#and then i would not have to go through this guessing game

[txttletale]

sure, LLMs are energy-intensive to run. but the same is true of video games, or rendering software, or video-streaming. i'm not saying that LLMs are energy-efficient, rather than pointing out that there is a very very silly rhetorical strategy used where people will point to the energy/water consumption of datacenters, as a whole, and attribute it to AI--something done by both self-identified "anti-AI" people (to exaggerate the climate impact) and AI boosters (to exaggerate the popularity and impact of the technology)

& i also kind of disagree this is a real issue: i don't think that chatGPT is ever going to replace google, and if it did it wouldn't last for long because replacing google would mean ongoing operating costs of billions and billions of dollars that openAI does not have.

i am constantly seeing these figures "oh, in 2030 10% of all electricity will be used for AI" that, when chased, end up being based on the growth and adoption claims of the AI companies themselves, the companies that build the datacenters, and energy industry lobbyists. all these people have a massive vested interest in perpetuating the idea that LLMs will see ever-increasing adoption: and this hype creates a systemic incentive in other sectors to overstate how much your company has 'integrated AI', perpetuating the hype--when in fact i think all the evidence points to it being a flimsy bubble because they are fundamentally extremely limited in use and there is no viable business model (ed zitron had a really good breakdown of this a while back)

so, you know, i guess there is some merit to citing ridiculous energy consumption numbers as a way to argue against universal adoption, in the same way you could say 'using bitcoin as the national currency would williamuple our energy usage' to demonstrate in the abtract why it's a bad idea that you shouldn't advocate for. but i think that the evidence for continued rapid growth in AI-induced energy dmeand being a 'very real issue' is all filtering through a tech & financial news ecosystem that gives undue credulousness to the optimistic forecasts of people with a direct stake in giving those forecasts because it pushes their stock bubble up

i will not take your opinions about AI's environmental impact seriously if you make it obvious that you think datacenters are just big chatgpt buildings

[slut-for-slutty-fictional-men]

Caught in 4K

George Clarke x Reader (ArthurTV’s sister) Warnings: Swearing, mutual pining, secondhand embarrassment via YouTube comments

Summary: You join Arthur and George in a YouTube video, the last thing you thought would happen was fans going crazy over you and George. 

Word Count: 1600

Masterlist

You hadn’t meant to be in the video.

Honestly, you just came to drop off Arthur’s phone charger and maybe steal a Diet Coke from his fridge. But then George Clarke was there, stretched out on the couch in a hoodie that had definitely been washed too many times, looking up with that easy grin that always made your heart stutter.

“Oi,” he said. “You staying or just passing through?”

You should’ve passed through. Should’ve said no and gone home and spared yourself the entire internet finding out about your very inconvenient crush.

Instead, you dropped onto the arm of the couch, right beside George, and said, “What are we watching?”

It was supposed to be a throwaway reaction video. Just you, Arthur, and George reacting to painfully awkward dating show clips.

But then George laughed at one of your sarcastic comments. And you laughed at his. And you started leaning into each other without realizing, shoulder brushing shoulder, sharing a blanket by the end of it.

And when Arthur shouted, “Alright, I swear if you two flirt any harder I’m cutting the camera,” you just rolled your eyes and flipped him off — but George?

George flushed.

Not a lot. Just a little. But enough.

The video goes up the next day. You think nothing of it. Until your phone starts blowing up.

Your DMs. Your texts. Your Twitter notifications. A friend sends you a TikTok.

✨ “POV: you’re watching George Clarke fall in love in real time.” ✨ Captioned: he’s never looked at Arthur like that 😭

You blink. Open the video. And yeah. That’s your face George is staring at, soft and distracted, in 1080p.

There are hundreds of comments already.

“why does George look like he wants to kiss her every time she speaks 😭” “can we get a ship name or…?” “petition for a double date video with George and reader 👀” “bro Arthur has no idea”

You stare at your phone for a full minute. Then: You: “Arthur. Have you seen the comments.” Arthur: “Yeah what the fuck is this.” Arthur: “Did you two plan that or???” Arthur: “Also are you dating??” You: “NO.” You: “Absolutely not.” You: (less convincingly) “Right??”

You’re halfway through doom-scrolling when your phone buzzes again. George Clarke: I think the internet ships us. You: Lmao I saw 😅 George: Do we correct them? Or just let them spiral? You: Let’s see how bad it gets first. George: So you’re saying there’s a chance 😏 You: George. George: Right right. Professional. Totally normal. No flirting. George: …Unless you want to.

You stare at that last message for longer than you’d like to admit.

You see him again three days later. Arthur invites you to watch the Arsenal match at George’s flat, and when you show up, George opens the door like he’s been waiting all day.

“Hey,” he says, eyes dropping to your hoodie. “Is that my jumper?”

You glance down. It is. Definitely.

You shrug. “Maybe.”

George steps back to let you in. “Guess it looks better on you.”

You nearly trip on the rug.

Halfway through the game, Arthur disappears to take a call. You and George are left alone on the couch, a bowl of half-eaten popcorn between you.

“I’m not gonna lie,” George says, “some of those edits were kind of flattering.”

You snort. “You liked the one where they said you looked like a Victorian man in love?”

George grins. “You didn’t?”

“Please. I looked like I was seconds from throwing up.”

He nudges your knee with his. “You looked beautiful.”

You freeze. Just for a second.

Then: “You’re just saying that so I’ll come on more videos.”

George shrugs. “Can’t say I’d mind.”

Your heart does something stupid in your chest.

Later, when Arthur’s in the other room and the match is over, George walks you to the door like some sort of gentleman. You pause, turning to him before leaving.

“So,” you say, voice too quiet. “Still letting the internet spiral?”

George watches you for a beat. Then steps just a little closer.

“Yeah,” he says. “But it’s getting harder to pretend they’re wrong.”

You blink.

Before you can answer, Arthur yells from the kitchen: “Oi, you leaving or moving in?”

You both laugh, flinch apart, and you step out into the night with your heart in your throat.

It gets worse before it gets better.

Worse, in the sense that you and George keep pretending you’re not flirting when you absolutely are.

