#and giving art what he needed to play a great fucking game

[sammysdewysensitiveeyes]

I want to emphasize that "only the essentials" means "only the person/character that the post is about," not "every major character in the series." Why? Because we use the tags to find content that we want, and tagging your posts with every character clogs up the tags with unrelated content!

Example - Let's say you made a piece of fanart of Sanji from One Piece that you want to show off. Great! Post your awesome fanart, and tag it as Sanji, One Piece, maybe Straw Hat Pirates, that's fine. But if you tag your post with the name of every Straw Hat, then that picture of Sanji and only Sanji is going to be in the tags of all the other characters. So when I go into the tags for Usopp, looking specifically for Usopp stuff, I'm going to be annoyed as fuck to see your Sanji fan-art popping up. Because that's not what I'm looking for, and your tags don't reflect the actual content of your post. And it's not going to give your fanart "more reach" because I'll just immediately block you for misuing the tags. If people keep doing this, the tags become useless, and people looking for content of their favorite character can't find it, because even the tag for that character's name is clogged with content about other characters. (This especially sucks if you are a fan of less popular characters.)

Also - don't tag an actor with every fandom character they've played. The very talented Pedro Pascal has been in Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman, The Last of Us, and will be the MCU's new Mister Fantastic. That doesn't mean you need to tag any random picture of Pedro Pascal with ALL of those roles, especially if he's not actually playing the character in the image. I'm not going into the Reed Richards tag to see Pedro Pascal playing Oberyn Martell.

Hi tiktok refugees PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD: DO NOT PUT EVERY SINGLE TAG ON PLANET EARTH ON YOUR POSTS!!!! It only clogs the tags and people WILL report you for spamming. Only use the essentials (the person/character in the post, the fandom or media the post is about).

Also please personalize your blogs. If you have a default blog theme, people will block you.

Also also, you don't have to censor yourself here. Say fuck. Say lesbian. Say die. You're free here.

[the-woman-upstairs]

Really fucked up that, when they’re young, Patrick and Art are SO tactile with each other, so comfortable sharing the same space. Art lets Patrick touch him and move him and physically overwhelm him and easily acquiesces to it, if not outright enjoys it.

Then in the present, they’ve been so far out of each other’s orbit for so long, held such animosity that when they have their moment alone in the sauna, Art physically recoils from Patrick’s close proximity! It’s so painful to watch because even as Patrick’s goading him, it’s so obvious he wants to be able to get back into Art’s space. But Art has erected all these walls around himself, he refuses to give Patrick an inch or even admit to missing how close they used to be!

AND THEN we see Art and Tashi later and he wants her to hold him, to be gentle with him, and just TOUCH him. Like, he does miss that kind of close physical contact! He either doesn’t know how to ask for it or is uncomfortable being that openly vulnerable. Worth noting that he pretty much always defers to Tashi in regard to initiating physical intimacy (with their first kiss, though he does state his desire, SHE has to be the one to make the first move). And it seems pretty obvious that Tashi herself isn’t comfortable providing that intimacy, whereas Patrick actively seeks to provide it (the hug/forehead kiss after their win together in the early years, dragging the stool closer to him).

Art has tried very hard to act like he doesn’t need physical affection and even though his discipline and devotion to Tashi has made him a stronger tennis player, it’s made him a hollow person, which, in turn, has kept him from becoming a GREAT tennis player.

All of this, of course, is why the ending hits so damn hard.

[mareestoermers]

i think we are all forgetting something when we talk about how toxic patrick, tashi, and art are — or when we decide one is “worse” than the other. they all have moments of seeing right through it, seeing each other’s toxic behavior for what it is, and STILL want and need each other in this possessive, envious, visceral way.

1. in the way beginning, tashi is clearly flirting more with art than patrick, and patrick is visibly annoyed. art sees right through it and even challenges him like “okay, let’s leave”, and has this little smirk on his face because he knows patrick won’t give up on tashi.

2. tashi immediately sees the visible tension and love between art and patrick, and literally orchestrates their first kiss. she sees right through their repression, and even calls herself a “home-wrecker” but still entangles herself with them, especially patrick because he’s clearly the better tennis player at that point and that is tash’s ONLY true love. tennis. that’s what she desires most in him, and patrick knows that. he even calls her out on it in the dorm room scene. but they have this mirroring fire in each other that neither of them can give up, not until patrick breaks the balance and bails — tashi’s injury is literally a metaphor for the balance shattering between all three of them when patrick leaves her.

3. before this, patrick sees right through art trying to break them up, and even admires that quality — maybe even feels smug and flattered because art is jealous and feels left out from both tashi and patrick. patrick has known this all along, we saw it in the “tick-serve” scene, where he even swears to tashi he won’t tell anyone but he still tells art, who is desperate to feel a part of them and patrick wants that, too — even keeps that close intimacy with art that we see in the churro scene (swoon swoon swoon).

4. haven’t you noticed that arts desire to be great is only ever tied up in patrick and tashi? how he needs to beat patrick to win tashis affection, how he needs to win in tennis so that tashi can live through him, how he lives up to his potential in the ending only because tashi and patrick push him to it, in their little fucked up ways? he knows this — he even admits that he’s playing for tashi, that he knows she’s living through him. he even admits he’s playing a fucked up little game with patrick when they’re in the sauna. yet he still does it. again, he knows what’s happening, sees right through them — still does it, still loves them.

5. when tashi calls patrick to come pick her up he knows it’s not just to tell him to throw the match — and despite how she battles him about it, they still have sex in the car, because he already knows. he’s so fully aware of her and her game and he’s so willing to be caught up in it, the same as art.

just some examples of how they all have moments of clarity and agency and yet they still choose to be entangled in one another because they’re all fucked up in their own, individual ways, and they’re all living through each other for their own specific needs. arts is to be seen as worthy, as great, but only through their gaze. tashis is to have the career that was stolen from her. patricks is truly to be in love and in lust with both of them, because we even see that from the beginning that tashis love alone will never satiate him; it has to be arts love, too. that scene in the sauna when he thinks he’s lost it from art is the most sad and fucked up we ever even see patrick. on top of tashi asking him to throw the game — he’s so defensive of arts feelings.

in short this is an actual love triangle (and i would go as far as to see it as a polyship). you can’t erase one without the whole thing unraveling, and you can’t say one character was the “worst” without picking apart the motivations and pointing to the fact that their bad behavior was never a secret or left unchecked.

even at the end, patrick signals to art that he slept with tashi — art knows and they still have that intimate completion at the end, all three of them. art living up to his potential and embracing patrick fully (id argue this could even be a metaphor for embracing his bisexuality), patrick having both tashi and arts affection again, and tashi playing a phenomenal tennis match through her little white boys — in such a visceral, emotional way that she cries out like she did in the beginning and the last frame is her smiling.

in a fucked up way, they all get what they wanted out of each other.

[couch-house]

If you've been following me for a while you already know I'm going to tell you to vote for @themetalvirus's Egghog AU in @sonic-au-collision. You know I love drawing those funny little guys. But I think it might be a good idea to actually get into why I find them so compelling! I think any good AU is in conversation with canon,and egghogs is a certified Yapper.

Let's start with our hero, Amy!

