#Sorry about the posts on rap lately

[nugatorysheep]

Reposting this because OP disabled the reblogs and I want this post for myself

[hawkinsbnbg]

hold me tight

Written for @steddieangstyaugust Day 20: “I didn’t know where else to go.”

tags: post Starcourt, friends to lovers, requited unrequited love.

rated: T | word count: 1k4 | ao3

This was stupid, Steve told himself. Absolutely stupid. It wasn't like Eddie was his friend or anything.

They just happened to spend many sleepless nights together smoking and talking about everything and nothing. They just met up at Skull Rock almost every day so Steve could decompress by listening to Eddie's ramblings about DnD, Hell Fire Club, and Corroded Coffin. They just told each other a lot of secrets and held hands to offer each other comfort. They just shared multiple inside jokes that not even their own friends would know.

They just—

Okay, maybe Steve had downplayed it. Because at this point, Eddie might be his only real friend in this town.

And it was just Steve's luck to catch feelings for him and lose him in the process.

See, since his young age, Steve had always been self-aware enough to know what he wanted. Whether it was toys, food, or people. He just never made his liking obvious in case his parents decided to hold them over him.

Hence, nonchalance had always been his default façade. It was the "Kill two birds with one stone", helped him protect his secrets, helped him conceal his most vulnerable part, and helped him remain indestructible under scrutinizing eyes.

And for a long time, Steve thought he was so smart, hiding his true self behind the garnished mask he had created.

Until he met Nancy, until he got his heart broken that night in Tina's bathroom, until he stumbled on Eddie and realized that the mask he wore made him look exactly like what he always hated.

Bullshit.

And now, standing on the Munson Trailer's porch, Steve tried to not turn on his heels and run away or puke his guts out because he was too scared of facing rejection again.

But he also didn't want to be alone right now, and call it his moment of weakness, he just wanted to be held and reassured that everything would be alright even when he probably didn't deserve it.

Selfishly, though, he knew Eddie wouldn't say no to him, not when he was in such a pitiful state, not when they used to be good friends up until Steve ruined it all. And perhaps, it was the thought that gave him enough courage to rap his knuckles on the door.

"D'you know what time is it, man? If you're here to ask for weeds– Holy shit!"

Against his better judgment, Steve shrank in himself, ashamed that he was causing trouble for Eddie once more, making himself as small as possible and bracing for another rejection.

"Uhm, hi?" He smiled weakly.

Wordlessly, Eddie guided him inside, led him to the couch, and sat him down.

After handing him a glass of water, which he sipped slowly, Eddie started cleaning the cuts on his face, movements gentle as if afraid of hurting him.

Though it wasn't much and Steve knew any decent human being would treat him with the same sympathy, his heart still didn't get the memo and started somersaulting in his chest.

He watched the soft yellow light cast on Eddie's face, illuminating those dark brown eyes like stars, shining on the plump lips being worried between those sharp white teeth.

He glanced down, taking in the sleeveless black tee and gray sweatpants, the crimson guitar pick dangling on Eddie's chest as he leaned forward slightly, the tattoos on the pale arms, the long fingers, void of rings.

"What happened?" Eddie asked, sounding genuinely worried, after a moment of tense silence.

Instead of answering the question, Steve only shrugged and grimaced slightly.

"Sorry for waking you up this late. It's just," he averted his gaze to avoid Eddie's intense look. "I didn't know where else to go."

"You're always welcome here, Sweetheart," said Eddie kindly. "And you can wake me up whenever. We're already past that, aren't we?"

Eddie was right.

It wasn't rare for the older boy to climb through Steve's window at random hours and invite himself into Steve's bed so they could cuddle until morning. And it wasn't new for Steve to do so to Eddie, either.

Over just a few months, they had grown impossibly close and Steve would dare to say Eddie was the one who understood him the most and vice versa.

Except, it was never that simple, wasn't it?

It wasn't as if Steve hadn't kissed Eddie in a completely un-platonic way. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other since the day Eddie ran away from him, confused and terrified, leaving Steve with even more nightmares.

He sighed, suddenly feeling tired. Who was he kidding anyway? It was a huge mistake to come here after all.

"Yeah," he sniffed. "But I thought I wouldn't be welcomed anymore after what I did to you."

"Steve," said Eddie sharply.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he squeezed his eyes shut and raked his fingers through his sticky hair, using the dull aches to ground himself. "I– Tonight's been a lot. People died, Eddie. And all I could think about was you. As much as I regret driving you away, I'd kiss you again and again even if I were allowed to come back to that day to fix my mistake. Because it had kept you safe and away from me, from dangers. And I swear I'm not trying to make you forgive me out of pity. I know I had screwed up big time. So I'm gonna be out of your hair soo–"

Steve let out a gasp when Eddie suddenly kissed him, staring in shock as Eddie pressed another one on the corner of his mouth, tasting his blood and pain.

"What–"

"I'm aware this is far from the appropriate answer you deserve," Eddie brushed a hair out of Steve's forehead, smiling sadly. "But I couldn't find any way more obvious to tell you the kiss was never a mistake. Because I've been dreaming about it for months and you had granted me exactly what I wanted."

Steve was confused. Because why would Eddie say that? Why would he kiss Steve then when all Steve wanted was to make it right? Why would he look so sad when he had already shattered Steve's heart into pieces?

"Why?" Steve asked softly, unable to hold a grudge when Eddie was looking at him like he hung the moon and stars, overwhelming and nothing he had feared at all.

"I was scared," said Eddie bluntly without needing him to elaborate, always understanding him beyond words. "That's not an excuse for the way I acted with you. I was an ass for going radio silence and leaving you in the dark. As your friend, I should've known to communicate better. But I didn't and I caused you all this pain just because I panicked over a kiss I've been wanting since the first time I saw you."

"I'm really sorry, Sweetheart," said Eddie quietly, hand cradling his face gently like one would hold something precious. "For having been an idiot and a coward. For breaking your trust. For running away. For hurting you."

Leaning into the touch, Steve closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of old weeds, leather, citrus, and cigarettes, feeling oddly homesick even though he was already home.

He wanted to get mad at Eddie, to demand some kind of compensation for his battered heart; and yet, he was tired, in pain, and about to keel over now the drug in his system had worn off.

However, he was in no shape to hold a serious conversation at the moment and he knew Eddie had noticed it too.

"Let's go take a shower first, okay?" Eddie leaned in and kissed his shoulder. It was so random but Steve still felt his cheeks warm at the intimate gesture.

Somehow, he didn't have the energy to feel embarrassed about it and ended up having Eddie wash his hair for him.

———

After making a call to check in with Robin as promised, he padded into Eddie's room and joined the older boy beneath the quilts and blankets, smiling softly as he thought about all the time he had been in Eddie's bed when he couldn't stand his parents' arguments.

When Eddie pulled him closer, he went willingly and melted into those arms, feeling warm and safe for the first time after two months of staying apart from his best friend.

"I love you," he mumbled into Eddie's chest, too relaxed and sleepy to care about the consequences. Go big or go home, right?

And when Steve finally drifted off, he heard something almost sounded like, "I love you, too."

[cherriesformatt]

a day || matt sturniolo

matt x fem!reader

summary: what would a typical day as Matt's girlfriend would look like

warnings: pure fluff

word count: 1,6k

a/n: idk let me know how I did English is not my first language but I am working on it

🍒

I was on my way from a long, Friday, morning meeting and all I was thinking about was going back to bed and never leaving it again. My week started with my car breaking down out of nowhere, then I got my period (which is not as bad when you think about it because it would be worse if I didn't get it), and then I had an actual meeting, in an actual office, with actual people (I usually work from home in my pajamas). 

I had to drive my boyfriend's car to the meeting downtown. I am glad that I could, but let me tell you one thing, my boyfriend's car is giant and to park this lady downtown I needed to leave 30 minutes early. 

chris 🦋:

waiting for u outside thx for picking me up kid ❤️

"oh fuck" I said to myself as I quickly did a U-turn before it was too late. Was it safe? No. Did everyone survive? Yes.

I totally forgot that I was supposed to pick up Chris from his own meeting since Matt couldn't because I had their car. I dialed Chrise's number.

"hi, ur okay?" he asked. 

"yes, I just might or might not forgot to pick you up so I'll be there in 15 okay? I'm sorry I had a rough morning..." 

"Bro no worries I'll pick up some coffee while I wait and you drive safe okay?" I smiled because wasn't he the best? He doesn't even drink coffee. 

"Okay I'll see you there"

I ended the call and typed Chris's location. It wasn't that bad with the traffic so I was there in less than 15 minutes. 

I was able to park where he was waiting so he got into the passenger seat and smiled at me while I started driving again. I really want to be home. 

"I would say good morning but I'll keep that to myself. Got you an americano and banana bread" He put my coffee in the cup holder and threw his backpack on the back seat. 

"Thank you, that's really sweet, I am literally half dead so that will help" I laughed and took a sip of my coffee. 

"I still think that my brother is dating a weirdo, how can you even drink it black and unsweetened?" Chris looks at me with a disgusted face. 

"You are all literally bunch of weirdos so I just matched the energy you know" I blinked at him and stopped on the red. 

"How was your meeting? New fresh love is gonna be fire. I got the drafts in my mail this morning. Did not change a thing. You and the team did great" I said and smiled at him. 

I was a graphic designer and helped Chris at the beginning of his brand, but I did not really want to work for him so I just help sometimes if it's needed. I am really happy that he still likes to know what I think about the projects tho. I also used to work for Laura but not anymore. That's basically how we all met. I quit after me and Matt started to be a thing. 

"I know right? Well, I knew you will love it. The meeting was great, we should be able to make everything work by the end of the month. And guess what... I actually got samples and I have a pink set for you kid" 

"Honestly... made my day, I am going to wear it for everything now" I laughed.

"Just don't post it yet" He said and started to click things on the car's screen.

"Just use my phone for music" I gave him my phone and he typed my code and put our favorite song by lil skies on. 

"Still can't believe I memorized Niall Horan's birthday just to get to your phone" 

I blinked at him and started rapping with the song. I loved make a toast. Music taste is probably one of the things that made my and Chris's bond strong. Don't get me wrong I love Nick as much as I do Chris, but he just always gets me and we were best friends since day one. The funny thing is that me and Matt did not really liked each other at first. 

The ride home made my mood better. We sang and laugh, I wasn't tired of my life that much anymore. I took my shoes off while holding all of my stuff. Matt was on the couch watching something while we made our way up the stairs. 

"Hi baby... How was it?" He asked as soon as he saw me.

"Crap, I am going to call Laura to take me back" I laughed and put my stuff on the table and went to wash my hands in the kitchen sink. I then walked up to Matt and just threw myself next to him to cuddle his side. 

He kissed my forehead and started to rub my back. 

"I am going to take a nice nap, you kids have fun but not too much" Chris waved at us and went back down the stairs to his room. 

Matt rolled his eyes and kissed my head again. 

"How about we do something nice together? Nick is going to come home with Madi soon, I think, and that means laud. We could go to that beach you like and just get food and watch the sunset later" He asked.

All I was thinking about was his cold hand on my back and how much I just loved that man. He knew exactly what I needed.

"Yes, please. I just need to change. I wore a bra man, can you believe this?" I sit back up. 

He laughed at me and shook his head. 

"Go then," He said patting my thigh. 

I went to put my new fresh love set in Matt's bedroom, used the bathroom and when I was ready we went out.

"Wow, so it's your car now, huh?" Matt started to change the mirrors and seat but he also raised his eyebrows looking at my stuff next to the shift gear. 

"Baby it's only essentials to drive, okay?" I smiled and got comfortable in the passenger seat. 

We drove to get food and dessert. The weather was perfect to just spend an entire afternoon on the beach. Boys did not have any work plans today so I knew Matt was all mine for the rest of the day.

