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eddiezpaghetti · 10 months ago

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Your perspective on Byler is super interesting, thank you for these posts! I agree that Byler isn't queerbaiting, but what if it's still an accident in the sense that they intended to tell a story of unrequited love from Will's pov (like Steve/Nancy, or Dustin/Max in season 2), and this is what those shots of Will between Mike and El are for, and didn't realize that Mike could be seen by a part of the audience as queer and possibly loving Will back?

Okay, for the most part, I'd just be reiterating the post I already made. So let's narrow this down to something more specific. Why is it not like Steve and Nancy or Max and Dustin?

Let's look at Max and Dustin first. I'll make a post about Steve and Nancy later because this wound up being longer than I meant for it to be.

What first comes to mind with Max and Dustin is the moment it really ended. When Dustin saw Lucas and Max together in the junkyard. If Dustin and Max were similar to Mike and Will, parallel to them, then the moment Dustin saw Lucas and Max together in the junkyard would be the same beat in their stories to the moment Mike and El reunited in the desert.

However, take a look at how they're shot.

This, versus

This.

And, just as important...

This scene.

AND this scene.

As I said in my first post, the reunion scene is shot that way--with Will making direct fucking contact with the camera--because he's supposed to be the one you're paying attention to in that scene. Not El and Mike.

Likewise, you're supposed to be paying attention to Dustin's feelings in the shot where he's watching Lucas and Max, but you'll notice some key differences.

One, Lucas and Max arriving together is shot as significant, as the focus, before it shifts to Dustin's reaction, instead of Dustin's reaction being shoved INTO their arrival. There's an over-the-shoulder shot to show that he (and Steve) have noticed Lucas and Max arriving, but the focus is still on Lucas and Max, reiterating what the audience already knew, that they're blatantly going to be The Couple, as was made pretty clear by their previous scenes, which brings me to the next point.

Their previous scenes. Their previous scenes. Lucas and Max had previous scenes leading up to that moment in the junkyard. THOSE--Lucas filling Max in, showing up at her house, convincing her to sneak out so that he can prove that everything he's been telling her is true and winning her trust, and Max giving him at least that much benefit of the doubt--were the real equivalent to El and Mike reuniting in the desert (isolated from Will). You want the audience to care about a couple? This is what you do. You give them private moments. And I was truly remiss in my first post not to point out that...Jonathan and Argyle were also there. So was fucking Brenner. Why didn't we see them? Why was the scene shot in such a way that you briefly forgot their existence but Will Byers was staring into your soul? You know why.

Getting back on topic, the final piece of the puzzle here is the scene that followed Dustin accepting that Max liked Lucas and not him. Once more, Lucas and Max have a private, tender scene. Emphasis on private. Once more, we get them alone. They talk, get everything they have to say out in the open, and only once the conversation comes to a lull does the story move on.

You know what the equivalent scene would be for Mike and El? Well, you've got one of two options, and neither is great for them.

First, you have Mike in that scene where he makes the glasses and he starts to say something to El but immediately gets interrupted by Argyle throwing pizza on the table, ker-splat.

And second, you have the infamous "I love you" scene. Which they are emphatically not alone in. Famously, Will starts that conversation in the first place, and his face is hovering over Mike's shoulder the whole damn time. (Again, this could have been shot in ways that made us forget he existed for a little while, and the show decided not to do that.) But, I really must impress the importance of this...

EL. AND MIKE. WERE NOT. EVEN. IN. THE SAME SCENE. AT ALL.

They weren't even in the same place! Not consciously, at least! Sometimes the camera would show El on the counter and it'd be, like, the tip of her nose and a little bit of her brow, but that does not count. That's like showing the phone in a phone call. Her body is basically an inanimate object that only allows verbal communication at this point. Then who was phone? EL WAS PHONE.

Okay, outdated memes aside, my point is that this is not how romantic scenes work. There are things missing, things wrong, and things very present in places where they should be absent. And the creators clearly know this because those are the rules they've laid out before and the path they've followed since. Mike and El never had any private, intimate, romantic scenes in season 4, despite having them earlier in the show. This is carving out the trajectory of their relationship moving forward. It is a vector, it has direction and force, and it is going straight toward the bitter end.

So I guess this is mostly about why El and Mike aren't happening than why Will and Mike are. Which is only part of the equation, true enough. To play devil's advocate here, maybe it's possible that the result is that El goes on to be happily single because there's so much more to life than stupid boys, Mike lets go, and Will pines for the rest of his days. Sure, whatever. Possibility, I guess.

One thing, though.

You wanna know who did have private, intimate scenes before and after the desert reunion?

Ya bois Michael Wheeler and William Byers, that's who.

Edit: I meant to say one more thing that I'm just realizing I forgot to mention. Dustin's face while he was watching Max and Lucas was clearly visible while Will's is not. We can see HIM, but not his FACE. This is like placing a wrapped box in the middle of the kitchen table and saying "Do Not Open Until Xmas". We're gonna unwrap that later.

#byler #meta #anon #As I said I'll do Nancy and Steve later.#Not getting to them isn't an 'I'll have to think about it'.#I've had my argument for them in my head from the second I saw this ask over breakfast.#This is more of an 'I need to practice guitar and get some sleep at some point and I don't think I can do that AND go into Part 2 tonight'#Does anyone else have any questions though?

