#I know this is overly simplistic but curious about this

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[otrtbs]

bro if you wrote research papers i would devour them, your knowledge is incredible and you share it in a way that makes me eager to learn more. you explain and describe things so purely, you have this knowledge and love that you want to share and that feels so rare! you create out of love. your passion shines through so brightly in regulus in winterlude. In chap 4, “She had a tiny… for better methods.” you have me hooked. ahb! has already sent me deep into learning about art, winterlude is making me want to study it seriously. you are an incredibly talented writer, and i would love to read any type of work you put out.

hi!!

this is one of the sweetest compliments i’ve ever received :,)) thank you so much!! <33

in my educational and professional life it’s always been super important to me to examine the way we talk about art.

the “we” being, well, those in the art history field. curators, academics, critics, gallerists, etc.

because i believe so much curiosity for the subject and eagerness to learn is killed by the gatekeep-y way (mainly) older art historians talk about art. by referencing artists or movements or complex technical terms with little to no background ,,, they make the language and writing surrounding the subject unnecessarily complex and dense where it’s almost impossible to understand just for the sake of justifying their own intelligence/subject matter etc.

(which isn’t to say that texts you read can’t or shouldn’t be challenging or that overly simplistic explanations are superior. they can be complex in their ideas and inquisitive whilst still keeping the reader in mind)

but with my writing about art and art history it has always been a goal of mine to remove some of the accessibility barriers present in the field. in the hopes that, anyone, even those without advanced degrees in the subject, can read the text and have, at the very least, a foothold or semblance of understanding and curiosity instead of leaving a paper feeling discouraged and wildly overwhelmed and confused.

i’m rambling but i feel like if you love a subject and you’re writing on it to bring new ideas or to tell people about it,,,, you think you’d want to encourage them to get excited about the subject too,,, not use intentionally exclusionary and confusing language to appeal to other academics already in the field (<- which like obviously know ur audience. bc some papers are mainly meant to address other academics in the field etc etc)

and w fanfic the stakes are So SO much lower. basically non-existent so i get to be like “LOOK! (if u want to look and ur curious) I LOVE THIS THING !!! and i get to talk about in a new way!!! by integrating it into conversations ,,, into character’s stories ,,,, into casual settings !! instead of the highly academic strictly educational papers im used to!!” and that part has been THE MOST FUN for me :,))

anyway ,, just thank you very much for this ask !! it has made my night!! <33 i hope you have the best time learning and researching and exploring the subject and if you ever have any questions or want other resources let me know anytime !!!

[snakeautistic]

Hey there! I just found your blog, and your description made me curious about something: what do you mean by level 1 autism?

I've personally been diagnosed as "Asperger's" when it was still common practice and it's the first time I see that term, so I'd like to know more! Thank you

(Omg I just noticed the asks box thing)

So, in the US at least, a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is divided into potential three support levels. Level one is requiring support, level two is requiring substantial support, and level three is requiring very substantial support. You’ll typically get given a level along with the official diagnosis.

It’s a pretty broad and maybe overly simplistic way to divide things up, but in wide strokes I would consider it a useful tool.

You would most likely fall under the label of “level 1 autism” as well, considering you were diagnosed as Asperger’s. In fact, my assessor told me if Asperger’s was still a diagnosis, that would have been what I would have received.

[paradoxcase]

@jods-duplicitous-sluts:

Ianthe and Mercymorn are my favorite voices. Oh and the dreadful teens [and their tiny dialog]

Oh, I can't wait for Mercymorn! Also curious about how the tiny text dialog will be handled

@cornon-thekopp:

I can only imagine that john has continued the use of the word fascist in some overly simplistic definition that basically means “bad guy” (kinda like mainstream usage today) and so maybe gideon learned of it in one of her porn propaganda comics

@eye-lantern:

@cornon-thekopp my thought as well. Also I don't think the first resurrected lost usage of all words that were tied to historical events. So they might know the word and meaning but not the context

Oh, yeah, that makes a lot of sense. "Fascist rise to power" is a very specific sort of phrase, but I can imagine John using it to refer to the governments of the planets that he's colonizing, and then that gets filtered down into mass media about "fascists" that Gideon reads. And John was Gen Z, so he may well have been using the word in that general sense

Actually this line of dialog is now making me wonder what Gideon thought was going to happen after Harrow achieved Lyctorhood at this point in the story. I guess maybe she thought that Harrow was going to return to the Ninth and rule it as an immortal Lyctor and she was going to get to go off and join the Cohort (and fulfill her fantasy of having Harrow read about her badassery back on the Ninth?) But they presumably all knew that none of the OG Lyctors stuck around in the Dominicus system, and that the Lyctors were John's "fingers" and "hands", and "gestures", which sort of indicates that they're subservient to John, kept on a tight leash, and given a lot of important work to do, so ruling a House seems like it might not be in the cards, just from that

[coffyao]

if brown leaves could be saved part 2.

“Hey.”

Ah.

It was yet another monotonous day, and it was the time that Yoonbum usually dreaded the most, lunch.

He disliked it because he never had an appetite, nor did he have anyone he could share his thoughts with, perhaps over a bowl of kimchi jjigae, or even a side dish of nori seaweed.

Everyone avoided him and his teachers merely tolerated him.

But someone talked to him yesterday.

And it wasn’t forced because they had to take part in a group project.

And their words weren’t unbearably doused in honey because they wanted a favour from him.

They treated him like an everyday nobody.

 But maybe special.

And that was…

“…s-seungbae, was it?”

And because of him, he was in the mood to eat, despite being in an obnoxiously loud environment, where certain types of gossip were spewed, and the tables being so close together even while being isolated at the end of the lunch hall, made him uncomfortable.

Seungbae sat down opposite him and opened a rectangular lunchbox, containing steamed white rice, with an egg on top and sticky tteokbokki next to it. It was simplistic yet very filling.

He liked analysing people by looking at the type of food they ate because he believed it revealed a lot about them.

“…um, who made your food for you?”

Seungbae took a piece of tteokbokki in thought, and said, “I made it myself.”

Not unexpected. He seems independent.

“I see.”

Yoonbum continued picking at his food. Now that he was here, having a conversation with someone, he didn’t know what he wanted to try eating first.

So, he decided to ask more probing questions.

“…but don’t your parents make it for you?”

“Uh, well,” as Seungbae used his fork to entangle it with soya-covered noodles.

“...don’t worry about that,” Seungbae finally said and slurped them awkwardly.

“o-oh.”

I pried too much.

Yoonbum knew he was socially awkward, but he tended to overstep boundaries when he became overly curious, maybe a little too excited. But when he wanted to know someone, the normalcy of those feelings would transition into something beyond abnormal, uncontrollable even.

And when they stepped away; he stepped forward, despite how painful it was.

And this situation wasn’t an exception to that rule.

“…s-so, is it something you don’t want to talk about then?”

“…no, not particularly.”

But I want to know.

However, yoonbum didn’t want to possibly ruin the early start of a friendship and…

Wait.

“…h-have you not made any friends here yet?”

Usually, when there is a new student in class, an inquisitive air starts to surround the room, as the robotic school routine temporarily becomes forgotten and newfound excitement starts to boil over this new person, and no matter what they looked like, there was always, always potential.

And whether that was being the class jester, the next target for bullying, or a nicely slotted coin to fit in with the rest, was callously decided within the next few minutes of superficial conversation.

But Yoonbum didn’t have the chance to witness much of it, as his never-ending insomnia caught up to him, and he could barely keep his eyes open for most of the day.

He had to find out why he even had company in the first place.

“… I wouldn’t say it's that, everyone seems nice enough here so far.”

Then Seungbae took a spoonful of rice and egg, putting it into his mouth.

“But you seemed the nicest, so I wanted to have my lunch with you.”

Nicest?

Upon many others' first impressions of him, he was often described as ‘nice’, but that word had many connotations, and it almost always implicitly included pushover, doormat, or at worst, a snack delivery boy.

“Your so nice.”

Usually led to,

“Can you bring me…”

And,

“You said you would do x and x.”

But when Seungbae said it, he didn’t hate it.

At least…not for now.

“I see,” yoonbum said, and he finally picked something from his tray of food.

It tastes cold.

----

[hamliet]

Hey! I was going through your tags because I saw some of your meta being recommended by a person I follow and I really like how you explain your perspective (even though I don't always agree) and I'm curious to know what you thought about Naruto's ending. There is a lot of criticism focused on shipping but there is also criticism for how the very problematic system of their world was ultimately maintained. And so the societal issues were not really fixed. (Granted, Boruto is partially to blame.)

I think this is valid. I didn't follow Naruto as it was being published, so I went into it knowing the world wouldn't be fixed and that people had complicated thoughts on the ending. So the ending was fine for me, more or less.

That said, from a narrative analysis POV, I do think it was a bit--rushed and overly simplistic.

[thetaekookcloset]

Hi! For transparency sake, I want to say that I am a Jikooker and I like to read other ships blogs to broaden my views on how others perceived certain duos. I came across your blog recently and I like your levelheadedness when approaching asks that are different from your views. I’m one who thinks that people/shippers don’t have to believe the same things and I enjoy reading about why people are passionate about their own ship even if I disagree in thinking there’s romantic potential there. My enjoyment halts when I come across people putting down members in favour of their ship or anything like that. Your blog seems far from that (to my knowledge) because it seems like you respect the other members even though Tae and JK are your faves. My question is how do you feel about the overall ‘reputation’ that Taekookers have as being the ship full of conspiracies about the company and Jimin preventing Taekook from happiness. I hope I am not coming across as rude because I don’t intend to offend or look like I’m a Jikooker “starting shit” on a Taekook blog. I am genuinely curious on how Taekookers who are nice and respecting of others feel when the louder more toxic Taekookers actions reflect badly on them as a whole. This ask is not to say that Jikookers/other shippers are perfect people with no toxicity in our/their ships because that’s not the case, every ship has bad apples. I ask this because I regularly see the public opinion (which includes non-shippers and non-Army’s) compare Taekookers to Larrys or say that they are the most delusional ship. I try to put myself in the shoes of cool Taekookers who don’t align with that behaviour and I would feel annoyed if I were lumped into that negative opinion that some people have on Taekookers. I saw a thread of non-shippers on Twitter basically agreeing with this post and I immediately thought that the cool Taekookers don’t deserve to be seen through that lens.