We sat on the beach, had our food, and just talked or cuddled in comfortable silence. That's what I mostly love about spending time with Matt. We could just sit the whole day without a word and be alright with it, but also we could talk for hours and we would always have something to talk about.

"I love you Matty, thanks for taking me to the beach. This new project sucks but I know it's going to be better after that. I really needed just you today" 

I kissed his sweet lips. He tasted like the cherry Pepsi that we just had. He pulled me into his lap and slid his hands under my hoodie while he kissed me back. 

I rested my forehead on his as I pulled away and smiled. 

"Anything for my girl, I love you kid" He kissed my nose and I just wrapped myself around his body.

"I am not moving, you might as well carry me to your car like this" I said into his neck. 

He laughed at that and hugged me back.

"Or we can just stay here" He lay back down on the blanket. 

"I promised your brother that we are going to watch Criminal Minds with him tho" I said.

"Sometimes I just wish you and Chris weren't the same person y/n..." He joked and looked at his phone, holding it above my head.

"Let's go back after sunset in that case baby"

We did watch the sunset, my favorite part of the day. We came back home and spent time with his brothers as I had promised Chris. 

"Spend the night?" Matt whispered in my ear while the last episode for tonight ended. 

I smiled and nodded. I was off tomorrow and did not want him to drive me home that late anyway.

We said goodnight and went to his room. 

"I will go take a shower" I said and opened his drawer to take a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. 

"Go ahead, I went shopping while you were gone. I did restock your basket under the sink. I hope I did it right" He scratched his neck looking at me.

I had my stuff here, but I usually did the restock. Especially my period stuff under the sink.

"Matt...you did not have to do that, thank you, baby" I said pouting my lips.

"I wanted to, I want you to feel comfortable here. Not only you tho, all our girlfriends that come to our house. It's great that you did the basket and stuff" He smiled and I kissed his cheek.

"You are too sweet Matthew"

I went to the bathroom, when I was done he went to take a shower while I waited in his bed scrolling on TikTok.

When Matt came back from the bathroom I looked at him. He was wearing just his pajama pants. 

"Should I just say what all of the girls in my books would say? Matthew, you are such a tease" I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

"Oh my god, would you stop?" He got into bed laughing at what I said. 

"You love me for that" I put my phone on the nightstand and rested my head on his chest.

"Goodnight Matt" I closed my eyes.

He turned the lights off and tucked us in with the blanket. 

"Goodnight sweet girl" He kissed my head while I was already half asleep after this long day.

The best way to end the day is knowing that I will wake up in his arms the next morning. 

[paper-mario-wiki]

sorry for posting so much about rap lately. but, as it happens, i have been listening to a lot of rap lately. or i guess like, more intently and purposefully than i had before. what i mean by this is like, instead of just passively enjoying individual rap songs that i hear, i am looking into artists and their larger bodies of work and studying their unique styles and stories and like. im enjoying it quite a lot! which makes sense cuz ive always liked the genre in a vacuum. so it stands to reason that i'd enjoy studying the actual figures and history and larger culture behind it too.

[cheeseceli]

Skz reaction to their s/o listening to angry music

Pairing: ot8 skz × gn!Reader (individually)

Genre: I'm pretty sure this is fluff

Request: "i was wondering if u could write like a reaction of skz when they find out that yn is listening to angry music (metal, rage rap,..)"

A/N: I AM SO LATE with this request, I'm so so sorry😭 it took me a while to figure out how i wanted to write this but I hope you like it nevertheless! Also first time I use dividers and I think it's so cute (credits in the end of the post)

Bang Chan

I think he would be so surprised?? Mainly if your music taste doesn't match your appearance

Like imagine you wear such soft clothes and then you're listening to rage in your headphones

He would be tempted to make more songs like this to stray kids though

And would ask for your opinion ofc, might even put your name in the credits

Will also send tiktoks he finds about angry music all the time

And if he ever gets to know one of your favourite artists (this man knows the whole entertainment industry atp) he will let you know and might even bring you an autograph

Lee Know

He would find out your music taste when you guys made one of those matchings in spotify

He swore you guys would be more than 90% compatible

you were only 34%

he is in shock

But he listens to every single song that shows up on the matching

Might even add some to his favourites

Will let you know his opinions too

And if another member likes angry music as well, he will mention you in the conversation

He might even use this as a way to bring you closer to the members

His s/o and his best friends, he would love that

Changbin

If you like angry rap he is now taking notes lmao

Will try to incorporate it in his own rap

Takes you to concerts!!

Buy you merch!!

Tries to meet with your favourite artists!!

Makes angry music for skz!!

Will do everything and anything when it comes to your likings, including musical taste

And he would add angry music in your karaoke nights

He is screaming from the top of his lungs into the mic but he is so happy lol

Please scream with him, thank you

Hyunjin

I feel like he always knew that

It was probably one of the first things he knew about you

And even though he might not like this musical genre personally, he will probably listen to it sometimes and will have some of your songs in his playlist

But he likes it the most when he is driving and you play one of your playlists on the radio

When you sing along>>

And!!

If you know the story behind one of the artists/songs PLEASE tell him

He would love to listen to you explain it to him

Han

You can't convince me that this man doesn't have some songs like that in his playlist as well

He goes to the gym listening to the most agressive songs ever

So he actually is pretty happy you guys have something else in common

And if you guys like the same artist or the same song, he is in heaven

Specially if it's metal

Nothing will change my mind, he listens to metal a lot

And agressive rap

Will also incorporate to his rap sometimes and maybe will even put some references to your favourite artists on the lyrics

Will add a lot of your recommendations to his playlist

Felix

Tried to do a matching on spotify as well and was in shock with how many metal and rap was there

Asks you to make a playlist for him recommending some songs

Will show your recs to the members as well

Suddenly all the dorm is listening to metal

And if you ever think that his voice could match one of your favourites songs, he would be so honoured fr

Like, you're making an association between a thing that you love and him, he is so genuinely happy

Will try to sing it ofc

Seungmin

He is other one who I think will probably not like the genre that much

But will listen to it whenever you listen to it

He really likes to share an earphone with you

If you're up to it, so is he

And also likes to pick which song you're listening to

Will make a whole queue for you to listen

And if he ever comes across to another angry music, he is sending it to you immediately

I.N

Now that they have personal instagram accounts (I'm so happy lmao) he will post a picture on his stories and will let you choose the song

So he is wearing the cutest outfit but rage is playing on the background

He finds it pretty cool ngl

And since we're talking about fashion

He would love to see how your musical taste reflects on your clothes, if it does

It's so interesting he swears

He would also spoil you with merch and concerts

I believe he would try to listen to some angry music to try to impress you lmao

Like you'd be listening to some music and somehow he knows the artist, the album and even the release date

Pretend you didn't see him search everything on google

Feedback and reblogs are always appreciated!

Dividers by @cafekitsune (thank you btw!)

[meangirls-imagines]

hi! can i ask for more descriptions of the R in the poly!plasticsverse (i love the character descriptions btw, im just eager) like how tall are they and what music they listen to.

(also hi! is this the appropriate place to send my dumb little thoughts about them? because i know your requests are closed and i don’t wanna like overstep in any way. im also the person who submitted R getting up in the middle of the night to sleep [IT WAS SO GOOD AND SWEET AND CUTE, i love it so much] but i did not expect to get something written, and i felt bad because i didn’t know if that meant i made you feel like it was a request. if it did come off as a request, i am so sorry, i meant to be a gay little shit telling you how much it took over my brain to read poly!plastics)

HI YES OF COURSE YOU CAN SEND IN YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE POLY!PLASTICSVERSE! PLEASE DO!

Y/N is what @yungpoetfics calls "polyjamorous".

She vibes to female rappers with Regina.

She dances to vintage music with Gretchen. (Her and Gretchen have slow danced to Elvis in the kitchen late at night.)

She tries to listen to Kpop with Karen but can't get into it. (She doesn't tell Karen that so she doesn't hurt her feelings.)

She goes all "Thug Life" with Shane. (They showed up to school one day dressed like 2005 John Cena while blasting Tupac. Regina burned those clothes after Y/N wore them.)

She introduced Shane to emo rap. He became obsessed with Lil Peep in two days. (He tried to get face tats but Y/N shut that shit down quickly."

"Lil Peep looks good with them because he's handsome, you would look like you just got out of jail. Do you know what they do to pretty boys like you in jail? They make them bottom bitches." "Maybe I should go to jail." "NO!"

Her and Aaron listen to all kinds of things (but when they are alone, they blast One Direction).

Her and Janis have a similar taste, so they vibe with each others music.

Damian tries to get her to listen to R&B and she likes it.....kind of.

Y/N is a pop punk/emo at heart.

Y/N and Regina will jam to Paramore and Evanescence but Y/N's favorite band is Simple Plan.

Y/N went to a Simple Plan concert when she was a kid and it was the greatest moment of her life.

They got a picture of them meeting Simple Plan and it's their greatest possession.

She listens to classical music with Cady when she tutors Y/N. When they hang out on what they call "mother and son time", they listen to country. (Conway Twitty, Garth Brooks, Reba, etc.)

Regina and Y/N recreated the "Still Into You" video (Regina singing, Y/N playing guitar. Ballons, bicycles indoors, the whole thing) and posted it to their IG on Valentines Day.

It's their song.

Emo band hcs:

Y/N: Simple Plan

Regina: Paramore

Karen: Panic! At the Disco

Gretchen: Dashboard Confessional

Cady: Secondhand Serenade

Aaron: Fall Out Boy

Shane: Green Day

Janis: Avril Lavigne

Damian: is confused

Now, let's talk about about our favorite stoner.

Y/N is 5'6", she's just shorter than Regina.

She's got a scar on her nose from when she was a kid and she was jumping on her parent's bed and tripped over her dad's foot and busted her face. (I'm totally not projecting). And a birthmark on her stomach that is lighter than the rest of her skin (so it looks like a scar). When they get intimate, its her girlfriends favorite spot to kiss.

(She also wrote a song called My Girl for the plastics and plays it when one or all of them are sad.)

[barblaz-arts]

Real real real random ask.. Buuutttt- what's your favorite song? Mine's either this or this, and not even because I'm into the dsmp, I just like cg5 lol. So yeah! Just was curious ig, also thought I should mention that you actually got me (back) into (obsessed with) the Crane Wives! I used to listen to them a little while back and got back into them again when I watched the Chaggie animatic with Curses for the song. That's all, have a good day!

Oh that is a very dangerous question. I LOVE talking about/recommending songs I like. I cant just choose one tho, especially when there are artists who have so many songs I love and there are many genres I adore, so sorry for the long ish list

With The Crane Wives my favorite changes from time to time. I remember when I was ill and basically bedridden for two months, I'd spend hours just listening to all of their songs. Rn my favorite is I Aint Done. Apparently it's supposed to be based on some urban legend? I like to think of it as some tragic sapphic story

Marianas Trench is another one of my favorite bands. If you were a teen like me who loved watching AMV's in the 2000's to 2010's, their songs are often used for ships lol. (i get the feeling you might be a bit on the young side tho, so sorry for talking about some oldies here) Hard to pick a favorite too, but maybe this one since it's the first one of theirs I heard

I havent ventured too deeply in rap heavy songs, but this is one I like a LOT. The pre-chorus and chorus are such killers too and a lot of fun to sing lol

Jordan Fisher is such an underrated gem. Their songs take me back to the classic RnB from the 2000's. And watching them perform is kinda captivating.

