#May be able to solve quite a few issues in one go which would be nice tbh

[coldpintglass]

Miserable day for fütball, excellent day for soup making.

A loose adaption of penny soup - carrot, pumpkin, potato, onion, garlic, bay leaves, smoked and unsmoked paprika and good bit of salt. Chilli oil for a kick.

It slaps, and finally I may wrangle eating into something resembling a bog standard humans

[bumblebeedrizzzle]

You Can’t Fool Me

In which Iruma gets injured for the first time in the demon realm.

This fic contains ✨tickling✨ so if that might bother you, then I suggest you keep scrolling!

A/N: I’m really happy with how this turned out!! I wanted to write some good old angst/comfort. I also felt like challenging myself to write what would happen if Azz was angry/frustrated with Iruma. I feel like it's a side of him we haven’t seen yet. Also, Iruma is generally a cheerful guy, but I feel like the inside of his brain must be a mess sometimes. He had a really hard life and still probably struggles with believing he deserves love (show him otherwise, everyone!). I feel like he would be quite reluctant to ask for/accept help since he’s so used to taking care of himself.

Also, LOL. This started because I wanted to write a princess carry scene. It wasn’t even meant to have any tickling. Then it became this. I’m not upset at all, just amused.

CW: Some cursing

Well, shit. Now he’d really done it. Iruma looked down at his ankle, already beginning to swell slightly, and sighed. It’d been a minute since he’d felt so human here. He stopped to think for a moment; he knew enough about the demon realm by now to know that weakness wasn’t something to go flaunting around. But then, he was used to taking care of himself from his time back on earth. There was no need to bother anyone; getting home by himself would be no issue. That left what to do after... Should he ask Opera or his Grandpa for help once he got back? It was only a sprained ankle, so he didn’t want to overthink things. After all, how many injuries had he patched up over the years back in the human world? He took another deep breath as he realized there was no point in making a deal out of such a minor injury. First he’d get home, then find some wraps, and take care of it. He’d be careful on his way to and from school and this would be over within a few days. Problem solved. Thank devils Clara and Azz hadn’t been here to witness his blunder... He had a feeling they might have overreacted some. Feeling satisfied that he’d worked through everything, he picked himself back up and began hobbling home.

• • •

Everything was fine. Everything was just fine. All he had to do was focus on the next step. Then another. That’s all there was to it. Or at least, that’s what Iruma was telling himself so he didn’t lose the will to walk and just sit down. For the past few days, he’d tried icing it, elevating it, and wrapping it. The whole nine yards. It had helped a little, but devils did the thing hurt. It hurt so bad. It didn’t seem to get any better either, only worse. It looked more swollen than before and he couldn’t put most of his weight on it. But he was stubborn and a little scared. He’d gotten through worse and now wasn’t the time to fold. Not to mention that the idea of missing school and not seeing his friends sounded so much worse.

He was currently walking to his next class with Azz. His attention was torn between staying focused on their conservation and focusing on his footing. It was just his luck that a rock would appear the moment he took to look up at Azz’s face. Before he knew it, he had stumbled and found himself falling forward.

Damn, was I always this clumsy?

He braced himself for pain, hoping it wouldn’t make his injury worse than it already was. This is fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.

“Iruma-sama!”

He didn’t hit the ground. He blinked, trying to process what had happened. He felt Azz’s arm was wrapped protectively around him, steadying him.

“T-thanks Azz-kun! Whoops, haha, silly me. Have to watch where I step...”

“Iruma-sama, are you alright? Are you tired? I could carry some things for you?”

Iruma took one look at Asmodeus’ worried face and gulped. I don’t want to make anyone worry about me. It’s fine. I’m fine.

“Nothing to worry about! Especially thanks to your reflexes,” he added.

“You may be able to fool others, but you cannot fool me, Iruma-sama.” Azz said seriously. “What is going on?” He still hadn’t let go.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about Azz-kun! Come on, let’s get going to class”, he said with what he hoped was a convincing smile.

He gently shrugged out of the demon’s grasp and took a tentative step forward. Then another and another. Asmodeus followed after a moment. As Iruma gained confidence, he began to walk faster, determined to prove to Azz that he was fine. Unfortunately, pure determination was not going to heal his ankle that fast. Within a minute, he managed to tweak his sprained ankle again.

“Guh!” he said, crumpling to the ground.

Iruma closed his eyes. This was so embarrassing... He didn’t want to see Azz’s reaction. While deep down he knew it would be fine, he was still scared. What if Azz laughed at him? Or called him weak?? His heart twisted painfully at the idea. Plus he’d just told the demon he was fine. I am fine. I’m...fine. He repeated the mantra to himself, as if that would make it come true. Iruma was so caught up in his ruminations, that he didn’t hear Azz approach. He only noticed when he felt a soft hand above his ankle; the injured one. He frantically tried to pull away, but Azz’s grip was as firm as it was gentle. He heard an audible gasp, which he knew there could only be one cause for. Shit. Even though he had it bandaged, Azz would still be able to see that it was purple and definitely swollen. Iruma reluctantly looked up into Azz’s worried eyes and immediately felt so, so guilty.

“Iruma-sama, why didn’t you tell me??”

He was having trouble looking into those eyes.

“I-it's not that big of a deal... just a sprained ankle...”

“What do you mean, not a big deal?? A paper-cut is not a big deal, Iruma-sama. A stubbed toe is not a big deal. Hells, a scratch wouldn’t be that big of a deal. A sprained ankle is. a. big. deal. This is a big deal! Look at how swollen it is!! And purple! When did you even injure it? Has it gotten better at all?!” Asmodeus’ voice steadily raised in volume.

“Just a couple days ago... I’ve been elevating and icing it after school. I didn’t want to miss class.. I wanted to see everyone... I didn’t want to appear weak...” his voice got quieter and quieter.

“I see you have neglected to answer the more important question. Has. it. gotten. better. or. worse.”

Iruma was silent.

“For devil’s sake, you shouldn’t even be walking on this; it will take even longer to heal!! What in the hells has gotten into you?”

Iruma screwed his eyes shut and tried his best to curl up into a ball. Not only had he failed to keep his injury hidden, but now Asmodeus was angry with him. He couldn’t even remember the last time that had happened..

He heard a sigh and suddenly Asmodeus spoke,

“Look, I do not want to be angry at you. I am.. not angry. But, I am frustrated, and a little hurt. Iruma-sama, how would you feel if you were in my place?”

Iruma’s heart throbbed painfully.

“I would.. be worried about you, of course.”

“Then please, you have to take better care of yourself. Do not treat yourself any differently than you would if I or Valec got injured. And it would not kill you to let us help you either.”

“But I can take care of myself just fine, Azz-kun!” he pleaded. “Look, it’s wrapped and I’ve been trying my best. I’ve gotten through much worse!”

Azz’s eyes widened at this. The frustration seemed to melt out of him, replaced with intense concern.

“What do you mean...?”

Iruma looked away as he said,

“I’m not used to receiving help from anyone! I don’t want to be a burden!”

“But, your grandfather..? And Opera-san..? Are you saying they don’t....? That they wouldn’t help..?”

“N-no! Of course not!” Iruma hurriedly said. “I... haven’t always lived with them, though.”

Asmodeus waited to see if Iruma would elaborate, but after several moments in silence decided that today was not the day he would hear about it. He pulled Iruma into a hug, careful not to disturb the injured ankle.

“Fine. I will not pry further today. Just.. understand that we care about you. We are here to help you.” He murmured into Iruma’s hair.

Asmodeus noticed the way Iruma’s shoulders relaxed at this, and it made him feel a bit more like he’d gotten through to his friend.

“All right, we need to get you to the school nurse.”

The shoulder tension was back immediately.

“Are you sure...? I thought it would make me seem weak?”

“Hells no, there’s a difference between sustaining an injury and just being weak. I do not know how you could even question something so obviously wrong. You? Weak? With your rank? It is absolutely absurd to even consider it. Now, let’s get going.”

Asmodeus gathered their things. Iruma moved to try to stand.

“What in the hells do you think you are you doing?”

Iruma tried to recall if he had ever heard Azz curse this much before.

“Um, trying to stand up?”

“On that ankle? I should think not,” Asmodeus scoffed. He returned with their bags on his back. With a quick motion, he swept his arms underneath Iruma’s knees and around his shoulders.

“Wah!?” Iruma spluttered. “A-Azz-kun?? W-what are you doing??”

“What does it look like, Iruma-sama? I am carrying you to the nurse’s office of course.”

“I-I must be heavy though! A-and you have the bags too?”

Asmodeus’ eyes flashed dangerously.

“Are you trying to imply that I am too weak?”

“N-no that isn't what I meant! I just don’t want to trouble you!”

“Trouble me? Please.”

“But… Azz-kun…,” Iruma stammered.

“Would you please stop squirming and just let me take care of you?!” Asmodeus huffed.

The magic word did its thing. Iruma was still very much embarrassed, and still wanted to protest but well... Asmodeus had said please. He never could say no to that.

“I-I suppose..”

“A simple thank you would suffice at a time like this, Iruma-sama. It is my greatest honor to support you in any way I can. Never doubt that.”

Iruma turned a few shades darker red and mumbled “thank you..”, but found himself still quietly fidgeting. It didn’t compare to the actual fight he’d been putting up a minute ago, but it was clearly irking Asmodeus. After a few more steps the demon said,

“If you want to squirm so badly Iruma-sama, shall I give you a reason to?”

Iruma looked up at Asmodeus’ deceivingly bright smile and shivered. His whole face screamed,

Danger!! Do not engage!!

But before Iruma could say anything at all, Azz slipped his fingers into Iruma’s armpit and began lightly scribbling. Seeing how Azz was also carrying him, and had a pretty tight grip, Iruma was totally stuck.

“Wahaha! W-wahahait Ahahahazz-kun! P-please! Hehe!”

“You’re lucky that I need to get you to the nurse’s office, or I think I would tickle you silly so you would never consider doing this again. My goodness, what am I going to do with you, Iruma-sama?”

“Pffft! I-I’m ehehe!! I’m sohohorry! I won’t do it ahahagain, p-promise!!”

Asmodeus seemed to consider this for a moment, then flashed his fangs in another blinding smile.

“Actually, no. I have decided. I will tickle you silly after your ankle has properly healed. Please prepare yourself, Iruma-sama.”

Iruma gulped. He felt flustered and embarrassed, but also a little giddy at the thought.

“For now though, I’ll just distract you with tickles until we get to the nurse’s office. Maybe that’ll stop these ridiculous notions that you’re bothering me from coming out of your mouth.”

“Ahahahazz-kuhuhun! Nohohoho!”

“Oh, Iruma-sama. You got yourself into this mess, you will just have to take it. Tickle tickle, you’ve got nowhere to run.”

“Nahahaha! P-plehehease s-stohop!”

“The tickling or the teasing?” Asmodeus asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“B-bohohoth! Eep! Ihihit tihihickles soho bahahad!”

“Hmmm, no. That doesn’t sound like my problem. Maybe you should have thought about this before you kept your injury from me, tried to walk it off, and implied I was too weak to carry you and our bags”

“B-buhuhut! I-I cahahahan’t mohohohove! EEK! Wahaha, it tickles!! Ihihihit tihihihickles!!”

“Does it now? A fascinating revelation, Iruma-sama.”

Iruma’s laughter went silent for a moment. Azz continued,

“At this rate, you’ll be lucky if I don’t carry you around the rest of today. And the next few days. We shall see what the nurse says. And no matter what, you will be going home in your grandfather’s carriage today.”

Iruma laughed and giggled the whole way to the nurse’s office, all worries of being perceived as weak completely gone. He went home in the carriage, at Asmodeus’ suggestion, and apologized to his Grandfather and Opera-san for keeping the injury from them. He resolved to work on letting his friends and family help him in the future. It was easier said than done, but whenever his resolve wavered, Asmodeus was there to give him a gentle, giggly reminder.

[moddymoon]

Oh my, what a lovely person...

Yeah, I've posted a few of these before... I honestly am not that keen on posting most of them, but this one was just so lovely...

Yes, I'm not hiding who this is... I often see a "pattern" with a person, and it's worth sharing, but this very much is *this person* which I'm commenting on...

At this point, it just kind of comes across, as a typical you know, questionable person, who has little concept of boundaries, et al.

And I get maybe the whole just diving in and asking the questions you're meaning to ask...

It's pretty *likely* they are one of those not slightly questionable people but very questionable people even at this point..

There's a few things here... The "professional mommy" thing is you know not good... Not saying that *being* a professional mommy is a problem, but professionals don't approach people in this way...

It *might* be that a professional would approach a person going, "hey I noticed that you have this issue, and I might be able to help you resolve it..."

Especially when you the professional might be looking at some resource, because that's something they are looking for themselves.

This might be a "quibble" type comment... But the "mummy" vs. "mommy" thing bothers me, and... I've yet to see someone using the term "mummy" (different meaning entirely in English, like ware vs. wear...) who hasn't ended up being problematic.