Our canon Amy can be characterized by her deep compassion and optimism. As well as how Sonic has inspired her hero crush and motivated her to go out and put that compassion to work herself!* Egghog Amy has that same compassion, but what if she had no choice in being the hero? She had no one to look up to and inspire her, just the crushing weight of necessity. An Amy put in canon Sonic's position, who relies on unceasing and perhaps inappropriate optimism, but is still worn down by the weight of the world. I like this take on her, an exploration of where "toxic positivity" can get you.

*I think the classic IDW Amy characterization is a good example of this. As well as Fleetway Amys origin story heehee

Despite the stress of it all, she still has the optimism to see the best in people and believe they can change for the better. Like, for example, her crush: Egghog Sonic.

Just like canon Sonic, Eggy is a headstrong hedgehog defined by his own moral compass and his need to have a pretty good time. But while canon Sonic is defined by his love of freedom, independence, and by his "coolness," Egghog Sonic has been raised in Eggman's trap of control. He's just as headstrong, but in the opposite direction. His adoptive family is just as important to him as canon Sonic's friends, but in opposition to the good of the world. Where canon Sonic is personally reckless to protect others, Eggy is careless with the safety of others in service to his and his family's needs. Canon Sonic is capricious and relaxed, even in the face of danger, while Eggy is restrained, emotionally stunted, and stressed at all times.

Personally, I think that Egghog Sonic's fighting style being based in ballet--associated with control, restraint, and exclusivity by wealth--opposed to canon Sonic's fighting evoking breakdancing--a sport associated with creativity, play, and its origins as an urban art--does a great job on its own of juxtaposing the two Sonics.

But as I mentioned, even with his morals and freedom in opposition to canon, Egghog Sonic still has that essential connection to the people he cares about: his close-knit (read: highly controlled) family.

Egghog Sonic's younger brother Silver has all of canon Silver's accidental dickishness and ruthlessness, but without the humbling experience of surviving in a ruined future to keep him in check. Born and raised with a silver (ha) spoon in his mouth, Eggy Silver would be killed instantly by canon Silver's upbringing. All his worst qualities have been encouraged (as opposed to canon silver facing consequences for and learning from his flaws) and Eggy Silver is a huge fucking bitch. You know when Silver mugged Tails in Rivals? Okay now imagine if he was raised to do that as a child soldier. Now imagine he gets anything he wants whenever he asks. Thats Egghog Silver. When Silver defects from the Eggpire, we see that appreciation for the world and its history grow back where it belongs. It gives a better appreciation to what motivates canon Silver's view of the world, and recreates it in a new way.

Also the irony of Mr. I Must Fight For The Future's fucked up AU version of himself being part of the cause of the ruined future.... its delicious.

Finally, the oldest brother (by like a couple months...). We all know canon Shadow's had a rough time of it RE: mind control, manipulation, having a whole game where he is asked to be everyones gofer... This is Egghog Shadow's life for a full 15 years. Gerald doesn't finish cooking Egghog, and Eggman is the one to dump him out of the tube and raise him to be the perfect chaos-weilding soldier. He makes liberal use of his ability to physically manipulate Shadow's artificial mind to keep him in line as an endlessly obedient servant. Of course, any Shadow meaningfully based in canon won't stay that way. Just as his canon counterpart breaks free from the demands of those around him to forge his own path, so does Eggy Shadow. Even in the fucking miseries, even without a Maria, Shadow is still will make the choice to walk his own path.

Well, not just his own path. Because while Shadow (esp post-06 Shadow) can be uncompromisingly independent at times, he is still often defined by his friendships. Specifically, his relationship to Rouge is given focus in this AU, being his one reprieve from the empire and ultimately his way out. Canon Shadow had Rouge and Omega by his side during some of his darkest moments and arguably that made all the difference to his arc. Their presence (yes, Omega is here too) during Eggy Shadow's suffering is all the more essential and highlights their roles in canon.

But of course, with greater miseries comes greater struggle to heal. Canon Shadow's neat freak nature gets reinterpreted as a trauma response--maladaptive perfectionism and OCD. (tbc, in the same way fan works often recognize that canon Shadow likely lives with PTSD as a result of his experiences, Egghog Shadow's OCD is presented as an appropriate consequence of the stressful environment he's been raised in.) I like this as an exploration of how Shadow handles stress and trauma, how it might change in different circumstances.

All that to say, Egghog AU is just done in such a compelling way that really grabs me and facilitates Rambling about The Parallels and such. And that I think makes for a GREAT AU. The exploration of Sonic's strong personal morals and headstrong...ness, the benefits and flaws of Amy's intense optimism and compassion, Silver's ruthlessness and meaner side, and Shadow's tendency to introspection and overcorrection... Again I say, a good AU is one that is in conversation with canon, and Egghogs is constantly talking about the fascinating conflicts created by these characters. And thats why you should vote #Egghogs4Eggver

[meanbossart]

im so curious-- how well does DUDrow get on with the other companions? I've only seen your art and going off that I feel like: he gets along with Shadowheart, Gale I think he borderline cant stand, and Wyll/Lae'zel/Karlach I have no idea how he'd feel about them but id love to know!

So, funfact, because I was not familiar with these kinds of games at the time I played BG3, I practically stuck with the same exact party the entire playthrough. I distinctly remember swapping Wyll in for Astarion once at the end of act 2 because I thought he NEEDED to be there to find Mizora, and I replaced Gale with Karlach when I went to kill Gortash. Otherwise... It was pretty much always just DU drow, Shadowheart, Astarion and Gale. I did this because they were the characters I liked most, so I wanted to see all they had to offer.

Anyways, I mention this because it reflects how DU drow related to everyone - which is to say that he didn't. He picked his favorites (two because he liked them, one because he has fireball) and didn't get particularly close to anyone else.

BUT, there were definitely notable dynamics!

Lae'zel: She's dead. He killed her night 3 or something. Before that he thought her annoyingly demanding and over the top. I don't think DU drow even remembers her by the end of the game.

Gale: Just to add to your original observation, Gale and DU drow have a little bit of history. Gale tries, for about half of the campaign, to pursue him romantically. DU drow keeps turning him down and is either misinterpreted or ignored, and by the time Gale does give up on him their relationship has completely soured to the point where they are constantly shooting daggers at each other. (this reflects a romance bug I got in my first run, except I didn't realize it was a bug. Either way I think its more interesting storytelling than the intended experience.)

Wyll: DU drow was profoundly frustrated by Wyll every step of the way. He found him to be incredibly naive and a bit delusional in his pursuit for heroism, and could never relate to Wyll's perspective or choices - the few he made for himself, at least. They definitely had the least in common and DU drow avoided interacting with him most of the time.

Halsin: He didn't care for Halsin much. He was vaguely helpful but by the time they got to the shadow-cursed lands DU drow had the impression he'd only been dragged here to help him clear his conscience, which he didn't appreciate. Also, he couldn't bear to have someone in camp be taller than himself. Halsin was left behind in Act 2.

Jaheira: DU drow fucking loves Jaheira. They bickered and borderline insulted each other and had a great time doing it. He can respect anyone who will call him a monster, threaten to murder him in his sleep, and make light fun at him the next day. It helps that she's hot, also.

Minsc: Weird hamster man. Ocasionally rendered him speechless. Puzzling human being.

