#I hope that whole section doesn't come off weird

[libraryofgage]

Good Vibrations Part One

Hello, it's me, back at it again with another Steddie AU.

Anyway, if I were tagging this AU, these would be the most important ones: Deaf Steve Harrington; Tooth-rotting Fluff; Getting Together

If you wanna be tagged in future parts, just let me know!

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

----

Steve has blown through three pairs of hearing aids in the past year. The first pair had lasted a few years and needed replacement because of normal wear and tear. The second pair was sacrificed during that fight with Jonathan. He hadn't been wearing them, but they'd been in Steve's pocket, and he'd landed at just the right angle to feel them shatter. The third pair was taken by the Russians because, despite Robin's shouting and cursing at them for being dumbasses (and this was before she actually knew what they were for), they accused him of recording their kidnapping and torture.

Honestly, he wouldn't recommend fighting Russians and Billy and Mind Flayers and driving while nearly totally deaf.

The funniest part of it all, though, is that Steve doesn't even use hearing aids regularly. He normally only wears them at home. The pair lost to Jonathan were present because, well, that whole day had been a lot for Steve, and he needed the comfort of knowing he could stop reading lips the moment it became too exhausting for him. The pair lost to the Russians was because he'd been getting ready to tell Robin about being deaf. She'd already clocked the weird things he does (well, weird to her, normal to Steve), and he figured letting her in on the big secret would bring them a little closer.

Of course, that didn't go the way he expected. Robin thought he was confessing love and decided to beat him to the punch. That's how he learned Robin is a lesbian, and Steve couldn't let her be the only one admitting to something like that, so he told her about being bi and his long-standing, hopeless crush. And being deaf. But the bi with a crush thing seemed more important in the moment. She took it in stride, it brought them closer, and then Robin asked if Steve could teach her sign language.

Which meant that Steve had to learn sign language because he never had. Between not wanting to feel even more different than he already did and trying to convince his parents that, really, everything was fine and he didn't need to go to a special school for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids, he'd never learned. Learning it had somehow felt like an admission of weakness, and that was the last thing he wanted. But he learned for Robin, and they stumbled through sign language together, creating new signs only they knew.

But that's all in the past now, and Steve is working his ass off at Family Video to afford a new pair because he refuses to ask his parents for money. If he asks them, they'll come back, and that's the last thing he wants. They don't need to have all their worries confirmed that Steve is helpless, and he doesn't want them anywhere near Hawkins "Hellscape" Indiana.

So. Working his ass off, taking extra shifts, and babysitting the kids as much as he can to make up for the whole Friends and Family Discount he gives their parents. He's exhausted, but he gets to recharge somewhat during his lunch break.

About a ten-minute walk from the Family Video is a record store, which Steve has started visiting daily to just breathe. The lone worker in the store is usually too busy listening to her own music to pay Steve any attention, letting him wander and try to determine which records will best serve him.

Steve drifts over to the rock and heavy metal section, hoping to find a new album but unsurprised when he doesn't. He browses through them anyway, moving past Metallica and Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. He already has all of these albums on his shelf at home. He has the cassette tapes for them, too.

But he really wants something new. He likes the novelty of experiencing unfamiliar vibrations through the speaker, letting them thrum through his fingertips and into his bones. It's fun and relaxing, and after all the bullshit he's been through lately, he probably deserves something relaxing.

After glancing over a few more familiar albums, Steve sighs and glances at the counter by the door. The lone worker is standing there, headphones over her ears, and idly flipping through a magazine. She's chewing gum, and Steve braces himself for the sheer hell of trying to read her lips without making it obvious he's reading her lips while she's got something in her mouth to disrupt the normal shape of words and sounds.

But he has to try. Steve takes one more deep breath before walking over, shoving his hands into his pockets when he comes to a stop at the counter. The girl raises a hand, motioning for him to wait, so he stays quiet as she finishes reading her page. She flips to the next one before looking up, not making any move to pull her headphones off.

"Hi. Do you have any new rock or metal albums coming in soon," Steve asks, feeling the vibrations of speech in his throat and hoping his words aren't too loud.

They don't seem to be. The girl doesn't flinch or pull back. She just looks him up and down, taking in the polo shirt and the nice khakis and the Family Video vest he forgot to take off before leaving. Finally, her neck and shoulders jerk slightly, and Steve knows she's huffed in annoyance. "No," she says, the word clear enough in the shape of her lips for Steve to know it immediately.

He frowns slightly, his fingernails digging into his palms. Steve wouldn't mind just leaving now, but something keeps him there. He just...he really wants new music. He needs something new. "Are there gonna be any shows nearby?" he asks.

The girl rolls her eyes and says something, her mouth distorted by gum-chewing. Steve can barely make out the words "you" and "check" from her response. Thankfully, it's accompanied by a vague gesture at something behind him. Steve looks over his shoulder to see a bulletin board with flyers plastered across it.

"Right. Thanks," he says, nodding to her before walking over. The flyers are all different colors with various fonts that scream for Steve's attention. Some of them are for bands, some are advertisements of garage sales or instruments in need of a new home, and others are just business flyers from stores nearby.

He's seen the bulletin board before, but he's never actually paid attention to it. Steve has always been laser-focused on browsing the records. But now, Steve carefully reviews each flyer advertising shows. Some are for comedy shows, which he immediately dismisses. One seems promising, but then he sees how far it is, and Steve definitely can't do an overnight trip like that.

Finally, Steve sees a flyer advertising a show at the Hideout later that week. It's close enough that he won't be out overnight. The place is kind of seedy, but Steve figures he can find some corner near the stage to hide. Or he can bring Robin and let her help him navigate any potential social situations. He tugs the flyer off the board, gaze lingering on the "Corroded Coffin" emblazoned across the top.

He knows the band. Of course, he knows the band. He's extremely familiar with their singer. From a distance. Honestly, Eddie Munson probably doesn't have the best impression of him, but Steve's heart never really cared about that. Because Eddie is like everything Steve wants to be: he's loud and unafraid of being so, he doesn't care about his image and how others perceive him, and he looks like his laugh sounds beautiful. Steve wouldn't know if he's actually right about that last point, but Eddie throws his head back when he laughs, eyes crinkled and hand over his stomach like his muscles ache.

His mouth suddenly feels dry, but he's also filled with unprecedented courage. Steve has graduated (barely), and that means a significantly lower chance of running into Eddie during the day if watching the show somehow goes wrong.

Steve folds the flyer into quarters and stuffs it into his back pocket. He'll be overly aware of it being there until Robin starts her shift and he can show it to her, but that's okay. He throws a quick thanks over his shoulder as he leaves the shop, glancing up at the bell he can't hear that signals the door's opening. He vaguely remembers what bells are supposed to sound like (he'd heard a few before losing the ability to hear them), but he doesn't let himself dwell on it.

Instead, he focuses on the trip back to Family Video, keeping an eye on the road to watch for any cars he wouldn't notice otherwise.

----

When the final bell rings, Eddie Munson can't get out of class fast enough. He'd been packed for the last five minutes, and he slid out of his seat the moment that first peal rang out. He has a gig to prepare for, and every second counts. At least, each second counts until he notices something (or someone) that could prove entertaining for a while.

He spots Dustin alone near one of the exits, and Eddie decides to relieve the kid of his isolation. He waits until he's behind Dustin to shout, "Henderson!" and throw his arm over the kid's shoulders, ignoring the way he jumps like he'd been expecting an attack.

"Holy shit!" Dustin shrieks, jerking back to look up at Eddie. "Don't do that, man, you're gonna give me a heart attack."

Eddie snorts, waving away Dustin's concern as he continues toward the exit. The general flow of students trying to get out helps him along, and Dustin doesn't seem to realize they're actually moving until they've gotten into direct sunlight. "You're fine," Eddie says, "Anyway, whatcha doing all alone, Henderson? Lose your way?"

"No, I have...stuff to do today," Dustin says, shrugging as he blinks to acclimate to the sunlight.

Oh, yeah, way too cryptic for Eddie to not dig for more. "Stuff? What kinda stuff? Got a hot date? Going shopping with your mom?" he asks, and then he gasps dramatically and moves to stand in Dustin's way. He puts both hands on his shoulders and very seriously says, "Be honest, Henderson, you're seeing another DM, aren't you?"

Dustin stares at him for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and shrugging his hands off. "Who else in this town DMs?" he asks, "Other than Will, I guess, but he's still working on a campaign."

"Fair," Eddie concedes, "so, whatcha really doing?"

After a few seconds of getting nudged by the students around them, Dustin sighs and says, "I have chores, okay? But that doesn't sound cool to say, does it?"

Fair. Eddie nods in agreement and moves out of Dustin's way, continuing to follow him. "So, what, your mom picking you up today?" he asks.

"No, Steve."

"Oh, the famous Steve."

Dustin nods, looking over the parking lot before pointing to one end. "Yeah, he's awesome," Dustin says as Eddie follows the direction of his finger.

And standing there, leaning against the hood of his car and looking to the side where a group of trees is swaying in the breeze, is Steve Harrington. Steve "The Hair" Harrington. King Steve. The worst thing, Eddie thinks, is that Steve looks good. His hair is still perfect, of course, and his stupid little striped shirt is pulling against his biceps and riding up just enough for Eddie to see a tiny sliver of tanned skin above his jeans. He looks a little tense, but Eddie chalks that up to him being back on the campus after already graduating.

"Harrington? You've been talking about Steve Harrington this whole time?" Eddie asks, his voice a little strained, "How the fuck do you know Steve Harrington?"

"He's my babysitter," Dustin says, his voice implying that much should have been obvious, but Eddie wants to grab his shoulders and shake until his head rolls off.

Steve Harrington doesn't babysit. He doesn't know nerds that talk about D&D. He doesn't drive nerds around. At least, he never did in high school. Granted, Eddie never actually talked to Steve, but everybody knew that Steve Harrington was too cool for, well, anything that wasn't the typical jock and popular guy shit.

As he's thinking about the last time he saw Steve Harrington (in the halls, while the guy had bruises and looked worse for wear), they get within shouting distance. And Eddie has zero impulse control when Wayne isn't around, so he doesn't think before shouting, "Hey, Harrington!"

Next to him, Dustin whips his head to glare at Eddie. And Steve Harrington doesn't fucking react. He just keeps staring at that group of trees like it's the most fascinating thing in the world. "Dude," Dustin says, grabbing Eddie's arm and yanking harshly, "don't shout like that."

Eddie frowns, anger beginning to simmer in his stomach at the complete lack of acknowledgment. "Why are you upset with me?" he asks, gesturing at Steve as he continues, "I'm not the one being a douchebag here."

Dustin opens his mouth, about to say something, only to snap it shut once more. He frowns like he's just realized he can't say something, and huffs with frustration. "Just...just don't do that," he finally says, keeping a hand on Eddie's arm and dragging him across the parking lot. And, yeah, something is definitely weird here.

Instead of just walking up to Steve, they make a large arch until they're within Steve's line of sight.

Eddie watches as Steve notices them, seeing Dustin first and pushing off the car. He relaxes for a split second until he sees Eddie and his shoulders tense again.

Great.

Once they're close enough for Eddie to count the moles above the collar of Steve's shirt, Dustin grins and says, "Hey, Steve." But it's odd, because Eddie has never heard Dustin talk this slow or this carefully, like he's doing his best to enunciate his words.

Steve flashes a grin and ruffles Dustin's hair. "Hey, twerp, you're late," he says. He then glances at Eddie, his grin becoming a little smaller, and says, "Hey, Munson."