It's a big indication the person doesn't really speak English, and quite possibly "European languages" as their first language. At least it doesn't come across as particularly professional.

As a *professional* myself, I will only really mention something like this that I *am* a professional, if I'd otherwise be contacting a person.

Looking for a dog washer, contacting one... Finding out they are not doing that, and being willing to help them get that sorted...

My response was non-commital at this point... Just kind of acknowledged that I'd got a response. I said, "OK" to that, got what's up at the top.

Based on me reading this... I was clearly *not* into it at the time. I can't say why. It could have been a bad day. This went over several days...

The "let me see" absolutely is not cool. Maybe if someone is in the community... And wants to share pictures, yeah, sure... It could just be something kind of weird, not understanding.

This very much is something that does happen. Usually when it does happen, and it is a misunderstanding, the result ends up being, either they just quietly go away...

Quite common, and you can't tell if they really did just not understand, or if they did understand, and are upset they got caught out.

Either case? If they just go away... I guess problem solved, sort of...

The asking about the brand... I can get that, that makes sense in the community... But if you *are* in the community, you may not even know my answer (feel free to ask me if you don't, about what my thoughts are).

OK, I'm apparently feeling more generous at this point, than I was earlier. The "let me see" after I've ignored it, again, not on, and since I ignored it... Really yeah, not OK...

I am generous in saying that I'd like to get to know them better... It is *fair* for me to respond like that. Honestly I would. But honestly... I should have probably pointed out that it's just not OK ... though let's just assume they are just clueless...

Let's *not* make a point of pointing too "dangerously" to where they are going wrong. At least until it's clearer that they're not clueing in.

I *have* had people clue in that I was happy to continue talking with. Even then, I'm not sure how often it ended up being much of an ongoing conversation.

The response to, "I'd like to get to know you better" isn't really great. I've had lots of these types, and sometimes it's really just a person isn't comfortable, or they have the wrong idea.

Most of the time, to be honest it's usually *some* version of what this is. Where they aren't saying too much, because they may be trying to pass off multiple conversations at the same time, possibly as different identities, and really not a genuine person.

Other times, it's just a person isn't really comfortable. Like... Look at my responses... At this point, I'm really trying to not be overly committed ... And that either should set off alarm bells of, "this person isn't putting the effort into it, and isn't a good mark," or set off, "Hm... I really need to give more to connect with this person."

The conversation at this point, I feel should go one of two ways... The person should put more into it, to draw the other person out (they could be a good scammer, or they could be a real person) or they could just kind of take the hint, and just kind of some form of just drifting off.

A comment which easily can be ignored... That's a good approach honestly.

Maybe I've decided this person isn't really worth discussing with. Like, not worth playing their game. It's kind of been a not fun one at this point.

I give a bit of an option here to connect. As a real person, they might go, "oh hey... yeah I can talk about some stuff..." '

I ask a pretty safe/neutral question. It's really interesting where it goes...

I knew the name Westworld, and thinking it's a movie, it felt like it was probably something I'd have gone and checked out. I couldn't remember what it was though...

The thing about that is, it's *not* a movie, and saying it is, wow, that's really weird... I can't say why.

Maybe I couldn't find the right thing? So I guess... OK let's see where this goes...

I try to suggest that maybe there's something that was called Westworld, which was a movie. Sadly... I either didn't communicate that well enough... Or whatever...

The Viking title... That is a problem (I looked for it, with little hope, as I expect there are lots of movies which someone might think of as "Viking" and indeed there are...).

I try to find something they'd like to talk about... Which... Oh... This gets interesting...

OK, didn't *miss* anything here, but failed to catch things as well as I would have liked.

I am looking to get to know this person, as a person... And maybe they don't really get that... That's generous... But yeah they want to only talk about their "business" and yeah, I'm not here for that.

Well, let's see where it goes from here...

I get a bit snarky... I'm tired of it, that I'm putting effort in, and it's not really getting appreciated.

I know... Maybe not looking the greatest at this point on my part... but it really feels there's no chance this is going to end with anything *better* than a, "wandering off into the ether" at best.

I'm giving a bit of a lead to indicate that I may well be missing something... And maybe I was. It never got sorted (yeah spoilers).

This person was *very* frustrating to talk to, and maybe I was too. I kept feeling it would go one way, then I'd respond to that...

Then it would suggest that I wasn't getting things, so I open to having it explained to me...

Then I get an "explanation" which brings us back to the same sort of response that I tried to respond that it wasn't OK...

And... Here they ask specifically what I'm talking about. So I'm pretty sure I start to explain my perspective.

Yes... Though the "who are you?" really comes across as, "who do you think you are, talking to me like this." I've had a few of those lately.

This is the top of a fairly full explanation of where I'm coming from. I think it's reasonable to explain at this point. And... So I did.

I point out that they've really given me nothing to talk about. That they seem to really only be willing to talk about what they get paid for.

It seems fair to me to consider that they really are only talking to try to draw in the "fish on the line." And I make it clear that I'm not that fish.

And that really they've not contributed anything that has lead me to really want to talk to them...

So... There's a response that they give... No real effort to explain, no effort to try to address anything I've said. Just the one liner... Which really is manipulative.

Do I have a problem with that? Well I could probably write like the entire amount I have here (original and my comments on the conversation) about how that's a problematic question.

No, I don't really have a problem with a person wanting to make money. That's not my problem.

So, I guess... The "problem" I have... Is the person who is wasting *everyone's* time, having a dull conversation. And I do kind of point that out... But not as clearly as I thought.

I do point out just how much of a problem the *response* to my explaining where I was coming from is. And...

This is why I feel this person is worthy of letting people know who they are...

They *will not* treat anyone kindly if this is how they treat someone who like myself who pointed out that I won't pay, who the person seemed to have no interest in anything other than being paid...

What if you *had* paid them? But weren't happy? How bad would they make it for you then? Probably much worse...

[popatochisssp]

I would like more details on ocean boys plz. More Descendtale for us?

Descendtale

A human falls to the Underground.

They’re merciful…mostly.

But maybe not merciful enough.

They make friends with many monsters on their way through the Underground.

They kill some others.

Nobody important, none of the real friends they’d made along the way—just a handful of annoying ones who kept getting in their way, surprising them with Encounters when they were busy on their very important quest to escape the Underground and go back home.

When they leave, they put their fun fantasy adventure behind them, eager to get back to their real life.

They never come back.

The monster ‘friends’ they left behind do their best to move on.

Asgore is gone, and so are the six human souls they’d collected, so close to finally being free.

Toriel has returned, which is something, a comfort of familiarity at least to have a ruler who knows what she’s doing when hope is falling and…other things are starting to go wrong.

The Royal Guard has been disbanded, what with the queen’s mandate that humans falling down should be welcomed as friends. Which is fine, most of them all knew the most recent human as a friend, but…it does leave quite a few dogs and a fish and a few other animals out of a job and consequently, out of a driving purpose in their lives.

A handful of monsters have also gone missing. Not Fallen Down, or moved away, just…gone, without a word or a call or a note. No one really knows what happened, though there’s theories, nobody seems to know anything for sure and the unsubstantiated rumors, ranging from wild to tame, are a little bit scary.

And…the Underground’s resources are dwindling. They have been for a long time, but some of those monsters that disappeared—farmers, couriers, suppliers—their absence has unbalanced the food supply chain just a little more, and what they do have is taking longer to get to the populated areas, costing more, creating uncertainty.

In essence, monsters are getting nervous and losing hope.

Many of these problems have no clear solution, but Toriel tasks the Royal Scientist to one it might be possible for her to solve: the food issue.

After all, it may only be a mild concern now, but with the human souls gone, with how long it took to gather so many to begin with, how unlikely it is for more humans to fall down anytime soon—and to be treated as guests, even if they do fall…

It’s going to be quite some time before monsterkind has any real chance to be free.

They need to survive.

They need to be able to weather the long winter that’s to come, to remain strong and keep from falling to despair.

Certainty that they won’t starve to death in subterranean ignominy is a solid step towards that.

Alphys, happy to have been kept on after her last boss…uh. Well, she throws herself into the assignment, feeling that this is her chance to really do something great, worthy of her title.

The way she sees it, they need some kind of a staple crop, something they can produce in excess without exhausting their resources in the process.

She sets her eyes on the echo flower.

Echo flowers are hardy plants and grow well in any dark environment, in all but the driest of soils, already proliferating wildly in the Underground without any influence and thriving for a long, long, long time. Their petals have been known to make a soothing tea, but the root of the plant—a thick black rhizome—is edible, too.

It hasn’t been actually eaten very much, historically, being that the taste is…not great, a little sour and a lot bitter, no matter how you prepare it.

But it is edible, full of nutrients and ambient magic to keep a monster fed and healthy so long as you don’t mind the taste.

And…can they really afford to mind the taste, at this stage?

Toriel agrees with Alphys’ assessment. The artificial light cycles that simulate day and night are ceased and echo flowers are planted anywhere and everywhere they’ll take, roots harvested and incorporated into monsters’ diets. At first, the farming is only to supplement the scarcity of other foods, but as time goes by and most of those all but disappear, the root eventually begins replacing them almost entirely.

It takes awhile for anyone to notice the changes.

Before necessity, no monster ate or even used enough echo flower root to realize that it had preservative properties.

When monsters begin to notice they’re not aging nearly as fast as they should be, a whole host of other side-effects have started to make themselves known, all dutifully assessed and catalogued by Alphys.

Monsters who consume the echo flower root consistently, at volume, can expect to see many of the following changes in their bodies:

Light sensitivity

Darkening of the extremities

Extended periods of low activity (similar to hibernation)

Lack of appetite

Bioluminescence

Reduced metabolism

Sharpening of preexisting teeth, or growth of new ones

Heightened senses (predominantly hearing sight, and smell)

Decreased sensitivity to touch

Increased physical durability

Thorn-like growths or protrusions

Mental changes and personality drift

In addition to these is something monsters colloquially start to refer to as The Withering, when bodies begin to look thin, gnarled and frail but with no attached physical ailments.

The monsters so afflicted by their new condition…

Accept it.

There’s little else they can do, as reliant on their new food source as they are by this point, and quite frankly, none of the changes seem all that bad.

They have food, they have each other, and most importantly, they have time.

It’s all a little different, of course, but monsters are nothing if not adaptable, every bit the survivors the Queen knew they could be.

The worst thing to come out of it all is that brightness of Hotland and New Home poses a bit of discomfort to most of those who’d settled there, but Toriel oversees a mass migration back to Home and renovation of the Ruins there to make them a far more pleasant place to live.

And naturally, along the way are Waterfall, blissfully dark, and Snowdin, delightfully cold—both equally appealing neighborhoods to move into, with monsters’ new taste for such things.

Life goes on for monsterkind, still trapped in their deep cavern but now…kind of thriving in it.

The next human to fall will be faced with a very different sort of Underground than the one the last human left, darker and colder to be sure, filled with monsters who want to be their friend but are maybe…a little rusty at it.

But there should be plenty of time for them to get used to it.

Kohl (Descendtale Sans)

Not so friendly with regards to humans, these days. He knows for a fact what that last one did to a handful of innocent monsters, and has a pretty strong hunch that they could’ve undone it, or at least come back to free their so-called ‘friends’ after the dust settled…but they didn’t. Despite everything, they were no better than any other human who touched the lives of monsters, and he’s all out of belief and hope and second chances for any of their ilk

Something of a new lease on life, or at least a stubborn determination to live, in spite of monsters’ most likely fate after their abandonment—the influence of the echo flower root has made a lot of his favorite creature-comfort-type experiences (eating, sleeping, savoring warmth) more difficult to enjoy, but he refuses to let that stop him

A slight mean-streak, fond of creeping up on people, unnerving them, enjoying a bit of schadenfreude now and then… but at the same time very defensive of anyone he considers part of his in-group (monsters only for now)

Mostly drifts around his usual haunts, Grillby’s, his place, his sentry station—even though the Guard isn’t a thing and he’s not technically a sentry anymore. He still likes to keep an eye-socket out, and if a human manages to slip out of the Ruins without being caught, or if they come in the back way, he’d really like to be there to give them a good scare, and remind them that he’s watching

A little chilly, a bit avoidant, and with a tendency to push peoples’ buttons to see what they do (…well, he’s always done that one), he’s not the easiest person to get along with but… Well, there is no ‘but,’ that’s the end of the sentence.

Bram (Descendtale Papyrus)

Very, very, very eager to make new friends—yes, even human ones! He befriended the last one, but…maybe he didn’t do it right, because…they left…and never came back…and if his brother is to be believed, they may have also murdered a few monsters before that… That’s probably not his fault. But he can do better! He can be a great friend! The best friend, he just needs another chance!