Karlach: He didn't get Karlach, but he was often amused by her and curious enough to want to hear what she had to say. There was a similar issue here as Wyll's where he just couldn't relate to her enough to have much to discuss, but Karlach at least had an edge to her that made her far better company. They got along pretty well when the topic wasn't serious, but when it came to the problems she actually faced their perspectives shifted significantly. DU drow thought everything could be fixed, that accepting her own demise was a cowardly thing to do - and as they approached the end, and she asked him if he would stay with her when she died, he thought she was weak. I don't know if he ever discusses it with anyone, but he feels guilty about her death to this day and sees it as personal failure.

[tokoyamisstuff]

gn! Reader | no warnings

Alucard

Walter

All dates take place after nightfall of course, letting you participate in his world.

He chooses a rather intimate setting, appreciating a good wine and deep conversation over anything fancy. Is a surprisingly great dancer and there's no room for discussion, you will get swirled around by him in a close waltz.

Shows you incredible places no human has ever set eyes upon, and loves to entertain you with his powers. It's nice using them for something good for a change...

Doesn't let you lift a finger and is always at your service. No need to feel bad, it's a pleasure to him.

Anderson

I imagine him being very active for his age. Will take you hiking or doing other challenging activities as bonding time. Is very fond of nature in general, probably does a picknick, stargazing or even swimming at a secluded lake.

Is a creature of habit, having favourite places to spend the evenings with you. People in there will all know you since you come so regulary.

To him, just about anything counts as a date as long as you're together. Likes to take long walks or just reading besides each other.

Unlike his usual impression he's a sophisticated man so shall he plan something, it'll probably be an art gallery or a cultural monument (preferably churches or other religious things).

He also enjoys corny stuff like christmas markets and classes where you handcraft stuff, pottery for example. Is horrible at it but will gift you the results anyways.

Maxwell

Free time is scarce to this workaholic, but he tries to make the most of it and spend every single second with you.

Luke Valentine

Man's exhausted, so he'd choose a spa day to relax together. Books one of those rooms with a whirlpool and other conveniences just for the two of you.

He won't talk much but actions say more than words, this man loves to indulges you in any way.

Jan Valentine

Treats you like a celebrity. Getting seen and showing you around are his top priority.

He's a very public-spirited person so expect to always be somewhere lively. Picks out what you wear and makes you meet lots of new people. Also loves showing you the world, taking you to different countries just for a day.

Puts a lot of effort in outwards appearance and reputation, but every date ends calm with just the two of you.

The Captain

There's not a single romantic cell in this body. Would probably visit a club going all out and stay in bed fucking you stupid the whole next day. That's it, that's his ideal date.

Be vocal about what you wish for and give clear instructions, then he'll gladly prepare whatever's on your mind.

Likes to brag, so you'd probably do stuff like bowling or him winning prices for you. Is the kind of guy who loudly declares his love for his amazing partner to anyone who didn't ask.

The Major

Not being very sociable he prefers staying at home. Brings you breakfast in bed and the two of you will stay in cozy clothes or naked the whole day.

Enjoys doing domestic stuff, for example simply playing card games, watching comfort shows or baking cookies. A taste of normalcry feels absolutely wonderful to him.

Will be very touchy the whole time, always needing his hands somewhere on your body.

This is a well prepared man. Knows it all and plans everything according to your taste.

If you let him decide, he'd definetly knows some special restaurants with great view or atmosphere. Books it out completely so you'll have privacy. With him you'll definetly feel special and listened to.

His hobbies include very old movies/history documentaries, building miniature models and hunting. Like in the literal sense shooting animals in the wild. Wouldn't force you to participate but it'd mean a lot if you at least show interest.

[lady-ephemeral]

Do y’all ever think about the Gortash and Raphael parallels?

I am still SO salty that BG3 didn’t dive deeper into Raphael, Mephistopheles, and Gortash, because I feel like it could’ve been a phenomenal addition to the game since one of the main themes is the cycle of abuse, and whether or not you choose to continue it.

We can infer that Raphael and Mephisto don’t have a stellar relationship. In fact it was likely very abusive, and probably the driving force behind Raphael’s narcissistic behavior (If no one at all cares for me, then I will be all I care about).

And even though he is technically the heir the archduke, and that certainly gives him an advantage, Raphael is still a cambion, not a full devil. Cambions are looked down upon for their mortal half, and most end up just working for another archdevil. And since they are immortal, being an heir I feel would function more as just an additional title, rather than something with great weight. Raphael is a special case because he seems to be rather independent compared to someone like Mizora, who heavily relies on staying in Zariel’s good favor. Whether or not there was nepotism at play, Raphael still most likely had to do a tremendous amount of work to get where he is.

And then we have Gortash, who starts from practically nothing. Before even entering the House of Hope, he was already at a disadvantage. He was abused by the Flymms, and then he lived in literal hell with Raphael as the only adult figure that even slightly resembles a parent before getting out and once again having to start with nothing. He had to literally claw and fight to get where he is.

Raphael and Gortash are very similar characters with very similar goals, both tenacious, ambitious and heavily rely on their wits. Gortash wants to conquer Baldur’s Gate and then beyond, Raphael wants to conquer the nine hells. Even their styles are somewhat reminiscent of each other, with Enver’s ostentatious clothes seemingly being influenced by Raphael’s taste. This is especially clear if you look at the concept art for the characters.

Like you can see the resemblance. (Also Larian PLEASE give Gortash back his thigh-high boots)

The setup is already there, WHY didn’t they lean more into it? Both Raphael and Enver would have that feeling of “I fucking despise you. I absolutely loathe you, but I want you to see me. I want you to look upon what I’ve achieved and give me the respect I’m owed”.

Like there is no doubt in my mind that the way Raphael sees Gortash is similar to the way Mephisto sees him.

Even if it had been through diary entries and letters, it would've been nice to see more of this, and it would’ve developed both Raphael and Gortash more. Mephistopheles wouldn’t even need to make an appearance (although he would’ve been cool to see. the worse the father the hotter he is as a dilf, I don’t make the rules)

[impishjesters]

Comforting a Scared Child Reader

warning(s): Jax, Caine, and Bubble are warning enough... A/N: These turned into less of a direct comfort and more of a how they'd distract them... sorta... though to be fair it wasn't gonna be very detailed given I had to write everyone... I think if I re-did these properly I'd only do a couple of characters to elaborate on. I don't think Bubble was intended, but I included him because of chaos. Needless to say, I think most of them would kinda suck at comforting a scared child, but they'd definitely put on a strong front to try and comfort them. request: Please can you do some seperate prompts of each circus member and ai comforting a scared child reader?

Pomni

She’s not the ideal person to comfort someone but she knows what it’s like to be new and scared—plus when she finds out you’re only a child??

Pomni tries her best, she really does—it’s like seeing you scared and shaking gives her barely just enough courage to step up and comfort you.

She’s not one for touching but if you need a hug while she’s around she’ll likely give you one.

It doesn’t take a genius to know she’s about as shakey and anxious as a chihuahua, but she tries her hardest to come off as calm and normal for your sake.

Pomni gives off anxious first-time big sister vibes.

Jax

Also not an ideal person when it comes to comfort, but he can only imagine how terrified you are right now.

