#I just wish I was less of a picky bitch

[hunter-sylvester]

i am a grumpy asshole and that is a me-problem

[crimsongrimoire]

im about to be the most obnoxious bitch on earth about it but babygirl came home thank fucking GOD. my hardcore pregrinding was not for naught. how have i won 4 50/50s in a row. what is it about hydro bitches And Wriothesley

also team Throw The Literal Book At Em is real now thank god

[nqn]

In theory I would enjoy stendyle but the anti-cartman attitude in that circle of fandom ruins it for me. I'm also just very picky with how Wendy is betrayed. I think she's more of a tomboy than the fandom wants to admit

HONESTLY. you're not wrong. i enjoy the ship only when im looking at it and applying the mental notes of my Own headcanoning and whatnot.

like any area has a really loud "cartman bad no ifs and or buts" and i'm such a fan of Nuance so its SO SAD. i cannot deny, as a teenager i was also NOT a fan of him- but as an adult with media literacy im like. obsessed with the idea of analyzing him.

which. i got outta hand. adhd and stream of consciousness, y'know how it goes sometimes haha. lemme read more this.

and the stendyle stuff SUCKS bc its so like yeah. fuck that guy. but ???? why. i don't think thsoe three dating WOULD really change their opinions on him as a whole. kyle and stan ARE his friends. even if theyre always at each others throats, they ARE friends. and wendy and cartman aren't like. besties. but i think that their competition towards each other can be really fun bc shes not afraid to stand up to him- like even less nervous about it than kyle is. and i think she sorta seems to revel in having someone who she CAN get into little picky bitchy moments with because its something she's not offered often.

so YES. i do think that those three would hang out on a date and someone would bring him up and they'd be bitches for a minute bc he gets on their nerves, but i don't understand why so much of the fandom is like yeah fuck cartman all my homies HATE cartman. he is ten years old + heavily abused + has an unhealthy relationship with basically everyone who should have raised him. that's not even TOUCHING on his actual trauma. but we've been shown, TWICE, canonically, how he can grow up into a better person- not perfect and not 'fixed', but he can be better, so i don't get why everyones like yeah. that thing is the worst in the world forever with no room for discussion.

-

as far as wendy's portrayal by the fandom i gotta agree. she's always been the fish out of water of the girls canonly, and i think too many people just sorta boil her down again to like. pretty. smart. awkward. they bring up that time she fought cartman and enjoy it but like. she gets treated like either Girl Kyle or.. Pretty but Shy or something??

she's never doing the Trends with the other girls at first, and i know she's the like "awkward" girl out of everyone, so she's used as an offset for Whatever Shit the other girls are getting into. but she's NOT shy and awkward or anything! she's loud and proud until she's beaten down. she's opinionated and chooses not to engage with trends and i think a lotta ppl see that she's a very feminist character and theyre like yes! thats the Girl™

but i think. personally. that wendyl was a really really awesome move. i wish more people would play with that idea, of wendy being ABLE to be less of a Girl for a while, even without bringing the transgender stuff into the picture. she can be boyish and wanna be crude and weird. she's educated and smart, but that doesn't mean she isn't ALSO a sorta tomboy? like she's so cool. i love wendy. so much.

and so many ppl also sorta just make her Girl Kyle which. don't even get me started. i think that drawing comparisons between them as "stan has a type" can be VERY FUNNY but too many people push it too far? so they basically treat her like she's just a stand-in for kyle. but she literally isn't. she's so fucking COOL by herself.

AND like you pointed out- her reaction to stans cvs!! yes she goes "ew!" "gross!" but she. listen. the girl still kisses him while after he finishes spitting the last of it out. i think if she was allowed to just be boyish and no one stopped her then she'd have so much fun hanging out with The Guys.

[honestlywhyamibackhere]

I've finally watched the finale episodes and I just wanna bullet point about it because I actually enjoyed it (though I'm aware many did not)

The Guide finally snapping and telling the others how she feels!!! like yes girl get it!! I wish they would actually be nicer to her though :(

Nandor finally finding about Guillermo and being upset about it I have been WAITING for this and it did not disappoint

The rest of the gang sticking up for Guillermo and helping him escape<33

NADJA'S DISGUISE and her little "hey bitch" I LOVE HER SM I'M NEVER GETTING OVER THIS SCENE

Nadja and Guillermo are besties u can't change my mind

Colin, Lazlo, and the Guide all visiting Guillermo to say goodbye :( they all love him so much

What was Lazlo gonna tell Guillermo before he got distracted hmmmm???

The Guide bringing those fucked up little animal experiment dudes so they could say goodbye

Nandor looking through photo albums with Guillermo's mum

HOMOEROTIC STEAK SCENE WITH sort of HANDHOLDING

No one thinking that all Guillermo had to do to fully transform was to drink human blood

Guillermo's zoomies after he first drinks blood

Guillermo realising that what he ACTUALLY wanted was just to be part of the gang but not until it's too late (he's so real for that)

Nandor being so in tune with Guillermo's feelings and proving he actually knows him better than Guillermo knows himself

The camera crew zooming in on Nandor's hands while he did up Guillermo's cape?? Hello???

Aka Nandor is stupid unless Guillermo is involved, in which case he is slightly less stupid

GUILLERMO'S BEARD AFTER HE GETS TURNED HUMAN AGAIN GRRRR WOOF WOOF WOOF (sorry)

Lazlo offering to help Guillermo with Derek's body :D

LAZLO'S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THIS SEASON HOLY SHIT

Topher cameo and Derek finally going to have a group of friends so he won't be lonely ;(

Nandor and Guillermo having the healthiest relationship they've ever had (just look at all of that communication WOOO)

Things I wish had happened/want to see next season:

More mention/talking about Lazlo bringing up baby Colin and how much that meant to Lazlo

More Lazlo and Colin friendship

More Nadja and Guillermo bestie moments

The Guide! Being! Treated! Right!

Guillermo being properly treated as one of the gang

I hope Guillermo figures out what he actually wants in life and to love himself more as he is (not feeling like he needs to change/be different to be accepted or worthy)

For Nandor and Guillermo to figure out whatever the fuck they've got going on between them

Hardcore sex (I'm not picky about who it's between.. the Guide and Nadja?? Nandor and Guillermo? Colin and the Nadja doll? Lazlo and Nadja? Orgy with all of them? Count me in)

IF Guillermo wants to be turned then I hope Nandor is the one that does it this time

For hypnotism to stop working on Sean but he's chill with them being vamps so no one notices until he makes an offhand comment

[melanieathene]

Suptober 2023 Day 7 - Black Cat

You might think life as a witch's familiar is an easy one. A roof over my head, a place to sleep and a belly full of food in exchange for helping focus their power. Oh, and maybe the sacrifice of a claw clipping. Or a tuft of hair. Or a few drops of blood. Even a pulled whisker or two – ouch! That one hurts.

