#HAHA WOW anyway I'm in danger :)

[zillychu]

woke up from a dead sleep last night realizing I could make soroku flavored pitch pearl and no one could stop me

edit: you know what? I'm feral and I won't apologize. more under the cut bc this is my house

I slammed this out all at once so I apologize for the quality but I'm having EMOTIONS

so imagine. bc of the way Danny was quickly resuscitated, his ghost only barely started forming. With the excess blast of ectoplasm from the portal being created, that little whisp was given form even after Danny's soul returned to his body.

except this ghost (Phantom) slowly comes into consciousness while trapped in Danny's body. they're separate entities sharing one body, but Phantom doesn't really have a sense of self right away. he pieces together vague fragments of Danny's memory to get a basic understanding of the world, and is mostly just observing like a backseat passenger.

Phantom starts reflexively protecting Danny, his powers and instincts bleeding through when his emotions are high. Danny doesn't really transform, and his personality doesn't totally shift that much at first because Phantom’s mind isn't complex yet. but as time goes on, and Danny has tense conversations with ghosts, Phantom realizes that's what he is. he's a ghost, somehow trapped in his old body. and even now, this early on, he already feels separate. he doesn't have all the memories Danny has.

this slowly turns into horror. into rage. sorrow, mourning a life he never got and will never get to have. forever trapped behind the eyes of someone else, never able to interact with the world. Phantom's rage eventually boils over until it allows him short bursts of taking over Danny's body. it starts out small–a stray hand moving without his consent, knees locking up, ghost abilities going awry. Danny can start feeling emotions that don't belong to him. get vague impressions, almost hears a voice inside him.

and eventually, Phantom is able to fully take over. this is when Danny “transforms". at first, Danny blacks out because his consciousness isn't used to being shoved into the back seat. but eventually, he's awake for these “episodes", trapped in the back of his mind while Phantom controls his body. this only happens when ghost stuff is happening, when Phantom feels threatened enough. he's not protecting Danny, he's protecting himself. Phantom knows instinctively that if Danny dies, he dies too. he's not a normal ghost, he wouldn't be freed. he'd simply disappear.

at one point after a fight, Phantom can feel Danny struggling to take back control. and he talks to Danny for the first time, acknowledges he's there. asks how it's fair that Danny is the one that gets to exist. but Phantom is tired and weak, he slips back into the passenger seat.

over the next few days, he's able to start talking to Danny even while he's not driving. though he's not chatty, it's only when necessary. and Danny knows, can feel it across the link between them–Phantom hates him. the ghost he created is desperate to find a way to take over completely. and as time goes on, Danny realizes with horror that it might actually be possible for Phantom to do that. he grows stronger every day, can stay transformed longer, controls Danny's body with much more ease.

it's only through a chance meeting with Frostbite that Danny and Phantom fully learn what happened to them. Danny feels sympathetic towards Phantom now. this isn't a malevolent ghost, it's a person who was never given the chance to live. who's trapped. who has to watch someone else live a life they're just as deserving of.

and Phantom feels that emotion from Danny. is so shocked by it, he doesn't know how to handle it at first. it takes him a while to contemplate, to talk to other ghosts like Frostbite. until one day, Phantom realizes… he feels sympathy for Danny, too.

neither of them asked for this. both of them deserve to live. Danny didn't do anything wrong. they're both villains to each other's story. and if anything… doesn't Phantom owe his life to Danny in the first place?

Phantom takes over less often. Danny doesn't feel hatred from him anymore. anger, yes–but not aimed at him. in fact, Phantom starts controlling their body in little ways in order to protect Danny from things that aren't even dangerous. just to avoid pain that would only affect the human tethered to him.

it isn't long before they're separated, either thanks to another ghost or Danny's parents. they're thrown apart in the middle of a horrific fight, and when Danny sees Phantom's equally shocked expression, he's terrified.

this ghost that hated him for so long–at best, Phantom would leave him defenseless. at worst, surely some part of Phantom still wants to kill him for stealing away his chance for autonomy.

and yet, when fire rains down on them, Phantom risks it all to grab Danny and get them both to safety. they're still both shaken and stunned this is even happening, but Phantom is able to nervously be like shit shit shit okay stay here don't go anywhere or I can't protect you, okay?

after the fight is over and dust settles, Phantom offers Danny his hand. they stare at each other and god if this isn't the weirdest thing. like, uh, okay, what now? they decide to go see Frostbite, who confirms that they're fully separate now. they ask if there's any chance of merging again and Frostbite assures it's impossible.

Phantom asks, even if I overshadowed Danny? or stay real close? yes, it's nothing to worry about. they leave, and back in the quiet of Danny's room, they talk. Phantom isn't sure what to do. now that opportunity is in front of him, he feels paralyzed. Danny does his best to let Phantom know that… they might be separate now, but if he ever wants help or even just a friendly ear, he's here for him.

Phantom is quiet for a while. then says maybe he just needs to rest first. he'll think about it tomorrow. they're both exhausted and injured. Phantom asks quietly… if he could rest in Danny for the night.

Danny's shocked, and–really confused. Phantom blushes and is like I don't know what my haunt is yet, I don't know where to go, but I know… you're kind of my home. now that I know I can leave whenever I want, it's not something bad anymore. I miss feeling your heart next to my core, just a little bit.

and Danny is just as surprised when Phantom overshadows him, then quietly nestles into the passenger seat again. he didn't realize how he got used to feeling Phantom with him. it's a feedback loop of contentedness, and Danny sleeps easily. (they also find out while sharing a body, Danny gets to reap the benefits of Phantom's supernatural healing)

anyway that's all I got for now thank u for coming to my ted talk

[birchbow]

Something about troll reproduction is that everyone alive in the empire had to have gotten some fuck at some point. And that makes me look at The Behemoth and wonder if the other participant has to be alive by the end of the ordeal because Wow Look At It. I'm so morbidly curious about the type of troll that it would decide was good enough and if they walked away with something broken or not.

y'all the fact that as I got this ask I was lying here in bed musing to myself about how. There is a universe where the scene of Gamzee meeting the Behemoth that I'm writing ends up with them fucking nasty in some kind of very spur of the moment hookup largely unrelated to quadrants haha. Because Gamzee's down to clown with people who are way too big and not used to being gentle. And actually the fact that he's going to get real bruised at best and injured at worst is a perk. I don't,,, think the scene will go that direction, but it's a diverting thought lmao. Anyway, perfect timing anon thank you.

....I do wonder. If you're enough of a deadly motherfucker that you can and would rather kill a drone than bother with finding some kind of Beauty And The Beast romance situation. Would the drones smell/see/sense a troll covered in the blood and death/distress hormones of a drone and go "well, this one passes muster" and keep moving. Could you look at this situation and just go "well obviously I'll kill my way out with brute force." What then.

[beesorcery]

google how do i tell my dad that the reason i keep bringing up elon musk's transphobia isn't that i've got gen z political tunnel vision that makes me blind to his "innovation" in electric cars but because i am desperately crying out for you as the father of a trans child to feel just as outraged and angry as i am that that man has so much power

[lifetimeoftired]

Thought more on the 'Batfam in Danny's world' stuff.

Red Robin: What is this? -holds up a clunky early 2000s device he found in Danny's room between his pinched fingers, like it might bite him- Danny: Oh, my PDA? Tucker insisted on buying it for me but honestly I'm not really that great with tech so I don't use it much. He usually follows me around trying to manage my schedule with it. Red Robin: Concerning but, more concerning, this thing... Works? Danny: It's the latest model, so it should? Red Robin: Latest... -trying not to cringe- How do you connect to the internet on it? Or take pictures? Danny, with genuine excitement: Your PDA can do that!? Man, that sounds way cooler than the plastic that lets you see all the stuff inside! Red Robin: I'm In Hell.

Spoiler: Having villains for parents is the worst right? Danny: I mean, my mom accidentally brings the food to life and it tries to bite us. But the keyword is 'accidentally'. They're mostly harmless. Spoiler: They literally just shot at you??? Danny: They shot at Phantom. They don't know it's actually me you know? Also I don't even worry about it. They don't have very good aim since I'm not a danger to them and Dad only gets badass when mom is in danger. Mom's always a badass but it's good dodging practice. Besides, I'd be more worried about them dissecting me, what with the whole, I'm technically an entirely different species that they've been studying their whole life and don't think I'm sentient anymore. But y'know it's whatever. They're not actually all that bad and I know they love me deep down. Spoiler: I'm not sure whether to borrow Hood's guns and shoot you myself or kidnap you away from here and force Batman to adopt you. Danny: Wha-

Danny: Alright a few more adjustments aaaaand there! Signal: Oh wow! Thanks! It's nuce to be able to see again without getting black spots on my vision. There's so many ghosts around it can be hard to see. Danny, biting his lip trying not to laugh: No problem. Signa;: .... What? Danny: Nothing! You look great dude! Signal: ....... Danny: ....... Signal: What did you put on my face!? Danny: Sun glasses! Signal: -skids to a halt in front of mirror and sure enough they're sun glasses. But they're triangular and the hooks go aaaall the way up to hook around the bat-ear points and look completely ridiculous- Danny Why :( Danny: -trying to say 'sorry' through his giggles, but he's not really sorry-

Danny: Uuuuh Red Hood I can't see your face, but I'm kinda worried about how many guns you're loading right now. Red Hood: I just want your 15th birthday party to be safe, okay? Danny: I'll be fine? It'd be nice if the other ghosts gave me a day off sure, but fighting them seems safer. I don't really want my mom to bake a cake anyway. Knowing her it'd just come alive so if they forget this year it's fine. I'm just, those are real guns man. They're dangerous. Red Hood: They are. -cocks gun- For Them.