In the process of reinventing himself, just a bit. With the Royal Guard disbanded, that dream is dead, but the Great Papyrus doesn’t need a dream to be great! He’s working on himself right now, trying new hobbies, exploring new styles, reaching out…reaching out a lot, it’s…it’s very hard to get a call back these days, with everything going on…

Some difficulty with emotional regulation, he can go from feeling not much of anything at all, to feeling one emotion very strongly, which can lead to embarrassing outbursts from time to time. He's managing it, or trying to!

Still patrols around Snowdin regularly, even though he’s not a sentry anymore. He likes to see everyone—all the new and old faces—and it wouldn’t do to leave all his traps and puzzles to fall into disrepair, not when he has so many ideas for how to make them more difficult, challenging enough that even the craftiest human might really need to think on

A little bit scattered, a pinch forgetful, and somewhat prone to saying vaguely unsettling things without realizing they are unsettling (…well, he’s always done that one), but mostly he’s harmless! Just seeking a bit of earnest connection and people to have in his life that won’t leave

[aichi-division]

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐚'𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐬

Narrated by Shouta Takeda

Part 1: The beginning

Talking about my past is something I'm not used to. I don't think it's really an interesting topic, I mean, I don't think talking about a guy who was always abused by his family and never had a shred of luck in years is something entertaining for the public... shit, I'm sounding like a victim again.

Anyway, maybe this is an opportunity to express what I always tend to hide. I think my colleagues and friends deserve some kind of explanation as to why I am the way I am.

I lived most of my childhood in the downtown area of Tokyo. My family owns a major home appliance company, so you understand, they shit money. Having a lot of money necessarily implies complying with certain guidelines and standards. A bad management of the family economy implies a bad image to the public and my parents were very aware of this issue.

Yes, now you may wonder how someone like me could live such a luxurious life and end up a bum. The answer is quite simple, I broke the rules. Breaking things is something I've always been good at, honestly. My sin was to choose a path that my family despises. My mother, especially, could never look me in the eye after I confessed to her my interest in the arts.

"We raised you to be a Takeda, to be a future leader of our companies. You're so fucking ungrateful."

My parents and siblings have a very simple way to solve this type of problem. It's like when they serve you a menu you don't like at the restaurant. You just throw it away, stand up and walk away. Clearly I was able to pursue a career in the arts, but the cost was losing my entire family.

I was discarded as a piece of trash with no future and with the money I was entitled to by inheritance, I paid for my studies, lodging and any other stupid expenses that came my way. What I didn't see coming was my own inability to excel at the one thing I loved in this life.

Competing against a host of artists who clearly had greater talent and capabilities was something I had never considered. It was like a direct punch in the face. Honestly, it didn't hurt to lose my family, but it did hurt to give them the reason and satisfaction of my failure.

It is an indescribable rage, as if there were fire in my veins and I could not breathe without feeling like breaking everything. From there, everything began to fall into a hole, infinite, dark, impossible to get out of.

In all that chaos, I made several friends with the same bad luck as me, although they were burdened with something I didn't have at the time: addictions. I started with soft drugs, weed, nicotine…. But within a few months I was relying on methamphetamines, cocaine and starting on a path to heroin.

It's not something I'm proud to talk about. It was a hard time, where many times I behaved like a maniac. I convinced myself that the only way to be happy was through those syringes. It took me a long time to realize that reality was far from the mental construction I had of myself.

There was a time when things, our society, the norm had changed quite a bit. Women in power, competition, a new order of which I could understand little, as I was too stoned to realize it. I was living in a haze, in slow motion, living one second at a time, while everything was going to shit.

And it was there that I met the people to whom I owe my life: Issey and Eiji.

They found me in the Aichi district, who knows how, sitting on the sidewalk, humming some song while going through the worst hangover of my life. When they approached me, I really thought they would be one of those punk kids with their urge to beat up bums, pure Clockwork Orange style. What a surprise I got when I realized that they actually wanted to talk to me and recruit me in some so-called rap battles and I don't know what the fuck.

"I like your voice, do you know how to rap? It's not very difficult, you just have to have a good use of words and use a mic to…" Issey kept talking, so energetic and genuine that he sounded like a walking sunshine that would burn any bitter person like me.

“I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, kid.” I said, trying to decipher something that made sense out of all that monologue.

I think in the meantime, Eiji whispered something about me being a drug addict and that they shouldn't come near me, but Issey was very persistent. I actually smile every time I remember that moment. Things have changed a lot since that day.

Issey and Eiji became what I could really call a family. Being older, I had to take responsibility for their well-being and that forced me to change many aspects of myself, starting with rehabilitation.

The light of those two children made me realize a completely different path from what I had proposed and, above all, an opportunity to be a better version of me. I really hope that if Issey and Eiji read this, they know that I love them dearly and that I am very grateful and proud to be able to be their leader.

...ugh, I got sentimental again.

Anyway, I started living life again, starting all over again. I met a lot of people, started and ended relationships, fought a guy for a condom…. I think I'm at my peak.

I know this is the first part of a series of memoirs I should write later, but I think this pretty much sums up the road I've traveled to be who I am now. I'm not a cool guy, far from it.

But I am grateful for what I have.

[lilypadlys]

Mushy May Day Twenty-One - Can't Stop Laughing

Notes: After a rough day of touring everyone is in a foul mood. Who knew a flock of ducks would be the thing to cure it? Prompt list by @forlorn-crows. See prompt list here

Word Count: 480

Read on AO3 or below the cut

It’s one of those days on tour. The type that drags on and on and is still not over yet. The type where everything that could go wrong does. And maybe it’s not as bad as all that. There have truly been only a few minor inconveniences: construction on their way to the venue making them slightly late, the catering company arriving even later, inexplicable equipment issues that only got solved at the last minute.

The ritual went great, all things considered, but everyone is on edge. By the time they finally head backstage after bows everyone, ghoul and roadies alike collapse where they are. Water bottle provided by the thankfully sympathetic venue staff help to get everyone back on their feet and packed up but the foul mood hanging in the air is still like a ticking time bomb.

The ghouls and Copia have piled into their bus. The ride is silent, everyone too annoyed and tired to attempt small talk and risk setting each other off. They’re headed to the hotel and more than ready to collapse when the bus suddenly slams on the breaks. It’s sudden enough to be jarring, sending a couple ghouls hissing and the rest grumbling. The grumbles turn to confused murmurs as the bus stays still and then the engine cuts off.

Copia walks up front to talk to the driver while the ghouls impatiently glare out the windows. When Copia returns he sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

“I’m sorry my ghouls. We had to stop because there's a bunch of ducks in the road.”

Eight pairs of eyes blink back at him in confusion.

“Ducks?” Cirrus asks, unimpressed.

“Sì. Quite a few of them…” Copia trails off as someone starts to giggle. “Eh, Dew are you alright?”

Everyone looks towards Dewdrop who is indeed laughing, his shoulders shaking in mirth.

“After everything today it had to be fucking ducks.”

That sets everyone else off and they all start laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Copia catches his breath enough to say he’s going to ask the driver how long it will be but then Aurora and Phantom exclaim in sync that they want to go pet the ducks and everyone is laughing again.

Copia convinces them to stay on the bus but lets them come to the driver’s cabin to see the ducks which of course spurs on everyone else to want to see them too. By this point the ducks are out of the road and swimming is a small pond by the side but everyone has to have a turn sticking their head out the window to look at the ducks before they’re able to get back on the move.

They eventually do, the mood now much lighter. They get back to the hotel without any more issues and happily collapse. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

This Distance Between ‘Probably’ and ‘Certainly’

Ok, here's an idea (sorry in advance if this is too long!): A fic about the ordinary (or, as ordinary it ever is) day-to-day of the Mindscape. Except... We're following a self-aware Janus. – amateurmasksmith

Janus is happy right now. Everyone has been accepted, issues are being healed and fixed. He's friends with the light sides, he got Virgil back and Remus hasn't left him. Janus is genuinely happy...And it scares him. He's waiting for the other boot to drop. He's waiting for the one thing to take his happiness from him like what always happens. He's flinching at every disagreement, freezing at every mistake he makes, and holding his breath when things get quiet or when Thomas has a bad day. He knows something is going to take his happiness away and he's scared. But the others notice and are there to reassure him that they're not going anywhere. 💜- insanitori

Read on Ao3

Warnings: none!

Pairings: none!

Word Count: 1594

You know what they say: if it seems like it's too good to be true, it probably is.

No one knows that better than Janus. Come on, he's Doubt, Deceit, whatever you want to call it, it's his job to know when something's afoot. Even when the lie is perfect, undetectable even, he'll know. He was made for it, after all, it would be quite a feat to be able to get something past him. He's fairly smug about it too, able to do everything from tell who ate the last muffin—Logan—to who spray-painted dicks all over the Imagination door—Virgil—to who's been telling everyone they're fine when they're actually on the verge of a mental breakdown—everyone.

So when there comes a time that everyone is just…happy, it sends a chill up his spine.

There are no arguments. No barely-hidden resentments. No double meanings behind words, no thinly veiled threats, no glares at backs when the others aren't looking.

Everyone's…fine.

Now, it's not perfect. There are still things that need to be fixed and problems that need to be solved, a few of them are…testier when alone together as opposed to with the group, and there are still rifts and rough patches that lead to people needing to go calm down before it can be properly resolved.

But it's…good. It's really good.

Which means that it won't stay good.

Nothing lasts forever, especially nothing good, and the fact that they're all on an upswing means that when it inevitably takes a turn for the worse, the fall will be all the more devastating. Admittedly, this is a tad dramatic.

Janus snorts. "You would be equally as dramatic, you know."

"Huh?" Patton turns. "What was that, kiddo?"

"Nothing, nothing." Janus smiles—must not have been quiet enough. "Don't mind me."

Patton gives him a bit of a strange look but passes it off as just Janus being Janus and turns back to the conversation. They're all in the living room, talking about what they're going to watch for the next movie night. Roman and Remus are advocating for one of the new Disney movies, Logan is asking for a nature documentary, Virgil said he'd be fine with anything, and Patton, well…

"Patton doesn't have an opinion."

"J?" Virgil nudges him. "You gotta speak up, bud, otherwise we won't hear you."

"No, no, just talking to myself."

"Do you have an opinion?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact: you should embroider ACAB on your hoodie."

Virgil snorts. "Okay, I will, but I meant about movie night."

"Oh. On that, no, I don't, as long as we get to snack while we watch."

"Snek gotta snack," Remus says as Roman nods seriously, "them's the rules."

"Speaking of rules, have we checked content lists for everything?" Patton shudders. "I'm not in the mood for nightmares tonight."

"Aw," Remus whines, "but those are fun?"

"What? No, they aren't!"

"Yes, they are!"

"They are not!"

Roman just whacks Remus in the face with a pillow and Logan rolls his eyes. "We won't get anywhere if you start derailing us at this point, Remus, I—Janus, what are you staring at?"

"Oh, just the wall."

"I see that. May I ask why you're staring at that particular wall?"

"No reason."

Sure, Janus, sure.

His mouth tugs up into a smirk and he turns back to the conversation. "Logan, you should know better than anyone that we rarely stay on the rails at the best of times. That's not why people watch these."

Logan frowns. "Watch what, Thomas's videos?"

"Those too."

"He's being cryptic again," Virgil stage-whispers, "just let him do it."

Logan just shakes his head and moves on—smart. "I've taken the liberty of looking up the content warnings, yes, and…well, I've seen this one already and—Remus, I think you'll be more alright with it than you think."

Remus narrows his eyes. "Go on?"

"Oh, hey, wait," Virgil says, scrolling through something on his phone, "is this the one where the dude is basically in love with an octopus for like, two hours?"

"Sold!" Remus scrambles onto the couch and crouches there like a little hellion. "We're watching this."

Roman, the only other proponent for the Disney movie, is too busy laughing his head off to make any sort of convincing argument.

"Well, then," Logan says, looking entirely too pleased with himself, "I'd say we're in agreement."

"If Remus starts trying to recreate parts of this at two in the morning, L, I swear to god I'll never forgive you."

But the threat is empty and Logan knows it, chuckling and reaching out to ruffle Virgil's hair. Virgil lets out an indignant squawk and flails out, making Logan laugh more.

See? Everything worked out fine. If this had happened before, it would have boiled down to a screaming match with insults being thrown left and right and eventually, everyone settling down to watch whatever it was while quietly stewing in resentment that someone made it so hard to just get along.

But they're here now. They made it.

Janus scoffs. "Yeah, for how long?"

Of course, the problem with holding a hammer is that everything looks like a nail.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

If a reflex becomes too ingrained, it runs the risk of being applied to situations where it has no business being applied. The brain is like a muscle, after all—

"It's an organ, not a muscle."

—like a muscle, like one, where habits can form just as easily as your body instinctively turning to walk down one path as it's where you always go.

"That's a stupid metaphor."

Metaphors, unlike similes, are when you directly state that something is something else, unlike a simile, where you compare something to another thing using 'like' or 'as.'

"Oh, aren't we smug."

