#and it landed on the road. where it became my problem.

[moteldogs]

today I watched a rattlesnake get flung a good 20 feet in the air

[3minsover]

back on my steddie bullshit fr

Thinking about hope(ful)less romantic Steve driving to Eddie's trailer in the pouring rain to finally confess his love after months of dancing around each other and almost-confessions that crumble on the tips of their tongues before they can become anything real.

Steve finds himself pacing around the ground floor of a house that's too big and too quiet, thinking about a guy who should never, ever have taken up as much of his brain as he currently does. It's a Friday night, and Eddie's most likely out at a gig, or at a bar, or doing nerd shit. He's most likely doing anything but thinking about Steve. And yet here Steve is, entirely preoccupied with the reckless marvel that is Eddie Munson.

Fuck it.

It's been four months since Vecna, and everyone seems to be okay again. It's been long enough that it wouldn't be weird for Steve to make a move, right?

Before Steve can really consider what it is he's about to do, he has his keys in hand and he's heading out towards his car. He doesn't even realize it was raining until he steps out onto the porch, tugging the door shut behind him. And there's not much thought that goes into any of it, really. It's instinctive, the way Steve knows the route to Eddie's place by now. Regardless of the thrashing of his heart, there's an easy kind of familiarity in the sodden streets and jutting roads. Steve's windshield wipers are working double time, fending off the sheets of rain that pile down amidst the humidity of late July; it'd been a cloudless day until the sun set. But like the heaviness of Steve's heart, the clouds had begun to weigh themselves down with water, waiting for the moment where the heft of it all became too much.

Steve hadn't quite beaten those clouds to the punch.

He arrives at Eddie's with really no recollection of how he'd gotten there, only that he needed to see him and nothing was going to get in his way. Eddie's already sitting out on the porch when he pulls up. The dusty ground is darker, saturated with fat, relentless raindrops. Eddie sits on the steps of his trailer, only just covered by the awning. The toes of his sneakers shine with wetness.

"Why are you out here?" Steve asks, clambering out of his car. It's all he can think to say. It's not the words he wants to purge, not the things that have been itching in his throat every time they've been alone together for the last however-many weeks. But it's what comes out.

"Wanted to hear the rain," Eddie responds, a cigarette pinched between his thumb and pointer finger. It's a simple enough response. Shouldn't warrant a reaction. Only, Steve's standing a few yards away, dampening by the moment, and he needs to just get it out.

"I need to- I gotta talk to you," Steve stutters, drifting closer. Eddie's eyes narrow.

"About what?" he asks, clearly skeptical.

"About you. Or, me. Us. I- shit, I used to be good at this." Steve raises a hand to swipe over his mouth: it comes away wet. He's fucking soaked, standing defenceless against the onslaught from above. Eddie flicks the cigarette and the butt lands at the base of the steps. He hinges upright, dropping down a step until the raindrops begin to splatter onto his curls, landing like spits of silver against the glow of the street lamps overhead.

"Good at what?" Eddie calls through the low rumble of the rain.

"Good at- I dunno, confessions? I told Nancy how I felt about her no problem. Robin was a little tougher, but I still got through that, but with you," Steve gushes, entirely unsure as to where he's going with this, "I just can't seem to find the words."

For an impossible amount of time, Eddie stares. His pretty features seem to go through about a half dozen emotions before he settles on something that Steve's soul recognizes as pity. He prepares himself for inevitable rejection.

"You're telling me you can't find the words?" Eddie asks, incredulous, "Dude, i'm a songwriter, a fucking wordsmith, and I've been drawing a blank on you for months!"

Steve squints, a little at a loss.

"What?" he asks, feels stupid for not getting it straight away.

"Steve, I should be able to write songs about the guy I love, right?"

"Well- Yeah- I- Wait, what?" Steve starts before Eddie's words catch up. The rain's growing heavier, beginning to sting his cheeks a little, but he's fixed to the spot, not daring to move any closer. It's Eddie that draws nearer, dropping down the final steps until they're on even footing.

"If you hadn't- If you didn't come over here tonight, I was gonna- I was gonna come to you. I had this whole fuckin' speech planned out - I'm pretty sure it was stupid, honestly, but I wrote it anyway, because I have all these goddamn feelings about you, Steve. And I couldn't find a way to make them sound like anything other than what they are." Eddie's waves are flattening by the second, darkening under the weight of the water falling from above. Steve's heart pounds against his ribs, threatens to break free altogether.

"But I- I came here to- You're- Eddie?"

"Fuck sake, Steve. I'm-"

"Wait." Steve interrupts him, his brain catching up all at once, overfilling and spilling over. "Wait, just let me- Can I say what I was gonna say?"

Eddie folds his arms around himself, chilled by the rain despite the thick warmth of summer around them.

"Sure. Shoot."

Steve heaves in a breath.

"Okay. Eddie. I've been thinking, and you and me, we're good, right? Like, for each other." A droplet of rain catches between Steve's lashes, forcing him to blink it away. Eddie's slim figure remains in front of him, proving that this is real, this isn't some hallucination, some daydream borne of an idle brain. "I think you and me could be something good. Great, even. And I- I- I think I- I know you maybe said it already, and I shouldn't even be-" Eddie strides forward, closing the space between them in a breathless moment. Steve's breath catches in his throat. Eddie's dark eyes dart frantically between Steve's own, so round and wide and beautiful. Steve's so in love with him. "Eddie, I'm- I think I've... fallen in love with you." Steve skates his palms over Eddie's biceps, up and over his shoulders, until he's cradling the sides of Eddie's neck. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm in love with you."

Where they're so closely matched in height, Steve's eyes are crossing just to keep his gaze focused on Eddie, who's looking more like the proverbial deer in headlights right now.

"Shit, Harrington," Eddie breathes, and Steve feels it warm against his rain-chilled lips, "took you long enough."

It's a kiss that follows, soft and hesitant, like Steve would do anything but lean into it, like he's anything but head over heels, absolutely and embarrassingly in love. it's a kiss, and it's wet and a little too cold, a little too out in the open, but Steve wouldn't change it for anything.

[enavstars]

Cyberpunk au

RGB designs for a new au

Important things:

The inspiration for this was the game Stray (that I finally played).

This is a hyperfixation that I don't know when it's going to end. I'll probably draw things from it as much as my motivation lets me but don't expect it to be a constant thing like Eclipse or On the road.

I love worldbuilding so there is a lot of details of this au already, feel free to ask questions.

The world is dark and very corrupted but the tone of the au is chill because the sibs dgaf about the world.

Worldbuilding details (my friend wrote this because this is complicated and I suck at writing) [very long text under the cut]:

The key element of this AU’s worldbuilding is a new biohazardous artificial plant which was originally genetically engineered by the scientist of the RGB’s city-state to fight the air pollution that plagued the region by attempting to reduce the amount of CO2 from the atmosphere (yes this is a biopunk universe :)). However, because they are an ugly reddish colour, have a bitter taste and are extremely nutrient-deficient and unhealthy, they have no natural predators and can spread like wildfire across both fertile plots and forests like weeds. On top of that, due to that nutrient deficiency, which stems from the slow absorption ability of their roots (not nearly enough to keep the heavy rate of photosynthesis), they evolved on their own to attach themselves to other living beings as parasites and basically invaded the entire area around the metropolis. With them being potentially lethal, this caused a massive problem that made the city panic; although they have plenty of weak points (like fire and a vulnerable immune system) and it takes them very long to get their roots to the rest of the body, their grip is so deep and strong that the only option is to remove the infected body part. So their special ability became a critical issue when the plants unexpectedly ended up liking animals better, and with them humans themselves, because they could carry them to other places and infest those too while still sucking the life out of them until they die (oopsie). Ultimately, with the lack of proper information on the parasites, and because the situation was handled very poorly overall, they ended up taking many people’s lives and made the most vulnerable species of the area (like cattle) go endangered or extinct, which in turn altered the balance of the ecosystem and the working class’ means of living :).

Sorry this chunk was so technical, we (@kaigoesbrr and I) are biology nerds, but basically the plants were so good at making more oxygen and so ass at getting what they needed to do so that they became parasites, and now they get what they need from plants and animals (and they like animals better, like humans, because they have more stuff and help them spread further). Then society collapsed :).

All of this caused a deep economic crisis that brought about high rates of poverty, and with it, a deep fear of the infested world outside the city walls. So this whole conundrum led to the city closing off to the lands around it, implementing absurd levels of security like a tight border control and a slower, more strict business traffic, and making a huge dark translucent dome that encapsulates the whole city to keep any potential smuggled plants from ever growing by blocking the natural sunlight. They even made a ditch around their walls (kind of like a moat) and burnt and bombed the fields and suburbs around them to make them extremely infertile. So yeah, this city-state is a terrible place to live, a gloomy prison where not even the sun and stars can be seen, but most the inhabitants never leave out of that paranoid terror and the heavy bureaucracy needed to just go outside and touch grass.

(haha with poor funding corrupt scientists who didn’t know what they were doing made a mess, shocker how that would backfire horribly).

However, the outside isn’t as bad as they make it out to be. In the end, the plants did clean the air as they were supposed to, and, as nature does, it did somewhat recover from the disaster to where human life is now sustainable again.

Taking advantage of their thick crust, trees were the least affected by the plague, and the other plants in the forest developed new natural defences against the parasites, which was yet another reason why they in turn became best at infecting animals. And many of the fungi, abundant in the now more humid forest (haha cooler air equals more rain), took advantage of their weak immune system (due to their fucking incompetent creators making a mess of the original plant’s DNA) and infected them (haha scammer get scammed). So basically, the fields and farmlands were lost to the people, but the forests are still intact. Also, even though one of the rivers around the city, the one which makes its ways under it and is therefore connected to the water supply and sewer systems, is trashed, the other, which is further away, is now perfectly healthy due to the city closing off and therefore leaving it alone for enough time. The real issue here lies within the actual government, which obviously does not want to expose how corrupt and lazy they are when dealing with problems and so they keep fueling the paranoia of their most vulnerable citizens since they are kids :). One way they do so is by manipulating the information their people get, claiming bullshit like “the current ecosystem is wild and polluted, it cannot offer our economy anything anymore!” and “the plants are dangerous and will kill you if you ever come into contact with them, and they have infected virtually every living thing around!”. Another is by not educating their population about “the Outside”, treating it like a sort of taboo. Therefore, they refuse to explain, or hush those who try to, the actual danger of the plants and how to deal with them (they do have many weaknesses, after all).

But the people in this world have yet another nasty problem. In this AU there are beings believed to be anthropomorphic demons due to their pointy ears, fangs, and sometimes strange behaviour. But in fact, these people are descendants of the dragons that once lived in these nations, but their origins were forgotten as the world gradually lost touch with its spirituality and ancestry, and now those who were once revered for their “godlike attributes” (yes, they kinda worshipped dragons, I mean, who wouldn’t) are today facing discrimination. However, even though they aren’t considered exactly “people”, the pure humans are still kind of afraid of them, so they usually choose the subtler kind of racism. In most governments, “Demons” get less job opportunities and are denied high positions, can be freely banned from any establishment, and face unmatched prejudice just for existing, especially those with a stronger blood relation with their ancestry. In the city, they are treated as less than even the robots (nindroids of all kinds), who are treated like any other respected social group by now because they have grown so advanced that most of them are just like humans in metal armour. In fact, many of them are mechanics, who are held in high esteem for making the many bionic implants for the humans.

And all of that combined made the RGB siblings (who are obviously demons, especially Lloyd), decide never to leave the Outside, where they grew up, to go live in the city.

When they were younger, Kai and Nya adopted Lloyd when they found him asleep in a box in the middle of nowhere, after having been abandoned themselves a few years earlier. This time, though, their dynamic in this AU is more of a team than Kai being a mom to them both like he always is, so even if Kai feels the most responsible for being the eldest sibling, they rely on each other almost equally. They fend off the plants that threaten them with fire (no they do not have powers, but Kai uses a fucking flamethrower because it’s Kai), and usually live on whatever they can find in the wild: mostly by making traps for game, fishing in the cleaner river and occasionally foraging edible plats (that’s more risky and they are more carnivorous anyway). Also, Nya routinely strolls through the ruins of the suburbs to collect scrap junk to turn as much of it as she can into useful trinkets, the rest of which she sells to Ed and Edna’s junkyard and their son, who is an amateur mechanic (wink wink but no shipping actually). Apart from that though, they usually sneak into the metropolis to cause a bit of mayhem here and there, which over time and on top of the fear over their species has earned them a reputation of People You Don't Wanna Mess With (or "Demons", more like). More than once they’ve even messed with a few of the gangs around town, which started sprouting up after the disaster, so overall their presence in the city is tolerated, but frowned upon. They manage to bypass the annoying border control thanks to the faulty assistant robot who raised them, named Echo (wink wink), who cannot perform any other social job (what he was made for) than to be the ferryman for those few people who decide to cross the wide moat and venture out into the Outside. They usually take a secret tunnel that a few smugglers managed to make, and the Guard do nothing because they do not give a fuck about demons anyway (in fact, only a few people know that their actual names aren’t Red, Blue and Green because nobody gives a fuck indeed). They do actually know a few people there, some of whom are also demons (like Mistake and Ronin), but especially as kids (which is when the story starts) they spend most of their time in the wild chilling and going on adventures :³.