He starts texting more. Sending voice notes. Suggesting film nights — just the two of you. He finds excuses to touch your arm, to sit too close, to comment on your photos like he’s not in love with you.

You pretend not to notice. Mostly because Arthur definitely is noticing.

“You and George have been acting weird,” he says one night, halfway through a shared Deliveroo order. “Weird how?” “I dunno. Suspicious. Coy.” “Coy?” “Like you’re two teenagers trying to hide a crush and you think you’re being subtle.”

You laugh way too hard at that.

Which doesn’t help your case.

The truth is, you and George are very not subtle.

A fan makes a compilation: “George Clarke being absolutely gone for ArthurTV’s sister for 7 minutes straight.”

It goes viral.

Arthur sees it. Of course he does.

You find out when he storms into your room holding his phone. “You didn’t tell me you actually like him.” You look up from your laptop. “I don’t—” “Don’t lie,” he says, deadpan. “He literally zoomed in on your face during a TikTok like he was filming a wedding video.”

You groan, dragging a pillow over your face. “Can we not?”

But Arthur isn’t angry. He’s just… stunned.

“You could’ve told me.”

“I didn’t want to make it weird.”

“You being in love with my best friend is inherently weird.”

You peek over the pillow. “You’re not mad?”

Arthur sighs. “Honestly, I’m more mad at George for being such a coward about it.”

You blink. “Wait, what?”

He smirks. “He’s been into you since December. At least. Possibly longer. It’s been hell watching him fumble every time you walk into a room.”

Your heart stops. “You’re serious?”

“As a heart attack,” he says, grabbing his charger. “Sort your shit out, yeah?”

You don’t see George for a few days. It’s not intentional, just a mix of work and nerves and—okay, maybe it’s a little intentional.

Then he messages.

George: Do you want to come over tonight? Just us. George: I’ve got the good snacks.

You stare at the screen. Then type:

You: Yeah. I think we need to talk anyway.

He opens the door like he’s been holding his breath all day.

You step inside, brushing past him, and suddenly you’re hyperaware of everything — the soft light, the way his hand lingers at your back, the heat in your cheeks.

“So,” George says, once you’re curled on the couch with popcorn you won’t eat. “You wanted to talk?”

You glance over at him. He’s not watching the movie. He’s watching you.

“I talked to Arthur.”

George freezes.

You continue, voice quiet: “He said you’ve liked me for a while.”

His jaw tightens. “I didn’t mean for him to find out.”

“Is it true?”

He hesitates. Then nods. “Yeah.”

You exhale. Your hands are shaking a little.

“I didn’t tell him about us,” George says quickly. “I didn’t want to mess things up with you. Or with him.”

“There isn’t an us,” you say.

George flinches.

You add: “But there could be.”

That gets his attention.

“You sure?”

You nod, slow and certain. “I think I’ve been sure for a long time.”

He laughs under his breath, almost disbelieving. “God. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear that.”

There’s a beat. Charged, quiet.

And then, like gravity’s had enough of the waiting, he leans in.

It’s slow — cautious, warm, his hand curling at your jaw, your breath catching — and then it happens.

And it’s everything.

Later, tangled up on the couch, the movie long forgotten, you glance at his phone buzzing with a new comment notification.

Top comment on your last video:

“George finally pulled Arthur’s sister?? I KNEW IT” 37k likes. 400 replies.

George groans into your neck. “We are never living this down.”

You grin, brushing his hair from his face. “Totally worth it.”

Then his phone lights up.

A new text.

Arthur: Fine. Just don’t break her heart or I’ll kill you.

George reads it out loud and winces. “Noted.”

You laugh, kissing him again.

Top Comments:

💬 @arthurtv:

I leave you two alone for FIVE MINUTES. ↳ @georgeclarke: sorry dad 😔 ↳ @y/n: don’t act like you didn’t know. ↳ @arthurtv: I DID I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO SEE IT WITH MY EYES

💬 @fanpage_georgeclarke:

WE WON. WE ACTUALLY WON. ↳ @fanpage_yt_ships: this is my Super Bowl ↳ @thatcompvidgirl: shout out to me for making the edit that started it all 💅

 💬 @randomuser368:

“Arthur’s soft launch was when he introduced her in the first video lol”

💬 @randomuser398:

Bro waited YEARS. He deserves this. ↳ @user7474: THE SLOW BURN PAID OFF 😭

 💬 @randomuser420:

“this is better than a romcom.”

 💬@randomuser298:

 “she joined ONE video and he was never the same”

💬@randomuser354:

 “we need a YouTube q&a ASAP”

[axuanmii]

5.6 paralogism mistranslations

(or, at least the ones i paid attention to, which is mainly just kaeya and diluc. yes i'm biased. leave me alone) (yes. some medium spoilers ahead)

honeyhunter and the bilibili wiki haven't updated with chinese transcripts of the new 5.6 archon quest so pretty much all of this is going to be reliant on my listening skills, which are pretty bad because i have a hard time discerning auditory things for some reason.

this isn't a mistranslation i just got really excited when i was going back through the travel log and saw this. i can't believe they remembered diluc was the former cavalry captain *bangs ground and cries*

if i had to say anything about this quest. i guess it would be that i wish more people would play with chinese voiceover. i feel like the tone of almost every character is conveyed better through it, and the lipsyncing actually matches up because, yknow, the game is originally in chinese.

no real hate towards the japanese voiceover, i know because of anime and other stuff that there's more interest for jp voices and hearing famous seiyuu is cool, but i wish it didn't come at the cost of me literally never being able to find chinese voiceover content or even the chinese voice actors half of the time. yeah Sometimes i can find it on bilibili but it's not easy.

anyways, translations are below the cut

so from what i've discerned for the general quest, it's all pretty well translated or slightly adapted for the region because of cultural differences. for example, dahlia and sucrose's exchange here

the second part is better translated (from memory, because i can't find this bit in the travel log to listen to the dialogue again) as "a girl by herself could be too dangerous, so let me help". this is generally because feminism and chivalry are viewed differently in china. china is usually more respectful of women than countries like the US, so chivalrous actions like this are considered polite rather than subconsciously(?) demeaning sucrose's ability. idk, i figure some people might see it that way.

alright lets get to the main thing that annoyed me

in chinese, the dialogue reads roughly as thus (...and i'll add emojis for tone):

kaeya: :O holy--* just by a hair!**. for this one i'll really have to thank master diluc for lending a hand! :D diluc: no need to be polite. even if you weren't here, i'd still lend a hand. instead, your presence actually blocked my way. :/ kaeya: well... why don't i just leave then? if i stayed, i would only be able provide some elemental reactions creating a lot of steam***. feels like it wouldn't be very helpful! :P diluc: really?