The others are adults and can handle his bullshit, you however are a child and he’s not about to bully a child. As tempting and funny as the thought is.

Jax uses his jokes—on a less insulting, more child-friendly level—to try and calm you down. When he gets you calmed down and the two of you start to get buddy-buddy? Oh, it’s over for those suckers.

It takes the whole gang to try and prevent Jax from turning you into a mini Jax, though he does let you tag along for the more minor kid-friendly jokes and shenanigans.

"Who the fuck leaves a child unsupervised to put on some weird sketchy headset??"

Jax gives off the cool, prankster big brother vibes.

Gangle

She’s just barely holding it together on a good day, but the moment a child shows up scared and crying? Big sister mode activated.

Gangle’s the type to try and calm you down with stuffed animals or art depending on just how young you are. She’s got all sorts of craft stuff and a collection of stuffed animals, she even lets you pick one out to keep for yourself.

While in big sister mode, she’s a little more protective and worrying, trying to keep you from getting hurt by Caine’s little games or away from Jax’s nasty behaviour.

Unlike Pomni, Gangle likes hugs and is always willing to hug you or hold you if you start to miss home or your parents.

Gangle gives off the protective big sister vibes.

Kinger

Surprisingly, Kinger is the best out of all of them when it comes to taking care of a kid. He’s the quickest to get you to stop crying and the quickest to distract you from those scary thoughts. He’s also the first one to ask for your permission before picking you up with ease.

Out of all of them, he’s the one who watches after you the most—sure it’s a joint effort in babysitting you but he’s the one who watches after you the most.

If you’re particularly young he’ll probably carry you around or hold your hand—even if you could technically walk away with his hand, at least he knows where you are.

Similarly to Gangle, he’ll find something you like and either play with you or talk to you about it. God, if you also have an interest in insects like this man then he’ll tell you all sorts of useless facts and stories, all the gross picture books.

Kinger gives off warm, golden retriever dad energy.

Zooble

Not surprising Zooble isn’t great with kids, and not great with touch either. It’s not they can’t carry you but they’ve only really got one good arm to carry you with and it’s just…awkward for them.

That said if they see you fidgeting or picking at some part of yourself in an anxious-like fashion they’ll offer up their left arm for you to fiddle with. It’s a little more sensor-friendly to fiddle with if you exclude the pointy claw bits, they make sure you don’t hurt yourself. It’s not the most pleasant feeling having their limb messed with, so it doesn’t happen too often.

Zooble doesn’t really do much with you, but if you find yourself wanting to sit with them instead of play with the others they won’t protest. On occasion, they might play with you, or read you a book or whatever as long as it doesn’t involve them doing much.

Zooble gives off relaxed, lazy big sibling energy.

Ragatha

Similar to Gangle she gets her shit together when a child shows up, her chipper optimistic shtick comes in handy when it comes to comfort. She hasn’t had to deal with a child in a really long time though—were they always so…loud?

Ragatha’s the second one who watches after you the most, if she had it her way you’d never be around Jax, he’s a bad influence. But if you like playing with him then the most she can do is stay close by and make sure he doesn’t do or say anything badly. (Man’s gonna give her a heart attack)

Similar to Kinger and Gangle, she’ll play with you and let you join in with Caine’s less dangerous games. She’s nervous to play hide and seek with you but if you really wanna play she’ll set an area limit so that you don’t accidentally get hurt.

Ragatha gives off frantic first-time mother energy.

Caine

Doesn’t know the first fuckin thing about children, well he does but he’s never actually interacted with one.

Thank heaven for the censorship, he doesn’t want that foul language anywhere near your young little ears.

Caine’s the worst person to be left alone with you, not that he’ll be bad to you no, he just won’t understand that while he’s trying to keep you entertained and happy it’s probably a huge safety risk. If the shit the adults experience is dangerous god only knows what he might subject you to by accident.

Despite everything, Caine is actually pretty good at getting you to stop crying. It helps when he can quite literally snap his fingers and poof a random toy you might like or something else he thinks is cool.

Caine gives off crazy Uncle vibes that you only get to see during big family get-togethers because he has a habit of causing trouble on accident.

Bubble

For the love of all that is holy. Do. Not. Leave. The. Child. With. Bubble.

I take back what I said about Caine being the worst to leave you with, Bubble is the worst. Well, they both are but still.

While entertaining (and disturbing) to watch Bubble do stupid stuff, everyone will tell you not to do what he does—or say what he does, in fact just pretend he doesn’t exist. He’s a bad role model.

NO. STOP. DON’T EAT THE SOAP. I DON’T CARE THAT HE SAID IT WAS TASTY. HE CAN’T TASTE. YOUR GONNA TAKE THE WORD OF A LITERAL TALKING BUBBLE?

Bubble is that dumb dog that eats its own vomit because it can, that’s his vibe. Don’t be a Bubble.

[aveloka-draws]

YOU are making me play the game while I am loosing my mind because thesis buy your art is soul feeding how dare you (praise the lamb!)

I fucking LOVE Shamura you draw them less than others but when you do they always enter with a bang! (And important important plots thats why they be best bishop in my not at all biased opinion 😂) can't wait to see them more in your style and stories!

Also something I've noticed why Shamura being that bitch it doesn't come to me as completely unsympathetic or meant to be %100 cruel. "You refused to bow did you not" speaks volumes imho. You didn't break or fell to grief then you WON'T do it now. Both meant to sting a little and give them a chin up...at least that's how I interprited it. Will they accept it? Will he and lamb finally have the conversation about...EVERYTHING they need to have? Narinder , why everything went the way it did , the lambs , godhood... because if the bloody MS tells me Shamura didn't need them because how brilliant they are then I would DAMN well want to have them as an advisor.

Sorry for the vord vomit I love your art and you for making them!! Have a great day! ❤️❤️

(They are telling u to please work on your thesis and praise the lamb)

I dont think Shamura is necesarily evil either, mostly stating things as they are. While they are doing things out of their own interest and dont care to be kind about it, still its way better to have them as an ally me thinks. Even if its little what they can contribute in their current state its still valuable.

I appreciate the word vomit ✨✨ hope ur days good too!

[acetypeface]

The New Mutants Play DnD

They're still in my brain soup.

DANI: Is the DM. A fantastic storyteller, although she can be a bit of a stickler for the rules. Loves to prep days in advance, and includes as many elaborate schemes and puzzles as she can. Prefers to run a game that's evenly 50% roleplay and 50% combat. Brings lots of drinks and snacks so people (Roberto) won't leave the table mid-session with the munchies.

SAM: Plays a Human Fighter (Champion). Played the most basic character because he didn't want to challenge himself too much at first; has become the party's most talented member. Wants to be the leader of the party (no one listens to him). Somehow got knighted in their first session. The best at accents when roleplaying, but gets increasingly more southern when he gets frustrated during a session. Accidentally married a dwarven princess and can't figure out how to divorce her.

XUAN: Plays a Half-Drow Warlock (Great Old One). Has no idea what a drow is, just thought they sounded cool. Came up with an elaborate and tragic backstory for her character, which has fucked her over multiple times. Prefers deception and trickery to direct combat; has soothed over multiple of Roberto's accidental fights that way. Is really good at remembering all of the tiny things about each player's character. Is the resident healer of the party (the only one who remembers to grab important items, like food and healing supplies).