(no the city and the plants are not named, we’re lazy :))

Anyway this is what I'll say for now. There's a lot more info, and hopefully drawings, coming. Hope you like this au because I love it for now ^^

(Btw let me know if you want me to make a post/reblog explaining the designs for the Rgb siblings and some info behind them)

[biscuitblinkeu]

Mischievous Woman [1]

Kim Jisoo x Fem!reader

Word Count: 7545

Prompt: In exchange for “gifts,” the village of Asakoshi sends a man to marry the female Kumiho residing in the village Highlands. You, a humble florist, take your brother’s place and are sacrificed and forced to marry Jisoo, a Kumiho, who could care less you're a woman or that you deceived her.

A/N: So here’s this— it kinda gives me IOTBS vibes lol. My sister actually requested I make a story like this, so I hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry it took so long to get out! But the picture though?! ❤️

Shallow, superficial, frivolous- Asakoshi

The village of Asakoshi was full of liars, cowards, thieves, and rapacious elders.

It wasn’t always like this. No, not before, when the village was a prosperous paradise (there’s no such thing as paradise, is there?), when people were humble and got by with what they had and could, when people smiled and didn't ask for more. When hearts were thought pure, where order was respected, where hierarchy didn't exist prominently, when the very thought of using weapons made people distressed. But deep down, greed was slowly growing in their hearts. They weren’t satisfied. There was always a need for more, more, more— and it was slowly tearing the society apart.

Perhaps things had become too predictable, too monotonous, and they started looking for excitement. Unbridled, malicious ecstasy. This enthusiasm was deceptive, disguised as a problem that made the people crave power— because power was required to rise and change. The town got addicted to fighting; governments fell apart, kingdoms arose, weaponry became a means of control, and Asakoshi's nature became chaotic.

 In the midst of the chaos, the Kumiho appeared.

The Kumiho were nine-tailed, half-human, half-fox spirits that were dubbed “saviors'' when they first appeared. They ended the fighting, alleviated some of the village's suffering, and came bearing gifts. The concept of gifts was enough for the people to ignore the Kumiho's appearance or their ravenous hunger, their diet consisting solely of the intestines of humans, and rarely, animals.

The villagers were to pay a price in exchange for the Kumiho's offerings, which included money, knowledge, healing, and fertility. The cost was significantly more. The Kumiho were given a sacrifice, which was usually a young boy or girl, or a man or woman. The victim was then thrown naked into the Highland forest, and the Kumiho were said to hunt them for food. And by doing so every several months, the villagers could prevent the Kumiho from slaughtering villagers to satisfy their hunger.

Over the years, the village settled down and the Kumiho continued to bestow gifts, and the humans continued to routinely offer sacrifices. There was a bump in the road; sacrificing two humans once a month was taking a toll on the population. The Kumiho and humans came to an agreement. 

Instead of offering a sacrifice, they would marry with the intention of merging the two races. Human and divine spirits would coexist. This strategy proved contentious since not all Kumihos chose to sustain themselves from eating humans, and not all Kumihos who don’t eat humans like them enough to marry them.

The Kumiho that ruled over the village present-day, looked for another husband. Another, because every potential man sent to marry has disappeared. The village speculates the ruling Kumiho kills them. However, the agreement was still in place, and perhaps the men sent to marry died from unknown, natural causes. 

Nonetheless, every few years a man is chosen to be married to the female Kumiho who lived in the Highland’s mountain forests— the land above the clouds, they called it, because it’s claimed to be so high up you could “walk on clouds,” and this has caused a shortage of young men in the village. Many parents and struggling families were eager to send their sons off to the Kumiho for reputation and to be lavishly rewarded by the village elder, as their decision would result in a new round of gifts from the Kumiho. 

…

In a village like this, flowers were your only escape. 

You were the village florist. You owned a popular shop in the market district where you made floral arrangements for special events and occasionally took on gardening jobs for clients. At home, you were the older sister to your two brothers, U-Jin and Seung-Min. The three of you lived alone due to your parents passing three years ago. Meaning when you were at work, U-Jin was taking care of Seung-Min at home. You trusted U-Jin with your youngest brother, as he was more responsible for his age due to your circumstances.

You were at your shop tending to customers and flowers when you heard horses whinny, you looked outside the window and froze briefly. Stilled, because it wasn’t just horses whinnying, the sound was accompanied by carriage wheels rolling over brick and gravel, as well as a man with a rich accent yelling halt! at the top of his lungs: a carriage man. You knew the elder (or, the village lord) was present. The village elder– a senile, crooked-toothed, balding man in charge of the village and the Kumiho Trade. It was rare, but on some occasions he would parade through the village– you believe he comes when he’s feeling good about something; sometimes gifts, or when he is a drunk fool– collecting debts or…sacrifices. Nonetheless, anytime he was around it meant misfortune. 

He never came out of the carriage, and this is further proved when two herculean guards exit instead. The village elder’s guard were tall, beefy men with stone-cold faces and intimidating stances. They were shaped like warriors– thus the name herculean guards.

The carriage was parked in front of a first floor shop with the owner's home on the second floor. One of the guards stayed back while the other approached the shop. You found it strange that that particular shop has been closed for the whole week, but now you’re sure it was because they had something due and were trying to lay low. The guard rapped on the door and it opened a few seconds later. A rather drowsy-looking man opened it, and the clumsy smile on his face– ready to greet who was at the door politely– disappeared instantly. 

The guard and the man conversed for a few minutes, the man’s bodily motions becoming strained and seemingly angry as time passed. You saw the man shake his head, and the guard handed him a paper. “I can’t pay this– it's twice as much as before!” The man shouted, loud enough for spectators to hear.

The guard stood stiffly as the man pleaded desperately, unwavering. The man rubbed his temples, looking at the paper. “I can’t pay this at this very moment– but– but I can–”

“Insolence will not be tolerated. You have shamed the elder; you must pay.” the guard spoke, his voice clear and bold. 

The man stammered, looking distraught. “No, I’d never shame the Elder– I wouldn't think of it! I-I’ve just been in a tough spot this month–” 

“You know what must be done. You have four days to leave the premises,” the guard finished, and went to turn away only to be stopped by a hand taking hold of his bicep, eyes peering up at him.

“Just give me a few days, please! I swear I’ll — Agh!” In a matter of seconds the man was pushed and thrown onto the ground harshly. He was left writhing in pain as the guard continued to the carriage. 

The crowd that had formed began to whisper and gossip, making the man return to his feet faster. He was flushed red in embarrassment, having been publicly humiliated. His glossy eyes glanced at the spectators before they snapped back to his feet. “Dammit!” He yelled, wiping his tears harshly before storming back inside, the door slamming shut behind him. 

You could only imagine what he must’ve been told. What he owed, and how much of it.

The guard re-entered the carriage after the other, and it bobbed with his weight. He stuck his head out the small window and spoke to the carriage man.

You chapped your hands free of dirt, wiping them on your apron as you watched the carriage man yah! again and jerk the reins with a pit in your stomach. Just like many other viewers and shopkeepers, you had left the store and watched the carriage go to its next destination. You all wondered which unfortunate soul would be next, hoping it wasn’t yourself or family. 

The carriage continued down the street and to the bottom of the subtle hill and you crooked your head to get a better view. The carriage was heading in the direction near your home. Nerves began to make your fingers feel numb. 

You told yourself it would stop before reaching it, that they were just visiting a family near, yet the carriage continued.

It rounded the corner and crossed the rickety wooden bridge, and you could vaguely see its silhouette passing through the trees. When you could no longer see it you were scrambling inside your shop to flip the sign to “closed,” ushering customers out with apologies spilling from your lips. After you locked up, you ran as fast as you could to your house. Your heart thundered in your ears, fear gagged your throat, and tunnel vision clouded your judgment. 

You were one of the two homes in that section of the village. You had to get home. 

Why would they turn the corner and cross the bridge if they weren’t visiting you or your neighbors? You paid your debt for this month — so it doesn’t make sense why they’d visit you.

In the past, in a time of desperation and uncertainty, the month after your parents passed, you took a loan from the elder. A loan that would take you almost a lifetime to pay off if you didn’t have a shop or somewhat steady income. You paid a margin of your debt every month, routinely and sternly to keep the elder away from your family. And on top of that, the costs that come with running a business. Without fail. So why? Has another spontaneous cost been thrown at you that you weren’t aware of? Or was it something worse?

Your home shortly came into view. As you approached you saw that the carriage was parked in between you and the neighbors home, empty, and you were uncertain which home they visited. You prayed it wasn’t yours.

Ignoring the burning sensation in your legs and lungs, you threw open your front door. “Minnie? U-Jin?” You called out breathlessly and received no answer. You opened their bedroom door— empty. You checked in your room, which too, was empty. You peaked out the backyard and there was no sign of them playing. But as you got closer to the kitchen, you heard quiet sniffling from the living room.

“Minnie? Is that you?” You called again and entered the living room.

A small body ran into your leg and let out a cry, short arms wrapped around the limb with a tight grip. You looked down and your heart clenched. Seung-Min’s charcoal eyes swam with tears. “Minnie is scared,” he sobbed, bawling the fabric of your pants in his small fist, his lip wobbling. 

You kneeled down and wiped his tears, frowning at his distress. “Scared of what, Seung-Min? Where’s U-Jin?”

He buried his face into your chest and pointed across the room. Promptly, a surge of anxiety ran down your spine when you directed your attention to where he pointed. You took in a rather sharp breath, unconsciously holding your brother tighter to you when you met sharp, green eyes. They regarded you with mirth from across the room, and on the couch was the village elder’s wife, Dong-Woo. 

U-Jin was being held back by a Herculean guard to her side. You took a step forward, “U-Jin—”

“Not so fast, dear. How lovely of you to join us,” came her croaky voice from her scarlet-painted lips. She was adorned in jewels and garments, her presence even more overbearing with the two herculean guards at her side. How you managed to not notice them right as you walked in made you even more unsettled. “Do not be so tense, child.” 

You stood up straight. “What is this about? My shop?”

"Oh, (Y/n), this is not about your shop’s monthly payment, but slightly about your debt, perhaps. Although, it is good that you keep up with the dates." She chuckled. "Today, on behalf of my husband, I've come to see you and your siblings about your yearly sacrifices." You almost scoffed at that. You knew all about the sacrifices, it's hard not to when the village has a celebration each year based on the sacrifices made and the gifts received. "Thanks for another war-free year!" or "To thanks we've been blessed!" They’d say, and you think it's all nonsense.

You weren’t one of them, never will be. You avoided making sacrifices, having no need for the “blessings” or “gifts” the so-called god in the Highlands distributes. You don’t need wellness, fortune, or anything of the sort (even if such things could help with your debts, get your brothers proper education other than from you, and enable them to eat better). You’re quite satisfied with your life at the moment, despite it not being the best, and your brothers are too. 

"My yearly sacrifices? You've already made me offer one last month." You replied bitterly and Dong-Woo hummed, curling her bony fingers around her cane. "That's right, you have. But I need more from you."

"Then what is it?" You demanded impatiently, frustrated. You just wanted them to leave.

Dong-Woo laughed once more, this time lifting the wooden stick to point at your brothers. "Well, I had a word from one of my guards in the Highlands and it seems our god uphill is looking for a groom this year instead of a sacrifice."

"What does that have to do with U-Jin and Seung-Min?" You murmured to yourself, and then— then it hit you. You looked up with wide eyes, mouth agape. "You can't possibly..."

"Yes, it's exactly that. I am in need of a young man for their groom, and I immediately thought about your sweet brothers."

Your eyes snapped back to a tearful U-Jin and your heart dropped to your stomach. Your brother was chosen? “He is only fourteen,” you stumbled, your shock apparent in your mannerisms and expression.

“I’m aware.” She smiled. You felt sick to your stomach, nauseous at the onslaught of emotions you're going through; strong feelings such as fear and worry. “I’m sure you know we are running out of men of age? They’re all dying on the battlefield or have no debts to me— that’s while we’re looking into a new crop, despite how low quality this crop can be. Those of you in debt are taking on a new role: you are completely suspendable to the Kumiho Trade.”

“He’s still just a boy,” you said stubbornly.

Dong Woo sighed in exasperation. “Listen here, dear. I don’t care. I have a business to run, one that the village depends on. He will marry the Kumiho, and you have no say in the matter,” she finished sharply. Dong-Woo stood up and glanced at her guards. “Take him,” she ordered strictly.

