#Norman hates short-shorts!

[the-wizard-dipper]

Masters' Academy AU: PE Uniforms

Art by @okkennymay

[eeveelikessoda]

The Ink Demonth Day 13: Bow

“C’mon, Oli. You know what Joey’s like about his stupid parties. You look fine.”

They are all supportive friends that definitely don’t laugh at her when she has to get dressed up for Joeys parties (I’m lying through my teeth).

[ariseur]

i just had a silly idea – y'know how there's those videos of big dogs being afraid of cats for some reason? i was thinking of that but with megumi's demon dogs and his s/o's cat who can see them but is comically mean to them to the point that his dogs are intimidated lmfao

“what’s up with them?” your head perks up from the book you’re perched on the couch reading, megumi’s voice interrupting the woven words on paper and instead allowing you to focus on him.

his bedhead’s almost comical. you stifle a smile once he gestures to your cat on the floor, the usual spiked ends of his hair now fall flat as they bounced with the bop of his head. your eyes follow his motion. you tilt your head as you watch the small, furry ball hiss at megumi’s divine dogs.

her tail grows stiff as one of the shikigami approach her, head tilted low as their nose nudges her a bit. your eyes follow the red pattern against his white fur, moving back in a flash as your cat’s paw swiped at his nose.

megumi hums as he makes his way into the living. the scent of linen and tea tree shampoo wafting by as he crouched down next to his dogs, eyeing the feline suspiciously. “you guys are really scared of that little thing?” he mutters, rubbing behind the raven colored dog’s ear.

“i don’t blame them, she doesn’t even like me sometimes,” you chuckle, marking the page and closing the back with a satisfying thud. “she only likes you,” you sigh. you swear you can see megumi smile with the way his shoulders shake with an amused scoff.

the cat saunters back, waving her tail in the air as she walks back and forth — beady, amber colored eyes trained on the dogs. “such sass,” your boyfriend mutters, hand still petting the soft triangular pattern imprinted on the black dog’s forehead.

“as if you’re not sassy either.”

“shut up,” he huffs.

you snicker. you hoist yourself up off of the couch, crawling over to where your cat is while you try your best to not scare her too bad while you’re close. you scoop her up in your arms, laughing at the way her head is still fixated in front of her; the three animals having their own standoff.

she lets out a small sound under her breath as the dog tries to wriggle past the barrier megumi’s created with his arm, shifting it up and down to try and block his view of your sweet pet ( .. even if she wasn’t exactly so sweet, right now ).

“aren’t your dogs trained to attack curses? how’re they scared of a tiny cat?” you cooed at her, lifting her tiny body into a cradling hold while megumi pursed his lips at you.

“fire lies behind those eyes,” he mutters before you throw a glare at him.

you look back down at her. “she’s just a baby, let her live.”

“i’m sure it’s lived another eight lives and reigned its own terror in each of them.”

“megumi.”

𐙚 IGJHHGJGG i hate this.. side note but i’m working so hard on this one fic rn ( yes it’s the angst fic that i’ve been mentioning for the past week ) but i’ve been neglecting my followers w my posts so i’ve decided to post a really short drabble for now :(

𐙚 comment to be added to my taglist ; @chxlexauriana @seternic @kalulakunundrum @silly-norman @sad-darksoul @kasumitenbaz ( sorry bae ik how much you like megumi but trust after i pop this one fic out i’ll be back to normal w the gumi posts 😞😞 )

𐙚 requests are open — august first, 2024 ( 11:01pm )

[jacevelaryonswife]

Supermassive Black Hole

A duo project changes some perceptions about your classmate

pairing: Michael Gavey x fem!reader

warnings: smut, period tipical misoginy (2006 guys), loss of virginity, english is not my first language.

word count: 3,297

ewanverse masterlist

When a firm knock came from the door, a name automatically entered your mind.

Gavey.

Michael Gavey.

You imagined that he would come to your meeting eventually, you actually longed to, although you didn't admit it. That idiot deserved to be put in his proper place — which was necessarily below you.

It had all started when a duo project was designated by draw earlier that day, and for both luck and bad luck your partner was the awkward genius, and difficult to deal with Michael Gavey.

There was no shortage of adjectives to be used for the unstable dirty blonde, which was truly fascinating. He intrigued you with his sharp intellect and his eccentric personality to the same extent that he repelled you with his peculiar and almost aggressive way. He was quite a figure, although you didn't allow yourself to think much about it.

It was also not a mystery that he was a true Norman No Mates, which wasn’t difficult to understand since his social skills were disastrous. The memory of him screaming at Oliver Quick in O Week never left your mind, especially the sudden change of attitude when he lowered his head and responded to the sum that Felix's pet (as your friends called him) made. You watched the whole situation closely, with a lot of curiosity, since your tables were close.

After that, whenever he entered an environment, you wondered what he would do next. You never knew what to expect from Gavey.

He started fervent debates during classes, demonstrating unparalleled intelligence and self-confidence, in addition to a slight arrogance that made him look strangely hot. Obviously a dispute of nervous male egos originated from these discussions, which made you watch with veiled fun and irritation while remaining silent. You admired the way his brain worked for math, but you didn't understand how he could be so bad at dealing with other people.

Because of this, you chose to keep a considerable distance from the horizon of events that involved Michael and his complexity, and for a long time this worked perfectly well. Until that damn moment.

Feeling humiliated by the way that insolent worm acted when trying to take responsibility for the whole activity for yourself, as if you were incompetent and incapable, you immediately confronted him about such behavior when he went to your meeting at the end of the class while you collected your material.

"Excuse me?" You asked.

"I'll finish this by Saturday, no need to worry," he repeated condescendingly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you think I won't participate? Or did you just choose to pretend that I don't exist?" You asked with your eyebrows furrowed, posture becoming more imposing.

He remained silent for a short moment, seeming to analyze the situation (or the best answer to it, you couldn't tell). He wasn't used to being so reluctant to say what he thought, so it was a surprise to see him using time to devise something.

"I don't like working in group, I thought it would be faster if I did everything," he looked down quickly, running away from your gaze.

"I also don't like working with other people and I didn't even think about excluding you," you replied.

“Of course you don't.” There it was. The veiled arrogance that you so hated, present in most of your classmates.

Few were your STEM classmates, since your class was mostly composed of resentful boys who did not know how to deal with a woman without seeing her as a less intelligent object. Luckily not everyone was like that and you managed to put together a really cool group.

When all you did was send a cold and angry look, Michael cleared his throat and tried to speak again, but you cut him off impatiently. "When you're less asshole look for me again, I think you have my Myspace."

Who did that little shit think it was to treat you like that? 'Of course you don't' He was so fucking pretentious! And that's because he almost couldn't keep eye contact for a long time.

Pathetic.

That skinny nerd tormented your thoughts for the rest of the afternoon and served as gossip between your friends. Predictable. The way he acted was not very different from what you imagined about his annoying self-sufficiency. And even so, there he was, stopping in front of your door (more nerdy than ever) with his laptop and notebook in hand, wearing a blue button striped shirt, black belt and cream pants. He had a terrible taste in clothes, although they totally reflected his personality, he was curious.

“I'd like to apologize for my behavior earlier, it wasn't cool,” he started as soon as you leaned carelessly against the door.

Interesting.

You considered it for a moment, looking at him before turning his back and clearing the way for him to enter your space. "It wasn't that hard, was it?" You pulled a chair for him and threw yourself dramatically on the bed before sitting down to face him, already well established and looking closely at your figure. "So... I assume you've already thought about the structure of the project."

Of course he had thought.

He opened the laptop and exposed his idea while showing some calculations in his notebook, and you made an effort to pay attention to what was said and what was sketched. Obviously his idea was good, great actually, incredibly structured and cohesive with what the professor wanted. But you also had some ideas and would like them to be taken into account, telling you what you had planned. Surprisingly, he showed to consider your suggestions, even praising them — you knew they were good, but not that his ego allowed you to visualize this. You suggested a division of parts that would be meticulously checked in a future meeting.

"As you have already started, I thought about staying with the second part, what do you think?" You asked.

"It's okay, I intend to finish tomorrow maybe, I'll forward some references by email to you."

“Sure.” It was all very bureaucratic and direct. You sneaked up to look at his laptop screen before looking at what he was typing. "I have some of these books here, but I'll look for the others."

And without realizing it, you got into a big problem.

The freshness that radiated from him flooded your senses gradually, looking too long at his neck and jaw...

He had such beautiful features and aquiline dirty blonde hair that it looked so soft. And those hands... those long fingers... no, no, no and no. You (your body) couldn't be heating up to Michael Gavey.

But it's been a while since some fun... and you were at a suggestive time of the month. Maybe... just maybe... It wasn't a bad idea. As you returned to sitting on the bed, specifically next to where his chair was, you analyzed him as he typed the references in the email. He was not bad looking, no, quite the opposite in fact.

He was handsome, really handsome. And you wanted him. You wanted Michael Gavey.

You wanted to fuck him.

Fuck that attitude.

But how? How would you approach that nervous nerd?

Your mind struggled to develop an effective approach. You didn't want to waste time, not with the heat that spread high between your legs. You just waited for him to send the damn email and close the laptop. "Do you want anything to drink?"

“I'm good. I think we ended up here, I'll try to finish my part quickly," he looked at the notebook that was on the pillow, which you anticipated to pick up and deliver it, standing up in a false farewell.

"Sure," and as soon as Michael got up with the notebook and laptop, you held his arms, gently removing the objects while placing them on your study table. "But I don't think you should go now," you used without a more seductive tone while holding his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" He asked still, tense, looking directly into your eyes.

“Are you dating someone?” You asked softly, getting closer, leaning your breasts against his chest.

"No, I'm not," he answered the obvious, but you wanted to hear the obvious with all the lyrics.

Stretching a short distance from his lips, you asked: "So can I kiss you?"

That same look seen earlier was present again, as if his mind worked hard to find a solution to the problem presented. His mouth opened minimally when he took a deep breath, this time his gaze fell on your lips. "Why do you want to kiss me?"

"Because I fucking want it."

And then you collided your lips with his in a demanding kiss that took a long time to be reciprocated, but when it was... oh boy. Michael held your waist and tried to keep up with your rhythm. He wasn’t so experienced, but his lips were soft and pleasant against yours, kissing you with so much enthusiasm that it made you dizzy.

It made you both dizzy.

He couldn't believe was happening — and that it was happening to you. You... gorgeous, sexy and intelligent. You with a nice and phenomenal ass, who he believed would never look at him twice. You, who kissed him on the tongue and moved his hands to your chest and ass and smoothed the back of his neck and massaged his shoulder. He'd never been kissed like that before. Had never touched a girl like that.

What the fuck was going on?

With the deepening of the kiss you felt a hardness to press against your belly, inhibiting a conscious smile while Michael struggled between apologizing or pretending that it was not happening. Fortunately, you didn't intend to let that be ignored. Your hand slid from the nape of his neck until it reached the increasing bulge, gently squeezing over his pants, making him moan against your lips. You squeezed again before breaking the kiss.

"I don’t wanna just kiss tonight."

Fuck. He couldn't believe what was going on.

He felt that he would cum right there if your hand kept rubbing his cock.

"Are you sure?" He asked uncertainty, still not convinced that you really wanted him that way. It was so fucking sudden, one minute he was collecting his things to leave and the next he was kissing you.

"All the certainty in the world, and you?" You sang against his lips.

"I-" that would be fucking embarrassing, you would laugh at him, "I want to but- I never-"

Oh. It wasn’t different from what you expected.

"It's okay, seriously, there's no reason to worry about it."

“... are you fucking me or something?” He asked weakly, looking at your beautiful face with lust, seriousness and insecurity. You've never seen him so vulnerable.

"Of course not, I want you Michael, I want that, but if you feel you're not comfortable we don't n-"

"I want that."

“Are you sure?”

“I'm fucking sure.”

He felt a chain of confidence run through his body and leaned over to kiss you. You wasted no time unbuttoning his shirt, groping his newly exposed soft torso. Michael almost sighed when receiving your soft touch, pulling the blouse out of your body and coming across exposed and already hardened breasts.

Fuck.

He almost moaned. They were the first tits he saw in person, it was more than exciting. He held them immediately, massaging, squeezing, experiencing...

"Not like that," you held his hands gently.

"Sorry, I never-"

“It's okay.”

Your hands landed on the belt and unbuttoned it, continuing to unbutton the pants that were urgently removed by him while you discarded your own and hovered only in panties, watching him get rid of the shoes as well. Michael had little time to get used to your half-naked figure, since with a mischievous smile, you slowly lowered your panties and left it accumulated on the floor. He felt his neck and face burn and cock pulse with your vision, contemplating for too long.

You touched him over his black underwear, feeling him hard and big, making him moan.

"I won't last long if you keep fucking touching me like that," he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"So why haven't you taken that off yet?" You shook his head, teasing him, watching him almost tear off his underwear and show off his cock in all splendor. He was packing, bigger than you expected, all pink, beautiful and anxious. “You have such a nice body,” you kissed him lazily, anticipation thrumming through you.

Michael felt himself in the clouds with your body pressed to his without any layer of fabric, but a big wave of anxiety hit him when you walked away to get a condom before gently guiding him to bed. “Relax, let me take control,” no foreplay would be necessary when you were already wet enough to receive it. "Take a deep breath and calm down, it's quite intense, try to be distracted by something else," you adjusted the condom to its length and saw it almost shake. That boy wouldn't last a minute.