ROBERTO: Plays a Fire Genasi Bard (College of Eloquence). LOVES the roleplay aspect. Wants to be the face of the party, but tends to start fights. Talks a little too much; Dani has to remind him to give others a turn. Has successfully seduced the dragon. In charge of the party's money. Tends to power up when he gets too excited. Has "accidentally" led Doug into a trap more than once.

ILLYANA: Plays a Tiefling Paladin (Oath of Vengeance). Doesn't like to roleplay, but drops absolute bangers when she deigns to join in. An absolute beast in battle; has killed the most enemies to date. Was banned from being the party's face after starting an interdimensional war. Isn't afraid to engage in a bit of friendly fire. Has almost broken her oath several times. Gets really worked up and competitive during the tiny side quests.

AMARA: Plays an Earth Genasi Monk (Way of the Sun Soul). Loves elaborate descriptions of her character. Has already commissioned drawings of her character several times. One of the more cautious players; has saved Roberto alone upward of five times. Loves to dress up for each session, artful body paint included. Has mastered the eloquent speech of the fantasy realm.

DOUG: Plays a Human Wizard/Artificer (Order of Scribes/Alchemist). Takes too long choosing his spells and has to be reminded he would not be allowed to pause and contemplate mid-battle. Gets really excited by the terminology and world-building. Tends to have a panic attack when his character is about to die. Is known to "accidentally" cast area spells around Roberto. Loves solving all of the puzzles and riddles. Takes notes during the session, to the bewilderment of all.

WARLOCK: Is Doug's construct. Gets confused when they can't solve battles by talking things out. Is prone to running off to save Doug if his character is in danger. Incredibly distractable mid-game, but will always have his friends' backs. Gear hoarder who picks up absolutely everything, in case the party needs it later.

RAHNE: Plays a Human Druid (Circle of the Moon). Spends most of her time in Wildshape. Refuses to kill any animalistic enemies. Gets squirrelly whenever clerics or gods are mentioned; has been known to pray for forgiveness after a session. Gets genuinely frightened by some of Dani's descriptions. Strangely enough, is one of the party's best faces. Usually has a wolf following her at all times, and she cries if it dies.

[hummingbee-o0o]

Picking Lint off the Sofa

“You’ve been cleaning more than me for the past three days.”

Daniel swipes the microfibre cloth over the spotless table one more time and refuses to accept what Armand’s just said.

“Look, this is important to me,” he says instead, then gives the table another spritz of cleaning liquid.

“I know that,” Armand says from where he’s lounging on the sofa, tablet in his hands, wearing only obscenely expensive silk boxers and an open, plum-violet robe dripping off his body. “Which is why I’m not stepping in, per your request. Also, there’s no need to use detergents with microfibres; the multi-stranded fibre structure—”

“Are you on Wikipedia again?”

“No, Minecraft.” Armand shows off the screen proudly, like a kid with macaroni art.

“Looks great, babe.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve been a shit father, you know that. They deserved so much fucking better, they still do, but they still worry about me. That’s… I can’t waste that, Armand.”

“I’m sure you won’t, beloved.”

Daniel wipes the cleaning liquid off the table, polishes around the edges.

“I mean, we’re gonna officially put me in the ground in a couple years, so I just want to give them at least a few half-decent memories with me, for fuck’s sake! But now they think I’ve got dementia because I’m writing gay vampire erotica and shacking up with a twink who’s a third my age. They also probably think I’m using again, because I definitely act high during interviews. Fuck, I am high, just on human fucking blood instead of crack or heroin. What am I supposed to do here?”

Armand looks at him steadily with those large, amber eyes.

“That’s been clean for the past five minutes.”

---

The sight of Daniel assiduously cleaning is, frankly, disturbing.

Firstly, it’s unnatural: it’s a sign that something is deeply wrong in Daniel Molloy’s world if he suddenly concerns himself with tidiness.

And secondly, he’s terrible at it. Armand loves him unceasingly and rapaciously, but he really thinks no love could be so blind as to claim Daniel is any good at cleaning. Not even his.

Of course, he’s very well aware what’s causing his beloved so much distress: his daughters are supposed to come over for a visit. They’ve reached out, concerned about Daniel’s recent and very public behaviour, and they both agreed to come over to ‘catch up’.

“I think it’s nice,” Armand points out while Daniel rearranges the sofa cushions for the eighth time.

“It’s not nice, Armand, it’s a goddamn wellness check.”

“And your daughters caring about your wellness is not nice because…?”

“Because I’ll have to explain why I’m acting like I’m using or demented or both without making them call an ambulance to give me a stroke eval.”

There’s a game Armand sometimes likes to play: keep prodding and see at which point Daniel will realise he’s being funny on purpose.

“I could easily alter the memories of anyone called to examine you.”

“Sweetheart, you’re not helping.”

Oh, Armand is very well aware of that. He was told not to, wasn’t he. Therefore, he issues another prod.

“This might actually be a good way to assuage your daughters’ concerns.”

“Jesus Christ, please don’t do this.”

Armand is on what he believes people call ‘a roll’ these days.

-

(Read the whole thing on AO3)

[ronearoundblindly]

F and Z for nomad steve! i love that fic tbh

From this ask game and about the Hideout series with touch-starved!Steve x motel employee!reader.

*sorry this took so long. Technically wasn't doing these anymore but then again this month has been a miserable mess of work and allergy pain, so this might get something flowing writing-wise. Enjoy!

Dirty headcanons ahoy! Minors DNI, please and thank you. There is plenty for you to enjoy from my Light Masterlist, but this is not for you!

F - Food Play

Ok, this one is very simple: food in the bedroom generally means something in his hand or in your hand that isn't part of the other person. Steve prefers skin-to-skin contact. He likes to be touching you and likes you to be touching him. He doesn't give a shit about food other than providing you with whatever you need or want of it to fuel sexual activities--or life, ya know, because he's very respectful and aware that life is not about sex--just not food during sex. Sorry. It holds no interest for him.

If you want to, cool, but that doesn't enhance anything for him.

Z - Zones

Uh...everywhere?!

But ok, I see what y'all want. Let's break this down, full-body style, starting with extremities.

Steve has a thing with his hands. It's an intimate act to offer love and affection to parts of him that inflict damage and pain. This is something he enjoys about art: good and beautiful things can come from a piece of him used for violence. As far as his feet? This is more of a playful enjoyment, a comfort. Steve doesn't derive sensuality from touching his feet, but he fakes being ticklish so he can act a little childish and playful with you. He likes to be barefoot (as a sign he isn't ready to run), and if his legs are on you, his feet are likely pressed to you as well. Hopefully that makes sense. Steve likes to tuck into your body as much as possible.

Alrighty, LEGS! Take a deep breath, ladies, because Steve gets extremely excited for a sharp grip on his thighs and just a hint of your nails biting his skin while you go down on him. That's not a sign it's too much for you; he takes that as encouragement. He likes when your hands go groping and wandering anywhere while you slowly take him as deep as you can (mouth or pussy), but he is an absolute whore for your enthusiasm. When you act like you can't possibly have enough of him at once, he cannot possibly hold in his own appreciation.