Robin: >:( Danny: It was a nice try. Robin: Do not patronize me Fenton! Danny: I don't know why or how, but that sounds even more insulting than when Dash does it... Robin: This is an indignity! Fighting immortals entities that cannot be harmed by blade is one thing- but I will not accept being spoken to like a child! Skulker will return and taste my fury! Danny: Hey calm down alright? Robin: Do not test my patience! Danny: I heard you like animals. Wanna meet my purple back gorilla friend? She's really nice and is easy to talk to. Robin: .... The gorilla... doesn't speak does she? Danny: Haha no of course not! I learned her language instead. Robin: ... You are a strange man. However I will accept your proposal for now and I insist you teach me every form of communication with her.

Orphan: :( Danny, who's always been able to understand Cass perfectly, much to the mystery of the batfam and her delight: Aw Cass, I love you guys too. It's been great having your family around- and really I'm flattered! But I can't be your new brother, I'm sorry, but we do live in different realities. Besides, I think I've had enough of people trying to adopt me. Orphan: ? Danny: Yeah my godfather is a total fruitloop. Always trying to kill my dad and marry my mom who hates his guts and get me to call him father instead. Like, he even tried to clone me and copy my brain into a new body right? Or that time he rigged the election to become mayor just to mess with me. And hiring actually competent ghost hunters so I'd quit (kinda wish I could quit actually but it's fine). His obsession with me can get out of hand sometimes you see. Orphan: >:( -cracks knuckles- Danny: What? No! I don't need protecting really! I can handle him just fine. Now that I'm thinking about it though, I dunno what he'd do with Jazz. He never seems to actually talk about her beyond that one time he tried to get her to attack me- huh? Orphan: -disappeared- Danny: ...... That probably won't come back to haunt me.

[brettsgoldstein]

can we please talk about woman of the hour because holy shitt oh my god dude. its actually so good and not even in the sense i was expecting it to be like i originally didnt wanna watch it bc i dont love indulging in serial killer media that can romanticize it but this wow. it does not do that at all like watching anna kendricks snippet of her interview with stephen colbert fr convinced me oh she gets it and well she really does. so many details down the the way its written wiith the back and forth and the way its shot really emphasizing the abuse women have to deal with. and the very first shot isnt even of this fucking guy its of one of his victims but it's thru a camera lens a literal objectifying lens. "people dont want to be seen, stop performing" *sheryl nods, like an authority figure is speaking to her* all the different ways women have to make themselves feel small at the sake of a man to ensure their safety and protection. when sarah experiences a very weird, very dangerous, gesture she laughs it off awkwardly because what else is she to do? that shot with just her in the frame head on clearly contemplating the truth of her situation figuring out if its worth it to even try and run. cut to a scene of sheryl doing something very similar but shes not in danger, right? but she sleeps with him anyway. laura no one is going to believe you not even your boyfriend are u really sure its the same guy you have to be 100% certain sure honey just wait right here ill get the studio exec for you since the cops didnt do anything oh yeah the guard at the desk sorry yeah hes such an asshole right? the men encroaching in the frame of the women make urself small no one's going to believe you he's not taking the hint just leave just leave im so stupid for letting him in everythings a risk, i don't date much haha, oh that's just la, dear. it's okay, baby, i'm just so embarrassed, don't look don't look believe me believe me okay now run. "stop performing" because to perform is to survive and sheryl doesn't want to survive she just wants to live.

[rockingbytheseaside]

Hi! It's me ya girl! And I'm here to deliver some incorrect quotes to you about our favorite Pierro Piętro Harbinger ( yes that is his true full canon name because I said so)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: I have feelings for you.

Reader: Why? What's wrong with you? Are you sure you're okay?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: As top in this relationship, I think we should-

Reader: I can't believe you're pulling rank on me.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Sorry I’m late, I was doing things.

Reader: Hi, I’m ‘things’.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Reader: Fight me!

Pierro: *gets on one knee and pulls out a ring*

Pierro: Fight me for the rest of our lives.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: The first time I saw you, you stole my heart.

Reader: But I'm a kleptomaniac, so that doesn't mean anything.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Look, last night was a mistake.

Reader: A sexy mistake.

Pierro: No, just a regular mistake.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Reader: I like your new pants!

Pierro: Thanks, they were 50% off!

Reader: I’d like them better if they were 100% off. *winks*

Pierro: The store can’t just give away clothes for free.

Reader: Thats’s… not what I meant.

Pierro: That’s a terrible way to run a business, Reader.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Just a minute. I need to go take out the trash.

Reader: Oh. We're going out?

Pierro: Wh...

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Are you trying to seduce me?

Reader: Why, are you seducible?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: *seductively takes off glasses*

Pierro: Wow...

Reader: *blushes* Haha... what?

Pierro: You're really fucking blurry.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Okay, I’m going to get the wedding cake.

Reader: Perfect, while you do that I’ll check on the ring bear.

Pierro: ...

Pierro: You mean ring bearER, right?

Reader: ...

Pierro: Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not going to bring a dangerous wild animal to our wedding.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Ugh, crushes are so dumb.

Reader: I know. Whenever I’m near the person I like I just start acting stupid.

Pierro: But you’re always acting stupid?

Reader: ...

Reader: Yeah, don’t think about that too hard.

✦ . 　�� 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Reader: Since we're in a relationship now, your clothes are my clothes too. Don't ask me why I have your shirt on, this is our shirt.

Pierro: Fine, but when I come strutting in with your fuzzy socks I don't want to hear shit.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: We both look very handsome tonight.

Reader: You know, if you'd just said that I looked handsome, I would have said, "So do you."

Pierro: I couldn't take that chance.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Is something burning?

Reader, leaning seductively on the counter: Just my desire for you.

Pierro: Reader, the toaster is literally on fire.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Reader: Are you ready to commit?

Pierro: Like, a crime or a relationship?

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Pierro: Hey, random question, what are your favorite flowers?

Reader: Peonies, why?

Pierro:

Reader: Were you going to get me flowers?

Pierro:

Reader:

Pierro: ᶦᵗ’ˢ ᵃ ᵖᵒˢˢᶦᵇᶦˡᶦᵗʸ

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

That is all... For now anyways I will come back and hunt you with these.

Finally, a true Pierro Piętro Main

Also, omg buddy, these are hilarious. You need to post your own tidbits of Harbingers with Reader. But Pierro x Reader who is mutually stoic as him, only for them both to be immortally stupid once they're together is my favorite genre. Like Heavenly Principles be damned, we're both dense, what do we do after courting each other?

[queenofapeacefuldawn]

SPY × Family: Chapter 94 analysis unhinged thoughts

hello hello! i am back with my thoughts for the latest chapter! please note that there are spoilers ahead for chapter 94! (Long-ish post incoming?)

Okay, so I loved this chapter. I'm a person who loves locked room murder mystery type stories, so this definitely scratched that itch for me. Obviously, I'm biased.

Analysis (of sorts?):

Right off the bat I can say that this chapter isn't really oriented on emotions or certain character dynamics. It is pretty plot heavy (but. not to the main plot. this chapter in itself has a plot to its own, but I really really liked it).

So the chapter starts with Bondman facing off an enemy in a snowy mountain...

which, of course, inspires Anya to have an adventure of her own. She asks Loid to take her skiing, only to be flatly denied...

BUT! Agent Anya has tricks up her sleeve (threatening to cry), and that works on our dear, super-spy Agent Twilight (he's so weak and stupid y'all.)

side note:

he thinks he's soooo cool. he's not.

Anyway, we get Twilight trying to explain skiing to Yor, which... fails, kinda. we also get gymnastics from Yor, (SHE's the cool one), and a half-baked explanation from her about learning all that from a gymnastics teacher.

The Forgers are trapped in a snowy blizzard, which leads them to take refuge in a lodge. They meet a group of young college students, who regale them with a tale of a bloody snowman who kills people in the dark.

Might just be me, but this design reminds me of Type-F from the new Code White movie (note: this isn't exactly a spoiler, I haven't seen the movie, but this is what's on the wiki and in the trailers). The snowy backdrop + this Type-F-esque design might be a homage to the movie? Probably just me, though, haha.

Anyway, onto the main focus of the story (kidding, it's not):

WE COULD'VE HAD IT ALL..... YOR AND LOID SLEEPING ON THE SAME BED.... WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN....