Wait. Steve Harrington knows Eddie's name? And he called him by it? He said Munson, not Freak. Eddie stares at Steve for a few seconds before nodding. "Harrington," he says, "how the fuck did you become a babysitter?"

Is he just imagining things, or is Steve looking at his mouth? Like, really intensely. He's definitely not, because Steve looks up after a few seconds with a raised eyebrow. "I needed some extra cash. Also, don't swear around Dustin. I'm the one who gets in trouble when he curses in front of his mom."

Something about the words makes Eddie grin. Never in a million years would he have guessed that he'd be talking to Steve Harrington. And he would have laughed you into Mordor itself if you suggested their conversation would be about Dustin Henderson swearing in front of his mother. "What's his mom do when he swears?" he asks.

Because he can feel the conversation veering into something potentially embarrassing for him, Dustin lets go of Eddie and starts pushing Steve toward the driver's side of his car. "Okay, we gotta go. So many chores, so little time," he says, his voice back to that normal speed and enunciation.

Steve frowns slightly, looking down at Dustin and tilting his head just slightly. "What?" he asks. Instead of actually answering, Dustin just makes some vague gesture with his hand and looks at the car. "Oh, right. Go ahead and get in the car. And, uh, see you later, Munson."

"Is that a promise?" Eddie asks before he can think better of it.

Steve pauses, looking at Eddie's mouth with a slight scrunch to his nose. He seems to be considering something as Dustin scrambles into the passenger seat, watching them with narrowed eyes. Honestly, Eddie is surprised he's not blasting the horn to hurry Steve up. Finally, Steve comes to a decision and meets Eddie's eyes again. "Your band has a show tonight, right? At the Hideout? I was planning to go. So, yeah, I'll see you then, I guess."

And with that, like he hasn't just fucking rocked Eddie's world, Steve Harrington gets into his car. He makes sure Dustin is buckled before waving at Eddie and pulling out of the parking spot.

Eddie finds himself waving back, staring dumbly at the car as it pulls onto the street. It only hits him a few seconds later that Steve Harrington is coming to his show. At the Hideout. His metal show. A Corroded Coffin gig at the Hideout.

Holy. Shit.

[z3rinn]

# #. GROCERY STORE !! pt. 2

a part 2 to my grocery store post !! This time it contains scarabia - diasomania ! ahem- going grocery shopping is usually a mundane task, boring and usual. that is until the twst boys want to join you in your outing. you just hoped nothing would go wrong this time… for once…

Sorry this took so long to get out !! I hope you all enjoy !! ♡

# #. KALIM AL-ASIM

Going grocery shopping with Kailm is definitely an experience. Its basically like bringing a kid to a candy store. He is ogling at everything around him. That's when you realize he's probably never even been to a grocery store-

By the way he's running around and pointing at everything- putting as many things in the cart as possible- (which you would not be able to pay for) you would like to place him in the baby seat of the cart, but alas he can't fit. So you just settle for placing him in the cart instead. Its at times like this you can imagine where Jamil is coming from. But its ok because he's a cutie patootie and i love him w all my heart- Oh! And just know that he finds the ride absolutely delightful.

Kalim tries to take turns with you when riding the cart, pushing you around the store while laughing happily. He walks into aisles youve never even seen before, showing off weird things that are fascinating to the both of you. Like that self washing cup! Or those lava lamps that costs well over 5000 thamarks !! But he could easily pay for them. You never thought grocery shopping could be so fun- and so you can't help but smile back at his amusement, joining along as the two of you ran around target.

9/10 it's a little overwhelming at first, yet going with him just makes you happy beyond words. Plus he pays!

# #. JAMIL VIPER

Jamil is obviously one of the best people to go grocery shopping with. He's a food expert, and he knows exactly what to get and do while there. Plus, he is most likely tagging along with you to get some things for the Scarabian kitchens.

As I said, Jamil's a food expert, and he knows just what to buy and get while out. Like I said in my previous post, Ruggie knows how to haggle with grocery store managers- and I think Jamil does too. He knows what products are the best, yet are also the cheapest, it's not like he's paying with Kalim's money. (Although he did offer to give you his card!) Jamil is also the type to not get distracted while out, so whenever you try to but something you definitely don't need, he'll snap you back in place.

While out with him make sure not to buy any frozen food, as it'll make him think your prefer that over his fresh and healthier food. And he'll give you a judging look due to it. Oh! And he's gonna cling to you the entire time. This is one of the only moments he'll be able to hang out with you without having to worry about any of his duties and Kalim. So don't question it if he holds on to you or if he's pressed up against you the entire time.

10/10, I'd go with him any day of the week. It doesn't even have to be to the grocery store smh.

# #. VIL SCHOENHEIT

Vil is taking you to some fancy ass grocery store. Like whole foods or sprouts, maybe even the mall. Or whatever the twst equivalent is. As if he'll you just go to some random grocery store- And with him- it's not gonna be all fun and games -_-

He immediately takes you to the veggie and fruits section, piling on good enough amounts of spinach, broccoli, tomatoes. He also buys fruit for his homeade smoothies, those will make your skin glow for days afterwards. It's annoying- you just want your chips- but you cant because of the preservatives. You just want some cookies. Yet you cant. Honestly you were this close to just falling to the floor and crying your heart out like a frenchman. "I JUST WANT MY JUNK FOOD" Shopping with him just seems like a chore instead of something fun tbh.

He's right in front of the cart, dropping only the necessities into it. You were this close to running him over the cart if he slapped your hand one more time for trying to reach out to the chips. He gives you a glare, and tries to resist your puppy eyes. With a click of his tounge he eventually does calm down, dropping a bag of Cheshire Chips into the cart. He might allow it if you come over to Pomefiore to do some face masks with him.

5/10. It's like going shopping with a mom or like a weight trainer or smth. You understand why he's doing this of course- But theres no funny business with him. Zero. Sigh. Well he pays at least. I LOVE HIM I SWEAR-

# #. ROOK HUNT

When Rook notices you walking out of the broken down building you were staying in, from the tree right above your house, he obviously offered to accompany you on your endeavor! Even when you told him you were just going to the grocery store a part of him just couldn't help but be overjoyed. Oh how he just loved being out with you!

Rook is notorious for loving the smallest of details- the simplest things in life. So going to a grocery store and seeing all the beautiful people surrounding him- along with the gorgeous displays of food made his heart practically smile. You watch as he holds an apple in his hands, raising it up to the sky with a glorious smile on his face. (You're this close to just walking away-) He's humming in joy as he recites a poem of the luscious, juicy, red apple to you. Very fun !!

Meanwhile- when Rook is not being a hopeless romantic for apples, the huntsman is all fun and games !! He's straight up singing in the store, admiring anything and everything. He watches as you shop for groceries, a smile on his face. Rook lets you sit in the cart whenever you get tired, pushing you across the store while humming to himself lightly. Just don't say you're getting tired while going back. He'll carry you all the way back.

8/10- he's a bit over bearing at times. But its Rook so like what can you say about it? I love Rook yall.

# #. EPEL FELMIER

Epel is tagging along for two very important reasons! Firstly, his family has branched out to stores all across twisted wonderland- and he obviously has to make sure the quality and presentation were absolutely perfect! Secondly, he gets to hang out with you!

Epel makes his way to the fruits aisle first, dragging you along with a bright smile. His excitement is slowly seeping into you, causing you to laugh yourself. The two of you make your way to the fruits section, the both of you gawking and jumping up and down happily. After that little moment its basically a normal shopping spree. He has experience in going out to the grocery store with his family- so he helps out with practically everything!

He tries to show off as much as he can. He'll help out with the water packets, and baskets carrying them if your hands get tired. He will jump up to grab the snacks you need- that might be too high for you reach. Speaking of snacks - Being out with you lets Epel get junk food and snacks that Vil would NEVER allow- so maybe the two of you can sneak them in the middle of the night.

10/10 !! One of the best to go with! He doesn't bother you whatsover and is very helpful. Guys I love Epel so much KDHDVFTSSKS

# #. IDIA SHROUD

Uhhh- your more likely going to a electronics store- and then maybe stopping at the grocery store on the way back. There's NO way Idia would ever go out to a grocery store on his own. Especially if Doordash exists. But if you stop by an electronics store first, and you need a handsome firey head boy to show you around the store. How could he ever refuse??

He felt like a prince, leading you through his castle while showing off all his prized possessions. While in reality he was just walking through Best Buy or something, and was being an unemployed clerk. He probably pays for your electronics- or maybe he says he'll just make them for you! His designs are 100 times better obviously. However on your way out, he doesn't expect you to point out the whole foods or twst version is across the street.

He basically just sticks to you like a shadow while out. The poor dormleader can't help but be scared that people are gonna judge him for being blue all over. That is until you tell him this was your little shojou moment. Walking out in a supermarket together, inspecting what brand of eggs or milk you should get. It's the whole package! Well obviously now he can't complain. But now he might be just a bit too excited to be here.

6/10 Honestly if you needed groceries that badly you could've just asked him to order from online. Doordash is sooo much easier that doing it the plain (and scary) way.

# #. ORTHO SHROUD

Ortho probably tagged along to experience the "real" life. He's seen families on TV before- and he can't help but crave that domestic lifestyle. So when you ask if he wants to tag along- how could he ever refuse?

He's buzzing with excitement! Hovering around the grocery store with stars in his eyes. Usually he orders groceries from the comfort of his brother's dorm- it's a lot easier that way- but going outside is just so fun !! Ortho might even switch to his P.E form, as it'll make it easier for him to walk around the store like you! Although, he does want to try riding in the cart, it's something that everyone wants at least once in their lives- so how could you say no?

He's very helpful too, it's common courtesy since you took him out in the first place. He's able to reach high places and doesn't have trouble carrying the heavy things. Another plus is if your shy (like his brother) he's able to scan the store and find whatever you're looking for- without asking any employees for help! Sweetie pie fr.

10/10. He's one of the best to go with! Plus no complaints here (like his older brother)

# #. MALLEUS DRACONIA

Malleus? Why does he go??? He just wants to hang out with you. And maybe see how human grocery stores are nowadays. But its mainly the first one. Perhaps when the two of you are out on one of your nightly walks- you suddenly remember that, "Oh no! You forgot to get groceries!!" And now you have to take a menacing dragon man out with you.

Like others, Malleus tags along behind you, inspecting the many products and items in the aisles. He asks questions about products he finds interesting, he'll inspect all the different kinds of fruits (dragon fruits especially), and he'll find different products to try out. He'll always ask you for help too, asking if something is good enough to get. Like that tamagotchi in the corner !! He should get a bunch of friends for Roaring Drago...

He's so oblivious and confused it's kind of funny. Just imagine being a little kid and seeing a giant- like a literal GIANT- standing in the ice cream aisle inspecting the icecream sandwiches. Kinda silly ngl. Wait- what this- your phone is buzzing now? Who? Sebek? Wondering where Waka-sama is? Uh oh.

7/10! It's like going out w a kid whose never been to the outside world- but in a fun way. It would be higher if he told Lilia or Sebek he was tagging along tho... hopefully you don't go deaf from sebek yelling !

# #. LILIA VANROUGE

Did you bring him along? No! Of course not! Should you have noticed he was trailing behind you? Yes! But you didn't because he's an old fae that has experience? Right again! Does that excuse you? No. Obviously not. It's a rule by almost everyone in the dorm. Never bring Lilia grocery shopping. But your dumbass still did.

Well as long as he didn't feed you the food it was fine- right? So you'll let him tag along i guess. Lilia is the type to sit in the cart as you drag him around the store, and he only really gets out when he needs something. You guys probably stop by the spices aisle like 10 times- you feel bad for those in diasomania who are eating that mush. He tells you about the stores in Briar Valley and how he would take silver out when he was but a boy.