🥴

::takes break to scream into the void::

Onto the arms, head, and chest...right...yeah, so, Nomad's got that gorgeous fucking hair, but do not pull on it--not hard, ok, not a lot. You get far more from Steve by being gentle around his upper body, similar to the hands. He feels devotion and adoration through gentle touch above the belt. He likes the sort of all-encompassing feel of being hugged or slightly smothered by your body on his. If you cage his face in with your arms and hands, if you make the world feel shrunken to just the two of you in that moment, Steve melts. He's a goner for that. He likes your weight on his chest--or face because face-sitting is great--but as much skin-to-skin contact as possible is always welcome.

Steve gets oddly thrilled by you placing his body how you'd like. Other than the hair or beard, he enjoys you tugging at him to maximize your own comfort or pleasure. That's often how he learns what drives you crazy, in good and bad ways.

This brings us to, yes, you guessed it: the ass, cock, and balls.

Ironically, very sensitive and erogenous zones that aren't Steve's favorite. Playfully smack his butt at your own peril; he does NOT like that during sex, gang. Lock your legs around him, fine. Dig in with what would be a bruising grip (to anyone normal), go for it. Nomad does not enjoy any sort of impact play. Choose moments outside of intimacy wisely for that.

Touch-starved Stevie is extremely sensitive to outright sexual contact, so he sorta needs a lot of foreplay, sweetness, and closeness before his actual erection is involved. It's just too fast for him otherwise. Then he feels like he's using you. If there's one thing that will make Steve feel shittier than having to kill people, it's using a woman--especially you--for sex and seemingly nothing else.

Does he eventually stop coming so quickly? Sure. He never wants to leave the room without making you feel taken care of, much less actually leaving the property. That makes him feel guilty and miserable.

BUT!!! Don't fret. When he does have longer nights to stay with you, to go multiple rounds, to let you explore him without fuss, then yeah, he gets very excited to let you tease and stroke him and figure out that Steve just literally cannot keep his shit together if you get your mouth on his balls. Lots of licking and kissing. Some sucking. Oh my god... I mean... Nicest way possible? Slut for it. Just saying.

Thank you for asking!

[Main Masterlist; Dirty Asks Masterlist; Ko-Fi]

@mrsevans90 @lemonadygirl @umadirectioner

@rogersbarber @bucky-fricking-barnes-reads @fallinallinmendes 

@buckysprettybaby @ellethespaceunicorn @late-to-the-party-81

@yiiiikesmish @ashesofblackroses @jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory @brandycranby

@supraveng @1950schick @patzammit @whiskeytangofoxtrot555

[boatcats]

Stipulations

My heart hurt when Ed got shackled to the rail in S2. I needed them to talk it through as a crew so fic happened.

Ed was not a master in the art of negotiation.

Or, well, that wasn't entirely true. He was great at aggressive negotiation. He was great at negotiation where there was a show of strength (or the illusion of strength) and an opponent forced to decide how much they wanted to risk. He was excellent at the old 'shot across the bow.' He wasn't great at the sort of negotiation where all you had was your earnest heart and a desire to go home.

He hadn't had much practice.

But he had his earnest heart and he wanted to go home so he was going to give it a try.

The crew had let him stay one more night. They'd even seemed chill about it. He really hadn't expected that. Now dawn light was creeping into the galley and in a few hours the crew was going to "figure this all out" as Oluwande had called it and Ed wanted to stay. He wanted to make it up to them. "Captain goes down with the ship" had always really meant "captain takes responsibility" and Ed wasn't captain anymore (was he? he felt a brief jolt of anxiety like a task left undone...no, probably not...). But he still wanted to take responsibility for what he could.

It was just....he had some stipulations.

"Stede," Ed whispered. "Stede wake up."

"Hmmph?" Stede rolled over and Ed was briefly stunned by his sleep tousled hair. God. "What is it, Ed? Are you hurting?" He looked so concerned. G o d.

"No," Ed said, "not really." Though he was hurting some - a mutiny would do that to you. "Not much... medium amount," he amended, trying to be truthful. "I just... the crew's gonna decide about me staying and I want to stay. But I don't want them to shackle me to the rail again." Ed fought down a surge of panic at the thought. "I don't like feeling trapped. It's fine if they want... I don't know, to get a few punches in. That's fair. But no surprise punches. They can do it to my face. I mean like ... they can face me about it... though I guess they can also punch my face. You know what I mean."

Ed was not going to feel trapped and he was not going to feel on edge. Everything else was fair game. But sometime during the night he'd realized he couldn't stay somewhere he didn't feel safe.

What he'd do he didn't know... but he couldn't stay. It was an awful negotiating position that boiled down to "please agree to these requirements or else I'll go back to the woods you banished me to in the first place."

Ed sighed. Then he glanced up and realized Stede looked heartbroken. Fuck.

"It's not you," Ed sighed. "I'd love to stay for you... it's just..." I might not be able to.

"It's not that," Stede said. "I just wish I hadn't. I wish they hadn't. I wish I'd protected you."

"You couldn't," Ed said. "Not exactly captain either, were you? A mutiny will do that. The whole thing about a mutiny is that it blurs who's in charge, blurs who makes decisions. And I knew what I was getting into. Not like I haven't had worse. I just..."

"You don't want it to happen again."

"Yeah."

"It wont. No one's going to punch you either. To your face or otherwise."

Ed smiled. It felt a little wobbly. But he could smile at Stede now. Stede looked so certain. Ed was not at all certain. He was pretty sure he was at least going to get punched. But Stede's optimism had always been appealing (as well as wildly sexy) so what the hell.

--

When Ed heard the crew's stipulations he laughed. A cat bell! He supposed that was fair. He'd maybe played up the sneaking around over the past few months.

But it felt - it felt like like chance to start over. Captain goes down with the ship. Captain incites a mutiny and wears a sackcloth for a while as a promise that he won't hurt his crew again. Yeah, that was fair.

And Stede's face - Stede's face - when he said "they've agreed not to hurt you - no one's going to hurt you on this ship again. You're safe."

I'm here. You're safe.

Yeah, that was.... That was.... yeah, that was... That was a lot. But it was good. Ed was pretty sure it was good.

--

So it came as an awful surprise when Jim found Ed in the shady spot he'd claimed on deck and said "Hey, about shackling you to the rail..."

Because fuck. Fuck. Of course they'd reconsider. It made sense but Ed had trusted them. And the Revenge was kind of a ways from land and maybe they'd give him back the complimentary dinghy. Hopefully they'd give him back the complimentary dinghy. But so much for cohabiting with Stede... that is... if they even let him leave at all. What if...

Apparently all this showed on his face. Because the next thing Jim said was "I think maybe you need to breathe?"

Ed took a shaky breath. "What about it?" he asked. He was pleased that his voice came out reasonably level.

"I'm really sorry we did that."

Wait. What?

"Wait. What?" Ed said.

Jim flushed. "You weren't... you were hurt and... you weren't going to hurt anyone. The rest of the stuff - not gonna apologize for that because it was fully self defense. But that... yeah."

"It's fine," Ed said. "Better to overreact than underestimate someone probably."

"It wasn't fine," Jim insisted. "It's not gonna happen again. We were... we were really jumpy. Roach made us a piñata and a cake and we nearly stabbed him. But still."