(jk, it probably wouldn't have happened, but a girl can dream)

"Eh, why not?" Certainly, these words CANNOT exist in the vocabulary of THE Agent Twilight! Perhaps.... no, it can't be... he's finally RELAXED for once? Feeling secure enough to ASSESS THE LAYOUT FOR POSSIBLE ESCAPE ROUTES WITH HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER? No... it can't be possible....

(Sorry, I know I'm unfunny. I don't think that'll change)

But, genuinely, this just shows how at ease he is with his wife and daughter. He might not know it yet, but I know it (← somebody whose opinion isn't worth shit).

Finally, onto the main crisis of the story:

the would-be murderer.

There's something to be said about how he jumped into action to save the guy's life, (as one does), BUT. BUT

OHOHOHO. The minute Yor's in danger (see: the man reached out to grab her but Loid just grabbed his hand) he decides to find the killer to prove her innocence. (You know his adage? A spy should never draw attention to themselves.) The minute his WIFE was in danger he resolves to find the killer and prove Yor's innocence their guilt. HMMMMM. Agent Twilight, you ain't slick. I think you momentarily forgot about about your #1 lesson to never draw attention to yourself just to prove Yor's innocence. OHHHHHH. The fanfiction is fanfiction-ing

(I'M SORRY I'LL TRY TO BE FUNNY FROM NOW ON)

To summarize the rest of the chapter: Anya realises with her telepathy that the killer is the lodge owner, and meddles in the investigation to nudge Loid in the right direction, and the police arrive to the lodge to find the incident resolved. Everyone's happy, right?

Not... really.

Anya's excited because, "Wow, I solved a murder! So cool, best trip ever!"

But Yor and Loid aren't that happy. Loid is worried that this kind of meddling will get Anya in danger... and he's more worried that she isn't really grasping the gravity of the situation.

Which. She kind of isn't. A man was almost killed, but she's not showing any signs of shock? Remember, he was this worried even after the hospital visit where she makes a mess of that sand-model thingie, and after the bus hijacking arc, when she's hyped about the Stella, and he tells her that the Stella was "not for the reckless way you defied those hijackers."

Which.... is a lot of character development from the man who was A-OK with leaving her alone in the apartment, to now how he constantly worries about her wellbeing. Growth.

Also, another tidbit:

I feel like this chapter showcases another facet of his personality. Not Agent Twilight's, or Loid's, but [REDACTED]'s.

[REDACTED] always wanted to help. Even in the War Arc, when, in Luwen where he was staying at his great-uncle's house, we can see that he wants to catch fish for his and his family's dinner, while, in the backdrop, children are laughing and playing. It's always been in his character to help, and, hell, it's partly the reason he is who he is today. Agent Twilight wants to think that he left [REDACTED] behind after that fateful bombing in Luwen, but [REDACTED] is hanging around him like a ghost, and some of his character bleeds through the facade that is Agent Twilight, which is masked by the facade that is Loid Forger.

Final thoughts:

Loved the chapter. It's probably just me reading into it too much, but... that scene where he grabs the guy's hand who was trying to tie up Yor. Hm.

This entire chapter might have been a locked-room murder mystery type chapter, but I genuinely think that it showcases how much of an effect this family has had on Agent Twilight. What with taking Anya on a sweep of the premises to look for escape routes, to trying to prove Yor's innocence that definitely betrayed his number 1 rule as a spy... this man is truly so oblivious, I wanna cry.

(Also: did he not stop for a moment to think that him performing first-aid on the victim, or trying to build a radio from scratch OR playing detective to prove his wife's innocence IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF OSTANIAN PEOPLE would raise suspicions? Obviously, it was all overshadowed by the discovery of the would-be killer, but... at least one person had got to have been suspicious of Loid.)

(Also also: He's so weak. One look at her crying face and he's gone.)

This was just my thoughts from a preliminary read of the chap, so if I get more thoughts, I'll probably add onto it in a reblog or a new post. Tysm for reading! Hope you liked it, and have a great day/night! Remember to stay hydrated!

[moratcha]

Wait wait wait, the dadchuck au is amazing!

Now I'm wondering if falin and laois know they're siblings (if they still are in this au) and how they find out. I can imagine how the two would infodump to eachother about eachothers interests and everything.

Also with chilchuck being the one eaten- the angst of Falin wanting her dad back ;-; ooooh I love that, maybe Falin and Laois know they're siblings by that point and laois is determined to make his sister feel better.

Anyway I will happily continue eating this au up cause I love it

(HI THERE!!!! first of all, i’m so glad you like my au— it means a whole lot! i’m insane about chil & falin in specific and so something with them as the sole focus was clearly overdue……….)

Second of all, Falin and Laios do eventually figure out that they’re siblings, yes. This is where it gets a little bit confusing tbh LOL.

Falin still attends Magic School when she’s old enough to be on her own (around 15ish up until around like, 19?) albeit it’s not a result of her parents forcing her out because she’s off-putting and not good for social standing, but rather that Chilchuck + Chilchuck Wife encourage her to pursue her talents because they think it could lead to a successful career/stable life for herself in the future. (That and because they’re good parents. However during Falin’s time at school this is when Chil & his wife end up Separating LOL)

During Falin’s time at Magic School, Laios passes through because he’s working for the caravan. Coincidentally, the two run into each other (and they totally geek out about the authentic naturally-formed dungeon nearby…) and in typical Touden nature the two go “wow! we look super alike! isn’t that neat. would be weird if we were siblings or something lol”. but anyway. the two hit it off and falin learns of his plans to traverse to Melini.

(this intrigues her especially because of the dungeon that’s said to exist there and, in this AU, there’s some Haha Uh Oh! between Marcille + Falin because with a traditionally shorter lived race as a father Falin is way more apt towards Marcille’s “i need all the races to live as long as me” plan.)

So falin leaves with laios (tells marcille she’s going on a research-based expedition) and white boy has a lightbulb moment when he remembers that he apparently had a sibling who was said by his parents to have been taken away at a young age. in typical touden fashion AGAIN they have an “omg… maybe we’re long lost siblings…” moment.

This is also how Chilchuck joins the party because a few years down the line his daughter writes a letter to him basically saying “Dad! I found a guy who might be my long lost sibling! We’re going into a highly dangerous dungeon together with little to no skill! With love, Your Daughter” and he has a heart attack on the spot and goes My Alcoholism can wait i will NOT let my daughter be scammed into poor finance-based decision making. And literally writes back going “DON’T GO ANYWHERE I’M COMING.” and shows up to Melini like the next day. (He has especial beef with Laios in this AU for a hot minute)

[journey-to-the-attic]

I had a prophetic vision.

as a disclaimer this is all so OOC- I get really worried about my random brain junk because I know that I mischaracterize them quite a bit but it's junk for a reason I guess 😅

so I was daydreaming about JTTA while listening to music as per usual and a specific song came up (idk the song it was classical music) and it was very dramatic and it planted this whole SCENE in my head of like. IK in some extreme danger in front of a Big BadTM or something and she's tweaking out because she knows she's about to die *again* and there's nothing she can do to stop it and she just has this moment of complete and utter pridefulness where her thoughts are like "Oh c'mon like seriously? I was killed by one of the seven deadly sins and now I'm gonna get wiped out by this lowlife? I'm so above this"

and so naturally my brain said "hmmm what if IK but cool pact magic???"

So THEN I had this vision of like. when she's having these moments of like, drowning in their respective sins, she goes Magic Girl ModeTM and kind of snatches their powers if that makes sense.....the one I saw specifically was the pride thing with Lucifer, and there's this like huge outpouring of *something* from somewhere in the Devildom, and everyone rushes over to see IK with huge, black raven wings and pitch black hair, and her irises have gone red and everything. she's EMO NOW guys she means BUSINESS. and she's flying over this Big BadTM with a ball of purple magic nonsense in her hand (AKA what Lucifer used to doink her hand!!! CALLBACKS PEOPLE) naturally she passes out from the whole thing because she's only a tiny human and Lucifer's amount of pride has the same effect as a tranq that you'd use on a rampaging elephant butttt the others are like "whoah did you guys see THAT"

anyways yeah. thought that was pretty cool, also high-key just an excuse to make IK look even more like her father

top 1 thing that make me want to draw WHAT THE HECK!!! in a more ambitious timeline i would immediately undertake drawing a Superpowered IK for each sin/brother because but for now..... i will marinate in this idea......

obviously lucifer is very worried but i feel like a part of him is also doing the pleased dad thing where he's like "haha of course my daughter would be able to wield colossal demonic power despite her mundane human body, she's just that talented"

(i think ik taking on his appearance would also make him reconsider some things about himself, because he knows he has a parental sort of affection but he still tries to convince himself that he's just being a big brother sometimes. this fully makes him go yeah i'm a father now)

i feel like the other brothers would also tease him like "wow you're SO full of yourself that ik's body literally couldn't handle it" lol

[littlelegoman]

LMK NINJAGO CROSS OVER, BUT IT'S JUST LLOYD AND MK SWITCHING PLACES FOR A WEEK

Tang (possibly Pigsy, too): Wow, that sounds like a lot to go through as a child. And you bodily became 18 when you were 12? I'm so sorry, they shouldn't have done that to you..