It's nice to listen to him as he drops another (that's 15) box of noodles into your hands- again, you feel bad for the people who are going to eat this. You guys probably bulk up on food while there- I mean it's totally not like Lilia has a butt load of money from being an old ass general right? And of course hes not gonna spoil you because your the best right? Yeah of course nottt. Just be careful at the end of your trip. As compensation for taking him with you he might offer to make you something.... and it might be a bit rude to say no....

9/10 ! It's nice listening to him talk- but uhm like many before this- you won't make it through his ...amazing... cooking skills.

# #. SILVER

Silver had spent most of his life living with fae and not many humans. Briar Valley doesnt have many grocery stores- instead being filled with various farmer markets and merchant's. Meaning he'd never been to a grocery store!! So obviously you had to invite him.

Silver is straight up just following you. He's wandering silently like a little cat, trailing from behind. He's looking around with a hint of curiosity. The store was very different from Sam’s- bigger and more luminous. It had a certain vibe to it. He liked it though, it was oddly comforting. Silver usually sticks to himself, but you can tell when something is confusing him. Take the dragon fruit for example, when he saw it a slight chuckle escaped his lips. It looked so different compared to the dragons and longs he’d met before. You couldn't help but laugh yourself- It’s fun watching him experience something new.

Silver is a very reliable man, if you ever need any help he won’t hesitate to jump in. He will help with the cart, the heavy groceries, the water jugs that weigh a mountain load. As you all know- Silver gets tired (and omg he's so pretty thats not fair) and wont hestiate to fall alseep on you if he ever gets tired. So easy solution: just put him in the cart and bury him in food. It’s easier to drag him that way. (instead of him sprawling on top of you)

10/10. Love him. I love HIM. HIIIMMMM. I LOVVVEEEEE HIM. RAAAAAAHHHH-

# #. SEBEK ZIGVOLT

There's no way in wonderland Sebek would ever go with you! He has duties to attend to! He has a beautiful, mystical, enchanting prince to protect!! Malleus was of the upmost importance, why would he ever go with a dumb human like you? You didnt matter compared to his leige-- Lilia is making him accompany you.

At first Sebek will grumble to himself, upset he couldn't stay with the majestic Malleus. Yet he soon remembers (you reminded him) that Lilia was the one to tell him to accompany you. So he immediately assumes this is a type of training for him !! Oh and now he's bragging that he got to join you on this trip instead of Silver- oh boy-

Like others, Sebek will help. Uhm. But like- loudly. As he carries the bags he will ask if you notice how strong and capable he is, a smirk on his face. And then he goes on a rant about Malleus. Whenever you need something you can't reach he will help, with a "human" comment on the tip of his tounge. And then he goes on about Malleus. It's kind of funny though not gonna lie- seeking a giant man boasting while getting groceries of all things. Very fun!

3/10. But a nine in my heart. He's so silly. Anyway. GRAAAHHH- I WANNA PULL HIS HAIR OUT (in a loving way !!)

[boy-comics]

Hiii! Your crush posts got me thinking. And I feel like we are missing one last scenario for them, where xdz realizes that y/n has a crush on them (before they even realize it themselves or have the chance to confess).👀👀 May I request that to complete the “trilogy”?

— ✨

XDINARY HEROES REALIZING YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON THEM

── .✦ tags; swearing, drinking

── .✦ a/n; wow my first emoji anon!!! hihi <3 you're so right. here's pt 3 to the crush trilogy (edit 11/13/2024: now with a part 4!) :)) (pt 1 | pt 2 | pt 4)

── .✦ gunil;

the only thing more shocking than the bottle stopping on him is the fact that you had agreed to play in the first place.

he's not one to deny his own feelings—the mere possibility of being shoved into a closet with you was the reason he had joined this game. honestly, he could take this whole situation as a sign in his favor. but with the way you had flattened yourself against the opposite wall as soon as you had entered, your silence palpable in the dark, narrow space, he knows that this is not the time to confess.

so, heart beating against his rib cage, he does what he does best.

you know, i actually have a funny story about getting stuck in a closet.

it works like a charm. before long, you let slip a giggle, and by the time he's done the nervousness emanating from you has receded significantly. gunil feels quite proud of himself.

i'm glad i'm in here with you. nobody else appreciates my stories like you do.

o-oh? well, they're funny, so … you trail off, and gunil thinks that is all, but then you keep going. i'm glad it's you, too.

keep it cool, gunil tells himself, but his hopes soar anyway. really? why?

w-well, you're nice, and you're always making sure i'm comfortable. and, u-um, i know what this game is usually for, and if that happened, i—um, u-uh …

he takes the plunge. you wouldn't mind kissing me?

you audibly gulp. then you take a deep breath. i wouldn't mind.

gunil doesn't care how many minutes you have left in the closet. his face almost hurts from smiling as he steps forward, finding your shoulder and then your hand, mindful of the way your breath hitches and your hand clings to his.

how about now, then?

── .✦ jungsu;

it's a bit of a thing between the two of you, sharing things. one may even consider it the basis of your friendship. from jackets and umbrellas when it rains to sections of fruit and chunks of bread during lunch, jungsu has come to cherish the way one of you is always looking after the other.

today, it's a sweet and salty pretzel from this new place just down the street. the price of the pretzel is split between the two of you, but you've each bought your own smoothies as well, and jungsu eyes the bright green of your choice with curiosity.

you take notice. it's really good, you say. do you want to try?

he does want to try it, and therein lies the dilemma. sharing a pretzel is fine. chips, apple slices, ice cream if you each have your own spoons—all of these things he can share with you without a second thought. but drinks? he looks at the straw in your cup and imagines tasting where your lips have been, and the terrible fluster of heat crawling up his neck has him stumbling over his words.

it takes a moment before your eyes widen and you let out a small oh, gripping your drink in realization.

i-i guess that would be weird, wouldn't it …?

do … do you think it's weird?

it is then that jungsu notices, completely without intention, the way your eyes flicker down and linger on his mouth before you look away.

you shake your head softly. no. not if it's you.

it's just one glance and a couple of words strung together. but as if a veil has been removed, understanding begins to dawn on him, and he gets the fluttering sense that maybe this stupid crush isn't so stupid.

tentatively, he offers his own drink to you. you swap smoothies and the way you try to hide your smile when you take a sip, looking like something out of a movie, makes him smile too.

── .✦ gaon;

his friends have been calling it a situationship. and they've started scheming, and jiseok is just about ready to dig a hole and bury himself because the last thing he needs is for you to catch wind of how down bad he is.

he should've brought a shovel today, because he's ninety-nine percent sure that the "outing" he's on right now is a double date.

your two friends sit together, coordinated outfits and all, on the train ride to the maze park. jiseok and you, with your non-matching outfits, are seated just across the aisle.

he shares a glance with you, hoping against hope that his face isn't too red.

did you know they were together?

nope.

i think we're third wheeling.

you laugh, and yeah, his face is definitely turning red.

the maze is even worse. you and jiseok somehow (and he's not dumb, he knows the others wouldn't get lost that easily) end up wandering it by yourselves. he's not complaining about it. he's thrilled, actually. but it's just ... it's you, and he likes you, and he wants to hold your hand so bad and he's not because he's not dating you.

his hand bumps against yours.

he holds his breath—then almost chokes on it when your ring and pinkie fingers hook around his without a word. balking at the sight, jiseok searches your expression for something, anything.

you shrug, seeming almost nervous. it's safer this way, right?

all he can do at the moment is nod vigorously. a dopey grin plasters itself to his face as your hand shifts to wrap around his fully, and you continue walking, not particularly concerned about racing to the exit anymore.

── .✦ o.de;

he figures it out immediately.

you have always grumbled about how seungmin can read you like a book, deciphering every carefully worded phrase and facial twitch with a swiftness that would make sherlock holmes jealous. so when he sees your expression that fateful night in your room, so soon after your heartbreak, he makes the decision to act as if everything is normal.

the problem is, you can't seem to do the same.

he wonders if you know that he knows. that he can feel the split second of stiffness when he wraps an arm around your shoulders, catch the higher pitch of your replies when he compliments you, see the new softness in your eyes when you share a smile. probably not.

romantic relationships haven't treated you kindly. seungmin wants to do it right, and that means going at your pace. he is your best friend first and foremost, and he'll always be that no matter what you decide to do.

so with every family dinner, every chaotic moment wrangling your siblings, every time you lean in just to pull away, he remains by your side. expecting nothing, hoping for everything, loving you always.

(but, god, it's torture sometimes.)

── .✦ junhan;

he isn't supposed to know.

your band is working on your latest mini album, and at your request, he stops by the studio to help out with the guitar part. it's a bit late, and he's more than a little tired, but the thought of working on music together has him feeling excited anyway.

it's fun. really, as long as he gets to play and spend time with you, hyeongjun is happy, and once he overcomes the anxiety of doing so in front of your friends, he even wonders when he can do this again.

during a short break, he excuses himself to the restroom. he checks his phone and replies to a couple texts, so it takes a little longer than planned.

the door to the studio is open a crack when he returns. but just as he's about to push it open further, the mention of his name stops him in his tracks.

—and hyeongjun?

have you not been here the past two hours? i'll bet 30,000 won that they're sneaking around right now.

please. with the way our precious guitarist looks at him, i'll bet 50,000 that they wish they were sneaking around.

what are you doing?

hyeongjun internally thanks himself for appearing calm at the sudden sound of your voice, even as his heart jumps into his throat when he turns around to blink at you. the gossiping in the studio hushes.

ah, nothing.

when he shuffles in with you, your bandmates alternate between avoiding eye contact or staring straight at him, and he knows he's been found out. you seem none the wiser.

the way you look at him. hyeongjun's brain goes a little fuzzy at the edges as he picks at his guitar strings, your presence next to him warm and lovely.

he is willing to wait.

── .✦ jooyeon;

for the most part, jooyeon is willing to behave himself around you.

what does that mean? well, for starters, he doesn't run off every single person who hits on you whenever you go out for drinks. hell, he doesn't even interrupt the conversation unless you seem uncomfortable. he's not your boyfriend, after all.

but this guy is making you uncomfortable, and jooyeon's more than happy to abandon social niceties and punt this clown into orbit.

he strolls over and presses himself next to you, smiling blankly when your suitor sends him an irritated look. hi. you mind fucking off?

who the fuck are you?

before jooyeon can reply with a properly unpleasant remark, you beat him to it. as far as you're concerned, my boyfriend, so get lost.

thankfully, the guy seems to be too drunk to notice how sharply jooyeon turns his head to look at you. he grumbles something and stumbles away, and jooyeon is left standing by your side, gaze wide and smile stretching into a grin as you stare into the crowd.

boyfriend?

i'm drunk, you say.

you didn't call me your boyfriend the other times you were drunk.

it's different now.

what do you mean by different, jooyeon wants to ask. what do you mean?! but you've already squeezed his forearm and gone back to everyone else.

the rest of the night is a blur. he doesn't sleep a wink when he gets home, thinking about what you had meant, and by the time the sun rises, jooyeon has concluded that it could only mean one thing—

he has a fucking chance.

[yanderes-galore]

yandere pets🐱🐶? Reader either accidentally eats something weird or comes into contact with alien pollen that makes the Xenomorphs reject their current Queen n make them view reader as their new “leader”. They become overprotective domestic pets. Platonic ofc

I love the idea but I'll do a version closer to canon if that's fine ^^

Yandere! Xenomorphs Seeing You As Queen/Leader

Pairing: Platonic/Pet-Like

Possible Trigger Warnings: Female/Gender-Neutral Darling, Overprotective behavior, Stalking, Kidnapping, Territorial/Possessive behavior, Forced companionship.