[*kaeya's onomatopoeia is going to be translated the way i hear it through sun ye's tone]

[**kaeya says 千钧一发, idk how to translate this idiom very well]

[***i checked if this was the chinese term for vaporize, it's not]

LIKE. IT'S DIFFERENT RIGHT? I'M NOT CRAZY RIGHT? why is the english translation so determined to make them seem like they hate each other more?? i know kaeya's following dialogue makes it less antagonistic--

but does that mean the first part has to make kaeya sound so lowkey pitiful through text dialogue? (disclaimer: as of may 7th, 2025, there are no english voiceovers for this dialogue)

i don't have much other opinion on this it just annoyed me because in chinese they sound a lot more amicable towards each other, with kaeya directly teasing. but those ellipses in english don't leave much to be desired.

additionally, here:

in chinese, the dialogue reads roughly as thus (...and i'll add emojis for tone):

kaeya: haha, alright, when did you realize something was off? ^-^ diluc: the first trial. :| kaeya: lemme guess, because of the imposter hertha? :o diluc: compared to them, your problem was more obvious. :/ kaeya: me?! >:O what was wrong with me? :( you mean to say, my role as the defense wasn't played with enough passion? >:) diluc: nobody said that.* it's just that it seemed like you lacked some nervousness. :/ kaeya: then... when does master diluc think i actually get nervous? >:)

*(i don't have a rolling eyes emoji but imagine it here)

like there's a clear difference here!! if it were a matter of timing for spoken dialogue, (which, let's be honest, hoyoverse has not cared about that almost ever (see: signora death cutscene)), the hardest to fit in the same timing would be my translation of kaeya's third line. and even then, the official translation's tone sounds much more muted because it lacks verbal direction of cn kaeya's vocal mannerisms (which, summed up, is basically just "teasing").

like, cn kaeya is an endearing little shithead hiding something, en kaeya has the air of someone on edge but trying to sound friendly (this feels more obvious in many interactions between him and diluc).

in chinese, the dialogue reads roughly as thus (...and i'll add emojis for tone) [brackets include implied information]:

kaeya: mm! don't worry, just leave this area to me and this enthusiastic volunteer (doing-the-knights-work)* civilian, master diluc! ^_^ albedo: why not say "the former cavalry captain and the current cavalry captain" [working together]? :| diluc: i don't feel like that's necessary =_=

*personally, i'd remove this part because it sounds weirder in english

need i say more. *slams head into brick wall* when will kaeya and diluc stop having their dialogue slandered in english

in chinese, the dialogue reads roughly as thus:

diluc: if i have to say something, i'd rather believe that someone who once helped me in the past couldn't suddenly become a cold-blooded killer.

this isn't really that big of a mistranslation i'm just very particular about diluc's words.

also i'm so offended at this group gathering photo because like what about everyone else who defended mondstadt? you're gonna ignore them?? fischl? mona?? noelle??? DILUC????

"oh ash it's a knights' meeting" YEAH BUT I WANNA SEE DILUC?? i'm calm. i'm so calm. this is fine everything's fine.

also the cutscene at the end was super cool, because GUESS WHAT HAPPENED

i love them so much

[tastytastystirfry]

OMG HAII :3x it's been ages since i did a tumblr tag game ty sab~

favourite colour: dark blue and mustard yellow and greens. for clothes i've realised i prefer all black but my wardrobe doesn't reflect it yet

last song: uhh i was listening to this on youtube earlier, i'm really into bossa nova as study music. my last played on apple music is Love Is Everywhere by Magdalena Bay... Imaginal Disk is a phenomenal album!

currently reading: i study literature so it's always so much at the same time during classes!! we've got: I, Robot (Isaac Asimov), Mind Fixers (Anne Harrington), Little Weirds (Jenny Slate), Iep Jaltok (Kathy Jetn̄il-Kijiner), For Your Own Good (Leah Horlick). And, I guess, technically also the textbook Child Language by Matthew Saxton lol.

currently watching: i'm not really working my way through anything right now... i am rewatching some Doctor Who here and there, and keeping up w the new season! i'm also keeping up with The Studio which is pretty good satirical tv! i also watched Black Mirror's "common people" because i'd heard bad things about it, and wouldn't know it, i did in fact think it was bad. really really bad.

currently craving: butter on toast but i have to go sleeeeep i will have a good breakfast tmrw though

coffee or tea: i drink coffee much more and like it better than tea but if i had to pick one for the rest of my life, i would pick tea to protect myself

tagging (no pressure!): @wheresthatwhale hi mona i hope ur school trip is still going well 🫶

get to know your mutuals post I stole from someone else bc I wasn’t tagged but want to tag my friends hehe

Rules: answer 6 questions, tag 6 mutuals

Favorite color:

Last song:

Currently reading:

Currently watching:

Currently craving:

Coffee or tea (or if ur me and don’t like either, a secret third option):

[lucky-rinrin]

You know what. Throwing all my thoughts and theories on The Fritters n Critters from the @askoverkill AU.

Director: With Loop calling them and only them Stardust, it seems obvious they were specifically ISATfrin. My guess is that it went like canon all the way through Act 5, but somehow managed to lose or loop back during or after Bigfrin, with his wish intensifying the original "you wish to stay with them" into something more manipulative. He doesn't want them to leave. Ever.

Loop: Gone from the not-so-secretly most unhinged Not Okay character in the game to being. Still visibly not okay. Worse actually, more siffrins = more inferiority complex :(. The star flares at a higher density to the point where they can't even open their bad eye anymore(are those things actually connected?) which could be from stress on top of the Everything getting visibly worse then anything they could've imagined. Director-Loop Divorce goes crazy here.