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laugtherhyena · 3 months ago

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Okay so maybe the wrinkly split head devil isn't the Aging devil itself, since it being called aging definitelly feels like a mistranslation and and public safety wanting to erase old age by sacrificing the younger generation fits the point the chapter is trying to get across much nicer than if the devil was aging itself (+ if you think about it for 2 seconds erasing aging as a whole is a terrible fucking idea since no one will be able to grow anything anymore and people will be stuck as babies and kids forever whereas erasing old age should just make people not age past adulthood and probably cause people who are already elderly to just dissapear on the spot)

But that doesn't mean i'm keeping Cherryboy the exact same because if old age specifically is enough to achieve primal fear level then aging as a whole has gotta be one too. So hooray! someone's getting a slight revamp in the future :)

#i'm not changing his storyline in part one nor his design but his overall backstory will change slightly #but in his main design he is now the Aging fiend instead of straight up devil. i'll definitelly cook up a full devil design for him later #and you know him being a primal fear is fun because i had this idea that even after dying Cherry retains a sliver of his memories #from past iterations. if he is that strong of a devil then he can probably do that #and i can use this as an excuse to why i never made designs for him in hell :) i've got some fun ideas brewing #basic idea so far is that Cherry has a fascination with watching life (basically aging and its effects on living beings) even tho he has #hardly any attachment to life itself. dying is just a part of it same as growing old and such he doesn't feel anything when it happens #to other people and also himself #but being an enormously powerful devil in hell he can only watch this dance of life and death from afar as an outside observer #so after god knows how long he grows tired of sitting there in hell and kills himself to be reborn on earth #and immediatelly goes out of his way to become a fiend. severely weakening his strenght but bringing him closer to the lesser beings #by doing so. and now he can observe life from upclose and interact with the other creatures roaming around. which is something he finds #immense enjoyment in #think like a god that roleplays as a human every once in a while just because they're bored. and when they die they go back to godhood #so thats why all of Cherry's versions on earth are these dudes w animal skulls. little fiends #he can be strong and all-powerful when this life is over. and in hell he will look back at it quite fondly #csm #csm oc #chainsaw man #csm spoilers #csm part 2 #Cherry #hyena ramblings

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vulpinesaint · 1 year ago

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mutuals will know that i have been losing my mind over this for weeks. i am proud to finally present my aromantic crowley fic :)

#i'll do an actual like. Post about it later. put a little excerpt in there nd stuff.#for now! i would like to introduce you to the aromantic character of all time!#SO fucking excited about this actually. i had so much fun working on this #i know i stopped talking about it for like two weeks cause i was too busy to do anything but do homework and then sleep #BUT. i would like to bring back my infectious enthusiasm NOW because i POSTED IT.#kissing you tenderly on the lips if you read it it's like a part of my soul #valentine notes #fanfic #aro crowley fic #good omens #good omens season 2 #crowley #anthony j crowley

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notonlymice · 5 months ago

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the best girls (my opinion) (movies only)

#emilie de ravin #my things #not only mice but also gifs #reason: i've watched everything relatively short (as slowly as i could🥲) (and wanted to play with fonts x))#(“air force one is down” is technically a miniseries but it's 2 parts under 3 hours so i consider it a movie because i do what i want)#(also the fact that “love and other troubles” must exist somewhere in a decent quality and i can't find it annoys me very much🥲)#i'll probably never fully rewatch most of these (for various reasons) except for “remember me” and maybe “santa's slay” x))#i feel like i have to watch “lost” now but i don't want to be emotionally invested in anything Long #+i didn't avoid watching it when it aired only to start it 15 years later🥲#why everyone back in the day seemed to latch on one particular movie character almost entirely ignoring the rest is still a mystery to me🙃#(though i still know nothing and the party is still over)#follow me for more mediocre gifs and salty opinions on things no one has been interested in for several years now lol #anyem #my anyem/anyelle things

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hourlyeternaldiva · 6 months ago

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I wanna take a bet how many frames (and therefore how many days) it'll take to get off of looking at just the wall LMAO like that first shot is a solid couple seconds

I did some very sketch calculations but if you still wanna bet then don't click read more;

So my movie file says it is 23.81 FPS and the movie's runtime (excluding credits and stuff) is around 130 minutes, that means;

23.81 x 60 = 1,428.6 frames per minute

And 1,428.6 x 130 is 185,718

There are 24 hours in a day and therefore 24 frames are posted per day

Which means (185,718 / 24) it'll take us AT MOST 7,738.25 days

Which is... About 21 years... Hrm

...