Lloyd: Well-- it was to save the city--

Tang: What did that city ever do for you? I mean, your whole life is just one tragedy after another; your mother abandons you, your father is locked away, you get sent to a boarding school to make you evil and you still get bullied there. You're manipulated multiple times by adults, and sure, you tried to do that once to them, but you were a child. They were adults. That's not fair.

Lloyd: It was destiny, I had to because of the prophesy...

Tang: No, you had a choice. You didn't have to do all that, and even if you wanted to, you could've waited till you were mature enough to understand the severity of it. Your uncle trains you-- actually, he forcibly takes you, which legally would happen anyways as your only relative, but the law was never involved, not to mention you were under the impression you'd be hurt.

Tang: It's not your fault either. You were coerced into it. The prophesy never said when you had to defeat your father, right?

Lloyd: Well, I don't entirely remember....

Tang: You needed an adult who wasn't going to use you, and you never got that. You never got a childhood, and that's terrible. I'm so upset that this happened to you because no kid deserves this. I'm not completely okay with MK being the Monkie Kid; I mean, look at all the danger it's put him through - but at least he was an adult, old enough to make his own conscious choice.

Lloyd: I...

Lloyd: Thanks, mom.

Tang: It's no pro-- wait what?

MK: And you have elemental powers?! Oh, that's so cool! I don't have any of those, really. I mean, I can do a lot of things that the Monkey King can do, but I don't think controlling elements was one of them.

Zane: It is awesome, of course, but we have years of years of unpacked trauma.

MK: Same!! :D

Red Son: Your father... was okay with you becoming a hero?

Lloyd: He wasn't the best, but it's not completely his fault. The whole venom and oni thing really messed him up. He knew what he was, and he... deep down, he wanted a safe world for me, and fhst meant a world without him.

Red Son:.... I see.

Lloyd: So, uh, you want to be like your father?

Red Son: Well, of course I do! I'm not some a simple-minded peasant like Noodle Boy or Dragon Girl! My father's legacy is one to behold with pride.

Lloyd:... but?

Red Son, sighing: but my father barely recognizes my greatness; and Noodle Boy and his peasant friends do....

MK: Why is... why.. (MK, trying to talk about Garmadon)

Wu: Ah... My brother and I share Oni and Dragon blood... when he was bitten by The Great Devourer, it caused his blood to turn cold.

MK: Does that mean you can become evil too?

Wu, caught off guard: Oh. I..

Wu, sighing: Yes. That is a possibility. I trained my students the best way I knew how... I.. admit I wasn't the best

MK, smiling brightly: HAHA, yeah, you weren't!

Wu, offended:

MK: Wait-- you ABANDONED your son to an evil school?!

Misako: I-- I did.

MK: Why not send him to a normal school?! Or with Mister Wu?! If you knew he was gonna beat up his dad, wouldn't it have helped if he grew up with morals???

Lloyd: I mean no offense, Sun Wukong, but I don't know why MK still likes you.

Wukong: Honestly, I don't either

[bodycountgame]

Hello! I was a big fan of the series a while a go and it is lovely to see that you are back. I'm terribly sorry that other anons put you through a lot with the voting aspect of the game. Absolutely no one deserves death threats for a story that they are bringing to us for free. However, I am not going to lie, I always feel a bit worried when a fandom majority vote is what has long lasting effects on character life/death. It was ok when it was everyone voting with an equal effect. Now there will be a wealth gap to vote. Only people that pay can contribute. And at least where I'm from wealth looks a certain kind of way.

Since you have characters that are in a minority it feels... Bad. Maybe I'm projecting how racist and transphobic my home country is on the vote for this game. I also don't want you to feel like this is an attack on you because that is not my intent at all! I love the diversity in the love interests and it was what brought me to the game initially. I am worried that if you do a majority vote on Patreon that characters that aren't white/cis will face a harsher vote. Trans lives are in danger and I was not surprised when a nonbinary character died first. I was part of the fandom and people treated them very grossly (it actually made me step away for a bit as well). There were many options but the vocally out and proud person got the boot first. What I'm saying is I trust you more than your Patreon supporters. If the people can't all vote as one, due to the actions of some terrible people, then maybe we shouldn't vote at all

anon, i totally understand your concerns because i absolutely shared them. to be completely honest with you, i had totally misjudged which characters i thought were popular or not and watching the three non binary cast members struggle through that first vote felt Bad. my personal disappointment about ellis being the character to receive the least votes in the vote contributed in no small part to the twist in chapter 3 and their revised arc (which was Not planned when i set out writing body count hahaha). howeverrrrrr, i did learn a lot from the process.

my main motivator behind making the vote patreon exclusive was that the voters would be genuinely invested in the game and that the polling would be much harder to game or manipulate. selfishly, i also think it will reduce a certain amount of the absolute barrage of wild anons from the first time around haha!

in addition to that, though, i think its important that i reaffirm what i have said from the start: i am acutely aware that in interactive fiction in general and particularly on tumblr there is a strong preference for white male characters, and i am not here to write some kind of gross POC/women/nb slasher. as much as i want the audience to have a say in the direction the story takes, i ultimately have final say on what happens in the story that i am writing.

the main way that i intend to have oversight of the voting process is by who appears on the polls in the first place; the first poll was the last time the whole cast will be available for a vote at the same time. since ellis, one of three NB cast members, was the first character to die, i've said that neither of the other NB cast members will appear on future polls. if it's women and POC suffering in the next vote, then i'll be applying similar logic. if that means we get towards the end and we need a white boy only poll then so be it!

that said, if people cannot behave then i will simply take away their toys. although i consider the voting mechanic to be one of the things that makes body count unique and fun, i'm absolutely not above doing away with it if there are Shenanigans that spoil it, ya know?

anyway, i hope that assuages some of your concerns! sorry for another giant wall of text wow i simply cannot answer a question concisely atm

[rising-volteccers]

So, have this self indulgent take of Friede's POV in HZ044 ft some dialogue and scenes I wished he had. Why is it when I'm sick that I have the motivation to finish WIPs. At the very least it gave me a reason to rewatch some episodes haha

Anyway, hope this is an enjoyable read still! Spoilers for HZ044.

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Spinel, Cap

--

Aside from the wild Pokemon that quickly dispersed upon spotting their little group, Friede couldn't shake off the uneasy sensation that settled over him at how quiet the island was. Granted, confronting the Explorers on their turf wasn't ideal but they had little choice if they wanted to stop them from catching Rayquaza. Even a formidable Legendary could fall prey to whatever the Explorers had in store for it.

Eventually, Friede and the others reached the odd building. Once again, the lack of any lookout sowed further uneasiness within him. 

Surely the Explorers were alerted of their presence, or at least knew that they knew about their plans to capture Rayquaza. If Friede was in their shoes, he'd at least place multiple guards to protect the area.

Seemed like they did so with Magneton and Beheeyem hovering around the place earlier. 

A pair of Pokemon that he was very familiar with. 

Friede had a score to settle. Not only for that ambush back in Levincia but for putting Liko through an awful experience. Memory tempering was a downright deplorable act in the first place but to inflict it on a child?

Certainly a dangerous opponent that he can't underestimate. 

After a quick dash towards the singular door, Friede raised his hand for the others to stop. The other went to test the handle.

“It’s open? That can't be right,” he muttered. From what they knew of the Explorers that went in here, this felt suspiciously sloppy. With no lookout and conveniently unlocked door…

“You wait out here. If anyone shows up–” he began but Roy quickly interrupted him.

“We battle them!” Liko too nodded in agreement to Roy's response.

Friede gazed at the kids. He wanted to say that they should run and hide but he found it hard to say otherwise, not when they looked so determined. Didn't he allow them to join because he believed in their strength?

(A smile subconsciously formed on his lips. Murdock was right. Kids really do grow up quickly). 

“Gramps, you look after these two.”

“Mmm-hmm, these two are in my care,” Ludlow replied.

Assured of their safety, Friede turned towards the door. “Alright, time to get in there!”

Slowly, Friede opened the door. Light spilled into the dark room, and from what little that he saw showed a completely emptied space. Cap jumped off his shoulder after a few steps in, scanning the area just as he did. 

They barely had time to react when the door swung shut. Within seconds, Friede heard Roy pounding on the door, calling for his name. He hated distressing the kids but his suspicions were proven true. 

“Heh, seems like the others missed out on your little trap,” Friede spoke into the darkness. 

“No matter,” a smooth voice responded. Friede's eyes swiftly trained onto the light emitted from an Umbreon’s rings. “Mere children are no threat to us once we've set our minds on something.”

While Friede couldn't get a proper look at the guy standing next to Umbreon, he recognised that voice all too well.

“That voice… so you finally show your face, Mr Awfully Shy.”

“Welcome Professor Friede. I've been waiting for you.” As pleasantly polite as his smile and tone was, Friede knew there was zero respect to the title he called him with. 

“I anticipated the possibility of Coral leaking our plans. This place was built to imprison you.”