"A piñata?"

"Yeah, they wanted to like, blindfold us. To... reassure us we were safe and valued, I think?"

Ed blinked. This fucking crew.

"But yeah," Jim sighed. "You're safe and valued and shit, I guess. I don't have a piñata."

"That's okay," Ed said. "Don't need one."

[aluria-sevhex]

so now i'm in Act 3 i guess

notes:

-methinks Siffrin is panicking

-plot twist: you can't escape the time loop until you deal with your... ???

-no you little bitch don't pretend everything's fine that's not good for your mental health

-YOU *KNEW* THIS WOULD HAPPEN??? FUCK YOU LOOP

-i'm not giving up you little shit

-ok Loop what IS your deal. you *asked* to be here???

-ok i need to help Mira with her mysterious papers

-:O A HINT AT ODILE'S FIELD OF STUDY

-the music is more unnerving than it was in Act 2. also it sounds glitchy now

-oh it's normal now. was i just suffering from an actual audio glitch and just. didn't question it? like "oh yeah ofc it's glitching things are fucked now"

-...that enemy didn't spawn down here in Act 2.

-eh ima get off for the night

-late in the evening on July 4th and i am back yippee this is probably a bad idea considering how long my play sessions get

-YEAH THE TITLE MUSIC MY BELOVED

-ok i can't help Bonnie on this loop- HOLD UP. DID SIF'S ART CHANGE IN THE MENUS? YEAH HE'S NOT SMUG ANYMORE ToT also i think their profile used to say "It's you!" with an exclamation point but now it says "It's you." with a period :(

-rip my darling blorbo Paper α V

-side note: idk if i've mentionwd this before but i like how the levels, stats, and skills all show the fact that you're near the end of the journey (ex. Odile having Rock, Paper, and Scissors III at the start)

-I FOUND THE BOOK BONNIE WAS LOOKING AT.

hmmm... death rituals...

-hehe i found the stostorage roomoom

-NONE OF THESE BARRELS WILL LEMME TAKE THE NUTS >:(

-another book in the headache-inducing language i can't read.

-weird shit going on: Siffrin, Loop, the King, the disappearing island, the headache-inducing shit

-hehehe yeah Isa i'm sure you'd *love* to pet your taciturn hopeful-future-partner

-it's not just the menu art i think Siffrin's battle art is also less happy. :(

-HOLD UP. also! Siffrin's profile used to call them the Traveler but now he's called the Wanderer. :(

-hehe. Sif hit the counter and said nya again. cat Sif

-this enemy ALSO did not spawn on this floor before. fucking giant hand thing

-ok thinking: can't help Isa until i've helped everybody else in one loop, can't help Bonnie on this loop and i need to prove i know them via their favorite foods, need to help Mira and Odile...

-thank you Loop for being available- OH I CAN BRING UP THE SADNESSES BEING DIFFERENT :O

-ok need to help Mira with the papers. some are in her dorm. Odile wants to read a familytale. i'll have to find one in the library or secret library. need to find out Bonnie's favorite foods by trying different ones. maybe i should loop forward a bunch to different areas, find out their favorite foods, and THEN do the big loop where i help everybody!

-i need to talk to the King eventually

-looping forward to Floor 1's end

-fun fact i'm keeping track of all my causes of death in another note. i'll share it when i finish the game

-man i also need to figure out how to help Mira's fan and remember where the last book issue is...

-the looping screen art is nice :]

-yeah yeah i need to beat this asshole to get to the snacks

-hold up. the coin fell on heads this time. strange...

-last time i picked plantain chips. this time i'm picking cookies. would probably be good to check what Bonnie eats each time

-ok they like rice. time to loop forward!

-while i'm on Floor 2 i might as well find a familytale for Odile...

-LOOP 24? THE MATH DOES NOT CHECK OUT.

-WAIT THE GAME ACKNOWLEDGES IT. HUH. YEAH I SHOULD BE ON 23. SIFFRIN IS SUS 𐐘

-fuck. i accidentally moved forwards when i meant to go to the library. it's fine i'l help her when i help everybody

-oh great i have to fight these assholes again.

-fuck. i think i fucked up and didn't make sure Mira had Pretty Moving Cure. i might get a game over.

-this is by far my dumbest death

-LOOP 27??? I WENT FROM 24-27

-gonna try to be less liberal with loop usage because the skipping is kinda scaring me

-aw... Siffrin's friends try not to touch him as they squeeze through that's nice... wait. he seems to not be remembering why. did he forget that they don't like being touched... maybe. maybe i should call Loop.

-well that was unhelpful

-time to adjust the memories i have equipped. welcome back my lovely scrimbly blorbos Lovely Moving Cure and Paper α V

-hm. ok so the boulanger in Dormont has a familytale...

-oh my god we're discussing colors. what happened to them.

-THEY STILL EXIST. BUT WE FORGOT HOW TO SEE THEM. ???

-*SIFFRIN*. HOW IS THIS FAMILIAR. JFC YOU ARE SUS

-plot twist! Siffrin is from our world and forgor that he got isekai'd! :P (i love making random bullshit predictions it's very entertaining)

-oh yeah so RE: Siffrin's altered art: Sif's time-frozen portrait used to look panicked but now it looks calm

-hehe openphrase123 worked

-love Sif's habit of picking up random shiny shit. magpie or crow behavior.

-oh? Siffrin didn't always hate croissants?

...bruh.

-also damn shout-out to Mira's crisis over not knowing some of the people

-the combination of Siffrin's silly attack names and serious battle portraits feels so *wrong*

-:o Sif learned a new skill

-ok i'm gonna log off for the night

hey if you wanna read all of my posts as i play through ISAT, they are all tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)

bruh when i was making this post i accidentslly pasted the notes again there instead of pasting the tag name. that truly was. delightful. to go through and delete it all

also shout-out to those of you who i keep seeing popping up in my notifs liking these posts ;) and also anybody who takes the time to read all this stuff :D i know that *i* like seeing other people's reactions when they experience stuff i like for the first time so i'm very happy to provide that for others! also it's nice to see some of the responses ^-^ :D

[blckbarbiedoll]

Million Dollar Baby

Chapter 5-Love-One

September 28, 2017-Los Angeles, California

You quietly walked into the dimly lit bedroom, trying not to wake your mother. The hot soup in your hands threatened to spill as you set it on the bedside table.

"Ayesha?"

"Hi." You whispered. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No. I was about to get up anyway." She slowly sat up.

"Hey, relax. Don't move around too much."

"I have cancer, Ayesha. I'm not made of glass."

"Just be careful." You sat in the armchair next to the bed. "You hungry?"

"No."

"You need to eat."

"I'll eat when I'm hungry." She rubbed her temples gently.

"Do you need medicine?"

"No. I'm fine. Don't you have a match next week to get ready for?"

"Uh, no. I dropped out."

"You what?"

"I have more important things to worry about."

"Did you drop out because of me?"

"Don't say it like it's a bad thing."

"Are you outta your fucking mind?"

"Mom-"

"You can't pause your career because of me."

"I've already had a great career."

"And you'll continue to."

"About that..." You sighed and looked down at your feet.

"What?"

"I'm retiring this year."

She looked at you in disbelief before scoffing. 

"You idiot."

"Can you not?"