People who have followed me for a while now know that I also love kpop/Loona, so lemme plug in my girls real quick. This is my favorite from one of their subgroups

Kiss of Life is a newer group I've been getting into lately, and they're real dang talented. They kinda remind me of Little Mix, which I also really liked

If you're into anime, you've probably heard of yoasobi because they've had songs that feature in anime. It's really really hard to pick a favorite with them but the one they wrote for Beastars is the one I'm currently obsessed with

There are also a lot of good songs in my country I could talk days about, especially this one by Ben & Ben. The mv stars their bassist and keyboardist who are dating irl, which makes it even cuter

And then there are so many broadway songs i like.... oh my god so hard to choose........

Beetlejuice is my favorite musical, so I gotta choose one from it. The lyrics for the songs in this musical are so good, but especially with Dead Mom. The bridge where Lydia turns all soft because of how much she loved her mom gets me everytime. (fun fact for those who dont know, the voice actors for Pentious/Adam and Rosie were the OG actors for the title character and the step mom)

Lastly, I havent actually watched the Waitress yet(I'm talkin about bootlegs ofc) but the soundtrack's really good. The voice actor for Niffty was also there, so you might wanna check it out just to hear her sing, she's phenomenal. This song is undoubtedly the best of the bunch, and there's actually a version song by Lucifer's VA that is absolutely heart-breaking, but I'm putting the original version in the post for the intended message of the song because its important. Also this animatic is kinda insane. Jeremy Jordan's version of this song really is worth checking out too for sure

[ryuichirou]

So i'm reading your yandere/hypnosis post and i get to Vil being utterly jealous enough to try on Rook; and it makes me think about his drive and the second place club lol (Leona, Jamil and Vil) like D: poor them they're always outranked by that ooonnee person! Can our boys catch a break? whether that person knows or not I always tend to feel bad--especially for Vil since i remember his inner speech in book 5 and the fact that his most trusted person ended up being such a big fan of the person who makes him feel like second best. wait i love rookvil i think i made myself sad LOL NOoo--aahh I rambled im sorry, i guess the main question i wanna ask is what do you think about those particular three always having to come second to their respective counterparts? I think your opinions and insight is so interesting that i'd like to know your thoughts on this! and you don't have to answer for all three characters if you dont wanna I was just curious on your thoughts! Anyways, have a good day and stay hydrated! it's hot this summer oof

Anon! Took some time to get back to you as well, sorry for the late reply. Summer is already over, but it’s still SO HOT…

Without diving into just how much I love the ending of book5 and the whole Rook-Vil-Neige thing (I feel like I talk about it all the time LOL)… It is interesting how these Vil, Jamil and Leona always get to be second best, isn’t it? But ironically, I don’t think I ever grouped them in my head based on this. Maybe it’s because of how different their situations are? But also now that I think about it…

Vil isn’t better than Neige, and he tries to be better by working hard.

Jamil is better than Kalim, but he can’t be better because of his status.

Leona may or may not be better than Falena in some ways, but he doesn’t even bother.

Ignoring the fact that this “better” is always subjective and in actuality things are more complex than that… and also trying not to sound like an armchair therapist that’s just telling anime boys “you should have done this you idiot”, but.

Jamil got the most development in that sense because this internal conflict is very straightforward, in fact, he was the easiest one to describe with these little sentences I just wrote. Jamil wants to stop pretending to be worse than he is, he wants to work hard and to show how great he is without being forced to get worse results than Kalim. He is only the second best because he consciously allows Kalim to be the best whenever he is given this choice. And he isn’t always given a choice: a lot of times the system decides for him, just like when Crowley chose Kalim to be the housewarden. Still, even in that situation, Jamil knows for a fact the shape, the density and the nature of this ceiling he can’t break, he’s been aware of it for his entire life. This is why it’s easy to pinpoint moments of Jamil’s growth: when he expresses how much he hates pretending to be worse than Kalim, when he says that he won’t hold back anymore, when he gets to dance and rap at VDC as a lead-vocalist and, ironically, when he gets scolded by Leona in ch6 (I have some issues with their sub-story, but still).

With Vil, the difficult part is to understand what exactly he understands as “beauty”: I mentioned it in a bunch of Vil-centric posts, but we’ve seen how in-canon he was described as too beautiful, therefore not as relatable as Neige. So this isn’t about beauty, and in a way I think this isn’t about Neige either. This is about Vil’s own feeling of self-worth and self-expression, and how people perceive him; Neige is just a very good point of reference, a good metric, especially considering that they always end up being compared to each other and that comparing numbers of followers is easy and seemingly objective (which is a cruel trap a lot of people fall for).

What I’m trying to say is that Vil isn’t fully and constantly aware of “the shape of this ceiling”, or rather why he can’t reach Neige; this is why we had that ending to his book. This isn’t solely about skill or quality, but those are the main things Vil focuses on.

And Leona… I am not sure about him, to be honest, because it boils down to one problem that I have with him: I am not sure what he wants.

It’s easy to compare him to Jamil because it seems like his issue lies in being frustrated with the system: he will never be the first because Falena is literally the first born son. But I don’t think it’s fair to compare a prince with a servant like that, because even though Leona wouldn’t be the king, he still has a lot of power and opportunities, and we’ve seen Falena valuing his strong points and expressing that he wants Leona to help him. One might even say that he invited Leona to be by his side, as a brother and an equal. But this isn’t what Leona wants in actuality, is it?

His “ceiling” seems to be obvious, but I guess his actual frustrations lie elsewhere, and those are kind of difficult to see because of how inconsistent he is. But maybe it’s just me being frustrated with his character again lol

I am replying so late because I really thought I would have some kind of conclusion about this whole thing, but it seems like I don’t lol Still, it was an interesting topic to think about.

Thank you for your ask! <3

[panda-writes-kpop]

Can you lease write the sfw alphabet for Twice Chaeyoung? I will be very grateful, thanks in advance

Chaeyoung Fluff Alphabet (Requested!)

a/n: of course I can do this for you, my dear! hope you enjoy this. sorry for being late on my post. ...it's been a long week 🥲

tw: none!

♡ Masterlist ♡

Affection (How do they show their affection? What love language(s) do they use?)

Chaeyoung’s main love language is gift-giving - whether it’s art, lyrics, or a more tangible gift, she’s always got something thoughtful to give to you. Even if it’s as simple as a small trinket or matching phone cases, she loves to get stuff for you.

Beauty (What do they admire about their S/O? What makes their S/O beautiful?)

If you’ve got tattoos, she definitely has given them a second glance on multiple occasions, and she has run her fingertips over the ink whenever she needs to think or clear her head (as if you don’t distract her enough already). She also admires your independence when it comes to getting what you want out of life.

Comfort (How would they help their S/O if they were having a rough day?)

Chaeyoung lets you listen/read to some of her unreleased songs and music, especially if they’re about you, in order to cheer you up. She also likes to wrap her arms around you and bury her head in your back because you deserve to feel protected and loved.

Dreams (How do they picture their future with their S/O?)

Chaeyoung imagines you two living relatively remotely - in your own world, away from the prying eyes of others. Of course, that’s not entirely possible, so you settle on a small house a bit outside of a city center so she can have you (mostly) to herself while you can still enjoy life in and out of the city.

Equal (Do they tend to be more dominant or passive in the relationship?)

She’s more of a quiet dominant type - not the one you’d expect to be dominant on the first go. Chaeyoung plans dates and takes the lead in your relationship, but she doesn’t do it in an authoritative way. She takes your likes, dislikes, and opinions into consideration when she’s making plans for the two of you. She’s the first to initiate affection, too, although she can get a bit flustered if things get a little heated between the two of you.

Fight (Would they easily forgive their S/O after a fight? How would a typical fight go?)

She’s another member that I don’t see getting into verbal altercations with their partners. You and Chaeyoung may get into an argument and it may get intense, but one of you walks away before you say something that you regret. She’s usually the first to call you and ask if you’re ready to talk or if you need more time, and she’s open to either option.

Gratitude (How grateful are they for everything that their S/O does for them?)

She’s super polite, especially when it comes to your sweet actions towards her. Always says thank you when you buy her lunch or a small trinket that reminds you of her. She also likes to repay the favor with affection, dates, or buying things for you as well.

Honesty (Do they tend to keep secrets from their S/O, or do they share everything?)

Chaeyoung isn’t a secretive person, but it takes a while for her to open up about everything. She is an open book when your relationship with her deepens, so feel free to ask her about anything because she’ll happily tell you about it.

Inspiration (Did their S/O change them, or was it the other way around?)

Chaeyoung inspires you - she can sing, dance, rap, draw, write lyrics… it’s hard to not admire her abilities. You’re always there to support her whenever she needs you the most.

Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

Chaeyoung does get jealous, but it takes her less time to step in and deal with the situation. She doesn’t mind wrapping an arm around your waist if someone gets a little too close for her comfort, or if they really aren’t getting the hint, a pet name or kiss on the lips will do.

Kiss (How often do they kiss you? Where do they like to kiss you?)

She loves to kiss you on the lips - they are short and sweet as a simple way to show affection. She also likes longer kisses where the two of you can get lost in each other. Chaeyoung doesn’t mind kissing your hand as a way to fluster you, but she gets flustered if you do the same back to her.

Lazy Day (How do they like to spend days off with their S/O?)

Chaeyoung likes to spend her days off at home with you. Even if you’re not in the same room or if you’re not doing something together, simply being in your presence is enough to relax her mind.

Marriage (Do they want to get married? How often do they think about marrying their S/O?)

Chaeyoung likes the idea of marrying you as a next step in your relationship, but she won’t force you into anything. Small conversations here and there will help gauge your interest in marriage, and she moves forward from there.

Nicknames (What do they call their S/O?)

Babe, baby, love, my muse

More modern nicknames are Chaeyoung’s preferences, but the last one is your phone contact name (her members tease her about this all of the time).

On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they are in love? Is it extremely obvious to others?)

Chaeyoung is a creative being, so her creative output explodes when the two of you are together. Her more romantic art comes forward with new life like no one has seen before. She also gets red in the face whenever your name is mentioned, so it’s pretty obvious that she’s head over heels for you.

PDA (Are they very upfront with their relationship, or do they prefer to keep things quiet?)

Chaeyoung doesn’t really mind PDA - it’s all up to you. If you’re comfortable with more PDA, she’s happy to kiss you in public. If you’re not, well, she gets all of you to herself at home.

Quirk (Some random personality trait that makes them an excellent partner.)

Chaeyoung likes to go with the flow of everything, so she’s an agreeable person to get along with. You tend to put her preferences above all, but she always has your comfort, safety, and affection in mind whenever she makes decisions.

Romance (Are they a born romantic ready to woo their S/O at any moment, or do they struggle to spark romantic moments with their S/O?)

Chaeyoung is a hidden born romantic - she doesn’t often display it in front of others, but when she’s in the mood for romance, you’re in for a treat. She isn’t the old-fashioned type of romantic, but she does buy your flowers and sweets if you’re having a rough day or if you need a pick-me-up.

Support (How do they help support their S/O to reach their goals?)

Chaeyoung supports you with her words. A gentle good luck, a sweet text on a rough day, or an end of day phone call is enough to motivate you to keep moving towards your goals.

Thrill (Do they like trying out new things to spice up their relationship, or do they prefer to stick to a routine?)

Chaeyoung likes to try new things with the two of you - new date nights especially. She doesn’t worry about them going well or not - it’s not about the experience for her, but the person she is with.

Understanding (How well do they know their partner?)

Chaeyoung understands you perfectly - you compliment each other as partners, after all. She can read your body language well and tell when you’re not feeling well, sometimes before you understand what’s going on yourself.

Value (How important is the relationship to the person versus other relationships and things in their life?)

Chaeyoung values your relationship just as much as she values her crafts and talents. She treats you with love and respect, as do you. Your relationship is one of the best parts of her life, and Chaeyoung doesn’t want to spoil that.