Hello and welcome!  Thanks for sending in such a respectful ask.

The short answer to your question is yeah, it’s frustrating for me sometimes lol.  I wish I could just brush it off and not care, but for me personally, that’s always been something I struggle with.  Especially if I put a lot of thought into something, even if other people don’t agree with me, it stings sometimes to see that effort and those thoughts brushed off as though they’re completely useless, based on the actions and beliefs of people I don’t know and don’t agree with.

There are a lot of Taekookers out there who either don’t think very critically about what they’re being told, or who see things through an overly simplistic lens, and there are definitely some who take things too far or bring shipping into spaces where it ought to be left out of.  I get that there are a lot of “us” who are like that, probably more than for other ships, though I would imagine that’s just because Taekook happens to be the most popular.

It annoys me to see that from Taekookers the same way it annoys me to see it from others -- in fact, probably more, because it’s frustrating when I know I’m going to be associated with them, and also because, in my opinion, no one needs to lean on false narratives or stretched truths or outright falsehoods in order to see the real possibility that Taehyung and Jungkook could be in a relationship.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s plenty of true, factual evidence to support that idea, so it does frustrate me when other Taekookers eschew that evidence to instead talk nonsense, and I do know that happens, I see it often myself.

That said, it’s also frustrating to have all of us immediately lumped together as though we’re a monolith who all believe the exact same things, because just like ARMY is itself not a monolith, neither is any one subcategory of it.  So like I said, it does grate on me to know that the real evidence is brushed aside by non-Taekookers, and the real analysis and genuine thoughtfulness of some Taekookers goes ignored and dismissed, just because a certain faction of people who also happen to like Taehyung and Jungkook, and might think they’re together, are ridiculous about it.

Those people’s actions and beliefs don’t automatically mean that the whole idea is absurd.  It’s like, I don’t know, assuming that everyone who believes in Santa make up all of the people in the world who like Christmas, and then disregarding the entire holiday as being fake just because of that.  Lol I have no idea if that metaphor works at all, but hopefully you get what I mean.

Anyway haha, at the end of the day this is just one topic of millions on the Internet and it doesn’t really matter if people agree or disagree, and if people are going to look down on me for seeing something between Taehyung and Jungkook that they don’t see, that’s their prerogative.  In my opinion, they’re missing out by doing so.  So I just try to keep to my own little corner where I can chat about what I like, and try not to let it get to me too much while I enjoy myself and keep supporting BTS because I genuinely enjoy and care about all of them.

I hope this answered your question!  Thanks for giving me a chance to address some of this stuff lol, and thanks again for being respectful and kind, it’s appreciated!

[prettyboykatsuki]

What do you think it’s like to fall for bakugou for the first time?

It's nice.

I know that seems like an overly simplistic way to describe it, and I thought for a long time on how to answer this. A better, more poetic way with waxing and waning metaphors on falling in love. It's Bakugou after all, and I love that man more than I love most things. I love Bakugou a lot, all the time, even now. But, I think most of all, falling in love with Bakugou is nice.

Just nice.

I thought about it, when you asked. What it would be like. Falling in love with Bakugou Katsuki - resident perfectionist. Harsh tongue and inability to express himself. Short tempered and crass but well-meaning. Bakugou Katsuki, who is unapologetically himself, even when the field he works doesnt allow it. The pioneer of refusing to play politics, who's only barely learning how to respect authority figures and how to smile in pictures.

Bakugou Katsuki who doesn't know how to do things in a way that makes people happy. Not without his habit for self-preservation about all else while somehow remaining beyond thoughtful. Kind in the way that makes your gums ache, the kind that presses a cold drink to your cheek and tells you to keep pushing. Who thinks silently and endlessly about what to do.

There are plenty of ways to fall in love with Bakugou that are poetic. I think that's because of how he is. But above all else, I think falling in love with Bakugou is just.. nice. It's really nice. When the butterflies and heart-pounding and sickly in love feeling pass, you learn quickly that there's more to Bakugou than what he makes you feel.

Because loving Bakugou means falling asleep when you insistent on calling him, and Bakugou refusing to cut the line until he has to. It means quiet, quiet days where the entire house almost feels ghostly until he arrives - bringing his day with him. The quiet undoing, of the mask coming off and the smudged eye-liner and sweaty gloves left near the door. It means eating together, existing largely in silence - with a few quiet grunts or short but curious replies.

It means no date forgotten and none missed unless absolute emergency. It means hospital visits where he wants to refuse you from seeing him in a sorry state. It means holding someone who is made of broken pieces in your hands and loving it. It means loving someone who isn't sure how to navigate you, who struggles to understand what the right thing is. Who makes mistakes in places most boyfriends or most men wouldn't.

It means loving someone in their incompleteness. So wholly loving them, and granting them the gift of loving you. Letting him in, and letting him take his shoes off in the confines of your ribcage. Letting him nestle against your beating and foreign heart because you can see on his face that he wants to understand the rhythm. He wants to know the sound and how blood pumps inside of you.

Falling in love with Bakugou is less of a fall, and sometimes not even a walk. Sometimes, all it is is a hand - a big one, searching for the heat of your body in tangled sheets. A chest and gruff voice that pulls you into his side and whispers the worlds quietest "love you." when the sun hasn't had a chance to see. It's not that love was easy, or that loving someone had been easy.

But there's always an unmistakable moment, where Bakugou is with you, and you think to yourself - this is nice. The contentment of being with someone who knows ever in and every out. The love from someone who is incomplete, the willingness to fill out into something better. That love - that silent, steady, yearning love. Love that changes, love that stays.

You rest your head on his shoulder and close your eyes. The TV is playing re-runs of old shows, and you're eating dinner together on the couch.

And you laugh, and you smile and say.

"This is nice."

[liveandbreathemusicals]

I watched Tick Tick Boom last night and now that I can finally process my emotions and put feelings into words I’m gonna gush about it, because I had such high expectations for this movie and it freaking soared over all of them!

First off; the adaptation to the film medium and the plot changes

This movie was impossibly good at exploring the theatricalness of the show while also retaining a very real and direct and grounded message.

The framing device of the Tick Tick Boom workshop where Jonathan would occasionally offer a bit of narration or they would cut to with certain songs was beautifully done. The way it came full circle in the end was so profound I can’t even begin to get into it. I was very curious how they would work in songs like Therapy or Johnny Can’t Decide into the limitations of film but they did it so spectacularly it made the songs so much stronger. The juxtaposition between Jon and Susan’s fight and the overly peppy puppet tone of Therapy created such an unsettling and impactful sequence. I was truly blown away

The creative team of the movie clearly knew what the crucial core message, themes, and plot points of the show were and kept those in while adding slight changes to adapt this very simplistic stage show into an extravagant movie atmosphere. While I am sad they cut green green dress it’s absence didn’t detract from the film. And as much as I love the songs Sugar and See her Smile, I think it was the right choice to cut them.

I also loved the shortening of Real Life. It shortened the time between the moment where Jon learns that Michael is HIV positive and him singing Why, which allows the news to still be raw and fresh and feed into Why so well. The little bit of Real Life we got was just enough in that sense, an echo. Building the hopelessness felt by both the Jon and the audience as he’s frantically running to get away from it all.

Speaking of Why, I was expecting that song to be the one that hit me the hardest and I was right. The somber tone it maintained throughout really fit the moment, it allowed the raw emotion and pain fully show through.

Moments that made me absolutely lose it:

Back when the teaser trailer came out I knew I was gonna be a constant mess throughout the movie and I was proven right. The film is so well paced and every moment lands, there is no lull in the story. But that also means there is no moment for me to have a second to process anything and get a break from the out of control emotional roller coaster I was thrown on.

Certain moments that just broke me were 1.) Literally the first two minutes. I loved the candid video camera style shots in the beginning, it reminded me of the actual clips of Jonathan Larson and started the movie off with me already grabbing the tissues.

The original Rent cast members (Adam, Daphne, and Wilson) appearing as extras in Sunday. I don’t know why but that little detail got to me. Seeing them served as a reminder of the true story behind this all.

Overall Thoughts:

I had been (impatiently) waiting for this film since before the teaser trailer came out in June, over half a year. I went into it expecting it to be good yes, but felt like my high standards wouldn’t be met. Partly because of the recent trend of bad movie musicals lately. But this film exceeded every possible expectation.

It was able to blend the over the top theatricalness of the show with songs like 30/90, No More, and Sunday, while seamlessly transitioning into the darker more serious moments of the story. Throughout the entire watching experience I felt completely submersed, and like I was watching a piece of history unfold from the outside.

I hope this film gets big, not only because this show finally deserves the recognition, but because it proved that movie musicals can be truly art and astounding if the work is put in. The directing was out of this world and the casting was magnificent, It was a movie that was truly made for theatre people. And I cannot imagine a better way to honor Jonathan Larson and his legacy.

[beardedmrbean]

Wait bees puke out honey? Isn’t honey like moisture substance from inside the combs? Sorry I need some help

That's a incredibly simplistic and crude way to put it, not crude as in gross just inelegant, nothing wrong with that either since if you want to know more you can learn more or just be happy knowing it's (healthy and tasty) bee spit.

Down and dirty TL:DR; at the end.

Curious Kids: how do bees make honey?

Pretty plain explainer there, answering the question posed by a 7 year old so it's complete but not overly complicated, plenty informative for me.

Took about 90 seconds to read and get the info I needed, should be more things out there like that.

PBS, it's aimed at about the same age range as the article I linked, does a perfectly good job of explaining it.

TL:DR; is they ingest the nectar or pollen and the complex sugars get broken down into very simple sugars, then the worker bee spits it out and passes it on to another, younger bee who takes it in and puts it in the comb then at some point when there's enough the younger bees will start flapping away making it warm and cooking the nectar until it becomes what we think of as honey.