This idea reminds me of something similar to the fourth Alien movie.

In this case you'd be similar to Ripley 8, some sort of experiment involving a human harboring Xenomorph DNA.

This would naturally make you connected to the Xenomorphs.

However, the non-canon Alien pollen also seems like an interesting idea.

Maybe the "spores" seep into your skin and make you smell like a Xenomorph, somehow altering your DNA in the process?

These are the ideas I came up with that could make this concept work.

We haven't really seen Xenomorphs reject a Queen, however I could have missed it in lore.

As a result I would assume they'd react similarly to insects: they'd most likely kill the old Queen if they are somehow attached to you.

It's that or the Queen has already died at some point and the Hive is looking for a new one.

Which makes them choose you due to your smell.

I'd assume this concept would go like this, you have a whole Hive under your control.

It doesn't matter if you like it or not, the Xenomorphs see you as their new "Queen" regardless of gender.

While they would prefer you stay in their Hive, Drones would try to follow you just about anywhere.

Honestly towards you they may just act like pets.

You can't lay eggs or reproduce so the colony is doomed to be small.

That is unless a small group of Drones break off with you while a new Queen actually settles in the Hive.

If we go with that idea then I suspect you'd have about six-ish Drones following you at all times.

Obviously if they all saw you as leader than they'd fiercely protect you.

Even if this is a small group that separates from the rest of the Hive, they'd probably try to make your home a new Hive.

Wherever you live this new group will infest, they think they're helping.

After all they only know Hives as homes, they have no idea you live differently.

Expect the waxy and wet coating of Xenomorph Hives to quickly coat a sections of your home.

I'd assume they'd pick one of three places; your basement (if you have one), attic (if you have one), or your bedroom.

They'll make a section of your living space theirs then try to drag you into it as their leader/Queen.

You'll notice they smell rather acidic/earthy... yet they don't have a strong smell.

Even if you already smell like a Xenomorph I can see them trying to rub against you or cuddle you to make the pheromone smell stronger.

Xenomorphs would most likely be territorial of their new leader and home.

You can't really prevent it, either.

Better hope no friends come over as they'll be quickly attacked by one or two of the large Drones.

You may not even get to experience human contact again.

Your new Xenomorph followers would probably find a new place to make a nest then just drag you there.

Humans are a great source of hosts, yet they see them as too dangerous for you to be around.

They could harm the colony.

They could harm their Queen.

As a result, your overprotective Xenomorph pets would most likely become territorial to the point your life is now in isolation.

Sadly, you don't have a choice in the matter...

Until you eventually pass... you'll be their Queen/leader... away from humanity until something changes (if it even does).

[snootlestheangel]

A Very Unique Ghost Headcanon

My friend and I got lunch together today and we went to a bookstore afterwards for a bit. An idea about Ghost had spawned so here's the whole thing.

*Does contain MW3 spoilers towards the end*

When Ghost is on leave, he spends a lot of time at a local bookstore. The staff and other locals began calling him "a ghost" because he's very quiet and appears for several days every few months. He's always very quiet and seems to "appear and disappear" randomly. He eventually spends so much time there, pretty much everyone knows him. Not by name, but they recognize him/when he's in town. They know he's a bit weird based on all the things he reads. He goes from reading really deep books about self-improvement to horror/true crime novels to silly animal fact books and laughing cause "penguins are silly". He's very kind though, everyone knows, and is always willing to grab something off a high shelf or assist an elderly person in carrying their items.

There's a table that's basically reserved for him now, sitting in the back corner of the bookstore's little cafe. There's always a stack of books that he wants to read sitting on the table. Sometimes the stack remains untouched for several months before "Ghost" is seen again. Sometimes, he comes back a bit more ragged than normal, and even sometimes more he comes back with an arm in a sling and a limp. But everyone gets used to the presence that is their local cryptid, even if he isn't much of a conversationalist.

Then they realize he journals everything he reads. He likes to write about all the things he learned while reading that day, and is diligent about dating everything.

This habit spawned from a few years he spent giving himself therapy because the military believed him dead, and he couldn't afford one outside of it. So, he took to the bookstore and it's nice section of self-improvement books and the mental help journals. He realized he actually really enjoys journaling, and likes being able to reflect back on all the things he read that year.

But he leaves the journals at the table with the books he has yet to read. And some people start getting curious. And someone reads the journals. They know it's horrible, but they figure there can't be anything personal if the man is willing to leave the journals unattended for months at a time. And that's when everyone learns he's actually journaled everything he's read for the last 4 years (how long it took him to get into that habit), and it's an incredibly fascinating read.

He's very well-spoken about the things he discusses, and his handwriting is pleasant and easy to understand. Not to mention, he only uses pen, and the fact he sometimes has to scribble out mistakes makes the journals feel familiar in a human way. There's something so personal and intimate about it, and it all adds to the local myth of the ghost that haunts the bookstore.

But then one day, the regular people that read the journals realize Ghost has started to mention someone within his readings. It starts small, a little comment on a book he read about the history of explosives: "I blame JSM for me reading something like this. It's fascinating stuff, and they have grown rather complicated these days. Wonder if there's more on modern explosives."

Just the initials: JSM. What they don't know is the initials belong to one John "Soap" MacTavish, the man to hold Ghost's heart.

And for a while, there's a lot of entries including the initials "JSM" somewhere in their contents. Some entries are almost entirely relating to this "JSM" person. And it's clear, as the mentions of "JSM" increase, that Ghost has fallen madly in love with whomever this is. And the people that read the journals have grown fond of Ghost, and are cheering him on, hoping he gets his happy ever after.

But then Ghost doesn't show up for over a year. The stack of books remains the same, the journals untouched.

But when he does, something's different. He immediately heads towards the section on "Grief and Loss". He stands there for an overwhelmingly long time before picking a couple of books and heading for his little table in the back.

And he reads, and journals, and cries all at the same time. No one even realized he was crying until a staff member passed by and noticed the tears falling from his eyes as he scribbled into the journal. No one bothers him, of course, but there's an overwhelming sadness that passes over the bookstore that day.

No one's brave enough to read the entries from that day, and they let the journals sit overnight. Ghost is back the next day, does the same, and leaves. Doesn't spend hours just simply perusing, but instead sits and reads the books he collected on grief/personal loss and journals.

But one day, after Ghost stops showing up again, becomes brave enough to read the journal entries from the last 3 days.

Word spreads like wildfire.

JSM is now Johnny and Johnny is gone.

It all makes sense, and all the regulars, all the staff that are familiar with Ghost and his journals mourn. They mourn on Ghost's behalf and they mourn for Ghost.

They mourn for him because the way he wrote changed, the way he spoke in his entries changed, his demeanor when in the store changed. They mourn Ghost because clearly Johnny took a part of him with him; his heart.

One day, there's a book about coping with losing your spouse, specifically geared towards younger people (especially ones in Ghost and Soap's age range *25-35*). There's actually no journal entries specified for most of the book, almost like he simply read it and didn't bother sharing his thoughts.

That is until the end of the book, where there's one journal entry marked to accompany the final chapter.

{I've read this book probably ten times now. The first time was actually the easiest. It was new to me, and I enjoy picking apart new books and getting through them. The second time was the hardest. It's when the words I had already read were starting to sink in. Too quickly I had been brought back to that day I lost Johnny. I didn't dwell too long on this book. I didn't want to, at least. But I kept going back to it because I knew it had answers and solutions. In reality, it didn't really help. It more took the mess in my head and sorted it out so I could deal with it more easily. I miss Johnny more than anything else in life. Losing him has been the worst thing I've ever gone through. Which is quite impressive, considering some of the things I've experienced. This book has taught me many things, and I only wish to share the one I feel speaks the greatest volumes. "But like all wounds, it takes time to heal a broken heart." What an incredible lesson. I've had my fair share of wounds to heal from, and I am painfully intimate with the recovery process of broken bones. Never once did I consider my heart something that could be wounded and recovered from. I always figured if my heart had been wounded, then that would be the end. But I was wrong. A heart can be broken and wounded, and like all injured things, it can heal. It's a beast of a recovery process, I won't lie, but the idea I'm merely recovering from a near-fatal injury comforts me. It's morbid, I suppose, to be comforted by that, but I am. It means he didn't die in vain, and that is all I ask for.

~Simon "Ghost" Riley}

[allaboutnayeli]

five things about you [k.ohara x reader]

prompt: five things kelley does while you're pregnant that makes you fall more inlove with her.

author notes: i think this is finally the end of my writers block. i have so many requests in my inbox, and i swear i'll get to them eventually (sooner than later i hope). hope y'all enjoy this kelley fluff!

I. how she talks to your belly when she thinks you're sleeping

ever since you started to show a bit with a small belly bump kelley has been talking to it. the moment you drift off to sleep she places her hands gently on your belly and places a few soft kisses on the skin there. smiling as she quietly says whatever comes to mind.

"your momma ate lots of fruit today, i hope you liked them" she says. laughing when she remembers how you refused to eat anything but fruit the whole day. claiming that anything else would be too nasty, too bitter. you needed something sweet and only that. "she walked around a lot today too. couldn't sit down until i picked her up and put her on the couch. did that bother you? huh, baby?" kelley smiles, placing another kiss on your belly.

what kelley doesn't realize is that you are wide awake, just too tired from the day to open your eyes. ever since you gotten pregnant you have became a light sleeper (one of the worst things pregnancy have gifted you in your opinion). it takes everything in you to not smile and tangle your fingers in the brunette's hair. however instead of doing that, you just let kelley continue saying nonsense to your swollen belly. internally reminding yourself to tease her about this when you two's baby is born, but for now you let her indulge.

II. how she lifts up your belly every time you complain about the weight

kelley has been very in tune with any pains you had since you started to show symptoms of pregnancy. finding a way to help with every one or aleast a way to support you though it. when your feet started to swell, she would massage them or carry you wherever you wanted to go even if you complained about how you would be too heavy. same with when your back started to hurt, she massages it with such care that you swear she must have took some classes. weird cravings? don't worry she already is on her way to the store to buy them.

your all time favorite though is definitely when your wife takes it upon herself to relieve you of some of that belly bump weight.

"is this good enough for you, babes?" kelley says against your ear as her hands up under your belly. smiling as she lifts up your bump. placing a kiss on your cheek when you groan out in satisfaction. "very good. thank you, baby" you say. turning your head to give a kiss in appreciation. the brunette hums into the kiss, savoring the domesticity of the moment.

III. how she excited she gets when you two go baby shopping

the best part of your pregnancy is the shopping part. going into different shops as you look at various adorable baby clothes, toys, and strollers makes all the pain worth it. the mental gymnastics you jump though to justify some of your purchases are sorta insane, but it's not like kelley is complaining. far from it. if she could spend half of her day in the shops, looking at baby clothes, she would.

you two's hands are interlocking as y'all walk into a small boutique. d.c is littered with similar shops like these and you enjoy that fact very much. the shop is nicely decorated with baby blue, white, and a light yellow being the main colors. you let go of kelley's hand to go over to the clothes section and you assume kelley walks over to the toys section as you hear a baby rattle that your wife is most likely playing with right now.

"pink or purple..?" you mumble to yourself as your hands rest on some baby dresses. the little ruffles on the dresses making you wish the baby was here faster than your due date. your indecision doesn't last long as you feel the presence of someone besides you. before you can even turn to see who it is, their voice already tells you who it is.