Wild Card (A random fluffy headcanon that you have about the relationship?)

Chaeyoung, the semi-romantic lyricist, has you as the focus of her writing at times. Sometimes you’ll appear in her drawings, but most of the time, your presence is felt in her lyrics.

XOXO (Do they like to kiss, hug, and cuddle you? How often do they do so?)

Chaeyoung loves to cuddle with you after a long day of work. She often kisses and hugs you, as much as you’ll allow her to, because it’s one of her favorite ways to show affection to you.

Yearning (How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?)

She sends you a lot of texts, calls you, and video chats with you if you’re available. She does go on with day-to-day life, but she wants to have you there, as much as you can be, while you’re away.

Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind?)

Although she might not say it, Chaeyoung would burn literal bridges for you. Of course, you’d do the same for her, which only makes her more willing to put herself on the line for you.

[spectrumgarden]

- About me, some links to my own posts I find more important, & short DNI under the read more -

My name is Jamie. I am 22. I use he/him or it/its. I am from Germany. I am queer & a relationship anarchist.

The piccrew used to make my icon

I am medium / moderate support needs (MSN), on the lower end I believe. Current caretaker is my mother (she is being paid for this by insurance I think) I'm hoping I can get outside caretakers soon. My quite in depth post on support needs is here

I am living "by myself" but this actually just means in a small apartment above my mothers, so she can still be there at all times I might need help. I would not be able to do this without her so close by.

I am physically disabled but I will not discuss this on this blog. My physical, or generally more non autism / DD specific disability blog is @painfordays. I have visible differences (large scars). I am brainweird / mad (I prefer this over "mentally ill") & I have tardive dyskenesia (tics).

I am semiverbal (I have a post on that here) and I use a Novachat 8 device that I got through health insurance. I nearly exclusively (99%) use AAC with anyone who isnt close family or friends, though I frquently use it around them too. You can see glimpses of my pages here. It's common for my language skills to vary. I'm currently learning DGS (german sign language)

I had a loss in skills starting at maybe 14-15 years old and slowly progressing up until now. Before that I was LSN (low support needs) and often more verbal with more people. I am trying to find doctors who are knowledgeable about autistic catatonia & can assess me.

I like to drink & sometimes do drugs & I smoke cigarettes. I deserve the bodily autonomy to decide these things. I love tattoos & piercings & I dye my own hair. My main interests are The three investigators (die drei ???), music (especially 80s punk / newer bands with a similar sound, rock, indie and rap), sanrio. Theres many smaller, fleeting interests I have and I'm currently collecting (mainly Hatsune Miku) figures!

I dropped out of school at 17. I was in mainstream school and lucky to have very attentive & forgiving teachers for the first years. Later I was in an "integrative" class for a while & I spent some time in schools for mentally ill kids during psych hospital stays and day programs. I did not actually attend school a lot, starting in secondary school I mostly stayed at home and / or went home quickly after arriving, also did online school for a while because of struggle to attend in real life. I also had a 1-1 support worker for about a year before I dropped out. I started going to a sheltered workshop for disabled people (wfbm) In late June of this year, part time. I'm very open to talking about my experiences at the workshop.

My stim blog is @plushieboards

I am trying my best to answer comments and asks and DMs but it stresses me out and takes a lot of effort when it's more complex topics, so I might choose not to reply to yours, sorry.

Lastly, if you use the term "going nonverbal" I do not want you on my blog. If you are part of "rad-queer" I do not want you on my blog. If your blog features thinspo or heavily focuses on eating disorders in general, if it features pictures of selfharm, i do not want you on my blog.

[lunaloveskpop23]

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

Non - Idol Bangchan x reader

Summary: The reader meets Bangchan online and becomes close with him. What happens if they fall in love with a long distance between them?

Warnings: none.

Genre: Fluff and Angst.

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

Y/N's POV:

I was scrolling through Instagram bored out of my mind. As I did, I was playing music and I was listening to "Back to Me" by The Rose.

I sang as I scrolled until I saw a post with a guy. He was smiling and he was showing dimples.

"He's cute," I say out loud to myself.

I click on his profile and look at his pictures. He's adorable. Should I send him a follow???? Would he even follow back........usually people don't know what to do.......

I debated about it and accidentally hit follow. I blush and threw my phone on the other side of the bed.

"Shit.....would he even follow back?"

I get quiet and take my headphones out. I sigh and go take a shower.

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

*thirty minutes later*

I get out and I look at my phone. I saw someone started following me. I looked. It was the Bangchan guy. I blush. He's following me back?

I couldn't believe it...should I send him a DM? Would that be weird??

I get a notification, and I see it's from him.

"Hi!"

I look at the message and blush. I write back.

"Hi! How are you ☺️?"

Was the emoji too much? Probably. Why am i so awkward?!

I feel a buzz from my phone. I look and see he sent a reply.

"I'm good! Just finishing up some writing. What about you?"

I blush.

"Oh, I'm just scrolling through Instagram. About to lay down. For bed."

I set my phone down and turned on my TV to YouTube. I put on my sleep playlist.

I get a buzz. I look.

"Sleep? It's like 8 in the morning here."

8 in the morning? Oh, he must be in another country.

"Wait really? It's so late here. 😭"

"Ah, you must be in America then. I know my friend Felix is there for a while because of family."

"Wait Felix?!"

"Yeah Lee Felix. Do you know him?!"

"I do! I know him because he is a regular at the Café I work at."

"He is somehow everywhere. But he is a nice guy."

"He is. So, what do you write about?"

"Well, I write music. I do an underground rap group with my friends Han and Changbin."

"Oh? That is so cool! Well, I have to leave soon, but um my name is Y/N. What's your name?"

"I'm Bangchan, but you can call me Chris."

"It's nice to meet you, Chirs. Would you like to continue this conversation tomorrow?"

"Sure! Goodnight Y/N! I hope you sleep well."

"Thank you! Goodnight. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day,"

I set my phone down and I smile. He's so cute.

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

Two months have passed by and we got closer. We texted every day and sometimes we video chat.

When we did that for the first time, I could have sworn my heart nearly exploded. We even decided to give each other nicknames.

He calls me baby girl. I call him my love. I know totally original, but he's a lovebug.

We are currently video chatting.

"So, then I tried making the drink again, but of course, she asked for the manager."

"Oh, she was a Karen?" He giggles.

"She had the hair and everything. So, Jeff walked out and told her off. He was not happy. This Karen apparently, is a neighbor of Jeff's."

"Oh god, What?!"

"Yeah, and she hates him. So the look on her face was priceless."

We both laugh for a minute and he smiles at me.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, baby girl. It's just your laugh is beautiful."

"Oh? Thank you."

"I do have something to tell you." He gets serious.

I look at him.

"What is it?"

"I might not be online a lot for a few weeks. I am sorry, baby girl. It's just I am going on a trip and this place has not the best wifi."

"Oh, um that's ok..." I get sad.

"Are you ok, baby girl?"

"Yeah...um I have to go. I'm sorry."

"Oh, ok. B-"

I hung up. Talking to him started becoming a daily thing. Now he'll be somewhere else for a bit. Barley texting him. Oh god...

I start crying. I wish he closer.....why must he be so far.

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

"Thank you! Have a nice day!" I smiled.

"It's almost closing time, Y/N." Jeff walks up to me and says.

"I'll lock up, you can go ahead and leave." I say.

"You sure?" He asks.

"Yeah, I don't mind."

"Ok, see you Monday." I wave as he leaves.

I start cleaning up. I hear a door open.

"Sorry, we are closed."

"Even for me?" I stop and drop the broom. I look up and see Chris.

He smiles.

"Hi, baby girl." I smile and run to him.

He hugs me.

"I thought you would be somewhere else?"

"Surprise. I wanted to see you in real life. And I was able to get time off work."

"Oh Chris...."

I smile and pull back.

"You are more beautiful in real life."

I blush and giggle.

"Well, give me a minute while I finish." He nods and waits for me.

I finish and see him staring at me.

"What?" I giggle.

"Just a pretty girl I see."

"Oh?? You flirt." I blush.

"I'm serious."

I look at him.

"Chris..."

"I love you."

"What?" I look at him with wide eyes.

"I love you.."

I blush and walk closer to him and hug him.

"I love you too." He hugs me back and kisses my cheek.

My love...

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

Hi pookies. Yeah the ending might be a little rushed. I apologize. I hope you guys enjoyed it. TXT next!!!!

Luna

[sitp-recs]

hello lovely liv!

i have to admit push and pull you down by mostlyvoid has me on a chokehold like no other, i'm obsessed with the dynamic between h&d and now am wondering if you know any other fics with a harry thats not content with his life meeting a draco who is showing him a different (like morally ambiguous) side of life? or do you have any rec lists already? i'm not even sure what bullet points to look for i'd appreciate your help :)

*elmo fire gif* love love love that fic! It’s short but super intense and the dynamics, dialogue and characterization are perfectly executed by @bonesliketambourines 🤌🏼 I don’t know any similar fics with those specific vibes but I think you might enjoy these. They play with jaded!Harry and morally ambiguous!Draco in different ways, some are darker than others but the Drarry dynamics are equally delicious. Enjoy!

Second Chance by @shealwaysreads (G, 2k)

Harry and Draco spent one long, perfect year together after the war, then the Ministry came calling. Three years later Harry finds his way to Draco’s door.

A Cold Spot in Hell by @drarrytrash (E, 8k)

When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire. If you wanted 8k of sexy arson, emotionally difficult arson, general arson, handkerchiefs, dread, and poetry curation, now is really your moment.

Clear As Mud by scoradh (M, 10k)

Set post-war and post-Harry's-conscience...

Two Zinnias and the Scent of Lemon by @the-starryknight (M, 16k)

The Ministry didn’t turn bad overnight. Harry didn’t suddenly turn rogue either. Between covert Legilimency links and Polyjuice disguises and running and running and running, Draco has forgotten what it is like to have a safe harbor that isn’t a person. If there’s an art to fighting back, then they’ll find it hand in hand.

Unfinished Business by cupiscent (E, 20k)

Ten years after the War ends, Harry and Draco still haven't got their act together. But maybe it's not too late.

Sun Thief by @floydig, BlackRose532 (E, 28k)

It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs. Or: Harry beats up a pimp and isn’t sorry about it, Draco deals black market potions, and they’re shagging. Again.

The Laws of Gravity by @lettersbyelise (E, 31k)

When he runs into Draco Malfoy picking pockets at a charity gala, Harry Potter is forced to face the desires he’s avoided for years — at the risk of shattering the public image he’s so carefully curated since the war.

Dreaming Darkly by @quicksilvermaid (E, 40k)

It's five years after the war, and Harry is not okay. He hates his job. He hates Robards. He hates Ron's promotions and Hermione's concern. He chases oblivion in booze and weed and quick dirty fucks, but it's never enough. Then Draco Malfoy's face comes up on the case board as a murder suspect and Harry is thrown into an investigation that will take him to dark and dangerous places.

The Beauty of Thestrals and Other Unseen Things by @writcraft (E, 63k) - Draco’s not morally ambiguous here, just unapologetically queer 🌈

Harry has terrific friends, an amazing girlfriend and his job as Head Auror enables him to work on challenging cases and Ministry reform. He just wishes he could work out why he’s been so out of sorts.

A Pocket Full of Stones by waterwings (E, 68k)

A curse is spreading through the wizarding world, erasing memories of the war. Harry Potter is on the case! Where Draco is the DMLE’s most wanted dark wizard and Harry is the private investigator tasked with bringing him in. It goes as well as one might expect.

Criminal by @the-sinking-ship (E, 83k)

Things were going just fine for Draco Malfoy. He successfully conned and counted cards across Europe and America, amassing a small fortune, along with a lengthy rap sheet. That was until he made the grave mistake of returning to England for a high stakes card game and got himself caught – by Harry Potter no less.