[sholangagaga]

Glamstar Family AU: Chapter 5

this one took a bit! Holidays and working on art, ya know. But hey, i got this chapter out! and Chapter 6 will be out soon too! As always, enjoy!

Chapter 5: FunRock and Roll

The day of the field trip.

Today was a big day for the Pizzaplex. Not only was it the day the field trip was scheduled, but it was also the official unveiling of the newest synthetic, HRMN.1.

Before the facility was to officially open for the day, Gregory woke up early and quickly made his way to Parts and Service. He was just so curious, and he knew that if he waited until opening, he’d never be able to get a good look at her, or even be able to chat with her.

As Gregory expected, the only person down in Parts and Service was Wilson, who was excitedly going back and forth between the center cylinder and the monitors beside it. Despite his seemingly one-track mind, the man noticed Gregory fairly quickly and immediately greeted him.

“Hey, Greg! Today’s the big day! Can you believe it? All of those sleepless nights paid off!”

“You did everything by yourself?”

“Sure did! I even took the liberty of changing up her base color scheme! The whole white hair thing was boring me to tears.” he shook his head, “Hey, since you’re here, do you want to watch me officially activate her? I’m reinstalling her Functionality chip right now, but that’s easy.”

Yes, Gregory recalled the overly simplistic nature of the Parts and Service machinery. It still didn’t make much sense to him, and he honestly doubted that Wilson would have any straight answer. So he decided to avoid that conversation topic and instead stay on track with the current one.

“Of course! That’s actually why I came down here, I wanted to see her before all of the people arrived!” Gregory felt himself getting hyped up for the reveal. Wilson’s enthusiasm was certainly contagious. Within the cylinder sat the synthetic, HRMN.1. Her eyes were shut, as if she were asleep. Just like when I first saw her. Gregory thought to himself. However, from what he could see, she looked different than last time. Wilson had already said as much, but was the change really that drastic?

“Here we go, Greg! Booting her up now!” Wilson hit the finishing key, and the machine whirred to life.

〘Upgrade finished. Please step back for release procedure〙

The two stood side by side as the thin metal arm descended from the cylinder’s roof and inserted a chip into the synthetic’s neck. It then retracted itself, and after a short pause, HRMN.1 opened her eyes. The cylinder opened, and she swung her legs around to plant her feet on the ground.

“Her first steps as a new bot!” Wilson excitedly narrated, motioning to her as she walked past the door frame. She looked confused, as if she didn’t recognize her surroundings. At least they were in Parts and Service and not in the main building. Waking up to all of those lights and loud music, she might’ve short circuited. HRMN.1 looked directly at the two humans, blinking slowly.

“Uh, hi! I’m Gregory.”

“And I’m Wilson, I’m the guy who retrofitted you!” Wilson looked down at Gregory, grinning. “Greg, meet Funrock HRMN.1, the first of her kind!”

“Fun…rock?”

HRMN.1 stood directly in front of them now. Gregory was able to finally get a good look at her, and she certainly did look like a brand new person. She had orange hair that was tied up in a ponytail, orange circles on her cheeks, and on top of her head were two reddish-pink bumps of what looked like felt. They had piercings in them, so he was able to deduce that those were probably her ears. Her eyes were bright pink with blue cogs in the center instead of normal irises. The most striking part about her though was her large tail. It sort of resembled Monty’s tail, but furry and it had a giant hand on the end of it.

“HRMN.1 is going to be near the main stage today, but she’s also programmed to help out at the daycare if need be. The higher ups are thinking of adding her to the main band if the feedback for her is positive.” Wilson looked down at his watch and grimaced.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t stay to watch her in action. I have another appointment today and I can’t miss it.” The man sighed, but seemed to recover fairly quickly. “Well, it shouldn’t be a problem. Her systems are all green, and there’s gonna be a team coming in today to monitor her. There’s still some time before this place opens, so why don’t you give HRMN.1 a tour? Get her acclimated and maybe introduce her to the other bots.”

“Okay, that sounds easy enough. I’ll handle it!”

“You’re the man, Greg! I’ll be back in a week or so to check up on her! Take care of HRMN.1 for me until then! And HRMN.1, make sure you listen to Greg!”

This was definitely an unexpected turn of events, but Gregory was happy nonetheless. He had wanted to get to know HRMN.1, and now he has a couple hours to do so. Turning to look at her, Gregory was surprised and albeit, a bit startled, to see that she was leaning face to face with him. He hadn’t even heard her move.

“Whoa!”

“It’s nice to meet you, Gregory! My name is HRMN.1, but you can just call me Momo! I hope we can be best friends!” Momo, as she wished to be called, extended her hand for a handshake. Gregory reciprocated, pointing to himself.

“You can call me Greg, if you want. Some people also call me Greggy. It’s really only Freddy who calls me Gregory.”

Momo nodded, deciding on Greggy since it was “cuter than just Greg.” Introductions aside, the two made their way towards the main section of the building. They even drifted off into idle conversation, though it was mostly Gregory asking questions.

“You have a tail!”

“Yes!”

“With a hand!”

“Yes!!”

“Can you grab things with it??”

“Yep! It was intended for me to play multiple instruments, or to just carry things like birthday cakes or ice cream!” Momo nodded, her tail curling around her body so she could gently grab it. The fingers on the tail furled and unfurled themselves, showing that it can indeed grab things if need be.

“That’s so cool, what instruments can you play?”

“I can’t recall what they were originally, but my Functionality Chip supports drums and keyboard now!”

Drums! Currently there wasn’t a synthetic that could play the drums. This added up to what Wilson said earlier about Momo potentially being a main band synthetic. If she plays a completely different instrument, she’ll fit in just fine without needing to replace anyone. It was a perfect scenario!

“Why do they call you ‘Funrock’ instead of Glamrock like the others?”

“I was a Funtime synthetic prior to coming here! Back when I was supposed to be released under the Circus Baby licensing. Since I got retrofitted, I’m not entirely Funtime anymore. Buuuut, I’m not completely Glamrock either! So, Wilson decided to smoosh both words together! Funrock!”

Gregory was learning so much today, he felt his brain was going to explode. In a good way! Every question he asked was met with the perfect answer, as if she had an FAQ logged onto her Mother Chip to appease nosy children. Before Gregory knew it, they were at the door that leads into the main building.

“Here already. C’mon Momo, you gotta meet the others!” He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her forward and into the bright pizzaplex.

Despite what he had initially thought, Momo didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the neon lighting. Maybe Wilson had foreseen it being a problem and made her more tolerant? Whatever the case, she seemed totally comfortable.

“This place is so nice, Greggy. Way better than where I would’ve ended up before! I think we’ll have so much fun!”

“Yeah! I bet the others are gonna think you’re really neat too!” The two stopped at the top of the escalator overlooking the main stage, where the other synthetics were all gathered. It seems like they were also informed of Momo’s unveiling and wanted to greet her. “See? Everyone’s already here! Let’s go and introduce you!”

“Okay!”

–

An hour before the field trip.

Jaime stood in front of her closet, looking through her many outfits. What did she want to wear today? It had to be something practical, so no fancy dress skirts or blouses. It had to be appropriate by school standards, so nothing too short. As she sifted through her clothing, her options narrowed down more and more. Jaime had no idea what to wear. Usually she wears a school uniform or a certain outfit when going out, but this time she's gonna spend all of her time with Bonnie and Gregory. This was a brand new occasion for her.

“Why is this so difficult?!”

“Can’t decide what to wear?” Jin called from the door, gently knocking before walking into the room. Even though the door was open, it was still just a habit to announce that she was there. It was a polite gesture that Jaime appreciated.

“I just can’t decide on anything. I’ve never had to deal with this before!” Jaime flopped onto her bed, burying her face in one of her pillows.

“Well, it’s not like it’s a date. It’s a field trip, and no matter what you wear, you’ll have to have your gym t-shirt over it.” Jin trots around, gently picking up all of the discarded clothing and folding it neatly or hanging it back up in the closet. Jaime turned, watching her mom bustle about.

“I know, but still.”

“You’re probably going to want to run around with Greggy, right? So why not pants? And your usual boots?” Jin picked out a pair of jeans, some socks, and the gym t-shirt. Laying everything out on the bed, she made a ta-da gesture. “Don’t think too hard about it, it’s just a field trip!”

Jin had a point. It didn’t make sense to go overboard. Jaime sat up and grabbed the clothing, nodding in an approving manner. She got changed and stood in front of her mirror triumphantly. Crisis averted! As she stood there, Jin came up and did her hair in the two usual pigtails.

“See? Solved in less than five minutes! Now you have time to eat breakfast with your dear old mom.”

“Of course! I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’ll even pack some lunch.”

“Why’s that?” That was an odd statement. The Pizzaplex had more than enough food, and Jaime liked all of it.

“Well, Greggy is probably tired of the food there. You can share with him!” Jin grinned, crossing her arms under her chest. Jaime blinked a bit, still not quite understanding what she was saying. Who could ever get tired of all of that food?

“Okay, I guess it’ll be fine.”

“Atta girl. Let’s eat and get going, you don’t want to be late.” Jin ushered her daughter forward, heading to the dining room to eat their breakfast for the day.

–

Momo really did get accustomed to everything quickly. The other synthetics were warm to her, and the tour went without a problem. Although she was mostly guiding Gregory around, due to her already having a map of the Pizzaplex memorized.

There was one place that they haven’t been yet, and that was the daycare area. Gregory had gone a few times for deliveries, but never long enough to stay and talk. He knew there were at least three synthetics that lived there, though. When he said this to Momo, she tilted her head back before nodding.

“Yep! I have profiles of them in my Mother Chip. Foxy, Sun, and Moon! They’re supposed to be my mentors when I move to the daycare area!”

“Oh wow, you’re prepared for everything, huh?” Gregory remarked, walking up to the big castle doors that lead into the Daycare area. This place always seemed so intimidating, despite it being for babies and little kids. He reached out and pushed the door open, holding it for Momo to walk in as well. Once they were both inside, Momo used her tail to shut the door.