But it's not all lazing in the sunlight and yowling at the moon. There's a lot less to purr about than you might think. And what's a feline to do if hunters come after your witch and slay her? Well, it's back to the streets with you then – and if being a black cat labels you as being bad luck, well, that's too bad for you.

Not that my witch-bitch didn't deserve to die. She was evil personified. She hurt a lot of people – innocent people – and she cast a lot of malevolent spells. So it was inevitable that hunters would eventually find and end her.

But not before she had time to cast one final spell...

A curse. A love curse at that. Honestly, was that the best she could do? I can think of a dozen better options, but I guessed she panicked.

I will spare you a list of the ingredients that went into the spell. They make me queasy, and I'm not the picky type. Suffice to say, it was a noxious brew. The tall hunter who came up behind my mistress (and killed her), avoided being enchanted. But the other two – the pretty one (according to her) and the angel – caught the worst of it right in the (excuse the expression) puss.

There was a moment, a brief moment, when I thought the spell wasn't going to work. But then they started making goo-goo eyes at each other. Handsome's hands reached out to grab the angel and pull him in close. I found it hard to tell if they were kissing or trying to devour each other.

The tall hunter figured it out before I did. He muttered something that sounded like, “finally!” followed by, “I'll just wait outside.”

He ran from the room as if Satan himself was on his heels. I sat and watched the increasingly enthusiastic lovers for a while, but their x-rated antics soon became more than I could bear. I joined the tall hunter outside, where he leaned against a sleek beauty as black as my fur.

“Hello, kitty,” he said as I sauntered over, and he squatted down to pet me. I allowed it. A good decision. His clever fingers found all the places I most like being stroked.

Moans and the sound of furniture crashing to the floor echoed from within the cottage.

“How long do you think they'll be?”

I purred in reply as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

I wish I could have told him the spell typically only lasts an hour. Unless the victims happen to be secretly in love. The effects never totally go away in that case.

But I'm a cat and I can't talk. And I had new accommodations to locate. Something different this time, hopefully. A nice little family. A warm place by the fire. A bowl of milk now and then...

No more damned witches for me!

[atopvisenyashill]

[just black list the tag #rani liveblogs got if u don’t want to see me bitch]

changes from book to show i noticed

what do you think it says thematically that they change the execution ned is carrying out from gared to will. do you think it was just cheaper to hire one guy to be both the “point of view” for our intro to the others and to also be the person executed.

i KNOW what it says thematically that they end this open with a scary shocking gared gets beheaded by the white walker scene and completely cut waymar royce’s “dance with me then” last stand and it’s nothing very good.

i don’t know that i like that they gave the “what about you” “i’m not a stark” exchange to bran and jon instead of ned and jon. i feel like it hits more when it’s jon denying his own starkness to ned’s face and bran sitting there realizing what a big thing jon has done here. but maybe i’m being picky here.

i do love this jaime & cersei scene. establishes the incest early, that they aren’t the ones who killed jon arryn, and also nikolaj’s danish accent comes through sooooo bad but i like it let him do it and give no explanation it’s sexy.

the tyrion change sure is. very typical of d&d.

i understand why it’s easier to just have jon snow outside and if they had a stronger jon snow i think i’d find this change less annoying but jon snow getting drunk at the party and crying is like 80% of the reason i love him so much. whomst among us.

these people are cowards prudes and fake perverts for changing this to fully clothed cuddling from those horn dogs .25 seconds after they came. i don’t give a shit about those three dehydrated twenty year olds in the shaving scene, also jon snow is my son i do Not want to fuck him stop trying to make me want to fuck him and give me sweaty and naked sean bean and michelle fairley having political pillow talk dammit.

making that change from catelyn wanting ned to go and ned not wanting to into catelyn fighting with luwin for ned to stay and ned not saying anything. perfect combo of “man is always right” + “completely erasing cat’s canon personality” + “misunderstanding ned’s core trait of grief due to long term depression & ptsd as ned is an honorable fool” nonsense. also let sean bean be naked?? michelle is not even like old???

i do understand why george was annoyed at the wedding night change, he’s writing something much more subtle than this, buti do think that’s a sign that they are not writing as subtle as him in regard to like. literally everything but especially dany and especially her relationships.

general comments and bitching

the archery scene is so fucking good tho. the way bran just LAUNCHES himself over that barrel to go slap arya silly but he can’t catch her she’s gone she’s in the wind and jon rickon and robb are hooting and hollering. really great.

do you know how many people i know who thought that jon snow and catelyn were fuckin bc of the glare they added there. akskdkd.

i wish they’d differentiated between jeyne poole and beth cassel in this scene with some dialogue and arya hears the training outside eventually drown out their voices instead of complete silence. those girls were not just like, the Main socialization that arya & sansa get, they’re both important to the northern plot with jeyne poole being like foundational to both of their stories. but obviously we know where that one goes.

i always think of that “when he looks at MEEEEEE and i look at HIIIIIIM” post during the direwolf puppy scene

“but he’s coming right now! down our road!”

i really like that arya is so mean to bran because he’s In Her Spot bc she’s next oldest so SHE goes next and HE goes next to the baby.

the way mark addy does that out of breath huffy “CAAAAAAAAAAAT” and hugs her is so funny to me i love every acting decision that man ever made.

honestly they really set emilia up by having most of her scenes be with harry lloyd when she can barely match kit harington and the daarios.

kit harington is always so much worse in this season than i ever remember. but that’s okay because lena headey, mark addy, and sean bean are also sooooo much better than i remember every single time.

the feast scene is also very good. the lil deranged moment between cersei catelyn and sansa. cat’s single nod to robb and him putting on the big brother and perfect heir face immediately. jaime so clearly wanting to fuck ned and ned cannot be more turned off by how desperate jaime is. amazing.

i remember reading an article about how this white opinion writer was like was that dothraki wedding racist. can you be racist against fictional people. you definitely can right?? anyways viserys looking really worried that murder is gonna fuck up his deal before laughing is so funny.

also the suddenness of “the things i do for love” is real good. i always gasp with bran when it happens, the way they time it is really good.

god i hope i don’t spend this much time bitching for every single episode. akskdjd. this is one of the good seasons.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Gonna preface this by saying this ask is about a certain Tedros so if you don't feel like answering I totally get it. I was wondering though if you've seen some of the photos that have come out for magazines and whatnot for his album promo and what you think of his "attempt" at.. well i'm not sure what. His concepts are all over the place and i'm going to be honest and say the slicked down hair looks awful on him, as well as him serving absolutely nothing for the ones where he is obviously going for a more flamboyant look. I just genuinely don't understand how his visuals seem to have deteriorated so much in such a short amount of time yet his cockiness has only risen

I have to say, there's something about noticing how the Tedros name is actually sticking makes me feel a certain way.

I've seen some photos, without me looking actively for it. Even scrolling on that dumb tiktok app ruins my plans of avoiding some people. Nevertheless, I do have eyes and I have opinions and sometimes I wish I'd shut up about it, but I also can't help it.

