate of the world and stuff. I didn’t draw it, but he’s got a hammer he can change the size of at will. But he’s tinier than even the buns, being slightly larger than an ant.

there’s also Lord Metal Knife, whose name sounds too much like Meta Knight now that it’s been brought up to me. He’s one of the 5 characters who’s taller than a gallon of milk. And he’s massive even when he’s being compared to humans; about the size of 3 cars stacked on top of each other. He’s got 4 arms for holding 4 biiiig swords. and he’s a big... eh, not a robot, but something like that... yknow, made of metal. He’s kind of an eeyore-ish character who likes to talk with big words and use metaphors. And of course he loves animals, which means he wants to help the buns and skwirt out! but he’s kind of rusty in both senses of the word. so rusty, in fact, that he can’t move from where he’s standing. at all. he’s only ever able to move during the last third of the story.

some other characters to note....

There’s Scarecrow (yes, that’s his name), who is basically what you get when you stuff Puppetmon and Snufkin in a blender, visually anyway. He’s actually a human person. Well, he was. He was killed and stuffed with straw, to be used as a scarecrow. But one day a dark wizard cast a spell on him and brought him back to life. He’s the loner type who prefers to stay by himself on his parents’ old farm. And he’s also a bit stubborn. He also doesn’t have much in the way of magic powers despite being undead, technically, but what he does have is a rifle and a good aim. And, lastly, his mouth was stitched shut so the straw inside him wouldn’t fall out, so he can’t talk. Instead, he draws pictures.

And then there’s Pumpernickel, who is a plant monster with a pumpkin head! He’s not the brightest, but he will follow the orders of anyone who treats him kindly. Sadly, the “person who treats him kindly” is currently the main antagonist. Before getting mixed up in all this, he would wander around in the bog he calls home and help out anyone who was in danger. 

Speaking of, the main antagonist is named Drop (...yes, lame) and he wants to collect all 4 of the things to be strong. He’s changed the most. Before reworking things he was kind of just this generic edgy villain, but now? He’s cool! Kind of. Obviously he’s evil, but most of his power comes not from being innately strong, but from making friends with a lot of powerful beings. One of the hardest things when it comes to making up stories (at least for me) is setting up conflicts, but hey, I think I did OK.

Some people are more developed than others, but hey... i like to think i did good here. Eventually I might think more about things and get more ideas, but in the meantime... *shrug...?*

[chrysalispen]

light they bring you in the dark;