In front of the security desk stood two people. One was considerably taller than the other, and he wore a pirate ensemble. His hair was a dark reddish/pink color, and he had long ears and a fluffy tail of the same color. The other person was dressed like a jester, with bells and frills. They had short blonde hair, and wore a crown on their head that resembled the rays of a cartoonish sun. Both had turned when the door opened, and the pirate man gave a half wave.

“Mornin’ then.” he said, with an obvious accent of some sort. Gregory knew of it as British, since it matched the accents of some of the other technicians that he’s met.

“Hello, I’m Gregory, and this is HRMN.1. I’m giving her a tour before the building opens up for the day.”

“Oh wow, what a good boy you are Gregory! We can always count on you! It certainly is strange not seeing you with boxes!” The blonde chimed in, moving around in a fairly animated way. They didn’t seem like the type to sit still for very long. “I’m the Daycare Attendant, but everyone calls me Sundrop, or just Sun!”

Gregory nodded, but he could’ve guessed that himself. The crown gave it away, after all. He turned to the pirate man, figuring that this person must be Foxy. It just made sense after all.

As if reading his mind, the man introduced himself. “I’m Foxy. It’s a pleasure.”

“Hey, this may be a weird question, but are you Roxy’s brother or something?”

Foxy blinked, staring down at the boy. Gregory felt a lump rise in his throat. Did he say something wrong? Maybe that question was too personal? However, he was jolted out his thoughts by the sound of gentle laughter.

“I guess it seems like that, huh? No, we’re not siblings. Though, if you want to be technical, she’s more like my granddaughter. Or maybe a female version of me.”

Well that simply raised more questions! Gregory decided to avoid this line of questioning, in order to spare his poor brain.

“Disgustingly bright. We don’t need any help here. Go away.” a voice growled out of nowhere. The only person who seemed concerned about it was Gregory, who looked around to find the source of the voice. He turned to Foxy and Sun, who were looking up at one of the climbing towers. Following their gaze, Gregory noticed someone hiding up in one of the dark cubbyholes. They had long silver hair and a navy mark over their left eye. This must’ve been the last unaccounted for person, Moon. Moon looked down at Gregory with contempt in their eyes, snarling a bit. “You heard me? Take that thing and get out.”

“Moon! That isn’t very nice, HRMN.1 is going to be our new friend! Isn’t that exciting?”

“You like it so much? You can leave too.”

“No no nooo! But then who will have puppet shows with the kids?!”

“I’m sorry about them.” Foxy said to Gregory and Momo, smiling gently. “They get like this sometimes. Don’t worry too much about it.” He put his hand on Momo’s head, behind tall enough to easily pet her. “Welcome aboard. Feel free to visit Kid’s Cove or the Theatre anytime.”

“He- Hey! Why does the new girl get pats on the head?? I’ve been good too! Where’s my head pats?” Sun latched onto Foxy’s arm, a pleading look on their face.

“See? The longer we let her stay, the worse things will get. She’s going to take him away from us, the naughty girl.” Moon crooned from Foxy’s other side. Gregory had only taken his eyes off of them for a minute. How in the world did they get from one place to another so fast?

“You two. . .Really, ignore them.” Foxy lifted his arms, which in turn lifted the two daycare attendants off of the ground. Though his expression was stern, the scolding he gave them was gentle. “You mustn’t act like this, you should know better.” The two didn’t seem to care much for the actual scolding, and were instead happy about the attention they were receiving. “Eh, they aren’t listenin’ anymore. Hey, it was nice to meet you two. Come back anytime.”

“Thanks for talking with us!” Momo waved to them as they walked off to another corner of the daycare. “They seemed nice!” she turned to Gregory, smiling.

“Euhh. . .Sure, nice. At least one of them definitely was. C’mon, it’s almost time for the doors to open. Let’s get you back to the main stage!”

“Yes sir!” Momo saluted with her tail and left the Daycare with Gregory.

–

“Now children, remember your manners! No running, pushing, or fighting! You’re to be on your best behavior during our trip!” The teacher called from the front of the bus, yelling over rowdy talking and laughing.

Jaime sat in the seat directly behind the teacher, staring out the window as the scenery changed. The day of the field trip was finally here. Not only that, but today was the day that that new synthetic would be revealed on the showroom floor. She was excited, of course. But she also recalled when Gregory said the synthetic moved on its own. She hadn’t believed him then. When she went home and did some research however, she saw articles and rumors about the old Freddy Fazbear facilities. Could it have been the same situation?

She shook her head.

There’s no way it was the same. Those old restaurants are gone, and the synthetics within them are also gone. This also had nothing to do with the disappearances. The new synthetic had just been salvaged from an old warehouse. There’s no way it was behind any of the weird happenings.

“I should ask Gregory if he knows anything.” Jaime mumbled to herself, never taking her eyes off the window.

It was a nice day out, she thought. It’s a shame that the Pizzaplex doesn’t have any outdoor facilities. They could have benefitted from such lovely weather.

[Previous] | [Next]

[mangozcat]

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. lee taeyong x fem!reader 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄. some fluff, smut 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. taeyong always adored the flavors of winter. he loved the smooth hot chocolate, the strong taste of whiskey that he often celebrated with, and munching a cookie between his teeth. when you join him for christmas, he finds yet another thing to add onto his list of favorite flavors.

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃." taeyong said, disappointment evident in his tone as his eyes skimmed over the christmas movies and dollar store bag in your hands, and your obviously very much not naked body.

you shook your head, lifting a hand to slap the side of his head gently. “not everything has to do with sex, buddy,” you declared, grinning to yourself as you pushed the bag of hot chocolate mix, whiskey, and cookies into his hands. “I came over because I wanted to spend my christmas with you, babe.”

he peeked inside the bag, smiling at the goods, before looking towards you. his hair was messy, hanging just above his eyes, and you wondered how it didn’t bother him yet. “yes, and I always wanna spend my days and holidays with you, but I had a particular idea in mind for this one in specific.”

“save it for valentine’s day.”

he shrugged, accepting defeat. it didn’t feel as bad as it would typically would, especially when he glanced back at the bag of his favorite sweets. cookies because he always enjoyed the simplistic treat on special occasions, and just in general. whiskey because while taeyong liked the sober life, he wasn’t too good at denying how incredible the free feeling made him feel. and finally, hot chocolate. not much explanation needed.

you always did know him best. and by how happy he looked, you knew it all too well. you took pride in understanding the layered man, and you were extremely pleased to be able to call him your boyfriend.

as taeyong wandered into the kitchen to make the hot chocolate, you took the cookies and whiskey out of the bag, placing them on the table. losing your heavy coat somewhere along the way, you managed to tie your hair up as you found several blankets and pillows scattered around taeyong’s apartment.

“hot chocolate’s so good,” you heard him call from the kitchen.

“don’t drink it right now, dumbass!” you yelled, sighing loudly. you had wanted the man to drink it with you while the two of you watched home alone. it wasn’t long before you heard taeyong’s voice call back to you, “sorry! couldn’t help myself.”

“you never can,” you mumbled under your breath, pulling away from the couch to admire your handiwork. it wasn’t fancy at all, but it looked extremely comfortable and you could imagine yourself falling asleep in taeyong’s arms, surrounded by fluffy blankets.

suddenly, you felt arms wrap around your torso and you grinned to yourself as a kiss was placed on your shoulder. two glasses of hot chocolate were in his hands and he lifted one up to you, allowing you to grab it and take a sip of the steamy drink. “perfect,” you said, turning your head to kiss his cheek.

taeyong smiled cheekily, “I know I am, babe, but I want a compliment on the hot chocolate I spent so long making.”

you only shook your head, a small smile dancing across your lips. he truly was a unique guy, and as obnoxious as he could be sometimes, you couldn’t deny that you wouldn’t trade it for anything. “well, my dear perfect boyfriend, how about you make some food while I shower?”

his face scrunched up, “I’ll pass, thank you very much.”

you only rolled your eyes, taking a sip of your drink. “figured as much,” you sighed out, walking towards the bathroom to take a nice warm shower before snuggling into the covers and getting lost in a movie. prancing around in all the snow beyond taeyong’s door had left you mildly freezing and you were ready to wash it all away with a layer of warmth.

and of course, the sweet smell of taeyong’s body wash.

the first thing you saw when you came out of the shower was light. green and red and blue and gold adorned the walls as you stared in awe at the string of fairy lights hung (although messily and rushed) dashingly across the wall. they were all so pretty, and made the room feel so cozy.

your eyes then found your boyfriend, shooting him a curious look as you pointed towards the lights. he only smiled shyly, biting on his lower lip as a small dash of red made it’s way upon his cheeks.

“I saw them at the store,” he said, eyes flitting between you and the lights. “when I was shopping for your present I saw them and figured they’d make the place more homely.”

you only smiled fondly.

he scratched at the back of his neck, saying, “I know they aren’t exactly christmas colored but they’ll have to do. do you like them?”

nodding your head, you walked towards your boyfriend, arms wide open to signal a bear hug before he met you half way. “they’re perfect,” you whispered into his shirt. he gave the top of your head a gentle kiss, rocking the two of you back and forth unknowingly.

leaning your head up, you connected your lips to his in a small, affectionate kiss, before pulling away and flopping down onto the couch. you grinned and patted the space next to you, making him crawl over top of you. resting his head on your chest, and setting his body between your legs, he turned his head to see the tv as you started the movie. your fingers started threading through his hair, making him hum in delight at the soft feeling.

he closed his eyes as the movie began playing, and you had almost believed he was asleep. that is, until his hand traces circles on the skin of your thighs, which were covered by a pair of his sweatpants. if you were any other girl, you’d think he was simply being overly affectionate and comforting. but you were taeyong’s girlfriend, you knew better.

taeyong was sweet, caring, everything. one thing he wasn’t, however, was more clingy than any other boyfriend. he’d touch your hips, your arms, your hands, but he never touched your nether region unless he wanted something. he never felt the need to.

so when his fingers poked at the hem of your pants, you sighed heavily, pretending you didn’t notice his movements while continuing to watch the movie. but taeyong had different plans. his arms wrapped around your stomach, forcing you to arch gently as he planted a small kiss on your shoulder. and then your collarbone, and then he was hiking up your shirt to place a kiss right above your breasts.

he wanted your attention.

and this time you were determined to not give in. he only narrowed his eyes when he glanced up at you, noticing how your gave wasn’t on him. he huffed out a growl before sucking harshly on the skin between your breasts. you didn’t have a bra on, he had noticed; probably because you were lounging in the comfort of your boyfriend’s apartment, he guessed.

you let out a little gasp at the feeling. it hurt, feeling his teeth scrape over the blossoming bruise, but at the same time, it felt so good. you finally closed your eyes at the sensation, deciding to give in, and buried your hands in his hair and giving the strands a soft tug.