On her command, the guards grabbed U-Jin. U-Jin struggled in their hold, and Seung-Min began to cry harder next to you. You had to do something— anything. “Please! Don’t do this!” You cried. You reached for Ujin desperately, eager to grab him before he went too far away as the guards dragged him away. “I promise I’ll work even harder to pay the debts, just— just don’t take him away! Please,” you struggled to grab his hand through the thick bodies of the herculean guards.

“Get lost!” One said gruffly, trying to separate you from U-jin. You were yanked to the floor, suffering a bad blow to your back. “Stop— please, just stop,” you cried. And then, as your brother struggled in the guards' hold and followed behind Dong-Woo, an absurd thought crossed your mind. “L-Let me take his place,” you whispered helplessly. 

Your quiet voice reached one of the guards, and he paused. In this moment of hesitation, you got up and pushed through them. You ran in front of your brother, hands outstretched in a protective stance. You stared past the guards at Dong-Woo who had stopped because of the commotion. “I will take my brother’s place!”

At your rather loud declaration, the guards froze, Dong-Woo turned around, and U-Jin snapped his head to you in shock. A few tense seconds passed, the air charged with tension.

“What did you say?” Dong-Woo asked, stalking up to you, her guards parting ways for her. She stopped right in front of you. Her green eyes were narrowed into slits that cut into your soul and you gulped. “Speak!” She yelled.

You took a deep breath, leveling your stare with hers. “I said— I said I’ll take my brother’s place,” you told her. Your tongue felt like lead and your heart threatened to break out of your chest, but you would get your point across firmly. 

U-Jin tugged on your sleeve, his head shaking side to side rapidly. Tears swam in his eyes. “No— no (Y/n), you don’t know what you’re saying— I can go. You don’t—”

“Quiet!” She yelled, eyes snapping to U-Jin with a fire in them. He jumped and shut his mouth, but his grip on your sleeve didn’t loosen. Dong-Woo turned back to you, scrutinizing your face and chest. “You, take his place?” She scoffed. Dong-Woo took your chin in her hand, her grip tight, tilting your head side to side. She then took a bundle of your hair. “Too long,” she commented, lips pursed. She dropped it and stepped back. “We’ll have to make some adjustments,” she mumbled. “Are you really going to take his place? No— are you prepared to marry a Kumiho?”

“Yes.” No, you weren’t prepared, not in the slightest. But you were not going to let them take your brother, or let him live in fear, miss all of his younger years, and burden him with marriage, with the worries of death or being killed. You would carry that weight on your shoulders, take all of it from him if you could. You clenched your fist at your sides. “Yes. But in exchange I want my brothers free from our families debts— your protection, your word that you will never put them into the Kumiho Trade. I want them taken care of by a good nanny: fed, clothed, bathed and kept warm, as I will be unable to do those things when I’m gone.”

Dong-Woo didn’t reply for a while. The silence was broken when a chuckle escaped her throat, followed by a surge of hearty laughter. She wiped her tears when she was done. “Amusing! You are so very amusing, you are. Even so…who are you to make demands of me?”

“I am nobody,” you replied simply, eyes trained on your brothers who watched the exchange with wide open mouths.

“Yes; A nobody!” Dong-Woo spat. She moved in closer, her face practically touching yours, and you had to suppress the urge to flinch. You held your ground, refusing to give into her intimidation tactics. She was stronger than you— much stronger. “I will comply, but just know, if you fail to be wedded to the Kumiho things will not go well for your family.”

You nodded.

Dong-Woo smiled crookedly. “But I suppose this could work— having a woman go in the place of a man. It will be an experiment; one that I will bet on— even if it’s absurd.” Dong-Woo retreated to the doorway, throwing her guards a look. “Send a Nanny over immediately. And take care of the rest of her demands; I keep my word. We leave for the Highlands at midnight. We will have to give our “groom” a makeover.” Dong-Woo left shortly, allowing you a few moments with your brothers.

Once alone, save for the guards at the door, U-Jin pulled on your forearm, frowning deeply. “(Y/n) you can’t go. How will I know you’re okay? That you’re not dead? What if they hurt you? I can’t lose you like mom and dad, please.” 

“I won’t let anything happen to me,” you promised, smiling shakily at him. You took his face in between your hands and brushed away a couple stray strands of his unruly bangs. Next to you, Seung-Min shook his head rapidly, his crying breaking your heart. “Minnie doesn’t want you to go,” he whispered. At this you leaned down and kissed his head. “I’ll try to contact you guys, okay?”

“But—”

“If I'm alive, I'll send a letter or come visit when I can within a month. If there's no sign of me or a letter...then I'm probably gone and the Kumiho killed me." You told them both, wiping Minnie's cheeks dry with your sleeve. He didn't say anything but sniffled lightly, nodding at your fifty-fifty reassurance. You pulled him and U-Jin into your embrace once more and then let out a shaky breath, biting your lip and squeezing your eyes shut as you felt more tears glide down your cheeks. In the background, one of the guards called out a timely reminder of one minute left. At that, you stepped away from them reluctantly, and when you pulled away and let your siblings go, you looked at each of them in turn.

Their faces were red, tear-stained and swollen from crying. Your lips threatened to upturn into a frown then, but you had to stay strong. "I love you both very much, and I'll miss you. Be good and stay safe while you wait for news. Don't worry too much either and make sure not to leave the house unless it's to attend the church or being with your friends." You started going over your rules and worries, things they should know and be prepared for. "And U-Jin, please watch your brother well, be with each other at all times. Right now, make sure you both eat and go to bed—"

"Get moving now!" Came the guard’s deep voice. 

You gave a fleeting hug to your little brother before the guards escorted you out the house. You then entered the carriage, and watched as your home got farther and farther with a pit in your stomach. Your legs shake heavily underneath you as you step out your house and onto the brick street, your eyes averted downward from the carriage you approach. Once you're near enough, the soldiers grab a hold of your wrists and tug you forward. "Come on girl. We don't have all day for this, you have a very important job." He growled, and before you knew it—you were being roughly pushed into the fabric-topped wagon.

…

This “make-over” Dong-Woo spoke of took place in public, just at the village's exit.

All you knew was that one second you were in the carriage, the next thrown out onto the cobblestone. Around you, male and female servants gathered, all holding objects and pales of water and such.

In a matter of moments, they began stripping you of your apron and clothes without a care about the temperature, or how you would feel—disgusted and embarrassed in front of their eyes. You swear there were a few taking you in, shamelessly checking every inch of your body when you were practically naked.

You were then pushed into a small chair, and a maid came up behind you with a pair of scissors. She was going to cut your gorgeous hair. “Don’t, please.” You said weakly. 

The rather old maid appeared startled at your voice before she glared at you. Without a word, she took the scissors and began to cut. With each snip your hair fell to the floor. The result was quite strange— seeing yourself without long hair. Your hair was shorter than before— cut just above your shoulders. 

After, they held you still while scrubbing at your body with harsh cloths, leaving your skin all red and raw, sensitive to the touch.

You squirmed, whined, and cried throughout the process because it was painful. Nothing came of it, of course, your protests and yells were ignored. You were practically tossed around like a doll belonging to a child who didn't know how to take care of it; tainted, changed, and ruined. What really broke you was the fact that they even cleaned, washed, and groomed you in places only your lover would be able to see—all right in the open. They violated you without care or consent, and if they did care, it was only about cleansing the filth from your body.

"You must make yourself presentable, you must be pure." The servants chanted over and over; again and again. It was almost as if they were possessed, really, or in this case mildly obsessed with getting a blessing out of your sacrifice, because even if you weren't accepted as a suitable bride they'd still get something out of it by offering you. Right after the cleaning, a few more of the village servants emerged holding garments, cosmetics, and types of accessories you’ve never seen before.

"Wrap her chest!"

"Attend to her hair!"

"Wash her mouth!"

By the end, they dressed you in male clothes: trousers, an upper garment, vest, and overcoat. A hat was put on your head and a short veil fell from the front, covering half of your face to distract those from the fact you were a woman. As it was custom, they made adjustments throughout and tailored the bridal clothes to make them easily accessible to be removed, or to put back on. (Something you didn't want to dwell on why.)

During the time they did this, they talked loudly about things. They talked about the wedding, of course, and the mysterious Kumiho residing in the highlands, but also about other events taking place during the ceremony. Some of them were scandalous. Others were highly improper. Nonetheless it all proved to make you feel worse. 

When you were done with the makeover, Dong-Woo appeared and you were back in the carriage, on the way up to the Highlands. It was pitch dark.

You sat across Dong-Woo, who was flanked by her Herculean guards. There was a silence after the carriage began to move, and you shifted around awkwardly. It was suffocating, sitting across from them and knowing you might never see your family again. 

Dong-Woo let out a sigh, looking at you. “I believe this might work. Other than your face, you could pass as a man. Besides, men can have pretty faces too,” Dong-Woo mused.

You looked at her and forced a smile, your eyes returning to the small window shortly. You were somewhat toned from yard work, your voice deeper than most women your age. You watched the carriage’s journey up the hill, the sun sinking lower and lower as time passed. As you got higher up, the greenery became more dense, and a fog rolled on the surface of the ground, becoming thicker and thicker. The temperature dropped quite a bit as well.

“It gets worse every year, doesn’t it?” Dong-Woo muttered, shaking her head. She noticed the troubled expression on your face. “Tell me; What is on your mind?”

“…How will I know where to go in this thick fog?” You asked.

“It is a test. You will find the Kumiho– or she will find you.” She said, a slow, grim smile spreading across her lips as she looked out the window. That is, if you survive in the forest long enough to be found. Perhaps if you are found, there was still a chance you’d be mistaken for a meal. It was unclear whether this Kumiho ate humans, after all. 

You nodded and clenched your fist in your lap, swallowing down a stubborn lump in your throat. You opted to not look at the window,  allowing yourself to save your energy for when you were really going to be challenged. You ended up falling asleep, however, it was not long before you were jerked awake by the carriage's shaky stop.

“We are here,” Dong-Woo informed. 

The carriage stopped in a dirt clearing, where a black flag was posted. 

“Out you go,” Dong-Woo said, throwing a dismissive hand in your direction.

When you didn’t move quick enough, one of the guards growled in warning. You left the carriage, and were immediately hit with the cool air outside. You shivered, looking around wearily.

You flinched when the door shut behind you with a clack and Dong-Woo moved to the other side of the carriage. In doing so, she saw the contemplation on one of her guard’s faces.

“What is it? Why the long face,” Dong-Woo scowled, looking at the guard to her right.

“What if the Kumiho becomes displeased with us if she finds out her husband is a woman in disguise.”

“…The Kumiho will accept our sacrifice.”

“But—”

“Hush! It is fine. If the Kumiho does manage to find out she is female– she will be ripped apart; it is but another meal for the god. Do you question me?”

“I wouldn’t think of it, mam.”

“Good. Now, let us go. I have much to do. Much to prepare. Gifts will be coming soon.”

You watched the carriage ride off into the fog with a heavy heart. Now you were truly alone. Left in the bitter cold; in darkness. You sucked in a breath and looked around. The forest wasn’t particularly inviting. The trees twisted oddly, and the branches reached out for you hungrily, almost beckoning you into their depths. The foggy mist made the forest seem alive, a part of nature itself; a living being, breathing. It seemed eerie, as though the forest was preying on you. A gust of wind rustled through the underbrush nearby, sending some leaves skittering over the path you had taken.

You chose to walk in a straight line, so you’d only have to turn around to go back where you started. 

That was the plan until it seemed like you were walking in a circle, each time ending up back where you started. The forest had to be enchanted by the Kumiho. Or maybe you just had no sense of direction in the fog. You simply did not have the patience or energy to deal with this situation calmly. In all honesty you were worried. You could be eaten or attacked by some wild animal, and for worse, the Kumiho finds you and kills you. You’d never have a chance to see your brothers again. 

You tripped on an exposed root, scraping your palms and bruising your knees through your trousers. You hissed, feeling tears threaten to fall. It sucked. It really did. 

Just when you were going to break down and give up, you heard voices. You stilled, listening to the crunching of leaves and twigs: someone walking, and the chatter of two individuals. The voices were child-like, and it soothed your nerves slightly.

 “...will be very angry with us if we don’t find him.”

“L-Let’s just keep looking, alright? I heard something over there…”

Their footsteps began to fade, and in desperation, you followed the voices. You ran in the direction you believed you heard them, but there were no more sounds. No voices, no footsteps, nor animals or crickets buzzing. It was an odd silence, and it made you tense. You continued to walk. Those people couldn’t have gotten that far, so where were they? Were you imagining things? 

The more you looked for the owners of the voices the more you believed you were going crazy. 

Drowning yourself in your thoughts, mindlessly walking, you were startled when two children simply appeared in front of you. A high-pitched yelp left you as you stumbled backwards in shock. 

“Found ya’!” The little girl giggled, clapping her hands as she bounced up and down. The bell in her hair jingled as she did so.