"do you think our little girl is going to like dinosaurs or whales?" kelley says with a t-rex plushie in one arm and a humpback whale plushie in the other. both are absolutely adorable, but you find kelley the most adorable out of the three. "does it really matter? she can just like both, so get both" you say as you go back to back to looking at the dresses.

"but babeee, it does matter!" kelley half shouts, half whispers. "little kids usually fixate on just one thing and i don't wanna get her the one she wouldn't fixate on" she pouts at your lack of attention to the obviously very big problem at the moment. you giggle, turning towards her fully to look at the plushies again. "i don't think that's actually true but okay baby, whatever you say" you grab onto the whale plushie and pull it out of kelley's grasp. holding it up to eye level to really get a look at it.

"hm.. this one," you hand the plushie back to your wife. she smiles at you before frowning again, "but what if you're wrong?"

"why would i be wrong? i'm the one giving birth to the little rascal."

"for one, she's not a rascal and for two, you can still be wrong babe!"

"okay okay, just get both" you say. kelley just nods before walking off, probably back to the toys aisle.

now back to those dresses..

IV. how she always carries you at every opportunity like you weigh nothing

it didn't matter if you were in pain or not, kelley was always quick to pick you up bridal style. you always whine that "you're too heavy" but your wife doesn't really care.

it's another day where your back is killing you and your feet feel like they are water balloons just waiting to pop. you try to ignore the pain by laying down on the couch and drowning yourself in stupid rom-coms until kelley makes it back home.

that method only works for so long so when you hear the sound of the front door opening, you sit up and call out for kelley, "babe!"

"hm? what is it, baby?" she says as she walks into the living room. dropping her bag down near the end of the couch. she realizes what is the problem as she notices how you are still on the couch just like how you were two hours ago when you were on the phone with her. "baby hurting you?" kelley chuckles as you nod, coming around the couch to stand next to where you are sitting up at. taking a single finger to lightly tap on your stomach, "bad baby."

"don't be mean to my princess," you joke, giving kelley a light slap on her hand. she grabs onto your hand and gives it a kiss before placing a kiss on your baby bump. "sorry, little one. just wish you didn't cause your momma so much pain," she says as she lays her head against the bump.

you smile hearing her words. letting out a light yawn that makes kelley look up from your belly to you.

"tired?"

"mhm. been tired the entire day, but i didn't feel like walking up the stairs to bed.." you mumble. the obvious sleepiness in your voice makes kelley frown. she stands up before picking up without any warning. you yelp in surprise, slapping your wife gently on the shoulder. laughter flows from your lips as kelley starts to walk out of the living room. you don't start whining about how you weight too much until she reaches the stairs. "i'm way too big to be carried up a flight of stairs," you whine out. trying to get out of kelley's grasp, but she holds onto you tight enough that you can't wiggle out of her arms.

"never too heavy for me. if that ever happens i guess i just need to hit the gym more," the brunette laughs out. empathizing her point as she easily walks up the stairs with you in her arms. not faltering once.

she takes you right into you two's bedroom and lays you down on the bed. placing a kiss on your forehead before going over to the closet to grab one of her oversized shirts. throwing it to you as she walks back over to the bed. "too sleep in. want you to be all comfy," kelley lays down on the bed beside you. "thanks baby" you say as you change into the shirt, being too lazy to change out of your pajama shorts.

it takes only ten minutes for you to slip off to sleep after your head hits the pillow. of course you wake back up five minutes later, turning over to cuddle into kelley's side before drifting back off. she places soft kisses all your face as you drift off, admiring how peaceful you look.

V. how she proudly shows you off

kelley considers herself to be a pretty private person when it comes to relationships. you two's relationship wasn't even confirmed until you posted a photo of your engagement two years ago. however, she was happy to show off your pregnancy. posting a photo dump of you being adorable doing pregnant wifey things every couple months. she just finds you to be even more beautiful after getting pregnant. that baby glow was doing wonders for you.

it was the day of the baby shower alex and your sister helped to plan. kristie was also the one to help you pick out an aesthetic for the venue, but that was pretty much it.

you have cried about five times since the party started. once because seeing your family come out made you emotional, another two times because all of kelley's friends were sweethearts especially alex who is by your side for a majority of the event, one more time after seeing harper (sam bought along some of her aussie friends and katrina wouldn't miss the opportunity to come to a baby shower) running around with charlie which made you think of the baby that is ready to pop in your belly, and one last time because the vanilla cake was really good.

after eating, it was time to reveal the gender of the baby to you two's family and friends. kelley's arm is resting over your shoulder as you hold a white balloon in your hands.

"ready, baby?" she whispers to you. smiling once you nod.

"alright!" kelley says loudly to the mini crowd infront of you two. "one, two, three!" they count down. on three kelley pokes the balloon and it pops out pink confetti. lynn is the first to gasp out in celebration and pretty soon everyone follows after.

while everyone else is celebrating the reveal, kelley is pulling you into a hug. your arms go to wrap around her neck. tears threatening to fall from your eyes despite having already known the gender of the baby before the whole event. "i don't even know why i'm about to cry. we both already knew it was a babygirl," you say into kelley's shoulder. she pulls back a bit to look at her. wiping the tears that did manage to escape from your eyes. "it's okay. it's not just about the reveal, but having everyone here with us makes it so special. i almost cried but you know.. i would rather not being teased forever" she reassures you.

you two take a few more moments to talk before celebrating with the rest of your friends and family.

later on in the evening, long after the kiddos attending the party were put to sleep, all of the adults sit at the tables. kelley and you are back standing at the front of the venue where all the gifts are. a glass of wine sits nicely in your wife's hands with her other hand resting on your belly.

"okay firstly i would like to thank everyone for coming out, we loved seeing you all. secondly i want to thank the beautiful woman standing next to me right now.." the brunette smiles as you roll your eyes in mock annoyance. "i want to thank my beautiful wife, y/n, for being the perfect woman for me. who happily supports me with every venture i done and is always there for me. you're going to be a great mother once this little one pops. love you, baby" she says before pulling you into a short kiss.

you almost use your hand to shelter you two but decide against it. the damage is already done and you can already hear sam starting her teasing. emily of course has to jump in on it too.

looks like kelley isn't going to go tease-free today after all.

[frigidpaws]

why meadowlark is literally a masterpiece

tl;dr :: me yapping about how @yaelokre is amazing at music and you should go follow them :3 [not forcing you,, haha]

and to keath, if you didnt want to be tagged that's perfectly okay and i apologize :~) you can skip to the ending section for more info haga

everything under the cut

alright !! thank you for taking the time to read my silly recommendation :D before we begin i'd just like to say i really hope this doesn't come off as weird at all, i just really love meadowlark :3

and some of this might be wrong !! PLEASE correct me if i said anything incorrect !

so, what's meadowlark?

meadowlark is the world in which four children sing tales of fables to all that will hear them. they tell stories of the harkers, who are "concepts" in a way. they are the storyteller, the bell-ringer, the croon and the enkindled. yaelokre is the name of the creator and story as a whole, and the author and singer behind the story is known as Keath, a splendidly talented artist who truly loves their work.

the lark

the lark consists of the aforementioned children:

cole (represents the storyteller)

clémentne/clémentine/clémmie (represents the bell-ringer)

perrine (represents the croon)

kingsley (represents the enkindled)

all of the children are genderless, and do not use gendered terms. they all use they/it pronouns and it is best to respect yaelokre's wishes for their characters. i do believe cole and clémentine are dating (or something romantic), as there is official art of them kissing, though i don't know the details...

the young minstrels are good friends and enjoy preforming their songs together. each one has a distinct voice, design, and personality traits. each one of them is crafted so beautifully, you can see yaelokre put work into them :D

the songs

the tales of meadowlark are told through songs, and goodness, are they amazing. i have never reacted so positively to a song myself, but bird cage blue and yellow makes me so happy :) i do hope yaelokre knows that at least one person enjoys their music as much as i <3

here are the songs !!:

hayfields

harpy hare

hartebeest

and the hound

neath the grove is a heart

songs of origin

my farewell to the fields

bird cage blue and yellow

there is another song, cole's response, but i can't find it anywhere, nor have i heard it. i believe it's being remade, or something along those lines.

closing statements !!

i hope this convinces at least one person to listen to and support yaelokre's works :3

again: i do not wish to cross any boundaries with this post, and i will take it down per the request of keath if they so wish. i am quite anxious of hurting others, so communication is best for me...

i am deeply excited when i like something, music or other, so i just want to share yaelokre with more people :~) so if that makes them uncomfortable, i apologize. i chose to tag them because i feel they may like knowing someone really appreciates their work? i don't know. i don't know them personally so take that with a grain of salt.

thank you, yaelokre, for being cool :D

[quirkle2]

I was wondering if there are any rare happy ritsu moments in ur zombie au since hes always miserable I think,, like is he always miserable or is he happy/not miserable and feeling kinda good sometimes?

VWHDGDGD NO YEAH OFC HE'S HAPPY SOMETIMES im just horrible and enjoy putting him through misery

ive never been able to get a genuine smile to look right on his face in my art style either i think thats part of it. as ive said his face is just built to be mildly uncomfortable and bothered and i lean into it sm it's starting to get kinda funny

but yes ritsu is happy plenty! i think, canonically, he just seems like the type of person to me that tends to turn lemonade back into lemons. he's easy to scare and his first reaction to things is often Dread and Anxiety. he dwells on the negatives a lot and seems to be a "hope for the best, expect the worst," kinda guy, but there's a section in this post abt shigeo always loving the little things in life, and ritsu steadily learns throughout the journey on how to do that and how healing it can rly be. even if he had to grow up too fast during this whole thing and learn things a kid should never have to, the journey also gave him some good insight and lessons in other places! ritsu is smart, he figures it all out

in terms of little things here n there he's the happiest lil guy on the planet when he finds one of his favorite foods—swings his legs while he sits and munches on a kitkat bar like he's got absolutely nothin in the world to worry abt. sometimes mob does smth funny that he laughs at; for the longest time i've had this silly image in my head of mob accidentally knocking down a bucket from a store shelf and it lands on his head and he just kinda stands there and makes noises.when the noises continue out of pure curiosity about the weird echoey quality it's giving them ritsu cannot help but lose it

besides tiny things tho, when tome comes around ritsu in general is a lot happier, just cuz he has somebody to talk to that will actually respond in some way. they're sorta reluctant partners in crime at first (at least on ritsu's end) but over time and over bonding they grow to rly like each other's presence. they bicker constantly but it's almost always fond eventually, and they shove each other and playfight until mob gets antsy enough to get worked up about it. rly, tome is a godsend to ritsu's mental health—after months and months of being effectively alone with his thoughts, he finally has another person to converse with. a person His Age, too!

tome is rly good at knowing when ritsu is thinkin himself into oblivion and she's Also rly good at being the most annoying girl on the planet to yank him outta that and replace any misery with Oh My God Get Off Me You Freak. she doesn't even do this on purpose at first, but over time she learns how to tell when he's thinking too hard and, ofc, she's grown attached and she cares, so she's as obnoxious as possible to lighten the mood

when they find reigen n teru, ritsu gradually gets Much happier still. now that he knows they're safe and the gang is finally back together (and now that there's an Adult present and he can relax a lil and let himself be taken care of) his stress levels r exponentially lowered. having teru back is another instant lift to his mood—im always a big fan of teru and ritsu friendship, and i think adding tome to their dynamic simply makes it more chaotic. truly a trio of the 3 most normal teenagers in existence which will surely bring nothing but good (reigen sweats offscreen)

actually this makes me feel bad for forever torturing him im gonna go draw happy zau ritsus brb ,.,.ok imback <3

[esta-elavaris]

Been getting a few instances lately of some very snotty reviewers on HWFG across the different sites being all "waaaah you're using memory loss as a way to avoid answering questions//an easy hand-wave explanation about the OC!!!"