“there’s my baby,” he said, a smirk gracing his features.

you simply let out a small whine as he continued to kiss down your stomach. the feeling was so soft, so gently, so sweet, so sickeningly good that it had your insides churning with desire. he was taking his time, making sure to praise your body along his journey down. the man was on a mission; leave no piece of skin untouched, unloved, and he was surely fulfilling it.

when you couldn’t handle the slowness anymore, you whined out his name. he simply looked up at you through his lashes, feigning innocence in his gaze. taking your sweatpants strings in his teeth, he tugged on the fabric slightly. “what do you want, angel?”

“y-your tongue, your fingers-” you stumbled out carelessly. he smiled to himself, happily listening to your moans of frustration as he tugged your pants, along with your underwear, down your legs. “f-fuck, just- ah! -just want you, baby!”

the cold breeze hit your skin, making you shiver slightly. taeyong didn’t seem bothered, simply pressing a kiss just on your clit, making you keen out at the feeling. he knew what you wanted, you knew what you wanted, but he was so intent on making you wait to receive it.

it only took a few helpless moans and begs out of pure lust to make him finally give you what you desired; his fingers. moving one in and out of you swiftly, he started a bruising pace that left you breathless with it’s intensity. you cried out his name several times, making taeyong smile as he watched his fingers get sucked into your eager heat.

“does my baby like this?” he asked, adding a second finger in and halting to hear your strained moans, “does she like it when I fuck her with my fingers? your cunt’s just swallowing my fingers up, baby.”

you whimpered a yes in response, making taeyong hum to himself in satisfaction. curling his fingers inside of you, you cried out when you felt his fingertips brush against that spot inside of you. your toes curled at the sensation and you tugged a little harder on his hair.

finally, as if taeyong couldn’t hold back any longer, he attached his lips to your clit, sucking on the sensitive bud. “fuck,” you muttered breathlessly, pulling him as close as possible as your hips started buckling up into his face. he groaned out, licking a stripe of your wetness from your slit.

his fingers were still in you, pushing you closer and closer to the edge.

“are you going to cum?” he asked against your bundle of nerves, making you whine at the vibrations. he glanced up at you, admiring the fucked out look on your face and loving how his name slipped from your lips on occasion. he knew you were close, just by how erratically you were clenching around his fingers.

“go ahead, baby,” he said, pulling back to give your clit yet another kiss as his fingers continuously curled inside of you to give you that one last burst of pleasure. you were seeing white, crying out when you finally were pushed over the edge.

“cum around my fingers, sweetheart.”

part of the christmas chronicles series! you can find it here.

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Charlie’s 6✩ Inspiration: Midsummer’s Gilt [仲夏鎏金] Date Translation (END 4: Listen)

“Why do you have your eyes closed again? Sleepy? Go ahead and take a nap then. Remember to dream of me.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Charlie’s Personal Masterlist *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *6✩ Inspirations have 6 Endings!! *Charlie’s tag will be #For Night, For Paradox

✥ Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

What should I do? How should we spend the rest of the time?

⊹ Ask him if there's anything he wants to do ⊹

Thinking about it now, I still feel like it'll be better if I let Charlie decide what he wants to do instead of following my plan.

MC: Hey, let me ask you something. Do you have anywhere you want to go? Or… anything you want to do?

Charlie: Oh? You're prepared to fulfil a wish of mine for me?

MC: I guess so? I mean, heaven is big, earth is big, and the birthday star’s is the biggest.

MC: Oh. Anything but marriage!!

Charlie: You’re setting restrictions on my only birthday wish in a year? How cruel of you.

MC: Not like I can help it. Who told you to be the most vicious queen of all time, hm?

Charlie helplessly shakes his head, lowering his eyes in thought before looking back up at me.

Charlie: What I want to do today is very simple.

MC: ...Which is?

I don’t know if I was just imagining it, but I suddenly felt like I just saw a sliver of mischief flash across his eyes.

Charlie: Come with me.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I followed him back to the farmhouse and out into the yard. Charlie immediately settled himself on the deck chair.

I watched him suspiciously, not understanding him at all.

Charlie: Come here. Let’s lie down together for a while.

MC: This is the one thing you want to do the most today…?

Charlie: That's right.

Charlie: I’ve been dragged and pushed around for the entire day. I just want to have a good moment’s rest with my fiancée.

The deck chair wasn’t exactly small, but it’d be a slight squeeze to fit two people on it.

I was dubious about it for a while.

Charlie: Hmm, looks like being the birthday boy doesn’t help at all, huh.

He sighed, watching me. I stood rooted to my spot. It was rare enough that I got to look down at him, but the look he was giving me was a little like a kicked puppy...

Never mind. Heaven is big, earth is big, and the birthday star’s is the biggest.

Mentally reciting the phrase again, I closed my eyes and laid down next to him.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Charlie: And here I thought that you wouldn't agree to it.

Charlie: Why are you closing your eyes for? Am I that ugly?

Charlie: A handsome face is right beside you, and you're not even going to admire it?

Charlie: Are you really not going to look at me?

Charlie: Not bad. You "woke" in a timely manner. If you hadn't done so, then I'd have…

Charlie: What CAN I do? Have you never heard of the fairytale called "Sleeping Beauty"?

Charlie: You moved over to give me more space? How rare of you to be so considerate towards me.

Charlie: What? You get mad when I speak and feel uncomfy when I don't.

Charlie: *Sighs*...Never mind, my dear fiancée can only be coddled by me after all.

Charlie: What do you want me to talk about? My mood?

Charlie: Much better than I thought it'd be.

Charlie: Are you uncomfortable?

Charlie: Then come over here a little more…

Charlie: I know I said "a little", but you've only moved just a mere millimetre, haven't you?

Charlie: Any further and you'll-

Charlie: Alright, stop moving.

Charlie: Move any more and I'll just have to fall off with you in tow.

Charlie: I won't move, but you can't go making me loosen my grip on you either.

Charlie: Why do you have your eyes closed again? Sleepy?

Charlie: Go ahead and take a nap then. Remember to dream of me.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

After dinner, the night gradually grew darker.

Having changed into my pyjamas, I was just about to close the windows when I suddenly heard a commotion coming from outside.

It sounded like a lot of people were gathered in one place, chattering along with the joyful cries of children.

MC: What’s going on!?

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Curious, I crossed the yard and walked out of the back door. I was immediately dumbfounded the instant I opened the door.

The originally empty plain had somehow accommodated a helicopter from somewhere. Charlie was standing by the helicopter’s door with his head bowed as he adjusted his shirt collar.

There were many villagers from around the area beside him. The old, the young, the boys, the girls; some of them taking photos, some of them discussing within their midst.

Little Boy: Big bro, do you really mean what you said earlier?

Charlie: But of course; I never lie.

Little Girl: Wow! I’m gonna get dad to bring me to a good spot right now!

Little Boy: Wait a minute, me too!

A couple of kids fussed about wanting to get to higher ground, to which Charlie only smiled at. The sides of his mouth curled upwards as he let out a soft snort, an inconcealable look of pride on his face.

Suddenly, I can’t help but have a very bad feeling about this new turn of events. I subconsciously turned to flee.

Charlie: I haven’t even gone looking for you yet, and here you are.

Charlie: Looks like we truly have an affinity with each other.

A big hand lands on my shoulder, making me unwittingly turn around only to face his triumphant expression.

MC: And what are you trying to pull again? What’s with this helicopter here?

Charlie: I’m going to take you for a spin.

MC: ……

MC: I’m going to bed. Good night.

I turned to leave again, but the same hand landed on my shoulder once more, this time backed with an irrefutable strength as he dragged me up into the helicopter.

Ten minutes later.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Chuf, chuf, chuf.

The sound of the helicopter’s propeller reverberated in my ears. I’d eventually given up struggling against him; and now, I sat next to him blankly, decked in pyjamas and slippers.

Charlie: Why so quiet? Are you scared of heights?

MC: Har, har, very funny. Just think of it as me being sleepy.

Charlie: Then, you’d do well to wake up; because what’s coming up next is something worth remembering for a lifetime.

MC: …What?

Charlie: I did give my birthday some serious thought.

Charlie: While it’s true that I don’t like attending birthday banquets, it is not in line with my personality to spend my birthday in such a low-key, simplistic, manner.

MC: ……

Charlie: Plus, my fiancée worked so hard to prepare so many surprises for me. So, I have to give her a gift in return, won’t you say?

He’d only just said that when a loud bang sounded from outside the window.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I saw fireworks blooming behind him, suddenly lighting up the night sky, as well as the hand that Charlie had started to reach out towards me.

My eyes widened in surprise. I’d totally forgotten that reactions were a thing. And that was how Charlie had pulled me over to admire the scenery outside the window together.

And that was how the gorgeous fireworks bloomed seemingly near, yet far. It was almost as if one could simply reach out and touch them.

The boundless night sky was skin to a long and endless river, while the fireworks resembled the starry sky, reflected on the surface of the river. We were seated atop a small boat, free to move and traverse this galaxy as we so wished.