“So you also anticipated I'd come here. Wow, I feel special to get such preferential treatment,” Friede replied with a small huff, lips set into a smirk. At the very least, he was the only one trapped here, sparing the kids and Ludlow from the same fate.

“Liko! Roy!” He began, eyes never once straying from his opponent. “This is the wrong place! Keep looking around!”

Initially he heard Roy's protest but that quickly died down. Good, he trusted Ludlow to keep the kids calm and guide them elsewhere. The longer they lingered, the higher the chances of the Explorers’ plans coming to fruition. 

Once he could no longer hear them outside the door, that was when Friede released a tiny exhale. With the kids hopefully far away from here, he could now fully focus on finding a way out of his predicament.

“So, just the two of us–well, I guess four if you count Cap and that Umbreon of yours. What, not bringing Beheeyem and Magneton into the mix too?” Friede drawled, one hand settled on his hip. His first course of action was to scope out this guy, see if he'd divulge in the exact nature of the Explorers' plans.

“They’ve performed their part well. I simply need to keep you here, Professor. I've determined that my Umbreon here is enough.” 

“I'm surprised. I thought you were the sort to play dirty, press whatever advantage you have.” Friede's previously light tone took on a hardened edge, feelings that he had over his first encounter with this man bubbling to the surface. “What, memory wipes are off the table now?”

“There is no such need to use that method when the present situation is sufficient.”

Friede didn't think he had a temper, rare as it was for him to get angry in the first place but he can't deny the hot surge as he snarled out, “But you'd do it to a child?”

“Oh? My, I see what it is now,” came the infuriatingly calm response. “I did not harm the girl, no? I could have approached her like I did with you but I chose to go about it in a peaceful way. If anything, you should be grateful for it.”

To his still adjusting eyes, Friede spotted the faint smirk. Briefly, he entertained an uncharacteristically violent fantasy. The sheer audacity of his lacking remorse in what he subjected a child through…

“Pika.” Cap’s brief call snapped Friede out of his thoughts. His eyes flickered to his partner, who shot him a quick glance in return. 

Right, Friede needed to remember his position. Losing his cool would simply put him at a disadvantage. If anything, this was probably a part of that man’s plan to get a rise out of him so that he'd make mistakes.

Friede took in a subtle breath, then exhaled quietly. He shoved down the bubbling anger until he slipped on his usual confidence once more. His own smirk returned, mind racing to choose his next words. 

“I'll show you how grateful I really am,” Friede steadily replied to the provocation. “Still, there's one thing that I'm trying to wrap my head around. Don't think you can answer it, do you?”

“Seems like you saw through it,” he uttered, not sounding put off in the slightest. “But I suppose I can. What's on your mind, Professor?”

“See, Rayquaza’s appearance is unpredictable in the first place. Even if you can narrow down where it'll appear, not many mons can get close to it unless they're able to fly. Even then, it's powerful enough to repel most attacks.”

Friede briefly recalled the battle Amethio’s Ceruledge had with it a while back. Even with Phantom Force in its arsenal, it still couldn't land a strong enough hit to take Rayquaza out of the sky.

“What makes the Explorers so confident that you're able to capture Rayquaza?”

“Hmph. Well, it's because we'll lure Rayquaza out using a resonance generator.”

“A resonance generator?” Friede had a vague idea on what such a device could do from its name.

“Yes. I analyzed the accumulated data and recreated the energy Terapagos emits when calling to Rayquaza.”

“Even if you can call it, do you really think you can beat it?”

“Three skilled Explorers are on the job. They will bring it down,” came the confident response.

“That's a surprise. Didn't peg you as the type to ask for help,” Friede replied. He filed away everything he learnt for future consideration. To think that the Explorers were able to replicate the energy Terapagos let out. They truly were a formidable enemy.

“Don't be ridiculous.” The scoff wasn't unexpected considering what Friede gleaned from this guy's personality. “I am simply using them. I shall acquire the black Rayquaza without even fighting it.”

Once he called out for Umbreon, Friede knew casual conversations were over. It was time to battle.

“Not if I can help it!” Friede instinctively pulled out Charizard's Pokeball before he realized a crucial fact.

“In this confined space, you cannot make use of Charizard's flight. Not let it go on a Terastallized rampage.”

“So you anticipated all of this, huh?” Friede had to concede that in this particular room, he was at a disadvantage with Charizard. His partner's strength lay in its maneuverability within the field,  allowing it chances to gain the upper hand against a grounded opponent. Not to mention, its Fire-type moves could be a bit too dangerous within an enclosed room. 

“Pika.” 

Friede's eyes went to Cap, who threw off his hat as his readiness for battle. Right, he had another strong Pokemon that could face off against the Umbreon. 

“A Pikachu? You're toying with me.”

“Heh. I've heard the same thing from someone else before.” What was it with his opponents underestimating a Pikachu? “You're gonna regret it.”

“Umbreon! Use Snarl!”

With a growl, Umbreon released red rings of energy from its mouth that hit Cap straight on.

“Don't let it faze you, Cap! Use Double Team!”

Cap swiftly jumped out of the Snarl’s path, creating multiple clones of itself to confuse Umbreon. 

“Thunder Punch!”

Cap alongside his clones surged forward towards Umbreon, his true self charging up a Thunder Punch. It almost hit the Umbreon if not for the sudden Reflect it threw up, halting the Thunder Punch in its tracks.

“Keep it up! Double Team!”

Cap once again made multiple clones of himself but the Umbreon retaliated by an exceptionally speedy Quick Attack that took out all the clones.

“Cap, meet it with a Thunder Punch!”

Still in mid air, Cap turned with a lightning encased fist towards Umbreon. It looked like the punch connected but it seemed that Umbreon used its tail to block the move. Before Cap could recover, Umbreon got behind him.

“Foul Play!”

Umbreon flipped around and used its back legs to kick Cap away with tremendous force. Friede watched his partner fly halfway across the room to hit the wall behind him, causing dust to kick up from the impact.

“Cap!” Friede called out. Thankfully, that wasn't enough to take his partner out. With a nod, he muttered, “Now, what to do next?”

“Pi Pika.” Cap drew his attention again. It was a subtle shift but Friede spotted the crack on the wall’s joint. He quickly understood what Cap meant. 

“Wanna try for it?”

“Pikachu!”

Right, with a vague plan in mind, it was time to carry it out. Friede will put his trust in Cap's endurance for them to overcome this situation.

“Cap, Double Team and get up close!”

Cap once again created multiple clones of himself to surround Umbreon. While it tried to find the real version, all of the Pikachu rushed forward with their fists raised. Friede hoped that without calling for the move, it would catch Umbreon off guard with its timing to block.

Though, the Explorers simply called for another Reflect that just about blocked Cap’s Thunder Punch. Cap was speedy enough to get away before it could retaliate with Foul Play. It certainly was foul in the way it used Cap's strength against him.

If Cap can't connect with close ranged attacks, perhaps it was time to switch it up.

“Cap, keep your distance and use Thunderbolt!”

Cheeks sparking, Cap quickly fired off a Thunderbolt towards Umbreon–only for it to dodge using a Quick Attack. Umbreon solidly connected against Cap to send him flying back, and due to Cap's position, he went straight towards Friede.

Instinctively, Friede braced himself to catch his partner. The force knocked the wind out of his chest, though he remained on his feet. Cap quickly jumped out of his arms to look up at him, concern swimming in his usually confident eyes. 

“Heh, don't worry about me Cap. You know I've taken much worse from you before,” Friede assured his partner. While he did feel twinges of pain from his torso, it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He had taken harder, electric fueled hits from Cap back during their first meeting after all.

Cap nodded once and turned his focus back to the battle at hand.

“My, you're quite hardy, Professor.”

“Comes with the territory of studying Pokemon,” Friede quipped. Before he could say any further, loud explosions were heard from outside, strong enough that he felt the vibrations within the room.

“Seems the black Rayquaza has shown itself.”

If that was truly the case, Friede had to escape as quickly as possible. He trusted Ludlow to look after the kids, and while they've grown to be capable battlers in their own rights, the likes of Rayquaza were still too much for them.

“Cap!”

Cap quickly charged up another Thunder Punch but Umbreon swiftly countered it with Foul Play. After a quick block with its tail, Umbreon kicked Cap away, sending him flying towards the wall again.

Friede gritted his teeth from the impact. It was hard to watch but he trusted Cap. His partner dashed past him with a Thunder Punch charged up, one that Umbreon once again responded with Foul Play.

“We’re not done yet!” 

This cycle repeated itself, ending with another hard crash against the wall. Cap took a moment to stand up this time, the damage clearly taking its toll.

“Are you just stalling for time? This battle's going nowhere.”

“Correct. You are powerless here,” was the confident reply, arms spread in grandiose. “You cannot even hope to escape.”

Friede certainly hated that infuriating smile of his. As much as he wanted to wipe that off, they can't stray from the plan.

“Don't give up, Cap! Keep at it!”

Thunder Punch met Foul Play once more, resulting in another crash from behind him. Friede clenched his fists, casting a quick glance over his shoulder. Just a little bit more.

“Your struggling will amount to nothing.”