“More like he found us…��� the boy muttered, hand wrapping around your own hand gingerly. 

You looked at him, speaking in a slightly lower tone. “Who…who are you two?”

“Ah — me? I’m Keo-woo!” The girl answered, taking your other hand. The girl had black hair, it was tied into a ponytail with a white ribbon. She wore a white mask that concealed her identity, and black lines — much like children scribbling — created a clumsy face: two black eyes and a smile. 

“Jiseul…” The boy answered quietly, peering at you through his dark bangs. He too, wore a mask, except it was cracked open on one side, allowing you to see part of his face and one of his black eyes. The mask was painted with seemingly random black circles and streaks, the color an off-white.

“We’re servants of the Kumiho, sent to find you,” Keo-woo said.

You nodded slowly, anxiety creeping into your bones once again. 

“We’re sorry it took so long to find you,” the girl said, dipping her head. “Jisoo wasn’t feeling…well. But now we’re here!” 

“Jisoo?” You asked. 

“The kumiho; her name.”

“Ah,” you said, nodding. You allowed the little kids to lead you wherever they pleased, they seemed to know where they’re going. 

“You’re oddly quiet,” Keo-woo mused, swinging your arms. “Don’t you have any questions?” 

“…I’m allowed to ask?”

“Yes, silly!”

“Does the Kumiho eat…humans?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. Your stomach lurched. 

You noticed a small trickling sound nearby, a water source. Through the fog, barely visible, it looked like a wooden house, its foggy torches creating a dull glow. 

The children stopped in front of it. “This is where we are to take you,” Keo-woo said. 

“Here?” You asked, slightly perplexed. This didn’t look like the stories you’ve heard, if it was the Kumiho’s home. It looked more like a servant quarters or a small residence.

“What a surprise that you aren’t dead somewhere,” a voice suddenly rang in your ears, far sounding. As the voice spoke, you noticed the Kumiho’s servants disappeared without a sound. They were no longer holding your hands, or anywhere in sight.

"You were crying, darling?" The voice spoke again. It seemed sweet, yet carried a hint of malicious amusement. "Is it because your clothes have been ruined? Fear not, I shall fix it soon enough, but it is nothing more than something to shield you." You tensed up at the sound, almost breaking your neck with how frantically you looked around for where it came from.

There was nothing more than trees and fog around you. But you didn't care about the clothes. Not at all. Although you cared who was speaking. Behind you, you felt arms circle your waist out of nowhere, and you were pulled back against someone's chest. 

When you tried to look behind, squirming in their embrace, a hand was placed on your neck, squeezing at your pulse lightly. A warning. They could snap or puncture your neck within a heartbeat, seemingly, and as you glanced down and noticed slim razor-sharp nails denting against the column of your throat. Not to mention the tips of their fingers were painted a dark maroon that trailed up their wrist. It looked awfully like stained blood.

You swallowed thickly, keeping your head forward. A light voice was heard then, all soft, undeniably sweet, and disgustingly carefree in terms of the moment at hand. "You're being obedient, and I like that. They spoke again, teasingly putting more pressure on your throat to the point you were scared their nails would puncture your skin. 

"I haven't got much time to play with you, sadly. Now, how about I take you somewhere better? I can't have my husband catching a cold. Humans are truly fragile beings." Now that the voice was closer it sounded smooth, slightly commanding, and you felt your cheeks warm up slightly from the alluring tone. In an instant, time seemed to slow and the world around them began to stretch vividly, almost warping, and you found yourself teleported to an empty room.

You fell to the floor once the warp was completed, feeling dizzy and unstable. You looked up, and staring at you was a figure wearing a fox mask that covered their whole face, and dressed in robes of black, gold, white, and red.  

The mask itself was white, and red marks and inscriptions sat below the eye of it, the eyes thin and slanted in a way that portrayed trickery, amusement, or a taunt-like manner. The muzzle of it protruded, and black-outlined lips curved upward into a sneering grin. 

Attached to the Kumiho’s dark hair was a pair of fox ears; white fox ears, and behind their back, nine white tails swished lazily. It definitely was a sight.

Your breath caught in your throat, and you backed up against the headboard behind you, lips parted slightly. 

The figure shook their head disapprovingly at your behavior, crossing their arms. "Why are you so scared, my love?" They asked, tilting their head.

When they took a step forward you grabbed the nearest pillow on the bed, holding it up in defense (even if you know it won’t do much). You didn’t respond, nor make any attempt to talk with how bad you were trembling, and because your voice could give you away. Yet, as soon as you realized this must be the “god,” and the thought of marriage came to your mind again, you released a pathetic noise, opening your mouth. “Please don’t kill me,” you spoke quietly, forcing an unnaturally deep voice that hurt your throat.

“Now why would I when you are my husband? Is that what you’re worried about?” You nodded rapidly, and they laughed. Their tails swished behind them out of pure excitement, almost like a dog wagging its tail. 

They brought their hands up, unclamping the mask and throwing it to the side. You watched it fall to the ground, and your eyes stayed there. Now you were even more scared, because what if their face was more frightening than their appearance? Nonetheless, as they took a step closer to the bed where you cowered, you glanced up at them— and it was a lot.

You were rendered speechless, unable to look away.

They weren’t ugly; they didn't have black, beady eyes. They didn’t have protruding cheekbones or major inhuman features. What they did have, however, was the normal appearance of a female human. Yet, at the same time it was something foreign to you, their beauty was out of this world.

She had dark brown eyes, almost black. Her hair was long and flowy, chestnut in color. Symmetrical beauty marks sat just next to the corners of both her eyes, and her facial structure was the perfect ratio, their skin smooth and honey-like. They had rosy, bow-shaped lips that stretched into a wide grin. If someone didn’t know better they’d call her an angel based on appearance alone.

It’s laughable, if those villagers must've been stupid to believe such, because standing here was nothing close to a deity— or angel for that matter. The only thing that relates is their powers, of course, but otherwise, they should be deemed as a demon; A Kumiho.

As you met their gaze, they smiled, their teeth displaying sharp canine fangs that made you visibly shiver. “It's a shame you think of me like that, because what you should be worried about instead is the condition of your body. “They’ve drugged you, haven’t they? I’m surprised you haven’t succumbed to the full effects yet,” she continued, nitpicking over you, and all the more so came closer till she was standing at the edge of the bed. 

Without warning, your ankle was grabbed and you were swiftly pulled towards the demon, her grip strong and unyielding. You tried to prevent it: burying your fingers into the bedsheets and clawing at them, but they were silk. Of course they were silk. The smooth fabric made it all the easier for the fox demon to slide you across the mattress because you couldn’t grip anything.

You found yourself face to face with the Kumiho. Another whimper left your lips, you were completely terrified. “Wait!” You gasped, dropping the imitated voice in the face of panic. “I was— just fine over there— please stop!” It began to sink in that you revealed your voice, and you froze.

The Kumiho faltered, raising their eyebrows at the change. She brought her hand up swiftly to lift up your veil, revealing your face that was so desperately covered. “Oh my,” she whispered, her voice containing more awe than shock. She was almost enamored, and you shrunk under her intense gaze. “Aren’t you just a pretty thing?” She said, taking in your features. You were mesmerizing, although you weren't the only thing that was. 

Your stomach dropped, and you had the urge, the sudden fight or flight instinct to run. Your hands twitched at your sides, and you were ready to shove— but you didn’t. The grip on your ankle was still there, warm and noticeable, and even if you worked your way out, how far would you even get? You could get lost, too.

Not to mention that the deity in front of you was someone all-powerful, with claws, sharp teeth, and most likely held powers other than teleportation that were unknown to you. Hence, there was no solution. You were really fucked.

Maybe this is truly where you die.

“I’m sorry for lying,” you blurted. “It was the village Lord— I really didn’t have a choice. I’m sorry, I’m really so sorry. I have two brothers to return to, and if I’m gone for too long or if you kill me they’ll get sold off or— who knows what,” you explained desperately. “I know I’m not a man, but please forgive me god—”

"Jisoo," The Kumiho interrupted.

"I’m sorry?"

"Call me Jisoo, if you say my name. Not god, that name is not what I am."

Yes, but what does that matter at the moment? You wondered. Is she taunting you? Making you say her name before you actually die?

"I—"

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes of course. I do. But…Jisoo, are you going to kill me now?"

"I already told you that I wouldn't." Jisoo reminds you, her eyes softening. "Do you wish for death that much, darling?"

You closed your mouth for a moment. You shook your head. “No I don’t,” you answered. “It’s just— I deceived you. Wouldn’t it be right for you to kill me?” You believe you should just shut your mouth, stop talking, but your mind is whirring and you're talking without any care. “You’re looking for a husband, a handsome man— and I’m not a man.”

"It doesn't matter what gender you are, nor how you look. You can still be my husband nonetheless. I rather like you, and I believe you're perfect for the role." Jisoo begged to differ. She reached out to caress your cheek, and you slapped her hand away.

"You know that's absurd." You scoffed, in disbelief.

The demon's fox ears flickered with irritation. "Is it really? Or is that just forbidden in your village?"

"It is," you answered quietly, "If you marry a woman you won't be able to be happy in any sort."

“Well, how do you know you can’t be happy with a woman? Have you ever done it with a woman?”

You bit your lip and looked to the side, eyes flickering everywhere except her. “Of course not,” you replied quietly. 

You had little knowledge on how it was done – as you've never done it before – and would rather keep it so. Being with a woman means you can’t have children; that you would be shunned; it’s considered taboo, and it’s just wrong.

Jisoo seemed to grin at that, much wider than before. She leaned in close, her hands moving up from your ankles before resting on your thighs firmly. “Shall I show you how it is, then, darling? Would you let me be the first to deflower you?”

Would you like to continue reading?

[hazbinned]

Important notes for my personal portrayal of Valentino - Background and Headcanons. Because this has been his story forever, and yet I just realized I had never compiled these in a post and that nobody knows any of this unless you read through all his threads in search of crumbs or have discussed it with me in IMs.

TW: Era-typical homophobia + abuse + Valentino topics. If you continue reading, you should know what to expect.

Valentino is of mostly Puerto Rican heritage and was born to immigrant parents in 1940, in the East Coast of the United States (Florida) as the second eldest of four boys (brothers being Pablo, Francisco, and Denzel). He grew up in a rough neighborhood, as his father was involved in some crime and petty gang activity that, for the most part, Valentino and his siblings were excluded from. Valentino spent most of his childhood and teen years left to his own devices, causing trouble with his brothers and friends for the fun of it. He was haughty, leaned toward being a bully, and never faced the consequences of his actions right from the start.

(His parents hardly paid attention to him, so he could do whatever he wanted— he did, however, learn some cooking from his mother, and some very basic firearm skills from his father.)

Valentino was always feminine in many ways, which his family mostly just commented on or tried to ignore, until he started getting older and it went from a 'quirk' to something they saw as a problem. In his early adulthood, he was caught with a man, and fallout ensued. Val ditched his family and then the state, and eventually, in the 1960s, wound up in LA, where he was almost immediately reeled in by a pimp (who was also his dealer/sugar daddy/eventual film director).

They had a genuine friendship for a handful of years, both of them being in it for the money and other benefits— Val wound up living in the guy's mansion and starred in adult films for him, and felt like a real celebrity. During this time, Val adopted his signature heart glasses into his look (though he mostly wore them as an accessory on top of his head), and was gifted two exotic birds by his pimp: a green rose-ringed parakeet and a red parrot, which he named Ferrari and Versace respectively. (He was extremely attached to both of the birds, and both of them outlived him.)

Good things never last forever, though, and Val's pimp started wanting him to film things that he was just not comfortable with— when Val voiced this (and the fact that he'd rather star in dominant roles), the friendly and mutually beneficial side of their relationship withered up and died, giving way to disrespect and physical abuse (often with the strike of a gun). Val was told he could leave anytime he wanted, but that his pimp wasn't going to help him— he'd essentially be broke and homeless. Feeling trapped, he opted to stay, and put up with a couple more years of that... until, finally, he knocked off his pimp and took control of the mansion and the entire operation.

It was during this that he started wearing his sunglasses over his eyes, and truly grew into the version of 'Valentino' that everyone knows. He became a pimp himself, and continued starring in films (of his own volition and creative direction) until he died at age 38 to a shot to the head.

Val, for the most part, landed on his feet in Hell and immediately just started doing what he was best at in life. He performed a lot more in the beginning, and his natural charisma (plus his new addictive pheromone) made it easy for him to start accumulating souls. Minus a few setbacks (such as his pheromone lending to some uncomfortable encounters here and there) he was on the easy road to success.

He and Vox met and the two of them immediately hit it off, and started supporting each other (financially and otherwise-- friends, to business partners, to unstable life partners, to lovers). The rest is history.

ADDITIONAL HEADCANONS.