"Janus?" He turns, raising an eyebrow at a very confused Roman. "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh, no one important."

"That's the second time you've done that," Patton says, frowning a little, "are you sure you're okay? You can talk to us, you know."

It occurs to him in this moment that often believing that something will happen can slide very quickly into behaving in a way that makes it happen.

"Oh, fine," Janus mutters under his breath before raising his voice, "I'm…worried."

"About what, the documentary?" Logan shifts his weight to face him properly on the couch. "It's got plenty of perfectly sound science and the cinematography is beautiful—"

"No, not about that. I, um…" This is much harder out loud. "Shush, you, I'm—I'm worried about…us."

"Us?" Virgil nudges him. "Say more?"

"We're…we're all getting along," he mumbles, hiding his face, "and it's—it's good. We're not fighting, we're talking, we're…it's good."

"I think so too," Patton says gently, "what about it is worrying you?"

"…what are we going to do when it isn't good anymore?"

The room is quiet for a moment. Then Logan lets out a slow breath.

"Janus," he says quietly, "can you look at me, please?"

Janus looks up.

"Thank you." There's a soft smile on Logan's face. "It's not going to be easy. We're imperfect, as everyone is, but we're trying. Do you…you do want things to keep being good, don't you?"

Does he?

"Yes, of course I do."

"That's good. So do we."

"Logan's right," Roman adds, smiling a little at Janus's look of surprise, "it's going to be work, I'm not saying it's not, but…we can do it. Right?"

"Come on, J," Virgil teases, nudging him again, "don't be all doom and gloom. We get to watch Remus laugh at stupid people, that's always fun, right?"

"That is fun."

"It's gonna be okay, J," he continues, "we're okay right now, and that's what matters, yeah?"

"Just because something's impermanent doesn't mean it's not important!" Patton adds.

"…I suppose you're right."

"Of course we are." Remus claps his hands. "Now come on, I want to watch this thing."

"Right, right, here, let me help—"

"Patton, let's go to the kitchen, I think the snek needs his snacks."

"On it!"

"Hey," Roman mumbles as he comes to sit next to him, "it's gonna be okay, yeah? I get it, I—I'm not the best at this either."

"Yeah."

Roman pats his leg. "We'll figure it out, okay?"

"Okay."

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Then again, the distance between 'probably' and 'certainly' is enough to make a little home.

"Proud of yourself for that one, aren't you?"

"Okay, who are you talking to?"

"Don't worry about it."

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[remnantsofthepast-if]

Monthly Update - January 2024

​ Hello everyone once again! I hope you've had an amazing start to the year. Whether you celebrated it in a big way or with something much quieter, I hope there was no shortage of food! Now, that's definitely something Enid would say, hehe :D.

---

As for the project, after some unexpected complications, I finally published Chapter 8 a few weeks ago! In the end, it turned out longer than I had planned, but I'm getting used to that happening, hahaha! Now it's time to start writing Chapter 9, the last one of this first act! Initially, this chapter seems like it will flow much smoother than the previous one. I usually have a clear image of how each chapter will go and then create a brief summary. In this case, I've expanded the summary a bit more than I usually do, hoping it will help with the writing process. But of course, part of the beauty of creativity lies in the unexpected, both for the good and the bad, so we'll take it step by step each day.

Man, I can barely believe I've reached the end of Act 1. I'm very excited! For several reasons that I can't reveal yet, tempting as it may be, hahaha! I'll just say I have a surprise prepared that I hope you like :D. Besides that surprise, it will finally be time to implement all the changes I had in mind and fix certain things about the characters and the plot here and there, especially in Chapter 2, which I revisited a few days ago, and... let's just say, to all those who read and understood Rayco/Gara and Enid's explanation, congratulations, because I dumped a lot of unnecessary info there for no reason, lol! It's definitely something that needs fixing, and as I mentioned recently, all these changes and revisions will come out alongside Chapter 9.

Finally, there's something important I want to say about this story. Once Chapter 9 is published, a week later, this first act will be available to buy, and the playable demo will be reduced. I still don't know exactly when the demo will be cut, but I was thinking roughly halfway through the story. However, this has brought a small issue too, which is that I don't know how to export it for mobile. I've been experimenting with the Monaca platform, and it looks interesting, but there's something that doesn't quite convince me :/. I've also thought about switching from Twine to ChoiceScript, but it seems confusing and limiting in terms of customization, and no matter how comfortable it is that Hosted Games handles all distribution and such, it’s just a big no for me at first glance. The good thing would be that at least with ChoiceScript you can export your save files from one book to another, which is something you cannot do with Twine or Renpy. Well... you can, actually, but that involves a lot of programming and coding that I have no idea about and if something goes wrong I wouldn’t be able to solve the issues, so it’d be more of a disadvantage than anything else.

Going back to Renpy would be more viable and comfortable for exporting, as I could maintain a single itch.io page. With Twine, I would have to create one for each act to keep the demos separate, and I’m not sure how to feel about that, to be honest :/.

I don't know, I’m just rambling at this point. These are things I'll have to think about since I don't want it to be confusing when playing Remnants. Anyway, I'll do some tinkering and play around a bit with Renpy to see how it feels, and if I'm not convinced, I guess I'll stick with Twine and add an intro for the player to pick all the important choices from Act 1 before continuing with Act 2. I appreciate any suggestions if anyone has them, though :D.

---

Have a fantastic month and see you at the end of February ;)

By the way, I’m making a few gifts for all of you for February 14! Nothing huge, but a nice detail that I hope you like :D.

[emcads]

Sometimes I wonder how Jack and Esmeralda’s relationship would develop had the whole Rogue Pirate thing and Jack’s kidnapping not happened. Like would they officially start dating, with Teague and Don Raphael knowing (if they even agree!)? Would it get better or go downhill like most of Jack’s romances?

this is a great question !!  I personally think the two of them could have ended up a very content pirate power couple if christophe hadn’t been an absolute bag of dicks. Don Rafael clearly likes and has great respect for jack even if teague doesn’t, so i think Esmeralda could easily bring him around to the idea of the two of them. Teague may never be happy about it, but I doubt he would try to put an end to it if Don Rafael was on board.  ( do I foresee a lot of warm, cozy christmas’s at the teague’s ?  well ... no.  but possibly at the de sevilla’s! ) if the rogues had never been there,  then don rafael’s death would not have happened ( at least not in the way it did ), giving him at least a few more years with esmeralda and not sending her on her vengeance arc against christophe. she and jack could grow together, in a more or less similar direction, rather than separately, not hindered by grief and revenge.

what i expect is that Don Rafael would treat Jack with a lot more dignity in that situation than Teague does ( provided, of course, he senses more or less honorable intentions with Esmeralda ), meaning that it’s not unlikely Jack would quit Troubadour to join Esme on Venganza for a little while. two birds with one stone, really –– a decent mentor figure and he gets to hang out with his girlfriend. ( plus, earn some cash + free sex whenever. budgeting win ! )

what might cause some issues eventually is Jack feeling stifled by his role beneath Don Rafael + wanting a captaincy in his own right, whereas Esmeralda is very content serving with her grandfather and would not really want to leave him.  & jack is not the most dedicated, committed, trustworthy partner of all time, for all his good qualities. the first issue could actually be solved relatively easily in some happy ending version of all this, where jack gets command of some prize they take and esme eventually inherits venganza,  leading to the same partnership at the end of tpof just the long way ‘round. ( I really actually doubt Esmeralda would have any interest in serving under Jack, though he might be willing to serve under her. in multiple meanings of the word. )   jack’s faithfulness / commitment issues are ...  kind of at odds with esmeralda’s desire to get married,  and even if she tries to play off her jealousy / pretend like she doesn’t care,  enough is enough in a serious long-term relationship if he isn’t willing to commit to her eventually. but i think in that case they would still be able to part as friends / occasional fuck buddies, because they respect each other a hell of a lot.

that said, once he has his captaincy, his freedom, a cool girl he loves, who’s to say he wouldn’t want to marry her ? i don’t see them quitting piracy to settle down and play house tbh ( at least for a loonnnngggg while )  but the two of them doing their own version of a pirate marriage ? yes.  even some kids!  not to say that everything would be smooth sailing.  i think esmeralda’s temper would cause just as many problems as jack’s inconstancy, and they have very different views on religion, status, etc. but overall i think they’re good for each other.  and they would scare every colonial governor within 1000 miles if they were actually solidly partners, which is the most delicious thing.

[spikeinthepunch]

Penrose: Dawning- the dev blog

Okay well my game has been up for a few days now, and the Jam is over so yeah, why not give a massive blog about it and the development and characters and feelings etc.

again this was quite a feat for me, so to say. as small as the game is. ive been struggling a ton for years and years, so the process and experience has stuck with me for the last month.

The personal

If you have followed and read some of my posts from the last month youd probably seen me talking about having seen a neurophysiologist-- my appointments for that were happening for quite a while before this month but this month was the end of it. Aside from it clearly being a huge stressor in general, it was also a huge eye opener to my problems. Which yeah, include my ability to Make Things. Not art- but everything else. The listening & reading comprehension, math and memory I tested on being really really bad. And it was great to understand that now! but having decided to take on the Jam was a lot and well, even though on one hand i felt good that I knew my issues.... it didn't mean i solved my issues. Now i was just way more away of them.

So, I tried my hardest I think because I knew I'd always give up on this stuff. And well, my mood meds were still kinda helping. I think there was a different kind of determination despite the upset that some of those tests caused me. Still, I faced a lot of anxiety, frusteration, and upsetting feelings in the process because of how hard it was for me to learn even the smallest things. I won't go super hard on that-- I just want to appreciate the small community of Narrat for being able to help and clarify my confusion even if I'd often say to myself "ugh, that was such a simple thing! i shouldnt need to get it clarified two times over!" etc etc.

still despite the variety of emotions i faced i came out of this really thinking 'wow i actually made something' because literally all these years i have never realized a larger project due to my issues. so for that i can be happy.

The development

the process of making this game was interesting because obvious i had never put my assumptions about the best way to develop to the test. i could think all the while "ill do this first, this second etc" but until you start making it you may realize you gotta do something else!

the fact this was only a month long didnt really give me much time to figure out better ways to develop, it i was already a ways into it. so i came out realizing what i could do diffferent. one thing for sure is i know i couldnt start with art. its just not possible in general to predict the art i would need clearly, because even if i were to write a lot, i felt that making dialog branches was much easier while i was coding because i never knew how far i would want them to go.

but also, in terms of writing- i already write a lot and i kinda have my mental process. getting that to work with the game was tough, and while i liked how i wrote for this game, i feel like it faltered in the sense that writing so many bits of it entirely away from each other had my struggling to make sure i felt connected. like, writing on one huge document allows me to easily refer back and having it all together makes it flow well in my head. but having them scattered around code was hard for me to track and i was never sure if it all felt like it connected up well. i also think in general if i wrote most of the important chunks- stuff not incredibly reliant on branches/choices- that i probably would have written waaaay more too. its just a format of writing that is natural.

there isnt too much as i did in the game coding wise so i dont have too many comments on development process. but i know i would like to make games in narrat that use the typical features found in games like DE (as the engine was inspired by), like stats/skills and maybe inventory depending on the thing.

The story & design

i dont plan to explain the story in detail here (a lot of secret context it on my discord) and i have talked loads about trying to write the themes its tackled.

the main thing about it is just that i have never properly realized Penrose and well. I was facing a creative block this last month which caused more struggles. But it was harder with art- mostly design. coming up with a design is harder in a block than reading a thing that says "draw a series of houses". thinking up something new is not easy. and my head also gets very stuck up in "if you design this and draw it, you can never change it".

Eden was pulled from my old unused RP character, Eden Creature, and so i was able to base her off something already. even so making anything at all was hard- even for Mick who already existed. I really didnt want her and Eden to revert back into my old style because its just no me anymore but at the same time i do want to get something unique for this story. Dawning does not reflect what I want exactly. I like what i managed to do esp in working with my time constraints. but, its not something i want to keep doing going forward.

the story was WAY more condensed than i thought it would be and its because i didnt really realize how quickly approaching the deadline was compared to my work. but at the same time i am glad it was? i was quite ambitious with how big i wanted this "proof of concept" to be, to where i definitely probably would have gotten farther in the plot and realized i had no clue exactly what I wanted.

because i do have a general idea of this story but not like. enough. and so shortening the story hugely for this demo was actually a good thing because i would have had to write a lot more and also probably wouldnt have been able to explain lore well enough because of how little i understood my own world. and when youre creative blocked its incredibly hard trying to development of that world too.

conclusion

i mentioned it breifly in a blog post but tbh the most scary part is having it hit that i am nervous has to how people will take my characters. not in a criticism kinda way but just the idea that people just wont really 'get' them. and even just the idea that my OCs have been "presented to the world" in some sense. i do stuff in my own little space all the time and never think about what it would really be like to put a game on itch.io or even like publish a proper animation on youtube or publish a book or something. its different and its weird because i have always thought to myself that i want people to see my OCs! but then i put it up in a place where it likely will be seen and I am afraid of that.

its probably for it being a first time. and also i need to learn confidence in this kind of work i was so into thinking i could never truly make because of my issues. this was still like, very very hard to do mentally etc and i feel very exhausted. but i really dont want this to be the first and last time i try and make something.