He followed your instructions and concentrated as much as possible not to cum fast, holding firmly on your hips but nothing prepared him for your wet and hot folds.

Fuck, not even the best handjobs compare to your tight pussy going down on his cock. He moaned loudly when you rested against his groin, staring at where your bodies connected.

You bit your lips and closed your eyes, feeling deliciously full. He was bigger than average and had a delicious thickness that you would love to squeeze on your walls just to see him have a spasm, but I knew it would be too much for the beginning.

"When you want me to move, just say it."

Oh no, no! He was sure he would end up there even if you moved. "Don't move yet," he replied quickly, "Fuck," he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It was terribly satisfying to see him all vulnerable and red, without the usual arrogance and weirdness, and even better to have him inside you (albeit for a short time presumably). He thought about all the things he heard about sex all his life in those long seconds, filtering out what seemed more credible and useful. Think of something less sexy. It was fucking hard.

“Move.”

“Enjoy baby,” you slid gently up, resting your hands on his chest as you started an experimental and slow rhythm. “Mmm.”

So damn good.

Your juices made the movements easy and smooth, leaving him breathless whenever he was balls deep. The friction generated by the constancy of the movements made you two moan and the tightness on your waist increased. He was a fucking vision with disheveled hair, half-open mouth and crooked glasses, all docile while he was fucked dumb. The feeling of power over such an intelligent man was as exciting as sex, causing a presumptuous smile on your lips when you leaned over to kiss his milky neck, rubbing your body against his.

“Are you enjoying it?” You purred against his skin, kissing him superficially on the lips.

He was in the fucking clouds. And you knew that. Little shit.

He wrapped your body to move his hips against yours. He couldn't hold it anymore, he needed to cum. "I won't last long."

“It's okay, baby.”

Your tits jumped when you started riding it hard at a terrifying pace. He closed his eyes and felt his balls weigh every time you sat on his cock, holding your waist, your tits, your ass, everything you could while you allowed it.

"Fuck- I'm-" he moaned loudly and released his load on the condom, feeling a mind-blowing pleasure that paralyzed his senses and one pulled into a supermassive black hole. A thin layer of sweat covered his body, illuminating the reddish tone that covered it.

So beautiful.

Coming out of the top, you lay comfortably next to him, supporting a part of your peso on his chest while watching him struggling to stabilize his breathing. He still couldn't believe that it had finally happened, and especially with a girl like you.

“Are you here?” You asked after a while with a fun smile, although warm between his legs. He didn't know if he was, but he replied with a panting 'yes'. "Well, because we're not done yet."

What?

“What?” He asked.

“Sex is a two-way street baby, and I haven't come yet,” you purred softly against his ear, biting the lobe.

"I don't know when I'm going to get hard again," he confessed. Well, his brain was working again.

"You don't have these long fingers for nothing, Michael, and if you want it again you'll fuck me with them."

As much as he was affected by a sudden one, his sharp senses were awakened in the implication of a next time. He faithfully believed that hard work would lead him to maximum success in his life, he could not imagine otherwise in this situation. "How should I do that?"

You purred, taking his right hand and guiding it to your wet center. "Always start here if you want to make a girl cum," you circled your bud with his fingers, enjoying the delicious feeling, showing him the place before going down to your entrance. "Start with one finger, then add another."

He followed your instructions firmly, sticking a long finger and pumping slowly. "Not so slow," you bit your lower lip, somewhat impatiently waiting for the development of a slow orgasm. You needed to cum hard. Taking his hand, you held your middle finger and attached it to your index finger. “Faster.”

And although inexperienced and a little strong sometimes, his fingers felt fucking good on your walls, reaching the sweet point that made your feet's fingers curl. “Keep going, mm.”

"Can I kiss you?"

“Yes.”

Michael collided his lips on yours in a kiss full of tongue and teeth, staying on top while he fucked you with his fingers. He was hypnotized by the sounds you were making, by the warmth of your body, by the taste of your mouth...

“I'm close!”

You couldn't believe that that sleeky nerd of all people was giving you such pleasure.

Michael got up abruptly and used the hand that held his weight to circle your clitoris, making your eyes close with the construction of an abrasive orgasm. He pumped faster, watching your body squirm and your back arch.

“Michael- I'm gonna-" your whole body trembled when the coil burst and a hot pleasure flooded your senses, holding the sheets and closing your legs with the strong spasms.

It was the hottest thing he'd ever seen in his life. And he did that. He made you cum. Michael was still very stunned with everything that happened, watching your figure before being pulled to lie next to you. You rested your head on his chest with a satisfied and tired smile, giving light kisses on his skin, relaxed with the post-orgasm fog.

“Did you like it?” You asked to break the ice.

"You've already asked better questions," he joked with a hoarse laugh, "Of course I fucking liked it."

“Mmm, I like to make sure,” you replied, facing his beautiful blue eyes behind the slightly blurred lenses.

Having your body so close (and with everything that happened) Michael felt his cock contract and a new electric current run through his body. "So there's going to be a next time?"

═════════════════════

taglists

general: @succnfuccubus @fan-goddess @kravitzwhore @partypoison00

ewanverse: @aemonds-fire @partypoison00 @schniiipsel @fan-goddess @arcielee

═════════════════════

thank you smm @solisarium for the help with this ❤️

[marksbear2]

Slasher Masterlist

Patrick Bateman

Dom S/o (smut.)

Unfazed S/o

S/o with an odd mental illness

Hate Sex

Short affectionate reader ☑️

Will Graham

Pet names

Obsessive S/o

Healthy relationships

☑️

Hannibal Lecter

Crybaby (Smut)

☑️

Norman Bates

Pushy dom reader (smut.)

Breeding kink

Peephole (smut.)

☑️

Stu Macher

Sex Headcanons

Photographer S/o including Billy Loomis!

☑️

Joe goldberg

Slasher reader

Famous actor reader

Meeting

☑️

Michael Myers

No Mercy (smut)

☑️

Hebert West

Bend over (smut)

☑️

Peter Strahm

Camboy reader (smut)

MORE COMING SOON

There’s some fics that I couldn’t find but will be adding.

[paper-starz]

i was so surprised by the lack of AUs in the My Friendly Neighborhood fandom! So, me and a few discord buddies decided to create our own! The Opposite Au! (Or the OPP AU for short)

its basically a personality swap with a few story changes!

(click read more for bonus doodles + character descriptions!)

NORMAN

Norman is THE BEST character on 'My Friendly Neighborhood' and he WILL remind you constantly!

He has like a bajillion fans and friends that are definitely NOT made up! Of course he has fans and friends from all over the world what do you mean he doesn't???

He's a bit of a diva... ok "bit" is an understatement. He genuinely believes that he deserves to be treated better than anybody else! He proudly displays a star on his door as a symbol of his supposed stardom!

There's a blurry line between fiction and reality for Norman. He believes his on-screen friendship with Lenard translates to real life, despite their mutual mistreatment of each other. Lenard is definitely NOT Norman's friend. (In fact, most of the puppets in this AU despise each other)

Incredibly overdramatic. He once laid down on the floor for 3 hours straight because someone ate the last chocolate chip cookie.

Norman is still very lonely.

JUNEBUG

Much more calmer and introverted than her OG counterpart. She would rather stay inside reading books than play outside with her so-called 'friends'.

She is the resident bookworm of the neighborhood, incredibly smart too!

Her demeanor is highly apathetic; even if chaos erupted in the neighborhood, she wouldn't even lift her eyes from the pages of her book.

She also speaks in a very monotone voice.

She still very much hates responsibility.

She and Norman have a sort of pseudo rivalry with each other, even though it mostly affects Norman. While others react to Norman's antics, Junebug's indifference to it annoys him the most.

Even if she's not currently reading books, she's usually staring off into space or thinking about something. Ms. Lilianna is not fond of her due to her inattentiveness during one of her lessons.

Has a horrible habit of sneaking up to people and scaring them due to the fact that she walks VERY quietly.

MS. LILIANNA

It's MISS Lilianna. Not Lilianna, MISS Lilianna! She is your teacher and you WILL show her some respect!

Miss. Lilianna is incredibly strict and uptight. If you so much as even breathe loudly she will get furious with you!

She does genuinely love teaching! She teaches math, science, english, history... but her favorite lesson to teach are RULES!

Currently, she has 874 rules in her rule book. Here are some examples:

22. No talking while she's talking, that’s rude. 23. No chewing gum 24. no smiling 25. no breathing too loudly 26. no running 27. no jumping 28. no laughing 29. no living 30. no screaming 32. no playtime 33. no snack time 34. no lunchtime 35. definitely no nap time. 36. No blinking more than once per minute! 37. You must sit at a perfect 90 degree angle 38. No writing with anything other than a blue ballpoint pen with a 0.735 mm tip!

Her favorite rule is rule #17: "Everyday is Teacher's Day!" You must give Ms. Lilianna gifts and hugs to show how much you appreciate her!

The most important rule is the "No complaining about the rules" rule! Or else you'll be sent to the principals office! Which is her. She is the principal, the custodian, the janitor, every and any faculty member of the school!

...Except for the Art teacher. Please don't show her any art, she will not understand anything. She lacks any and every sort of creativity.

Her favorite weapon to use is the classic ruler! Light weight AND teacher-y

Baldi's basics lookin' ass

LENARD

Anxious Dog Energy right there.

Poor Lenard is very shy and super self conscious. Like Junebug, he would rather stay alone than be anywhere NEAR people.

He has a bit of a stutter.

He is so anxious, that he's developed several self-defense mechanisms!

He will either SCREAM BLOODY MURDER

Or he will bite you

Or a combination of both.

Sometimes he'll bite for no reason whatsoever!

Lenard is TERRIFIED of being watched, especially while practicing. Memories of him being taunted and teased during the show's production still haunt him.

He's developed severe scopophobia because of this.

He will usually sing and dance in private. Though, he's not a very good singer nor a very good dancer.

GEORGE

The epitome of "I hate my job."

This George really hates being a taxi driver. I mean, wouldn't you hate being stuck as a taxi driver for the rest of your life?

After MFN got cancelled and the puppets got abandoned, George ripped out the 'T' in his taxi cab hat. He tried ripping out more from his taxi uniform, but stopped since his uniform were the only clothes that he's got.

He's now stuck in exitensial dread. What IS George now that he's not a taxi driver? He might've hated being one, but that was all that he's got.

He hates any and all vehicles with 4 wheels or more. All the taxi cabs in the studio are smashed, even the wheels have been taken out!

He still likes rats. However, it's mostly a "appreciate from afar" type of ordeal. The rats in the studio are vicious little beasts.

He once saw a puppet get too close to the rats. Let's just say that the puppet is now a pile of cotton fluff.

The only time he was genuinely happy during the show's production was when they were filming the Pirate's Cove film. It was his first experience of being anything other than his taxi driver role. He still has his pirates hook and he would fight you tooth and nail if you try and steal it from him

AND THATS EVERYONE (for part 1 ofc)

Thank you to my friends who definitely helped with this AU (you know who you are!)

Oh! And please click the images for better quaity!

[fullscoreshenanigans]

What is some of your favorite full score trio fanart?

Dear anon we will be here for hours, days even.

I wish this website would let you search multiple tags at once because I do have a fave tag (mobile version) but there's other posts in there too you'd have to go through (but I mean, I also love those too and think they're worth seeing lol).

I don't like reposting fanart for a variety of reasons, but some links and tag ramblings below the cut for some of them:

☆ "tire swing" by @notelectrictigerart

#ℍ 𝔼 𝔸 𝕃 𝕀 ℕ 𝔾 #I personally have an embarrassing distaste of tire swings but this... t h i s 🥺🥺 #like in the “NER in the Bird Cages” short story from the light novels Emma laments how Ray is never happy #and back then a lot of the time she probably thought he was being churlish and moody for no reason #so to capture a moment like this is... 🤧 #these are the moments that kept him going #also love the impressionist style of the greenery #and how the sun is filtering through the leaves and speckling on the tire #ty for sharing op this is beautiful

☆ Untitled by @tohmei

#this is how Ray sees them #him just off in the corner like #“I would and will die for you 🧡🙂🤍” #messin' me up lads #even if it's same hat lol #but no really this is gorgeous #with how bright the colors are around the two of them and their expressions #contrasting with how dark it is around Ray because he fully believes he has to shoulder all his burdens alone for years #and doesn't deserve to share in their light because of the things he's done #I'm always going to be emo over the emo son

☆ "I need a Ray-charge" by @uragirinoteme

#mf got shoujo bubble vision lkfjdkl #the most adorable and endearing lil shits Ray never stood a chance 🤍🖤🧡 #moments like these solidifying that everything will be worth it in the end‚ even if they end up hating him for i t#he might be biased but he just can't shake the belief of an inherent goodness in them #that makes them better people than him who deserve to be saved #I know I say Ray is a cat boy a lot and Emma's got the 83 face going on in the first two panels #but the way Norman is laying on him?? omg he gets the cat boy vibes/award this time #most contented cat on what he and Emma believe to be prime real estate |3