Val does not perform much anymore. He still can, but he prefers just sitting around and making other people do things now. He hasn't appeared on stage in person for years, and hasn't starred in any published films for even longer. It has been since the early/mid 2000s, at least.

Val's eyes had started failing in the last few years of his life, and this carried over into his Hell-form. He finds it humiliating and refuses to get help.

Val has never faced lasting consequences for any of his actions, which is in part responsible for him being the way he is. He thinks he can get away with everything because he can get away with everything.

Val's communication style is extremely physical. Even when he's not trying to be controlling, he kind of still is if he's manhandling someone.

He's very paranoid about a second, more permanent death (or even a fall from grace), as he loves his life in Hell and does not want to lose it. He's scared that Angel will continue the cycle he started and kill him, or that he will somehow wind up with the tables turned and find himself in Angel's shoes. He will do anything to keep this from happening.

Sometimes, when he gets really worked up or emotional or high, he unintentionally lets out a more vulnerable side of himself-- closer to how he was during life. He hates that, it gives him the ick... especially when Angel is privy. (This is NOT the same playful attitude he sports around Vox and Velvette and other people he likes. It's very similar, but it's different. He doesn't mind as much when Vox or Velvette are witness to it.)

Val was never innocent, kind, or a 'good person,' although he can seem this way to those he is manipulating, as well as to his loved ones (as he is generally fun to be around if he likes you. Bad people typically aren't bad to everyone, and Valentino has his own circle of people he likes and respects-- namely Vox and Velvette.) His arc was not one of a good person becoming a villain. He was always villain-adjacent, he simply went from 'toxic' to 'awful.'

Valentino stood at an extremely tall 6'7" during life.

The last one is suggestive ala the read-more:

Val is a dom. He just really doesn't enjoy not being so, although there are some exceptions where he is genuinely chill with switching it up, like if he's in a certain mood or if it's a special occasion and Vox really wants that, or if his partner is someone he views as more powerful and cooler than him (ala 'celebrity crush' like Asmodeus-- not just anyone with power). He can kinda get into it then, but he has to LOVE you, respect you, trust you, AND find you attractive. Generally, though, he doesn't like relinquishing control ever and his partner would have to be someone who is okay with that. A teeny tiny bit of this is a trauma response but it's primarily just who he is.

[disneyanddisneyships]

@gyubby99 The Prophecy of Imortal Fire: 3

Warnings: a bit of blood and gore mention

.......

"So.. where exactly are we going?" Ella asked as she looked around, her shoes clicking on the floor. "To try to find my dad... usually he's yelling at servants and stuff..... it's wierd... I dont feel his presence," Loreley explained. "His presence?" Mia asked. Loreley nodded her head. "When a god or goddess have kids, the children get some fragments of their parents powers while still having their own. Thus creates a type of... pull..? I guess is what'd you'd call it. Basically it feels like being tugged by a rope. But I don't feel it down here," loreley replied as she lead the way. Ella stopped walking, looking around. "Do you hear that?" She asked. Everyone stopped, turning to look at her. Carol looked around before spotting tracks on the floor. "Dog prints," she stated. "Cerberus," Loreley replied. "He won't hurt us. He's basically a puppy.... a giant, 3-headed puppy," Loreley joked. As the group continued to walk, the light at the end of the tunnel shone through the darkness. The road ended, and just below, the river Styx flowed. "What the...." Loreley muttered as she knelt down, examining the river. "What is it?" Clarissa asked. "Theres no souls in here. Like... at all.... it's empty...." Loreley replied as she stood tall once again. "That can only happen if a spell is performed. But my father would never have let that happen.... unless it was a soul who was working right underneath his nose. And even then, there has only ever been a handful of souls with that power, and they were mostly good beings," Loreley explained. Carol raised an eyebrow. "I taught John how to practice magic when we were younger.... but he called it nonsense and hit me. Not nonsense anymore apparently," Carol muttered. "How abusive WAS he?" Ella asked. "To me? Pretty bad... but to Alistar?...... I try not to think about it," Carol replied. Ella looked away, her eyebrows furrowed. "So how exactly do we undo this? Put everyone back?" Alruna asked. Carol and Clarissa looked down in shame. "Back?" Mia asked. "Well... yeah I mean.... having the dead walk around as if they never left... that's gonna cause problems..... They're dead. They aren't supposed to be here anymore," Alruna replied. "But-" "Mia... darling... she's right. We don't belong up here. It's not natural," Clarissa spoke, placing a hand on Mia's shoulder. "But... we... we JUST got you back," Mia argued. "Yes. But you Also gained my son.. and my husband," Carol replied. "So. How do we fix it?" Eli asked. Loreley shrugged. "I've never had to worry about it..... my father told me that if we kill the spell caster, it could work. But he put loads of emphasis on the word 'could'" Loreley explained. "And we don't even know if it was Alistar's dad or not. We haven't confirmed anything," she finished. "Then what do we do?" Alruna asked. "..... we kill king John and hope and pray that he was the one who cast the spell," Loreley replied. The group stood in silence before Lireley transferred them back to the mortal realm. "Come on. We have another war to win," Ella stated. ..........

Alistar hissed in pain as the guards threw him into the cell, his hand cracking unnaturally as he landed on it. Ah yes. His cell. After the guards left, alistar scanned the wall for the opening that he had used to escape more than once. His hand burned. But he would worry about it later. He needed to warn people. Finally breaking through the wall, alistar made a run for it, taking a horse and riding away as fast as possible. He let out a shaky breath as Ella's kingdom became visible.... She would kick him out.. immediately. But he had to try. It was one thing when it was him she was going up against. But his father? His father scared him. A lot. And there she was. A crown on her head adorned with Amethysts, her purple dress blowing as her friends walked behind her. He took a breath. "Ella!" He yelled. She turned to him, her eyes widening with so many emotions he could barely even make out what she was thinking. Elias' eyes flashed pure anger and hatred as he stood in front of his wife. Alistar got off his horse. "L-listen I know I'm an asshole and an enemy to you right now but my father... hes-" "Alistar?" Carolyn's voice gasped. Alistar snapped his head away from ella and Eli, seeing his mom for the first time in the past 30 years. "M-mom?" He asked, tears in his eyes. Carol made her way quickly to alistar, not noticing the flinch he made with the sudden movement before she hugged him tightly. His face morphed into shame as he cried, not hugging her back. She pulled away from him, noticing the scratches and bruises on his face, as well as his broken arm. "Oh my god...... he did this to you?" Carol asked. "It's not the worst he's done......" Alistar muttered, holding his broken arm to his chest. "Okay this is a wonderful reunion between the guy who tried to kill us 10 years ago and his mom. But I wanna know why the fuck he's here," Alruna deadpanned. "R-right.. well i-" "He can tell us after his arm is fixed up," Ella spoke out, her eyes not wavering from him once, her expression unreadable. Alistar looked at her before looking at the ground in shame. ....... The group stood in Eve's shop. Ella's kids had been passed over to Clarissa in another room as eve worked on Alistar's arm. "So what's going on?" Mia asked. "..... my father is planning on taking over the island.. all of it. Including Morellia...." Alistar stated. "So basically what you did?" Elias asked, harshly. "I didn't want to take over morellia. I just-" "Then what DID you want?" Eli asked with a sneer on his face. Alistar stayed quiet. "I..... I know what I wanted.... but I didn't..... make the choices that made sense to get it..... and I did horrible things to people who didn't deserve it.... and I realize that, and after this you can do whatever the hell You want with me. But my father is worse. And he won't stop from a stab wound. Believe me," Alistar muttered. "Why should we?" Elias asked. "Because I have no reason to lie.... i.... I dont have the energy to lie...." Alistar replied. "Do you have the energy for me to punch you? Because I've been fantasizing about that all day," Elias hissed as he walked up to Alistar sharply. "Elias," Ella scolded from her place I the corner of the room. Elias backed off, stepping away as Ella walked slowly toward Alistar, lifting his head up gently to look at her in the eye. She examined his face. His eye was bruised, almost black. His lip was split and bleeding, and his nose looked broken. Ella sighed removing her hands from his face. "I believe him," she stated.

[katnaxel]

Hey so idk ur ocs so just go off about your fave. Talk about em. Gas em up. Talk about them like a parent talks about their child. Embarass them!

I can't pick my favorite because I love them all, but I will talk about Vasyrrin as he's recently finished his campaign!

Vas is the second son of a lesser family to the lesser court of his drow home in our homebrew campaign. His home life was quiet in the sense that any sudden movement might cause an eruption of conflict, but he had no qualms keeping his head down alongside his older brother and just doing what needed to be done within the family mines. Unfortunately for him, his mother had plans of grandeur for both of her sons, and the two were quickly sent to be soldiers due to their large builds. Vas' brother, Vynlar, fell upward and became a crowd favorite in the Pit (or a gladiatorial arena) and was later dubbed Champion of their court. This put a lot of pressure on Vas to preform just as well, if not better. Unfortunately for him, he was never as good as his brother, and this lead him down a road of grueling punishments, isolation, and constant fights in the Pits. He became a brute, armed with a hammer rather than a sword, and grew cold and calloused to those around him.

Fortunately, he found himself on the surface after a mission gone wrong, after he was sent to exterminate an escaped enemy during a clash of the Courts. He and a drow named Valjasna (played by @anna-yells-stuff) were now free of the madness of their home. They were quickly scooped up by slavers, and sold off as exotic goods. A long boat ride later and they found themselves as farmhands in the human nation. This is where the campaign began - they were randomly selected and voluntold to go deal with The Corruption, a 30yr blight that was slowly swallowing the land. He would do what he was told, as that's all he's ever done, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

The early days were rough. Vas was explosive, determined to be respected as a person, not a lesser being. He also hated mages, and the fact that our assigned leader was a High Elf Wizard only created more tension. But, over time, the gang realized that Vas' real problem wasn't the need to feel powerful, but it was the fear of being disposable. The party assured him he wasn't something to be beaten and thrown away if he failed, but that they also needed him to protect them instead of turn on them whenever he was scared. And slowly, over time, he got better. Underneath all that snarling violence was a pretty chill dude that just wanted some peace and quiet as he tried to unlearn years of toxic behavior.

However, that all changed when Vas, and the party, learned about the secret weapon his mother had turned him into. The BBEG arrived, and said "Looking Glass." Vasyrrin was now mind controlled, and a puppet of the enemy for the months that followed (as IRL I had to move across the country tehe)

He was put on the throne of the very kingdom he was once a slave in, a pawn in the game of Arch Mages and Royalty looking to establish their view on world order with the Corruption looming overhead. His party was captured and prisoned, but eventually broke out and managed to help Vas break free of his spell. One crazy fight with a mad mage later, and the party escaped the castle.

At this point though, the party was at a breakneck speed to end the Corruption, and Vas was left with a paranoia of questioning which reality he was in at any given time. The party ranger, Briar (played by @shahenor ) took the time to check on Vas, and the two grew very very close at the end days neared.

And we did it! We fought the Corruption, The Undead Dragon, and the BBEG - which turned out to be the Human King Augustus himself, who was feeding an endless supply of adventurers to the Corruption in the name of immortality. We even met the God of Gods, and made a wish to cleanse the world. The Corruption was gone, and Vas was officially free of his bond with the party, some of which he never really liked. With it confirmed that their mission was complete, he simply turned and walked off. No longer would he be a pawn in someone else's schemes, he was to live his own life by his own rules and finally be left alone. ...Well, alone after one last night with Briar of course...

And that's it! That's the story of Vasyrrin Khalazza!

[astralarias]

please talk about your characters! i don't mind who i just wanna hear you ramble about your toons <3

Aaa thank you!! 🥺

Since I just posted a gifset of her, I'll talk a little about Aikarico, my beloved warcat, and her backstory <3

She came remarkably close to having a completely different life! Her parents were critical of the Legions as a whole and had plans to leave after the birth of their cub, as fleeing & traveling would be too strenuous on Electra (Aika's mother) during her pregnancy. Their goal was to reach Lion's Arch and settle down as a family.

However, mere weeks before Aikarico was born, her father, Theo, was killed on patrol by a Flame Legion ambush. Electra was heartbroken, and after Aikarico was born she didn't have the strength to flee the Legions alone - only to give Aikarico as much love as she could in the time they had. Being an only child, Aikarico was incredibly clingy and a very shy, sweet cub who rarely left her mother's side.

When it came time for her to join the Fahrah, she didn't cope well. Ripped from her mother's warm embrace into a world of survival of the fittest, she struggled - bullied endlessly by her peers for her softness. Until she wasn't. Until she forced herself to get tough, against her every instinct. She fought back with fang and claw, so no-one would ever hurt her again.

Her mother had promised she'd visit. She never did. Aikarico grew up believing she had been abandoned without reason by the only person who had loved her for her, not knowing the truth - Electra had died shortly after Aikarico left her side, falling ill and not having the strength to recover.