Yeah I think I'll start getting a bit more harsh about what frames I'll skip :sob: would people be happier if I just did a frame or two of each scene? (Kinda like keyframes if that makes sense) I wouldn't mind at all doing either option

#pause menu #im gonna be real i dont think i can keep the bit up for that long #Maybe if we get bored ill do 2 frames an hour to cut the cost (JOKE)#but the last part is a genuine question. Would yall prefer that instead? Maybe I'll poll it later

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fragmentedblade · 5 months ago

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I think I've become an official HI3 player. I check the HSR leaks hoping for iterations of HI3 characters now

#I have little hope about some of them. For instance the Su and Kevin voice actors are taken by Aventurine and the Trailblazer iirc?#Kalpas' voice actor does the male Dreamseeker in Part 2 of HI3 which is not as terminal considering HSR is a different game but still #Luocha thankfully exists. I don't think they'll be introducing Kiana anytime soon #I would love Sakura but I'm way more into PE Sakura than CE Sakura and then there's what they did with Miko #Some of my favourite things of PE Sakura they gave to Jingliu or Acheron already (freeze time‚ haunted and corrupted by loss‚#unable to unsheathe a sword and memories coming back to her when she does‚#piercing someone's heart with her sword but the other person living on with a new life‚...)#Thus an iteration of all that but with the cool things missing could get messy and unsatisfactory pretty easily #Mobius and MEI are similar to Mei and Herta so they're in a similar situation to PE Sakura #I find Griseo somewhat unsettling in a good way and in a way same with Eden. I love all the loss weighing on her as if she had already dead #with the concept of her being The Era itself and the era dying. So I wouldn't mind seeing them too #Hua seems like she may appear in the Xianzhou? Given the Marshall existence and that the Xianzhou drinks a lot of those concepts #Blade‚ Dan Heng and Jingliu drink so much of Fu Hua. I don't care about Hua though. The Herrscher I did like though #I'm curious about what they'll do #Other than the Chinese voice actor having already a steady job in Mihoyo‚ there's echoes of Kalpas in Blade‚ Arlan and Sam #so I really don't have much hope there. Not as little as with Kevin and Su perhaps but... yeah not really a lot of hope #Yet here I am. Hopelessly hoping for a Kalpas iteration. Imagine how beautiful the fire would be *sigh*#I was so mad about him being my favourite in HI3 but it just makes sense #Besides the Guzm.a process he went me go through‚ he truly has a lot of themes going on that recall Blade. I don't know...#I like his CN voice actor a lot‚ and how he plays Kalpas in particular‚ both when he's calm and when he's deranged #The Dreamseeker doesn't have the same voice at all unfortunately. I would really love to see him in HSR what can I say #That's the kind of person I've become. In a little bit of time I'll be wanting a Kalpas plushie at this rate #I talk too much #I should probably delete this later

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daddyplasmius · 1 year ago

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hand on my stupid heart flashbacks

this is a No One Knows AU & Full Hazmat AU where Danny ended up in the Ghost Zone & didn't go back into the human world initially because he thought he was dead. by the time he realized he is, in fact, at least half alive, he'd already been missing for at least 2 weeks. will probs never finish homsh sorry. i wrote this a couple years ago in a haze & just haven't been able to finish it because i can't replicate the style, which i find is what i love about this fic the most. it wouldn't be the same without it. posting the flashback introsーwhich are meant to be read between chapters/the actual plot, starting after chapter 1ーcuz fuck it. excuse typos & shit, i never properly edited it, as i forgot it existed immediately after i wrote it original description of homsh: Danny Fenton has officially been missing for over a year. Maddie & Jack Fenton refuse to give up on their son. Sick and tired of the police running them in circles, and the case getting colder by the day, the Fentons turn to their last resortーPhantom. 800~ words (full unfinished fic is 20k~)

When Danny woke up surrounded by thick, green fog, and couldn’t breathe without swallowing heavy air that was more like water than anything, he was sure he was dead. The portal glowed behind him, illuminating the pitch darkness around him in soft, yellow, warm light.

He almost went back.

Almost.

He was dead. His parents were ghost hunters. They had drilled into his head from the moment he was born that he could never, ever panic in death. That he would accept it. That he would not be scared. So he would be prepared to be brave in the face of death and would not become a ghost.

He panicked. He did not accept it. He was terrified. And so he woke up in the Ghost Zone.

Danny went back through the portal when he saw some ectopuses acting… strange. Like they had an idea in their heads. Like they had a plan.

Which was weird, with animal ghosts. He had only been in the Ghost Zoneーmom and dad called it that, he rememberedーfor a couple weeks. Or, he had already been there for two weeks. Or maybe time worked differently and he was there five minutes, or four years orー

The ectopuses went through the portal and, despite everything, Danny went after them.

While he was busy reeling at being home, the ectopuses immediately attacked dad. Danny was horrified. Jack was overwhelmed. Danny stepped in, in a moment fueled by sheer adrenaline and stupidity, snatching a Fenton Thermos™ off a shelf and releasing his shaky invisibility. The ectopuses didn’t stand a chance. And when they were safely in the Thermos, he slowly turned around to dad, ready for the confrontation. Ready for the “what happened to you?” and the “where have you been?” and the “we’ve missed you”.

Dad scrambled to shoot at him.

Danny fled.

His parents didn’t recognize him.

The Lunch Lady attacked when Danny was mourning Halloween.

He’d waited all year. He made a costume that summer. He wouldn’t get to go trick or treating with Sam and Tucker this year. Or any year. For the rest of his lifeーor existence. Whatever.

The Lunch Lady appeared in the school and demanded in straight fury, “Who changed the menu?”

Everyone pointed at Sam.

Danny hadn’t known just how powerful ghosts could be. His parents never told him the specifics. Just that they were dangerous.