At the end of the day, let's just say it's all subjective. Perhaps for some people (many I see) his type of handsomness and aura becomes a canvas for experimentation. Maybe you or I are just way too damn picky and we have a different taste.

(Why am I trying? This is an exercise in futility by the way 💀)

Maybe the girls and the gays(?) are all over him because of this manufactured look/aesthetic of skinny boy that likes to experiment with his sexuality/gender expression. I don't know what they're going for. Some less sexy/naughty version of Troy Sivan, but Tedros can never pull off a twink look. So, what is there? Beats me. Who is the intended target audience and the actual audience? Only Army and his solo stans/shippers are getting hot over it? Maybe. What do I know, anon? What do I know?

Not much, lol. I'm merely a basic girl that finds Jimin's beauty hard to comprehend and for which Baby Star Candy is like the embodiment of a twunk. Each with their own preferences.

This is all aesthetics and let's just allow ourselves to be into whatever we want while still bitching about whatever we want cause that never gets old 😘

[youngpettyqueen]

🍉🍎

hehe ty Ally!

🍉 Do you prefer to write short fics or long fics? Multichaptered works or single ones? Why?

this may come as a shocker considering the VAST majority of my fic writing is one shots but I actually prefer writing multichapter fics! its just that one shots are much easier to write, and, generally, much faster. I say generally, because it took me almost an entire year to write a matter of the heart, but my current WIP- which is 4 chapters and ive already surpassed a matter of the heart's word count- has taken a matter of weeks

its also that a lot of my ideas just dont suit multichapter fics. while one shots can be anything from a single scene to a whole story, multichapter fics have to be full stories. you need to start with an idea that can sustain an entire story. a lot of my fic writing tends to revolve a single scene in my head, which lends itself well to one shot writing, but not so much to multichapter writing. all that said, I love multichapter writing. I love the planning. the outlining. the editing. its a bitch to do but I love it so much

I just love a concept I can really chew on and flesh out. my multichapter ideas come less as "I want a and b in this specific scene" and more "hey what if x scenario happened to a and b" and its always so much fun to really explore that. im having a GREAT time with my current WIP, and exploring the situation ive concocted, and getting really into the details like where in the series this takes place, what feelings are we all dealing with, where are we in this relationship, etc. its a challenge, but its so much fun. I wish I had the time + energy to do more multichapter fics like this, honestly

🍎 Is there anything you straight-up won’t write?

most things that fall under the "dead dove, do not eat" tag. just not my thing. I avoid it in my reading and I wouldnt write anything that warrants that tag

also things like coffeeshop/tattoo artist x florist/high school AUs. complete divorce from canon into a different setting also isnt really my thing when it comes to writing. im open to reading it, but im VERY picky about it. I wouldnt read a coffeeshop AU, but I might read a noir AU. it would also depend on the actual canon source material tbh- I would read and have read at least one MASH AU fic, but I wouldnt be particularly inclined towards one for DS9

[terriblesportsimagines]

I am so pleased that the ask box is open 💕 Could I request any dad / family headcanons you might have for Kuramochi (Daiya), Mei (Daiya), Miyuki (Daiya), and Kise (KNB). Including, if possible, how many children you imagine them to have and their relationship with their in-laws. I simply adore adore adore your blog and writing 💕

 I feel like I’ve done a lot of dad headcanons for Daiya lol  So, if there is some repetition, I apologize in advance

Kuramochi Youichi

This one likes kids and gets along with them.  Is the kind of dad that brags about his kids, all of them, even about the most minor things.  There is no one prouder of his babies than he is.

He’s a very involved father.  I’ve always imagined him doing some profession that lets him set his own hours and give him a lot of freedom (like photographer, or artist).  He’s definitely not the typical salaryman who works 50-60 hours a week and never sees his family.  He’s taking the kids out whenever he can.  Mourns them growing up.

I can see him with three kiddos.  It’s a good number, and it means that his kids always have their siblings.  He grew up an only child and found it lonely.  Plus, three is okay to corral and keep track of, any more and he’s truly outnumbered.

Adult Mochi is easy to get along with and a lot of his sharp edges have been refined, so he gets along easily with his in-laws.  They like him because he’s so involved with the kids and because he helps his partner achieve their dreams.

Honestly, 10/10 husband and dad

Narumiya Mei

He wants to be a good dad, and he definitely tries hard.  It’s difficult when playing professional baseball though, since he has an average of six games a week during the season.

He’s great with them as babies, but as they grow, he feels uncomfortable and unsure.  He has a bit of a temper, and he doesn’t really get that it’s pointless to argue with a five to sixteen year olds.  He loses a lot to his toddlers.

Better with girls, because his girls are his little princesses.  Totally the dad that sits at a tiny, cramped table and has tea parties, complete with dolls and follows every direction given.

That’s not to say he’s bad with boys, especially if they have interests in sports, and things he does.  Would definitely be lost with an introverted, bookworm/‘nerdy’ son.  Would feel like he didn’t understand him and gets awkward.  He tries, but often puts his foot in his mouth.

Probably two kids max.  He’s also selfish and he still wants a significant portion of his partner’s time just to himself. 

His in-laws probably like him just fine, though they are less of a fan of how showy and loud he is, and how he soaks up the fame.  To them, it seems like he doesn’t consider his family when cultivating his celebrity, and that’s true in the beginning, but he gets better over time.

7.5/10 husband and dad

Miyuki Kazuya

He also has ridiculous game schedules, but unlike Mei, he’s completely uninterested in fame and almost always wishes he were at home with his partner and babies then out.  He’ll do endorsements, but if they cut into his family time, it’s a no go.

He’s very domestic, and cooks every meal he can.  Even uses his day off to make his family snacks and meals they can eat when he’s on the road.  Definitely makes his own babyfood, this bitch is picky AF about when he feeds his kiddos.

He’s also very good at helping out around the house when he can, to make things easier on his partner.  His favorite time, however, is the time he gets to spend with his little ones, or as a family.  Will do anything with them, even if he’s bad at it (like drawing).  Enjoys teaching them things.

Can compromise and evolve with his children’s interests.  The type of parent that looks into the things they like so he can at least converse on the basic level with them.  Doesn’t want them to ever think they can’t talk to him.  He may tease and poke, but not so hard it causes rifts.  As they gain personalities and the like, he’s very careful with them.

He was an only child and he lost his mom when he was very young, thus one of his most secret dreams is to have a family.  He wants to belong and have somewhere to come home to.  He’s fine with any number of kids, but I feel like two would be best so he can focus the time he has.

Would make the best house husband, and it’s something he wants to do, if he and his partner can manage it.  It would be the best thing in the world just to stay home and take care of his family.