☆ Untitled by @vivithekid

#godddd I still fucking adore the soft tenderness of this piece so much #which is kind of wild when you think about it given how grey is usually associated with being dull and devoid of that #when it's the predominant tinge to a setting #but here it's just so calm and intimate with the fog and their proximity #and the way the pink and orange are overtly and subtly woven in throughout the piece #love it; along with the drop shadow around the flowers Emma's emitting to make them *pop* #and the details on their clothing!! #some of the pink is due to the cold outside sure but u///u #Norman tenderly placing a flower behind his ear is just...so sweet #he's treating him so delicately not because he's fragile or he thinks he needs to be babied #but because he deserves that kindness after all he sacrificed for them and he considers him to be something precious #(read: i am fucking emo) #and Ray's just stunlocked by the both of them because is this really happening?? 404 error lol #for a few seconds they can't even see the fog of his breath because he stopped breathing #the way he's holding onto that book out of shock but also as a kind of unconscious barrier because this is treading into new unknowns #and they're definitely not unwelcome but it's still scary in its own way all the same #for someone who relies so much on his memories and the knowledge he's read #(there were undoubtedly titles that featured romance at Grace Field but it's a bit different reading about it happening to others #and it happening to you)

☆ Monster AU doodles by @tempo-takoyaki

#THAT FUCKING NORMAN IN THE TOP RIGHT KDJFSAS #it is so rare for him to be the Person C in the birdsquirrel trio dynamic but he is so done with their shit #not even needing to look at Ray in the bottom left to figure out what he was thinking I love it #long-suffering; so long-suffering #also the lil crying one 🥺 with them nibbling on him with their little bby fangs 🥺🥺 precious 🤧 #“Emma doesn't need to do it she just thinks it's fun” #something something “Ray was doing it so I wanted to do it too” LKDFKLKJL #with Isabella and Ray being the only black-haired pureblood vampires these kids have ever met #makes me wonder if they're more inclined to pick up on their connection (combined with their enhanced senses)

☆ "🎉🦉🎂 Happy Birthday, Norman! 🎂🦉🎉" by @officersnickers

#Ray’s got melanin‚ Emma’s got freckles‚ they’re all blushing but Norman’s bushing the most out of them all #the outfits look like something kids would wear (also I'm biased and love hoodies so ray in a hoodie is gr8 in my book lol) #the definition of each of their jawlines but especially the birthday boy's #the details with the folds and shading on the clothes‚ the metallic shine to the balloons with their little crevices‚ #each of them having a candle corresponding to them on the cake that’s littered with little goodies #matching their respective hats that each have the others’ colors in their little poofs #the blurred confetti so we know we’re right in the midst of it erupting and falling around them #in this kinetic chaotic haze of love and warmth #it’s all what he deserve after everything <3

☆ kofi-request by @nekokat42

#can't believe they invented ot3s #← incredibly valid prev tag #love when people give Ray his shark teeth back love that cheeky confidence getting to come out in more relaxed circumstances #and Emma having the time of her life dancing and laughing aaaaahhh. healing 🤍🧡🖤 #love her outfit esp it looks adorable on her #and the way Norman and Ray pause to make eye contact with the latter mid-dance; beautiful

☆ "favorite genre of tpn content: WE LOVE NORMAN!!" by @pawphin

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #to go with the previous reblog #Ouran uniform vibes are still v strong for me lol #but no I love how genius boy Norman is all ? and subdued and slightly bashful in the middle #as if he can't understand what could possibly warrant this intervention #as if he doesn't have any idea of how much they love and adore him and would do near anything for him #We Are All Love Norman Fanclub indeed #love how you capture their personalities with Norman being humbled and finding comfort in their presence #Emma (potentially on tiptoe <3) with a steeply slanted delighted smirk on her lips as she leans in #and Ray‚ whose expression is so frequently camouflaged by his fringe and who favors actions over words when it comes to these matters‚ #not wearing a matching smirk but following her lead without a second thought in such a sweet and tenderly fond fashion #not treating Norman delicately because he's fragile but because he considers him someone to be treasured #as one of his precious two in this moment #love how it all feels so natural to them as they inhabit each others' space #everyone's already cited how gorgeous the colors are but I love how the purples & pinks bring out the hint of pink in his eyes 💗💙 #so many little things to adore that combine into such a soft piece #god tier trio tbqh; can't believe they invented OT3s

☆ "Go for it, Ray!" by @mari-lair

#when i tell you these three have me by the neck i- #im love themb #← prev tags... yeah 🥺🤧🖤🧡🤍 #reblogging again because this is still so incredibly true #adore the moments of NE together adore their individual moments with Ray #it took me a sec to realize Emma and him were holding hands in their solo one; so precious 🤧 #probably during the Cuvitidala search #Norman's cocky side coming out during one of their chess matches #to say nothing of how he's the queen and Emma's the king out of the pieces in the background; all the little nuances in here 🧡🖤🤍 #and then ofc Ray being all sheepish and bashful in the center #he loves them so much and is so grateful they exist even if he thinks he doesn't deserve them :') </3

☆ "DO NOT SEPARATE THEM!!!!!!!!" by @lemcean

#𝕋 ℍ 𝔼 𝕄 🖤🤍🧡 #still absolutely adore this set so much with all of them taking turns being the center of the hug #love how the pink undertone of the shading infuses them with an even greater sense of cozy warmth and safety #love the little leans of each#NE leaning in to support #(and overwhelm bc after GF he's still working on expressing himself openly re:  “selfish” personal wants) a blushy mess of a Ray #as Norman gives him a headpat |3 #Norman's got a bit of height over both of them so Ray has to raise himself up a bit to fully get on his shoulder #but it's worth it to see the normally calm‚ cool‚ and collected emperor adorably frazzled 🤍🤍 #and then finally how they both lean down to Emma's height to embrace her #neither of them looking tense as melt into her embrace and you can almost hear the thrum of contentedness radiating from her #stealing another Sae line but ough 's the good good shit #[Love for Emma is not measured quantities to be doled out in scarcity like it is for him and Norman; love for Emma is a fact of life, like the air she breathes and the sun that warms her skin.] #the accuracy #can't believe they invented OT3s

☆ "Specimen" by Jean

#hey fucking kill me (most affectionate) #this is still so immaculate I can't get over it #the way Ray's and Emma's black-to-white ratios for their outfits are opposites while Norman's is more balanced #a cooler white used for him to harmonize with his hair #set against the rich red backdrop to subconsciously bring forth visions of fully bloomed vida fields #so visually striking #the melancholic aura of the piece as they all bow their heads forward #playing into the tragedy of them succumbing to the original fate that was in store for them #immortalized in the innocence of their youth #(akin to the chapter 113 art with the line-up of kids in the present with Norman as he was at Grace Field) #as they're paraded around in their fancy attire for the amusement of those who want nothing more than to feast on their flesh #but oh the way the boys delicately hold their hands out for Emma's to slip into; that unspoken trust and unconditional love #“It's going to be okay. The three of us—Norman‚ Ray‚ and me—are together.” #that reassurance that they're capable of the impossible #as the butterflies and specks of light dance around them in a near ethereal display #very grand very beautiful #though ngl now I'm kind of wishing they had to confront the demons in a more diplomatic manner #along the lines of what Norman does with Geelan or something like Peter showing up at Bayon's party in Ch73 #but with all of them in outfits like these; alas </3

☆ From 約ネバLOG by だいすけ 1881860

#a twist on the spin with Emma being paired with a field though still having the brighter warm colors #while Ray has the night sky but it's being reflected in a dark ocean with some waves for a nice touch #and then Norman with an incredibly blue sky and oceanscape that looks like it could be from the Seven Walls #which is funny considering he's the only one of the three who doesn't go there lol #think the first time i saw this was in a "Dusk Till Dawn" mini amv #and it took forever to find the original source qwq #bless AMV artists who list all their sources either in the description or in a Google doc

☆ "Today on Tori traces animation: Kekkai Sensen ED ft. fullscore trio" by @stray-tori

#𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑬 𝑭𝑼𝑪𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑨𝑺𝑺??????????? #𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝘿‚ 𝘽𝙍𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙉𝙏‚ 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙍𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘽𝙇𝙀‚ 𝘼𝙈𝘼𝙕𝙄𝙉𝙂‚ 𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙒-𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙋𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂‚ 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘾𝙏𝘼𝘾𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙍 #spoiled spoiled the fandom was so spoiled by you Tori; taking time to share the individual frames no less #strong competitor for my favorite of your TPN animated works omfgggg I can't get over how smooth and seamless this is #the extra work you put into including Emma's bow #and Ray coolly catching Norman from his fall after Emma surprises him with that rush (because if that isn't classically her) #the soft expressions they exchange‚ the mutual bounce and giddiness in their step as they fall into that shared rhythm with ease #borne from their years of finding solace in each other's presence #but oh the muted layer of horror with your ingenuity of placing them in a field of fully bloomed vida #instead of just tracing them over the original's stage background #and to top it all off‚ it's them in their shipment clothes (and not just one or the other but both the manga and anime variants) #similar to that heartbreaking mania Ray works himself up into in the climax of the escape arc #but viewed from the perspective of if Ray had kept the secret or if none of them knew the truth of the house #and them unknowingly dancing along to the cruel tune that was laid out for them over a thousand years ago #alternatively‚ the more upbeat view is them dancing to their own beat completely aware and defying fate #and them drawing strength from each other #a la “If there isn't a place out there for humans to live‚ we'll carve one out for ourselves. Together we'll change the world.” vibes #fun either way though!!! have I conveyed how much I adore this yet? #ty so much for sharing and leaving it for fans to enjoy to this day

☆ "12.05.24" by @bercybbc

#OMFGGGGGGGGGGGG #you op. you get them 🤍🖤🧡 #when you need to let your Ray who is full of love and loyalty know that he is deeply loved in return #the way Emma's hand is on his neck to gently tilt him closer to her #while Norman tenderly holds his chin so he can place a soft kiss to his cheek #(Emma's other hand resting on his wrist‚ sentiments so profoundly interwoven) #and the relaxed tension born of fondness you convey with the shape and slope of the latter's iconic brow especially‚ <3 #love how you define his Adam's apple and jawline too; so solidly satisfying #and their strong noses? their hands??? the way they melt into each other's touch and reaffirm each other's concept of home #can't get over it can't get over any of it #I'm that one sped-up gif of the guy walking into the living room and knocking over a vase on repeat (most affectionate) #ty for sharing this is a great start to my day

☆ "The trio 💕" by @h0lymanteca

#oh. oh they is hold. #they is hold and secure 🧡🤍🖤 #thinking about how protective Norman is of them that he fully accepted walking to his death not just once‚ but twice #and once he got them back at the paradise hideout it's like this lol #I love the small contented smiles on Emma's and Norman's faces #meanwhile Ray is feigning indifference but he can't stop the blush from creeping up on his face as he accepts the embrace and leans in #him and Emma both safely nestled in the crook of Norman's neck #after thinking they'd never be together again with him until the afterlife #stealing this from you for the umpteenth time sae but #[If Norman had to give a name for the emotion Ray seems to be feeling right now, he would say: relief.] #feel like that's what permeates this piece with the content yet small tired lines around Emma's eyes #but tired because they have a moment to safely relax and breathe #and Ray's definitely feeling that too #aaaa so soft 💕💕

☆ "they were alone in the kitchen and Ray came in for a morning hug <3" by @h0lymanteca

#filed under RENarts that drive me crazy stupid #the pure domesticity 💯👌👌😩 #me whenever I see Ray not wearing the blacks and greys he longed for at Grace Field #especially when Emma's associated with the sun‚ Norman's associated with the moon‚ and he's associated with the night sky/stars #nice detail with that pattern choice with how he's got an arm wrapped solidly around each one of them #the sky and stars gently enveloping the two in a safe and secure hug 🥺🤧 #perfect with those aforementioned associations as well as in capturing their typical demeanors?? #Ray coming in quietly and maybe comparatively subdued in the way he expresses his love and loyalty #but it's imbued in his actions and gestures and Emma and Norman can feel it emanating from him #also in his matching blush u///u #meanwhile Emma is unabashed in her open displays of affection and reacts with glee to Ray's joining her and Norman #while Norman will sort of act as a bridge between the two; usually never reaching Emma's levels of expressiveness #but still being more willingly to openly display his affections in a gentle way #like here with the contented smile and blush on his face as he's sandwiched between them #(not that he minds as the one most prone to freezing; why i hc him as sleeping in the middle 90% of the time) #that lean back so he can see more of Ray and make room for him #and it's all so warm too with this palette choice aaaaah 🖤🤍🧡 #also that hand on the hip #Ray might have interrupted but they don't mind :')

☆ "3" by @yaboybokuto

#such tender kissies #love the gentle contentment with Norem #smiling into each other with gentle touches #the casual giddiness with Rayem #at least for Emma; Ray looks a little timid but the gesture feels familiar #the soft passion with Norray #Ray almost looks a little desperate reaching up to kiss him #their hands and expressions do a great job of conveying their different dynamics #they are tender #← incredible and accurate prevs #also love how the blush streak across each of their faces #leads to a visually pleasing asymmetrical symmetrical path for the eye to follow on a first viewing of the piece #love how OP gets REN

☆ "As I drew it, I remembered NER holding hands." by @vinokurinner

#wow can't believe they're married now #hands is hold 🤝 #the way they do it so delicately too‚ ah |3 <3 but especially the way Ray tenderly cups and takes Norman's? #Like bitch what?? 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵??? (utmost affection) #Norman's little bow to Emma and the way he's standing so proper with his hands behind his back as she's putting the ring on Ray fjdvkld #love how the comic is primarily composed of white‚ black‚ and pink to really make their rings stand out #they all look so dashing?? i love Emma's nontraditional wedding outfit so much??? #also love how they're balanced in the last panel since Norman and Ray both gained a head on Emma #and how she's got this officiating pose for the final leg of their exchange #good stuff great stuff