And uh? Wrong.

It's integral to the plot, it's a set-up for things to come rather than just a device for pointless angst, and it's very hysterically bold to assume that she won't get her memories back a significant stretch of time before the story is over. Which means we then get to deal with a character having to grapple with the combining of the person they've been for the last ten years, and the person they were - that they can now remember - before their memories were cut off. Which? Is arguably going to be way harder to pull off satisfyingly than if she'd been fully aware of everything this whole time?

And it's also because I literally just wrote a modern girl! story without the memory loss aspect and the amnesia adds a new twist for the folk who followed on from that, so they weren't just reading Catch the Wind 2.0.

As a rule I generally ignore wank in the comment section of any fic, but it's just? So weird to see such bad faith engagement in a fandom space? Like why go into it instantly assuming the writer doesn't know what they're doing, and is making a decision out of laziness rather than "oh man I know how I can turn this into a really good story"?

I'd even get it from a constructive criticism standpoint of like "just a heads up, this can look lazy at times, so I hope you have some sort of pay-off planned for this trope!" - I got a lot of that kind of stuff on CTW and I was so happy to see it, because it helped me get an idea of what people wanted to see more of, and that really helped make that story good, but in this case it's always stated in the most condescending way...and on anon accounts, so we can't all go marvel at their masterpieces, which says it all.

It is what it is, though! And the loveliness far outweighs the snide assholes 💜

[realuity]

Hi there! Can I ask how you made your hfr guitar prop? I bought some foam boards to start making my own, but they've been sat around for ages as im not really sure how to start ^^" ur help would be super appreciated :))

hi!! glad to help!! the hfr guitar build was actually pretty simple at its base mechanics - it's a prop walking stick from probably some halloween shop, with a whole bunch of foamboard on it. the only real adhesive i made use of was hot glue - it was weird and stringy, but it sticks really well to foamboard and is incredibly fast 'drying'.

the core of the whole build is.. one really big sheet that i cut into a rough guitar shape, and stuck on the bottom. it helps to have this real simple start - especially with the further simple steps. it helps you to get going!!

the fun part is that - for the first three or so layers of thickness buildup on both sides of the foamboard - you don't really need any specific shapes! just build it up with random cut-out bits. of course, pay ttention to certain details, but you can pick these out from the actual guitar at your discresion. personally, i left out a bunch of the pipes and other specific greebly bits, to make the task easier on myself to work with what i had and minimise the amount of parts liable to fall off or break. here's the reference image i mainly used - with red highlights on bits i focused on. the fun part is that with all the stuff you don't care about, you can kinda just do whatever! the design is intentionally very cluttered - so you can fake a lot of detail by just placing stuff down where it looks good.

my reccomendation (especially for the handle, and pieces that bend) is to get a thinner, flexible foam for details. it helps with distinguishing texture without adding unnessecary bulk, bits that go around stuff, and things that needed finer detail. it doesn't have to be an expensive foam at all! those little craft sheets of foam you can get pretty much in any art/crafts shop are what i used, and they worked great! they play really well with hot glue too.

(this stuff!)

for the pipe details that are there, i kinda gave in and used cheap pipe from hardware shops. i didn't want to find a solution that'd use too much of my material, and it bends pretty much perfectly, so that's what i went for. surprisingly, it took to sealant quite well.

speaking of sealant, painting! to start, i used a whole bunch of plastic and foam primer, but i think a brush-on gesso or a whole shitload of white paint would do the job if you can't access outdoor spaces for spraying. it gets a little hard on the pockets to do that much spraying, but that's the nature of it, i suppose.

after having a nice amount of primer, a spray around the entire thing in a light silver got the basecoat. try to really get it into the inner details and layers visible through the front and back panels, to sell the effect of a solid core of scrap metal.

try to use a few shades of silver to pick out certain parts. and block in color where its needed.

for the outline effect, it's very fucking annoying to do, but i'd say worth it. use whatever black paint you have (i switched between brush, paint pens and markers a lot, could not figure out the optimal way) to carefully fill in the protruding edges of pieces in black, mostly outer ones that are the most notable. here's a really scuffed diagram of what i mean.

it's ballbustingly annoying and will take a lot of time, but the effect's worth it. to avoid getting frustrated and burn out on the project, remember to take breaks! i'm guilty of getting terribly stuck in a build whenever i work, to the point of like, forgetting to eat, so it's important to remember to step away to clear your head. restful artists make intricate work, or whatever other idiom you can come up with.

hope this helps!! prop-building is a tricky hobby, but really fun and rewarding. it's all about sectioning off your work into pieces you need to do. seperate large bits into seperate pieces you work on individually. break it up, get it done.

don't be afraid to use techniques just for fun, too. on the back of the guitar, i painted on a little tango snail gleefuly scooting away from a flaming microsoft logo. i'll have to add a subnautica peeper or something to match with recent news!

[leviadraws]

helloo i must ask you. your thoughts on yuki (the dra one)

Oh boy, he's a tough one for me, so I'll try to splruge some thoughts. (Sorry I've been slow with asks lately, I promise I'm working on them, also I really need to rewatch DRA at some point but I am tired atm so there may be some inaccuracies).

(under the cut, DRA and some SDRA2 spoilers throughout).

So DRA Maeda is honestly my favourite protagonist in canon and another. Due to the whole reveal at the end and the divine luck factor there's quite a lot of layers to him that you don't think about at a surface level but then you scratch it a little and it's all like "hey this is kinda clever" whether it was intentional or not. But a lot of that would be talking about Utsuro, not Maeda so I'm not really gonna cover it much.

I will say I do love the system headcanons that have been covered by yourself, Nikei, and Dragon (I was going to link posts but jesus finding posts on tumblr is so goddmn hard). I haven't researched the topic well enough to comfortably talk about it myself, and I think you guys have done a pretty thorough job already.

I would like to talk about something that has always bothered me a little, and that's how Maeda/Utsuro are portrayed in the flashback. During the flashback and when Kinjo references their time at Hope's peak, he's referred to as being more Utsuro. But then that doesn't line up with the picture found of the class, where he's clearly appearing as Maeda. I'd like to think that they existed together before the real Yuuki's memories were implanted onto him.

(This is 99% me wanting to have both Maeda and Utsuro in pre-canon haha, but it is interesting). As I said before I've not done adequate research and I don't want to accidentally offend, happy to remove this section entirely if necessary.

So I like him a lot since he's kinda just a kid, yanno? He gets annoyed with the other classmates, he's downright mean sometimes (he's kinda brutal to Satsuki in her FTEs, iirc), and he's kinda bitter in places (him refusing to help Kinjo in chapter 3). It just makes him feel more, real? If that makes sense.

And like in trials, since none of the trials are that hard that we don't get totally baffled, him leading doesn't seem that off. The "smarter" kids of the class are either unhinged (Kinjo) holding information for no reason (Rei), underused by Linuj (Kakeru, Kanata, Kinji), or have a chapter 5 plot device in their head (Mikako). I'd probably want someone like Maeda to lead trials too.

I guess there's that kinda lingering thing that due to divine luck, any leap of logic would always be correct, but it didn't feel jarring since he'd always come across as kinda pragmatic. That and the leaps in logic aren't the level of crazy that SDRA2 chapter 2 and 3 had.

He's also flawed, he doesn't always say the right thing. He doesn't give out hope speeches (that I recall at least, I could be wrong on that one), he succumbs to the motive in chapter 4 just as much as the others do. He holds grudges over the course of the game, he's devastated over Kinjo's actions in chapter 5. Actually his relationship with all three survivors + Taira are really good.

I'm not hugely fond of some of the FTEs with him tho, I sometimes get the impression that they were written earlier? He feels more like the generic protagonist is some of them. Rei's feels like one of the worst offenders of this, like earlier in the game Maeda doesn't really put up with Kinjo's or Rei's bullshit in their attitude to others, but in her FTE he puts up with her shit to hear her story? Idk it felt weird to me.

I do however love his interactions with most of the rest of the cast in the story itself, mainly Kinjo because kshkjefnad they are disasters and I love them so much.

One little thing, I really would've liked to see him snap a little more in canon. There's obviously the part with Mikako, but like so many fucked up things happen and there were like at least three other opportunities off the top of my head?. Can you imagine the slight change in his expression, but his whole vibe just becomes so much darker and the reactions of the people around him?. Kinjo and Akane's reactions (both pre and post chapter 5) would've been so interesting.

Imma probs get on that rewatch now and realise that I missed a load of stuff and feel very silly. But hey, here's a tired mess of thoughts that yous are all free to rip apart and tell me I'm wrong haha.

Also give him a hoodie he a tired boi let him be comfy.

[whovianwatchingstartrek]

A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 029 - The Mysterious Repair Station

Star Trek: Enterprise - Season 2 Episode 4 - Dead Stop

I was surprised to see the Damage from the previous episode carried over to this one. According to Trip, this just simply isn't repairable with the Enterprise's resources, and we can't travel fast enough to reach home in any real time. Definitely a predicament.

Sadistic as it sounds, I'm glad the damage that mine didn't, and the injuries caused last episode aren't just being handwaved away, I like that they actually have to deal with the consequences of that much destruction. I hope this is kept up with any other major damage the enterprise takes in the future. Obviously you can't do it for every little scratch, but it's still nice to see for the big stuff.

The Enterprise's distress call is answered by a freighter that sends co-ordinates to a handy repair station. Oddly, the repair station doesn't answer Enterprise's calls, but does seem to be hospitable. Something is definitely weird here, and it's a feeling you can't quite shake throughout the episode. The technology here is way more advanced than anything we've seen so far, at least as far as this time is concerned.

The repair station's interior design is very bright and sleek. I really liked it. It semi-reminded me of Nerva Beacon from the Doctor Who serial Ark in Space, as well as basically every other 70's and 80's Who space station. It's a very classic Sci-Fi design, but it works.

Things start to pick up around halfway through. Something mimics Archer's voice to summon Mayweather to an off-limits section of the Ship. Then, next thing we know, he's dead. Not injured, dead. Phlox does later find out this is a duplicate of Mayweather, but while the illusion is going, the episode does it's best to pull a few tears out of you. The show just simply hasn't spent enough time on Travis to do that though. Hoshi's whole "I was hoping it was another one of his practical jokes" thing would have a lot more impact if we knew Travis liked pulling pranks, but this is the first time that has come up.

We also got to see Phlox in action helping heal Malcolm's leg from his impalement last episode, which is very nice. Phlox is always a joy, and his fascination over the station being unable to replicate living microbes is interesting.

This episode also beautifully captures the frustration of talking to AI customer support. "You're inquiry was not recognised" indeed.

On the whole I really liked this one. I would have liked a few answers as to exactly what this space station is, and why it seems to integrate members of the ships it repairs into it's processors, but the mystery was fun. I enjoyed my time here, and the cliff-hanger of the station starting to repair itself was brilliant, I can't wait to see where that goes.

[10hourshift]

So, Bonnie, right?