Friede noticed that something in his tone changed. Perhaps in response to the smirk he gave, now confident that this plan will succeed. He won't give the guy time to ponder.

“That should be enough, Cap! Use Volt Tackle!” Friede ordered.

With Cap’s body encased in electricity, he rushed towards Umbreon with all the power he could muster.

Instead of using Foul Play, Umbreon used Reflect just as Friede hoped it would. Volt Tackle was just far too strong to effectively counter with Foul Play.

Friede watched as Cap turned mid rush, feet connecting solidly with the barrier. He used it as a springboard to fly towards the wall with all the momentum of Volt Tackle behind it. 

The small crack formed from all the previous crashes blew wide open from the tackle. Friede felt himself smirk as he said, “Sorry for wrecking the place.”

Without waiting for a response, Friede swiveled on his heel to make a dash towards the opening. As he took out Charizard's Pokeball, he heard from behind him: “My Foul Plays, meant to turn Pikachu's strength against it…”

“Yeah, I turned em right back at you!” Friede shot back.

He tossed out Charizard's Pokeball. His partner wasted no time in lowering itself for easy mounting, and after Cap hopped on, the trio flew to the skies.

Once they put some distance from the building, Friede took out Cap’s hat and put it on his head. 

“You showed some real grit, Cap.” Truly they wouldn't have succeeded if not for Cap's endurance. 

Now that they were past that obstacle, it was time to turn their attention to the black Rayquaza. 

“Is that the place? Hightail it, Charizard!”

With a mighty flap of its wings, they were off towards Rayquaza. Hopefully the kids were able to avoid too much trouble.

[iturnlemonadeintolemons]

hi firstly love your one-shots and drabbles if you are still taking requests i would love to see one where kluas and caroline meet somewhere and he annoys her predictably haha but he grows on her but she doesn't want a relationship (reason known or unknown) and they go their sepertae ways only to see each other again where they fall for each ohter. thank you!

“This is a complete waste of time,” Caroline hisses, her phone in danger of being crushed by her grip. “I hate this.”

“So you’ve said, Care,” Bonnie’s voice comes through the phone, pots clanging behind her.

“You better not mess up my system, Bon,” Caroline warns her, handing money to the barista. “I'm already in a bad mood, so I will kill you when I get home.”

“Oh, you mean when you get home in a few…weeks?” Bonnie asks innocently. “That sounds about right.”

Caroline growls. “You're a menace and I hate you.”

“Liar,” Bonnie says cheerfully. “Bye, Care!”

She hangs up and Caroline irritably shoves the phone in her purse, mutters a thank you and grabs her coffee.

She’s only managed a few steps before it’s knocked right out of her hands. Coffee flies out of the cup (not literally, but enough to look like it’s in slow motion) and lands on her shirt, and the suit of the man before her.

Caroline stares at the shirt of the man before her in shock, unable to process her current predicament.

Then she’s reminded of her task for the day, and finds her voice.

“You…you klutz!” she shrieks, clenching her fists. “Are you incapable of looking where y—”

Her voice dies at she looks the man in the face.

And, really, she scolds herself for that later, but not in the moment, because wow.

Curly blonde hair. Eyes bluer than any sapphire she’s seen. And cheekbones that look like they were carved from freaking stone.

It’s all ruined, of course, by the arrogant, slightly annoyed, but at the same time, smug look on his face.

The nerve of this man.

Caroline finds her voice again, and draws herself up to her full height. “Well? Are you going to apologize?”

The man raises an eyebrow. “Apologize for what exactly, love?”

Caroline should be given an award for not melting at the accent, because turns out the guy is freaking British. How does that even happen?

“Are you blind? Can you not see my blouse?” she retorts snippily.

“I am not the one who bumped into someone clumsily—”

“I'm sorry, are you insinuating that this is my fault?”

“Well, you were looking elsewhere—”

“You were on your phone!” Caroline spits. “It is literally still in your hand!”

The man looks at his phone, confused. “Oh,” he says dismissively. “Must’ve been distracted. Terribly sorry, I was in the middle of a very important email. I'm sure you understand, given that you seem to be a…” He trails off, trying to make sense of her outfit.

“Model,” Caroline supplies sarcastically.

His eyebrows tick up. “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised, honestly.”

“You're a dick,” Caroline seethes. “Get out of my way.”

She’s two steps away from the door before he’s in her way again. “What?” she asks irritably.

The man smiles. “My sincerest apologies, love. Allow me to acquit myself.”

“Don’t call me love.”

“Can I have a name?” He dimples at her. The guy has the gall to freaking. Dimple.

“No,” she says shortly, pushing past him, striding out the door.

The ass has the nerve to follow her. “As I previously stated, love, I do apologize. Profusely. I was in a hurry, and I—”

“Great. Apology accepted. Now leave.”

He stops her, coming to stand in front of her. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

And he sounds earnest, so Caroline frowns. She sighs, setting the nearly empty cup of coffee down on a counter. “Nothing,” she grumps, grabbing a bunch of napkins and dabbing at her blouse. “Not much you could anyway. My shirt is ruined, and I have a very important thing I need to do—”

“That’s not an issue,” the man interrupts. “We’re on fifth avenue, love,” he smiles. “Do take your pick, I'd be happy to replace your clothing.”

Caroline eyes him warily. “Okay, I know you're a guy and all, but you have to know fifth avenue isn't a regular—”

“Anything you want.” He’s grinning, and Caroline closes her eyes in frustration.

“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

.

.

.

It’s amazing how patient he is.

It’s been forty-five minutes since they’ve been in one store, and the guy—Nik, he tells her—follows her wherever she goes, holding her purse as she browses through the racks.

Caroline itches to tell him to look at the price tags, because she’s in freaking Gucci and the stuff here is not cheap. She has two pairs of designer clothing, at most, in her closet at home, one of which was a gift, and this guy is letting her parade around in the store like she owns it.

“Are you sure—” she starts again, whirling to face him.

Nik smiles at her, cocking at eyebrow. “My answer is the same, as it was the last four times you asked.”

Caroline rolls her eyes, unable to keep a smile forming on her face, turning away to hide it. “You're very good at this, you know,” she informs him, looking at him through the rows of hangers.

Nik looks at her bemusedly. “Good at what?”

“The whole shopping thing. You know, where a couple is on a date, and it was the girlfriend’s turn to pick, and the guy just drags her bags around while trying not to collapse of boredom. You're very steady on your feet.”

Nik’s grin broadens. “So we’re on a date?”

A flush spreads across her face. “I didn’t say that.”

“But you implied it,” he replies cheerfully, his lips twitching when she glares at him.

“Opinion,” she orders, ignoring his last statement, holding a pretty red shirt against her chest. It’s modest and cute enough for jury duty, and the price range is affordable enough that Caroline would consider buying it for herself.

Nik surveys it, cocking his head to the side. “It’s nice,” he says finally. “But it would help if you told me the occasion of where you wanted to wear it.”

“Jury duty,” she answers dismissively, folding it over her arm and eyeing another blue blouse that’d go great with her jacket.

Nik freezes behind her, and Caroline frowns, turning around to face him. “What?”

“Nothing, love. Which case are you on?”

“I'm not supposed to tell anyone, actually. Even if I did, I don’t know yet, but I do know they're taking us to Boston for a couple weeks.”

Nik nods slowly. “I see.”

Caroline narrows her eyes. “Why are you being weird?”

“I'm not,” he laughs. “Have you chosen what you're buying, then?”

Caroline hesitates, looking the two shirts in her hands over. “The red one,” she says finally. “It’ll look nice with my skirt. I just think you should check the price—”

Nik turns the label over, barely giving it a glance before handing his card over to the cashier. Caroline’s mouth drops as he takes the bill, handing her the shopping bag. “There. Do you want to go change in the dressing room? I'll wait outside.”

“Uh, I..” She’s stuttering, reddens when he smirks at her. “Yes,” she manages, whirling into the changing room and locking the door behind her.

She finds Nik outside the store when she comes out, checking his phone, typing something out. He grins when he sees her, pocketing the phone immediately. “Thank you,” she bursts out before he can say anything. “I didn’t…I never expected you to actually go through with it.”

Nik shrugs. “I did ruin your blouse, love. It was an easy fix.”

“An expensive fix,” Caroline corrects him. “Can I buy you coffee?”

Nik smirks. “Are you asking me out?”

Caroline scoffs. “I am not. I'm asking you if you want to get coffee after you so rudely spilled mine.”

“Ah, excuses,” he says breezily, tugging her towards the coffee shop. “The lengths to which you go to, sweetheart, when you could easily have me without even asking.”

She hasn’t blushed this much since ninth grade when Matt asked her to the Valentine’s dance.

“Cocky,” she replies haughtily, letting herself be led. “This is not a date, Nik. I'm not interested.”

“Keep telling yourself that, love.”

.

.

.

He's funny, she realizes, and in a way she actually gets. He gets her jokes and nods and makes remarks at the right times, meaning he's actually listening. He's ridiculously charming as well, flirting with her in between all their stories. He's witty, and smart. And it's not like he's not good-looking generally, but—

His smile.