Lupus: The Itty Bitty. A version of Siffrin that maintains their personality from before they ran away. Their curse revolves around dissociation/memory loss, likely because of their Island connection. They don't seem to actually have a problem with this, probably just because they don't fully understand what this wishcraft apocalypse of a world truly did to them.

Dusk: I don't have enough of a grasp on them and their character to figure out what their curse is. Though considering how outer loops and siffrins work, it implies Dusk (and also Lupus for that matter) had a definitive Giving Up Point in their own experiences. Mind sharing with the class :))?

Dawn: The most pressing question I have about them is what makes them Not Like The Other Frins. Knowing how narratives go this outer loop would probably be the last if there's meant to be a good ending. With the power of love friendship and the seven siffrin souls. ignore me please.

[fictionrealms]

One For The Money

Zayne x Non MC x Caleb

TW: self-depreciation, smut, fake dating trope, emotional manipulation, HEA, named MC/OC to help the flow and characterization, smoking, cigarettes, substance abuse, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse, neglect, MDNI

Summary:

It was a mistake. Taking that deal was a dangerous mistake. But it was the perfect way to make Zayne finally notice me in all the ways that mattered most. I just didn't think I would be pulled into Caleb's gravity at the same time.

Word Count: 2014

Finished || Ongoing

Chapter One-->Chapter Two-->Chapter Three

One For The Money - Chapter 4 - bhaalistbabe - 恋与深空 | Love and Deepspace (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own]

His first text came four hours after making that deal. Four hours after exchanging numbers and watching him walk out the door with my brother. 

“You know that means you’re gonna have to kiss her,” Cash teased, barely able to contain his laughter.

“Fully aware.”

“Think you’re gonna be able to pull through?”

Then their voices were drowned out as they walked down the stairs and I shut the door behind them.

When his name came flashing across my screen, I was already at the studio I bought in Skyhaven. Arranging everything I would need to officially open shop the next morning. A bright pink, neon sign with the name flashed across the window to my left. All the message said was a time. Though, that was followed by Caleb informing me he would be picking me up and an address somewhere in Linkon. I hesitate to respond at first. Opting to enter the address in my search bar. My face pales when the website pulls up and I am met with the most expensive dress shop in the city. Of course, there were more expensive shops in Skyhaven. But he didn’t know where my shop was located. He didn’t know what I did for a living; as a matter of fact.

My reply is fast, precise, and to the point. ‘I can’t afford that, Caleb.’

‘Already paid for in full. My treat.’

His response was immediate, sharp, and left no room for argument.

I had exactly three hours left before the Fleet merger event I had to attend with Caleb. Which normally would have been enough time to run into the shop and grab whatever dress he had picked out for me to wear. I just wasn’t prepared to see him standing by his car in the parking lot of my shop in Skyhaven. Surrounded by roughly four other guys and all out of uniform. It takes me maybe two full minutes to finish closing the shop before I beeline to him.

He, however, isn’t the first to notice me. His friends, or rather fellow Fleet members, take immediate notice of me. All of them watching me with such precision that it makes my skin crawl and itch. True to the part I’m supposed to play, I seamlessly slide myself in his line of sight and flash possibly the most daring smile I could manage as I trail my fingers up and down his arms.

Caleb blinks, cocking his head to the side in a way that only I would notice as curiosity. Too well versed to his subtle tells and mannerisms to let it go unnoticed. “Pixie? I thought we were going to meet up later? Are you stalking me?” The way he places emphasizes makes me tense. 

“Didn’t I tell you I opened up shop here?” I tease, favoring to ignore the feeling of forboding for the moment, my tone hinting to remind him that we had a story to sell and I would be damned if I was the one to fuck everything up, “I could have sworn I did.”

It was like a light bulb went off above his head. Violet eyes flashing with recognition with something he most definitely had no recollection of. Because we had never discussed such a thing. Hadn’t yet danced into each other’s lives in that way. It was almost comical watching him try to piece together something believable whereas I could easily lie through my teeth. Lying had become an art form of sorts for me. Nine years of trying to avoid attachments had molded my tongue into the perfect weapon.

“Right, guess I must have forgot. Did you want to pick the dress up now? We can make any alterations to it while we’re there.”

An plea to get out of the stares of his men. Scrutinizing and watching and prying us both open. Trying to piece togather the connection to each other. Cleverly disguised as an invitation to go do something he knew I was already about to do.

“Sure, why not.” My voice is smooth as silk. Wrapping around him like a scarf. Intended to throw him off. Or maybe it was meant to throw his men off our lies. I couldn’t tell which anymore. It was more about the dance around each other now. Something we were accustomed to more than we were our long standing loathing of each other.

“Colonel,” one of the men spoke, his voice holding a lilt that told me everything I needed to know about him, “who’s this lovely little thing? And why haven’t we had the pleasure of meeting her until now?”

Caleb’s gaze shifts to the man to our left. He was about four inches shorter than Caleb. Broad shouldered and lean. Well built for a man who appeared to be maybe eighteen. Perhaps twenty at most. And had deep emerald eyes that glittered with mischief when he looked at me. Caleb tensed, only a fraction. Such a minute change that I didn’t think anyone but me had noticed.

“My bad. This is Pixie–my girlfriend.”

A smirk bloomed across Emerald Eyes’ face. Making a dimple in his cheek and his high cheekbones infinitely sharper than they were. “Girlfriend? And you’re just now bringing her up?”

“I just moved back after nine years. We’ve been long distance until now and I told him I wanted to keep it on the down low until I could come back home.”

Truth peppered in with the lie makes everything all the sweeter. Easier to swallow. Easier to believe. Sugar-coated and rolled in honey.

He nods. And that was the end of it.