In-laws love him.  He’s so helpful and skilled that his mother-in-law especially adores him.  They don’t often get to see his worst traits, or the way he teases, however lol

12/10 perfect husband and dad

Kise Ryouta

He has a lot of growing up before he can be a steady father.  I think he waits to have kids until he’s in his late twenties or early thirties.  He wants to maximize his career!  But also, his time with you, because this is another greedy, kind of selfish blond lol

As long as he is ready, he’ll do well.  If he’s not, there will be an adjustment period for him and it could be difficult. 

If there is a pregnancy (and not adoption) he’s great at taking care of you.  He might bitch inside, but he’s smiling and getting up to go to the convenience store in the middle of the night to get the thing his partner insists they need right now.  Very good at pampering.  He’s careful with his partner, since he recognizes that they are doing all the work.  He’s right there in the delivery room, though he might faint lol

Newborns aren’t active enough for him, so he complains for the first few months that they don’t do anything.  That being said, he is CRUSHED if he misses any of their milestones

Once they are more active, he spends a lot of time playing with the babes, which actually leads him to forgetting about the responsibilities he has around the house.

Is terrified to be left alone with them, especially as babies.  What if something happens?  Absolutely the type to panic if the baby cries and he can’t get them to stop. 7.5/10 husband/dad because he has a few hang ups and the transition is a bit hard.  He tries very hard though.

[number1mongrel]

There really is something special about Gil. Usually I’m ultra-picky about what ships I like but there are four Gil ships I really enjoy. (Sadly all but one seem to be rarepairs.) He’s just got so much personality than any dynamic becomes fascinating. XD

yeah!! perhaps it's related to how versatile and multi-layered his character is too. he can be either the strong intimidating partner or the bratty bitch or the seductive whore, depending on the ship. also him being in more fate properties than any other character certainly helps lmao, he just has more people he interacts with

also while i definitely think that it's shitty fate doesn't acknowledge the explicitly romantic/sexual nature of his and enkidu's relationship, and i wish it was more explicitly canon, i do also kind of like how he is able to show a romantic/sexual interest in other people. just the fact that he IS interested in saber (and hakuno to a slightly less canon but still canon extent), whether someone likes those ships or not, proves that he has the potential to move on and find a relationship elsewhere. this is just a personal thing, but i find it hard to ship characters who canonically are only interested in one person with anyone else. married couple sets, you know, i can't ship ryouma/izou bc oryou is right there, unless i make it an ot3. but bc gil sees multiple people as worthy of his affection, it makes it easier to ship him with whoever you know?

PLUS like you said, he's just so fun overall it's really fun to work other people off of him!

[lunapwrites]

Thank you @greyeyedmonster-18 for the tag!

Hardcover or Paperback?

Honestly I'm a hardcover bitch. The aesthetic does something for me, and I LOVE the art on the sleeves.

Bookstore or Library?

Libraries. Just cozier, less distracting, and I can still have my tea while I read lol.

Bookmark or Receipt?

They're the same picture (both, I use both.)

Standalone or Series?

You know I'm actually a bit torn on this. On one hand, I enjoy reading complete contained works in one volume not me with my 3-in-1 LotR book lmao but I can also appreciate a series. I'm currently reading one of each actually haha. So yeah IDK. Probably standalone just bc it's less daunting I guess?

Nonfiction or Fiction?

I read both, but I tend to prefer Fiction.

Thriller or Fantasy?

Rude of you to make me pick, but fantasy typically gets my vote. I do love thriller novels though. King in particular has informed a lot of my narrative style.

Under 300 Pages or Over?

I am not picky! And honestly it really depends on the book... Some books I wish were 300 pages, others I wish were 300 pages shorter lol. But I can have and will read in excess of 1k pages if the mood strikes me.

Children's or YA?

YA for sheer popcorn factor, though there's some great stuff in children's lit.

Friends to Lovers or Enemies to Lovers?

I like both equally. Which is to say that they're both hit or miss for me. Sometimes I wish the leads wouldn't become romantic. Sometimes I want to smash their faces together. It all depends on the specific chemistry between them, and how the relationship shifts after the overt romantic tension is added. I just want it to make sense and feel like a natural progression either way. But I also don't want a platonic relationship to feel less-than in any way.

Read in Bed or Read on the Couch?

Where's the option for "read at my desk?" Lol anyway I will read anywhere I'm comfortable. I do enjoy reading in bed the most, but I'm also most liable to fall asleep mid page there.

Read at Night or Read in the Morning?

I feel like I have the easiest time in the morning. It's the quietest time, and I can curl up with the dogs.

Keep Pristine or Markup?

I envy people who can annotate their books but I Cannot make myself do it. I've got a mental block there lol. No marks.

Cracked Spine or Dogear?

Probably cracked spine more out of necessity, but I really do try to baby my books.

Tagging @allalrightagain @broomsticks @mkaugust @inmyownlittlecorner5 and @turanga4 !

[mirainawen]

f, n, p, s, y :)

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

“You here?” he asked instead. “Here? Where?” “The diner.” Adam didn’t respond. He flexed his hand atop the wheel, irritation and impatience intermingling freely. He sucked in a breath to snap. “You’re looking for me?” “No, I came back here for a second lunch. Yes, I’m looking for you! Where are you?” No response. “Kid,” he pressed. “Be a little bitch about it later—” “I don’t know.” “You— I’m sorry, what?” “I don’t know,” Adam snapped. “You’re…kidding.” The scowl the kid must be wearing could rival Sam’s, and had John Winchester written all over it. Both of them must hate that so much. “You’re lost?” “No, Dean,” Adam chuckled, “I know exactly where I am, I just don’t want to tell you.”

i have a lot of dialogue scenes i'm proud of, but it's less about being heavy on the dialogue and just the feel overall. so i grabbed this snippet, because i love how quick the beats are. also, the little bits of characterization--dean, who can't think about people except in ways that pertain to his family (adam reminding him of john or sam, instead of adam having his own personal beats). adam, who finds dean irritating because he resents him, and is not yet adapting to having an older brother. he just interprets what dean does as looking down on instead of looking out for him.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

all of tlr? but then again, it has to be written just write, i don't know i trust anyone with that.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

a sloppy medium? i have planned a lot in advance for tlr, but then i largely let the story/ies unfold as i go. probably why i never finish anything, because i wind up changing so much as i go.

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

i am super picky about it but i am a huge sucker for crossover fic. most any hurt/comfort, including fever dream & sickfic, accidental baby acquisition, protector/protectee

Y: A character you want to protect.

juliette from grimm, because the writers done did her so wrong in the last season. on that note, also sean. their character arcs were getting so compelling, and then...

[celestiaras]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ my works, my rules ]❜

╰₊✧ i accept requests for primarily smut and dark content (specifically yandere & maybe dubcon/noncon) one-shots/drabbles and headcanons!! i also take more vanilla requests like fluff and angst, but i’m a bit more picky with them. i can't always guarantee the length of a request as some inspire me more than others and because motivation is a bitch, but i’ll always try my best!!

╰₊✧ be specific for requests!! please have a prompt in mind and not just not just “bottom wilson?” or “scarle x reader” or “yandere kotoka” unless you specify that you wish to give me full rein over what the fic is about.