[nickgerlich]

Charge Out Of This

It has been a rough week on those for whom change comes slowly. It is exacerbated all the more if the change is against everything you believe to be true (even if it isn’t). Just in the last two days, we have seen people come completely unhinged over a Bud Light beer can. It all started when a special one-off can of Bud Light bearing the face of Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender woman and TikTok star, was delivered to her.

Then Kid Rock entered the chat, trying to regain relevance by—get this—buying a few cases of Bud Light, and then shooting them. I’m sure the folks at AB InBev were quaking in their boots. Oh, the irony of spending money to announce your boycott.



Oh, and never mind that Bud Light has supported the LGBTQ movement for quite a few years now, and issued its rainbow-themed aluminum bottle in the States for at least the last two years. I guess some folks missed that one, and I am pretty sure that AB InBev couldn’t care less what Kid Rock thinks or anyone else. The bottle will return this year, and a tall boy version—circulated on social media—will be available in Canada.



But I can only imagine the laughing emojis once social media picks up on the fact that Walmart plans to install EV charging stations at thousands of its stores by 2030. Beer is one thing, but EVs? There are enough other brands available that a boycott of one beer is simple. EVs being foisted upon us, as the naysayers contend, is quite another.

Naturally, the usual red herrings will be offered as evidence for why this will never work. You know. Child labor in the Congo, finite amounts of lithium, fossil fuels used to produce and deliver EVs, how well EVs perform in the cold, etc. Instead, they should be focusing on the real issues, which have always been range anxiety, price, and access to charging stations.



And it is the latter that Walmart is trying to help solve. Since Walmart’s stores are within 10 miles of 90% of the US population, these plans are huge. Of course, you would still need a Walmart app while traveling to know when you’re nearing one (especially if you really need one!).

I have said before that I am a believer in EVs at least in principle, but not just yet in terms of practicality. I need to be able to drive 750-800 miles in a day (that’s my upper limit now that I have gotten a little older), and I do not want to be fretting about charging stations, how far I can go on a charge, and how long it will take to get that charge. Put simply, I don’t fancy unexpected downtime.

But things are getting better, as evidenced by Walmart’s move, as well as news this week of a forthcoming Dodge Ram EV truck that has a range of 500 miles. Now we’re talking, and if they could put that in a van, we might just have a conversation starter.

While I applaud Walmart’s move, I am still scratching my head a bit, because their target market is among the least likely ever to buy an EV. Unless, of course, they live in California and have no choice. I agree that it is going to take commitments from heavy hitters like Walmart to help usher in the EV revolution, but the folks stopping for a quick charge may very well not be Walmart shoppers.



Then again, that may also be part of a complex marketing plan, because what else are you going to do while your car is charging? Sit there in the heat or cold? Or come inside to shop? Yeah. That same thinking helps explain why Walmart welcomes RVers to park in the outer reaches of its lots.

I’ll be watching today for my local media to post this news item to their Facebook feed. I’m sure there will be more heads exploding. It’s as predictable as the wind is out here. And as in all cases, to once again intone another of my pithy statements, if you don’t like what you see, just move along.

Now if Walmart could just get customers to return their shopping carts. Ah, but that’s a whole separate issue.

Dr “Fill ‘Er Up“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[forabetterlifethanthis]

Hoping For Happiness

Today, I felt happiness. I was happy. I felt good about things. I was haplessly happy in a haze of happy happy hope. I know, I know. It won’t last, but the fact that I am still capable of feeling happiness betokens that all is not quite lost. Most still is.

 I haven’t felt this for a long time. I was happy because I had good news about my retinal detachment. I went to a private hospital to see the top retinal consultant in the country, and I now am facing the prospect of three months with no vision as opposed to perpetual blindness. Do you care about the medical side? Probably not.  So I’ll tell you about it. The retinal people I saw yesterday were fairly obdurate that putting oil in my retina was the only option for me. Which would solve the issue of having a detached retina, but would have the mild side-effect of ruining the vision. The wonderful consultant I saw today gave me a different opinion. She thinks the detachment may be able to be ameliorated with a long-lasting gas bubble. She believes the cause of the flashing is fluid I have in the retina which is rubbing on the detached area and causing my brain to not know how to interpret the light signals. The idea is that the gas bubble would protect the area and allow it to heal.  The best part is that it would stop the fluid from excoriating my retina, and so the flashing should stop!  

 The feeling of relief that I felt when I heard this is indescribable. So I’ll describe it. I felt tension in all my muscles just melt away in an instant, and as if a big dark ball in my chest was lifted and floated away. Obviously, things could go wrong. But this was just that little dapple of hope that I needed.  I will grasp it with both hands and gobble it up/down.

 My surgery is booked for 12 days’ time. I am also going to be having my right eye operated on on the same day. I am very excited and hopeful that at least one will work out. I just need to sit tight until then and do my best to ignore the sirens in my head. They are very loud today. Angry and red flashes, as if there is a demon in my head that knows it’s about to be emancipated. The swirling lights are a lot more benign. I can live with them.

 Anyway, that’s good news for you! I’ll be in an unbloggable state after the surgery and so you will get a well-deserved break from me. I hear you crying. Crying hooray! I’ll also endeavor to keep these posts shorter. The last thing I would want would be to bore my dear reader. But after a scary start, my little conquest for better life takes its first few tentative steps forwards. It will be a sinuous and vertiginous road, but one with an ending.  Knowing that and living by it gives me so much strength. That may sound warped to you, but it gives me and my fragile mind a nice sense of equanimity. Even if I’m talking to myself more than anyone, it feels good to me.

 I recall hearing somewhere, “where there is love, there is hope”.  I personally find it a lot easier to love when I have hope. I know that I am loved by many. This will be the oddest gripe you will hear, but I do find this difficult. I feel like I am under pressure to get better, and if I don’t, then I am letting them down.  I suppose one advantage of being unloved is not having to meet the expectations of those that love you.  People say that family and close friends will/should love you unconditionally. I think this is true to a degree, but I do feel from my experiences that they don’t want to talk about the negative parts of life.  We like to focus on the good things and happy moments and the prospect of future happier times.  This makes me feel like nobody wants to hear about my problems. Sometimes I want to scream to someone that everything is really shit right now and for them to just agree with me. But this engenders a fear within me that I will make people distance themselves from me, or get called “toxic” or “triggering”. All of which has happened to me in the past. Ugh.I really don’t understand people.  If someone came to me with their problems I would be touched.  Am I out of touch with people? No, people are out of touch with me.

[aonemanarmy]

Sephiroth was convinced that despite his weary state that Cloud would raise some form of objection to being pulled close. It was typical of the blond's natural to be rebellious and stubborn to the point of absurdity, so it came as a surprised when he didn't. When Cloud instead chose to not only allow it, but curl up closer to him the ex-SOLDIER couldn't help but wonder what was going through the other man's mind in that moment.

He supposed it didn't matter. Sephiroth was content in the moment with the way things were and feeling Cloud's body pressed against his own felt nice. It wasn't the same thing as their physical connection earlier, but it was the next best thing and it quieted his own urges to keep the blond close, almost as if he worried that Cloud would slip away. It wasn't something Sephiroth wanted to humor and like this he could also be assured that the blond was safe, even though he knew Cloud was fully capable of taking care of himself.

If he thought very long on such feelings Sephiroth would have believed them to be nothing more than a byproduct of his upbringing by Shinra. From an early age he'd been taught that he was a weapon, a tool to be used to serve and protect the corporation, and he'd been conditioned to fulfill that goal. So on some level he'd suppose that desire to protect something would remain and that instinct may have simply transferred over to Cloud for some reason. Well, that seemed to be the only logical reasoning for it, but Sephiroth didn't care enough to dwell upon the idea for very long.

Sephiroth was content simply lying there and listening to the soft sound of Cloud's breathing and the steady beating of his heart. He could've easily remained that way the rest of the night, but he knew that it wouldn't last since Cloud did still need to eat meaning that he'd have to break the spell of calm that'd fallen over them. Unfortunately that time came far sooner than he'd liked, but he accepted it as he once more met Cloud's faintly glowing sapphire eyes.

Judging by the area Sephiroth was certain that Cloud was right. This place hardly looked like the sort of establishment that saw very many customers pass through, so he did seriously doubt they had any of the fancier services other inns would've offered. So they would have to venture outside in order to get something to eat and that obviously raised its own set of problems as Cloud pointed out. At least one of those issues was quite easily solved.

“I do have another one of those items from that shop that can fix that problem.” Sephiroth reluctantly relinquished his hold on the blond in order to push himself up, his eyes searching for where they'd left their traveling gear from earlier.

Climbing to his feet he stalked over to the bags they'd brought and he searched through a few of them before he found what he was searching for. Opening up the packaging he then returned back to the bed and allowed his eyes to roam over Cloud's body, admiring the lingering flush of his skin and his general disheveled look. He also spot that there was some tears in the tights that the blond wore, but they were of little concern as he did still have several other sets which he'd purchased if they needed them.

“I will see to it that nothing leaks.” He reassured the blond, and without waiting for any form of objection he carefully pushed Cloud's legs apart so he could complete his task. “Just relax.”

Sephiroth looked over Cloud's abused entrance, noting with silent satisfaction how without the blond moving very much that there was a steady trickle of cum leaking from it. There was no real surprise there, what with how pent-up the older man had been, but it was still very appealing to see how deeply he'd been able to claim Cloud. With how eager his rival had been to request for such an act he imagined that the blond would be loath to let his hard work go to waste too.

The older man reached out with one hand to help to gently stretch Cloud while the other moved to place the plug against the blond's entrance. Then, with a gentle bit of force he was able to ease the plug inside of Cloud with surprisingly little trouble, proving just how much he'd been able to stretch out the smaller male earlier.

With the plug in place Sephiroth was able to see the gem on the base – a sapphire to match Cloud's eyes – which made it stand out from the other plug they'd had along with its increased size that the blond didn't seem to notice. It was a good sign that gradually his pet would be able to handle bigger toys soon enough, but for now the plug would do and it would help keep Cloud from having any accidents when they went out to the diner. Now all there was left to do was to get the blond cleaned up a little before they set out.

“There we are, now you can move without worrying about that.”

kyouminaine​:

Keep reading

[agent-whiskeys-sweetheart]

Knight In Shining Denim

Pairing: Eddie Munson x F!Reader

Summary: When your little brother Dustin asks for a favor, you hadn't expected this. Helping your crush Eddie Munson hide from the authorities. Unable to say no, you help Hawkins' local freak stay out of trouble. Little did you know the two of you would get along so well. 

Warnings: Flirtatious Eddie, just fluff. 

A/N: Look, Eddie is not normally my type but I just love him so much. Since me and my gf just got done with Stranger Things I had to pay tribute to my favorite character. 

You knew that this was going to be your year. Life in Hawkins had been bizarre for a while now. It wasn’t until last year that Dustin and his friends finally told you about what was going on. It had taken a great deal of convincing but eventually you accepted the reality that there were monsters in your sleepy little town. You had been there the night of the “mall fire” but you knew that’s not what it really was. What it really was was something you couldn’t put into words. All you knew is that you had helped save the world. As great a sensation as that was, you were ready for your life to get back on track. And everything was going extremely well. You were getting ready to go away to college, you were going to be moving out of your parent’s house, you had a good group of friends. Everything was shaping up to be a totally normal year for the first time in a long time. The only thing standing in your way was Eddie Munson. 

Ever since your little brother Dustin had joined the Hellfire Club you had been unable to escape the man. Your crush on Eddie had persisted for near on a year now. No matter what you did, you couldn’t rid yourself of your feelings for him. The problem was that he didn’t know you even existed. You hadn’t quite gathered up the courage to ask him out yet. Not to mention a relationship with Eddie Munson probably wouldn’t end the way you wanted it to. It was best to just stay away from him. However, that didn’t stop your crush.

Despite the one hiccup, your year had been smooth sailing. That was until there was a knock on your door one fateful Saturday. You’d made plans that day with a few of your friends. Little did you know you wouldn’t be able to follow through. Dragging yourself out of your desk chair, you opened your bedroom door. Immediately you knew something was amiss when you saw who was standing on the other side. It was Dustin, Steve, Robin, Nancy, and Max all blinking up at you with fake smiles. Something was definitely wrong. 

“What is this, Dusty?” You started warily. 

“May we come in?” 

“Are you gonna go away if I say no?” 

“No.” You heaved a sigh. 

“Come in then.” The group shuffled into your bedroom, all standing and sitting in various positions yet all turning to face you. 