_________________

He’s silent in the car. The kind of quiet that’s loud and screaming rather than soft and quiet and lets you breathe in its comfort. It’s raw and somehow more alive than I feel. I shift in my seat, the leather creaks with my movement, and Caleb thrums his fingers against the steering wheel. Each one echoing the steady thumps of my heart. At first, the speed is gradual. He navigates the streets of Skyhaven like he had them memorized. Slowly gaining speed with each turn we take. But then the car is moving impossibly fast. Buildings and signs whip past us so fast they’re nothing but a blur in my vision.

I grip the seat on instinct. Bile rose in my throat when the flashbacks hit me. I was only fifteen. A year before my grand departure. Cash had his license for a year and took me on a drive. But it wasn’t a drive at all. He got caught up in the mix of street races and at the next stop light he took off like a bat out of hell. Racing towards an end I couldn’t see. Screaming for him to slow down. Only to end up with Cash’s car flipped.

I don’t realize I shut my eyes until the car slows to a stop. Caleb shifts the car into gear then turns to me. His eyes downcast, hand still on the gear shift.

“Hope I didn’t scare you with my driving, Pixie.” The familiar nickname sends a bolt of ice straight down my spine, but I can’t pinpoint why. Maybe it was the tone of indifference in his voice. Or the fact that he knew about the accident the same way Mckenna and Zayne did.

I mutter under my breath when I shove open the car door. “Fucking asshole.”

When I finally feel like I can breathe again, it hits me that we’re not in Linkon. Which was stupid of me to think we were considering Skyhaven is nothing but a floating island. We would need to take the train in order to get back to Linkon. Still, I don’t recognize where we are and that terrifies me more than anything. 

“Relax,” Caleb’s playful tone is back in place when he leans against the car, “we’re at my place. I told the shop just to send the dress here. Figured we could save some time. Go over the basics.”

I quirk a brow, wrapping my arms around myself. “Did you seriously bring me here to play Twenty Questions?”

“Depends. You think you can handle three extra hours with me?”

A challenge.

“If you insist, Colonel.”

_____________________

The inside of his apartment is cold. The walls a dull shade of gray that makes me think of a heavy fog. Lifeless. Nothing appears to have been moved or even touched. Everything immaculately placed and clean. The air hums as if it’s alive and can hear my thoughts. It’s like the apartment itself if dead, if not barely hanging on for dear life. Like all the light had been sucked out of it. Save for the singular splash of color from a bright red apple plushie that sits on the couch. A tell sign that Mckenna stays here at times, being that the girl never outgrew her childhood fixation of them.

“Why is you’re house so fucking cold?” Before he has time to answer, I remove my boots and toss them beside the door. An old habit ingrained in me from dinners at Zayne’s when we were kids. “It’s freezing in here.”

“I don’t stay here that much.”

Taking what little he has to offer, I tuck it away in the filing cabinet of things I hate about him in my head. Caleb locks the door, the faint click somehow seeming to echo through the large, near empty space–then walks to the couch and slumps down on cushions that couldn’t possibly be comfortable. His head thrown back and chestnut hair falling in his face. He looks tired. Exhausted really. Like he hadn’t slept in weeks and was due for something between a nap and a light coma. 

Finally, I make my way to sit beside him. A decent gap between us as I pull my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them. Arms wrap around my legs to pull them impossibly closer. My knees strain with the effort, but I manage. Gnawing on the inside of my cheek to counter the ache.

Caleb is first to break the deafening silence. “What business did you open in Skyhaven?”

“Tattoo shop. It’s called Pins & Needles. What’s your favorite color?”

“Really? We’re really going back to basics?” He snorts.

“Nine years changes a person.”

Somewhere between the questions and the silence my head turned from him. Not looking at anything in particular. I felt distant, cut off from the rest of the world somehow. Like I wasn’t exactly in the same reality as Caleb or anyone else. In a world all my own. There’s a shift in weight on the couch. A sign that Caleb moved or changed positions.

“Orange. Yours still purple?”

“Mine hasn’t been purple since I was seven.”

“What was it then?”

I purse my lips. Ashamed to admit that it had changed to green. But not any green–emerald green. The same color of Zayne’s eyes. “Green. It’s yellow now.”

There’s a beat of silence. Like he was assessing my answer. Or simply tucking it away in a mental filing cabniet of his own. Though I wasn’t sure why he would be doing that. My favorite color wasn’t something worth filing away.

“You’re not exactly the kind of person that would like the color yellow.” Caleb’s tone holds something like judgement. My eyes narrow on instinct. 

“And what kind of person is that?”

“I don’t know. Someone happy? You know like–”

“Don’t you dare fucking say it. Don’t you dare say Mckenna.”

He freezes. His whole body tensing at the tone of my voice. As if one wrong move would make his skin fracture like a sheet of thin ice.

“Like Mckenna.” He says anyways.

Without a word, I get off the couch and walk to the room I knew undoubtedly would be hers. Where the dress would be if it was delivered before we got here. Leaving him alone in the living room in silence. Nothing by my anger to keep him company in the empty space of my departure.

[discocandles]

i said id make a tierlist of fairy tail men based on how much of a smug motherfucker i think they are, and so guess what a bitch did

and ill put my thoughts under the cut bc i can(theres a lot of them fyi)

Fairy Tail is a series with an abundance of cocky bastards, smug motherfuckers, and annoying little shits(usually said w/ love). So I made the tiers accordingly:

Radiates cockiness constantly: self-explanatory. they're so smug you can like smell it on them. Jackassery off the charts(affectionate)

ofc Gajeel would be at the top of the list. you hear that man go "geehee" one time and its abundantly clear he's a smug motherfucker through and through. the people he's nicest to are Levy and Pantherlily, and he will still razz them all the time for shits and giggles. it doesnt matter if he's an enemy or an ally, Gajeel Redfox stays a jackass, and i love that for him.

Sting, has gotten less cocky over time. probs bc he got his ass beat so bad it was on the news. Before that tho, he was so cocky. he changed the vibe of sabertooth, bc everyone else was stonefaced. but post-smackdown he's gotten to be more goofy and cheerful(even if he is still brash & kind of a dick at times). I think its also bc he's guild master, and didn't want to be jiemma so he aimed for the opposite. plus lots of other guild masters have very goofy and/or jovial exteriors, and he's emulating that.