╰₊✧ do not send me the same request you sent someone else and vice versa , it puts both of us in an awkward position. you can check if your requests are accepted my looking at “requests” on my pinned. also, don’t send me the same request multiple times or ask me when i’m posting as it makes me less inclined to do it.

╰₊✧ i’m allowed to decline a request if i’m uninterested or uncomfortable with it or it breaks a rule or requests aren’t open. you also can ask me to elaborate on a thirst that i posted. check my pinned to see if requests are open before sending something in & check the characters list for the characters i write for!! if you don’t see your fav listed, feel free to ask me and convince me otherwise.

the following are general rules of what i can & cannot write that apply to everything

╰₊✧ no, don't request for!!┊male reader, character x character, hard incest, reader/character being cheated on, readers who are trans/specific races/disabled/have developmental or neurological disorders

╰₊✧ okay!!┊gender neutral reader (fine for sfw requests, but usually not for smut requests depending on various factors), pseudo-incest, cheating on an unspecified third party, trans characters, LEGAL age gaps, mentions of sh & eds for hurt/comfort fics

╰₊✧ yes!!┊female reader, alternate universes/role reversal, fluff, hurt/comfort, angst, smut, yandere, wlw

╰₊✧ appearances are as vague as i can possibly make it, but requesting tall/short readers or plus-sized readers or readers with larger/smaller chests are okay as long as it isn’t the total focus (ex, no short reader headcanons but a prompt with a reader who happens to be short is fine)!

the following are specific kinks of what i can & cannot write that apply to smut (some have already been listed above)

╰₊✧ no, don't request for!!┊watersports/scat/vomit, diapers, underage (characters are always at least 18 for smut), pregnant sex (breeding/talks of starting a family is fine), rimming/ass eating, bestiality/zoophilia, oviposition/eggpreg, necrophilia, woundfucking, daddy kink

╰₊✧ okay!!┊anal/pegging, degradation/humiliation, mommy kink, pain play (intensity can vary), intercrural, knife/gun play, blood kink, lactation, cuckolding/voyeurism, sex toys

╰₊✧ yes!!┊dom/sub/switch reader, dubcon/noncon, praise/body worship, overstimulation/edging, breeding, size kink, tribbing, bondage, blindfolds, piercings, dacryphilia, somnophilia, dumbification, threesome/moresome

feel free to ask for something not listed and i'll let you know if it's something i am willing to write!!

[aperfectsonnet]

Been thinking a lot about connecting with people and how bad I am with it. And if my whole life I’ve been wrong about what a friendship should look like.

Maybe I feel like such an outsider because I’ve misunderstood what to expect. What should a friendship be? My closest friends are my sister and an ex boyfriend, not really prime examples of showing that I can connect with a stranger over time.

I don’t know if my expectations are unrealistic. I’ve hung out with other people and have had fun but it always feels on a superficial level… but maybe that’s what friends are? You hang out and chat and have a few drinks and that’s it. And don’t get me wrong, I can do that and enjoy it. But is that all there is?

Is it wrong I want to feel enmeshed with another person on a deeper level? Sharing all our lives, sharing our boredom, our laughs. Talk about our pains. The heartbreaking tragedies of our life. Our fears for the future. Fucking confronting eachother when we’re wrong. I don’t even know what I’m looking for or want. Just something more.

And I get tired feeling like this. I feel like I always whine and bitch about how lonely I am, but almost nothing helps. Sometimes I genuinely do try to connect but afterwards I just want to cry. It makes me feel worse in the end. I gave a genuine attempt and yet I somehow don’t feel seen, I don’t feel any less alone I just feel like an alien.

And I look back on my life and see that I’ve almost always been this way. What happened to me? I’ve always been and shy anxious girl since elementary school, but I don’t remember loneliness. It began at age 11. That’s when all my school friendships began falling apart. The friendships continued out of habit, not out of genuine desire. But it was me, something wrong with me. People liked me, people were nice to me. I’ve never once been bullied or treated badly by other girls. People wanted to be around me.

It was me. Something broken in me, I don’t know what. I lost the ability to reach out, to open up, to be a genuine me, to be able to have fun with other girls. Slowly and surely overtime my middle school friends faded, and then my highschool friends. But it was I who did the distancing. What the fuck happened to me at that age??? I haven’t had a close female friend since middle school and it hurts.

Even around 16-18 years old I reconnected with all those childhood friends- Lily, Rose, Aby, Sarah, Andy etc. I would try to hang out with them. But I couldn’t have fun. I didn’t desire to be around them. They spoke but I couldn’t relate. It was just lost. And I never quite found that feeling again. It makes me want to sob, I don’t know if I can ever get that back from anybody.

I think it’s just me. I’m too sensitive, I want too much, I want more of people. I want to be there for somebody, I want them there for me. What’s wrong with me.

I’m picky about people. I have a small range of people I genuinely like. I wish I didn’t but I can’t help it. Few people catch my eye and I actually enjoy their company. So this makes all of this even more fucking difficult. There has to be some of kind of twin sparks to begin with in order to be friends, no?

[critterbutt]

i like bugs 

i think it’s neat that there’s some that are like “u cant eat me if u cant see me, loser” 

and others are like “see me? good, bring it, u lil bitch” 

[lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks]

Grabbing Smoke

As much time as Sam spent with her best friends, sometimes she enjoyed a little bit of time alone.

Tucker was helping his mother bake cookies for some kind of fundraiser for the hospital, and Danny was busy visiting Pandora for fighting lessons. Apparently they were using swords today.

As fun as it sounded, Sam opted to stay behind, it had been a while since she'd been down to the park to feed the ducks. She didn't get quiet moments like that very often any more.

There was an uncharacteristic skip to her gait as she walked to the park, a canvas tote bag swinging from her arm.

Living in Amity Park, and especially hanging around with Danny, gave her an eerie sense to when something was amiss. Nothing quite like Danny's ghost sense, but she'd learned to detect a particular chill to the air, a prickling at the back of her neck. It could easily be mistaken for a chilly breeze, but Sam knew better. The crunch of gravel under Sam's boots was the only sound permeating the still air, not even the trees were rustling.

She continued her walk through the park, past the wishing fountain and through a trail where the trees grew slightly more dense.

The trail opened up to a large pond, it wasn't anything especially picturesque, the reeds were a little overgrown, the ground was muddy, but there were a few simple weather worn benches by the path that looped around the water.

Sam took a seat, pulling out a bag of frozen peas. She opened it, tipped a few into her hand and tossed them into the water.

The ducks immediately sped across the pond toward her, fighting for the peas that the turtles hadn't already gotten to.

Instead of grabbing another handful, she held the bag out to the empty seat to her left, waiting for a moment before shaking the bag impatiently.

A green hand slipped into the bag, pulling out a handful of peas before tossing them into the water.

"How'd you know I was here?" Kitty asked, now sitting visibly on the other end of the bench as Sam poured out more peas for both of them.