This ghost grew and her aura hit him like a hurricane, almost physically pushing him back. It was so strong that the students in the Casper High cafeteria seemed to feel it too.

The Lunch Lady was a much harder opponent than the ectopuses. She levitated meat. She used it as a weapon, and seemed to bring it back to life. She created weird meat creatures that grew sharp teeth and claws out of bones. They were mindless, attacking everything that got too close to the ghost. Danny would have run away without hesitation, if Sam hadn’t been in the crossfire.

Danny fought the Lunch Lady. It was a long struggle, but he caught her in the thermos after over an hour. When he turned to Sam and Tuckerーboth of whom he had to save due to Tucker trying to jump into the fightーall three of them bloody and bruised, he cringed. But a part of him hoped. Desperately.

Surely they would know him on sight.

“Wh-what are you?” Sam gasped at him finally.

Danny flinched as if she had struck him. “J-just… your friendly neighbourhood phantom.”

Danny didn’t know what possessed him. Oh. Pun not intended.

He just barely caught the Fentons leaving in the GAV, dragging suitcases behind them. He couldn’t help himself. What on Earth were they doing?

They were going to Vlad Master’s mansion for their college reunion.

It was a whole thing. But something was off. Besides all the adults reminiscing about the 80’s.

Danny sensed ghosts immediately but he couldn’t see anything. Unfortunately for him, Vlad could also sense him. It was two days of Danny staying invisible, and Vladーthe halfa? Is that what Danny is?ーtrying to kill Jack. Somehow, Danny managed to fight off Vlad, not turn back, and without the Fentons getting hurt. His secret intact.

VladーPlasmius, also learned about Phantom. And Vlad hated him. The manーghostーwhatever, seemed to only care about one thingーpossession. Of money. Of things. Of people. He was more ghost than Danny had ever seen. Vlad’s obsession was overwhelming.

Danny couldn’t believe someone so much like himself could be so disturbing.

#danny phantom #danny phantom au #danny phantom fanfiction #you know that gif of the wailing emoji dissolving? :Why:?#yeah that's what i do every time i remember i never finished HOMSH while i still had the style in my brain #feel free to steal this idea. please steal this idea. please write it i wanna see this idea so bad but im already writing another 100k+ fic #if y'all want me to post the full fic i can but. it is not finished & most likely never will be. sorry again #i won't lie. the haze i was in was a depressed one. i was. not in a good place At All when i wrote HOMSH #like the only part i remember actually writing was the panic attack scene & that's just barely #i reread the whole fic in the middle of the night months later while listening to Implode Alright by Built by Snow on repeat #yeah i cried. this one is funny but mostly it's just. mourning. grief. the works. it's a vent fic & also a. kind of. wishful fic #like. don't you just wish death wasn't so permanent. don't you wish you could tell them everything you wish you could #don't you wish you could just see them again #i'm actually writing this into a bigger ventier series currently called Let Grief Do Its Work #cuz i rewatched LUCIDS again recently & remembered what HOMSH was originally about. why i was writing it #i'm not calling it HOMSH cuz. HOMSHie is my baby. it's its own thing & i don't wanna ruin the vibes #reluctantly admitting i call an unfinished fanfic i don't remember writing... HOMSHie baby... in my head #yeah i have a cute nickname for my fic. what of it #it's 5am & i think i'll throw up if i think any more about posting unfinished unedited pieces of a fic so i'm going for it. cowabunga #go into the world. get your 2 notes you beautiful animal #*passes out*

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unreadpoppy · 7 months ago

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Gwen and Halsin modern AU based on this prompt by @inaconstantstateofchange

It's kinda like urban fantasy/magical realism, so basically magic but in our time. They both live in the same old ass bulding - Gwen, because it was the cheepest she could afford after moving out of her mom's house and Halsin because it's farther away from the center of the city. They have never met and are not aware of the other's existance, as they've never crossed the other.

Halsin works during the day, so he's always in his apartment at night. He's not one to really go out, so he stays home. When it gets late, he goes to his bed and, as an elf, enter that trance state. Everything's fine until he's awoken by the sound of his cellphone ringing, at aorund 3 am.

Weird. He doesn't get calls at this hour. With a sigh, he takes his phone from the nightstand and sees it that it's from the intercom.

Even weirder. Nobody ever uses the intercom, as it is such a pain in the ass to put your phone number in it. He decided to answer it and the person on the other side said "Hey, I ran out and forgot my keys. Please, let me in, I live in the -" Because of the intercom's poor quality, Halsin can barely understand what the persons, can't make out if they are male or female, and interference cuts the person saying their apartment number. It's quite cold outside, and it would be a cruelty to leave someone outside, so Halsin clicks on the button that opens the main entrance doors. He turns off his phone and goes back to his trance, thinking nothing of it.

Except that it happens again. And again. And again. Almost twice a week, the same person would call him through the intercom and ask to be let in. Halsin began wondering what the hell was going on. Why did they never have a key with them? Why did they always call him? He began wondering if they even lived in that building. Regardless, the elf can't bring himself to not allow them in every time.

One day, when he comes back from work, there's a little note outside his door. Next to it, was something smelling good, wrapped in aluminium foil.