[idleglowingpixels]

I kinda realised that Mr Komos' song, True Monster Heart follows the same beat as the Monster High Fright song, but the lyrics are like the corrupted version of the original.

Monster High Fright is about accepting

True Monster Heart is about rejecting

Kinda interesting when you think about it

AHHHHHH WHEN I SAW I GOT AN ASK RELATED TO THIS I FREAKED OUT DFGHNBGVFDSF TY FOR GIVING ME SOMETHING TO RAMBLE SOME MORE ABOUT ANON FOR REAL! (Also sorry for the late response, this post has been developing in my drafts for like at least a week now dfgfhng)

I absolutely agree with the conflicting messages between the two songs! I know the song focuses on the story of this universe's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the main verses, but the main focus of the song is that message of rejection of anything and everything human.

Also, because of the Jekyll/Hyde bits, it could represent the duality of where the story starts and ends in its interpretation of a "true monster heart." Instead of Mr. Hyde's human-ness making his heart "untrue," it was his utter rejection of & research into ridding himself of his Jekyll, as well as his hiding of the truth in the first place that caused him to be found out and exiled.

His heart being "untrue" had nothing to do with the fact he was half-human, because if it were, then Clawdeen and Komos's presence in and of itself within the school would've triggered its self-destruction. That was proven as a false interpretation by the story in the movie, so it's self-explanatory. A true monster heart is one of self-acceptance, despite one's flaws or differences. That's what Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Komos thereafter, had neglected to realize before Clawdeen proved the point.

Though, I've listened to both True Monster Heart and Fright Song a few times back-to-back, to try and get where you're thinking as far as the beat, but I don't hear it unfortunately (unless you meant the tempo of the song, then yes they do follow the same 120 beats per minute!).

The closest thing I can think of as far as melodic parallels between the songs is the chanting sections. The Fright Song chant is much quicker in the way it's sung compared to the chant in True Monster Heart, however. The whole of Fright Song's chant goes in 16 beats/4 measures, whereas True Monster Heart's chant takes twice as long at 32 beats/8 measures (I was a band/choir kid lol). It's mainly due to how the song kinda drags out the point, and it definitely feels like a nod to Fright Song for sure. Fright Song's chant is only there because 4/5 of the main ghouls were fearleaders, so it was sort of characterizing the cast before actually showing their characters in the webisodes.

---

Fun little headcanon/ramble that I forget if I ever mentioned about Fright Song, but with Holt Hyde being released in the 1st Signature wave with the rest of the the main ghouls and all, I think it was because he's intended to be the singer of the rap section before any subsequent content with the character was released (No offense but I don't think Holt DJs because he's a good singer sdfgbfds). This would line up with his current crush in canon with Frankie, as well as his former crush on Draculaura from either the diaries or books, maybe both? I forget. :'D Also I feel like Holt wouldn't hesitate to call Cleo vile immediately after saying she's charming either, he's very direct with his words. (I also interpret Jackson/Holt as bisexual because Deuce is included in the rap I DON'T CARE Y'ALL IT MAKES SENSE!)

Also I always interpreted the howl-like sound at the end of the rap as "Holt ran outta time/battery power for his music and transforms back to Jackson as it transitions to the rest of the song." It kinda works with how the beat kinda drops down with the howl, like a TV being shut off or something idk.

Ghoulia also debuted with Signature Wave 1 but she's only in like a second of the music video in the background, I figure it could've been budgetary reasons for the animation, to save on animating an extra character. Also I imagine flame-y hair wouldn't be very fun to animate in 2D, and Deuce's snakes moving on their own were bad enough I imagine to animate, so it begrudgingly checks out as to why Holt isn't in the animated bits with everyone else.

BUT I JUST WATCHED THE MUSIC VIDEO BECAUSE I WANTED TO FOR THE SAKE OF THIS POST AND THE GUY SINGING THE RAPPING BIT HAS, YOU GUESSED IT, A BRIGHT FRICKIN NEON RED LEATHER JACKET. He doesn't have the dual-toned shirt BUT IT'S WHITE AND THIS IS CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ME Y'ALL! XD

If any straws for these dumbasses can be found I SHALL GRASP THEM fr they're my blorbos :'D

[catiecat1320]

Double Update for posting day!!

Chapter 2 out of 11! [MasterPost]

Read Below 🔽

Thump, thump, thump.

Shadow rapped on the door gently, exactly three times as he always does. Could he have rung the doorbell? Perhaps. But he always found a pleasant satisfaction from knocking, the sound tickling the musical part of his brain that loved to hear the varying noises different doors gave. If he’d listened carefully enough, he could hear shuffling inside as he ran his fingers along the crevices in the design, the smooth wood warm to the touch.

The moment was brief however, as Vanilla swung the door open in a haste, mouth puckered into an O-shape. “Shadow! Oh my, I knew I was forgetting something. Come in, come in.” “Is there something wrong?” Shadow murmured worriedly as he bent over and worked off his boots. Vanilla let out a breathy laugh, just bordering on a sigh.

“Oh, no, nothing wrong. Cream is just staying late at dance today,” she smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot to cancel her piano lesson. If you’re willing to wait, I’ll head out to pick her up soon. You’re welcome to make yourself comfortable.”

“I can wait,” Shadow accepted, shifting his work bag off his shoulder and laying it on the floor. But before he could sit down on the couch, his ear flicked, an indication of trouble that he had learned to trust. He surveyed his surroundings before sniffing the air tentatively. The aromatic smell of Vanilla’s cooking wafted from the kitchen and hit his nose. Ah. She must have forgotten about that, too. “Do… do you have something on the stove?”

“Oh, dear.” The rabbit hurried back through the house, her pleated dress swishing with every step. The troubles of a mother, it seemed, were catching up to her. Shadow could sympathize; it took a lot of effort to look after someone, and with all of Cream’s ambitions, it would only get harder to keep up.

The click of an oven door snapped him out of his thoughts as Vanilla slid what she made out. Watching her scurry around the kitchen, he checked the clock that hung on the wall and called, “Ma’am, would you like me to pick up Cream for you instead?”

Brown eyes softened in both gratitude and relief. “If it isn’t too much trouble?”

“None at all.” 

Two minutes later, Shadow swung his leg over the seat of his motorcycle and strapped on his helmet. Glancing back down at the pick-up authorization slip, he committed the address to memory and tucked the paper in his pocket, starting out for the Rose Dance Academy.

………………………………

Warm air blasted his face as he pushed open the grand glass doors. As he took in the sights of the lobby, Shadow’s eyes narrowed— there wasn’t a receptionist at the desk, a sign stating “Press button for attention!!” in cheery sharpie in their place. 

Said button was nowhere to be seen.

Muttering a few choice words, he let out a sigh and attempted to find the device while not disturbing the notably messy desk. His efforts yielded no results, unfortunately, and he could only conclude that it’d been misplaced or taken. 

Curses. He’ll have to wait, then. He found himself wandering around the lobby, stopping here and there, his patience drying up as the minutes ticked by. Eventually, he came to study the awards displayed in the stretching glass case, arms folded against his chest, tapping his elbow idly… hold on.

Shadow had come to learn himself well over the years, and he’d discovered that he had talents that he couldn’t explain, one of which was the innate ability to recognize music before he’d even realized he’d heard it. Most of the time, it started with a tap to the beat— assuming that now was one of those times, his ears perked up, swiveling to pinpoint the source. 

There. A melody, though muffled relentlessly by many walls, had managed to creep up on him. This should make things more interesting.

Surveying the lobby once more, Shadow decided that a decision was in order. No one seemed to be coming any time soon, and his curiosity was growing the longer he listened, quickly eating up what was left of his dwindling patience. Tearing a sticky note from the pad on the desk, he scribbled down his name and intentions, stuck the paper to the authorization slip Vanilla had given him before leaving, then eyed unfamiliar halls wearily.

Might as well. 

He set up his little note against the sign, figuring that it was eye-catching enough to be seen, in  case the receptionist decided that right after he left would be the perfect time to come back. Quietly navigating the foreign building, he supposed it was pretty enough. Many, many pictures hung on the walls, displaying everything from past performances to individual students, but the sharp black frames jumped out against soft pink too much for his liking. Design choices weren’t his business, though. 

Sensitive ears guided him toward the sound of music. As he got closer, it became clearer, and he could make out the lively sway and a couple voices that accompanied the tune. Their words were indiscernible to Shadow, but an educated guess told him it was probably instructions for the students. 

His destination lay near the end of the building; or at least, what he assumed was the end, for the hallway seemed to just loop back around to the lobby. He could feel vibrations humming through the off-white door and within his body.

As he raised his fist to knock, he was overcome with the inexplicable feeling that something was about to occur. The kind of feeling that grabs you by the neck and whispers in your mind, the kind that makes your hackles raise and your body shiver.

Bile rose in his throat as he squeezed his eyes shut, chasing the feeling to the depths of his consciousness. It was, unfortunately, a familiar sensation. He hates it. Couldn’t explain why he’d feel this way, or what caused such to happen other than that usually it was correct.

Sucking in a sharp breath, he shook himself out of his thoughts and knocked. No time or need for worry. The building was secure after all, his instincts were probably thrown off by the foreign location. 

Once, twice, three times, sharp and effective, on beat with the music seeping into his ears, the music that his mind latched back onto almost desperately. 

The door clicked as a beetle swung it open in a hurry, pale face flush with embarrassment. A quick look at the badge pinned on her pink blazer revealed the reason— this was the missing receptionist.

“Oh, my,” she muttered, shutting the door behind her so they could hear each other. "I'm so sorry, sir. I—”

Shadow stopped her apology with a wave of his hand, itching to get to the point. “It’s quite alright, ma’am. I’m here to pick up Cream, is she in this class?”

“Cream… Cream! Oh, yes, she’s here,” the receptionist— Jewel, if her name tag was to be believed— smiled awkwardly. “Do you… have an authorization from her mother?”

“Yes. I left it on the front desk,” he replied. The comment, though innocent, carried an unspoken message that caused the beetle’s cheeks to flare again.

“Um, right. They’re… in the middle of something, however, if you could wait? You can go in, I’m sure they won’t mind.”

Shadow nodded in acceptance. Taking it as a dismissal, Jewel skirted around him with an “Excuse me,” her heels clicking on the floor as she hurried down the hallway.

The metal door handle was cool in his grasp as he turned it, so carefully that the noise it made was inaudible against the commotion inside. Perhaps he could have even gone undetected, if not for several things happening at once:

One, Cream spotted him immediately, perking up like someone had pulled the chain on a lamp. Everything she had been doing was forgotten in favor of bouncing over, calling everyone’s attention with an excited “Mr. Shadow!”

Two, he wasn’t sure whether it’d been planned or if his interruption caused it, but the music stopped, followed by the announcement that they were taking a break. Too late, he realized it was a familiar voice.

Three, he locked eyes with someone he was hoping not to see for the next hundred years.

The charismatic emeralds of Sonic the Hedgehog glittered with an emotion unknown as Shadow received Cream’s eager embrace. The black hedgehog could feel blood rushing to his head as prior events ran through his head like an embarrassing YouTube compilation. What was he doing here?

Unfortunately, his unvoiced question was not answered. The only thing he received was a faint smirk that decorated the dancer’s muzzle as he acknowledged Shadow with a wink. 

Dammit. He’d hoped for a second that the idol didn’t recognize him.

A tug on his sleeve caused Shadow to look down, taking his attention away from Sonic. “Mr. Shadow! Meet my classmates! And Miss Amy!”

The kids all waved at him politely, murmuring hellos that blurred into one incoherent mass. They seemed… a bit afraid, but he could understand— he didn’t necessarily look the friendliest. Someone in the little crowd piped up, “That’s your piano teacher?”