By the time she reached adulthood, Aikarico had become an arrogant, defiant problem for her warband and superiors, and had no intention of changing. It was a mask, but one she could no longer tell where it ended and she began any more. She had stopped trying to take it off long ago.

However, her higher-ups weren't about to let such subordination slide for much longer, especially after her stunts to prove herself as bigger, better, stronger, resulted in casualties in the field more than once. She always knew better, and nothing was ever her fault. It couldn't be - she was flawless, because if she wasn't, she was nothing.

After a string of complaints from her warbandmates, Aikarico was made a gladium. As the verdict was dealt, though, she stood tall and announced she was leaving, anyway, so there - you can't fire me, I quit! Denounced as a traitor and disappointment, she fled the Legions - just as her parents had meant to do all those years ago, albeit with a twist.

From there, she wandered Tyria, taking up jobs for bandits and thieves - anyone who would pay, at first - but eventually building up a reputation as a skilled assassin. She hung around human lands for a while - the least charr place she could think of, although she still held herself as charr in far-too-high regard. Among certain shady circles, she gained notoriety. If you wanted someone dead, she was the cat for the job. She was never happy, but she was feared and respected, and that was enough for a time.

Eventually she grew bored and set on the road again, winding up in the Desolation after a few years. Here, she worked with the Order of Shadows alongside her regular assassination jobs - she never became an official member, but she was known throughout the ranks as "that arrogant charr who thinks too much of herself".

During the events of Path of Fire, she was given a mark that would change her life once again; the Commander. She never did find out who put her on the job - it was all very secretive - but it payed well, and she knew to kill him would bolster her legend beyond all belief and hope. She took it without a second thought.

She followed Atlaki for days. Watched his every move, as he stopped amid the carnage to...help people? Didn't he have a god to catch? Why would he stop and show such...weakness?

She was horribly intrigued. And besides, maybe she was a little bored of the desert too, now. The Desolation was all moody skies and sulfur. Even killing here was getting dull.

So, finally, she engaged her target. But instead of shooting him from some perch, she appeared to his face and demanded he fight her. She was somewhat hurt when he appeared more tired than anything, but he agreed - and promptly kicked her ass. Okay, now she was impressed...although, of course, her losing was totally all part of her plan.

She introduced herself, told him she was meant to kill him but kind of didn't want to do that anymore, and she'd be helping him out from now on. A paw was offered to shake, and Atlaki - deciding this odd charr wasn't the worst or strangest thing to fall from the sky in recent times - took it.

Thus began Aikarico's looong, winding path to becoming a better, and certainly more tolerable person - someone her parents would be beyond proud to see flourish, with Atlaki's influence. She remains proud, arrogant, even but it's genuine now and not so much of a mask. She's charismatic, brash, and herself. She has the family she always needed, in Atlaki, and Cassien, and Aurene.

[turtlesandfrogs]

The more I read, the more fucked it is:

Some highlights: "Problem-plagued delivery systems have meant that entire neighborhoods like Ms. Quilatan’s along the Texas border have gone without water for hours or even days during the brutal heat that has gripped much of the Southwest this summer." "For families like the Quilatans who live in colonias, the impoverished settlements outside established cities that have always existed somewhat apart from the rest of Texas, just the ability to cool off has become a painful reminder of the social divide prevalent in border communities."

"In some parts of the state, the prolonged heat wave has led to a spike in heat-related fatalities and emergency room visits.

The disparity is more visible in the colonias, mostly unincorporated neighborhoods that often lack such basic services as running water, sewer systems, paved roads and streetlights."

"The excessive heat this summer has been deadly in Texas. The state has recorded at least 36 heat-related deaths so far this year, but officials warned that the figure was likely to rise, as it could take weeks to release a cause of death. In the border city of Laredo, 10 people died from heat-related problems between June 15 and July 3."

"The colonias — the word is Spanish for rural neighborhoods — have existed since the 1950s, when developers created unincorporated subdivisions with little to no infrastructure. Low-cost houses and plots of land there were sold to low-income, mostly Latino buyers, many of them recent immigrants. Today, an estimated 840,000 people live in colonias, in housing ranging from modern-looking suburban houses to partially built shacks."

"Some of the houses near her lack a roof or walls. Water pressure has always been spotty, she said, but the problems became more acute with the arrival of summer this year.

The water went out in mid-June and did not return until mid-July, she said. She quickly rallied her neighbors to pack meetings with the water district, Agua Special Utility District, to complain about the lack of water, to no avail. They were not given answers, she said. When the water did come back on, residents were advised to boil it before using it. “You could not trust the water when we needed it the most, if we had it at all,” she said."

"You drive around the block, and you see the carwashes using all of this water, but there is no water for a mother and her two children?” he said. “How is that possible? It’s like the colonias are part of a different country.”"

"Low water pressure and boil notices are common problems in her colonia, too. “I’m afraid to take a shower or even splash water on my face,” she said. “We were told not to let water get into our eyes.”

[themattress]

The story of Xehanort in the Kingdom Hearts series.

Convoluted and stupidly written, but honestly not that terrible when taken on its own.

....But it's not on its own, is it?

Let's go red line by red line, shall we?

1 - From Xehanort's Report in BBS: Upon reflection, my life underwent the most considerable sea-change when I arrived at that place. Yes, it began when I found a Master, and another I would later call my brother—when I found a new home. And then later, to dispel any notion that he is talking about Scala ad Caelum, this is what he writes when mentioning bringing Ventus to the Land of Departure: I had not visited this second home of mine for some time, and discovered Eraqus had already found two pupils of his own. BBS established that the Land of Departure, not Scala ad Caelum, is where he received his training and met Eraqus.

2 - Let's look at Xehanort's Report again: I believe a balance of light and darkness is what sustains our World, but too much of the darkness has been stamped out, disrupting that balance. Someone must tear down this tyranny of light and reorganize the World around the darkness which then creeps back in. That's literally the opposite of saying an endless pollution of darkness is a problem. It's saying that an endless flow of darkness is good!

3 - First off, it's never explained how in blazes Young Xehanort can extract hearts when he's just a disembodied heart himself. More importantly, note that Xemnas, Xigbar, Saix, Luxord, Marluxia and Larxene are on that list, plus as we later learn Vexen and Demyx were brought in as reserves. If Nomura hadn't decided to pander and bring Xion back, Xaldin would have been there too! And yet in DDD, Xemnas says "most of the original members we had chosen for the Organization were inadequate" for the "true" Organization XIII!

4 - Why is Master Xehanort the one recompleted when it was Terra-Xehanort who actually split into a Heartless and a Nobody? Master Xehanort's original body was not in any way a part of Xemnas, so why does he get it back after Xemnas' death?

5 - How and why is the Master of Masters even here? Why does he need to give Xehanort his black coat when he should have already gotten it for his time traveling venture earlier? Why does Xehanort need to tour the worlds and come to this conclusion when he basically already did in Dark Road? How many excuses to become evil does this asshole need?

6 - See Point 1 again.

7 - What Xehanort spoke and wrote about, and was even shown attempting to do in BBS, was to forge the X-Blade to destroy the worlds' barriers and start another Keyblade War among the masses of the universe so that the darkness in their hearts engulfs the universe and then from there he can create a new one. So why, by KH3, is his plan suddenly to have a small-scale Keyblade War to forge the X-Blade and then just use the X-Blade's power to engulf the universe in darkness all by himself?

8 - Except that it's later said that Vanitas did NOT actually come from the darkness of Ven's heart and was a dark entity hiding inside his heart. Dark Road then shows that Xehanort became aware of this fact! So why even still call him Vanitas, and why do Xehanort and Vanitas himself still act as though he's a part of Ven?

9 - Calling himself Ansem might have made sense had he never recovered his original memories and went back to pursuing his original goal. But as this then goes on to say, he did! So why even pretend to be Ansem at all? What does he gain by that?

10 - So then why did he specifically write in a report that he was discarding his body in order to communicate with the Heartless and fully utilize the powers of darkness? Why did he say he'd "come to see the door" to Destiny Islands' heart if he was actually just on Destiny Islands the whole time? Why did he have such a dismissive attitude toward Sora as though he were insignificant if he knew he was important enough to mark with a Recusant's Sigil? And if his goal was the Seven Princesses themselves, why did he tell Kairi "The Keyhole is now complete. You have served your purpose, but now it's over"? And yeah, why enter the Final Keyhole at all? Again, whatever he did as Ansem's apprentice shouldn't really matter anymore if he fully remembers that he's Master Xehanort!

11 - For that matter, how did he not know that Kingdom Hearts was light!? It being light is a fundamental part of both the Keyblade War legend and Master Xehanort's grand objective!

12 - All right, let's go back to Xehanort's report in BBS: It is only forged when two hearts of equal power intersect—one heart of pure darkness, one heart of pure light. Why write this as an absolute fact if it's not, in fact, the proper way to forge the X-Blade and you're supposed to have 7 hearts of light and 13 hearts of darkness?

13 - Xemnas himself writes in a secret report in Days: We embarked upon the Replica Program to ensure our new power stays ours. So the Replica Program was only started after Roxas was found as a means to copy the power of the Keyblade, not to have extra vessels for Xehanort. There is no reason for Xemnas to lie about that in his own private writing.

14 - See Point 10 again.

15 - See Point 4 again.

16 - See Point 7 again.

17 - So after all of this, depicting a villain so omnipotent that he transcended space and time, built flawless contingencies for failure, predicted his enemies' every move, amassed a veritable army of dark pawns and followers including multiple versions of himself, and was perceptive enough to notice things like Vanitas not being what he presented himself to be....you're really saying someone like that never noticed that Xigbar was playing an angle far beyond just obtaining his Keyblade? Or that the weird guy he met that one time as a teenager might be more than he let on and manipulating him for something that differed from his own objectives? Or, heck, that such a person who went through such lengths would just easily give up because the best friend he murdered and thought nothing of it told him to!?

Worst-written video game villain EVER. It's hilarious that this series' blind stans will say "oh, the story isn't really that confusing, you just need to really pay attention to all the games" when this one character proves that paying attention to all the games is part of what makes the story so confusing due to all the damn contradictions, inconsistencies and retcons!

[cluelessbird]

Barbie (2023) Plot Theory

Ok so the second trailer has come out for a couple of hours now. It still does not explicitly tell us the plot for the upcoming Barbie movie, but I have a theory about what it might be about:

So, when I was watching the movie, I got these weird "The Spongebob Squarepants movie (2004)" vibes, weird, I know. At first, I just thought it was because both had this self-aware humour but then I rewatched the trailer and it all made sense

(And no, this is not a Boss Baby tweet situation, I swear I have seen at least 2 more movies than Spongebob)

My theory starts here, where you can see a sign that says "Real World. This Way" Barbie and Ken are driving a car that seems to go towards the real world.

This is semi-confirmed by the official promo account for Barbie The Movie making a difference between Barbies and Kens and Humans. This means that Barbie's path crosses with humans, and it might not be too crazy to assume that through the "Real World" road.

This would contextualize the video of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling filming Barbie that became viral last year:

Here, all of the extras are wearing "real world" clothes, there is no color coordination or colorful outfits, and they stare at Barbie and Ken as if they'd seen an alien.

So by now, we have established that they go to the real world. The next question would be: why would Barbie go to the real world? Well, I did not need to look that far for that answer, because the new trailer's description gives us the answer:

"To live in a Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken."

So maybe the Barbie world with its colourful and gleeful cheer, and idyllic views becomes too stale for Barbie. Or maybe she has an identity crisis; as we see in the promos, all of the Barbies have a description: "This Barbie is a doctor", "This Barbie has a Pulitzer" What if Barbie wants to know who she is besides "just" Barbie?

OK OK but what about the Spongebob movie thing? I hear you say.

Well rewatching the second trailer for Barbie, it suddenly clicked. This movie, just like Spongebob, features two endearingly naive and charismatic characters going for a "big boy" adventure, where they go to the outside world, facing real-world problems and trying to overcome them to the best of their abilities.

Or maybe I just associated them because both of them have iconic cars idk

So in conclusion, Barbie the Movie will be a self-aware comedy about Barbie and Ken going to the real world, having comedy but also heartfelt moments between Barbie and the humans as they learn from each other and form a friendship for life.

But hey that's just a theory....a (MatPat if you're reading this please hire me) Barbie Theoryyyyyyy

Only one thing I am sure of, I smell a banger folks.

It's Barbin' Time!

[gryficowa]

I love the argument of idiots "Poland is the safest", yes, only for the privileged, nationalists can beat you up for being gay or not white, so shove this statement up your ass, I don't feel safe in a country where minorities are attacked and people border guards are beaten by border guards

I don't give a damn about European statistics because they think about the safety of the majority, not the minority, I won't feel safe when others are hurt

It's like saying that Israel is a safe country, even though it bombs children and other Jews, it doesn't have any fucking connection

Do you know why according to statistics it is safe? Because they don't fucking take into account the indigenous inhabitants of this country, therefore, nationalists on independence marches are not marked as a danger, and they are as dangerous as hooligans and idiots

These people pose the biggest threat here, and then they say bullshit that they don't want immigrants because they are supposedly a "threat" (Yes, because these immigrants want to see your disgusting face)

This country is full of racism, xenophobia, queerphobia, etc… so where the fuck is it safe?