☆ "I just finished Promised Neverland soooo" by @vassssssssssss

#LONG-HAIRED NORMAN LONG-HAIRED NORMAN HOLY SHIT #i've only ever seen Sunny draw him with long hair aaaaah #m'guy close to pulling a Julius; he will never beat the Ratri allegations in my eyes #likewise Ray displaying the most PDA out of a trio pic is rare but not unwelcome #him with stubble 🖤🖤 i will always be on the hc of him growing a beard when he's older #love the choice in gold effects for each of them #along with the quiet‚ serene atmosphere as they all lean into each other and draw solace from each other's presence #built up from a lifetime of familiarity and safety #literally just used this a few days ago but once again pulling out the sae defending quote [In hindsight—it’s probably been true since they were children playing tag in trees, too young to know anything except each other.] #bc yeah kill me softly with that one #also tiny note like the detailing/strokes used for their eyebrows

☆ "compilado REN" by @7w7thais

#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH #ALL THE LITTLE SNAPSHOTS OF PURE DOMESTIC BLISS #AND THEIR RINGS FUCKING AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍 #okay i'm (ostensibly) normal and (slightly more) coherent now #Norman being tall and bulky enough to fit a little Emmita in his jacket with her adorable beret doubles the adorable #Norman as a Sylveon to Ray's Umbreon oh that's nice; also that the latter was willing to get into the kigurumi without much fuss lol #them doing facials together and 𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 that cuddling under the covers #with Norman looking pleased as punch at that behind kiss #adore the way you covey how they each carry themselves because I always feel that energy and fervor thrumming beneath the surface for Emma #girl just has so much love to give and makes no attempt to deny the obvious (nor believes she should) #while Norman and Ray are more subdued and reserved in their displays of affection but by no means does that make them less loving #the quiet reveling in the mundane (especially in that bottom left one with Ray nestling into the crook of his neck 🤍🖤) #further evidence Ray is a cat #that bottom right one of him and Emma looking so content |33 #special shoutout to the soft look he gives her in the top right he's in his element cooking is one of his love languages <3 #oh and the way she cards through his hair while he's playing the switch; they fit together so naturally after everything #AND AND Norman shaving the peach fuzz off his face and winding up baby-skin smooth (nothing less than perfection ✨✨) #while Ray looks on with a quirked brow of interest jkfsj #love how you play with the square jawline in the shadow while he still has a softer‚ rounder one #aaand I'm running out of tag space but as always love the way you get them and show your love for them; a patron saint of REN 🙏🖤🧡🤍

☆ "💕" by @7w7thais

#LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO #Thais I'll never be over the way you capture the warm tenderness between them #interwoven with a playful mischievousness and underlined with a delighted steady giddiness #particular like the confident‚ open cheekiness Ray displays as a means of saying “come on‚ you know you love me” #wrt to whatever he's just said #the repeated reverie at having that constant of home in each other's arms after everything they've been through #almost not believing it's real as they soak in the moment before the reassurance that it is with each embrace #and how they enrich each other's lives in the ways they challenge and inspire each other #making sure to live up to the sentiments of “I'll show you something cool‚ so shut up and follow” with something new every day #'s the good stuff 💯👌👌 love how that's all reflected in their eyes and body language #and the lighting for enhancement #also Ray's piercings yeees <3

☆ "pampering Emma" by @bakeddeer

#filed under RENarts that drive me crazy stupid #[woah woah woah hold up#THIS ARTSTYLE??? it’s so unique and whimsical and geometric but still soft?? like how?? #I love the glow and how both Emma and Ray appear to generate light while Norman doesn’t #it’s so SAD and so PRETTY #like op please illustrate a book or publish an art collection I would pay] #← realest prev prev tags fr fR #alt Emma is the one emanating light/who the light is centered on and they're both just basking in it #(“just” from their perspective with their self-worth issues </3) #her and Ray have glow-in-the-dark shoelaces‚‚‚even the president would be jealous‚‚‚ #110% agree about the geometric style it feels so jaunty and perfectly reflective of their respective dynamics with her pre-Escape #(though her cravat paired with her in a skirt initially threw me lol) #Norman being more hands on and open in the way he holds her and cradles her head as she delights in telling him something #Ray hands off and feigning nonchalance but very much willing to let her be this up in his personal space #and wouldn't even consider letting her fall #for him to treat her the same way as Norman would be inauthentic to all of them #thus we arrive at the caption (which is‚ gah‚ love how much is said so simply) and how they each do that in their own ways #love the grand cosmic and ethereal feel to this with the coloring and enhanced by the speckling and lack of a background #making it feel like they're adrift in a pure distillation of each bond #god they are fucking everything and this set is fantastic; sun and moon imagery unparalleled and immaculate

☆ "Stay" by @theamazincactus

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #the way this art still drives me absolutely fucking 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦 (most affectionate) #how they're floating in this black nothingness as he's just lost and adrift before they gently confront him #at first i almost didn't see Ray (</3) #but nope he's just got himself wrapped around Norman's back as they surround him from both sides dlkfjl 🖤🤍🧡 #because if that isn't the most Ray approach: to offer that silent yet steady comfort; that undying‚ unyielding loyalty #After the powerful declarations they give him in Ch153 #“I've decided that I won't let you kill yourself anymore. That I won't let you go it alone‚ Norman.” #“We don't want a future where you're going to suffer. No matter what result it brings.” #they've gotta be firm because he's so damn obstinate klsfjkls #but underneath that there's the very palpable fear of losing him when they just got him back #and this desperate and gentle and admittedly selfish (but they don't care and they'll accept the consequences) plea #that's so simple yet weighed with so much gravity to speak to the core of his soul and what he wants for himself. “𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑦.” #love how in the midst of all this there's light bathing them from above but not quite engulfing them #as Norman is just on the precipice of this pivotal decision #love how his eyes are the only blue in the pic to highlight how terrified and vulnerable he feels #(his soul is bare before them yet he continues to hesitate in returning either of their holds) #but Ray and Emma accept him in his entirety i'm fucking. love them so much your honor 🖤🤍🧡 #ty so much for sharing this op it's still so appreciated

☆ "look fullscore trio are soulmates and no one– NO ONE – can convince me otherwise." by @salsae

#Phil goes to Harvard and they are the proudest older sibs 🥳 #always love when people incorporate how even when they're older their family is still so v important to them #also cannot overstate how amazing and healing it is to see Norman so carefree to the point where he's willing to dance with them #(it comes as no surprise for Emma‚ but Norman? just getting to be silly without any pretense #after how meticulously he curated the Minerva persona to shield himself? aaah love that for him) #“Emma's living her best life‚ cuddling with her bfs‚ in her bf's jacket‚” #“watching weird (but cute) animal videos w her big giraffe phone case‚ let's just fast-forward to this future thanks” #YES PLEASE WORDS CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS MIDDLE PIC 🖤🧡🤍 #just. the pure domesticity and their chaotic arrangement on the couch. and emma being allowed to have hair below her neck #'s beautiful #“Ray is always in the middle for expressions of love‚ but when they're cuddling/in bed Norman is in the middle b/c the other two run warm.” #“Any other time Emma is in the middle” yes yes yeeeeeeesssssssss fully agree #(outside of the middle swapping around for whoever might be in need of some extra tlc on a bad day) #i love the way you get them sm sae 🧡🖤🤍

☆ "more full romo full score trio" by @salsae

#SAE WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS #just. fuuuuuuck i've said this so many times but i love how you get them #the pure adoration in NR's eyes as they look at each other and the way Norman tenderly tilts up Ray's face #meanwhile Emma is a cat personified as she arches her back in content against Ray to nuzzle up to his chin #even her face is scrunched up like one kdfjsd 🧡 #meanwhile the way her hand rests on Norman's‚‚‚🧡🤍 love how the aura around her ring emanates as well #and then the second pic where the boys switch off to making sure she's pampered nestled between them #and the way Ray delicately kisses her freckled shoulder as his fingers are interlaced with Norman's #not with a desperate grip but more lightly as they revel in the sensation of touch #(just love how you drew the hands but esp where the pinkies lay to convey they're in the middle of movement) #all to be expected from a patron saint of REN bless you for this bounty 🙏🧡🤍🖤

☆ "We'll show you something great, so shut up and marry us" by @salsae

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #I still love this piece sm Sae the sunbeams to bless their union and highlight their rings are immaculate #along with imbuing the autumn scene with a cozy warmth while using the contrast of the cool blue sky to make them pop in the foreground #the S1e11/Ch33 callback is nothing short of brilliant with how it was used to connect the three of them #now elevated by Norman being physically present beside RE it is everything. to me. #also will forever champion older Ray sporting a beard like his dad Yuugo :'')

[sighed-the-snake]

Gun LOADED!

Many people are looking to the bullet catch scene to theorize that Aziraphale is going to fake Crowley's death in the next season, but I think there's another compelling scene from S1 that we should be looking at.

The one with the paintball guns, from S1.

Norm, from management, has a YELLOW cloth tied around his arm, as does the rest of his platoon. Yellow is known to be associated with Aziraphale, and by extension, angels. But I don't think this manager is representing Aziraphale. I think he is meant to represent Crowley.

"I wanted to be a graphics designer," he says. "Design LPs for the Rolling Stones."

Crowley was a graphics designer, of a sort. He made beautiful nebulas. I also think Crowley worked for management and held a high position.

"But the careers teacher said he hadn't heard of them. So I spent 36 years double-checking form BF-18."

The careers teacher is probably God. I get the feeling people in Heaven did not understand or appreciate Crowley's cleverness, didn't understand his work. Crowley was more of an artist than a bureaucracy guy. I wonder if becoming friends with 'Lucifer and the Guys' afforded him some professional freedom, a way to get away from form BF-18, as it were. Maybe Lucifer was his boss and allowed him to do whatever his little heart desired because having a clever subordinate who pulled off such complex work made him look good.

"They couldn't just say, 'Oh, Norman, we're giving you early retirement. Have a watch, bugger off and tend to your marigolds."

The mention of tending to marigolds is interesting here.

The British have something called gardening leave.

From wikipedia, "Garden leave (also known as gardening leave) is the practice whereby an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll."

It's a sort of limbo period between leaving the company and no longer working for them. You don't go into the office, you're not allowed to contact your former business associates, but you're still getting paid, and you're expected to respond if they call you for assistance. Gardening leave could be a short period of weeks or months to let things calm down before you return because you screwed up, or it could be a prelude to getting fired, or forced into retirement.

Gardening leave sounds an awful lot like what Crowley has on Earth. He was literally sent to a garden to do a job, and he does not return to Hell after. He remains. He lives a posh life with a expense account and a lot of freedom compared to other demons. Furfur remarks on the unfairness of it. Crowley appears to be given assignments once in a while but otherwise I don't think much is expected of him - again, compared to other demons. We've seen the way they're crammed in down there.

(Why he's on gardening leave is a speculation for another day.)

"Well, if they want war," Norm says, knotting his RED necktie around his head, "we're going to give them war. Okay, guys, let's get the bastards."

Clearly, this is when Crowley in Heaven says to himself, "Fuck it, I hate these guys, let's brawl."

And then he turns around and is promptly shot in the heart by the RED team.

He staggers dramatically. He falls. We see the life leave his eyes.

Except it's a trick. One that Norm is not privy to. He thought he was dead as much as everyone else.

But Norm raises his head and looks, bewildered, at the bullet hole in his pocket. He's made a miraculous escape. It mirrors the age-old TV trope of having some hard metal thing in his pocket to deflect the bullet.

In a way, I think this is supposed to represent Crowley's fall from Heaven that he did not see coming, but with S2 and the bullet catch adding context, I think this entire scene holds more meaning.

The thing is, part of writing a good story is including echoes of your theme.

Every single romantic relationship in Good Omens mirrors Crowley and Aziraphale in some way (I'll write more on that later, probably).

Adam and his friends being reflections of the Four Horsemen.

The bookshop being an echo of Eden. The repetition of the "leaving the garden" theme at the end of both seasons, with S1 burning down the bookshop, and S2 with Crowley and Aziraphale leaving it behind.

Twice now, once in each season, there has been a theme of bullets, of getting shot, of miraculously not dying, and no one expecting it.

I'm pretty confident that in S3, Supreme Archangel Aziraphale is going to have his hand forced. He's going to have to execute Crowley for something he has done to meddle with Heaven's plans. And I think Aziraphale is going to have to pull a fast one with very little planning to fake his boyfriend's death.

I can picture it now, with Aziraphale saying something ridiculous to the crowd of witnesses like, "FLAMING SWORD LOADED!" to drop the hint, and the crowd sighs inwardly over what an idiot Aziraphale is, but Crowley looks at him like, "What the fu- oh, we're doing a bullet catch."

[jesncin]

Firstly, I loved Lunar Boy and congrats on the Harvey nom! Also wanted to know if you have any recommendations for stories (any medium, any demographic) that you think has a nuanced take on the intersection between race and queer/trans identity? it's really easy (for me at least) to feel pretty doom-and-gloom about the overwhelming whiteness of queer rep but no! the intersectionality we crave is out there! you just have to look for it!

p.s I really enjoy your approach to criticism and have enjoyed reading your recent posts. I genuinely think it's making me a more thoughtful viewer.