Dragon slayer tier: i said they were getting their own tier. i meant it.

natsu... is natsu, and he could fit in the top tier. But to me he radiates more goofiness than cockiness. like yes, he's a cocky little shit on the regular, but usually when natsu is being smug or bragging, its on behalf of others. ex: bragging about lucy's win over bixlow, cackling at how shocked everyone was over erza demolishing pandemonium, taunting the twin dragons in their fight less bc it was personal to him, but for his guild, etc.

Cobra/Erik: listen to him, basically every time he speaks you hear it. he's insufferable and he knows it. and its def bc of the hearing everything bit, bc its an "i know something you definitely don't" kind of smug.

Acnologia: i really have no thoughts about him, but like hes def smug about being a big bad evil guy. ok

Laxus was kinda like Sting in that he became less of a cocky asshole over the span of the show, partially bc he lost some teen angst and gained some perspective, but he's definitely still got the swagger of a guy who knows he can kick most anyone's ass in a moment's notice.

Rogue could probably be lower ngl. like he and wendy are the reasons i know that dragon slaying doesnt mean being over-confident. and like he also was in the his-ass-got-beat-so-bad-its-on-the-news thing but he is still generally pretty confident in his abilities, but hes not being over the top about it. i think he just lets sting take the lead there.

PLEASE beat his ass: these are the dudes that are so cocky that i find it grating. Jackassery off the charts(derogatory). altrnative titles: im beating you up, stfu tier, and DIE. DIE. DIE IN A PLANE CRASH

Zancrow is poster boy of this tier. hate his ass. i can't describe the face i make when i hear his laugh. the only good things he did were tell Meredy the truth about Ultear, then die horribly.

Bacchus: I do find his cockiness grating, but bc of the particular type of cockiness. because he's so misogynistic about it. like yeah, you won a drinking game, but that doesn't mean you can steal her bra off her back while she's passed out. yes, this guy agreed on a wager, but saying "if i win i get to sleep with both of your sisters at once"? ... ew.

bixlow is the one i mean this the least for. i was very happy to see Lucy whoop his ass, but post-fantasia, he's just kinda annoying, and i had to put him somewhere. he's like my detox so this tier doesnt make me punch something.

Mest on the other hand i want dead. like there's the obvious shit, but also he reads like a cop to me bc of all the shit he fully believes he can get away with, despite it being wildly corrupt. i hope your death is painful you scum

Taurus... what gives you the confidence to be saying that shit all the fucking time. also cockiness thats mixed with misogyny

It kinda depends tbh: basically these guys are fairly cocky, but it doesn't feel like the default. it should probs be like "vast majority of the time or something" idk.

Gray: i feel like im gonna get asked why he wasnt higher. listen hes definitely a smug jackass, im not saying he isnt, but it feels like he flips a switch to make that happen, otherwise he's just quietly brooding.

Zeref's curse probably plays a lot into how cocky he is, bc like when hes unintentionally emitting death blasts, theres nothing in the way of being smug, but like when we see him not caring about life, he's very sassy.

Lyon is in the same boat as gray tbh, but hes a bit more goofy id say. he's got more of a penchant for wanting to annoy his pseudo-brother than being a jackass, but when he atarts out, oh my lord, he's insufferable and pretentious so like he can vary.

Scorpio definitely had that one time he wasnt all "wicked" rock n roll and shit at least. i dunno we shouldve seen more of him outside of quick attacks and being aquarius' bf

Jet was wayyyyyyy cockier before tenrou. but even then he was seen as dependent on levy, and ofc he'd lose that type of stuff after the timeskip.

Prect/Hades: like he was mostly stoic and whatnot during ft zero, but then became a cocky asshole by going mad over like magic power and whatnot does put you into the yeah youre an ass sometimes tier

Capricorn: the guy means well, but like for deffos pretentious and a bit of a dick about it i thinks

Pretty boy smug(TM): this is kinda like the dragon slayer tier, but instead of smugness because of power, its bc of being attractive(this is functionally the middle tier fyi)

Loke: honestly he's got both kinds of smugness let's be real here. But given how he's very much a play boy(a renowned one in fact) and thats the main thing we know about him for a hot while, that's where the focus ends up. its all part of his flirtations at this point

Yuri: so he was actually supposed to be in the tier above pretty boy but then i was like "actually, this kinda checks and is pretty funny ngl." so yeah he's in pretty boy tier now.

pieces: i dunno man its just the vibes. we dont see enough of him in this form for me to get a real grasp on him.

the 3 blue pegasus motherfuckers(i aint listing them seperately): where the hell else would they go. its literally their whole thing

Self-assured ig: the first tier in they arent smug/cocky actually. i said fairy tail was full of cocky men. these guy's self confidence is either around or even below their general skill level

Pantherlily: the poster boy(cat?) for this. like Lily is a very confident guy, but he's got the skill to back that up as well as not trying to bite off more than he can chew. i wish we got to see more of him(totes not bc he's my favorite exceed and im biased)

Warrod: tbh he kinda seems to have less confidence than is probably merited for his power, but also hes usually so calm and nonchalant(or seemingly senile) that its really hard to tell that for sure

Cancer: listen the dude knows what hes good at, and that cutting hair, and given that lucy never summons him to ask about cutting anything else, i feel like that's a part of their contract or something.

droy: i dunno about droy. it feels like he was a generally normal guy but then he became the butt of a bunch of fat jokes and all of that makes it harder to read his character as a result. he seems normal

Alzack seems to have gotten more confident over time. i feel like its partially because how tied he is with Bisca, and while it feels like a detractor in earlier parts of the the series, after they get married, it seems like he's far more comfortable in the role of being her husband, and also being the best dad he can be for asuka. and like we stan a supportive husband and loving dad.

reedus.... hes normal ig. he paints and hes very proud of his abilities there. we really stop seeing him around like the grand magic games arc so eh?

sagittarius is in the same boat as cancer really. thats why theyre in the same tier

Catholic guilt tier: oh baby lets go its my favorite!!! this is where its like i dont think this is humility, i think this is some confidence issues or self-deprication

Jellal: god how could i have a catholic guilt tier and not put jellal in it? he reeks of that shit. and like sure, he was pretty cocky when he was evil and occasionally will have some general swagger when it comes to his fights, but that is so vastly outweighed by his severe self-worth issues and his constant desire to repent for his sins(you see where im getting the catholic guilt?). seeing him being cocky post-tower of heaven usually feels wrong and ooc, he's too much of a sad wet cat

Simon also kinda feels like he suffered from catholic guilt, but to a lesser degree. he also just had this vibe of consistently undervaluing himself, esp in comparison to the people around him(particularly with erza. hell esp with erza. he barely felt himself worthy of telling her he was in love with her ever)

freed may not radiate catholic guilt but he definitely doesnt radiate confidence in my eyes unless its confidence in Laxus. honestly hes lowkey catholic about laxus(specifically in reference to the one time he went on a job with Wendy and asked a laxus in the sky for advice?)