The only place is Kashubia, but Polish nationalists are slowly coming here, and they pose a threat to Muslims, LGBT+ people, Jews, etc.

Kashubia is one of the few remnants of the real Poland, i.e. diversity (Because larger cities are pathological, apart from Gdańsk, although this city is Tokyo 2.0, to be honest… Yes, it's about pace), because that's what Poland was, diverse, unfortunately, nationalists and nationalists want a shell of this country, without minorities, etc.

Unfortunately, cities like Warsaw or Łódź are not very safe for minorities, because there are most of such crazy people, so if you want to live in Poland (Which I doubt, because it is a place full of not very intelligent people who consider themselves intelligent, and the roads are more full of holes from Spongebob) then I would advise you to avoid larger cities, because they are full of degenerates who will attack you for any piece of shit

So yes, it's a lie that Poland is safe, there are safer areas, but there is still a chance of a guy with a Polish flag coming after you

I'm not afraid of immigrants, I'm afraid of Poles…

Besides, the very fact that Poles don't talk about Palestine, and when you think you find such people, suddenly they turn out to be conservatives, and their main reason for hating Israel is not that it murders Palestinians, but that they are Jews, well and they support Braun's behavior (the guy who used a fire extinguisher to put out the Hanukkah candles)

Leftism is almost dead here too, so if you're a leftist, they treat you like shit, especially when you point out the language they use (Racist terms, etc…) or call you "Julka from Twitter" (It's an insult for context)

How do you support LGBT+ rights and respond to racism? You unglued piece of trash!

And I had a Twitter account for a year, because Twitter suspended it, so I wasn't there for a long time

The plus is that I gradually became a leftist, the minus is that I discovered how many shitty people live in this country

Laughing at people on the Polish-Belarusian border, queerphobia and all that other shit, seriously, Poles are bastards...

And now in Polish shorts on YouTube I see xneophobia directed at Ukrainians, or diarrhea when someone talks about the problems in this country and they shit themselves and start insulting that person

Or the classic "Get the fuck out of this country if you don't like it", yes, that was written to me too, I'm Kashubian…

I live in my own land and they say I should get the fuck out because I criticize their behavior and the way the country treats minorities -_-

If you are a minority in this country, you have no right to talk about what is wrong in Poland, because it is too inconvenient for a right-wing country

So seriously, don't give a damn about the argument that Poland is safe

[thunderboltfire]

"My father is a good, honorable man. You could ask anyone and they'd tell you as much. But even he does have his weaknesses."

Igna has a pretty extraordinary pair of parents. Her mother, Mila, is the youngest of the long line of Border Keepers, people who have magical sense attuned to recognising dimensional anomalies and abnormalities in background magic. Her father is Eberre 'The Rook' Sharille, a Wanderer knight of immense experience and wide renown.

Eberre is known as a talented negotiatior and mediator, who assisted in resolving many crisises over the years, usually by means of diplomacy, but if the need arose, also as an appointed representative in trials by combat. He's fairly good at gathering information and coming out of dangerous endeavors unscathed or only lightly injured. That's why he often works alone, and and has often been sent on missions of sensitive nature. Not many things throws Eberre off balance, and despite his long service record, he still manages to keep a noticeably bright attitude, which makes it so that when he actually decides to fight, his steel resolve seems to come from nowhere.

Mila knows much more than she lets on. She is a Border Keeper, and she spent many years patrolling the magically instable wilderness around Iseni. Her line of work demands more perceptiveness and intuition than brute force, but in a rare situation when some kind of magic-borne beast needs to be put down, she's a fairly skilled trapper. She's dilligent, hard-working, stubborn and rather direct.

Around twenty years ago, Eberre found his way to Iseni, a small human settlement that lays extremely close to an area where magic is permanently unstable and the borders between worlds often wear thin. He came to investigate the reports on the inceeasing corrupted creatures activity. To figure out the source of the problem, he had to cooperate with the local Border Keepers, out of whom the most active in the field was Mila. Unexpectedly their cooperation became a little too close and three quarters later, Igna arrived into the world.

While Eberre got to know about Mila's pregnancy by letter, he was far from avoiding responsibility - altough at this point the only thing that came to his mind which could somehow ease the discomfort of Mila's situation was to propose. Igna narrowly avoided being born out of wedlock - but people can count, so it was pretty obvious that she wasn't a planned child. Together with her half-elvish traits, this made her an easy target of hurtful comments.

The arrangement had obvious downsides: neither Mila nor Eberre were not prepared for it to be a long-term relationship, and logistically it also wasn't too good. Perhaps it was for the better that Mila has always been a fiercely independent personality, and so she's quickly come to terms with the fact that for the most time of the year, her husband was absent. He could spend time in Iseni in winter, helping however he could, but in the spring he had to be back on the road. Wanderers also as a rule are poor like a church mouse. They usually get paid by the komturia they belong to, but not much more than it takes to maintain their equipment and steed. They don't have their own land, either. Thus, Igna technically has a noble title, but the reputation and legal status are its only merits.

Despite these shortcomings, Eberre knew how to make himself useful - Wanderers have a right to hunt like the nobles do, so in the winter months he was able to help his family in this way. The Border Keepers' position is complicated - they are free people, not peasants, but their exact function is kept secret from many. They mostly have to sustain themselves out of the area they are designated to protect.

Mila lived with her mother, Brasława, who was very dissatisfied with her daughter getting close with this particular kind of bachelor. Even more so with Mila's decision to bound herself to him permanently instead of just leaving this part of her life behind. Mila didn't want to live with a stigma of being a single mother and for her child to be an ordinary bastard, Bracława thought that she was capable enough to find a better suitor who'd keep a lower profile and be a more present partner. She also probably hoped that Mila would eventually have some human children, that wouldn't face as much of a prejudice as her first daughter (not that she wasn't a part of the problem). It was the recurring topic of arguments in the house, but Mila wouldn't budge. Growing up, thanks to some overheard words Igna was pretty aware that her grandmother doesn't really like her. She viewed her as a living reminder of her daughter's mistakes and a dead end of Mila's line. It's hard to say to what extent it influenced Igna's decision to become a Wanderer, but it probably was one of the reasons.

Mila and Eberre grew apart throughout the years. They were still pretty friendly towards each other, but the time they've been spending away from each other was too much to really rekindle their relationship. They didn't have any more children, but they both loved their daughter above all. They also both taught her a share of their own skills. Igna's magical sense was different than her mother's (a trait her grandmother attributed to Igna's mixed heritage), but at this point she still seemed to be a Keeper material - it would take years until it'd turn out that the difference was due to her being a Spellbreaker. Under Mila's wing she's got to learn the basic etiquette when dealing with the elder beings, how to recognise shifts in magical background and above all, to not trust anything magical she doesn't understand. Eberre taught his daughter horse riding, dressing game animals, the basics of fencing, and brought her along to a few journeys, to show her how the Wanderers operate.

Both Mila and Eberre were a little sceptical when Igna chose to follow in her father's footsteps. Mila didn't want her to live far from home, but knowing that in secluded Iseni she would always be considered alien, she reluctantly agreed. Eberre on the other hand was fully aware of the dangers inherent to being a Wanderer, but he respected his daughter choice and equipped her for her future the best he could.

After all, if she really took after her parents, she might've been tough enough to handle it.

[tapperhet-em]

1

Meeri's father had been King since before she was born. Now her Uncle had employed a traitor within the castle to overthrow him. Believing for some reason it was her, her family abandoned her to be executed for treason by her uncle. One knight, Eniar, comes to her rescue....

“Meeri!” Einar called as he saw standing in the middle of the road, soaked to the skin in her cape and dress, unmoving and seeming in a daze.  What the fuck was she doing out there?  Where were her parents and siblings?  When she turned to face him, he pulled his horse to a stop next to her and dismounted in an instant to pull her in close in a tight embrace.  Everything about her screamed devastation at him in the loudest sense, which made sense with what had happened with her uncle, but did not answer why she was alone when it was not safe for her to be.  “Meeri, what the fuck is going on?  Where is everyone?!  Why are you alone?  Fuck, sweetheart you're trembling.  It is not safe for you out here.”  He held her closer, draping his own cape over her to keep more of the rain off of her as he waited for some kind of answer.

“They..they left me.” She sobbed against the knight's shoulder.  Now he would too, now he knew and would abandon her like her family had.  She would have no one.  It would be no time before her uncle's men found her. “Father said it had to be me who helped uncle. That I was the traitor.  I wanted him dead.. I’m the oldest, so I’m the only one who could have conspired with uncle.”  Her whole body shook as she clung to him and sobbed, praying he wouldn’t pull away and leave her.  She had always thought him a friend, feeling more but of course it would never be reciprocated.

Einar was at a complete loss for words.  Even though her words were stilted and somewhat disjointed, he understood it all. This had to be some mistake.  There was no way that they would have just left her, was there?  “Okay.  It’ll be okay, Meeri.  Let’s get you out of this rain first, then we can figure out what is really going on.  Okay?  I'll take care of you.”  He felt her nod as he held her tighter.  Fucking hell!  He had no problem making sure she was okay, but he could not fathom how her family just abandoned her.  There was a death sentence on them to be executed in less than an hour if any of them were found. 

“I’m going to put you up on Khaos sidesaddle, then I’m going to get up so we can get back and you up into my room at the garrison.  They haven’t dismissed us yet, so I can at least get you some dry sweats and sneak you out after midnight.” He pushed her back from him so he could look her in the eyes and make sure she was actually hearing him.  The whole coup from the Duke had been a surprise and happened so fast there had been no fighting. Now many in the castle did not know what they would do or where they would go.  His family was landed gentry with multiple estates.  He would take over as Lord Baron of one, and he’d just take Meeri with him.  They’d figure it out from there. 

Meeri had ridden with Einar before this way, so she knew how to position herself atop the horse once he'd placed her up there, to make it easier for him.   Once he joined her, they headed to the garrison at top speed.  Her uncle had only given her family a one hour lead before ordering that if they were found, they were to be beheaded.  They had to get her hidden quickly.  

As they rode, Meeri leaned against her knight that she’d always considered a friend, her arms encircling him.  She still wasn't quite sure why he was helping her at such a great risk.  By protecting her, he was signing his own death sentence. While they had always been friendly, maybe even friends in his mind like as in hers, as soon as her father was deposed, his duty to her ended and she became enemy of the crown and so him as well.  She could only hope that he was not betraying her into her uncle's hands.

Once they arrived at the garrison, he rode around to the back.  There were fewer eyes there to see him secret her into the building and up onto the floor his rooms were on.  “Come on, follow me.  Once I’ve got you in my rooms, I want you to hide in the bedroom while I get Tieran, Lorcan, and Elio.” Einar told her as he helped her off of Khaos.  He knew his three best friend would help without question.  For one, they all hated the new King.  For another, they all adored Princess Meeri.  And third, they were loyal to one another like brothers. Taking her hand in his, lacing their fingers, he led her through back hallways and stairwells up to the floor where his suite was.  Thankfully they didn’t run into anyone.  With all the commotion of the coup of the Duke over the King, many of the legion had fled, or were out on patrol.  It helped their situation, something that Einar was thankful for.  “Stay here, do not answer if anyone knocks, and don’t worry.  Meeri, it’s going to be okay.  We will take care of you.”  He looked down into her grey eyes, looking up at him filled with worry and fear.

“They will kill you all if they find out you are helping me.  Why are you doing this?” She searched his eyes, her brows drawing together in confusion.  His duty to her father was done.  Was there more to it?  Had the friendship she’d felt towards him been reciprocated? His eyes softened around the edges as his dark eyes imported her to see him the way he saw her, but maybe she never would.  Maybe she didn’t understand or never had. “Do you really not know, Meeri?” Einar asked, cupping her cheek with one hand as he drew in closer to her.  The large room seeming to close in around them as the space between evaporated with his movements.  “I would kill for you, die for you, keep you safe any way I could, and always will. Even if you haven’t seen me as I’ve seen you.”  He could see it sinking in as her face relaxed and eyes widened, lips parting as she seemed to fight to find a response, not that he needed one.  

“I…Einar…” her lips kept moving but words were evading her like somehow the two of them had just evaded her uncles knights. Tears stung at her eyes, how had she never known?  How had she never seen?  How?   She covered his hand with her own, swallowing down the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm.  Her fingers wrapped around his hand, clinging to him.

“Now, stop that before we both cry.” Einar took her head in both hands very gently and placed a kiss in the middle of her forehead.  “Love you too, Meeri.”  He turned and strode from the room, giving her a wink as he closed the door.  If he hadn’t gotten out of there, he would have been too emotional over what was going on and what had just happened between them to go find his friends.  