“So,” Dustin began. “You remember all that crazy stuff that happened last year. You know that all of it is real. I am asking you now to remember those things you saw and hold onto that belief.” 

“Okay...” You drew out the word cautiously. 

“There’s another monster. Like the one in the mall. His name is Vecna. He curses people’s minds. Prays on their trauma and fear until there is nothing left of them. Real nasty son of a bitch. We have a chance to stop him but in order to do that, we need your help.” As much as you knew you should probably disregard everything he said, something in you knew to believe him almost immediately.

“Okay.” You said again, less reserved now. 

“Problem is we’ve got another little issue on our hands and we don’t have enough people to take care of it. We’ve got to save Max which means we need you to help solve our other issue. Is that something you can do?” Dustin asked you optimistically. 

“It depends on the favor.” Dustin looked around at the others and sighed before readjusting in his seat just slightly. 

“Look, you know how Chrissy and Fred mysteriously died? Well the police have a suspect in mind but we know it’s not this person. It’s really Vecna. So we need someone to help protect this person from the authorities until we can prove his innocence.” Something told you that Dustin was hiding some bigger truth from you.

“Who is it Dusty?” He took one last breath. 

“It’s Eddie.” A blush immediately crept onto your cheeks. 

“What? I can’t do that!” You blurt out, bringing a hand to your cheek to try and hide the deep red color. 

“Come on Y/N! You have to! I know it won’t be easy,” This he whispered to you, knowing the truth about your crush on Eddie. You had told him in an attempt to strengthen your sibling trust. “But you’ve got to! We really need you.” 

“Why me?”

“You’re the only one we can trust.” You stopped a moment. 

“You said that you all had to save Max. If I don’t do this what’s gonna happen to her?” They all exchanged uneasy glances at each other, avoiding Max’s eyes. Max seemed angry before she piped up.

“I’ll die. Just like Chrissy and Fred.” This stopped you in your tracks. 

“Oh God Max. I had no idea. I’m really sorry.” You searched her eyes but she avoided your gaze, the room now tense and quiet. “Of course I’ll do it. If this will help save Max then of course I’ll do it.” 

“Thank you!” Dustin blurted out, jumping out of his chair. The others all stood as well, crowding around to offer their thanks. Once Max had walked close enough to you, you put an arm on her shoulder. She offered you an uneasy smile in return before looking away again. 

“You owe me though Dusty. Big time.” You thought for a moment. “I want tv privileges for one, no, two months.” 

“Two months! But the new season of--” Before he could finish his thought Steve elbowed him in the side. 

“Yeah okay. Two months. It’s a deal.” He said dejectedly before shaking your hand. You nodded, smiling down at him.   

“Alright then. Take me to him.” 

“One thing I should tell you. Eddie is kind of sort of freaking out. He was the one that saw Chrissy die. He’s pretty spooked over it.”

“Okay. Thanks for telling me.” Was all you said and with that, they led the way out to the cars in the driveway. Nancy pulled out and you followed her for what felt like forever until you were pulling up in front of a one story house that seemed well enough put together. The other car full of people got out and you did the same. Dustin gestured to the back of the house and you followed him to a large shed which was out of sight. As you maneuvered through the grass you tried to stop your mind from wandering. You were going to be alone with Eddie for who knew how long until they’d finished their mission. Alone. With Eddie. You needed to snap out of it. Shaking yourself back to reality you arrived at the door of the shed. 

Dustin didn’t knock. He simply opened the door. When you stepped inside you saw a flash of movement towards the back corner. Once your eyes had adjusted to the dimly lit room you realized that it was Eddie who had flung himself to safety. “Eddie it’s us!” Dustin said loudly, throwing his arms up in an attempt to seem less frightening. 

“God Henderson don’t you ever knock?” He shouted, brushing himself off as he stood to his full height. He looked just as good as he always did. His curly hair was perfectly unkempt. He wore his Hellfire Club shirt with a leather jacket over it. His jeans, you noticed, were extra tight today. You sunk towards the back of the group, trying to hide from him. He stalked closer, walking over various piles of junk. 

“Good to see you Henderson. Wheeler. Others.” He took another step closer and locked eyes with you. “And Henderson’s sister?” This made you pause a moment. He knew you. 

“You know who I am?” You couldn’t help but ask. 

“Of course I do. Henderson here talks about you all the time.” He steps so close that he’s only a few inches away now, one hand on his hip as he examines you closely. “Don’t worry. All good things.” There was amusement in his voice, as if he was pleased with what he saw. 

“Okay, back up man. Just listen to us.” Dustin chimed in, causing your nostrils to flare in frustration. “Y/N is going to stay with you until we help Max. She’ll go get you food, she’ll keep you company. She’s got your back.” Eddie turned back around to face you.

“Well, well, well. My knight in shining denim.” He said, a hand skimming the collar of the denim jacket you were wearing. This made you blush nervously as you accepted his touch. 

"Dude, come on." Dustin complained, trying to stop Eddie's obvious advances. "Are you guys gonna be okay here?"

"Dustin, we'll be fine," You chimed in, standing up taller. "We're both adults." This you directed to Eddie who smiled wickedly.

"Yes we are." He replied, tongue tracing his bottom lip.

"Okay. Gross. We're leaving now." Dustin chimed in, gathering the group and making their way to the door. "Eddie just," Dustin stopped, turning to the two of you who had moved to the center of the room. "Don't boink my sister?" At this Eddie let out a guttural laugh.

"You worry too much Henderson. Now go save the world." Dustin looked uneasy but didn't say another word as he followed the others out. Now it was just you and Eddie alone in the dimly lit room. The smile had not left his face as he studied you, taking in the sight of you. It was impossible not to blush as you stood under the scrutiny of his gaze. Clearing your throat you stepped away, examining your new living quarters. It really wasn't much to look at but in the grand scheme of things you didn't mind. You'd never heard of a mission to save the world that included staying at a five star hotel. When you turned back around Eddie's eyes had not left your figure.

"When Dustin told me he had an older sister, you are not what I pictured." Eddie started, beginning to circle you like a lion circling its prey. "You are a total babe." When he said this you inhaled just a bit too hard and began choking on air. You coughed and spluttered for a moment before catching your breath. "You good?" He said with a smile and you nodded, red faced and embarrassed. As few interactions as you'd had with Eddie you'd never thought him to be so flirtatious so every word that came out of his mouth was like a jumpscare to your poor infatuated heart. "What's the matter? Not used to having freaky boys say nice things to you?"

"More like not used to anyone saying nice things to me." You teased.

"Oh come on. A knock out like you doesn't get compliments? I'm hurt that you'd lie to me like that."

"I'm not lying!" You tried to defend yourself before realizing that you're defending the fact that nobody likes you. Eddie must have sensed your sudden sadness because his tone became more sincere.

"Well I'm glad to be the first." He said, eyes falling to his feet. Suddenly reality came crashing down as you realized there was so much you needed to do now that you'd taken on this odd mission.

"Hey, sorry to leave you so soon but I've gotta make some phone calls. Is there a phone in the main house?" You ask him. When he confirms that there is you step outside and head into the house. The first person you needed to call was your mom. You told her that you'd be staying with some friends for a while and she simply told you to have a good time, just as you expected she would. Next you had to call your job. However this particular phone call didn't go at all how you were expecting. You told your boss that you needed some time off but you weren't sure how long you'd be gone. He didn't seem to like this answer, telling you that either you needed to come in to work that afternoon or you didn't need to come back at all. You glanced back at the shed. You could see in through the window. Eddie was standing there looking all perfect and in need of your help. With a deep sigh you face forward again. "Then I quit." You said before hanging up. Regret flooded your body as soon as you did but you knew that it was probably for the best. You hadn’t liked the job very much anyway and Eddie needed you right now. You couldn’t pass that up for a dead end job that you could replace in a heartbeat. 

Heaving another deep sigh, you headed out the back towards the shed. Upon seeing you step inside Eddie’s lips cracked into a smile. He was seated on the edge of an old rowboat, watching you walk. It didn’t take long for him to realize something was up.

“What happened?” 

“I quit my job.” At this he stood up. 

“You did? Awesome!” He said, patting your shoulder. Suddenly he seemed to have a realization. “Wait. It wasn’t because of me was it?” 

“Kind of?” You admit shyly, not meeting his gaze.

“Oh man, what? You gotta get your job back!” 

“Don’t worry. I can talk to my mom. She’ll give us some money for food so long as I tell her it’s for a friend” 

“Oh, I’m not worried about that. I’ve got money. I just don’t want you to have to quit your job because of me. I’ll be fine.” 

“I’ll be fine too. Don’t worry about me.” You say. Eddie watches you a moment before nodding, sitting back down on the rowboat. 

“You’re a tough girl. I like that.” He said, eyes focused on his hands. 

“You have to be tough if you live in Hawkins.” You said with a laugh. 

“Yeah, I’m figuring that out.” He said, laughing with you. You sat down on the rowboat with him, sitting closer than you’d meant. The feeling of his thigh touching yours made your head spin as you tried your best not to move. “So, what do you know about all this?” Eddie asked, seemingly unphased by the feeling of your body so close.

“About this? Not much. Dustin told me the monster’s name is Vecna. That he curses people’s minds. That’s about it. I was there last year though. During the ‘mall fire’. Has anyone told you about this yet?” He shakes his head. “It wasn’t really a fire. It was another monster. Like Vecna. They called it the Mind Flayer. It was a giant beast made out of dead people. Real gross. There was this huge machine downstairs that was opening a portal that allowed the Mind Flayer to live. We closed the portal and that killed it. It really hated heat though. I helped keep it down by throwing fireworks at it. It didn’t like that one bit. Did the trick though.” You looked back up at him and his eyes were focused completely on you as you told him about what had happened. You were suddenly very nervous that you sounded like a total nutjob telling him all this. “God, I sound crazy.” You laughed. 

“No, no you don’t,” He responded, putting a hand on your knee. “I believe you. Why would you of all people lie about something like this? I’m just ... taking it all in I guess.” He told you. 

“I know, it’s a lot to process. I almost didn’t agree when Dustin asked for my help but I know my brother. I knew that he was telling the truth. If it weren’t for Dustin I never would have joined. He’s the one that recruited me for this job too. I guess I just can’t say no to him.”

“Well, he’s a persuasive kid. No doubt about that. I like him. He makes me laugh. He’s a great addition to Hellfire.” 

“What exactly is Hellfire? If you don’t mind my asking.” You watched him hopefully, wanting to learn more about him and his interests. If the two of you were going to be so close together in this little shed for who knew how long you saw it as a perfect opportunity to know him.

“Uh,” He chuckled. “It’s a D&D party. We meet at the school and we play D&D together. That’s really it.” He shrugs. 

“Really? Dustin’s never really told me anything about it. I’ve heard rumors though. Jason tells everyone you guys are practicing, like, Satanism.” At this Eddie busts out in a fit of laughter. 

“Look, Jason is an asshole. He doesn’t understand us so he tells lies about us to make himself feel better. That’s all. In reality, we’re just different than him. We have our own morals and our own ideas about life and that makes us freaks.” You nod, sympathizing with his plight. 

“I understand. I was the same way when I was in school. I guess I still am. I was always so different from everyone because I valued my grades and I didn’t want to party every night. I also don’t care about sports which didn’t help. That didn’t make me very popular.” 

“Standing up for what’s right? Even when it goes against the status quo? Oh yeah. You’re a freak alright. And all freaks belong in Hellfire. Welcome to the Club.” With this, he extends his hand to you. You take it, shaking his hand firmly as you smile at him. 

"Does that mean I get one of those cool shirts?" You ask, gesturing to the Hellfire Club shirt he had on.

"Oh absolutely. I think you'd look totally hot in it actually." He admits, leaning into your shoulder which makes you blush. "I'll have one made for you as soon as I'm, you know, not wanted for murder." At this you both let out a light chuckle. "Hey, I've actually got a favor to ask." Eddie began. He suddenly looked very nervous. "Van you go to the high school and pick up my homework for the week?" You watched his eyes, trying to detect any humor but there was none.

"Oh yeah. Of course." You say with an earnest smile.

"Thanks. I swore I was gonna graduate this year and no creepy ass monster is  gonna stop me if I have anything to say about it."

"Yeah. My pleasure." This time he returned the smile. "I think the school's actually still open for the day. I can go now if you want."

"Yeah, that'd be great. I'll be fine here."

"Okay. I'll pick up some food on the way back." With this you stand. Eddie stands as well, moving across the room to a backpack on the floor. He digs around before pulling out a handful of cash.

"Thanks Y/N. You're the best." Hearing your name come from his mouth made you smile. With money in hand you headed for the door.

"Wait!" Eddie called. He ran over to you and fished through his back pocket before pulling out a twenty and handing it to you. "Get yourself something nice." He gave you a wink and you ran out the door. It was all you could do not to trip on your way out. The thought of Eddie winking at you renewed your blush as you got into your car.