God.

He looks so handsome when he smiles.

Is it really her fault she kisses him when he slides the last piece of his cake over to her?

Nik's eyes are dark when she pulls away, and her face reddens. "I—I'm sor—"

"Don't you dare apologize for that," Nik murmurs, surging forward to take her lips with his again, making her apology die on her tongue.

His lips are swollen when he pulls away. "Have dinner with me."

Caroline smiles. "No."

No relationships for a year. She doesn't have time for a relationship with her new job, and certainly not with a man who makes her forget every coherent thought she has when he kisses her.

He frowns. "Why?"

"It's complicated," she answers, and he doesn't press further, just pouts.

"How am I supposed to kiss someone else after this, then? You're a glorious kisser."

She snorts. "You have a memory, then."

"I'll make sure it lasts. Just two kisses, though, I feel deprived."

She grins at him over her coffee. She means it, though. Not the part about him being an idiot, the part about a relationship. She doesn't even have time to hang out with her friends lately, a boyfriend is more than she can handle.

However...

"Well," she continues, biting her lip. "That depends."

"On what?"

"If you think I'm trashy if I tell you I want to take your clothes off in the bathroom."

She pretends his smirk does nothing for her.

.

.

.

For a split-second she'd thought she'd regret this.

The thought is quickly snuffed when Nik locks the stall behind them and presses his lips to her neck.

Normally, she'd be worried about getting attached. But she’s going off to Boston soon, and she never has to see him again, so what's the harm?

“Well, you could come to dinner with me when you get back,” Nik answers her question between lazy strokes of his tongue against her clit while she grips the marble countertop hard enough to break it.

“I'm still not going out with you,” Caroline gasps out, fisting her hand in his hair.

Nik clicks his tongue. “One excellent fuck on the counter it is, then.”

Caroline sighs when he surges up to kiss her and unbuttons her blouse. “I don’t usually do this, you know.”

“What?” Nik asks between kisses as she pushes the suit jacket off his shoulders and shoves down his pants.

“Have quickies in bathrooms of coffee shops.”

Nik looks delighted. “So I'm your first, then?”

“God, you're insufferable,” she groans, pulling him by his tie. “Are you ever not annoyi—”

She’s silenced by a quick thrust of his hips when he claps a hand over her mouth to stifle her moan.

.

.

.

“How’s the hotel?” Bonnie asks her as she’s getting dressed the next day.

“It’s nice.” Caroline runs a brush through her hair, frowning when the back puffs up. “I have to be at the courthouse in an hour. Luckily it’s only twenty minutes away. I might grab a coffee or something.”

“Well, good luck. Have fun jury-ing.”

“That’s not a word.”

“I'm going to go mess up your pots and pans now. Bye!”

Caroline mutters something unflattering under her breath, then grabs her purse and her room key, walking out the door. Stupid jury duty. She’s definitely going to be ranting at Bonnie when she gets home. Her best friend has the patience of a saint, she’d handle it.

Her cab’s late, predictably, but she reaches the courthouse with ten minutes to spare. She finds the courtroom quickly, and takes her seat just in time to see the judge sit down.

“All rise,” the judge drones, and everyone stands up, the defendant nervously looking at the jury when the bailiff swears them in. “Department one of the superior court is now in session, please be seated. The court calls to order Case 12389A. Prosecutor, opening statement, if you will.”

“Yes, your Honour,” says a voice from the far end, and Caroline’s brain stutters to a stop when she sees Nik stand up, his hands in the pockets of his suit.

Her eyes widen comically and she lets out a squeak, clapping her hand over her mouth. The juror next to her sends her a concerned look, which she brushes off. Nik’s still talking, but she’s not even paying attention. She’s on the jury on his case? Is this even ethical?

He doesn’t notice her, his eyes fixed on the judge, but Caroline’s fuming.

She’s going to kill him. She’d mentioned she’d be going to Boston for jury duty. Had it just conveniently slipped his mind to inform her that he was a lawyer who might be on the case she was on?

Maybe it’d be better, though. He’s probably forgotten her by now.

Nik sits back down, done with his opening statement, and with a quick sweep of the room, sends her a wink.

Her mouth actually drops.

“Potential juror thirteen.” A stern voice snaps her out of her trance to see the defence glaring at her. “Is there a problem?”

Caroline closes her mouth, gritting her teeth. “I have a conflict of interest.”

“By what—”

“It’s a personal—”

“Your Honour—”

The judge doesn’t even bat an eye. “Potential juror thirteen, you're dismissed.”

Well, at least something she’d seen on TV was true. Americans were really terrible about jury duty.

She storms out, ignoring the way Nik’s eyes twinkled when he laughed silently at her fit. Oh, she’s going to kill him. The nerve of him.

The fact that the guard outside tells her she can't leave the hotel they’ve been sequestered in because she was part of the case for however a short time doesn’t help her mood.

Neither does the knock at her door that night, which reveals the prosecutor himself, grinning at her, flashing her his dimples.

“Hello, love,” Nik smiles. “How about that dinner now?”

She slams the door in his face.

He wins her over eventually.

A year later.

[flodaya]

Just scrolled the tarot readers page. wow WOW. Timdayas having a meltdown

Did Pauline tell Armie she was pregnant🤯

She didn't, by the way😂

I dont think that's how tarot readings work😂

Noon doesn't like Tom because he was running away😬

Anyway a reading on Tom's future spouse is in the works😂

She's actually dangerous, I'm a non believer(haha) but she's just gaslighting vulnerable people, it's very wrong what she's doing

“I am not saying all this sexist biased bullshit, the cards are telling me 😇”

[lurkingteapot]

Laws of Attraction กฏแห่งรักดึงดูด Ep.01

sorry to @ginnymoonbeam and anyone else from the discord crew who's seeing this twice, I hope to type up a more coherent something at some point, but I wanted to record this somewhere.

I've put a cut because this is LONG, but the reactions include translations of stuff that apparently didn't get translated on iQiyi. Mind that I'm not fluent, this is without guarantees, etc.

WHOA starting right on a dramatic courtroom scene … and why does that the defendant look familiar?

oh fuck, he uses dirty tricks. I'm not surprised, but WOW.

haha, hi dude who played Jaosua Zhang in Khun Chai

oh god this Chinese is … something.

that shirt is a CHOICE

oh, wait, is this the dude who played … what's his face, the one who was going to sell out Thian in Khun Chai? is he gonna be our antag

ahaha he hit a nerve

ahaha how is it ALWAYS Film's characters getting saved by Jam's

ahaha Chaan hitting on Tinn. He's so sleazy, yikes

and of course he's hitting on Tinn, and Tinn has good instincts and avoids the murder eyes

oh god he looks dangerous, how is this the dude who played sweet Thian?? ACTING!!!!

… I'm not gonna comment on that

of course this show is gonna make it a mission to make me hungry

Khao is so cute

this is gonna hurt so much, eh

ooh so he teaches Taekwondo!! this is so cute

oh goodness, she wants to make merit for her parents ;-; SWEETHEART

HOLY SHIT. That wasn't even a hit-and-run, that was an intentional running-over

oh shit, these dudes look hiso

uurgh Chaan's face here is just like "here's money coming my way"

this kid is so prett I'm sure he'll get an redemption arc, but I hate him anyway, for now

here come Tinn and his auntie crashing this hiso politician's press junket, oops

Sign reads:

The lawsuit is not making progress. The perpetrator has not been punished.

they're really going for maximum

I love how Chaan already owes Tinn his life twice over, this is gonna make for an interesting dynamic

the romantic music, I cannot, this is a SOAP and it's leaning into it, I'm LIVING

oh, the way the mood INSTANTLY changed here, goddd

oh god, Chaan is SO removed from reality

or, well. jaded, I guess. Which we knew! from the trailer! BUT STILL

"you'll regret that" holy SHIT

WAS THAT THE ROSEWOOD AGAIN

oh, so Chaan also has Trauma(tm)?

This show is in the future, the texts read:

29 July 2023, 8:30, acc x-9732 incoming transfer 100 total balance 178,274.59 29 July 2023, 8:30, acc x-9732 incoming transfer 400 total balance 178,574.59 (idk I didn't math this, it's what it says) 29 July 2023, 8:30, acc x-9732 incoming transfer 400 total balance 180,574.59

love the commentary on this type of "journos"

I love Tinn's sister

I'm already excited for the moment Chaan starts to care. it's gonna be EPIC

he's such an ASSHOLE and I'm having a hard time with that because Thian was so sweet ACTING

I'm flashing back to Gram and White's "legal vs ethical" debate in Not Me

he can't apologise? oh Chaan, I think Tinn is going to make you eat your words.

okay I like that Tinn is apparently an asshole to everyone. equal opportunity asshole.

10:33: Ended voice call (22 seconds) 13:45: Message: "From today on, the party lawyers will take over Thaenthai's case. As for your wages, you can send [the bill?] now. I'll take care of it." (EDITED thanks to @recentadultburnout for your correction!)