I couldn’t help but raise my hand, pressing it against the glass window and fixing my eyes firmly to the fireworks blooming outside.

Charlie: What? So moved that you could cry?

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

Charlie’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. I glanced at the handkerchief that held out before me and turned away with a huff.

MC: Thanks, but I’m not that easily moved.

MC: And these fireworks… It’s really beautiful, but please don’t do such overly exaggerated things in the future.

Charlie: So you’re already contemplating how to celebrate my future birthdays?

MC: I’m not…

My eyes dilated in rage, yet the flicker of flames died out the moment I raised my head.

Reflected within those twin violet orbs of his were the flashing lights of the fireworks… and two little reflections of me.

MC: Let’s leave the stuff next year… to next year.

Charlie: Don’t worry, you can have it every year.

The fireworks outside the window continued. Looking at the magnificent splendour outside, I suddenly remembered that I didn’t exactly wish him a “happy birthday” yet.

MC: Charlie.

Charlie: Hm?

MC: Happy birthday.

Charlie: Thank you.

This might actually be the first time that he has ever seriously thanked me for anything before.

My heart squeezed, immediately starting to race soon after. There was no longer any way to hide it.

MC: And there’s something else I want to tell you…

MC: Actually, I wouldn’t have known that it was your birthday today if you didn’t mistakenly think that I was making “longevity noodles”.

MC: I only agreed to go on a trip with you because I didn’t want to owe you any favours.

MC: And… I only decided to come here to this rural countryside to spite you because I knew that you’d be uncomfortable with it.

MC: And I didn’t prepare anything in advance as your birthday gift either…

I paused, not knowing how to continue. However, it was Charlie who carried on with the conversation, much to my surprise.

Charlie: So?

MC: So… Aren’t you angry?

MC: I clearly lied to you, in a way.

Charlie: My fiancée has been pondering hard and busying about like a busy bee today to celebrate my birthday.

Charlie: I don’t think there’s anything to be mad about.

I was stunned. For a moment, I didn’t quite know how to reply to him. All I registered was the soft thud of my heart as it skipped a beat.

MC: …I really don’t understand you sometimes.

Charlie: Then, I suppose you’ll have to put in more effort to understand me. After all, I can already understand you like the back of my hand.

Charlie: You can just tell me if you need help. I’ll get someone to collate my information and send it to you in a file.

MC: No need!

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

I softly snorted, turning around to continue admiring the fireworks outside the window.

Even though I knew clearer than anyone else, deep down in my heart, that fireworks were nought but merely a fleeting moment of brilliance…

I still can’t help but hope…

To hope that everything would be etched into stone, preserved forever and evermore.

⊹ ˚✩ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ∘◦ ✥ ◦∘ ━━━━━━━━━━━ ✩˚ ⊹

✥ Choose another Ending:

END 1 | Choice: Do Nothing [都不做]  

END 2 + 3 | Choice: Approach [亲近] ⊹Touch⊹

END 4 | Choice: Listen [倾听] ❖ASMR

END 5 + 6 | Choice: Heart-throb [心动] ✩Light & Night★

❖☆————— ⊹ For Night, For Paradox⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: Prologue

[actualmermaid]

So like, you're a progressive person. But the whole Mormon religion was founded by bigots, it's baked into the mythos. Not to mention we have so much proof of the church being an abusive cult (you need a lawyer to leave!) and the church has done many other terrible things like 'converting' dead people. I'm deeply curious to know what your specific relationship to Mormon ideology is, how you reconcile with its awful roots.

I'm going to assume you're asking in good faith here, and I'll answer in good faith. Please don't make a fool out of me.

First off, you don't "need" a lawyer to leave. You have to request a records removal through your local leadership, and if they don't want to cooperate (this is something that Mormons call "bishop roulette") it can be difficult. That's why there exists a service where a lawyer will handle the process for you, bypassing the need to struggle with a possibly-recalcitrant local leader.

If we treat any religious organization as a living, breathing, evolving thing, we can accept that its members and leaders can believe and do bad things while also accepting the potential to move past them. We can accept complicated histories ("founded by bigots" is an overly simplistic evaluation of church history that I don't feel like getting into. Wikipedia is your friend if you want to get into the nitty-gritty history details, and I'm sure my followers can recommend books if you want them) and understand the forces that shape insularism and bigotry into the present.

The fact that Mormonism is an unpopular, misunderstood minority religion also adds cultural stress--if the outside world thinks we're sexist/racist/queerphobic, we have a choice: we can read it as just another attack in a long line of attacks and double down on bigotry, or we can engage in sincere introspection about what we can do better and WHY people are criticizing us. Guess which one has usually prevailed, historically. People aren't always great at doing the right thing under these conditions.

Another thing is that non-members do not always understand our beliefs and their significance, and they do not always make an effort to learn about them. (This isn't me making a missionary effort--this is me promoting interfaith dialogue.) The issue of "converting dead people," for example, is not quite what it sounds like. Mormons believe that baptism by immersion, following the example of Jesus, is a necessary step toward exaltation. If someone dies without having been baptized, Mormons believe that we can perform a proxy baptism for that person, which they will have the freedom to accept or reject in the afterlife. The physical ritual is a way to perform that act of service for our ancestors and remember the people who came before us. Pretty much everything else that seems "culty" or "weird" about Mormon practice has similar significance and needs to be evaluated in context.

I was raised in the church, and I can trace almost all of my ancestors back to original 19th-century converts. I'm what you might call an "ethnic" Mormon in that sense. I have complicated, mostly negative feelings about the institutional LDS church, but I feel immense love and fondness for my heritage, my family, and the sense of ethics that they gave me.

[pinkhairedlily]

In Retrospect

Chapter 6 of The Spring He Came Back | 6 of 12

Hitsugaya had a plan – become the youngest tenured faculty in the academy and have countless watermelon contests with Baba and Momo. Graduation and tenure meant freedom to come home, to live out the rest of his days with the only family he knew. What he did not take into consideration was the prospect of marriage.

“That’s your plan?” Rangiku asked incredulously. Hidden between those words, he knew, was mockery. “You really are going through puberty.”

“Shut up, Rangiku. What do you know?”

“As a lady soon to reach the prime age of 18, I know a lot more than you. Raging hormones, pulls of attraction, intense infatuation-“

Hitsugaya had to cut her off before she ventured into more delicate matters, Rangiku-style. “Yeah, I get it. I don’t intend to marry.”

“Unless you see yourself marrying Hinamori, then you’re set for life. Otherwise, it’s an overly simplistic plan dead set on failing.”

“I don’t think of her like that. She’s just…my friend or like a sister.”

Rangiku didn’t say anything back then, but she brought it up again during their trip to Karakura. “Hey Hitsugaya. If you see Momo as your sister, why do you go through the extra mile for her? Sneaking out to meet her? Studying how to preserve daffodils? Renting out the custodian room? With family, you assume they’ll always be there, but you act as if you always need to do something for her to stay.”

He pretended to doze off right at that moment to avoid answering her question, simply because he was also confused. Momo is home, that he knew for sure. When the academy opened its gates for general admission, he half-expected Momo to apply. She was curious of the world and has a way with nature and plants. She would be interested in a formal education, at the very least. When she got accepted, he was beyond happy despite the black and white rules of classism and made-up hierarchy. When she told him she would like to be considered as a Soul core member, he wondered if that was her personal dream. Regardless, he rooted for her success. He always believed in her capabilities, and he never saw her lagging behind. She has her own pace and her own road to pave while he has his. In his mind, they were two separate journeys hoping to merge at the end of their respective successful conclusions.

So when did the realization set in that their paths have indefinite forks, forever parallel in their progress? Was it when he heard the uncertainty in her voice when their friends told her about the repercussions of her eventual Soul membership? Was it the twinkle in her eyes when she first told him she volunteered to assist Aizen in his studies? Was it the delivery of the news from Unohana that Aizen did not advocate for her membership to Soul, stating that Momo herself denied the offer? Or was it the tacit recklessness of her fieldwork which left Baba alone in the process?

“Where the fuck did you go, Momo?”

Tired eyes stared back at him and she mustered an apologetic smile. “I was in a fieldwork, Shirou. I’ll make it up to Baba, I promise.” Before she could take any step further, she suddenly collapsed on the ground. He ran towards her in a flurry, his heartbeat pounding wildly on his chest. He brought her inside, his feet knowing where her room was, and his mouth calling for Baba. Momo was running a high fever, possibly from fatigue and extended exposure to foreign elements.

“Do I need to call a doctor?” Baba was breathless as she entered the room. She placed her palm on her grandchild’s forehead and released a breath in relief. “We don’t have to. I’ll brew a medicinal tea. Help me gather the herbs Hitsugaya.”

The sun was setting when he got back, but Momo was still unconscious. He sat next to her futon and replaced the towel on her forehead. Somehow the temperature lowered down. It was so unlike Momo to leave Baba alone for two weeks, and especially during her birthday. He couldn’t help but feel angry towards Aizen. It was clear he was overworking her with no regards to her physical health. He didn’t even bother to check if his assistant was in good condition when they wrapped up the on the field. Then again, Momo was not the type to complain and openly state her well-being.

Books, notes, and papers were strewn around her once immaculate room. Too busy and overworked to clean, he thought. A folder with the label ‘References’ caught his attention. Curious if it contained the literature she was studying, he opened it. Contrary to his expectation, it was full of Aizen’s university records – from his student days to his faculty experience. The professor should have been tenured by now, considering his qualifications, publications, and pedigree, but he kept bouncing from one university to another. Maybe he just doesn’t want to settle down?

It dawned on him that Momo’s admiration for Aizen ran deep. She deferred the membership because that would take her away from the professor’s side. She didn’t need the academy or the prestige of being identified as a Soul. She only needed Aizen’s referral to apply in the same universities he studied in. Unfamiliar emotions rose to the surface. She chose a dream away from his side but closer to the professor’s. The fork in their roads was a deliberate, conscious decision, and he felt slighted at the implication.