"I have my ways." Sam smirked. "What I want to know is why you've been following me all week."

"You knew for that long and you didn't say nothin'?" Kitty huffed. "Damn, I gotta up my game."

A duck waddled up and nibbled on her boot.

"Alright alright, ya hungry little doofus." Kitty lowered a hand full of peas and cooed as the duck happily ate from her palm. "Aww these guys aren't shy at all, do you come here a lot?"

"When I can." Sam tossed a few more peas into the water for the turtles. "So why are you following me?"

Kitty sat back and pressed her lips together, thinking.

"Look it's just... I don't remember much from when I was livin', you know? It's all sorta grey and fuzzy, I can't remember what anyone looked like, except Johnny." she tossed some peas to a smaller duck at the back of the group. "But as soon as I showed up here in town and I saw your face, I thought I felt... I dunno, somethin'. Like I'd seen you before, or maybe you just reminded me of someone, but I can't remember who, it's like grabbing smoke."

She lobbed a few peas a little harder than was necessary at the water. The turtles sucked them up greedily.

"So you've just been following me hoping you might remember something else?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Kitty sighed. "But it's not working."

Sam swung her foot idly between a pair of scuffling ducks, splitting them up before tossing out some more peas.

"Maybe I'm related to someone you knew. Where did you grow up?"

Kitty frowned down at the water.

"I... I don't know." she said, deflating somewhat. "I didn't even realise I forgot that."

Sam couldn't help but feel for her, Danny had told her that ghosts would often forget things from their past, especially once they'd been dead for longer than they'd been alive. Somehow she had never really considered how terrifying that must be.

"You know..." Sam started carefully. "I could show you some old family photos. Maybe you'll recognise someone?"

Kitty looked up, eyes shining brightly.

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Why not?" Sam shrugged. "If you were here to cause trouble you would have done it by now."

"Aw, I never thought you'd wanna do something like that for me." said Kitty, smiling brightly. "You always seemed like such a bitch."

Sam laughed.

"If you'd spent a week being someone that wasn't Paulina, I would probably have seemed like less of a bitch."

"So you guys are big rivals or somethin'?" Kitty asked, grabbing some more peas and giggling as three ducks tried to eat from her hand at once.

"It's more that we have... conflicting ideologies. She thinks that appearances and reputation are the most important things in life, just like my parents." Sam lobbed some more peas into the water, they both watched them disappear as the turtles quickly snapped them up. "It's shallow and stupid, and I don't get why they have to push that shit on everyone. I don't care what people think, I just want to be whoever the hell I wanna be without having to fight for it all the time."

Kitty's face turned contemplative as she tapped her nails on the back of the bench.

"I think... I was like that." she said, slowly. "I wanted to feel fun and exciting, but my parents..."

She trailed off, frowning.

"My parents... I didn't like them. They didn't like me bein' the way I was, I can't really remember why."

Sam emptied out the last of the peas and scattered them over the ground, she scrunched up the empty packet and shoved it back into her tote bag.

"You know, if we went to school together we would probably have gotten along." said Sam as she stood up, gesturing toward the path. "Let's go check out those photos."

Instead of floating invisibly behind, Kitty walked by Sam's side as they headed back to her house. She idly waved at people as they drove past, grinning when someone stared a little too long and almost ran a red light.

"You know, it's nice bein' able to walk around in the day." Kitty said, skipping a little. "Wish I could do it more often."

"What's stopping you?"

"What do you think?" Kitty's lip pulled up in disgust. "Any time I show up your dumb friend sucks me up in his stupid thermos. Only reason I can walk around right now is because I got you as my get out of jail free card."

"Danny doesn't care if you just want to walk around." Sam scoffed. "He lets ghosts wander around town all the time, he only gets involved when you start breaking things."

"Uggghhh but just walking around is so boring." Kitty pouted. "I mean yeah it's nice and I like it but it gets old real quick."

"Then you'll have to get used to getting tossed back in the ghost zone. Do not pass go, do not collect $200."

"Don't you ever get sick of his goody goody attitude?" Kitty asked. "I mean you and I aren't so different right? You're all about the rebel gig, don't you ever feel like keyin' some asshole's car, or takin' a baseball bat to some mail boxes?"

"Only if they deserve it." said Sam with a smirk. "But I feel like you aren't especially picky about whose stuff you're breaking."

They approached the door to the Manson mansion, Sam hopped up the steps and stuck the key in the lock. She touched the mezuzah on the doorpost without a second thought before opening the door and standing aside to invite Kitty in.

The ghost stared up at her warily.

"I can't get past it."

"Past what?" Sam asked.

"The mezuzah, it keeps me out."

"What?" Sam frowned. "It hasn't stopped other ghosts from getting in."

"Well it stops me." Kitty insisted. "I think it's got somethin' to do with what we believed in when we were alive. I haven't got a problem with churches but when Johnny tried to ride his bike through one he couldn't get in. His mom raised him Catholic, he says he doesn't believe in any of that stuff, but I think he still does, deep down."

"So does that mean you were Jewish?" Sam asked, smiling curiously.

"I AM Jewish." Kitty crossed her arms. "Bein' a ghost hasn't changed that, it just... means that we got a few things a little wrong."

Sam thought about that for a moment, before stepping aside and gesturing toward the door again.

"Well, if you've been invited and you're not going to cause any trouble, then I don't see why you shouldn't be able to come in."

Kitty climbed the steps slowly, fingers reaching out and cautiously brushing over the mezuzah, she didn't feel anything unusual, no zap or burn or pain. She took a step through the doorway and passed the threshold without issue, no invisible force or barrier like the last time she tried to follow Sam inside.

"Well, what do you know." she said, grinning.

Sam lead her into a large, open planned kitchen and dining area, the tiles were bright white save for the specks of mud Sam's boots tracked through the room. The decor was minimalist, the atmosphere bland and sterile, she could smell some kind of citrus surface cleaner.

The back wall was all windows, leading to a patio surrounded by perfectly trimmed grass. As they approached, Sam turned, heading towards a door to their right.

The next room felt a lot more friendly, it was full of bookshelves and red tones. The lounges looked soft and inviting, a fireplace sat cold and empty against the back wall, but Kitty didn't have to try hard to imagine it roaring to life, filling the room with its warm glow.

"This is basically my Grandma's part of the house." Sam informed her, voice low. "Her bedroom is just through there, she's usually napping around this time of day so try not to make too much noise."

Kitty slipped off her jacket and laid it over the back of the lounge, already feeling at home in the cosy little room. She looked over the books as Sam fussed around some kind of large ornate chest.

"Here it is." She hefted a large photo album from the chest, carefully closing and latching it again. "Let's see if you recognise anyone in here."

Kitty sat down beside Sam as she opened up the pristine book, the outer cover was beige with the name Manson inscribed in golden cursive on the front. The first page was full of old faded photos, in greyscale or sepia tones.