Mystogan may not be our main dimension's jellal, but he is still jellal, as seen by how he tries to take the fall constantly for reverse anima stuff.

Elfman: i feel like i may catch some heat for this, but like come on. i feel like his "oh im so manly all the time and im obessed with being a man" thing, is often a front, like hes trying to put on a brave facade for his sisters' sake. idk maybe its bc ive been watching the tartaros arc that i put him here but eh whatever

anyways, much love <3

[l0qu1t44]

For Now

comfort, fluff

word count: 711

Alex slumped into his gaming chair after a long stream, head tilted back, legs spread lazily, a half empty beer dangling from his fingers. A small, tipsy smirk tugged at his lips as he looked up at you. “Come here,” he said, voice low and lazy. You raised an eyebrow, amused, a playful smirk tugging at your lips as you slowly stepped toward him. His eyes followed you with that familiar look, half teasing, half soft.

As soon as you were close enough, he set his beer aside and suddenly grabbed you by the waist, pulling you onto his lap with a swift motion that made you laugh. “You’re so needy when you’re drunk,” you teased, grinning. He smiled, a little crooked and sleepy, and leaned in to press a soft kiss to your neck. His lips were warm against your skin. “Only for you,” he murmured.

His arms wrapped around you tightly, holding you flush against his chest. He let out a content sigh, eyes fluttering shut as he buried his face in your chest like he never wanted to let go. You looked down at him, heart softening at the sight, and gently wrapped your arms around him in return. You pressed a kiss to his forehead, your fingers brushing absentmindedly through his hair. Neither of you said anything for a while. The room was quiet, filled only with the sound of your breathing, steady and calm in each other’s arms.

Time seemed to slow as you held each other, until he finally spoke, his voice low, almost hesitant. “Do you ever think about what it’d be like to have kids?” He blinked up at you slowly, eyes searching yours for an answer. Your eyes widened, caught completely off guard. “W-What?” You practically choked on your spit, pulling back slightly to look at him.

He watched your reaction, his expression faltering just slightly. “Does it really sound that bad…?” There was a trace of sadness in his voice, and a flicker of hurt in his eyes that made your chest ache. “No! Lexi, no, that’s not what I meant,” you said quickly, letting out a breath as you struggled to find the right words. “I just… I don’t think I’m ready for kids. At least not right now.” “I know,” he said softly. “But… it’s kind of a nice thought, right? Little versions of us running around.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the thought. The idea formed in your head, a smaller version of him, with his messy hair, those soft brown eyes, that familiar crooked smile, even the same little moles. You imagined pressing kisses to their cheeks the way you did to his, tiny arms wrapping around your legs, little fingers reaching up to grasp your hands. You pictured them running through the house, laughter echoing in every corner. “Yeah,” you said softly. “It does sound nice.”

There was a brief silence before he spoke again. “Do you think I’d be a good dad?” You looked down at him. There wasn’t a single doubt in your voice. “Yeah. Of course you would.” He searched your face, still uncertain. “Yeah?” You met his eyes. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t you be?” He gave a half hearted shrug. “I don’t know. I just… I don’t wanna fuck it up.” You tightened your arms around him. “It’s normal to make mistakes, Lexi. But we’ll figure it out, we’ll be okay.” He stared up at you, as if trying to believe you, then nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

You leaned down and pressed another kiss to his forehead. “Any kid would be lucky to have you,” you whispered. “I know I am.” He let out a soft, breathy sigh, melting into your touch with closed eyes. “I’m even luckier to have you,” he murmured, voice muffled against your skin.

You let out a quiet laugh. “I don’t even know why we’re talking about this like we’re actually expecting a kid.” Your laugh brought a smile to his face. He nuzzled into your neck, peppering it with playful kisses, his lips tickling your skin until you laughed again. He murmured the words between kisses, his grin lingering as his lips brushed against your skin.

“I guess we can just practice making a baby for now.”

—————————————————————————

inspired by last night’s stream :3

[thatpinkbetch]

I just have this idea stuck in my head of an au where Bakugou is a showrunner (or whatever) for one of those "guess that song in the first couple of seconds" game shows and Midoriya is just kind of like, randomly there one day dropping something off, maybe like as an assistant to someone or something, and when he walks into the room when theyre testing candidates for the show, he ruins the song immediately by going, "oh, whos playing Eraserhead?" And first Bakugous pissed that he ruined the song for the contestants. Especially since Midoriya doesnt even seem to know the show, or even recognize the concept until it's explained to him. But then he starts to notice that Midoriya recognizes the songs IMMEDIATELY. Im talking less than a second in, the moment the song STARTS, he'll be like "oh! I love this one!" Or "Ah, can we skip this?" And I'm not really certain how all of this would go down, but Bakugou would study him, and like, see him flipping through the car radio and how he barely even waits before skipping to the next station. "How the hell can you tell what's on?" "That was "All for One' by the League of Villains. I dont really like that one." Meanwhile Bakugou is flabbergasted. He kind of hates Midoriya for being so flawlessly perfect at this (HIS) concept without realizing how insane it is, because what the hell? How the FUCK does he know what song it is? Every time?? But then he also wants to get him on his show. So then finally, he tries to set Midoriya up as a contestant and they do a practice run, and Midoriya just freezes the fuck up LOL he cant do anything in front of an audience, hes got the worlds WORST stage fright. And then etc etc they fall in love, the end.