For a full minute, if not more, Meeri stood there staring at the closed door that Einar had exited through.  Had that really just happened?  Was she hallucinating?  No, she was sure that it had just happened and she was lucid.  Somehow in the middle of a day that seemed sent straight from the bowels of hell to swallow her and her family whole, something good had happened.  It was to that she would cling as she waited for Einar and his friends to return.  Even when her family had turned their back on her, when she had been betrayed, there was one who believed in her and would not do the same.

[simply-zhouye]

Li Bingbing & Zhou Ye: Polyphony of Time

Black off-shoulder dress Dior ▐

Seeing Zhou Ye’s photo for the first For Zhou Ye, entering the entertainment industry and signing her first long-term contract is the most important and brave decision in her life, and this bravery also comes from the kindness when they first met. "I don't know why I feel very comfortable when I see Sister Bing and Sister Xue. They give people a very reliable and sincere feeling, which makes me feel that they are trustworthy." So, this sparkling girl whom I have seen since childhood The international idol became Zhou Ye's closest big sister when he was in a foreign land.

​Li Bingbing is a person who cares about every detail. She will recommend her work experience and magic weapons to Zhou Ye. She was afraid of the cold, so she recommended Zhou Ye to keep warm while filming. When she heard that Zhou Ye was going skiing, she would also introduce her to a ski instructor, and she never forgot to remind her again and again: "Don't rush into anything, you won't learn slowly." Anxious." At work, she taught Zhou Ye everything from the confusion and thinking on the road to growth to the tips for taking still photos.

Xiao Ye has a natural aura. She has given her trust to me, and I will not let her down. No matter in business, life or other aspects, we will open our hearts and communicate with each other. Because I have experienced her current stage, I know all the feelings during this period, so I am willing to protect her better at this time. Why use the word protection? Actors are actually very sensitive and vulnerable in certain creative situations. This Original innocence and talent are very precious and deserve to be protected," Li Bingbing said.

Having experienced similar struggles and confusions, sometimes we can understand each other without having to put ourselves in their shoes. Since his debut, Li Bingbing has protected and witnessed Zhou Ye's transformation. When the crew was filming, whenever he encountered confusion and worries about performance, even if he was just unsure about how to perform a scene, Zhou would always communicate with Sister Bing to discuss it. They discuss characters and analyze problems together, sometimes for an hour or two.

​Zhou Ye is also a hard-working and motivated actor, and he also has requirements for his own performance. "I remember there was a play where she asked for an acting teacher to watch her on the set and help her improve. In the end, we could see her growth with our naked eyes. There must have been a lot of hard work behind it, so I am really proud of her. This girl is really She is particularly optimistic, positive, full of energy, and full of love and persistence for performance.”

Perhaps precisely because she was born into a loving family, Li Bingbing was able to quickly perceive Zhou Ye's "extremely healthy" mental state, and quickly became a good sister who talked about everything across the age gap.

During the filming break, the two people were always together talking softly. Sometimes, Zhou Ye put his arms around Li Bingbing's shoulders, as if he was leaning on her, while Li Bingbing's posture was relaxed and her eyebrows were soft. Zhou Ye said: "I like to stick to people who are very close to me or people I like very much. I like to hug people close to me, such as my good friends, my sister and my mother. Maybe It’s been a habit since I was a child, because I grew up as a younger sister.”

In the camera, they are cold and powerful, with super aura; when the camera moves away, one of them is a kind big sister and the other is a lively little sister. "Our trust in each other depends entirely on people. Because you are a simple person, it is also simple to meet people who are attracted to each other, and it is also very simple to get along with each other." Li Bingbing said, "A sentence we often hear is: you are simple The world is simple, and if you are complex, the world is complex.”

From Wonder Woman to Wonder Girl

COSMO: What would you choose to do to completely relax and escape from work and routine?

​

Li Bingbing: In the past twenty years, I have been to different places due to work opportunities. It can only be described as a business trip. The scenery on the road is beautiful, but I never see the scenery. I am focused on work. Now that I think about it, I'm a bit stubborn. For example, this year I went to Xinjiang to focus on skiing. I did this one thing, and then I fell two to three hundred times. I actually like a little more difficult travel, for example, going over mountains and ridges to challenge myself.

​

Zhou Ye: Go travel! Sleep in the hotel until you wake up naturally, do whatever you want, be casual. Different age groups have different states of traveling. For example, I used to yearn for big cities, but now I want to get closer to nature. As you age, your state of mind will also change, so as long as you can experience it, you must experience it as much as possible. Last year, I went to Singapore with my family. I originally wanted to eat more Singaporean food, but unexpectedly, my mother brought a small portable pot to make soup for me, and I drank the soup she made every day during the trip.

​COSMO : If you were to explore unknown areas through reading, which direction would you choose?

​

Li Bingbing: In recent years, I have become interested in philosophy. Life is a philosophy. As time goes by, you will slowly gain a lot of new understandings of life. Things that you often struggled with before may no longer be a struggle. You will feel that you are changing. I think philosophy is a very good teacher. It can lead you to think, help you explain many problems, and re-enhance your understanding. So I have always felt that learning is particularly important. In fact, the person we need to talk to throughout our lives is ourselves.

​

​COSMO : If you could have a super power, what would it be?

​

Li Bingbing: I want to travel between my past life and this life. I am a very curious person. I believe that people have past lives, present lives, and afterlife. It’s just that in the real world, there are many things that we can’t actually see.

​

Zhou Ye: Teleport. This saves time. I think time is the most precious thing.

​COSMO: Today, people always shout "lie down". Do you think "working hard" and "fighting hard" still have meaning?

​

Li Bingbing: Everyone in every era has their own personality and choices. In my day, I only saw work, so I chose to be very persistent and devote myself to my work. I have barely seen life, and now I want to take some time to get to know life. In fact, life itself is also the most real experience of performance.

​

​Zhou Ye: Maybe I really don’t think about it that much. I still think I should live in the present and take every day positively and seriously. If I am unhappy or in a bad mood, the things I create may be relatively negative. I am taking every step of my life well now. I may have been ignorant at work before, but now I am more demanding on myself. For example, when I was filming this scene recently, I would go over it every day after the performance and think about a certain scene over and over again, hoping that I could perform better.

​COSMO : Do you accept others calling you “woman”?

​

Li Bingbing: I think a woman’s greatest self-confidence is to accept herself. It doesn’t matter what she calls herself.

​

Zhou Ye: I think a title will not affect how I am, nor will it affect how we women are. In real life, I may sometimes be framed by some concepts, but all I can do is to live my life well every day, insist on being myself, maintain confidence, and keep an ideal pure land in my heart.

​

​COSMO : Nowadays, many girls like to say "keep your heart locked up and focus on your career", and the topic of love has become less popular. Is intimacy still important for women?

​

Li Bingbing: There is no so-called important or unimportant thing. Everyone is reciting their own scriptures. Everyone gets different test papers. Just take the test to your satisfaction.

​

Zhou Ye: I think that in fact, intimacy and emotion come back to one word: love. I strongly agree that people need the feeling of love. It does not mean that only love is love, because you also have love with your friends and love with your relatives, so the scope of love can be very large. No matter who I am with, I think a relationship should make me feel happy and provide positive energy to each other. Because I am an energetic person, I think emotional value is very important, and my own energy is also very important.

[ew-its-lilly]

i started this at 3:16a it is now 5:20a i’m going to bed.

here’s a 1354 word femxmasc self insert for my yearning girlies, cause lord knows i am apart of this group.

my music got me in a mood to write

walking out to the patio of the house, a faint haze of smoke trailed out of the sliding door behind her. the party was great, all her friends were having a good time, something just kind of felt off. tony lanez’s “the color violet” thumped through the closed glass as she sat facing the rest of the yard. the bass that she still felt even while outside was somewhat comforting, it kept her grounded, more in moment. physically she was very put together, very present, she knew where she was. college was finally over and all her friends decided to throw a huge get together that somehow turned into a full blow house party as plus ones turned into twos and fours. and with parties obviously came the vices, which she did dabble in socially, that wasn’t the problem, not really why she needed to get out. there was a weird looming presence she couldn’t really get over, it made her chest super tight and her limbs more fuzzy than the hit she took should have. she originally tried to smoke to get rid of the feeling but it just made her more aware of it, so now she was there, sitting outside, alone.

it wasn’t super cold out, just enough for the crewneck and jeans she was already wearing. the cold of the patio concrete still went right through her pants, prickling her skin until the ground finally became warm under her. she dragged her hands along the roughness of cement, carefully feeling each teeny tiny pebble that made up that block. admittedly too caught up in the texture, a tired squeak of patio door knocked her out of it. though that specific interest was interrupted she still didn’t feel any desire to see who was joining her, she just stared off into the sky now. the area they were in was too urban to see any stars despite the clear night, the moon still shone as brightly as ever. she felt a smile pull her lips as she looked at it, it made her feel homesick in a weird way. she was definitely coming down, this was not a normal thought.

shoes lazily dragged across the pavement until they landed a few feet to the right of her. the intruder slowly lowered himself down to the ground until he finally grunted his way into criss cross. she dropped her head to her knees which were already at her chest. she thought she could just get a moment out here, but there were like nearly 30 people inside so she was lucky to get what time she had at all. he was just enough behind her to be out of her peripheral and no sound he had made up until now was enough to identify him. so she just kept her head still, listening to the faint music, which now sounded like it had changed to “house of balloons” by the weeknd. good song. she rubbed her forehead on her knees feeling the ripped stitching, it was soft. her ears perked up when she heard a light crackle of the pen he was hitting behind her. perfect. she just needed to get a little more high, then the gross body feeling would surely be overtaken by pure ignorant bliss. she could just lay on the cold pavement and look at the sky until her best friend brought her in for the night. now the only road block that kept her from a wonderful evening fell to her inability to start any kind of comfortable conversation, especially now when she was feeling extra non-verbal. clearly he didn’t want to talk either or something would have happened by now, so her foggy mind began racing to piece together something charming.

fuck it. she decided to improvise. with a dorky grin and half closed eyes she turned to him. just as her mouth opened to slur a couple words into an opening line, her heart sank into her stomach so far she almost coughed it up. the looming presence, there he was, sat looking at the sky, hitting his pen gingerly. he very soon noticed her staring and his jaw joined her’s on the floor. “who invited you?” they both spoke in complete unison, nearly identical inflection. both ended up sat facing each other but keeping an ever growing distance, too high to even begin to process. she hadn’t thought about him in months, at least not for more than a few seconds, but regardless she never thought she would ever seen him again. that achy body feeling she had been trying so hard all night to get rid of doubled at the sight of him. she tried hard not show a pained expression in her face and she attempted to wrap her already scattered brain around the situation. no words were being exchanged, more so just a full conversation through the eyes as they searched each others faces.

they have both changed a lot since their last encounter with each other, most of searching revolved around finding familiar features that remained. it was probably close to three years since they last talked, and that conversation never really ended with closure or a goodbye, it was harsh and abrupt. left a lot of questions unanswered for her, a lot of conflicting feelings up the air. he had meant a lot her, she knew that was mutual, even if the time frame wasn’t shared. she wanted to say something but nothing she thought of would do her any justice. instead she peeled her eyes away from his, down to the thing they both absolutely had in common, his pen. he followed her gaze down to the small metal battery and cart he had in his fist and he caught on. she looked back up at him, sort of asking for permission and he held it out for her to take. she did. the metal was warm from his hand, and the blue tip of the cart still had some of his chapstick on it, she hit it regardless. they were keeping eye contact through the whole experience which made it turn strangely intimate.

as she blew the smoke in a different direction the tension lowered. she handed it back. he put it in his hoodie pocket and they both went back to staring off into space. trying to talk was pointless, neither of them knew what to say, especially in situations like this. they had that awkward quality in common. instead now sat next to him, an arms length away, she decided to carry out her original plan and laid back onto the concrete. her scalp very soon found each and every fleck of rock so she bunched all her hair up behind her head for extra padding. after taking a very long and deep breath she closed her eyes and felt a familiar buzz find its way to her extremities again. an uncontrollable grin stretched a crossed her face, and the achy feeling in her body lessened, she felt comfortable. she did jump a bit when she heard his shoes scrape out of a crossed position as he joined her laid back. even though her eyes were closed she could feel him melt out onto the pavement, his body language became more relaxed. a very long sigh left him and she felt his eyes on the side of her face. she always liked feeling him look at her.

she let her her arms fall from the clasped position she had them in so she could feel the pavement again. she didn’t feel how much space he had been taking up and landed her had directly on top of his, she recoiled and opened her eyes, looking over. his head was still faced to her but his eyes were closed, he was comfortable and unbothered. so she looked back towards the sky and slowly let her hand set back into his. and though she found little in his face and mannerisms that she found familiar, this felt the exact same as it did three years ago.