"Ugh, I'm not that old." said Kitty, flicking ahead a few pages.

The pictures were colourful now, but still grainy, there was a young blonde boy in seventies style jeans leaning casually against a Chevrolet.

"Wait hold up," Kitty pointed at the boy. "Him, I feel like I've seen him before."

"That's my dad." said Sam, surprised. "His name is Jeremy, did you know him?"

Kitty hummed a little, gently tracing a finger over the picture.

"Jeremy... Jeremy, I'm not sure," she frowned. "But he definitely looks familiar."

They continued through the book, when suddenly Kitty slapped her hand down roughly on a photo of a pair of young women.

"Her! I know her! She was a mega bitch!"

"Shhh keep it down." Sam hissed.

"Sorry," Kitty pointed to the blonde girl in the photo. "That one! I don't know how I knew her, but I definitely knew her. She was a total brat."

Sam slipped the photo out of its sleeve and read the neat cursive on the back.

"This is... my Aunt Caroline, in 1985. She's my dad's sister." Sam looked up at Kitty, amused. "I can't believe you had beef with my family."

"Your family are snobs." Kitty sniffed. "Carrie was such a ditz, she thought she was sooo bitchin' because her daddy bought her a Mercedes."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Sam grimaced. "Did you guys go to school together or something?"

"Maybe..." Kitty took the photo from Sam's hand, staring intently. "I'm pretty sure I skipped school a lot, I hated it there. It was a private school, we had to wear uniforms, barf."

"I would never have guessed you were a private school kid." Sam shook her head. "But most people would say that about me so it's not like I can judge."

"You went to private school?" Kitty asked, "How'd you end up in that Casper High dump?"

"Got myself expelled." said Sam, voice thick with pride. "Elementary, middle and high school, got kicked out of all three."

"Damn, you're good."

Sam grinned, slipping the photo back in its sleeve and continuing to the next page.

Kitty pointed to a few other photos, remarking on their familiarity, but not quite able to grasp how she knew them, the memories only flickered in her periphery.

"Wait," Kitty whispered, fingers brushing over a polaroid containing three people. "This is..."

The picture looked as though it were taken at some kind of party, a man and a woman faced the camera, each with a glass of champagne raised in their hands. The woman's other hand rested on the shoulder of a teenage girl with auburn hair, pulled into a tidy braid. She stared glumly at the camera.

"That's Katherine." Sam said, pointing to the girl. "She was my dad's cousin, but she got hit by a car when she was-"

Sam paused, looking over at Kitty's wide eyes and then back to the photo.

"Noooo way." Sam pulled the photo out of the sleeve. "Is this you?"

Kitty took the photo in trembling hands.

"I... I forgot I used to look like that." she fiddled with a lock of her green, teased hair. "I remember this party, I didn't want to go but mom and dad threatened to take away all my records and cassettes if I didn't."

Sam stared at Kitty, mouth agape.

"You're Car Crash Katherine?! My dad talks about you all the time! He always told me about the shit you used to get up to, he'd tell me that any kind of 'rebellious behaviour' was a slippery slope to 'dying on the back of some delinquent's motorcycle'." Sam put a hand on Kitty's shoulder. "You were my bad influence role model."

Kitty's red eyes shone with tears, photo still in hand, she wrapped her arms around Sam.

"This is majorly wicked! My legacy lives on! Corrupting the youth from beyond the grave!" Kitty laughed. "My parents would go totally mental."

She stopped laughing, her face turning forlorn as she drew back from Sam and stared down at the picture.

"Are they still alive?" she asked, a tremble in her voice.

"Yeah..." said Sam. "They live in a retirement home in Florida. They don't come around very often."

Kitty traced a finger over their faces.

"I wonder if they miss me." she said quietly. "Or if they were glad to be rid of the family embarrassment."

Sam didn't answer, she had wondered the same thing herself, if her parents would even care if she died. They hadn't given her a lot of reason to think they would.

She rested a sympathetic hand on Kitty's arm.

"Oh, you have a friend over bubbeleh?" a croaky voice spoke from the bedroom doorway.

Sam and Kitty both turned to see Ida Manson shuffling into the room, cleaning her glasses with her sleeve.

"Sorry Grandma, we didn't mean to be too loud." Sam apologised. "This is my... um, friend, Kitty. Kitty this is my Grandma Ida-"

"Ida?!" Kitty shot to her feet, staring in shock at the old woman. "Aunt Ida?!"

Ida squinted at Kitty, before quickly setting her glasses back on her face.

"Well as I live and breath, is that you Kathy?"

"Oh my god this is getting super weird." Sam whispered.

Kitty leapt over the ottoman to wrap Ida up in a tight hug, the old woman was surprised for a moment, but held her warmly in return.

"It's me Aunt Ida! Not really living or breathing but it's me!" Kitty laughed breathlessly.

"Oh my goodness, when all the ghosts started showing up all over town I wondered if I would ever see someone I knew." She rubbed comforting circles on Kitty's back as the ghost choked on a few sobs. "It's good to see you again Kathy."

Ida pulled away and wiped a tear from Kitty's face.

"And I'm so glad you aren't stuck wearing what your parents buried you in."

Kitty couldn't help but laugh through her tears.

"Let me guess, it was that putrid blue dress, wasn't it?"

"The dress wasn't nearly as bad as what they did to your hair." Ida snickered, patting Kitty's hand. "It had little ribbons in it and everything."

"I almost forgot you." Kitty placed her palm gently against Ida's face. "You were the only one in the family who ever loved me for being me, and I almost forgot you. I'm so sorry, I should have come to find you sooner but I just-"

"Shhhh, it's okay bubbeleh." Ida grasped her hand tight. "I think being dead is a pretty good excuse for forgetting a few things."

Sam stood beside the lounge, watching the two in shock, she wasn't entirely certain whether or not to intrude. Whatever she had been expecting to discover with Kitty today, it certainly hadn't been this.

Though in hindsight, it did explain Kitty's familiarity with Sam, people always said she had taken after her Grandma.

Ida let go of Kitty and hobbled over to the photo album still sitting on the lounge.

"Oh you don't want to look at that album." she said, as she shoved it onto the coffee table. She wandered to the other side of the room and began rummaging around in a small cupboard. "You want this one."

She pulled out a book with well worn, peeling edges. Pieces of the plastic sleeves had cracked off and crumbled away. It was old, and weatherbeaten, it was obvious that Ida had looked through it many many times.

"Here we go." she sat down in the middle of the lounge, gesturing for the two girls to come sit beside her. "These are the forbidden photos."

She opened the pages, the photos inside were entirely different from the 'official' album, there were no perfectly poised, prim and proper photos of people in nice, presentable clothes. They were all candid shots, people in the middle of eating or laughing, some were stumbling around blind drunk, a few were smoking joints. There were pictures from parties and protest rallies, in backyards and drive ins.

There was a picture of Jeremy as a young boy, grinning with one of his front teeth missing and grass in his hair.