'Hi! I'm the person always calling on the intercom. Times have been tough for me, so as a thank you for always opening the door, here's an apple pie I bake.

Best regards - Gwendolyn Gray, apartment 903'

Picking up the gift, he got inside his apartment, a smile forming on his face. As he ate the pie, he wondered: maybe I could pay this Gwendolyn a visit.

#later i'll do the part 2 #gwen x halsin #halsin bg3 #bg3 #oc: gwendolyn gray #modern AU #my writing #writing prompt

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oatmealdaydreams · 1 year ago

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Ferns & Flowers

Guess who finally rewrote and revived a lost fic? Very excited to post this because it got yeeted into the Aether by Tumblr, but I revived it. Hurt/Comfort because I am weak. Enjoy!

This is also made for this year's @intrualityweek (2023)! Day 5, Gifts. The alternate used to combine with it is Flowers. I only wrote for one of the days because I have too many other projects to finish and get out.

Part 2 coming soon.

(a lil present for @rataticaisdreaming)

Pairing: platonic Intruality, gen

Trigger/Content Warning: intrusive thoughts, gory commentary, sexual humour, past domestic violence (mentioned), gun

Description: A florist and a botanist work in similar fields of study, yet they've never became acquainted. Who knew one little trade-off would begin such a strange friendship?

[Masterlist] | ao3 link | Next

[Read under the cut]

Remus never once thought he'd be so interested in plants, not until he learned about the poisonous ones and took up a career in Botany.

As a botanist, and as Remus, he'd named his own little shop after one of his favourite hyperfixations. Dahmer's Plant Hoard definitely attracts a variety of people, but who would Remus be to judge? Some come for the poisonous plants to study. Some come for the non-lethal ones to add to a gift for someone. There are even the times when Botany students will come in and ask to study a plant for a paper.

Supply usually outweighs demand in his field, but there's always outliers. A few of the more popular plants need to be restocked every now and then. Luckily, his shop is across the street from a florist, who seems to have every flower imaginable. He hadn't met them yet, though they work in similar fields. It's about time, anyway. Remus needs more moonflowers for an order due in a few weeks, and the florist would be the perfect person to buy them from.

This florist owns their own shop, and they tend to have lower prices than most places do. That, and customers always talk about how kind and generous they are. At least, from what Remus has heard.

Remus closes up his shop. It's been a slow and boring day, and perhaps meeting this florist will give him some excitement. He goes through a last-minute mental list. All his plants are watered, his cash register is secured, and the spare gloves are put away in their respective space. Everything is locked up as he leaves his plant business, wondering how the florist will be. Maybe they'll be as eccentric as he is! Or they could be a murderer in disguise. That'd be funny. As long as they aren't boring.

Crossing the street, he swears he can almost hear a dolphin whistling in the distance. He dismisses it as the wind.