⚠️🚨❗Warning❗🚨⚠️

this thing is really long and might not make sense, idk, I'm not proofreading that, I spent a day and a half on it

Ok, before I get to the point I'm trying to make I have to say this post doesn't come from hate, on the contrary, I've said before that I really like his character, but to be honest I like him more in the sense of "putting him in a petri dish and studying him🧫" rather than "this character is just like me fr" or smth like that (just let me explain it will make sense later I hope)

So, here it goes

Bonnie is a really fucking weird character

And one of the weakest overall imo

First of all, I'm comparing his character to others like him. Since not all the characters are treated the same.

The way that I see it, there are four types of characters in the series

Wow, they are really going thru it. These are the characters that have a lot of development throughout the series (like Freddy, Fred or Bon) and, more importantly, that had some visible growth onscreen (< this is important)

Hey, you got over it really fast. Unlike the first type, these characters don't have a lot of development in the story (or they had it off screen and just reappear w all their problems solved after), but are part of the story (like Chica, Joy, Fox, and Bonnie)

They sure are there, huh? These guys appear somewhat regularly and have some development, but aren't as important to the plot like the first two (Mai, Puppet, Springtrap, idk)

Haven't seen you in a while. These are the characters that barely get any attention, appearing in one episode for like every ten. Bc of this you wouldn't expect them to have any development at all (the nightmares, the funtimes)

Ok, so the category that I put Bonnie in is mainly formed of those characters that are necessary to the story, or to some characters stories. Like Joy, because she's important to Fred and Bon at some point in S2, so she gets some development, but gets thrown to the side for other things, even with that, her character is important for the plot, since she wasn't there for the contest, and she needed to be rescued by Freddy and Fred.*her character is also done so dirty, but that is for another time*

But anyways, back to Bonnie. He's relevant to the story in two ways. He's a member of the main band, and he's the romantic interest of Bon** and he doesn't have any big problems of his own w anything.

**I know that the whole bon thing is not part of the main plot, but it takes a significant part of the whole series that I'm counting it (the AUs will not be counted on the main analysis, maybe I'll cover them in here idk)

Let me do a quick recap of his role in story to make things easier 4 me.

Staring w the 1st video on fnafhs, we see what kind of person is Bonnie on a surface level

Description taken from wikifandom, this is supposedly a transcription of what edoochan says in her video "como serían los animatrónicos de FNAF si fueran adolescentes", this is not the full section of Bonnie btw, it's missing his relationships w the others, but ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

During the beginning chapters we just see him getting dragged along to the situation, being knocked over by Freddy and Fox, showing that he was sleeping in class, forced to clean the classroom w the others, and pretty much manipulated to be part of the team, assigning himself as the guitarist of the band. In them, Bonnie is just a smartass and apathetic to the world around him, to the point of sleeping in class and mentioning that he gets beaten up so much that he is inmune to it, maybe bc of his stereotypical nerdy look, and the whole "he's a little quirky and strange" bit he has going on. It's not until chapter 9 "el Bonnie oculto" until we see his ability w the guitar, and that he has like a whole different personality that he has when playing, given that the chapter is mainly the guitar cover w pictures of Bonnie and bon playing the guitar, we can only assume what this personality is. He seems to be more confident, and happy while playing, showing that the guitar is something he's really passionate abt, and that he likes to show his abilities off.

At this point we have a somewhat solid idea of who Bonnie is at the start, and of what we can expect from this character and what his role in the band will be.

Me: Boy am I excited to see how Bonnie finally gets to beat his apathy w the power of pop rock anime covers and friendship by his side :3

This gay mf:

Look, this is where my "problem" starts, bc from this chapter forwards Bonnie's character is changed drastically. Whatever type of development he has gets put on the side just to make space for the whole "is this love or friendship? 🥺 I love my tiny gay babies". In this chapter Bonnie is looking for Bon because he wants to practice w him, and invites him to do so when he finally finds him, and doesn't wait for him to respond, assuming he will be there. Being from Bon's perspective, we don't really have any idea of what does Bonnie feel for him, y'know, besides admiration, and considering him to be better than him, also we see that Bonnie changed some parts of his personality in this chapter, he doesn't have any sarcastic or smartass comments, the "weirdness" of his actions is more prevalent (reading upsidedown, surprising Bon from a branch) and he gets his recognizable "hehehe" laugh thing.

The next chapter he makes an appearance in is "la pesadilla de Bonnie" where we see him getting beaten up by the nightmares, and defended by Fox. Later we see him in the park practicing w bon, when asked about the bruises he claims again that he is inmune to them, dismisses Bon's concern and talks abt what to practice. The next day, he is threatened by the nightmares again, but now Bon and Fox stand up for him, and he also puts a stop to the abuse, when Fox asks him why he decided to defend himself, he says is because of his friends.

He showed some development here, finally starting to take care of himself bc others care about him, and fighting against the apathy towards life in general, though since we only see Bon's point of view we can't really see how he decided to change, and how this affects his life. This means that whatever growth Bonnie has, it will be as an incentive for Bon's growth as a character, making Bonnie nothing but an objective for Bon, because "we"* as an audience are expecting these two to end up as a couple (imagine that Bonnie is that romantic interest girl in movies/books/etc. that doesn't get any development and that you're supposed to ship w the male protagonist, when he has more chemistry w his rival). Another thing that I noticed that supports this idea is the changes that were made to Bonnie's personality to fit the romantic trope. He stopped being a smartass sarcastic dude and changed into an oblivious "uwu" boy, where his funny comic relief comments play around these new characteristics, AND, on top of it all, the apathy he shows to everything, like getting his ass beaten, is changed to an "aw that sucks :/" reaction to the things that go wrong.

*"we" in this case, is the audience that was pushing the bxb ship when the series aired, since fnafhs was really influenced by what the fandom wanted, specially at the beginning, it's necessary to recognize the parts that had more influence from the fans, rather than what edoo wanted. Like, clearly, the huge amount of bxb content, both in the mainline series, and the AUs.

One funny thing I wanna mention is that from this chapter on, Bonnie and Fox are stablished as Friends™, given that it was mainly Fox the one that motivated Bonnie to defend himself, and in later chapters Bonnie is shown to be closer to Fox than the other band members (Tbh I think these two are easier to ship than the bxb imo), without leaving the others behind and showing that he cares abt the band.

His last "main" appearance before the "camp arc" (yeah that's how I call it) is in chapter 21 "Bon, amor o admiración" where he is w the band worrying abt golden, and then going to practice to Bon, giving him a personal song of his, just to be rejected by bon and him humiliating him in front of the toys. Again, we don't see his reaction to everything that just happened to him, like, imagine that the only person that you shared your most important thing with just pushes you away one day w no explanation. That is something really big that would have been an interesting character moment. But whatever, this is not what this is about. I'll just keep pointing out the moments that keep being shown as "big shipping moment 😱!!" Bc is the only time that Bonnie gets some attention, that only focus on one side of the story (mainly Bon's) anyways.

Uhh, during the "camp arc" Bonnie is just, kinda there, again, bon is the one going thru it, we see that Bonnie misses Bon, but REALLY brushes off what Bon did to him as "he's mad w me but idk y :(" and he helps out Bonsoir even after discovering that is Bon, now, when confronted by him on why he isn't mad with him, he basically answers with "dude you are really weird, but so am I, we weirdos gotta stick together" and the moment ends up in a friendzone joke.

😐 this resolution has always felt wrong for me, mainly for the way that Bonnie was handled (obviously), and the implications that the only conflict that was between him and Bon is that the later just kept avoiding an akward conversation w Bonnie. I know this may be nitpicking from my part, but I do believe that this takes away any agency that Bonnie has in the situation, not only is he not mad abt the papers, and humiliation that he got from Bon, he also brushes off the fact that bon was avoiding him during the whole camping trip, like, I'm not expecting him to go to Bon and tell him to fuck himself or smth, but at least that he mentions that he was mad at him at some point, or disappointed, it doesn't even need to be a full on chapter, some comment can do well enough, idk.

I finally got to season 2 (!!) In this one Bonnie doesn't do anything else than his usual comic relief comments (now is a mix of bluntness, misunderstanding of the situation, and tiny bit of sarcasm). Now he and bon hang around as friends, and he decides to help Bon w his issues w joy (ig he's just there for moral support, bc he doesn't do much in there). During the whole "oh no we're eliminated" thing there's nothing of interest, up until chapter 16 "verdaderos sentimientos", where Bon finds him and goes w the whole "let's find our friends, as friends" and this bitch responds like this

OH MY FUCKING GOD*

Let's unpack that later, please let me finish the series recap.

Ok, in the last chapter Bonnie thanks BON for helping him to get friends, and the band and stuff, letting he know how much he appreciates him, and before gets to respond he goes to help the other w the thing that is happening to Fox.

Aight, now that I showed Bonnie's development throughout the series (and gave my analysis and opinion on it) I will just point out the general issues that the character has.

First, there's the lack of clear development and growth. Even though he is necessary for the story of Bon, he doesn't do anything in the series, as I said before, he, such as other characters, lacks a conflict, and the ones he's in are related either to Bon or the band (one way we can see how much attention a character gets is w the amount of solo songs they sing in series, Bonnie doesn't have any)

The second thing is that the only way we see Bonnie is trough an outsider perspective (mainly Bon's), so any development he gets, it will be incomplete bc we never see his journey to whatever resolution he gets.

Then there's the thing that makes Bonnie so interesting to me, his character, unlike the others that are like him, is being constantly changed to fit Bon's conflict,* this makes him really ambiguous of "who" is Bonnie. When the Bon subplot was introduced he was changed to fit the uwu romantic interest, then, his carefree (or apathetic) personality is used to excuse Bon's actions*, and THEN when Bon finally starts to accept Bonnie as only a friend is shown to us that now is BONNIE the one with the crush to create more conflict between them(I hate the "will they, will they not" trope)* that will never be solved bc the series is cancelled anyways. These changes make Bonnie a less defined character, and since he is mainly used in Bon story, other interesting aspects of his character are put aside and ultimately forgotten.

*other characters like Chica, for example, that are less developed are still well defined, even if it is shallow, chica is pretty much the same throughout the series, this is the case w Joy and Fox, for example.

*not that Bon is without guilt, he is really the one who gets development of all this mess, but that the fact that Bonnie doesn't give it much thought to Bon's actions pretty much gives the idea that "it wasn't such a big deal". Tbh, I want to make an analysis on Bon later but he is SO MUCH MORE messed up than Bonnie, if this thing is long I can't imagine how will the Bon analysis turn out 😵‍💫

*that last scene really bothers me for a few reasons, does it mean that Bonnie has feelings for Bon?, If so, since when?, Did he go through the same inner conflicts as Bon?, If the feelings are recent, what started? Are the feelings romantic? Was this supposed to be more bait for the viewers? Who knows, I'll try to not think too hard abt it

Well, I guess that's all I had to say, of course it looks really negative, but I really like him, I enjoy his funny comments in the series, his whole relationship with Fox, and I'm very fond of the "weird, probably autistic coded" trope, I find him relatable at times, uh what else? I liked the route they took for him on zer0* and he's always been one of my favorites, even when I first started watching the series and hadn't developed this opinion of mine, and even now, these things that I do are one of the way that I interact w my interests (why couldn't I be satisfied enough with just drawing characters in solid backgrounds? unu)

*I'm making this quickly, but I think it's neat how they took on Bonnie's apathy and developed trough it, I don't think it was necessary to make a whole new character to justify it or whatever they wanted to do tho. I also want to dive into the zer0 series later lol

That's all now, for real, this thing was really long, I speedwatched the series to make the recap, uhh, what else?