It seems Cream had taken the liberty to tell everyone about him beforehand, though he wasn’t sure when or to what extent. He wouldn’t be surprised if she’d told them all she knew. 

The bunny nodded vigorously beside him. “Yeah! He’s the best piano player in the whole world!” 

Shadow flinched. What? 

He supposed he couldn’t blame Cream for thinking such. She was a child after all, and this town probably made up her entire world. Usually he would accept the wholehearted but innocently exaggerated comment with understanding, but this time… 

Throwing a glance at the idol standing in the corner, hands on his hips, he’d cocked his head curiously at Shadow, the corners of his mouth quirking in amusement. “That may be a little stretched, Cream,” the musician stammered, giving her lopsided smile.“There are plenty of amazing piano players out there— some of them better than I.”

Cream just narrowed her eyes at him, cheeks puffing up with air, firm in her conviction that the best was standing in front of her. “But I think you’re better than all of them,” she declared, and unfortunately for Shadow, the kids seemed to take her word over his.

“You haven’t heard all of them play,” he tried, but his attempt to divert their attention was in vain.

“Well I have!” Sonic announced, strutting over like he owned the world, eyes twinkling with something akin to mischief. He cheekily waved at the pink hedgehog sitting before the studio’s piano, watching this mess unfold. “Scooch, Amy, let’s see what this guy can do.”

Amy let out a soft huff, offering an apologetic smile before adhering to the idol’s words, and suddenly Shadow was stuck with two options: one, play the piano and embarrass himself; and two, run out of the room and also embarrass himself. 

(He supposed he could also just say no, but that’d be even worse.)

Silently sighing, all eyes were on him as he sat down at the piano, because logically, it was the better option.  After all, he was here for Cream, and she wasn’t going to leave until he saw this through.

In his peripheral vision, the kids were ushered to sit in one spot, Amy standing guard to make sure there were no distractions from his performance while the idol stared him down with those sharp emeralds of his. Perfection. This was turning out like one of his college music assessments.

Locking eyes with Sonic, he hoped to translate just how peeved he was with expression alone. Alas, either the dancer didn’t catch it or didn’t care. “What piece do you want me to play?” 

The blue hedgehog cocked his head, a thoughtful expression painted on his face for only a second before he shrugged. “Eh, don’t have a request. Play whatever’s your favorite,” was the response, which was not helpful at all. Shadow couldn’t say he had a favorite piece. There were only ones he liked slightly better.

But if he had to choose…

Ave Maria, the piece he knew best. He’d played it from the moment he had the capacity to, learned it through and through for the one that declared it hers. His sister… she’d asked him to play it all the time, and he could only comply, even after her words could no longer be heard.

Gently laying his fingers on the keys, Shadow threw a glance at Sonic before starting. Allowing muscle memory to guide him, any lingering tension was all forgotten as he dropped himself into the depths of the melody.

Music was special to him in that way. It soothed him like nothing else could. There was never a doubt that he would become a musician; it had been his passion since he played his first note. There was something magical to the way it opened a world of its own that drew his heart close, and he couldn’t begin to imagine where he would be without it.

Ave Maria was beautiful on its own, but the added history ranked it as the most important song in his life. He was glad he’d picked it. As he approached the end, he made a mental note to teach this piece to Cream someday. She loved melodies that gave off the feeling of this one, and he was certain she was ready.

Oh, how she reminded Shadow of himself when he was her age.

He finished with a flourish, his hands hovering above the keys as he let the remaining sound fade. It seemed that the rest of the room was lost, completely and utterly silent as if they were expecting him to continue.

…Did they expect him to—?

“Wow,” one of the kids chirped, and the spell was shattered. Everyone burst into applause, Cream’s the loudest as she beamed with secondhand pride, smiling brightly at Shadow.

“Thank you,” the pianist whispered, cheeks warming from the way little faces turned toward him with genuine awe. But the real question on his mind was… “So? What did you think?” He asked, trying to hide his nervousness from his judge. Sonic hadn’t moved an inch, seemingly staring off into space.

“What do I think? …well, I want to work with you,” he announced after a second, whipping out what looked like a business card. He scribbled something on the back before extending it to Shadow, pinched between two fingers like it wasn’t the most mind breaking invitation he could give to a largely unknown artist. “You, you interest me. There’s something special about the way you play that I don’t find often. What do you say?”

Shadow stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking. His mouth moved, but no words came out, leaving him gaping like a fish. He… what?

Sonic just giggled at his shock, shaking the card at him flippantly. “Well, hot-shot? This is an amazing opportunity, if I do say so myself. Fame and glory and whatnot, even if you don’t stay for longer than one show.” He leaned in closer, tapping the pianist on the forehead and causing him to flinch. “Hurry, mister. I have somewhere to be!”

Finally breaking out of his trance, Shadow clamped his jaw shut and slowly reached up. As soon as he had the card between his fingers, the dancer dropped his arm, throwing a mock salute and prancing out the door with a “Bye guys! See ya!” 

Before he disappeared down the hallway, he half-turned, leaned back with insane balance, and grabbed the door handle. Winking, he swung the door shut in a very dramatic fashion, pausing right before the slam and quietly clicked the thing in place.

It wasn’t until several minutes later that Shadow realized he was still sitting there, frozen at a piano that wasn’t even his. Amy had dismissed all her students already, leaving Cream staring at him awkwardly, waiting to go home like the rest of the children. Undoubtedly, she’d tried and failed to snap him back to Earth. 

The pink hedgehog reentered, and upon seeing Shadow’s gaze on her, she flashed a sympathetic smile and walked over. She whispered something in Cream’s ear, to which the bunny nodded and left the room.

“That Sonic… What can I say, he’s a special one.” Amy rests a hand on his shoulder in comfort. “He has a wild sense of humor. Likes to catch people off guard. It’s something you get used to.”

“Uh-huh. I hope,” Shadow muttered in response, still dragging his mind out of the haze. He stuck the card in his coat pocket, sucking in a breath through gritted teeth. “I… I’ll have to get him back.”

Amy smiled and shook her head faintly. “Good luck with that. And good luck working with him. He’s a self-proclaimed difficult person… personally I think it's just a persona.”

“Does he… is he serious?” Shadow murmured, still unable to believe what just happened. It felt like an elaborate prank.

“Yes.” Jade eyes held a kind of sincerity that he rarely ever saw. “This is one thing he’d never ever kid about. If he wants to work with you, he means it. Your social status or whatever doesn’t matter to him as much as who you are as a person. If he sees something in you, well, you must be someone special, Shadow. And you’d better believe it.”

Having said her piece, Amy straightens and claps her hands together. “Again, good luck. Despite how outgoing he seems, it’ll take some work to get through him. But once you do… he’ll be the best friend you could ever have.” 

She… had so much faith. Shadow’s not the type of person to accept offers easily, but this… could he even refuse? This was the opportunity of a lifetime. 

(It dawns on him that this must be what his gut tried to prepare him for earlier. Damn.)

The rest of the day passes by in a blur. He could tell you what happened during those hours; Amy asks him for his number, he gives Cream a shortened piano lesson, Vanilla insists he stay for dinner, et cetera. But if you were to ask him the details? The only thing he could really say was how he laid on his bed, not even bothering to get under the blankets, turning that card over and over in his hands. 

Was he really special?

[rustytrident]

music the demon brothers listen to

ch: lucifer, mammon, leviathan, satan, asmodeus, beelzebub, belphegor

cw: none

a/n: i started out thinking about what music lucifer would listen to and then it kind of escalated. also, i want to start writing more fic type of posts in the future. if anyone is reading this, could you comment (or anon ask, idm) if you'd be interested in reading that or if you prefer more chill, bite sized posts? thank you mwah

lucifer

everything. i hc that, since he was the angel of music, he finds beauty in every single song, no matter how niche or out of character it may seem. he prefers some jazz, folk or rnb though, since he uses music to relax. chet baker enthusiast. sza superfan. he listens to frank ocean when he's deep in his feels.

mammon

also a sza and frank ocean fan, though he doesn't prefer them. he wants louder and faster music, something that can distract him and keep his mind occupied. biggest fan of rap and hip hop sounds in the house – any language, any kind. he loves megan thee stallion though, claims he's her biggest fan.

leviathan

expected but yeah. vocaloid. anime ops. memes. kpop. jpop. game osts and bgms. he wants his music as full and stimulating as possible. probably unironically listens to 100 gecs. top spotify genres are kpop, jpop, kpop girl group and hyperpop. internet music. ascends every time the living tombstone come up in his playlist.

satan

very very specific about the music he listens to. it's either 2010s emo pop punk leaning metal (on rare occasions), or the softest, calmest songs ever. he has a lofi playlist on every time he reads. doodie, clairo, samsa, mxmtoon, some hobo johnson here and there. they help him stay calm. i can also see him listening to some ballads since levi is into kpop, but not always.

asmodeus

that's the metal brother. you know those memes with the dude from american psycho listening in on his headphones and it's the most bubbly pop sounding music playing? asmo is that but reversed. loves screamo. loves some hard bass. will not headbang cause he spent 40 minutes on his hair but he will scream. other than that, western pop music. is it, truly, too late now to say sorry?

beelzebub

everything, but not in the way lucifer listens to everything. following the theme of my beelzebub character study, he just absorbs the media his brothers recommend. if he hears asmo blast sabaton from the other room, you bet he'll be listening to the same song while working out. if levi recommends a new anime op, he's adding it to his playlist. if he had to choose, though, it'd be softer tunes, kind of a mix of satan's and lucifer's preferences.

belphegor

look at that demon's face and tell me he doesn't listen to green day. I'm thinking either 2000s punk rock OR show tunes. musicals. he had a hamilton phase. for a couple years his playlist would go from the helpless to creep in an instant. didn't even care, didn't even bat an eye. i think he also pays attention to the lyrics a lot. any song about corrupted systems and dystopian realities is instantly added to his spotify.

[ikatako38]

Squidmas Special ‘23

Rating: G, Word Count: 4,863

This special was originally posted on AO3 in two parts between Chapter #22 - 1 and Chapter #22 - 2. It takes place 8 years after the end of TPWCH. Ryland, Three, and Captain are all the same person! I also made this relationship chart to help since there’s so many characters being introduced so quickly. And yeah, Koi’s birthday is on Squidmas, so they’re celebrating both events together. The story starts below the cut!

“You’re sure it’ll be okay? It’s just… there’s gonna be so many people…”

“Yes, Capa. It’s gonna be okay. We have to let Tsuku spread her wings. She has to be able to take risks in order to live her life. We took plenty of them.”

“I know, I know…”

“And, hey. If anything goes wrong, we’ll both be there to protect her.”

The Inkling took their husband’s hands playfully. “I think that would just be you.”

“You’re telling me the Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon wouldn’t be able to hold off a couple of fourteen-year-olds? Because I know they could.” Eight bopped the white puff on the end of Captain’s Squidmas hat.

“I get nervous around little kids! I don’t know what to do or say! You know this.”

“Is that what it is? You’re nervous the kids won’t like you?”

“I mean…” Captain shrugged. They hadn’t been consciously thinking about that, but now that Eight mentioned it, maybe that was part of their hesitation.

“It’s all right to feel nervous… but kids always love you! Remember that one at Tako Bell who—”

“Yeah, yeah I know. I’m probably worrying for no reason.”

“Such is life.”

“And… what about the other parents? They’re probably all cishet Inklings, and we’re so much younger than everyone else…”

“If anything goes wrong, we can leave, okay? Or you can leave and I can stay… or whatever works in the moment.”

Captain nodded, and after a moment he raised his head to kiss Eight. “Okay, now where’s Tsuku?”