Thank you for the kind words on Lunar Boy and our media criticism!! ;0; Ooh yes! Here's my list of recs for QPOC stories:

Our Dreams At Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani. While race isn't directly talked about, it's still specific to the realities of being queer and Japanese. This short manga series inspired a lot of Lunar Boy.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. YA novel about a trans masc Black teen going through love triangle shenanigans and self discovery.

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar (this author does a ton of sapphic novels I believe). YA novel about two girls starting a rival henna business but perhaps?? Love?? Happens??

The Ribbon Skirt by Cameron Mukwa. This MG graphic novel is available for preorder now, and is written and drawn by a friend of mine :3 the story is about a 2 Spirit child who wants to create a ribbon skirt to wear for the upcoming powwow.

Sergius Seeks Bacchus by Norman Erikson Pasaribu. A collection of poems (translated into English by Tiffany Tsao) covering an array of genres and stories. Beautifully touching queer Indonesian writing, I recommend anything Norman writes.

These are harder to find but for more queer Indonesian film there's Memories of My Body (coming of age story about a Lengger Lanang dancer, Indonesia's drag dance tradition), Lovely Man (a religious young woman seeks to reunite with her estranged father, who is now a waria sex worker) Madame X (extremely camp queer SUPERHERO MOVIE about a trans woman fighting a violent hate group).

Idk if this is available anymore, but I adore To All The White Girls I Loved Before by Sarula Bao. A short comic from Short Box's annual digital Comics Fair (which I recommend keeping an eye out for comics in the indie scene). It's about the author's unflattering desire to assimilate with the white girls she had crushes on. Some pages are on her site.

Those are what immediately come to mind for me but I'm sure I'm forgetting more!! These are the ones that directly engage with the intersection of being queer and POC, as opposed to a character being incidentally QPOC.

[nerdysleepybunny]

(This is my first time requesting something) I was wondering if you could do a tpn X fem reader (separate ofc )wear the reader likes to play with their hair while cuddling ( fluff plz) 🌈- anon

Of course! Welcome to the clouds, 🌈 anon! Thank you for the request, hope you enjoy! 💕

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Fandom(s): The Promised Neverland

Character(s): Norman, Ray, Emma

Reader: Feminine (she/you)

TW: N/A

Style: Hcs

Summary: how Norman, Ray & Emma react to a reader who likes to play with their hair whilst cuddling

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Norman:

Soft blushy boy. <3

I feel like the feeling of you brushing your fingers through his locks and scratching his scalp is just super relaxing, so he’d definitely fall asleep.

Once he’s asleep put his hair in a ponytail (or, do the best you can with how short his hair is-) and see his reaction when he wakes up!

When he notices he’ll be like 😮😳🥹

He would tackle you but then he’s like “no no no must be gentle with my baby”

“Thank you princess, I love it.” AND THAT CUTE SMILE SKDHAJDNSBX

Many many smooches on both ends. 😭💕

I feel like Norman doesn’t get much physically affection so he absolutely melts whenever you play with his hair.

Just the cutest boy. Protect him at all costs. 🫶🏻

Ray:

If he’s in one of his soft moods he’s laying against you, then he just feels your hand touch the top of his head and he jumps. You think you hurt him or made him uncomfortable and go to move your hand but then he relaxes into you and pulls your hand back. 😭

Whilst you’re playing with his hair he turns to you and tries to look all scary and being like “don’t tell ANYONE about this” but you knowing him just smooch the look off his face and being like “sure”

BLUSHY BLUSHY BOI

Turns back around scoffing but you know he liked it. 💀

Don’t tease him though. He WILL slap you. (Then apologize over and over but don’t tell that to anyone)

If someone walks in or you tell someone about what happened he’ll go full gaslight mode, as a joke of course. Just denying everything even if there’s proof.

Ray: *looking at the picture Emma took of you playing with his hair and him blushing*

Ray: *scoffs* “What is this? This never happened. Something must be wrong with all of you.”

You: *trying not to laugh*

Ray, preparing to slap you if you even dare laugh: *intense side eye*

He likes the affection, just don’t tease or tell others. 😭

Emma:

HERE’S OUR BALL OF SUNSHINE! Quite literally-

She loves loves LOVES it!!

You two are so close that you’re surprised your bodies aren’t morphing together into one.

When she feels your fingers begin to comb through her hair, she’s giggling and leaning into your touch.

She’ll even reach up and play with yours as well!

Safe to say the two of you fell asleep lol.

She’ll let you play with the little strand of hair at the top of her head. That means a lot because she doesn’t let ANYONE touch it. Except you now! :D

You like to curl it around your finger to make it all curly. She hates how weird it looks but lets you keep doing it, just sitting there with a mad pouty face whilst you laugh at her face and her hair. 😭

Poor baby is just like >;( 🥹

She expects MANY smooches when you’re done torturing her.

You know that little braid Emma has in her hair in season 2? You either taught her how to do it or you do the braid for her lol.

“Y/NNNNN, MAKE MY HAIR LOOK COOL!” The girl whined and wouldn’t shut up till you agreed to style her hair. There wasn’t many options due to how short it was, but you finally decided a little side braid would look nice. She loved it so so much that she had you restyle it whenever the braid comes out. :D

She’ll literally be so sad when it came out for the first time thinking it would never be replaceable. She would’ve actually started crying if you didn’t tell her you can do it again. 😭

“Y/N THE BRAID CAME OUT!!"

“Calm down princess I can braid your hair again..”

“REALLY?! :0”

“Yes now stay still.”

You smooched the tears off her cheeks and restyled her hair, meaning happy Emma. :D

“THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!”

“Shut up Emma.”

“NO YOU SHUT UP RAY, Y/N IS THE BEST PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE!”

“Ray is right Emma, you are being a bit loud..”

“NORMAAAAN, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!”

“Lower your voice, Em.”

“Anything for you Y/N! :D”

Emma’s a simp lmfao.

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

The ask didn’t specify which tpn characters they wanted so I just went with the trio, but if you have any other characters in mind just send in another ask! 💕

[skaruresonic]

So Sonic 3's trailer finally dropped today. Any thoughts on it?

I had zero hype for this film because I didn't like the previous two and had no reason to believe this one would turn out any different. Lo and behold! ...it doesn't.

There's so much I could talk about.

• The shameless digging up of the corpse of my favorite Sonic game just to dress it up Norman Bates-style. Why yes, I love getting butchered adaptations of SA2 shoved down my throat. Keep 'em coming.

• The fact that the overly-furry aesthetic Paramount chose for Sonic and the other anthros still looks plug-ugly to my eyes no matter how much I try to get acclimated to it. In fact, it somehow looks even worse here than it did in previous movies.

• The fact that they ripped off a scene from Matrix Revolutions. Interesting choice, lmao.

• Jimbotnik continuing to register as "Jim Carrey in a costume" and not as Eggman.

• Agent Stone continuing to be a nothingburger of a character aside from being a living footstool for Jimbotnik. I thought everybody said he was going to be 3's main antagonist. Why is he even here.

• Jimbotnik calling Gerald "Pop-Pop," cutesy-ing it up for no real reason, when Eggman simply called him "grandpa" at most in the games. What, is his grandfather Mike Ehrmantraut now?

• The original game's "fuck the police" angle now being ignored in favor of maybe making GUN look like the good guys (what?).

• The fact that the ARK, an iconic location, is nowhere in sight is making me more than a tad apprehensive. Idk if this thing is supposed to replace it:

• This one really steams my hams: the fact that Paramount portrays Jimbotnik's weight gain via hateful stereotypes of fat men which the games do not employ in their overall portrayal of Eggman. It reflects a fatphobic attitude I could have told you was the case years ago judging by the fact that they cast a thin man in the role.

Games!Eggman is stylish and immaculately groomed, but Jimbotnik has to be a slob who dresses like The Dude just because he gained a little weight. Of course. 🙄

It really bothers me because Eggman is quite possibly one of the only examples of positive fat male representation I can point to, and they can't even let him be a little fat onscreen without literally exposing his belly with the intent to make fun of him in ways the games seldom do, if ever.

God fucking forbid he actually weighs the 281 lbs. he does in canon; Paramount would probably portray him like Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.

In lieu of being portrayed as dumb and weak, as is usually the case for fat male characters, Games!Eggman is portrayed as cunning, intelligent, powerful (physically and mentally), and stylish in a way that commands respect, despite whatever this Chili's says to discredit him. Eggman is fucking cool, and y'all are tripping if you don't think so.

• The fact that this movie is probably going to be cringe on the basis of its constant bathos-inducing insistence on making the characters crack mistimed jokes during serious moments.

• Doing a double take when Sonic called Shadow an "alien," possibly realizing that "alien" is the film universe's designation for anthros, then promptly short-circuiting and catching on fire. Can we not.

• Why does the trailer insist on making Shadow look like a wet cat? They did not deep-freeze my boy like they did in the games. Games!Shadow emerged from stasis minty-fresh, whereas Movie!Shadow looks like a newborn kitten yeeted straight out of the womb:

Disgustang. Stop that.

• The fact that everyone gives '06 flack for aesthetic whiplash but thinks Shadow looking like a muppet beside an irl little girl is fine, actually:

And the fact that said little girl may be killed just making dead Maria jokes 10x more uncomfortable than they need to be.

• They missed an opportunity for a fun visual gag by having the bathroom sign read "occupied" instead of "eggupied" or "hatching" (as in hatching a scheme. or a shit. maybe both, lol). Something like that:

They can pay homage to the Akira bike slide and the Super Burly Brawl from Matrix Revolutions, but God forbid we actually allude to Sonic games :v

---

...But most of this can be boiled down to "Paramount gonna Paramount."

All in all, I'm likely to continue my time-honored tradition of seeing the movie when it releases in theaters because deep down, I'm still a Sonic whore and subsequently pretending the films don't exist thereafter lol

[everettes-requiem]

Hello Everette! How are you, my preciosu child after that homophobic crisis ?I came here to ask for your opinions on Norman Alexander, Kikita, Ann Dwight, Michael6 and Nathaniel to draw you all again!!

love you^^

(kisses to Kuni too)

im doing, alright, i suppose. i’m doing as well as i can considering we’re stuck on an island? or did you forget? i wouldn’t be surprised, i mean with the amount of people i’ve had to interact with who seem to be complete and utter imbeciles who can’t even think, what’s one more?

well, i will say that it isn’t the worst. going to the shore and sitting under the shade of a tree is nice, if you aren’t being bothered by the littluns who seem to constantly be everywhere all at once on the island, like pieces of rubbish on the street. or sometimes when i go into the ocean water to wash off my hair it makes me feel slightly better about the situation at hand it… reminds me of how my mother used to bathe me. ‘hough, my hair has grown out since then and tangles easily, and the water is cold, and my fingers can’t replicate her tenderness. but, it isn’t good either, obviously.

there’s things to eat on the island, various berries and fruits, but god knows if these ‘hings are fit for proper consumption in the long run. there’s pigs too, but merridew and his useless hunters can barely even graze the skin of one. not only problems of sustenance come up though. with the failed attempt at trying to get rescued and the tension that’s building between some people because of not only that, but disputes over chief. the place other boys thought of as paradise is bound to wither as the days pass. civilization is going to go to ruin, savagery will unavoidably take hold. the island isn’t protected from the corruption of war, after all

my concerns haven’t consumed me however, unlike that one littlun. i believe his name is percy? perceive? something along those lines, i can’t bother to recall it. all he does is cry and mutter nonsensical white noise under his breath, it’s incredibly annoying. they can all have their frolics around fires and pigs, arguments over chief and meat. as long as i don’t get dirty and tossed about, then…

i pray for our safety, or at least my safety, every night. i hold out hope that we’ll get rescued because god loves me, so surely i’ll get some safe… i have to get home. i can’t imagine how worried mam must be. i pray too, for her safety, that the war hasn’t taken her like how it crashed our plane down onto this island in the first place.

but i digress since i’ve been neglecting your question, which happens to be about other people, again. fine, whatever. i’ll try to keep it short and sweet, but if you’re the one asking about my opinion on them ‘hen of course you should listen to me no matter how long winded the answer may be. people should revere me, after all.

ann dwight, i don’t know much about her except she’s one of the few whose belongings survived alongside her. she holds little importance to me, unlike how she does to the littluns. i often hear the littluns call her mother, or mum, and she does play the part. nurturing, caring, a maternal figure. she one of the only people who can soothe one of those things to sleep, or to stop them from crying. in a way, to some extent, im thankful towards her because god knows that without her on the island i would have lost my mind. i hate children.

im indifferent about nathaniel, he’s just a childish kid who i can’t seem to understand, not like i want to either. he lives in his own world, albiet oftentimes he bleeds it into the real world. he plays pretend a lot, one of the only things i actually remember about him other than his name because it’s one of the only things he does. he pretends that he’s a vampire, he says he’s a vampire, he insists he’s a vampire. it’s as if he actually believes he is one, it’s something i truly don’t get. why would you want to? why put up a facade of something created by the devil?

loud and obnoxious, ‘hose are the first words that come to mind when thinking of michael. honestly, i don’t want him to even cross my mind because he’s just that loud and obnoxious. it’s as if i can hear his voice shouting in my head, which could very well actually be him shouting from across the island. no one even knows where he came from, he appeared at random one day when we were sure we had accounted for everyone on the island.

ever since then he’s never stopped blithering. at the very least he makes use of it by giving way for entertainment by unknowingly provoking merridew. speaking of that, he did propose an idea to me. something about calling merridew idiot in french? i still have to get back to him about that because he was yelling at me when asking and i got fed up and left. but, the idea does sound promising.

kikita… was choosing the most insignificant people, or the people who are total nuisances, on purpose? if so, she is definitely a nuisance. no, she’s more than that actually because who in their right mind and in gods name bites people? how do i know this? for one, i’ve seen it been done to the other boys. she’s bitten michael, she’s done it to ralph too, and i’m sure she’s gone around and bit a few more for good measure. that’s not what i’m getting at though, it’s that worst of all, she bit me.

god it was awful, it was as if she was stuck to me because no matter how hard i tried shaking her off she would not get off! human bites are no laughing matter you know. with the amount of bacteria that mingles in our mouths i was sure that i was going to foster some type of ugly disease if the bite broke ‘hrough my skin. luckily it did not, but it still left an indent on my pristine skin. putting her savage tendencies aside ‘hough, i am, somewhat partial to her though because she did push merridew to the ground that one time.

alexander kid? alexander kid… oh, him. you must be referring to norman alexander. yes, i’ve been made aware of him. it’s hard to miss him when he’s so unreal. don’t be mistaken, im not trying to say that “oh he’s so amazing, he’s out of this world!” even though that’s how many see him. littluns, other boys our age, adults alike. that would make me gag saying that about him, saying that about anyone really. what i’m trying to say is that he feels so synthetic, so superficial in a world full of authentic flesh.

there’s something about him. his smile, the way he looks at the world around him, the way words leave his lips. it’s all, unsettling to say the least, but it isn’t at all compelling. i think the most indicative part of him is his dodgy attachment to simon and how he’s seemingly close to merridew. rather, it’s more so obsession than anything actually. i would prefer not to speak about him much longer ‘hough, otherwise he might actually think i pay attention to him, something he would think most likely. he isn’t worth my time, none of these people are.