"Why would you give up on your dream when you're on top of the world?"

"My dream? I never wanted this."

"Yes you did."

"No, you did. You wanted me to be like you. I never did."

"You're being dramatic."

"I gave up my whole life to do what you wanted me to!"

"Well, I didn't see you trying to do anything else!"

"That's because you never let me go to college! My only skill in life is hitting a ball with a racket!"

"And you're goddamn good at it!"

She covered her mouth as she began to cough dryly. You handed her a glass of water and patted her back.

"You okay?" 

"Yeah."

"I don't think you've ever said I was good at tennis before."

"That's because you're not good. You're extraordinary. And it would be a mistake to retire right now."

"I'm tired, mom. I just wanna live my life." You held her hand and smiled. "I don't wanna be a tennis player anymore. I just wanna be me."

She looked at you with pity as tears formed in her eyes.

"Baby, I am so sorry if I was too hard on you. All I wanted to do was give you the joy that I had when I played. But I just ended up squashing it."

"Hey." You sat on the side of the bed. "It wasn't all bad. When Tashi and I first started, I had never been happier. Or when Art and I would play when I went to go visit him at school. And now that I've started coaching Patrick, I feel like I've finally found what I wanna do."

"Ayesha."

"What?"

"Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Make up with Tashi and Art. Life is too short to be mad at the people you love."

"We hate each other. That's not love."

"You just said those were the happiest times of your life. Do you really hate each other, or do you think you do because you haven't tried to talk it out?"

"Why are you so wise?"

"Years and years of life, baby."

🎾TWO YEARS LATER🎾

"Game and second set, Donaldson. Six-two. Match is tied. One set all." That set Patrick off immediately. He yelled and repeatedly hit his racket on the ground, breaking it into pieces. "Code violation, racket abuse. Point penalty, Zweig."

You scoffed and got up to walk out of the stands. You pleaded with your bodyguard not to follow you. You found an empty spot by a tree and took your pen out and brought it to your lips.

"Are you vaping right now?" Tashi asked as she walked up to you.

"Are you stalking me?"

"Maybe."

"If you came here to gloat about how Art's gonna win, you can save it."

"For your information, I came to talk to you."

"What could you possibly have to talk to me about?" You took another hit and blew the smoke away from Tashi.

"I need a favor."

"Why would I do you a favor?"

"Because, it isn't for me. It's for Art."

"What do you want?"

"Tell Patrick to throw the game."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Patrick doesn't need this win. Art does. He's this close to throwing his whole career away."

"Art's already a fucking star. If anyone needs this, it's Patrick."

"If he was playing against anyone else, I wouldn't be asking this. But if he loses to Patrick, you know what that'll do to him."

"You care about people's feelings now?"

She stepped closer and grabbed your hand.

"Ayesha, please. If Art doesn't win this, I don't know what it'll do to him."

"That's your problem. Not mine, not Patrick's. Yours."

A small gust of wind blew your straightened hair in front of your face. She reached up to slide it behind your ear.

"Ayesha, I..." She stopped herself. You could tell she wanted to say something. Part of you hoped she would curse you out so you could hate her more. The other part wanted her to kiss you again and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. "Think about it." She said before walking away.

"Why didn't you come to my mom's funeral?" You called out.

She stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Honestly, I thought you didn't wanna see me."

"Mom would've wanted you there."

"Did you?"

"Kinda." You walked over to her. "Tashi, come on. We're grown. When are we gonna stop pretending that we hate each other?"

"Who's pretending?"

"Are you still jealous? It's been twelve years."

"You took my fucking life, Ayesha. You took my career, my brand deal, you took Patrick."

"First you were pissed because I was with Art, and now it's because I'm with Patrick?"

"He was mine first."

"He doesn't belong to you. And neither does Art for that matter."

"He's my husband."

"He's also a person. You know what I think?"

"What, Ayesha? What do you think?"

"I think you're mad at me because you're confused. You don't know what to do with yourself if you can't control everybody. Patrick and I aren't attached to your hip anymore, and you can feel Art slowly slipping away."

"Shut up."

"I think you're convincing yourself that you hate me because you're still in love with me. That's why you kissed me the other day."

"I am not in love with you. You were nothing to me. Just a glorified fuck buddy."

"One day, Tashi, you're gonna look at your perfect little life, and think about your perfect little family, and you're gonna feel this emptiness like something's missing. And then, you're gonna think about me. You're gonna realize that I was right. And all those years you spent trying to hide a part of yourself are gonna come back to haunt you."

"Stop."

"But I'll be fine. Because I know what I am. Do you?"

"Final set. Zweig to serve. Love-one." You heard in the distance.

"I guess you forgot I can read you like a book, huh?" You walked past her and went back to the stands.

[gabessquishytum]

Hob and Dream are both straight, okay.

They're dudes, pals, roomates. And when they are between (pussy -- Hob) (eww, steady girlfriends -- Dream), they fuck. Okay. It's not that big a deal.

Okay, it does seem like lately their periods between girlfriends/steady pussy are longer, and so they're sleeping together more and making plans with each other that could be construed as ,,,,, dating.

But Dream is eyeing some spikey art bitch (with shitty art, if you asked Hob) and Dream is pretty sure he saw Hob aggressively flirting with a pod of freshers. (And he's ABD, geeze, so much to Dream disgust). So it's not like they're serious about each other, besides They. Are. Totally... Straight.

It's not like Hob dreams about Dream's mouth and how great it is to fuck him (and it's not like thinking about Dream is a sure fire way for Hob to rub one out quick.). It's not like going to watch Hob play in pickup games of footie or that shirts/skins rugby game on the lawn got Dream all hot and bothered (or like Dream was the first to reach Hob when he took a hard hit.).

They are so not into each other like that......

Hnnnnng yeah I love these dipshits.

Hob is known as the pussy magnet of their little friendship group, you know? He's a perv, he doesn't give a shit, if the girls are over 18 then they're fair game. Hob will flirt and act the part of the mature, sensitive slightly older guy. Everyone wants him! But then again, no one knows what happens when the bedroom door closes and Hob gets those girls alone. There are no rumours about him being a creep or an asshole. If you actually asked any of "Hob’s girls" about their time with him, they'd tell you that he didn't sleep with them, put them to bed when they were drunk, warned them about genuine creeps, and bought them breakfast in the morning.

The only time anyone has actually seen Hob do a real "walk of shame".... is when he's leaving Dream’s bedroom.

And then there's Dream himself. He's a serial monogamist. Girlfriend after girlfriend after girlfriend - before he's finished with one, he's already onto the next! And none of them have any major complaints about him. They don't break up because he's abusive or nasty. If anything, he's rather apathetic. He never wants to go on dates or have sex, he's always busy with Hob. Talk about you and me and your friend Steve! Dream’s girlfriends feel like theyre the third wheel in the relationship!

Everyone in their social circle knows that they're in love. It really seems like Hob and Dream are the only ones who haven't worked it out. When Hob finally does get his phd, the logical nest step is for him to move in with Dream (again). A proper little bachelor pad. With two bedrooms. Or one bedroom and a hobby room. Dream needs room for his art, its only practical!

Just like it's practical for them to get married, 5 years later. They're not GAY, ok? They're just... bros who love each other. A lot.