I'm starting to think Tinn just doesn't know how not to be antagonistic

oh god are they gonna beat him up while he's wearing a ruffled blouse

oh YIKES

the shot of whatever that was? that's gonna be relevant later, I bet

YOU TELL HIM, TINN

acab acab acab ACAB FUCK THEM

oh god this show is gonna hurt even worse than I thought

If Chaan set that beating up I'm gonna … idk. not be surprised. but.

I can't believe the trailer essentially covered most of ep 1 and not that much from later on???

I didn't think we'd see Chaan undress and … from that set-up quite possibly assault him this early. Or frankly at all, despite how it was set up in the trailer. YIKES

THAT PREVIEW, HELP please tell me this is also a two episode a week show

[hillery]

the return of the youtube freaks

batwheels s3 the youtube freaks edition ep 1

bam reading: the return of the youtube freaks

in gotham. there is a statue of a youtube logo. the youtube freaks pop out to the portal in the dc world

hillery: *he touch he's head* ugh....wow where are we?

moonlight: see her hand gasp hillery, where in 3d dc world

Hillery: looking at the statue Wow, it seems like we've landed in a different dimension – the 3D DC world. But how did we get here?

Hillery: Hey, hey, hey, calm down, fuente. It's just a different dimension, there's nothing to be afraid of.

rozyclozy: yeah i guess. this 3d should be...idk

Lulu: looks around worriedly I wonder if this dimension is exactly like our own, but in 3D...

hillery: yes they might call.. dc batwheels

Shady: surprised Dc Batwheels, huh? So I guess we're in a 3D version of Batman's world. That's pretty cool.

the shadebooms: ooooohhhh

the shadebooms hide in the box in the batcave

The YouTube freaks sneak into the batcave, blending into their surroundings. They observe the 3D Batcave with caution

when redbird see the big box under neath

Redbird: quietly What's in this big box?

redbird: guys i got something!

The YouTuber freaks gather around Redbird, intrigued

Hillery: What did you find, Redbird?

moonlight: idk?

bam what is it, red?

Redbird: Looks like it's full of cool stuff!

bam: Wow, i wonder what's inside?

redbird quicky open the box of the bottom....the youtube freaks got shock

As Redbird opens the box, the YouTubers get shocked by what they see inside

shady: Whoa, what is that? It's glowing...

Hillery approaches the glowing object with caution, still confused

Hillery: hesitantly Is it... some kind of energy source?

Redbird: Wait a minute... do you think there are YouTubers inside the box?

Redbird: You're the Shadebooms? gasp

Bibi: We've heard so much about you guys! It's amazing to meet you in person!

Redbird: You can transform into a furries and ponies using your magic? That's incredible!

Redbird: What exactly is this "archemagic" you mentioned?

buff: well can the youtube freaks can talk to bc?

Bam: Sure, they can speak with BC. What would you like me to say to him?

shady: uhhh....who bc?

Bam: BC is the Batcomputer - she"s basically like the team's wise elder and guide. Whenever we need advice or help, we often turn to her for answers.

lulu: ohhhh we can talk to her

The YouTuber freaks approach the Batcomputer, excited to meet BC for the first time

BC: in a computerized voice Hello there, welcome to the Batcave. What can I do for you?

hillery: good to see you there, bc. moonlight: wow this cave is cool shady: wow...i gets that is a geeks and loved bat lol

BC: It's good to see you all as well. laughs Yes, the Batcave is quite impressive, isn't it? It's a place where we come to plan and strategize our missions.

lulu: ohhh i like it yay,yay,yaaaaayyyy

BC chuckles at Lulu's enthusiasm

BC: I'm glad you like it here. The Batcave has a lot to offer, including all sorts of gadgets and tools for our superhero activities.

The Legion of Zoom are relaxing in the parkam scrapyard when another portal opens up and an avatar furry pops out of a nearby statue

Elisa notices the portal and the avatar furry emerging from it

Elisa: eyes wide Oh my...what is happening here?

ducky: whoaa?

jestah: Who are those people that just came through the portal? Are they friendly or dangerous?

elisa: oh no...uhh...we are the minions/kids haha? anyway. my name is elisa and this is the racattes, buster and fifi

The Legion of Zoom members exchange puzzled glances

Elisa: We're the minions/kids? This is all getting a bit confusing.

binki: good to see you jestah: so how long did you get here?

Fifi: Yeah, that's a good question. It feels like we've been here for quite some time now, but I lost track of the days.

prank: huh? you mean the portal?

Jestah: nods Yes, the portal. When did you all come through the portal?

badcomputer: what do you think your doing!!!? huh? who are they?

estah: well bad....this is the kids

Badcomputer looks at the minions/kids with skepticism

Badcomputer: Kids, huh? Why are they here?

elisa: the portal is covering into a dc world. but it's just a 3d

badcomputer: 3d? oh...it's gonna be weird...

binki: we can be villain. right, ladies?

the kids: yeah sure

*the badcomputer ask about hey have to steal hillery's crown*

badcomputer: now both of you pay attention......there is a crown like a magic in the batcave

prank: uhhh.....who crown is that...his name is bugs bunny hillery

ducky: wah...bugs bunny hillery...he was savage...and his cutie mark is a painting

jestah: ducky's right...his workpower is art painting

badcomputer: very good my zooms....ducky, you're out about it...all you need to do is to take hillery's crown and wear it at the sametimes! *evil laugh*

zoomers: *evil laughs*

ducky: got it

elisa: wait ducky....there's only one thing..you haveto your hoodie so the heroes can't bother you

ducky: uhh...okay *he wear a hoodie to disguise*

in the batcave bc announces the time to the YouTubers

BC: Shadebooms, it's 10:02. It's bedtime for you all. Batwheels, it's time for you to sleep and recharge as well.

everyone is sleeping all day....ducky is hidding and tiptoe in the batcave... he slipping away and he take hillery's crown. and also he takes the batcomputer's motherboard. he step on that stuff toys

hillery hear a strange noise hillery: what was that? he saw a submarine duck with the hoodie

hillery: hey!..hold it right there ducky turn around and he saw hillery ducky: bugs bunny hillery

hillery: you're not to take that bc's motherboard moonlight stand back beside him

ducky open the hoodie

hillery: huh?...a duck?

As Ducky runs away, Hillery realizes that his crown is missing

Hillery: shocked My crown! Where did it go?

the shadebooms saw hillery is shocking moonlight: what's wrong hillery

Hillery: My crown! It's missing!

The shadebooms notice Hillery's distress and gather around him

ducky: laughs i know whoat you doing my shadebooms. well. i tooking your crown and i never see you, prince laugh and run away

The Shadebooms gasp as Ducky reveals that he took Hillery's crown

Lulu: Who was that guy? Why did he take your crown?

The next day, BC brings up the topic of Ducky

BC: I wanted to ask about that guy from yesterday - the one with the duck hoodie. Can you tell me his name?

The YouTuber freaks exchange glances

bam: His name is Ducky. He's known for his mischievous pranks and thieving ways

Gacha Vida looks worried

Gacha Vida: Without his crown, Hillery can't be prince anymore... this could cause some issues for him.

lulu: we got to get is back hillery: come on shadebooms...let's stop that ducky

Hillery: You're right. We need to get my crown back. stands up Let's go stop that Ducky. Come on, Shadebooms!

the batwheels cheers to the shadebooms and transform into superhero. after they arrived in gotham city they saw ducky

hillery: hold it there,

ducky ducky: oooo.....hillery...i'm glad your here...i was tooking your crown but' it's me quack quack

Hillery approaches Ducky

Hillery: Ducky, I know you took my crown. Give it back!

ducky: i was going wear this before

Hillery: I don't care what you were going to do with it. That crown belongs to me, and I need it back!

ducky: well...ducky wear his crown and sudden...they being transform into midnight wereduck hahahaha HAHAHAHAHAHA FINALLY IT WORKS

Before anyone can react, Ducky magically transforms into a Midnight Wereduck

Hillery: shocked What the...? What just happened?

ducky: I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE....I WAS MY CHANGE TO YOU...AND YOU KNOW I BLAST YOU INTO THIS midnight wereduck blast the shadebooms and it make a magicshield

hillery: the magic comebines the field of night before it the shadebooms transforms a magic

hillery: together with the crown however you imagine....crown is had to the shield....the crown is belongs to your head, ducky boat..but you can't no well it...you haven't notices about the magic at all...the magic...a friendship

they transforms magic into a tornado of shades and defeat ducky

hillery: think about ourself of friendship to only have a true by as all they defeat ducky

hillery: he saw ducky gets injured transform is over, ducky your not get over for this

The Midnight Wereduck form reverts back to Ducky, who is now injured and tearful

Ducky: crying I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken your crown.

Hillery helps Ducky get back on his feet

Hillery: It's alright. But you really scared us there, you know. we notice?.....we forgive you

The other shadebooms nod in agreement

Lulu: Yeah, we forgive you, Ducky. Just don't do it again.

Ducky nods, clearly grateful for their forgiveness

Ducky: Thank you all for understanding. I promise I won't get into trouble like that again.

the shadebooms: *Laughing*

the end