Captain made their way to their daughter’s bedroom door. “Hey Tsuku, it’s about time to go!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry… just five more minutes!”

“Okay koko, just come out to the living room when you’re ready!”

Returning to the living room, Captain saw Eight waiting, now with his shoes on.

“Tsuku’s still going to be about ten minutes,” Captain explained.

Eight checked his phone. “We’re going to be late…”

“That’s okay.”

“Yeah. Yeah it is.”

Captain ended up opening one of the dumb word games on their phone, and Eight did his best to help, until Tsuku appeared in the hallway. She was wearing a cute little red dress with white flats. Captain bent down closer to her and gushed, “Myushi-myushi ba~!

“Oh my cod, Fufu.”

Captain kissed the top of Tsuku’s head. “C’mon, let’s go!”

It was only a short train ride, and then they were standing at the front door of Koi’s family’s house.

“Um… do we knock…?” Eight murmured.

They looked at each other, and Captain shrugged. Then they both jumped back when Tsuku stepped up between them and gave the door a confident rap. Koi opened the door a few seconds later, and her orange pigtails flopped over Tsuku’s shoulders as they hugged tightly. Captain and Eight threw each other an awkward glance as they waited in the blocked doorway, and the two young Cephalings didn’t separate until another voice from inside the house called out, “Tsuku! You made it!”

The Inkling who had just started going by KJ ran up to them and hugged Tsuku too, although—both Captain

and Eight noticed—this one was much shorter.

Meanwhile, Koi stood on her toes and said, “Hello, Mr…. um… and… uh… sorry, are you… Tsuku’s parents?”

“Yep,” Eight said. “You can just call us us Eight and Captain… or Tsuku’s dad and parent, if that’s easier. The last names are sort of complicated.”

“Oh, okay! Welcome to our home… sorry again.”

“It’s totally okay! No harm done.”

As they entered, following behind the girls and KJ, Captain made a whining sound and whispered to Eight, “That was so awkward…”

Eight gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. “I know it’s hard. You’re doing great.” Eight also slipped his hand into Captain’s for support.

A few seconds later, they arrived in the kitchen, where René was at the dining table trying to explain the rules of chess to Cody, seemingly rather unsuccessfully. Beyond that was the living room, where eight adults sat on several sofas and armchairs arranged in a U-shape around a low coffee table, conversing in groups of two or three. A Squidmas tree in the corner glistened with ornaments and tinsel.

When René and Cody saw them, they both got up and raced toward them. Cody got there first and gave Tsuku a quick hug before rattling off a long stream of almost unintelligible words while bouncing on his heels excitedly. Then René hugged her too, but, unless Captain was mistaken, it seemed a bit more awkward than the others had been.

“Hi boys, nice to meet you. I’m Eight, Tsuku’s dad.” Eight shook each of their hands.

Captain just kind of smiled at them.

Thankfully, Cody interrupted: “René was just showing me this game called chest!”

“Chess,” René corrected.

“And there’s all these little figurine things that are so cool, my favorite is the little horse!”

“Knight.”

“And to win the game you have to trap the other player’s king, and it's called a checkmake!”

“Checkmate.”

“C’mon, René can show us how to play, he’s so good at explaining things!”

Tsuku, Koi, and KJ looked at each other, shrugged, and then started to gather around the table.

Eight squeezed Captain’s hand. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be…”

They hadn’t stepped two paces into the living room when a woman with long orange tentacles jumped up from a sofa to face them. “Oh, welcome! You must be Tsuku’s parents, then? Eight and Captain, right? Here, take our seats!” She started tugging at the arm of the man next to her until he stood.

“Oh, no, it’s okay!” Eight tried.

“No, I insist. Have a seat.”

So Captain and Eight scooted in next to a pale woman with frizzy purple tentacles, just like her son.

“You must be Cody’s mother?” Eight said.

“Yep. Alicia. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” said Eight.

“And you’re Tsuku’s parents?”

“Right. We—”

“Oh, of course!” Koi’s mother interrupted, now sitting on the floor with her legs folded. Her voice was so strong that the other conversations quickly fizzled out. “Everyone, these are Tsuku’s parents, Eight and Captain. Eight and Captain, you’ve just met Alicia.” She pointed to a Black family with green tentacles sitting together on the sofa against the left wall. The husband and wife seemed to be the oldest out of everyone there, while the third person was the youngest. “These are Atlas and Jeane, René’s parents. And Atlas’s son Alex, just next to them.” Now she gestured toward the couch on the right, where another couple sat, this one with magenta tentacles. “And KJ’s parents, Vanessa and Robert. Have I missed anyone? Oh, of course! I’m Koi’s mother, Amanda, and this is my husband Glen.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Eight said.

“Nice to meet you,” Captain managed to squeak out, adding a little wave.

“You know, you both look so young for your age,” Amanda continued. “I’m so jealous!”

“Actually, I’m only 26…” Captain explained.

“Oh!” Captain could see the gears turning in Amanda’s head, trying to do the math.

“Um… we adopted her when she was six. I was only eighteen, so it was a hard decision, but she didn’t have a home, and we were the only ones who could take her in. I’ve always been… something between a sibling and a parent to her.”

“I see. Well, from what I hear from Koi, you’re doing a great job.”

Captain thought of several things to say, but he couldn’t get his mouth to form the words.

“Oh… have I said something?”

“Sorry, sorry! That just… means a lot, is all. Thank you.”

Amanda directed her next question at Eight, which Captain was grateful for. “So how long have you two been together?”

Eight looked at Captain with such a reminiscent, loving expression that it nearly made Captain blush in front of everyone. “We met each other eight years ago in July, and we started dating in November. We got married three years later, and we just had our fifth anniversary in August.”

Captain was frozen the whole time, staring down at a certain spot on the carpet. But when Eight shifted and leaned into him slightly, it broke the trance, and Captain looked up at him. They shared a smile.

“Remember our fifth anniversary, hun?” said Vanessa. “That feels so long ago.”

“Well, we are getting dangerously close to our twentieth, aren’t we?” Robert said back with a chuckle.

“At least you’re not staring down your fiftieth birthday,” Atlas remarked, with such an even tone Captain wouldn’t have known what to make of it if the smile hadn’t given it away.

“Fifty? No~!” Glen said with incredulity.

“Only two months left. I might as well start digging my grave now.”

“Oh my cod, dad…” the son, Alex, groaned.

“Oh, like you’ve never been dramatic about your age. I’m 14, I’m basically an adult,” Atlas mocked, using a deeper voice.

Alex rolled his eyes and went back to scrolling on his phone, but just after the conversation picked up again and everyone else had turned their attention elsewhere, Captain noticed that Altas nudged his son, and they both shared a smirk that somehow seemed to convey a strikingly strong bond of love between them.

Captain snapped to attention when they heard their name; it was coming from Amanda again: “Thank you again for coming, Captain, Eight. I’m sure Koi will love having Tsuku here. And it’s so nice to finally meet you both! And the same to you too, of course, Atlas and Jeane.”

A knock came from the front door. Captain whipped their head around toward it and made a confused face. They were sure that their family had arrived last, and everyone who they had expected to to come was already there. So who could this be at the door? Perhaps a pizza delivery or something?

They all already knew that the kids would beat any adult to the door, so they just waited, and Captain watched the archway to the kitchen anxiously, until finally someone stepped through—

“Lyle? What…” Captain couldn’t stop the exclamation before it was already out of their mouth.

“Heya, Captain. And everyone,” Lyle said with a smug grin. Eli stepped into view a moment later, holding his husband’s hand, and with his other hand he towed little Tempest behind him.

“Hi Amanda, thank you for having us!” Eli said.

“Also, um… Tempest’s bio moms wanted to come too at the last second, I hope it’s all right that we brought them along.”

And now the Meer-Hannon family stepped forward to reveal Agents Four and Neo Three—but they really should be calling them Aubrey and Yuki in a context like this. Each one was holding an infant with yellow ink.

Amanda jumped up from her seat again to greet them. “Oh, of course! Thank you so much for coming, I’m sure Betta will be delighted to see Tempest. She’s outside with Ava and Kate.”

“Do you wanna go outside?” Eli asked Tempest.

Tempest looked toward the sliding-glass door but shrunk back away from it, into Eli’s body. “You don’t have to,” he soothed. “You can stay in here if you want.”

Then Koi’s younger sister Betta poked her head in from outside. “Tempest?”

“Betta!” And any apprehension disappeared.

Captain jumped when Alicia called out from right next to him, “Kate? Is everyone doing okay out there?”

Now the older Larsen’s face appeared in the door. “Yep, all good, mom! Betta bit Aaron’s finger, but he’ll survive!”

“Aaron, are you sure you’re okay?” Alicia called back.

“Yes, Ms. Caruso, I’m fine!” a slightly strained voice called back.

“Betta!” Amanda called over them, jumping up yet again and heading for the door. “We do not bite our guests!”

“You want me, you get the whole package,” Kate joked.

“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Aaron said, coming just far enough into view that Captain could see him staring into her eyes. The scene was sickly sweet. Cod, had Captain and Eight been like that when they were younger?

Yes. Yes, they had been.

Then Captain’s thoughts were interrupted by a desperate cry of “FUFU!”

“Koko… woi’e bare?” Captain responded instinctively. Then they froze. Terrified, they shot a quick glance back at the other parents. None of them seemed to be staring at him—at least not directly—which he took as a good sign.

“What is it, Tsuku?” Captain said, hoping it would encourage her to respond in Inkling.

It worked, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway since Tsuku got close and whispered, “I forgot the gift for the Secret Snowsquid!”

The gift… had they left it at home? Wait. Captain felt his pocket and, sure enough, he felt a small box covered in wrapping paper. “Oh, I have it here! I grabbed it just in case.”

Captain held it it to her, and the distress was replaced by a huge grin of relief as she took it. “You had it the whole time? Why didn’t you tell me!”

Captain lifted their hands in a shrugging pose. “I forgot.”

They both giggled. “Thank you, Fufu!”

“Of course, Koko. Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah! I just beat everyone in Super Splat Squids!”

“I’m glad all the years of indoctrinating you into video games paid off.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go back now. Thank you!” She gave them a quick hug.

“Of course.”

And now everyone was staring at them.

“Aww, you have such a cute relationship with her!” Vanessa said.

“Oh. It’s uh… nothing special,” Three murmured.

Now Amanda returned from outside.

“I’m so sorry about that again, Alicia.”

“Oh, I’m sure Aaron will be fine. As long as Betta doesn’t have rabies!”

Everyone laughed except for Amanda, who gave a tight-lipped smile. Then she seemed to notice Lyle, Eli, Aubrey, Yuki, and the twins. “Oh! Please, come sit! Oh… oh dear, we really should have planned for this better… you know what, I’ll go get the lawn chairs!”

“No no, don’t bother! We’ll manage. I think Mako wants down, anyway,” Aubrey assured her.

Amanda looked frantically around her before finally managing to calm herself down. “Very well, then. And you must be…?”

“Aubrey. And this is my girlfriend Yuki.”

Yuki braced Seki against her chest with one arm and raised the other hand in greeting.

“Good to meet you! Good to meet you…” Amanda seemed on the verge of a panic attack.

Four and Yuki took up spots on the floor and let Mako and Seki start toddling around them. Meanwhile, Eli sat on the arm of the sofa right next to Captain, and Lyle gave everyone an almost defiant look before plopping down right on Eli’s lap.

“Wow Eli, thanks for the up-close view of your ass,” Captain murmured.

“No, thank you! That’s the first time you’ve ever complimented my ass before.”

Captain gave a clearly forced smile.

They got along fine with Eli nowadays, but they couldn’t completely ignore the small part of them that got nervous every time they were around Eli, or even Lyle. It just dug up too many old memories.