But there's hardly a breeze blowing by.

~~~

The flower shop is called Pawprint Florals, written in a pretty blue font on the sign.

Remus can see the pastel colours from outside through the display windows. Blue, green, and some other colours decorate the walls. There's puppies and baskets of all kinds of flowers painted neatly, giving the inside quite a kiddish look. It's bright and vibrant, almost to an annoying point. Still tolerable, though. I mean, Remus isn't one to shy away from obnoxious colours and things. He literally dyed his hair radioactive green during his entire high school career; he couldn't care less about 'annoying'.

Walking in, a small bell chimes. A donation box sits on the counter, where the florist messes with a bouquet of ferns and forget-me-nots. The donation box is decorated with pawprints and tiny penciled hearts. It says something about a local animal shelter needing funds for maintenance and food upkeep. It smells like an assortment of flowers, Remus notes as he spots a glass door behind the counter. It reads 'employees only'. Probably leads to the greenhouse. Where else would you get all those flowers and flora? Shipments take forever, ya know. Better to grow and store what you've got.

As soon as Remus comes up to the counter, the florist abandons the bouquet and sets it down somewhere safe behind the counter. They flash a cheerful smile, pushing up their round-framed glasses on their nose.

"Hi, and welcome to Pawprint Florals! How may I help you today, kiddo?" they say just as cheerfully as their smile.

Remus blinks for a second at how utterly joyful this person is. Of course, before he leans against the counter in his chaotic glory and flashes a toothy smirk.

"Did ya know if you made moonflowers into tea, it would kill anyone who drank it?" is Remus' response.

The florist pauses, a little hesitant with that kind of information, but keeps their smile on their face.

"Are... are you looking for moonflowers?" they ask.

Remus hums, nodding his head.

"Oh! Well, I may have a few in the back," the florist pulls out a pen and a notepad. "Who are they for? I can make you a note for them."

They look down briefly to scribble something- probably about the moonflowers- before looking back up and changing their smile to a softer kind one. It's less than their previous smile, but it captivates Remus nonetheless. This florist is very pretty. And cute, considering their outfit.

They wear light blue overalls with a white-greyish undershirt. There's a floral-themed sticker nametag right above where their heart is, the name Patton written in a fun font. The florist- Patton, Remus' brain corrects him- has freckles all over their face and what he can see of their arms. Sandy-blonde curls. Dirt smudged on one cheek. Their nametag has the italicized pronouns they/them right under their name.

They are so adorable.

Remus must've been staring at this human version of a golden retriever because Patton makes a concerned head tilt at him.

"Are you okay, kiddo?"

They frown slightly, and Remus wishes the smile would come back.

"Absolutely! As okay as maggots eating a cadaver."

Remus' grin convinces Patton of the truth, though they cringe at the mental image of a bug-infested corpse.

"Uh, alright then... for your order, who do you want it dedicated to?"

"No one! I need it for my shop 'cross the street."

"Oh, you're the botanist! I've been meaning to run into you. This is perfect, actually."

Remus watches as Patton waves him to come behind the counter, following them over to the greenhouse's door. They unlock it, shoving the key into a hidden pocket on the inside of their overalls. The duo heads into the greenhouse.

There are shelves upon shelves of potted flora, ranging from common roses to even a few rare Chocolate Cosmoses. Fairylights hang across the ceiling, glowing with blue and green and white. They illuminate the entire greenhouse in pretty mood lighting. There's a hose near the back surrounded by a couple of watering cans. A brown door, labelled 'storage', sits at the end of the elongated space of nothing but flowers and occasional succulents.

"I don't have a lot of moonflowers right now, sorry about that. I do have a shipment from a friend coming in soon, though. Uh, but that could take about a week or two," Patton explains as they lead Remus towards the back.

Remus is only half-listening, however, gawking at the flowers and how many of them are poisonous.

They could kill me swiftly and horribly, omg.

This florist is starting to grow on him, quite a lot.

"Aside from that, I was hoping you could help me? There's a flower here... not that one. Um, somewhere in here that I'm a little stumped on."

Remus perks up at the sound of a challenge.

"What kinda flower are we talking? Poisonous? Toxic? So lethal ya can't even touch it?"

Patton just nods.

They end up in front of a singular potted flower, a couple pairs of gloves sit nearby the pot. Patton hands a pair to Remus before taking a pair themself, though Remus half considers tossing the gloves away. There've been plenty of times where he hadn't used gloves when he should've and still lived. A few times his friend had to call poison control and banned him from handling certain plants for a few months. But eh, he always survives.

But when he goes to just throw the gloves in a random direction, Patton gives him the most paternally safety-first look he's seen in a long while. He decides to just put on the gloves for now. He can f*ck with toxic plants later.

"Safety always, kiddo," they start, tugging on their gloves and gesturing to the flower. "This little guy keeps wilting and I don't know why."

Patton frowns. Remus takes a glance at it.

"That's because ya gotta keep 'em outta the Sun, duh," Remus playfully rolls his eyes at the florist.

"Oh."

Remus snorts at Patton, causing them to smile and chuckle at themself.

"Good to know, thanks."

"Eh. Now, moonflowers?"

"Oh, right. Like I said, not a lot- keep the gloves on, please."

Patton gives him another pointed look, and Remus scoffs but listens. They head a little further towards the back to the moonflowers. True to Patton's word, there isn't a lot. Just a few, looking lonely in their pot.

Damn, they weren't kidding.

Eat the flowers.

Maybe later.

"Like I said, I'm getting a shipment of them in about two weeks. Sorry it's not sooner," Patton says.

Remus hums. The moonflowers that are there, though few, are well taken care of. They reach for the sunlight flowing like a waterfall into the greenhouse. Their blossoms are full and vibrant. Patton is definitely a good florist, keeping these flowers healthy.

"Welp, I got an order I need some for... but I'd need more. You said f*ckin', uh, two weeks? Right?" Remus asks.

Patton gives him a frown at the cussing, but they nod anyway.

"My order's in three weeks, so maybe... a trade?"

Patton considers it for a moment, admittedly not expecting to be offered a trade.

"I don't think I have anything I'd need, though. I don't mind just giving you some of the flowers."

Remus raises an eyebrow but says nothing. They're pretty and kind and selfless? Not wanting or needing anything in return? He highly doubts that. No one is completely selfless. True Altruism is absolute bullsh*t.

"Oh, cum on. Nothing? Nothing at all? Not any more help with some toxic plants?"

Patton hesitates.

"Well... it feels weird to ask for something in return."

"Butt?"

Remus snickers to himself at his own joke. The florist doesn't even catch it, fidgeting with their gloves for a second. They sigh, stilling their hands.

"I do need some help with a few other no-no flowers..."

"Then it's a deal! Give me some of your moonflowers in a couple weeks, and I'll help ya with your lethal poisons," Remus offers his hand to shake as he speaks delightfully.

"Okay..."

Patton extends their hand and shake Remus'. They offer a smile, and Remus returns it with a cheeky smirk.

"Neat! Now, how do ya think moonflowers taste?"

"...what?"

~~~

It's been about a week since their initial deal was made, and some sort of chaos-filled routine comes to be.

Remus visits Patton and their greenhouse every evening, making obscene and mildly sexual jokes that the florist doesn't always catch. He tells them unsettling facts or just asks these off-hand questions that are completely unrelated to the duo's current discussion. It throws Patton off, which Remus finds all the funnier. As the week progresses, they slowly become mildly used to it.

They talk about many things during their visits. As Remus helps Patton with their poisons, the florist will start a random topic and they two go from there. It always goes in nonsensical directions. One minute they talk about some weird movie they've both seen, and suddenly it turns into epic tales of their youths or how they're coping with the Horrors™ (aka: life situations). They grow closer rather quickly, both liking this little agreement they've made.