You drive to the high school, running inside so you didn't have to be away from Eddie for long. You asked the front desk attendant for Eddie's homework, explaining that he was sick and unable to come into school for a while. She told you to stay put while she made some phone calls. About twenty minutes later she returned with a stack of papers. You thanked her and left, heading for the grocery store next. You only looked for the essentials like bread and milk. It didn't take long before you were headed out of the store. When you stepped outside you realized that it was getting dark so you were ready to be back for the night. You were struck with an idea as you drove. You were sure it had been a while since Eddie had eaten anything of substance. When you saw a pizza place on your left you knew exactly what to do with the extra twenty dollars. Unsure of what pizza he'd like you ordered a cheese before skipping back out to your car, hot box in hand. The drive back was shorter than the drive to the school. You headed into the main house to put away the groceries before anything and then headed out back to the shed.

When you stepped into the shed your heart practically leapt out of your chest. Eddie wasn't there. You searched every corner but there weren't many places in the shed to hide. If there were any you checked them all. Frantic and terrified, you ran into the main house. Your first stop was the kitchen. He wasn't there. You called out to him. "Eddie!" Next you checked the bedroom, the office. It was your first day being Eddie's protector and you had already lost him. Dustin was gonna kill you. Forget Dustin, Eddie needed you. Filled with a mix of strong emotions you realized there was only one place left to look. "Eddie!" You shouted again as you cracked open the door of the bathroom. You were struck with bouts of embarrassment when your eyes recognized what they were looking at.

Eddie was dripping wet in nothing but a towel. His hair looked so perfectly shaggy when it was wet and his bare chest glistened, showing off his tattoos. The sight of him was almost too much for your weak heart as you stood there frozen. However you noticed that Eddie didn't seem embarrassed. Instead he seemed pleased. Amused. A wicked little smile curled up the corners of his lips.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-- I'm sorry." You blurted out, shuffling out of the room and closing the door behind you. As soon as you were back in the living room you collapsed on the couch, letting out a small squeak into one of the pillows as you buried your head. Now you were the one that was gonna kill Dustin. He had been the one to put you in this position and now you had witnessed your crush almost totally naked. As you thought for another minute you realized that maybe you should be thanking Dustin. You had definitely enjoyed what you'd seen. He was very thin, his skin smooth and clean. The thing that had really gotten you steamed was the small trail of hair that led to what was hiding beneath the towel. Just thinking about it now had you breathing a little more heavily.

"I take it you liked what you saw?" Came Eddie's voice. You sat up quickly, twice as embarrassed as before. Eddie still didn't seem angry. He seemed to be in a teasing mood, to your chagrin.

"I never said that." Was the only defense you had.

"You didn't have to sweetheart. Your eyes did all the talking for you." As much as you wanted to continue defending yourself you found that you had no response to him. You knew that he was right. 

"I'm sorry." You repeated.

"It's okay," To this he adds a chuckle. He walks over to you, sitting on the couch next to you and places a hand on your knee. "I think I've already made it pretty obvious that I dig you Y/N. So no need to be embarrassed. I thought it was cute." You were at a loss for words. Had you understood him right? He liked you? Did you he like you the same way you liked him? Or did he only like you as a friend? Eddie seemed to sense your inner turmoil because he spoke again, breaking the awkward silence. "What is that smell? Tell me you didn't get pizza."

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"Are you fucking kidding? I am starved and I haven't had pizza in forever. It's perfect. What kind?"

"Cheese."

"God, that is my favorite. Thank you Y/N." With that he leapt off the couch and ran for the kitchen. You shook away the cloud of thoughts in your head and followed him, opening up the pizza box for him. He happily stole three slices, stacking them on top of each other and running towards the shed. You closed the box and followed him. When you got there he was seated inside of the rowboat, eagerly devouring his pizza. You smiled, happy to have made him happy. You took out a slice and plopped down in the rowboat across from him. The two of you sat there in silence for a while, simply eating your pizza. After a while Eddie broke the silence. 

“So, I’ve got something really important to talk to you about.” 

“Okay.” You say cautiously. 

“To be a part of Hellfire you have to play D&D with us.” He said with a tone of mock seriousness. You scrunched up your nose. 

“I don’t know how to play.” You admitted. 

“I know. Which is why I’m gonna teach you.” As soon as he said this he hopped out of the rowboat and ran over to his backpack. “Now, I don’t have all my supplies but I’ve got some paper. That’s enough to explain the basics.” He looked through his pack as he spoke before pulling out a piece of paper and a pencil. You watched him walk to the middle of the room where there was empty floor space and spread out with the paper in hand. You felt the urge to join him so you did, sitting on the floor beside him. He glanced at you, offering a smile.

“So, how do we start?” You ask. 

“I’m so glad you asked. Basically, it’s a roleplaying game and you’ve got a character that you play as. There are a ton of different characters that you can choose from. The dungeon master,” He points to himself with a grin. “That would be me, determines the plot of your game and you get to play within the world they create. It's important for you to know how gameplay works. So you've got your dice right?" As he says this he digs around in the chest pocket of his vest before producing an oddly shaped die. He takes your hand in his own, turning it palm up so he can place the die there. You turn it over, looking for the highest number. Twenty. A twenty sided die. “This is just one type of dice in the game. You use the dice to determine the outcome for your character. It can tell you how much damage you take or whether or not something happens.” 

“Okay.” You nod along, letting him continue. 

“The higher the number you roll, the better the outcome. The lower the number you roll, the worse the outcome. Get it?” 

“Yeah, I got it.” You say with a smile. 

“There’s a lot more to it if you really play the game but those are pretty much the basics. I’d go into more detail but it’s already getting kind of late,” You nod, looking out the window to see that it’s dark. 

“Yeah, we should probably get some sleep. We’ve got a long few weeks ahead of us.” You realized as soon as you said it that you had no idea how long the two of you would be here. You just knew that you didn’t foresee things ending anytime soon. With a sigh you looked around for some kind of bed and didn’t find anything. “Where are we sleeping, by the way?” You asked him. He chuckled. 

“Good question. There’s an air mattress that I’ve been blowing up at night. Then again, it’s not very big. How about you sleep in the main house and I’ll sleep out here on the air mattress?” As much as you hated to admit it, you didn’t like that option very much.

“Sure. Whatever works.” You say with a shrug before gathering up the rest of your things and heading for the main door. Before leaving you turn around to face him, shifting from one foot to the other. “I know things are crazy and I wish it could be under different circumstances but I’m glad that we get a chance to spend time together.” 

“Me too, Y/N. I honestly never expected to like you so much.” With that he turned to start blowing up the air mattress. You wanted to stop him. To ask him what he meant. To tell him that you liked him too. To run over and hug him or kiss him or something but you knew you couldn’t. So you walked out of the shed, making your way into the main house. It was dark when you got inside so you flipped on a few lights before making your way into the bedroom. 

It didn’t take long for you to be ready for sleep. You slid into the strange bed, slightly uncomfortable with the idea of staying by yourself all night. However, it wasn’t long before you were drifting into an uneasy slumber. Soon enough you realized that it wasn’t meant to last. Your sleep was interrupted by bad dreams and restlessness. You tossed and turned, trying to rid yourself of the unpleasant feelings that were flooding your body but there was nothing you could do. You were doomed to your current state. That is, until you came up with another idea. Dragging yourself out of bed you slipped your shoes on and made your way out towards the shed. 

When you stepped inside it was dark and you had trouble maneuvering to where Eddie had set up his mattress. Unsure of how to wake him up, you decided to shake his shoulder lightly. He woke up with a start which scared you as well. 

“I’m sorry. It’s just me.” You say. He rubs the sleep from his eyes as he faces you head on, trying to make sense of what was going on. 

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” You contemplate your answer for a moment. 

“I couldn’t really sleep in that big house by myself. I thought maybe I could sleep out here with you.” He sits fully up now, still facing you. 

“There’s only the one mattress.” He says as if that will deter you. 

“I don’t mind if you don’t.” You say with a bit of a goofy smile, watching closely for his response. At first you are afraid that he’ll reject you outright. You tense up preparing for his biting words.  

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d actually really like that.” He says with his trade mark Eddie smile. You can’t stop the blush that creeps onto your cheeks. “You’re so pretty when you blush, have I told you that?” He inquires to which you just blush harder, taken aback by him. 

“No.” You find yourself saying. He begins sliding over on the mattress, making room for you. With one arm he lifts up the blanket so that you can slip underneath beside him. Immediately you’re struck by his warmth. He sends a wave of heat through you as you back up to his chest. Once you’re both comfortable beside each other you shut your eyes, already feeling at ease now that he’s with you. Before you can settle in for a long night’s rest he drapes his arm over you, hugging you closely to him as his fingertips dance over your stomach. 

“Good night sweetheart.” He mumbles in your ear and a shudder crawls up your spine. You mutter a good night to him and close your eyes. The two of you curl together like that until the morning, finding comfort in one another’s company. When you both wake up neither of you say a word about it. A best kept secret you both think. However, you wish more than anything that history would repeat itself because it was the best sleep you’d ever had. 

TAGS: @thisishellfire​ @magicchai​ @sunflowergirl522​ @lokis-army-77​ @ddejavvu​ @eagerbby​ @munsons-maiden​ @fanfictionworthreading  @rainylana @starbxcks @evergreencowboy​ @girasollake​

[raisengen]

For a while now I’ve been trying to figure out why I find Surtr Arknights so… I’m not even sure what the right word is. Entertaining, maybe? Funny? Reassuring?

She’s the best operator in the game. Almost everything we know about her is about how we don’t know anything about her. She doesn’t know anything about her either. Her scores are “normal” in everything except “excellent” Tactical Planning and “flawed” Originium Adaptability. She can smash through solid rock walls. She says she’s an Arts user. Her files say her power isn’t any form of Arts. She’s full of other people’s memories. Originium can store info and memories, but she’s barely Infected. Her sword protects her from originium exposure. We found her setting up camp in an area directly after a Catastrophe hit. She has an actual live magma giant that is never mentioned anywhere. Instead of “dying” she retreats herself. She’s a bit of a dick.

In gameplay, I find many of the “broken” operators a little bit annoying in some way. But not Surtr, why? Have I just been using her for long enough that it would be hypocritical? Maybe it’s because other gods take over an existing niche and then entrench themselves with a bunch of extra perks, while Surtr only really compares directly to Utage and maybe Skadi.

Maybe it’s because they started designing around her power. Maybe it’s Surtr’s hyperconsistency. Wherever you take her she does the same thing: once every 2 minutes you get to point a magic wand at almost any problem and make it go away.

Rather than solving some of the problems all of the time, which invalidates everyone else focused on those problems, she solves all of the problems some of the time. Maybe that helps, since it means she either replaces everybody or she replaces nobody. “I may not be able to kill anything that moves, but I’ll kill this one type of guy and I won’t give up every job if it’s not over in 30 seconds.”

The single operator most overshadowed by Surtr (S3) is Surtr (S1/S2), which makes it feel like a grand rediscovery when you remember that those skills are actually quite good, too.

Clearly it’s not great to have a single 6* stand out so much in a gacha game, but compared to operators like Corrupting Heart and Holungday, she doesn’t feel like she was designed as a money printer. No big event, no fanfare, no limited status, no banking on known popularity. You can get her on bought 6* tickets, and she’ll likely show up in the gold cert shop before too long.

For all the grand lore of Arknights, she’s not really connected to anything, and nothing connects to her. “Over here is our intersectional examination of various societies and their issues intermingled with multiple horrors beyond our understanding, and over here Surtr, she smashes things and likes ice cream.”

(Someone posted a while back the idea of Surtr getting an Integrated Strategies season focused on exploring her memories, which would be excellent for both Surtr and for IS, since it would recapture a lot of the specific good things about Fungimist’s setting/tone that I feel are missing in Crimson Solitaire.)

Speaking of the ice cream, she’s one of the few operators to get a designated favourite food that becomes a defining trait among fans, but there’s so little else about her that they can hardly be accused of erasing her character. The fanart of her is consistently great, too, with or without ice cream.

So here’s to Surtr, she’s everything, she’s nothing. You can take her anywhere, you can’t take her anywhere. She’s iconic, she’s a background extra. She’s all-important, she doesn’t matter. She’s our right hand arm-man, our confidante, our silly little Sarkaz.

[starlessea]

Move-in Day (Daryl Dixon/Reader)

Pt 3/3. Mini-Series Masterlist

Prompt: “If he so much as looks at you again, I’ll put him in the ground.” Requested by anonymous​, numbers #12 and #26 from this post.

Summary: Your ex boyfriend gives you trouble, and your current one sorts it.

Words: 3040

Warnings: Language, Violence, Past toxic relationships.

Usually, you were someone who preferred to solve their own problems. Whether it was stubbornly trying to carry all of your shopping to the car, back when the world was how it had been, or still trying to figure out where you'd misplaced that other sock - almost a week ago now. Even when the issue was a bit more serious, you would rather keep to yourself than ask for help. This time, however, you were left with no choice.