— everette ainsworth

[prettygirlstothefloor]

Cowboy Carter Review

sorry if i write a lot. i like to yap lol

Ameriican Requiem- i'm a huge sucker for a sitar so i was gripped in from the beginning. i grew up on country music (mainly 90s/early 2000s) and so when she showed up at the CMAs and performed with the chicks it was a childhood dream. but as a person who liked country music around the time 9/11 happened, it's only become even more racist since. the way they treated her that night even though she was one of, if not THE, best performer of the night was so upsetting to watch. even as the best artist on the planet, at the top of her game, she's always going to work a million times harder than any of her peers. i'm so proud of her being able to make a song like to this to put her thoughts out on the whole night that night.

Blackbiird- obviously everyone has heard this song before. i was unaware of the actual backstory to the song since i don't follow the beatles too much (i like george harrison but that's about it lol). i was not aware that the song the song was written for black women during the civil rights movement. i assumed the song was mainly written by john lennon who to my knowledge was kind of a grifter when it came to his activism. having this song come right after ameriican requiem is so poetic.

16 Carriages- shockingly i was able to avoid hearing this song in full until tonight. i tend to only do one single per release and so texas hold em was the one. this song is so heartbreaking because i think about all the kids in the entertainment industry who can probably relate to this song all too well

Protector- these songs she makes for her kids... i'm gonna need her to stop. not because they're bad but i straight up can't listen to blue and probably this song because i want a mom like this 😭

My Rose- i hate that this is an interlude. it's so beautiful and not to be dramatic should've been 10 hours long

Smoke Hour • Willie Nelson- idk what to say about this one lol

Texas Hold 'Em- i love this song. the only problem i have with it is it sounds too clean. like the production sounds too clean. maybe it sounds better on the radio where the quality is lower than streaming but its definitely a song that needs to be played not so isolated.

Bodyguard- there's something in this song. she channeled carole king for this on or something. it's so good instantly a top 20 if not top 10 song of hers through her whole discography.

Dolly P- once again idk what to say about this one its too short to say anything

Jolene- i mean i think the same way about her version as i do about dolly's version. why are we getting mad at these women when we should be getting mad at the men?? take away that beyonce is beyonce for a second. if she was a normal lady and this girl was unaware her man was taken, isn't that more on him than anyone? he's letting it happen.

Daughter- her voice in this song is insanity. the control she has is unmatched truly.

Spaghettii- the beat omgggg. i know this would hit so hard in a mashup with "my house" i'm obsessed.

Alliigator Tears- just from hearing snippets of the country music that's on the radio nowadays, i think this might be one of the few songs from this album that they will eat up. i'm not saying that as a diss at all. i love this song alot especially after a second listen.

Smoke Hour II- i guess i can add on here a random tid bit. i made a country playlist in preperation for the album to come out. i made it on valentine's day. tell me why i named it KNTRY. i didn't even know the "radio station" she has on the album was called that lol.

Just for Fun- i don't listen to lana del rey anymore. i had a small time during last year where i did but then she got real messy again and signed that letter thanking joe biden. that being said this song sounds identical to "norman fucking rockwell". which is a compliment because both are good songs. keep jack antonoff away from beyonce though. that's the good thing about beyonce is she doesn't sound like everyone else which he makes everyone do (yes i am a fan of him but i'm critical of his production lol)

II Most Wanted- i'm sorry i've never been a fan of miley cyrus (except for the song she did for black mirror and that one EP she put out). i want to like this song because i like aspects of the song but it being a miley cyrus song with a beyonce feature is not want i want.

Levii's Jeans- this is also a collab i'm not a fan of. i actually enjoy post malone but i would've liked to see them in a more upbeat song.

Flamenco- idk how to take this song. it's stunning as usual. my thoughts on the lyrics though is she's kinda talking to fans maybe like the OG like destiny's child fans who have started to leave because she's starting to experiment more with her sound and they miss her old sound. i would love to know her take on this song in particular. because i know so many artists who decide to change their sound throughout each release are terrified of losing fans because they're so stuck on a certain sound.

The Linda Martell Show- another one i can't say much on since it's an interlude

Ya Ya- now.... remember what i said about bodyguard??? easily top 10. idk where on my ranking but it's there. the interpolation of "these boots were made for walking" and "good vibrations". there's something about that old soul rock sound that gets me every single time. i know that it doesn't sound anything alike but "freedom" has that same vibe, where it takes alot from old 60s blues soul rock. this is gonna hit so good on tour!

Oh Louisiana- i will say i really like this interlude. second favorite out of the ones with actual music

Desert Eagle- another song she chose to make extremely short when it should've been hours long... come on B

Riiverdance- its a fun and cute song. i think the beat is good but i think i like it more on my first listen.

II Hands II Heaven- i'm hoping this will finally click for me. im seeing everyone really love this song but idk whats not clicking for me. i'll definitely keep listening to it though maybe someday.

Tyrant- someone said this is the thique of cowboy carter and yeah i can definitely hear it. it's a sexy song and it's a fun song. definitely like it alot more after a second listen

Sweet • Honey • Buckiin'- her sampling "i fall to pieces" in this song is so special to me. i do want someone to take this "honey" and add it to the end of pure/honey though i wonder if it would sound any good. i think sweet and buckiin are the best songs out of the three of these.

Amen- i love how this really rounds out the album, calling back to the first song. it feels and is a very emotional song. don't know if i'll go back to it only because i think it could make me cry lol

overall, i think it's a solid album. if we're comparing the acts, which idk how you can because they're two distinctly different sounds, i would probably still go with renaissance but there's still so many solid songs on this album that are now some of my top faves. usually i rate out of 10 but it feels too low tbh, so i'm rating it out of 100. it will definitely grow on me just like renaissance did. 89/100.

[giganticgeo]

𐙚Welcome°❀⋆.ೃ

— C R E A T O R

Kimi ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

— I N F O abt C R E A T O R

MINOR !!! Sporadic posts ;(

Mostly Fem!reader <3

— I N F O abt F A N D O M S

I write mostly for TPN, but I can also do fandoms such as Genshin and MHA!

— I N F O abt CHARACTERS

For TPN, I can write for Emma, Ray, and Norman. For Genshin, I can write for a few male characters in Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma. For MHA, I can write a few male characters from 1A and the LOV. For Saiki K, I can only write for very few characters.

(Do check my masterlist to see which characters I write for !)

— M A S T E R L I S T S

TPN masterlist, MHA masterlist, Genshin masterlist , Saiki K masterlist

YES YES ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

— FLUFF !!!

– Fem + GN reader !!!

— Headcanons !!!

— Short fics !!!

— SMAU !!!

— Platonic !!!

— Romantic !!!

— Diffent AUs !!!

NO NO ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

– NSFW !!!

– Masc! Reader !!!

– Poly relationships (no hate, I just dk how to write for it ;( )

— Age gaps !!!

— Incest !!!

— Character x Character !!!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 2/27/2024

this is the longest ive ever been unemployed and media is only doing so much to beat back the horrors. so let’s talk about the media instead of the horrors

listening

Come Up For Air by We The Commas, off i think one of the autogenerated spotify indie mixes?

sort of a rollicking modern little surf rock thing, they describe themselves as "surf and alternate rhythm and blue" which is pretty bang on imo. they're all brothers (their last name genuinely is Comma, which i salute as a fellow weird last name haver), and cite john mayer (i don't really hear it) and the beach boys (yes i hear this very much) as some of their influences. a song i had on loop for an entire forty minute drive and did not get tired of. spotify

-

reading

three books that MUST go back to the library tomorrow bc their autorenew is up and i was emotionally unable to get a library card without tooling around and getting a stack of books a month ago.

thank you philip.

i really only liked the Carmilla adaptation by Amy Chu, bc it really gets at what i didn't realize was the heart of the original 1872 lesbian vampire novella: a toxic gay housing situation you have fallen into and can't get out of bc your area is so so so expensive and housing is so so so tenuous. i have read the original but not in a while, this is an excellent modern adaptation centering around a nyc social worker in the late seventies that presupposes no knowledge and intertwines the original novella in the form of a stolen rare book. (nonconsecutive pages)

i don't have much to say about the DC young adult comic about the circus career of one of the Robins (Dick Grayson). i didn't love the loose artstyle and am not in its intended age range plus it had a bit too much therapyspeak, but it did have a clever use of a very limited color palette.

let's yank the amazon description for the detective novel, which i grabbed bc it vaguely pinged something in my brain about one of the fallout 4 sidequests and i've picked books up for worse reasons (SPOILERS):

Jacob Rigolet, a soon-to-be former assistant to a wealthy art collector, looks up from his seat at an auction—his mother, former head librarian at the Halifax Free Library, is walking almost casually up the aisle. Before a stunned audience, she flings an open jar of black ink at master photographer Robert Capa’s “Death on a Leipzig Balcony.” Jacob’s police detective fiancée, Martha Crauchet, is assigned to the ensuing interrogation. 

i simply fucking hated this authorial style and tone and ditched it two chapters in. i don’t currently have the patience for reading about a clinically insane mother and hate crimes against Jewish people. despite the fairly dark premise, the first two chapters veer into cozy mystery with very short sentences, which do not a noir make. now, it does not advertise itself as noir or neo-noir, but as an homage to noir. it is for me unbearably smug. in my most unkind heart of hearts i want to say it's like if wes anderson tried to make a noir. this is a book that wants you to know it has read other noirs. yes thank you ive read several others, that’s why im reading this one, stop reminding me of better books i could be reading.

there's some weird descriptions of womens' bodies in here. chandler (my beloved) is certainly guilty of this as well, but he lavishes a sort of equal opportunity eye on the men in his mysteries. cf the infamous daniel lavery description.

when i read a chandler description of someone’s physical appearance there’s a fruity bisexual aftertaste in my mouth. Howard Norman, below, saying a woman takes great care of herself puts my hackles up. i understand the difference between an author and a character believing something and i don’t want to read a book where either the author or the character have this sort of pitying condescension towards a woman’s body. im feeling extremely terrible about my own body right now due to the various maladies, and another sort of breaking point for me is when an author repeatedly describes "naked breasts" (exact wording) pressing against someone's torso. it feels so juvenile. that's the sexiest thing you can possibly think of??? that's the sexiest way you can think of to describe an early mornign moment of intimacy???? augh i read the NYT review and it gets worse.

shut the FUCK up. i left my apartment at 1130 PM to go put this book in my CAR. i don't want it in my HOUSE.