Now it's a week since the deal, and Remus visits again in the evening. He welcomes himself in the closed shop, having a spare key Patton had lent him for the time being. He goes behind the counter, into the greenhouse. The fairylights are on as they always are. Only one problem.

Patton isn't there.

They're always there before he is, considering they own the shop. So them not being there, or even being first, is... well, a first.

Few things unsettle Remus. This is one of them.

Where could they be?

Dead in a fire? Buried under the ground? Imagine if they were crying out for help, no one there to hear them scream.

Remus winces at his thoughts, but he doesn't entertain them. The florist is probably just late, for whatever f*cking reason, and they'll be there soon. Yeah, they're fine. Definitely fine.

A door opening and the bell chiming at someone's arrival startles the botanist out of his head. He tenses, freezing in his spot. Remus doesn't think he heard key, which means it can't be Patton. Who else could it be? An intruder?

A murderer, come to take you like they took Patton?

He grabs the closest object, a trowel, as he ignores his thoughts. Raising it to attack (if need be), Remus creeps out from the greenhouse and back into the storefront. He crouches behind the counter as he hears footsteps growing louder. His heart beats against his chest, his legs burning with anticipation of might-get-killed. As soon as the intruder is close enough to the counter, Remus pops up and aims the trowel at the mystery murderer. Said mystery murderer yelps in surprise, and Remus hears the pistol get cocked before he sees it. He immediately raises his arms up, not wanting to get shot. He processes who it actually is as they sigh in relief.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay, Remus?"

It's Patton. With a gun. Patton has a f*cking pistol.

Jesus, just when I thought I figured this motherf*cker out.

Patton stares at him with very guilty and concerned eyes, uncocking their decorated pistol and taking the magazine out. They flip the safety on, pocketing the gun and the magazine in separate places under their trench coat. Remus lowers his arms and sets the trowel on the counter, exhaling from all the adrenaline.

"...Remus?"

Remus looks at Patton, the pretty and lethal florist he hopes to never piss off, and cackles lightly at the situation.

"I'm great! Most fun I've had in while," he grins.

Patton's shoulders ease, and they exhale their own breath from the tense moment that just happened.

"Good, good..."

As Patton trails off, Remus takes a better look at them. Their trench coat is dotted with rain (their glasses the same), they have tired eyebags under beautiful eyes, and their face... their face holds tear streaks hidden amongst freckles. Actually, their eyes do look a little red and... oh. Oh, they've been crying. They're upset.

"Pat-Pat, what's up?"

"What?"

"Who do I need to maim? Ya look like rainclouds."

"Oh."

Patton sighs deeply, sounding older for a moment. They hesitate, shifting their feet. Looking away from the botanist, they join him behind the counter.

"I'll explain while we sort out some flowers," their voice sounds small and soft, and god.

It hurts to hear them like that. It hurts Remus' chest, and he wants to shove whoever hurt them into a woodchipper.

He follows his friend into the greenhouse, the pretty fairylights making them look sadder instead of cheering them up. Usually, such colourful lighting brings a smile to their face. Tonight is different.

Patton tugs on gloves absentmindedly, and so does Remus. He doesn't want to worry them right now. They both head towards the middle section of the long hallway of flora, stopping in front of a pot of many buds. Remus vaguely recognizes the type of flower, but he's mostly focused on the florist.

"Um... so, I'm not sure what these ones do. I'm also not sure why they're taking so long to- to bloom," they speak softly still.

Remus nods along, keeping an eye on his fellow plant enthusiast. They sigh again, putting their hands on the shelf by the pot and lean against it. They hang their head.

"I don't know how to talk about this."

They're not referring to the poisonous flora in front of them.

"Well, no one's forcing you if it's too much," Remus offers a chance to back out, to try distractions instead of conversation.

"I know, kiddo. Thank you," Patton offers a sad smile as they turn their head to look up at him. "I just... I like to think there's a good side to everyone."

Remus stays there by their side, a steady presence.

"Some people get mistreated and get angry at how they've been treated. It's not their fault that someone hurt them. And- and some people are wary because they're not sure who is genuine. Some people are good outright, some aren't. I don't want to judge what I don't know."

A fond gaze appears in Patton's eyes.

"Some people are unsettling or weird, but they remain just as good as everyone else."

Remus' heart feels warm.

Patton turns to stare at the toxic flower, their gaze hardening.

"Some people prove me wrong. Not everyone is good, not really. My friend always says there's always outliers to every data collection, and he's right more times than I can count."

Remus raises a worried eyebrow, starting to catch on.

"So, an outlier...?" he prompts.

Patton nods, glaring now at the damn plant in front of them.

"My mom raised me and my siblings on her own, even though she was married. I'm the oldest, so I always helped her with the littles. She's the strongest person I know, and I love her more than anything."

They grip the shelf.

"And he never stopped hurting her. It didn't- it didn't matter if we were there or not. He'd relish in the pain he caused her. Sometimes, it was like he wanted us to watch. A frickin' sick bastard."