"Only in this family would losing your baby teeth make a photo 'unsavoury'." Ida grizzled as she continued through the album. "I saved so many pictures that my husband would have thrown out otherwise."

"Ugh, Uncle Peter was such a prude, he wouldn't even let me in the house if I didn't have my shoulders covered up." Kitty rolled her eyes.

"He used to be so much more relaxed when we were young." Ida sighed. "He changed when he inherited his father's business, he forgot how to have fun."

A few pages later Kitty squealed in excitement.

"Oh my god! That's Frankie! She was my best friend, we used to do everything together!"

The Kitty in the photo looked far more like the Kitty Sam knew. Her hair was teased up, and she was wearing a crop top and a miniskirt. The other girl, Frankie, had short curled hair and a leather jacket. They each had an arm around the others' shoulder and grinned wildly.

"I love this one." Ida smiled as she pulled the picture out of the sleeve. "That was the night I gave you a lift to that concert."

"Oh that show was sooo good! I got my nose pierced there! It got so infected, Mom grounded me for a month." Kitty laughed.

"Man, and I thought I was cool for skipping school to go see Circus Gothica." Sam grinned. "I'm gonna have to come home with a tattoo next time."

"I can't believe I forgot about Frankie, I can't believe I forgot about all of this." Kitty held the photo close to her chest, a few tears running down her face. "I'm so glad it's not gone for good."

She kept the photo in hand as they looked through the rest of the album. There were many pictures of Ida, all of them with other people of all walks of life.

"Oh this was when you took us to that pride parade!" Kitty smiled. "You made Frankie so happy, and you knew a lot of the drag queens there, like a LOT."

"Grandma took me to a drag show when I was 10," said Sam. "Even took me backstage to meet them all, my parents thought we went to the theatre to see Romeo and Juliet."

"Oh I have photos from that." Ida flipped through the pages, getting closer to the end of the album. "Here we are, oh Evelyn just LOVED you."

Sam looked at the picture of Evelyn, frowning slightly.

"Oh weird, she kinda looks like Mr Lancer's sister, he keeps her photo on his desk..." Sam paused as she processed what she just said. "That's not his sister is it?"

"You probably shouldn't bring it up." said Ida gently. "Teachers can get in trouble for associating with this sort of thing."

"That's so bogus!" Kitty cried. "I really thought this kinda stuff would be better in the future!"

"It is," Ida assured her. "But we're a long way from perfect."

Ida flipped back through the album, searching for more pictures of Kitty and Frankie. There were a good few of them, each one Ida pulled out and passed over for Kitty to look at and hold onto.

"Oh woah, is that Johnny?" Sam pointed to a picture of Kitty sitting on the back of a motorcycle with a blonde boy. "He looks exactly the same, just a little less pale."

"Oh, did Johnny come back as a ghost too?" Ida asked.

"Yeah! We've been together all this time, in sickness and in death." Kitty beamed. "Mom and dad blamed him for everything I did, even if he wasn't around when I did it. They said him and Frankie were 'corrupting' me."

She rolled her eyes.

"I bet they blamed him for my death too. They'd be so mad if they knew we were still together."

"Just goes to show they had no chance of keeping you two apart." Ida said. "Not even death could do that."

Kitty held the photo tight in both hands, her shoulders began to shake slightly.

"It was my fault you know." she said with a trembling little giggle. "Funny huh? My parents always blamed him for everything, but in the end it was my fault we got hit. We were havin' a fight over somethin' stupid and I distracted him-"

Ida wrapped an arm around Kitty, patting her head comfortingly as she laid it against the old woman's shoulder.

"I think you're being too hard on yourself bubbeleh." Ida whispered gently into her hair. "It was raining, the truck that hit you was running a red light, the driver was charged for both your deaths. Even if you did distract him, you weren't the only card at play that night."

She gave Kitty a light shake.

"And don't think I didn't see the way Johnny used to drive that thing, he was reckless. I have no doubt that he wasn't paying as much attention as he should have been." She placed a kiss on the girl's forehead and squeezed her tight. "It's not fair to hold all of that responsibility on yourself, even if you both did everything right, that truck still would have run that red light, it still would have been raining. It was just pure rotten luck."

Sam had never heard a ghost talk about their death before, even Danny didn't like talking about his accident, and asking about it was incredibly taboo. Sam had been pushing her luck earlier just by mentioning the car crash.

It said a lot about Kitty's love for Ida that she chose to open up about it. Sam couldn't say she was surprised, her Grandma had always been like that. Never anything but an endless well of love and support, and the occasional kick in the pants if you needed it.

"Johnny's always had rotten luck." Kitty sniffed. "Follows him like a shadow."

"Literally." Sam snorted.

After a few more moments, Ida pulled herself away from Kitty, she got up and began rooting through the cupboards, muttering to herself.

"Aha, here it is."

She brought over an empty photo album, it was roughly the size of a small pocketbook, containing only one photo sleeve per page.

"I meant to fill this with photos for Sam to keep." Ida admitted as she shuffled back over to the girls. "But I don't think she'll mind donating it to a good cause."

She winked at Sam, who nodded back.

"Here," Ida pressed the little album into Kitty's hands. "Memories are a fickle thing, but photos are forever."

"I can't take these!" Kitty insisted, pushing the album back. "They're your memories too!"

"Oh my god you're both so old." Sam laughed, "Dad has a printer/scanner. I can make copies."

As Sam took the polaroids to her dad's office, Ida and Kitty pored over the rest of the album, Kitty picking out more photos to copy. She chose a few of Ida and Sam, and even one of Carrie.

"She was a total loser and I hated her but I don't hate remembering her, you know? I want to remember everything, even the bad stuff."

She took a photo of her parents, just one.

When Sam came back with the last batch of photos, Ida finished slipping them into the little album.

"There's still a few sleeves left." Sam pointed out, holding up her phone with a smile. "We've got room for a couple of family reunion pics."

The two girls squished up against Ida as Sam snapped as many shots as she could. Ones where they smiled, ones where they laughed, ones where they laid haphazardly across the lounge together.

Then Sam took a few candids of just Kitty and Ida, as they looked through the new album they'd just made together. Capturing Kitty laughing at something as Ida looked at her with a soft, loving smile.

Kitty clutched the album to her chest as she gave Ida a long, drawn out hug.

"Thank you so much." she said, her voice thick with gratitude. "It's like I can see my life in colour again."

She left the house with the assurance that she would always be welcome back, at any time, and a promise that she would always be looking out for her 'new favourite cousin'.

Sam flicked through the photos she took on her phone, she would have to make sure to have copies printed by the time Kitty returned to visit.

She knew Kitty coming over regularly was going to make things complicated, her apparent newfound protectiveness over Sam could potentially backfire in many spectacular ways, she was petty and troublesome when in the right mood.

But then again, so was Ida, and so was Sam.

At least she had better things to do now than beat up strangers' mail boxes, Danny was certainly going to be glad to hear that.