-

watching

Bullitt (1968, dir. Yates, free on Tubi). the baddie in this is Robert Vaughn (who i know from cowboys), a guy i fucking love to see. i can take or leave Steve McQueen but he does such a killer job parallel parking in this movie and i wish all driving movies made their leads parallel park. shockingly realistic hospital, morgue, and police work scenes, apparently was one of the big films to popularize blood squibs. also love to see a haunted man splash water on his face and stare into a mirror.

if you asked me how long the famous car chase was i would have said like 2:30? substantial but snappy. no!!! eleven minutes!! (video a bit trimmed). also a rare movie that makes a foot chase through an airport as exciting as that eleven minute car chase!!!

the mob dodging plot was a little hard to follow, but i was operating on like four hours of sleep and a rum and coke. this has got to be a tremendous movie to watch when you’re home and sick on the couch huddled under a blanket. i mean this as a compliment, as someone who watches Escape from New York whenever i feel very sick

-

playing

really wanted to get to 69 shrines before writing this post and finally did it. all the little divine beasts walking along the loading screen are SO cute i've never gotten all four before

all the divine beasts are unlocked and the champions laid to rest! im feeling some type of way emotionally speaking about all of them telling link IMMEDIATELY that it wasn't his or zelda's fault they died

rudania has the worst boarding mission (in order of ones i most enjoyed it's camel [SO fast and SO fun], bird [lots of time to think and plan and aim], elephant [did not make me do a tedious stealth mission but i am bad at locking on to rapidly moving things behind me, much like in real life], and lizard. the lizard stealth mission is simply unpleasant). however, my brain really clicked with the puzzles in rudania: i had to consult a walkthrough once for an optional chest. in order of interior beast puzzle enjoyment for me it's lizard, bird, elephant, and camel. really got stuck for a long time on the waterwheels with the elephant before consulting a walkthrough.

the yiga clan stealth mission was not as hard as i thought it would be. i don't know why i put that off for two real life weeks but i will not learn my lesson and i will never improve. this boss battle was just silly.

the vah naboris interior puzzles were not fun. idk what it was about them or my brain that made me have such a bad time, but i spammed revali's gale and skipped a lot of chests bc i was not having fun. this is why god invented the walkthrough but sometimes. shit is just too fiddly.

i did succeed on the thunder ganon boss battle first try, but i came in with extra hearts from mipha's grace, used another mipha's grace in the fight, went through five fairies and seven hearty simmered fruits that were 5x durians (which gives you 20 extra hearts or some shit). fucking nightmare. i was stuck on one hit left on ganon for like five minutes bc he got stuck in the very fast flurry attack cycle. unpleasant. deeply grateful it only made me smack him with the magnesis pillar once bc that was also really fiddly with my poor reaction time + poor fine motor skills + previously mentioned ancient controller with some drift. in order of boss battle enjoyment i think it's lizard (made me think and kept me on my toes a little but i did have to look up how to break the shield), elephant (you can just kind of tank it), bird (same), and camel (extremely not fun).

this was WITH a fully upgraded gimp suit btw. that shit (ganon) just hits hard.

shrine shenanigans:

crowned beast very fun, i have one or two of kass' songs left and then i hope i get to see him back in rito village with his family??? a little nervous bc i went right to the jungle spring without hearing his song first so idk if that will. count??? or softlock me.

the MOUNDS of failed cooking attempts around this shrine on the grasslands side of the gerudo barrier mountains were SO funny.

unlocked all the spring shrines. what a fun mission. what a fun climb.

went to my FAVORITE shrine!!! going into what you think will be a normal cave and discovering it is DEEP with a BIG WHALE INSIDE is top three video game whale moments (the other two are diving with the whales in ABZU and meeting the last whale in the first dishonored).

other bits and bobs:

eggman rocks???

this quest was really cute and i wish there was a corresponding quest for the guy hanging around the broken heart pond, but it always makes me laugh whenever a dragon shows up in the background of a screenshot. a really great touching moment but watch out for the elemental orbs rapidly approaching us

also made me chortle. get it together barta.

i wish the helm was upgradable but i think making me kill a molduga in order to borrow it is a pretty fair trade actually.

-

making

i originally had a really long thing here about litterbox trials and tribulations but i have decided to spare you all. you're welcome.

many balcony improvements, including putting up trellises and installing bird spikes to hopefully keep a very persistent orange tom off my balcony and away from my girls.

there are a goofy number of obstacles in the way of me making a proper planting diagram (sketchbooks buried deep in closet. flung the seeds in a box on a shelf i need to find my stepstool for. can't find pencil sharpener) so for the second week in a row that's not happening. however, sprouts.

baby italian lettuce blend

bush beans in the front and cucumbers + sweet peas in the back.

[queenarahbo]

Vulnerable

Steven hated parties even if the person throwing the party was Wallace. Things don't go as planned and the two are left figuring things out. Sicktember Prompts filled Day 6: Dizziness Day 12: "You're not fine. You are throwing up." Day 14: Clean sheets/pajamas Day 28 ALT: "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Sir, are you sure you are alright?" Glacia asked for the third time, a hint of concern in her voice.

Steven's voice, still rough from the coughing fit, trembled slightly as he insisted, "I'm fine." He did his best to sound convincing, but even to him, it fell short.

"Are you still planning on attending Wallace's gala this evening with the rest of us?" Sidney asked, raising an eyebrow with skepticism evident in his voice.

"Why wouldn't I?" Steven replied his tone firm but tinged with resignation. "I have a responsibility as the champion. Besides, Wallace would drag me out of the office if I tried to miss it," he added, releasing a small, weary sigh. Steven knew from past experiences that Wallace wouldn't hesitate to come all the way to Ever Grande City to ensure his attendance so his showing up at the hotel was a guarantee.

"I'm certain he would understand if you weren't feeling well," Glacia attempted to reason with the determined champion.

"I'm feeling fine. My throat is a bit dry, but that's all," Steven said as he reached over to grab his suit jacket from the chair. He had left it there earlier during the day because it had been too warm in the hotel. What he said wasn't a lie. Despite his efforts to soothe his dry throat with water, it still felt terribly dry. Even though he didn't feel sick, he tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt and felt a slight ache in his stomach as pressure started to build. "Shall we go?" He was silent as the other members chatted on the way to the venue. Drake was the only other one who was quiet. He would occasionally comment on something or try to reign Sidney and Phoebe in before falling back into place next to Steven. He appreciated the silent company. The group was greeted at the door and shown to the hall, and Steven noted the layout of the venue as they walked. He made a mental note of the nearby hallway for a quick escape if needed and several smaller ballrooms for a quieter retreat. As they entered, Steven noticed more people than he had expected, and he saw members of the press floating around the room. It was unusual for Wallace to allow them entry. As they entered Sidney and Drake were immediately pulled away by Wattson and Norman. Glacia and Phoebe were being waved over by Winona. Steven's heart skipped a beat when he saw Wallace approaching through the crowd. He wondered what Wallace had planned.

“May I have this dance?”

The room was filled with chatter and activity as Steven found himself in a situation he wished to avoid. Wallace approached with an outstretched hand and a smug grin. He knew that Wallace could be overbearing but somehow he found himself surprised still. Hoping to politely decline, Steven darted his eyes around the crowded room, only to realize they were under the watchful gaze of onlookers. Reluctant to cause a scene, Steven suppressed his growing discomfort and forced a pleasant tone as he declined Wallace’s offer. He wasn’t in the mood for Wallace’s antics. "I am flattered by the offer; however, I must decline," Deep down, he longed to push Wallace away, but he didn't want to offend him, especially not while feeling unwell.

“Come now, Steven,” Wallace laughed “It’s a party. Lighten up a little.”

“Very well.” Steven took Wallace’s hand and allowed the other man to lead him to the floor. They fell into place rather easily as everyone continued to dance. Steven placed one hand around Wallace’s hip indicating that he was going to lead them and Wallace allowed it Wallace had started flirting not long after Steven had appointed him as gym leader. Granted before that they rarely saw each other. A party here and there that Steven was forced to attend for the league usually. At first, the advances had been subtle and only when they were alone, but Wallace had grown bolder as of late. Now he pulled stunts like this where he would publicly flirt with Steven. About a month back Wallace had let it slip that he was interested in Steven during an interview. He hadn't outright said he was with Steven, but people were able to draw the conclusion nonetheless. Steven had his suspicions that had been the intent. Somewhere along the lines though he had grown fonder of Wallace. He came to enjoy the flirting, secretly of course, and even made a comment here or there in return.

As Steven danced, he initially felt fine. His stomach seemed to settle, but a gnawing nausea still bubbled restlessly within him. The bright glimmering lights only served to exacerbate his pounding headache.

“Are you well, Steven?” Wallace questioned as they turned “You feel rather warm.”

"We are in the middle of dancing, surrounded by a crowd of people. Naturally, I feel warm," Steven replied with a hint of roughness in his voice. He despised lying to Wallace, but it was only a partial lie. He reassured himself that he would be okay. As they turned once more, the movement sharper this time, an unusual sensation cascaded over Steven's body.

“I’m not so sure about that. You’ve gone pale.” Wallace replied doubtfully as he tried to pull Steven off the floor, but the smaller man held his grip.

"Wallace," Steven warned firmly with a flick of his eyes. The pressure from the expectant onlookers, including their peers and the media, was palpable. "Let’s finish this dance." Despite Wallace's outward composure, Steven could sense his disapproval through the subtle flicker of his eyes. As the song neared its end, Steven felt a growing concern that he wouldn't make it through. The final turn pushed his stomach to its limit. He uttered a panicked "Excuse me" before breaking away from Wallace. With a swift but steady pace, he left the hall, shedding his facade when he was safely out of sight. Recalling the restroom's location, he rushed in that direction, desperately hoping to avoid anyone noticing his distress. Expressing silent gratitude that no one else was present, he sought refuge in the dimly lit restroom and rushed into the first stall. Collapsing to the ground, the first wave rose up his throat, leading to a fit of vomiting. The acidic liquid burned his throat, provoking coughs and subsequent retching. Though he couldn't get much out, his stomach continued to convulse. As he retched again, he thought he heard the door open and the lock click. Assuring himself that the unexpected visitor had no way of knowing it was him, he tried to find reassurance in the privacy of the stall. That he hadn't locked. It would be fine.

“Steven?”

Or not. The voice was quiet and worried, Steven realized “In here.” he managed before gagging again. Wallace was kneeling behind him in the next moment. He didn’t say anything as he took in Steven’s appearance. Steven felt a new wave of heat rush over him and he realized that things were about to get worse. His mouth filled with saliva and he hung his head over the toilet once more, sparing no time before his stomach convulsed violently and he emptied everything in his stomach.

"Oh, Steven," Wallace murmured in a sympathetic tone as he gently rubbed small circles between Steven’s shoulder blades. He winced as Steven struggled to catch his breath before succumbing to another bout of vomiting, gasping for air each time. "Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling unwell?" Wallace inquired, his suspicions confirmed by Steven's earlier unusual behavior.

Steven struggled to respond immediately, gasping for air as if he were choking. After finally managing to take a shaky breath, he replied, "I'm fine. Really."

Wallace laughed, though not out of amusement, and remarked “You’re not fine. You’re throwing up.” He watched as Steven began gagging again before bringing up a small mouthful of bile. “Seems like you have a stomach virus.” Wallace sighed as he pulled some tissue paper off of the roll and handed it to Steven, who still had yet to face him.

“I probably ate something bad. I’m fine.” Steven rasped, his voice barely above a whisper, as he wiped his mouth. He still felt terribly ill, but for the moment it seemed like his stomach was giving him a break.

“I hate to break it to you, but that was more than ‘ate something bad’ and you need to just admit it so I can help you,” Wallace said with a firm resolve.

“Maybe so, but I can make it through tonight and sleep it off tomorrow.” Steven, feeling unsteady on his feet, gathered himself, determined to push through the night and deal with the consequences in the morning. However, as he attempted to stand, another wave of nausea hit him, causing him to dry heave and cough up a bit of bile. "Wallace..." he murmured weakly, before succumbing to the dizziness and collapsing into Wallace's cool embrace.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here. I'll take you back to my place," Wallace said softly. "Wait here for me. I'll grab a few things and let the necessary people know that I'm leaving." His heart ached as Steven clutched his shirt and let out another whimper. He must be feeling really unwell to be so clingy. Gently, he pried Steven's fingers loose from his own and assured him, "I'll be back soon. You'll be okay." It took all his willpower not to press his lips to Steven's feverish forehead and hold him close. He couldn't bear to see Steven in pain.

Steven's body collapsed as Wallace stepped away, leaving him with no support, and he crumpled to the floor. He felt utterly helpless, curling up and hiding his face in his arms. Why hadn't he realized earlier that he was sick? Why had he been so obsessed with ensuring that tonight would be a success? He struggled to remember what he had been preoccupied with earlier in the day. He couldn't recall anything significant at work. He had only a few reports to go over for Devon, and the upcoming presentation for the business meeting with his father. No, nothing that could have consumed all his attention to the point of neglecting his health. Then, the conversation with Wallace earlier in the day flooded his mind. Wallace had expressed his anticipation for the gala and had urged Steven to be there. Could that have stolen Steven's focus? Maybe he had seemed distracted after their conversation. As the door opened again, Steven tensed, but his body relaxed when he recognized Wallace's voice.

"Alright, it's time to get you out of here. Up you go," Wallace said as he hoisted Steven up and held him securely around the waist. Steven's face turned pale as he let out a small whimper, and Wallace quickly positioned him over the toilet as he started to dry heave. "Oh darling..." Wallace gently rubbed small circles on Steven's back with his free hand, offering comfort until Steven's heaving subsided.

“Can we just get out of here?”

Wallace felt a genuine sense of concern as he noticed the weakness and trembling in Steven's voice, which seemed to be getting weaker by the second. "Of course," he said, trying to reassure Steven as best as he could.

As Steven stood up, he straightened his rumpled clothes and then allowed Wallace to gently take his hand. Feeling a flush of heat spread across his face, he noticed Wallace's concerned expression as he placed a hand on Steven's forehead. It confirmed Steven's suspicion that he had a fever. Without saying anything, Wallace opened the door and quickly scanned the area before leading Steven outside. It was evident that he was trying to keep them away from the crowd. Once they were alone, Wallace started speaking softly, not about anything specific, but Steven could tell he was trying to keep him calm. Steven felt a wave of embarrassment as Wallace handed him a plastic bag and settled into the driver’s seat. With no resistance, Steven took it, curled up in the seat, and rested his head against his knees. As the car began to move, he quickly succumbed to the fever and drifted off to sleep.

The next thing he knew he was being lifted out of the car by Wallace and carried into the house.