The group got to asking about the twins, and how one of the hardest times was right after they start walking because you have to chase them around everywhere, and Jeane said something about how lucky Aubrey and Yuki were to be young and agile. Aubrey seemed to relax more after that.

“You seem awfully quiet. Yuki, isn’t it?” Atlas said eventually, holding eye contact with the Octoling.

Noticing his stare, Yuki signed I’m deaf with one hand, sort of dismissively.

Aubrey nudged her and explained, “Yuki is deaf.”

“Oh, my sister is deaf, so I know some of the local sign! Um…” Robert then signed something Captain didn’t recognize, probably in Inkopolis Signed Vernacular.

“Um…” Aubrey began, also clearly not recognizing it.

Japen. Japen! Japenese Sign Language! Yuki signed to her fervently.

“Oh, we use… uh… Japenese Sign Language, since Yuki is originally from Japen. It’s… an obscure local dialect.”

Yuki signed something else Captain didn’t recognize, looking a bit less confident with the hand movements, and Yuki and Robert conversed for a few minutes.

About two hours had passed since the Meer-Hannons and Kekoa-Johnsons’ arrival when the doorbell rang again, and this time it really was just pizza. Everyone gathered around the kitchen counter, where Amanda was frantically trying to set out plates and plasticware. “Okay everyone, if you want a drink, write your name on your cup with this Sharkie, and be sure to put it back when—” But the rest of Amanda’s words were drowned out by the commotion.

Captain hung back a ways away from they’d had the the first chance crowd, figuring they’d let everything die down before going to get their food. Eight waited with them, and a moment later his hand slipped into their hand. “Doing okay?” he whispered.

“Yeah. I think so. I wasn’t expecting to see Lyle and all of them.”

“Yeah, that was a bit of a surprise! Is it okay that they’re here?”

“Of course! Of course it’s okay that they’re here. It’s nice to see everyone.”

Eight met Captain’s eyes, and he didn’t look away until he seemed satisfied with Captain’s reassurance. “You can always step away if you need to, I’ll cover for you.”

“Thanks.”

They shared a smile. “Pizza?”

“Sure.”

Everyone huddled in the kitchen, making use of any chair, barstool, or—in Mako, Seki, and Eli’s case—lap that they could find, while Captain and Eight leaned against the kitchen counter, putting as much distance between themselves and the commotion as they could. Captain nodded in Eli and Lyle’s direction and scoffed. “How are they so confident? Lyle didn’t figure out he’s gay until like five years after I did. And Eli took even longer!”

“Yeah, but it went over a lot better for them. They don’t have the same trauma. And besides, it’s Lyle and Eli. Did you really expect anything different?”

Eight reached an arm around them and gently pulled them in closer.

“Merry Squidmas, Capa.”

After a glance to make sure no one was watching them, Eight gave Captain a quick kiss.

“Merry Squidmas, Eight.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was followed by Koi opening some presents from her family and sharing some hugs with her parents.

Finally, Amanda announced that it was time for the gift exchange. They all gathered in the living room again, with Tsuku, Koi, Betta, René, Cody, Ava, Kate, and Aaron sitting in a circle on the floor near the tree. Each held a gift wrapped in colorful paper, ranging in size from the wallet-sized rectangle Tsuku was holding to a box as tall as Betta. Captain found themself staring at each of the wrapped gifts, as if staring hard enough would allow them to bore through the wrappings and see their contents.

Who had drawn Tsuku’s name weeks ago? What would they have gotten her? What if something went wrong?

Captain somehow missed Amanda’s explanation of how the gift exchange would work and the first few gifts being given. He didn’t even notice what the gifts were, only that Betta was shouting in joy, and everyone was laughing, and everything had suddenly become very, very loud.

Captain made eye contact with Eight, who was already giving him a concerned look. Eight nodded, and Captain got up, trying not to seem too hurried as they made for the bathroom. They sunk to the floor and put their head between their knees, left by themself with their thoughts, and took several deep breaths to try to calm down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fourteen years ago

Ryland stared listlessly at nothing in particular as the students around him filtered into the classroom and found their seats. He didn’t even notice when someone sat just to his right.

“Hi, Ryland!”

Ryland snapped out of his daze. “Oh, Ophie. Hi.”

Ryland's and Ophelia’s fathers knew each other from work, and Ryland was pretty sure his father was trying to set him up with her, but she had always been nice to him.

She leaned toward him conspiratorially. “Who did you get for your Secret Snowsquid?”

“We’re not supposed to tell,” Ryland said.

Ophie giggled. “That’s the right answer!”

Ophie seemed to be waiting for a certain response, but Ryland had no idea what it could be, or what she had meant from her last exclamation. He just kind of smiled awkwardly at her.

Luckily, a few seconds later, the teacher saved him from having to respond. “Good morning, class. Does everyone have their gift?”

“Yes, Mrs. Ippy,” chorused about a quarter of the students. Most of the others did have gifts; they just weren’t paying attention. “We’re going to be gathering by grade, so everyone find the others in your grade and sit in a circle. First graders, up here by me…”

Ryland automatically tuned out the extraneous information, but by the time he tuned back in, it was too late, and everyone had already started moving. Ryland just followed Ophie back to the corner of the classroom near the door, where they sat on the carpet. About thirty of them gathered around in a circle, out of whom Ryland recognized Billy and his clan—Lyle,

Eli, Clyde, and Blitz. Ryland and Billy made eye contact, and the smirk on Billy’s face turned Ryland’s stomach.

Instead, he scanned the rest of the circle, trying to remember which one Cairo was—that was the name he had drawn a week ago.

“Okay everyone, put your gifts in the middle of the circle. The Class Leader will go first, and then go around the circle one at a time,” Mrs. Ippy called from somewhere far away.

Billy was up in an instant and making his way toward the growing pile of presents.

“Hey! It’s not your turn!” shouted one of the girls—Emily, he thought.

“Hmm, I’m sure the Class Leader doesn’t mind, right?” he glared at Blitz, who quickly shook his head. So Billy sauntered up to the pile and dug around for a while before finally pulling out a package. He tore it open and revealed a box of chocolates. Ryland thought he heard Ophie gasp next to him, but she didn’t say anything.

They continued around the circle, and eventually Ophie tore open her gift to reveal a pack of orange gummy candies. She frowned, probably because she didn’t like orange flavor. She looked at Ryland, and he just shrugged. “I’ll swap with you if I get something you like.”

“Oh. So… you didn’t get me?”

“No, I got Cairo. I don’t know who got you.”

Then Billy’s perpetually whiny voice interrupted them. “C’mon Ryland, that’s enough chit-chat! You’re holding up everyone else.”

Something felt wrong as Ryland got up and walked to the center of the circle. He squirmed as he felt everyone’s eyes on him. The whole room seemed more quiet than it should have been. It felt like it took an eternity to dig through the pile of presents in search of one with his own name.

And there it was: a small box about the size of a pack of playing cards. And for a minute he thought that might be what they were. He went back to his seat and sat down with it, hoping that that would reduce the number or eyes on him, but it was no use. Everyone was staring at him, as if expecting something to happen. Finally, Ryland realized he couldn’t stall any longer, and he slowly began to tear open the package.

But it wasn’t a pack of cards at all.

It was a pack of cigarettes.

It only took Ryland a few seconds before he understood what they meant. He started to shake, staring uncontrollably at the pack of cigarettes in his hand until it fell to the floor with a crash, spilling some of its contents.

Ryland could feel Billy’s triumphant glare on him, and he didn’t dare look up.

“Ryland! Are those cigarettes? Hand them over!” Mrs. Ippy was glaring down at him with her hand outstretched. Ryland shoved the cigarettes back in then grabbed the box and tentatively raised it toward her until she snatched it away. “And what were you doing with these?”

“They’re not mine! Obviously someone gave it to me as their Secret Snowsquid gift. I don’t want them!”

Mrs. Ippy just kept glaring down at him with a suspicious look on her face. Desperate, Ryland looked around and saw Billy staring directly at him with a malicious grin. And he gave Ryland a small nod, as if saying Go on. But Ryland didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, and even if he had there was no way he was letting Billy get away with this.

“Like I said, the person who brought them in the classroom was whoever got me for Secret Snowsquid! It was B—”

“Fine, then I’ll go check the lists,” Mrs. Ippy said, spinning on her heel and always making it halfway back across the classroom before Ryland could finish. Ryland looked to Ophie for comfort, but she looked just as nervous as he was.

A moment later, Mrs. Ippy was back, this time holding a clipboard. All she said was, “Ophie, I’ll be accompanying you to the principal’s office. You’re being expelled.”

Ryland was barely able to put any words together as he stared at Ophie. “No! No, it was… wait… Ophie? It wasn’t you, right?”

But Ophie was already standing. “It’s okay Ryland, don’t fight it or we’ll just both end up expelled.”

“Wait… Ophie…”

“I’m sorry, Ryland. I hope I see you again.”

But he never did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Captain groaned and slowly pulled his hand back from his head as the memory finished playing.

Of course, that night he had remembered Ophie’s gasp and had realized that the chocolates had been for him, which of course meant that Billy had swapped out the gifts—perhaps just the tags. But Ophie had already been expelled, and who would have believed him, anyway? Ophie had been right. Mrs. Ippy had already been suspicious enough of Ryland, and Billy hadn’t left any traceable evidence. Ryland probably would have been expelled, too, if he had tried anything.

But maybe that would have been for the best.

Captain pushed themself back up into an upright position and took a deep breath.

Tsuku’s gift exchange wouldn’t be like Ryland’s. She was surrounded by good friends and responsible adults. Tsuku may have a secret just like Ryland had, but maybe Captain could muster the optimism to believe that, unlike Ryland, Tsuku would be accepted.

Captain’s hand rested on the door handle. Yes. Everything would be okay. They truly believed it.

And they pushed the door open. A few strides, and they were back in the living room. It was still chaos, but the smiles on everyone’s faces reassured them. Especially Eight’s.

They sat down next to their husband, and Tsuku ran up to them almost immediately. “Look, Fufu! Look what Koi got me!”

Tsuku was bouncing around with such excited energy that Captain couldn’t discern the object in her hands until they reached out and held the corner to steady it. It was a sketchbook, and on the cover… a silhouette of an octopus.

“Oh… that’s great, Tsuku…” Captain tried to muster enthusiasm in their response, but they just couldn’t stop staring at the octopus emblazoned on the front.

“What is it?” Tsuku finally asked.

“Tsuku… does Koi know you’re an Octoling?”

Tsuku looked at him curiously, almost confused. “Yeah, of course! All of them do. They’ve known for a while.”

Captain looked around the room at everyone, beginning to question his original impressions of each of them. “And their parents…?”

Tsuku nodded. “As far as I can tell. It’s not really a big deal.”

Captain suddenly pulled in Tsuku for a tight hug, and they were holding back tears. “I’m so glad you found them. I’m… so happy for you, Koko.”

Tsuku started pulling back after a moment, and Captain realized that they might have hugged her for too long. But she still had a big smile on her face. “I love you, Fufu. Merry Squidmas!”

“I love you too. Merry Squidmas.”

They shared one more smile.

“Now go have fun with your friends!”

Captain watched them all for a few minutes, seeing René blush as Tsuku asked whether he liked the Tableturf cards she had gotten him, seeing KJ make a remark that they all laughed at, seeing Cody wow them by doing tricks with his new yo-yo, and seeing Tsuku wrap Koi up in another hug.

“You did this, you know,” Eight said, leaning into Captain. “I mean, Tsuku deserves some credit, and I guess I was there, too. But you made all this possible.”

Eight was right, wasn’t he? Nothing could ever be perfect and easy, but Tsuku was never going to have to endure the hardships that they had.

They had broken the cycle.

“Yeah. I did it.”