Box (BonnieXFox) > BxB

Thanks to anyone who read this post to the end, if you have anything to comment or to add please feel free to do so, I want to see what other people think

Ok bye now

[inexplicablepeas]

Pandora Thoughts

So I finally read Pandora for the first time (first new to me book in the series since I started re-reading). I'm just gonna ignore that whole "New Tales of the Vampires" thing as it fully just seems like one of the Vampire Chronicles.

Thoughts below the cut!

From the off I liked Pandora's voice, she's sardonic and playful as well as having a commanding and in control presence. She's a good character to spend some time with and I was veeery interested to get her perspective on things. She's quite romantic and poetic like Armand but she doesn't take herself quite so seriously and there's some humor and light moments to enjoy as well, which was kind of a surprise, with her only previous POV chapter being her searching for Marius in QOTD at Azim's temple and fairly serious and angsty, given the circumstances.

One thing I noticed is that she seems a lot less vain that a lot of Anne Rice's other POV vampires, she seems to be quite happy to give us unflattering details, like when she has to dress herself without any help as a Roman upper-class woman for the first time in Antioch and she picks clothes that are awkward and unintentionally revealing and makes a total mess of her hair and makeup. She could have just as easily left that out but she'd rather poke fun at herself. You get the feeling that she'd be fun to hang out with (when she's not catatonic)!

Her early life is interesting and entertainingly told. We zoom through her account of her childhood through two divorces (she has nothing to say about her mortal husbands lol), by her 30s she's living as kind of a weird spinster with her beloved old dad. In the early sections there's few little moments of Marius here and there (and they're great, pretending to be bear like a total dork etc.) but nothing substantial until we get to the real action in the second half of the book, after her father's death and her fleeing Rome for Antioch where she finds Marius again. Even though I'm always dying to get-to-the-vampires-already in these life-story style chronicles the details of her early life do add a lot to her characterization. You get the impression of a sharp and passionate young woman who chafes under the patriarchal Roman social strictures but who tries her best to live up to cultural expectations for her dad's sake. After her dad dies, despite her considerable grief, she knows freedom for the first time in her life and she's just coming to fully embrace that when vampires happen.

When we do get into the proper plot of the book (her being lured by Akasha into a perilous situation that will culminate in Marius turning her to prevent her death) it does feel a little rushed. When we finally get to the bit we're interested in (her life as a vampire with Marius for 200 years and what she did after he left) there's only 3 chapters left, and it's a short book, so these are short chapters! I did absolutely love getting more details on her life with Marius, chapter 10 in particular gets into the nitty-gritty of how they both came to terms with and understood her turning and as well as being juicy in those terms it's also quite a love letter to Marius at times. It's good to get the details that Marius will never tell you and to get her perspective on what went wrong in their relationship, which is a bit more in depth and revealing than the version we get in Blood and Gold (well I did read them out of order so I suppose you're meant to have those details already). We get a bit more specific on things that Marius only hints at in his account (how extreme Marius' fear of emotion was, how overbearing and insulting he was to Pandora and the role that fundamentally different perspectives on religion played in their disagreements) and things that he omits entirely (like Flavius' existence and turning).

There are things I had hoped would be covered but that we get little to no new details on, I'm realizing that expecting something in particular when you start an Anne Rice novel is a fools game. In this case I was really curious to learn more about her relationship with Arjun, it seems to be very complicated in Blood and Gold, and well… OK, so in one of the last chapters (I think the last one) Pandora does briefly address their relationship. She doesn't refer to him by name (only as 'the Asian' =/, yeah, it's gross) and simply says she never cared about him. A bit disappointing, I suppose Anne likely had character-based reasons for this (maybe they had a nasty break up) but I would have liked to have known more about how they met and that period they spent traveling around Europe in a Disney villain ostentatious black carriage that carried their sleeping forms by day. I'm kinda curious! I'm also suspicious of her account of their relationship, that he almost held her captive, because she's an extremely strong and (as we come to know in her account) willful vampire and I wonder if she's giving the version of their relationship that she's knows Marius would prefer, with her as a damsel in distress. On the other hand I also wonder if being abandoned by Marius all those years ago had a lasting effect of making her less willing to assert herself in romantic relationships, feeling that her assertiveness was the quality she was abandoned for… I want answers damnit!

Anyway, getting back to the point, the ending did feel a little rushed for me, and guys, I can't help but roll my eyes when we get "I must go to Lestat" - practically mandatory for a non-Lestat POV character to end their narrative with something like that, right? 😅 I like Lestat but not half as much as Anne Rice or her vampires. I'd like to see them ignore what he's up to and just get on with their own lives sometimes. Behind her plan to go to Lestat though is her desire to reunite with Marius, evidently in recalling past events she's become nostalgic for what they had and wants to give it another go maybe! I guess they have a lot of arguing to do about the nature of Lestat's religious experiences! So it does tie in with her narrative but I can't help but have that "give me a break" reaction when she says that. Overall it's a great, zippy little read (could be longer!) that fleshes out Pandora's character and gives some great insight on Marius and their relationship.

I've got Tale of the Body Thief next (because I will insist in reading these books in a stupid order) which is also new for me! Exciting!

[fauxkaren]

My Roommate is a Gumiho - 6/10

You know, the drama began in a promising manner. I really loved the Odd Couple vibes of the early episodes but man, this show faltered hard at the halfway point. It sorta ended ok, but a large chunk of the series was pretty 🫤 for me. I was just looking for something light hearted while waiting for the final episodes of Marry My Husband, so I decided to give his drama a shot and I guess it a decent watch while waiting for something better but I had some big issues with it.

The basic set up is that Shin Woo-yeo, a gumiho (nine-tailed fox), is nearing his 1,000 year deadline to become a human. He comes into contact with Lee Dam, a college student, and basically decides to leech off her human energy in hopes that this will help him become human, so she moves in with him. The fun of this series, for me, is Dam being her slob college student self in contrast to Woo-yeo's uptight mannerisms. But like... the romance is not very good y'all.

I kind of hate how Dam always calls him "Sir", even after they start dating. IDK. IT'S WEIRD. I know they do a whole bit about it in the show, but it was too late by then! I was already weirded out!!! I was also weirded out by how Woo-yeo gets a job as a professor at Dam's college. LIKE HOW IS EVERYONE SO CHILL ABOUT DAM DATING HER PROFESSOR??? Even after she drops his class so she can keep dating him (BUT LIKE WHY DOESN'T HE JUST RESIGN? HE DOESN'T NEED THE JOB??? SHE IS A COLLEGE STUDENT AND IS DROPPING A CLASS MIDWAY THROUGH THE SEMESTER SO SHE CAN DATE HIM? WHAT THE FUUUUCK?), I just... I cannot imagine my university being chill about a student dating a professor within their department, even if they aren't taking a class from him. And also there's a lot of lies and hiding of truth and deception throughout the relationship that I could not get over. I mean, I guess they're cute enough in the very end once Woo-yeo becomes human but like... that entire section from like ep 9-the last 10 mins of ep 16 where they're dating before he's human is bleeegh. No thank you!!!

I did like the secondary characters, so that was nice. I found myself wanting to spend more scenes with Dam and her friends or her brother instead of watching Dam and Woo-yeo and their drama. There were also some moments that got a legit laugh out of me. I liked the running joke of Hye-sun not understanding idioms or figures of speech. There was also some ICONIC Subway product placement which, as we all know, is one of my favorite things in K-dramas. Dam has to get a part-time job at one point and of course she gets a job at Subway! I LOVE IT. So it wasn't ALL bad, but the romance itself lacked chemistry and was deeply problematic to me so the show never rose above being "mid".

[goddamnwebcomics]

Hope this doesn't dredge up any uncomfortable memories you wanted buried. What were the goriest or scariest moments or scenes you've encountered in your years of riffing webcomics?

I don't find gory stuff to be that scary, just kind of gross, but in the world of webcomics gory scenes are often VERY tryhard, especially in the world of Dominic Deegan. That doesn't mean usage of gore doesn't sometimes work, it has to kinda come out of nowhere to be scary.

As for scary scenes, here are five examples off the top of my head. Of course I am discounting most of the unintentionally scary stuff because then this list would be filled with creepy closeups, disturbing chibi faces and World of Friends.

1. The Train Guy's Death from Kit n Kay Boodle

I've listed off this scene so many times now, but it's still probably the most infamous scene from Kit n Kay Boodle outside of the real life arcs. The Train Guy tricks Karastropov to possess him in order to contact Kit and Kay from their secret base, however Karastropov is furious when he learns Train Guy knew them all along, and slowly makes him bleed to death. Such a gory death happening in a mostly-cutesy porn comic is seriously unexpected, which makes it a very memorable scene. I would argue this is one of the few heroes Albert gave an unhappy death, and speaking of Albert, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quality horror from him.

2. The Infernomancer Jump Scare from Dominic Deegan

Dominic Deegan, like I said, tries so goddamn hard to be scary. Deaths of entire crowds, massive eldritch abominations who speak in EVIL gibberish, demon gods with spikes, horns and EVIL TEETH ABLBLBLBLLALSLLBA, once you've seen one of them you've seen them all. The only time Dominic Deegan was kind of scary was during the "Sin City" arc, where Dominic is stuck in his seer coma thing, and suddenly sees Infernomancer's face. While this scene would be a lot more impactful if we didn't see frequent scenes of him killing people while tracking down Deegan's mother Miranda, it's still a kinda spooky scene. Imagine if a creepy face appeared when your eyes were closed.

3. Trasik's Mysterious Child Trafficking Operation from Alien Dice

When it comes to horror, I prefer when the horror is in form of a question mark. Alien Dice pulled this off really well with Trasik's slave ship, which has an entire section full of children. This scene just spawns many questions, until this point we thought Trasik was just a generic determinator obsessed with hunting down and killing Lexx but this whole, concept implied she is more twisted than that. It's one of the few times I was genuinely concerned over a fictional villain's motivations. Later of course some of the mystery was removed when we learned that Trasik just trains these kids to be soldiers and...wait, what happened to these kids? What the hell Tiffany? When are you going to answer that question?

4. Austin's fucked up trilogy from Carnivores

As ridiculous as Carnivores is, sometimes Austin's mind can go off the deep end. First one of these was the Bear Arc, which at first seemed to be a generic "large animals torture a bunch of bipedals" arc, but then it takes a hard left turn when a black lion shows up out of nowhere and eats someone's soul, and somehow it manages to be just as painful as the usual eating scenes in the comic. Then we have "Lion Named Lab" which should really be called "Blue Fox kills everyone", as he kills not only Austin and Lab, but also his minion gnolls. Thankfully the whole thing turns out to be a weird Night Tremor. Same can't be said for Death Note parody arc, which starts off as an unfunny parody but then turns into another "Everybody Dies" arc where the previously comedic Ryuk murders the entire cast, many of these characters originally debuting in earlier arcs. There was no real purpose to it, it just happened. These stories were so goddamn morbid, even with the terrible artstyle and bad writing. I almost have to compliment Austin for that, but I think he needs counceling.

5. Too Many Things from Gene Catlow

If there is one thing Albert is good at writing, it's horror, and I don't just mean unintentional horror. It's so fucking bizarre because this comic tries to appeal to kids and kid-adjacent people every other second, and then you get scary ass imagery out of nowhere that end as soon as they began. We've got skeletons dragging a bunch of puppets into the sand, creepy CGI cats that stalk their victims, Cotton turning into a corpse after acting the Sight of the Soul, Horton being mindraped by his own puppet's ghosts, Michelle's first appearance, Karlsson and Matt's temporary corpses, Borzoi somehow being bloodier than fucking Train Guy after Matt tormented him and most recently, a psychological horror show between Carson and Forzoi. Albert could've probably written a better horror comic than Dave Hopkins.