Tears prick at Patton's eyes, angry. Remus stared in genuine shock at hearing the florist call someone a bastard. This b*tch sounds like a real piece of sh*t. He'd love to bury them alive on Patton's and their family's behalf.

"I haven't seen him in years. No contact, per court order. Mom doesn't know, but... he called me. He has my frickin' number."

Angry tears fall and hands shake. Patton trembles with emotion as they speak, a sharp edge has taken to their voice. Their breathing picks up slightly.

"He has no right to be in my life. He hurt my mom. I'm going to poison him and put him under the frickin'- frickin' ground. I just- he- god."

Patton stands up, no longer leaning on the shelf nor glaring at the poor plant. They hide their face in their hands as they cry quietly, taking in shaky breaths. Remus immediately gathers them in his arms, hugging them tight as cry out their distress. He's going to kill this motherf*cking jackass, but Patton needs him first.

"If you're gonna poison someone, then you'd have to hide the body. It's too much effort. Do ya know how much dead bodies weigh? They're f*cking heavy," Remus says.

Patton grips his hoodie with their gloved hands, trying to focus on breathing in. Remus smells like fresh soil and some odd concoction of flora. It's calming, and Patton takes another deep breath to take the smell greedily.

They eventually sag in Remus' arms as they calm down, and the botanist holds his florist close.

"D'aw, tired little florist. Do ya think if your flowers had legs, they'd pole-dance or something?"

Patton snorts at such an absurd image, causing Remus to smile. They both stare at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter. It makes the fairylights seem cheerful again, basking them in pretty blue and green and white light.

"I bet they'd have hairy human legs-"

Patton gasps, "That's worse."

They giggle at the thought of human legs attached to stems and flowers, imagining them in a cartoonish way.

After a little bit, they both settle. Patton easing themself out of Remus' arms, and he lets them. They glance at the flowers they were supposed to sort out.

"It's getting late, Pat-Pat."

"Yeah, but the flowers..."

"-will be here in the morning. Cum on, why not tell me about this mom of yours. She sounds badass."

Remus offers his hand, and Patton smiles as they take it.

They leave the greenhouse, completely forgetting that they're both still wearing the gloves. They forget about the trowel on the counter, the gun under Patton's trench coat. They leave Pawprint Florals, locking the door behind them. Patton makes a decision, since Remus hasn't seen their home before.

"Come to mine? It's out of the rain," they offer as the rain persists.

Remus lights up at the offer.

"F*ck yeah! Now maybe I can see where the f*ck you got a gun."

Patton chuckles at him as they get in their car, the florist in the driver's seat.

"By the way, Pattie? If ya ever need someone to off your bastard," Patton glances at Remus as he speaks. "Well, it goes unsaid."

Patton knows what he means. They give a fond look.

"Thanks, Rem."

"Anytime, Patio."

Patton starts the car as Remus buckles up for once, heading down the road as they laugh to Remus' random comments.

~~~

It's two weeks. Remus and Patton have grown a whole lot closer, especially after the thing with Patton's murderous intent. Amazing how fast you can get attached to new friends, huh?

It's their last visit, this time in mid-afternoon. Patton had apparently closed shop early, eager to finally give their friend the moonflowers. He'd been waiting a while for them.

Well, 'eager' isn't exactly right...

There's that underlying worry of him disappearing after the trade is made. They're no stranger to friends leaving as soon as they aren't useful anymore. Patton's excited, they are! But it's just... what if Remus leaves after this? What if, deep down, all he wanted were the flowers?

A bell chime announces his arrival, and Patton puts a smile on their face. Though they're worried, it's a genuine smile. It always makes them smile to see Remus.

"Hey, Pat-Attack! Ya got my poison?" Remus is cheerful as he walks in, lighting up as he spots the florist.

"Yep! I brought the bouquet out already."

Patton, with gloved hands, grabs a big bouquet of moonflowers and hands it to Remus. There are more than plenty of flora for what Remus needs. He looks up from the beautiful poison, catching a sad glint in his friend's eyes. They smile, but it seems to be the smallest bit sad.

Well, that won't do.

"Oi, what's with the sad? I can f*ck someone up," Remus asks.

"What- no! Remus, I'm fine."

Remus instantly raises a doubtful eyebrow at them.

"Try again, Patio."

Patton stammers for a second before closing their mouth. They huff.

"It's nothing. I just... will you come back?"

Remus looks at them, confused.

"To your shop? Probably. You work here."

"No, not- that's not what I meant."

"If I'll come back... after the trade?"

Patton nods sheepishly. Remus' face softens.

"Ya couldn't get rid of me if ya tried! And many have tried. They fail every time, heh."

That eases the florist and the sad glint goes away.

"Now, wanna see my shop? Someone's gonna have to help me with these babies," Remus gestures to the moonflowers with his eyes.

Patton smiles wider, bouncing on their feet.

"Yes! Omg, what kind of plants do you have?"

"Anything you could possibly imagine! C'mon."

The friends head out from the flower shop, crossing the street. The air is crisp, windless and pleasantly chilly. They both wear some form of warm layer to avoid getting cold.

As they enter Dahmer's Plant Hoard and into Remus' greenhouse, they chatter excitedly between each other. The gifts of flowers and becoming friends bring them to smile fondly as they do so.

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