You felt the deputy's eyes on you, and nervously shifted your weight onto the balls of your feet. You were ashamed to ask him such a mundane request. The prison was a luxury in this new world; you had running water, your own room, plenty of food. Yet, you still pushed for that little bit more.

"I'm sorry to be a bother, Rick." You stuttered, and scratched the back of your neck shyly.

The man shook his head, but still wore a soft expression. He placed a hand to your shoulder, and you thought it was his own attempt to try and comfort you.

"Don't say that." He chided, but the look in his eyes remained warm. "We can sort something out for you, no problem."

The way he spoke reminded you of that night you'd eavesdropped on him consoling Daryl. He had that type of manner - one that could instantly make people open up, and trust him completely. You gave the man a smile to show your gratitude, and he squeezed your shoulder once more before removing his hand.

"Thank you." You said quietly. "It means a lot."

The officer hummed in response, but you noticed his gaze flicker above your head.

"I think someone's here to see you." He noted, his lips turning into a teasing grin.

You whipped your head around to see Daryl leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. He appeared to be waiting for you, but you hadn't even heard him come in. You thanked Rick a final time before excusing yourself, following the other man out of the room.

It seemed like he'd just come back from the run. He went quite regularly, and it had almost become a tradition for him to find you as soon as he returned. He'd always make some excuse as to why he needed to talk to you, but it was nice just to have the reassurance that he was safe.

As the two of you rounded the corner, out of view, you felt him slip his hand into yours - and you interlocked your fingers together.

"What was tha' about?" He asked, stopping at the end of the hallway.

He leant against the corner where two of the walls connected, and pulled you closer to him so that your chests almost touched. This seemed to be part of your unofficial ritual, too. He always liked to hold you after you'd been apart, and you always let him.

"I asked Rick if I could move to another cell block." You answered, stroking over the back of his knuckles with your thumb.

The man had his other hand around your waist, and he was so close that you noticed the subtle change in his expression instantly.

"Why's tha?" He mumbled.

His eyes were locked onto you, running over your face like he was trying to map every detail there. You tried to reply, but felt unsure of the explanation you should give. Daryl must have noticed the way you bit your lip, or glanced to the side every now and then, and you felt him rub circles over your hip to try and coax an answer from you.

"He's harassing me again." You finally admitted, your voice small and quiet. "Whenever I come back."

It wasn't often that you spent a night in your own cell, but every time you did, you'd find your ex linering about outside of it - like a reminder of what you'd left behind. You even locked the cell door on those nights, shuddering before you fell asleep like you could almost feel his eyes through the walls. Most of the time, he just leered, but sometimes he made remarks that left you feeling itchy.

"Thought it would be better to just put some distance between us." You added, awaiting Daryl's response.

It was just as expected. The man's jaw clenched, and his eyes flickered over your shoulder as though he was looking for someone.

"That bastard." He growled out lowly.

"It's okay." You reassured him, pressing your chest further against his.

You gave him a sweet smile to try and conceal your own worry, but he didn't seem completely convinced.

"Out of sight, out of mind." You told him. "I'll be gone soon."

The two of you stood in that little corner for a few more minutes, secluded from the rest of the prison as you enjoyed each other's company. It was rare that you got to spend a lot of time together during the day - which is why you often crept over to his cell when the night rolled around.

"Why don't ya jus' move into mine?" The man mumbled after a while.

You weren't sure whether you'd heard him right, so you took a small step back in shock.

"What?" You asked dumbly, and the man shook his head.

He suddenly seemed a lot more nervous, possibly out of fear of you rejecting him.

"Well, yer there every other goddamn night." He grumbled.

"Sorry." You whispered back, offering him a sheepish smile.

It was true. Oftentimes, the part of your day you looked forward to the most was slipping into his cell after everyone else had fallen asleep. You’d wait to be able to lie together in an entanglement of limbs, and feel his warm breath over your cheek as he drifted off.

You looked up at the man, but he glanced off to the side shyly.

"Didn't say I minded, did I?" He corrected himself.

Daryl seemed almost as flustered as the night you’d confessed your feelings back to him. His fingers had stopped tracing patterns over your waist, and he could barely meet your eyes when you looked at him.

"Are-" you whispered, before clearing your throat. "Are you sure?"

He certainly looked sure, but you wanted to check. Daryl Dixon was too caring for his own good sometimes, so you wanted to give him the option before he was stuck with you for good.

"Wouldn't ask if I weren't." He replied, more confidently this time.

You couldn't help the grin that spread over your face, and hooked your arms around the man's neck so that you could pull him down to you. Your foreheads were almost touching, and so you pressed your nose against his and smiled against him.

"Okay, then." You said, finally giving him that kiss he seemed to be waiting for. "Guess this is officially moving day."

You felt giddy as you packed your belongings into boxes. There wasn't that much, but Daryl was like a magpie when he went on scavenging runs - collecting any small trinket he thought you might like. After he'd asked you to move in with him, he'd left to go and inform Rick that you wouldn’t be needing another cell. He still had a few things to do, but he'd promised to come and help you carry your things once he was done.

You picked up a small, metal keyring and placed it into the box. It was shaped like a dog, and the tail wagged backwards and forwards if you flicked it. Daryl may have thought it was tacky, but after you'd told him that you liked animals, he'd come back from his trip with it. You laughed at the memory, before turning around to retrieve a pile of clothes.

"Where'd you think you're going?" A voice slurred, but you didn't need to look to know who it was.

He sounded like he'd been drinking. You wondered where he had even gotten the alcohol from - since he was too cowardly to ever tag along on runs himself.

"It's really none of your concern." You snapped back, not even glancing over your shoulder to look at your ex.

You folded a t-shirt in your hands and placed it into the box, but he caught your wrist before you could pick up the next one. You could smell some sort of spirits on his breath even from where he stood, and cursed yourself for not remembering to lock the cell door when you came in.

Finally, you looked in his direction - staring at him in disgust. You hadn't come face to face with the man in almost a week, but the sight of him still made you shudder. It was like whatever you had seen in him at one point, back when you were young and naive and just didn't know any better, had all faded away.

"Don't be like that." He chided, wearing that familiar smirk that never failed to get under your skin.

With his other hand, he tilted your chin up forcefully - so that you looked directly into his narrowed eyes.

"You always were much too pretty for your own good." He muttered to himself, holding your jaw firmly between his fingers.

The words made you feel sick, and you wasted no time in slapping away his hand. The sound rang out and echoed against the walls of the cell, and you saw that ugly scowl plague his face like thunder as soon as you had done it. You knew what followed thunder, so you took a nervous step back in anticipation. You hadn't wanted to give him the satisfaction of cowering in fear, but you'd done so on instinct - like it was an action well out of your control.

Except, nothing came. No harsh words were spat at you, nor did harsher hands grab you. You let your eyes flicker open carefully, and slowly dropped your arms from in front of your face. Your ex was no longer looking at you. Instead, his eyes were staring straight over your head - resting on the entryway where Daryl was now standing.

You barely had time to react before he stalked into the room, immediately positioning himself between you and your ex. He shot him a glare, before turning around to face you.

"Did he touch you?" Daryl asked, but it sounded more like a demand.

Each of his words came out harsh and gravelly as he said them. You suddenly felt overwhelmed by the intensity of his voice, and the stare that matched - so you looked away.

"Did he fuckin' touch you?" He barked again, even less patient than the last.

His chest heaved, and you decided that it would be best to spare your ex from Daryl's wrath - no matter how much you thought he deserved it.

"No." You choked out, glancing at the other man in the corner of your eye. "He was just leaving."

Your ex scoffed at your warning, but you had more confidence now that Daryl was there to back it up.

"You best quit botherin' her if ya know wha's good for ya." Daryl added lowly, and turned to face the other man as he said it.

Daryl stood slightly taller than your ex, but was more intimidating in a number of ways. Yet, the other man didn't seem to realise it in the slightest - and bit back before Daryl had even finished speaking.

"Listen, man. This isn't anything to do with you." He quipped snarkily, and eyed you where you stood behind Daryl.

You shook your head at him, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Nah." Daryl shot back. "She ain't nothin' to do with you no more."

Your ex left out a laugh, probably due to the liquid courage whichever beer bottle had given him. Sober, he definitely wouldn't have the audacity to meet Daryl's gaze - let alone answer back to him. This time, however, he addressed you as he spoke.

"Oh, I get it." He said with a smirk. "So this is the new guy you're fucking?"

Daryl didn't like that in the slightest, and you heard him growl at the tone your ex used with you. Despite how familiar you were with it, he wasn't.

"Going to move in with him after, what?" He continued, taunting you some more. "Two minutes?"

This time, you were the one to snap.

"Just stop. Get out and let me pack my stuff." You spat, narrowing your eyes at the man who you were once convinced loved you.

He seemed surprised for a moment, and took a step away - like he was physically taken aback that you’d spoken up for yourself.

"No." He countered, once he regained his composure.

Daryl hadn't put a stop to the confrontation yet, but you could practically feel the anger radiate off him where he stood - and knew it wouldn't be long before he did.

"Remind me how long we were dating, again?" Your ex remarked sarcastically. "Only for you to leave me so easily for some scruffy redneck who acts like he owns you?"

You saw red. You pushed past Daryl's shoulder so that you could get into the other man's face. No more would you bite your tongue where he was concerned; especially if he ran his mouth about the person who treated you so much better.

"You fucking hypocrite." You accused, through gritted teeth.

He took a step forward in return, and raised his voice at you in a way you'd almost forgotten.

"Who the hell d'you think you are speaking to me like that?" He yelled, and you could almost taste the alcohol on his breath from how close he was.

"Do you need to be reminded of your place?"

Then, Daryl punched him.

You should have seen it coming, really. Though, in that moment, you'd almost forgotten that the man was even there - so wrapped up in your own anger.

Daryl had stuck him square in the jaw, and your ex stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet. He hit one of the boxes with his elbow, and it spilled to the floor - scattering your neatly folded clothes. Daryl pushed him against the stone wall of your cell, and you heard your ex's back hit it with a thud.

"Daryl-" you called out, but he was too far gone to hear you.

He got up into the other man's face, so close that he barely had to whisper for him to hear what he said.

"Listen 'ere, ya prick." He growled, dangerously low. "You're the one who needs to be reminded of yer place."

He had his forearm pressed up against the man's throat, and you could hear him gasp. Daryl had his back to you, probably trying to shield you from the sight - but you could still hear it perfectly clear.

"She ain't yours." Daryl said. "Hell, she ain't even mine."

Your breath caught at that, but he quickly continued.

"She's no fuckin' object for either of us to own."

Those words stung you deep. Not because you disagreed with them, or because they hurt you in any kind of way - but because they made you realise just how wrongly you'd been viewed by all the men that came before Daryl. And perhaps, how wrongly you'd even been viewing yourself.

"But she did tell ya to leave." He went on, before his voice got quiet. "An' ya ain't gonna like me if you don't."

Daryl finally took his arm away from the other man's throat, and let him drop back to the floor. You watched as your ex pressed his fingers tentatively to the skin there, before looking at you in disbelief. You snorted, wondering whether he actually expected you to back him up like he'd always made you.

"You heard him." You said, ignoring his expression and looking towards the door. "Get out."

For once, the man listened to you. He stumbled out of the cell without even a second glance back. In the seconds to follow, you and Daryl stood in utter silence. He seemed a lot more calm than he had been, but his eyes were still fixed on the doorway in case someone was to appear at it again.

You slipped your hand into his, and only then did he look away. The man had a guilty expression, like he'd expected you to be disappointed at his actions. He was a little skittish, and quickly glanced away like he couldn't quite meet your stare. You lifted your interlocked hands, noticing his knuckles that were already starting to bruise.

Slowly, you brought his hand to your lips, and placed a gentle kiss there. It was tender - enough so to coax Daryl to meet your eyes and notice the warmth behind them.

"Thank you." You whispered, and you truly meant it.

Never before had you had someone fight in your corner. It had always been you trying to defend yourself the best you could - even if that meant appeasing those people who caused you problems. But, now Daryl had given you the confidence to truly stand up for yourself.

"If he so much as looks at you again, I'll put him in the ground." He said back, letting his eyes trail over his hand, which you held against your cheek.

After a few seconds, he pulled away. The man got on his knees and started to collect the strewn clothes from the floor, and you crouched down to help him. It was the simplest gesture, but it reminded you what it was like to be treated as an equal. Despite everything that had gone down, you thought that this moving day was one of the best days you'd ever experienced.

Daryl lifted the box once it was full, and held it under one arm as he walked towards the door.

"C'mon. Let's get ya outta here." He said, and you nodded in return.

A/N Reader wasn't dating Bob lmao, just wanted to use this gif. Also, I’m sorry I didn’t post this last night like I said - I wasn’t in a good place (but I am now!)

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