Beside the folder was a photocopy of a list of equations and diagrams. Scrawled at the bottom were notes in a handwriting very familiar to him. Why was the work of his internship mentor, Urahara Kisuke, in Aizen’s studies?

Hitsugaya was broken out of his reverie when Momo stirred from her sleep. He hovered above her, checking again her temperature and called for Baba. She stared at him through her hooded eyes. “You stayed, Shirou?”

“Of course, silly. No one can drag your heavy body from the ground but me.”

“Did you win?”

“It was a draw. Ishida was too good for us and could have won with a landslide, but thank God Ichigo messed up his presentation.” He assisted Baba in helping Momo drink the herbal medicine. The old woman was near tears when Momo apologized for missing out on her birthday.

“My dear, just rest and recuperate. We’ll never leave your side. Let’s celebrate on another day, okay?” Baba placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Momo nodded weakly.

Baba shuffled out the room, a weight lifted off from her shoulders. “I’ll be preparing dinner, Hitsugaya. Are you going to stay the night?”

Momo was out of the woods, and Baba has all the ingredients for medicine. He was worried, but ultimately, he knew he wasn’t needed here. “I should go.”

A hand reached out under the blanket and wrapped itself loosely around his wrist, the fingers cold and clammy. “Shirou.” She didn’t need to say anything more. It was the silent plea in her voice and his uncontrollable urge to care for her. He swayed to her words as if he was programmed to do so the day he set foot in this world,

“On second thought, I might sleep here, Baba.” The old woman smiled at her two charges, happy to see them reunited despite the circumstances. She hummed a tune on her way back to the kitchen.

Hitsugaya also smiled, wanting time to revert to days of tranquility and blissful ignorance. He plied her fingers off his wrist, wanting to place it back under the comfort of her blanket, but he found himself wounding his own fingers through hers. He glanced at her face at any sign of objection and discomfort. “Is this okay?”

“Hmm.” She tightened her clasp on his hand and fell back to her deep slumber a moment after. He wished to have this privilege repeated when she regains her clarity, but he knew they’d be a fumbling mess of embarrassed individuals. It’s okay to stay like this.

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

They were granted two weeks of vacation after the Karakura event, the remaining of which Hitsugaya spent with Momo and Baba. With two people keeping her in close observation throughout her full recovery, Momo had to temporarily stop writing research drafts. She was on bed rest in the next two days with Hitsugaya beside her. The following day, she was granted permission by Baba to walk around the compound, and on the next day, Hitsugaya and her slipped out to the meadow, still brimming with daffodils but some parts have wilted to signal the start of winter.

“We should buy a cake for Baba. Do you think there’s a watermelon-flavored one?” Momo busied her fingers, making crown out of the flowers. They never got around to talk about her denied confirmation to Soul yet.

“Your saturation point must be too high. We have been devouring that fruit since your bed rest.” But he didn’t want to be the person to bring it up first. “Let’s stick with vanilla and caramel. I’ll find one in the town central tomorrow. Can’t believe it’s gonna be another the start of another semester again.”

“Shirou?”

“Hmm?”

Her fingers stopped working on the flower crown, but she did not raise her eyes to him. “I won’t apologize for the Soul offer. I don’t want it at the moment.”

That hurt him in more ways than one. “Okay.”

“What?” She whipped her head back at him, wondering why he wasn’t angry.

Well, he didn’t have any right to be angry, after all. It wasn’t her plan. He wasn’t on her plan, and no matter how much he wanted her to accept the membership and stay closer to him, it still stood that he won’t be part of her plan. He has no right to take that choice away from her because….he was just a friend. “Just promise me you won’t overwork yourself.”

He was thankful that she smiled, having been relieved of the burden to articulate the why’s behind her decision. Frankly, he also didn’t want to hear them directly from her mouth.

“I’m not sure about that, but I’ll try!”

“For all that it’s worth, I hope he compensates you enough. Or put your name as his co-author.”

“Huh?”

Questioning eyes prodded more explanation from him. “Compensation. You know, salary that professors give to their RAs? Funding usually covers those fees. It’s also standard academe ethic to acknowledge them in their papers or have them as their co-authors.”

Momo’s face was a blank slate.

That can’t be right. Aizen did those, didn’t he? Hitsugaya opened his mouth again to pry the specifics of their contract, but Momo put on her jovial self, her defense mechanism. He decided not to push her, given that she just recovered.

“This would look good on you.” She nimbly placed the flower crown on his head, her smile breaking into laughter at the shock and embarrassment on his face.

“Get this off Momo before someone sees us!”

“Oh come on, just five minutes please.”

He relented, only to prolong her laughter in his presence. “I can’t say no to you.”

She scooted closer to him and arranged the flowers on his head, touching the tendrils of his silver hair. In a non-Momo fashion, she scooped up his cheeks in her hands. “You look like a cute dumpling!”

Warmth flooded his cheeks. “You’re too close Momo,” he tried to say through his scrunched mouth. He took hold of her wrists, trying to pry her hands away from his face, and it was a situation stupidly similar to that night they held hands. “I like you.”

He just blurted it out like that, her wrists in his hands, her daffodil flower crown on his head, and her smile still on her face. It wasn’t a declaration based on impulse, it was a domino effect of all the little things, all the little feelings, and all the little encounters. One by one, they have filled up his entirety like how a small daffodil can fill up a meadow. At that very moment, he understood what Rangiku meant.

“I like you too, Shirou.” It was an empty echo borne out of a friendship reflex. She knew that he knew they didn’t hold the same weight as his, but it was enough for now.

He pulled her in for a hug in the middle of that yellow meadow, a witness to their growth and the last happy memory they would have together.

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

He wouldn’t say Momo avoided him for that semester, but her appearance suddenly became scarce. Up until the middle of the semester, she still went to their secret room and profusely apologized to the three Rs for denying the membership offer. She made it up to them, bringing bento boxes, buying new sets of tea and coffee. Hitsugaya noticed she didn’t mention their conversation and hug again, and he considered they were already past it. Then, she just stopped coming.

Irked and superbly irritated, he tried going to their side of the building. Almost conveniently, Aizen ran into him and asked what he wanted from his classes. Not wanting to stir up the pot, Hitsugaya made an excuse about getting lost and returned to the core building side. Something is fishy. If I cannot see her in the academy, there’s one place to go to.

He sneaked out one weekend to the compound to know how she was. To his surprise, the area was largely unkempt and most windows were closed. It was highly unusual because Baba will never slack out on her chores. He heard chronic coughing behind the door, a loud boom, and a string of things crashing one after another.

“Baba!” He found her lying on the floor, blood dripping from her mouth, her hands scratched with broken shards of glass.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his small figure tried to lift her up on his back. It was a miracle that he was able to reach the hospital just in time before she crashed. He wasn’t family, but the doctors needed consent for an immediate surgery. He gave the go-signal. He couldn’t wait for Momo.

She appeared at midnight, well past the time Baba had her surgery. Pale-faced and shivering from fear, she turned to Hitsugaya, willing him to tell her what happened, but he wasn’t looking at her.

A doctor appeared at his side, saving him from a lengthy conversation he didn’t have the energy to make.

“Your grandmother had chronic coughing in the past few weeks, it seemed, and she developed pneumonia. The infection scarred her lungs and caved them in, and that made her cough up blood. We had to take some portion of it out in surgery. She’s in the ICU and recovering, but you need to wait for a while because she is still susceptible to infections.”

Momo mouthed her thank you before dropping against the wall beside Hitsugaya.

“Where were you, Momo?���

“I was working with Dr. Aizen in some of his experiments. The workload was too much I had to sleep in school. I didn’t come home for two weeks. Only two weeks.”

“In those two weeks you left her alone, sick, and bedridden with no one to care for her.” Hitsugaya can’t stop the spite in his voice. “If I didn’t come to your house, you would not have found her alive.”

“I needed this. Baba understood me when I told her I’d be gone.”

“Baba always understands because she wants the best for you! She’ll never deny you that. Why are you so enamored with that professor that you can’t see through everyone else?”

“You’re overstepping a line here.”

“Why are you trying so hard to please him to the point that you’d risk Baba’s life for his work?”

“His work is my work too.”

“Exactly, Momo. You’re just a piece of his work. You’re a pawn that he liked to play around. He never compensated you nor credited you. I’ve read all of his articles and not one mentioned your name so don’t tell me that you’re busy working for your dreams when you’re wasting your time with him and killing off people you love.”

A resounding slap echoed in the hospital hallway. Tears were flowing from Momo’s eyes, and it pained him that he was the cause.

“Dr. Aizen is a respectable man, and I will not allow you to slander him further. You are just a peasant, an orphan we took from the street out of pity, and now you want to act like you have our best interests at heart when you entered the academy but in actuality, it was for your own selfish desire. You want to lecture me about hard work? I may always be his assistant, but you, with all your Soul perks and hierarchy, will never be on the same level as him. You’ll come far and achieve much more, but at the end of the day, you’ll always be a peasant. So get out of my sight and never come back until you become like him.”

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

The next day, the supervisors and senior faculty represented by Byakuya and Unohana entered Aizen’s class. Trailing behind them in close distance was Urahara Kisuke, a renowned ecologist in Karakura who went on a sabbatical leave ten years ago.

“What an A-team. What do you need, madame and sirs?” Aizen cheerfully asked.

“Aizen Sousuke and Hinamori Momo, please follow us to the academy tribunal. You are wanted for plagiarism, fraud, and embezzlement.”

NEXT CHAPTER | 7 OF 12 | JUDGMENT NEEDED, NOT JUDGMENT DESERVED

[retphienix]

Phasmophobia maps ranked (totally objective, no opinions here, super srs, psyche gottem it's all opinions)

Brownstone High School

I won't sugar coat it, I didn't even bother going inside for a screenshot for this entry because I hate high school.

Now to be fair, I'm down to play high school whenever, I want to get better at it and I believe that should speed things up a bit and make it more fun.

And HS is the map I think of when I think of running a full 4 man!

But beyond a full 4 man HS is too big, too boring, and too annoying to solve.