“Sorry. You were sleeping and I didn’t want to wake you.” Wallace explained sheepishly.

"I can walk," Steven protested weakly. Despite feeling utterly drained, he wanted to show Wallace that he still had some strength left. His effort would have likely been successful if his stomach hadn't chosen that precise moment to rebel against him as soon as Wallace set him down. Taking a deep breath, he hoped it would provide some relief.

“Are you feeling sick again?” Wallace asked anxiously.

"I think so," Steven admitted. No sooner had the words left his mouth than Wallace guided him through the house and into the bathroom. He felt a surge of gratitude when Wallace closed the door, granting him some much-needed privacy. Mortification washed over him as he recalled how Wallace had found him earlier. Steven loathed being sick, and the thought of others knowing about his condition made him uneasy but the thing he hated the most was throwing up in front of someone. As he retched again, all sense of embarrassment dissipated. The sensation of his skin prickling beneath his clothes made him want to tear the fabric off. He was shivering uncontrollably now, the violent contractions of his muscles causing his entire body to ache and scream with pain. Desperate for relief, he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it into a corner of the room. He shifted between leaning against the wall and vomiting until his stomach was completely empty, leaving him retching unproductively. He didn't know how long he had been in there—it felt like an eternity as time stretched on—before Wallace tapped quietly on the door.

"Steven? Are you alright?"

Steven let out a bitter chuckle. He was far from alright. It seemed like things couldn't possibly get any worse than they already were. He gagged again and again, harder and harder until his eyes were wet from the tears that wouldn't fall. He couldn't cry. No, he wouldn't cry. As he heard Wallace knock once more, he desperately wanted to respond, to let Wallace know that he was fine. The sound of the doorknob turning and Wallace's hushed voice filled the room.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

Steven felt the dread well up in his chest at the words that he knew were out of concern. He hadn't answered. Wallace probably just wanted to make sure that he was alive. He groaned before rasping "I'm fine."

"You need to find something else if that was meant to be reassuring. You are far from fine. Arceus, Steven, you're burning up! Your shirt is soaked..." Wallace yanked his hand away from Steven's neck "I'm sure I have something you can wear. Something cooler." He disappeared without waiting for Steven's response. He needed to calm down. His heart was pounding against his ribs, the vibrations reverberating throughout his body. He took a calming, shaky breath before pulling a t-shirt and shorts from one of the dresser drawers. Swallowing his panic he pushed the bathroom door open once more. He froze in place and he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. Steven was motionless on the floor. His shallow, raspy breath seemed to rattle in his chest. The rapid rising and falling of his chest. "Fine, my ass," he mumbled as he dropped to his knees over Steven. He was still breathing. "Steven." he shook his shoulder gently "I need you to wake up." It wasn't working. He shook Steven a bit harder and tried again "You need to wake up." Harder "Wake up! Damn it, Steven, open your eyes!" Harder still "I need you to open your eyes!" The last shake seemed to elicit a groan from Steven who inhaled a shaky breath before opening his eyes. He was looking at Wallace with a strange expression. Concern? Why would Steven be concerned about him? He jumped as Steven reached up with a trembling hand and brushed it against his cheek.

"No need...to cry..."

Had Wallace been crying? He scrubbed his eyes roughly and forced a smile. "At least you are awake now."

"What do you mean?" Steven asked hoarsely as he pushed himself up.

Wallace's expression turned serious as he said, "You lost consciousness. I need you to tell me how you are feeling. Honestly."

"Tired. Sick. Dizzy. Weak." Steven answered through chattering teeth "Cold."

Wallace muttered a curse under his breath as he took in Steven's worsening condition. "Okay, you are getting dehydrated," he remarked, but before he could finish his sentence, Steven was leaning over and gagging once again. Wallace anxiously chewed at his bottom lip, realizing that the situation was not looking good for Steven. It seemed likely that he would need to go to the hospital at this rate. "I would feel better if you were somewhere I could keep an eye on you," Wallace reasoned, his concern evident. Despite Steven calming down, he continued to gently circle his hand on Steven's back, silently offering support and comfort.

"I'm sorry for keeping you up. I feel really bad for intruding like this," Steven mumbled as he accepted the tissue Wallace handed him.

“You are not keeping me up nor intruding. If you are that worried about it then how about this.” Wallace climbed to his feet and lifted Steven slowly "Let's get you set up in the master bathroom where I can be close by if you need anything. I'll grab some blankets to make sure you're as comfortable as possible," Wallace didn’t like the idea of his sick boyfriend-to-be sleeping on the floor in the slightest, this arrangement was a fair compromise. Steven seemed to agree too.

Moving Steven into the other bathroom wasn’t too hard. Wallace made quick work of getting him settled in with blankets and a few pillows followed by clean clothes. Steven didn’t say much, but he hoped Wallace could tell he was grateful.

“Do you want to try some crackers?” Wallace asked.

Steven shook his head in response and then leaned against Wallace. It was more like he was resting on top of him rather than simply leaning against him.

“Got it. Feeling pretty miserable.”Wallace said, as he gently placed the back of his hand on Steven's forehead, letting out a sigh. Wallace noticed that Steven's skin felt warmer than it had been before. “Can you try some water at least?"

“I guess I can try.”

Wallace extended a bottle of water "That will be better than not trying. Start with small sips," he advised. "You need to keep as much down as you can."

Steven did as he was told, though he was barely awake for it, but as he had feared he couldn't keep it down. Wallace had been right yet again. In the following hours, his condition deteriorated rapidly and he went from bad to worse to utterly miserable. He was vomiting every thirty minutes and couldn't even keep water down. He sought comfort by propping himself against the wall, unable to lie on the floor due to the pain in his abdomen. Despite Wallace's efforts to keep him warm with a blanket, Steven would repeatedly push it away as he alternated between feeling too hot and too cold. Occasionally, he would drift off to sleep, only to wake up feeling even worse. To his embarrassment, he found himself in Wallace's lap on one occasion. Unable to do much else, he weakly suggested to Wallace “You should try to get some sleep.” Despite not knowing the time, Steven could see that Wallace looked exhausted.

Wallace responded without hesitation, "There's no way. You need me right now."

Steven winced and rubbed his sore throat, feeling the raw pain from the abuse it was taking. He muttered, "There’s no point in both of us being tired," as he struggled to speak through the discomfort.

Wallace anxiously chewed at his bottom lip and stared at Steven, his heart sinking at the sight of his worsening condition. Exhaustion was catching up with him, but he couldn't bear to leave Steven alone in such a state. He knew he had to be alert and ready in case he needed to rush Steven to the hospital. "Fine," he relented, "but I'll be in the next room. Wake me up if you need anything." He bent down and pressed his lips against Steven’s head. He chucked as the other man’s face went red. Steven was finally coming around it seemed. As he turned to leave, he cast a worried glance back at the miserable champion on his floor.

Steven found himself alone on the cold, hard floor. Despite knowing that he had asked Wallace to leave him there, a sense of loneliness washed over him. He longed for Wallace's comforting touch and reassuring words. Feeling selfish for desiring these things, he reminded himself that he had no right to feel this way since he and Wallace were not in a romantic relationship, and Wallace owed him nothing. He should be thanking Wallace for giving him a place to hide during this. He had to suppress a sigh as he thought about what would have happened if he had to go back to the hotel. He felt his eyes growing heavier and his breathing began to even out as he drifted off into the blackness. He wasn't fully asleep. At no point did he do that and was always just on the edge of consciousness. Five minutes felt the same as thirty. Thirty was the same as fifty. His body never let him fall into the dreaming state he longed for. Another cramp in his stomach pulled him back. He knew there was nothing left for his stomach to expel, but he complied nonetheless. This spell lasted less time than the last but he was left dazed in his fevered state. His body felt light as his mind teetered on the edge of consciousness. When the cramps in his stomach subsided, Steven dragged himself to the sink, studying his ashen complexion in the mirror and recognizing the toll his body was taking. Splashing cool water on his face provided temporary relief but also made him shiver. Feeling disoriented and groggy, he eyed the cracked door and flipped off the bathroom light. He knew his room well enough to navigate in the dark, which was providing some relief to his throbbing head, only to bump into an unexpected obstacle — his dresser, which he was sure hadn't been there earlier. Dismissing the oddity, he finally found his way to bed, seeking solace in the softness of his blankets and the coolness of his body pillow against his skin.

~X~

Wallace slowly opened his eyes, feeling an unbearable warmth and stickiness on his chest. As he focused on his surroundings, he suddenly became aware of something pressing against his chest, gently nuzzling him. Looking down, he was startled to see Steven wrapped around him, his flushed face resting in the curve of his neck, breathing heavily. He shifted slightly, repositioning himself onto his back, and carefully adjusted Steven so that Steven's head was resting on his chest. The slight movement seemed to rouse Steven from his fitful sleep as he wearily opened his eyes and nestled in closer. Wallace felt a small smile tugging at his lips as he whispered, "Good morning." Suddenly, he felt Steven tense and abruptly leaping away.

“Oh, Arcues! Wallace…I…I didn’t…I’m so sorry!” Steven stuttered. He had no idea how he ended up in Wallace’s bed. He felt the full force of yesterday’s illness hit him and he pressed his hand against his stomach with a groan. Great.

"Steven, please don't worry. You have nothing to apologize for. I wasn't trying to wake you up. You still don't seem to be feeling well," Wallace said in a calming tone. "Is your fever improving at all?" Gently, he placed the back of his hand against Steven's warm, pink cheek before checking his forehead. "Maybe just a little."

Steven mumbled, "Could have fooled me," as he leaned forward, feeling the pressure on his stomach offering slight relief. He shut his eyes, trying to escape the nightmare that felt all too real.

“Do you want to go sit in the bathroom again?” Wallace asked worriedly. “I think we should try to get some medicine in you.”

Steven shook his head slowly, feeling the intense heat emanating from his body as he nestled deeper into the warm embrace of the blankets. After a brief moment of indulgence, he suddenly became aware of his actions and resolutely pushed himself to sit up. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I’m only going to say this once so listen up,” Wallace replied firmly, his intense gaze grabbing Steven's attention. “You do not need to apologize to me. For anything. Period. Do you understand me?”

“You say that but…” Steven dropped his eyes to the blanket that he was wrapped up in.

"No excuses," Wallace firmly pulled Steven closer to him. "If you're not comfortable, we can always move to the couch. But either way, you need to rest."

“Couch then,” Steven answered immediately.

“Very well. Go on in there. I’m going to see what I have for your fever.” He gave Steven a fond look before disappearing into his bathroom. He knew he didn’t have much in the way of medicine in his cabinet as most of it stayed in his travel bag but he was able to find a bottle of Tylenol and an unused box of Dramamine. He was relieved to find Steven stretched out on the couch. He was finally starting to rest. He quietly set the medicine on the floor next to the couch before padding to the kitchen and filling the glass with cold water. He returned to the couch and started getting the medicine ready. “Steven, I need you to wake back up. Hey, I know you want to sleep, but you need to take this first.”

"Fine," Steven muttered with a halfhearted tone, casting a displeased look at the medicine. His stomach still felt queasy, and the thought of consuming anything made him feel even more uneasy.

“Hey, I know. But think of it like this. If you keep it down you will start to feel better. Besides, you weren’t able to keep any water down last night. You are dehydrated which is making you feel worse.” Wallace reasoned as he helped Steven sit. He held the Tylenol up to Steven’s lips and waited until Steven gave in, opening his mouth slightly, and slipped the pill past his parted lips before doing the same thing with the Dramamine. He offered the water to Steven but thought better of it when he noticed how badly Steven was shaking. Instead, he held the glass to his lips. Once Steven had gotten the medicine down the two got comfortable on the couch. Wallace took his book from the table and settled with Steven’s legs in his lap. It didn’t take long for Steven to drift off again, though he never fell completely to sleep at any point.

“Despite what you might think I very much enjoy your company,” Wallace said casually during one of Steven’s restless spells. He helped Steven sit up and started rubbing his hand up and down his back as he did his best to breathe through the nausea.

“Yeah right. After last night I severely doubt that.” Steven glared down at his lap. He knew his chance with Wallace was gone. He didn’t know he even wanted this chance and now it was too late. His eyes widened as Wallace’s cool fingers grabbed his chin, roughly yanking it towards him. He had no choice as he met Wallace’s turquoise eyes.

“I think you sell yourself short.” Wallace started as he leaned forward “It is not your fault that you are unwell and it certainly does not speak ill of your character. I still find you attractive. I would still choose you as my dance partner.”

Steven could feel the heat rising to his face as anxiety churned in his stomach, threatening to bring on nausea. He struggled to avoid meeting Wallace’s eyes "Please don't tease me," he mumbled. Wallace sighed, and Steven reluctantly looked back at the younger man, who was smoothly settling back on the couch. Steven winced, feeling the pain in Wallace's voice.

“I wasn’t teasing you, Steven. I am being completely serious. My intention was never to take advantage of you. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s my fault.” Steven said with a rueful smile “I suppose I was being overly sensitive.” Steven paused to cough into his arm, throat suddenly stinging “I was worried that you didn’t feel the same way as me.”

Wallace gently reached out and pulled Steven's arm, drawing him close so that he was lying against his chest. "I do. Now rest. We can discuss this more later if you feel up to it," Wallace murmured softly.

“Can we stay like this then?”

“Naturally.” Wallace combed through Steven’s hair with his fingers “As long as you want.”