It's long hallway with a million rooms after long hallway with a million rooms after small reprieve of finding a science lab or gym followed by long hallway with a million rooms followed by going upstairs to do it all over again.

THERE ARE TOO MANY CLASSROOMS AND I KNOW THAT'S THE POINT

But when the gameplay revolves around finding the room where the ghost is hanging around having these many rooms AND hallways can really drag things out.

Now to be honest, when you have the room on lockdown it's a fun map to maneuver and solve!

So if you walk in the front door and hear something fall over in a specific direction it immediately becomes more playable!

But if you walk in and the ghost is being a quiet asshole then you're in for the least fun you can have in phasmo in my opinion.

Just a bunch of "PLEASE DO SOMETHING" shouting and holding your EMF or thermo practically begging for something to happen.

Bottom tier, worst map, don't like it.

It doesn't even have unique collectibles to make up for the fact that it's a big map so you won't find the bone!

Hardly necessary (though I argue all maps need those) but definitely worth dropping a mention on top of being hallway simulator.

Too many rooms and boring hallways out of 9

Edgefield Street House

Edge honestly doesn't deserve to be next to HS but someone had to be and Edge gets the dishonor purely because it's the most middling map in the game.

Edge is fine.

Edge is passable.

Edge is simple and clean.

Edge isn't exciting is the problem, but it is still a fun one.

The houses aren't renown for being the most interesting; Their job is to be middling and accessible and they get the job done just fine. Edge just happens to be the most middling.

With a first floor that's underutilized, I mean the ghost is in the kitchen if they are here at all let's be real.

Garage is meh, living room is a rare spot for anything to happen, there's a weird back exit area that is never used ever for anything?

First floor is clearly an afterthought for the ghost but it gets the job done.

I actually really dig the basement layout, but I've never once seen a ghost spawn there lol. It's mostly just a place to turn on the power and hide in the locker and that's fine.

The 'star' of Edge is the upstairs which has roughly 9 billion rooms and locations for you to hide, scientists are still counting the exact amount.

You want the blunt end of that?

It's entirely playable- it's safe as hell even since there's a closet every 3 inches- but it's not the most interesting thing for an entire map to be "Go upstairs, look at the 15 doors because one is probably about to open for you and that's the ghost room"

Runs of Edge are a bit too 'samey' since so much of the real-estate is upstairs and it's so dense.

Edge is fine. The most 'passable' map in rotation that I won't complain about but I'm never stoked to head to.

Passable out of 9

Asylum

I'll be honest and say I'm not being thorough with asylum.

It's among my least played, but that doesn't mean my least enjoyed.

It's got a really fun reverb on voices, it's genuinely fun to wander through, but it just feels some strange level of 'too big' while still being... not that?

I dunno how to say it.

But the 1st floor is annoying to clear out with its layout and sure that's inexperience talking-

While the bottom floor is fun due to the aesthetic but it's in a weird place of being overly simplistic.

The bottom floor is just a big hallway with rooms on either side.

That's not the most interesting layout- though it is fun to hide down there, with bathrooms and other makeshift spots to hide behind in most rooms which makes the hallway less threatening.

Asylum is weird, the layout goes between annoying and overly simple between the two floors and it feels too 'wide' for what it has to offer.

AND YET

I like aslyum.

I never play it, but I like it.

Shweppsi out of 9

Tanglewood Street House

Tangle we all know it and what's there to say.

A little bit, to be honest :)

It's the smallest map around and it's a great first map to learn the ropes.

Tangle's strongest feature is its layout- it's both interesting and fun to experience in multiple runs.

I love the little trio of rooms (and bathrooms/closet space) on the left side of the house, the way it's a little mini hallway for two of them (and a bathroom), then deeper in to the left of the living room is the master bedroom, I dig that.

I dig the garage too, the way it's connected to a laundry room feels really nice, but let's be honest every ghost ever in Tangle is in the kitchen.

Sure that's not literally true and I've had a ton in the first room on the left or the bathroom on the left, but that kitchen is where every run on Tangle ends up- with everyone hanging out asking for the ghost to show themselves.

Also the basement is lame, nothing ever happens there and there's no real hiding from what I can tell, just run upstairs to one of the closets.

All said, you take the good design with the bad of being so small every run feels about the same and you end up with Tangle.

I really like Tangle as a beginner map and to revisit for the layout, but I won't lie, kitchen ghosts here are lame and common.

Still not bad enough to outweigh the good, Tangle is a winner.

Tutorial out of 9

Grafton Farmhouse

Once upon a time Grafton was my favorite farmhouse but, well, it's here and the other hasn't been mentioned yet.

Grafton is one of those maps with few "locker" style hiding spots, but unlike a lot of the other maps that emphasize hiding behind things I just never feel comfortable hiding on Grafton- and not in a tense way, in a "The AI is gonna ignore this and walk around and peer out the window for no reason which will prompt it to see me anyway, won't it?" kind of way.

There are some lockers in the storage upstairs now which is nice because the ghost spawns there like 80% of the time.

First floor : Left is dining/kitchen/and a back room. Between those the kitchen is pretty popular for the ghost but also is a spot where orb ghosts can be assholes who hide their orbs for no reason.

Right side is a living room, two bedrooms, and a laundry room, these are some pretty nice spots for the ghost to be because there ARE hiding spots, but their accessibility kinda depends on where in any of these rooms the ghost decides to spawn, making the hunts pretty fun.

Genuinely this right side of the first floor is a win, I dig this area and when the ghost hangs out here.

Upstairs has a shitty terrible awful room where you die (far left), a bathroom where nothing ever happens, and a room with an attached back room/storage that the ghost LOVES to be in to an obscene degree.

Grafton is fine all around, a good hunt location, but really it's where the hiding spots are and where the ghost likes to be that make it just less fun for me.

It's almost always "Upstairs back room / Kitchen / Left Bedroom on first floor" and the repetition of my luck makes it less fun. (though, again, that bedroom is fine because that cluster of rooms is a fun one).

At least there's voodoo dolls out of 9

Ridgeview Road House

Ridge is cool!

It's easy as hell but it's just nicely divvied up, it's one of those maps that benefits from having a very nice layout that leads to games feeling very different depending on the ghost room.

I like the basement, but nothing ever happens there I swear.

The first floor as a whole has some nice spots, anything on the left can be hidden away in the garage lockers (which are at the far end which makes it a little tense which is nice!)

Anything on the right is a little less safe feeling because that back room is terrible, honestly safer to run upstairs to a closet.

And finally anything upstairs is standard house affair- a ton of hiding closets and a good amount of rooms but not 9 billion rooms like Edge.

Ridge is nice. It's small, easy, and well spaced.

Strong layout out of 9

Willow Street House

Willow really is small as sin, but I dig the look a lot.

I also like how hiding is a 'behind furniture' affair unlike a lot of the other houses with their plentiful closets.

My favorite area is the basement, which sadly makes for a less than stellar photo, but I love the multiple rooms in the basement and the lighting in those rooms.

Upstairs has a very different feel from the other houses which does a lot for making it feel fresh as well, definitely the most immediate thing most will notice when playing it since Tange/Ridge/Edge all feel the same due to the aesthetic they carry.

All in all it's my favorite house right now, but I'm curious on its lasting power for that.

It definitely helps that the map is built around hiding spots instead of hiding closets because it's a lot more fun crouching behind a dryer or cutting corners to get behind a dresser than it is to just hold a door shut and know you're effectively immortal as long as you don't talk.

Between the aesthetic and the unique layout it's come this high on my list WHILE being a bit buggy from being brand new, so that says something at least.

A joy to hunt on out of 9

Bleasdale Farmhouse

One of the two farmhouses and for a while my lesser fave, but it's grown on me the more I've played it.

Bleas doesn't emphasize lockers as much as hiding behind changing 'curtain' deals and after giving it a shot, it grew on me a lot- probably my favorite form of hiding spot because you can often still see the ghost as they come right up to you and walk away.

The highlights of Bleas will always be the immensely safe back room where the breaker can spawn- there are lockers here and it makes a fairly safe cut away for most events on the first floor because most events on the first floor are in the kitchen/dining area anyway with the rest of the first floor mostly being dormant in my runs.

The terrible terrible terrible attic which I hate and love at the same time.

it has hiding spots but whenever I have to use them it's highly unlikely I make it to them in time.

It's just a terrible place to be.

And the second floor is a pretty great one tbh! Mostly because there's a nice central hiding spot and the entire area is divided up pretty nicely for ghost stuff- unless you get hallway, fuck when it's hallway. It's the WHOLE hallway as far as I can tell and that's just stupid!

Bleas is a winner for sure, definitely beats the likes of Edge with ease, there's never a dull time hiding behind the privacy curtains- oh and this map has voodoo dolls! I firmly believe all the maps need more collectibles so this one having some is a boon for sure

"We got fingerprints on all the windows in the kitchen!!!" out of 9

Prison

TIME FOR THE BEST BOY!

PRISON!!!!

How to explain it.

When I started Phasmo my least favorite maps were the bigger ones, I hated feeling lost and like the ghost took too long to find all while the houses were fast and easy to understand.

But then I tried Prison and everything changed.

Talk about a beautifully laid out big map!

The sounds, the various hotspots, the fact that it's somehow big as hell without ever feeling too big and empty- I love prison.

Gushing aside, Prison is basically split up into 3 segments.

Main building, A block, B block.

And the unfortunate truth of prison is that the Main building is where most action seems to happen... doubled down with the truth that if the ghost IS in either block then they are significantly more dangerous to occasionally unfair degrees.

Yet despite that it consistently ends up being the most fun map for me to play through!

It all comes down to layout. The main building has a lot of little 'segments' which encourage you to run during a hunt differently, and the blocks are intimidating in their own way because going upstairs in them feels like signing your will.

I'd love to say more, but it's just the most fun one, so that's that.

Best map out of 9... I heard a cell door open, let's get towards A block.

I know it's just a random post of mine and all but hey, what's your take on the maps?

I'd like to hear what some arguments for other faves might be- especially if someone is a die hard HS fan, lol.