[more-better-words]

ctrl + f game

Tagged by @1lostsoul0fishbowl! Aw, thank you, doll! 🥰

(so I'm guessing it's from any and all published fics? We're going to say that it is)

My task is to find the words absolutely, giggle, and helpless. Let's see what we've got!

From We Remain:

Curiosity bolstered, she mounted the stairs, finding herself ascended to the building's flat roof, just in time to see Mo exhale a long plume of smoke. "Ah, you've found me," he said, sounding unconcerned. She laughed in shocked surprise. "Is that a cigarette?" "Don't tell Amira. She thinks I've quit." "They still make those things?" "Unfortunately yes." He took another drag, smiling slightly. "Can you forgive me a secret vice?" "Absolutely." 

From Chosen:

Syd generously ran interference for her with Amira for the rest of her shift, but Monica was still tired when she left Fat Mo's that afternoon. She headed back to the apartment (their apartment, she thought with a glow), arriving home before Karveth, which didn’t surprise her. He'd been putting in a lot of long duty shifts in the past month in preparation for the two weeks of leave he'd be taking when they got married. When they got married. She heard herself giggle suddenly, and covered her mouth hastily, even though she was alone. In a way, getting married wouldn’t really change anything, but it was exciting anyway. He was the best person she knew: strong-willed, quick-witted, brilliant and funny, with an incredible gentleness lurking beneath his stern, sarcastic exterior. She loved him – and more than that, she’d chosen him, from the first time they’d met, and now she would get to tell the universe that. Now if she could just get Amira to stop trying to turn this into a royal wedding complete with elephants and a three kilometer procession through the center of the colony.

From For the Duration:

It feels like after the Xindi attack...like something’s hanging over us, this cloud we can feel but can’t see. I used to look up at the night sky, and think about Uncle Trip, and all the amazing things out there. But now the dark hides things. Dad and Papa don’t wanna talk about it. But I guess I understand why, because I don’t wanna talk about it with the boys. They’re so much younger, I just wanna let them be kids. Which is probably what Dad and Papa think about me. But I’m nearly seventeen! And I just...I feel helpless. I guess that’s why I’m sending this to you. What do Vulcans do when they feel helpless? Or...is feeling helpless just completely illogical, and I should know better? Anyway...I don’t know where I was going with this. I guess, just, uh...chalk it up to your weird human nephew being weird and human. I hope you’re doing okay.

(That one was tough! 😅)

Tagging @deadheaddaisy, @indignantlemur, @pearlypairings, @phoenixflames12, @leliesbleu, and anybody else who wants to play. Your words are floor, coldly, and sparkle. Have fun!

[cyaontheflipside]

I'm craving a new fake video game to play in my head. Guess it's time I actually answered my own question. This is my pitch for a FNaF reboot! Welcome to Freddy's Fantasy Funland!

The game starts on a tram connecting the parking lot to Freddy's Fantasy Funland. We're on the Chica line. We check our watch. Midnight. The park closed hours ago. So how is the tram running? Our protagonist seems unfazed by it. As we ride, a speaker on the tram feeds us exposition about the history of Fazbear Entertainment, and how the brilliant William Afton created four characters that changed the face of entertainment; the pirate fox Foxy, the pizza-loving chicken Chica, the prankster bunny Bonnie, and of course, the laid-back, fun loving Freddy Fazbear. What started as a simple rent-a-costume party service became a massive multimedia franchise, including cartoons, toys, games, and finally, a theeeeemee parrrrr-

The speaker slows and cuts as the tram comes to a stop. Our protagonist mutters an expletive and leaves the tram. We'll have to make it the rest of the way on foot. If we make our way to the front of the tram, we can get our first look at how the characters are designed for this reboot. Since they are now mascot suits and no longer animatronics, the style is totally different. I think the characters in this game would look close to how Fredbear looks in the Fredbear's Family Diner posters in Security Breach; fat bellies, plastic faces, and a more detailed fur texture than would usually be seen in an animatronic. Basically, how I would expect them to look in the upcoming Secret of the Mimic.

We grab a flashlight out of our Fazbear-themed backpack and make our way through the forest. In the distance, we faintly hear another speaker on repeat: "Welcome, kids and adults alike, to Freddy's Fantasy Funland! Note: Fantasy and fun not guaranteed." That's... not supposed to be working. Suspicious. Following the noise, (and probably doing a tutorial, since this is the first gameplay segment,) we make it to Freddy's Fantasy Funland proper.

Our view zooms into a brown costumed hand waving at us from behind Admissions. We run there and hop over the turnstile, but it's too late. They're gone. Must be seeing things. From here, our next goal is through the visitor center and to Fazbear Square. However, if we stick around long enough, the speaker's line changes. "Welcome, kids and adults alike, to Freddy's Fantasy Funland! Note: Fazbear magic can't hurt you."

Welp, this is getting long, and I do want to have genuine plot twists in this story. So I'm going to make this part one of... I dunno how many.

There’s a couple of videos on YouTube now of how people would reboot the FNaF franchise. If you were tasked with coming up with a FNaF reboot - meaning no prior games are considered canon - how would you go about doing it? Make it as detailed or as brief as you’d like!

EDIT: I love how this post started getting some reblogs and the common consensus is “I’ll be back with a 10 page google doc”

[fightingwithallreality]

Both my sisters bought wedding dresses.

I move in five days.

The anxiety is not good tonight, boys

[apostaterevolutionary]

Okay can I be a bitter Anders fan for like. Just 2 minutes here lmao

Cause bioware released some game stats for veilguard and apparently 72% of players redeemed Solas which is like. Okay yeah the game kinda pushes you towards that. But when I think of all the shit I used to have to put up with just for enjoying Anders like at all and…

(This is not me being anti-Solas, I do not care if you love or hate him, but I am gonna say what he’s done is like. Objectively worse than literally every other companion so lmao. And that’s fine! You can still enjoy him! I’m not saying you can’t and it’s important to me that people understand that! I’m just saying he did in fact do objectively morally worse things in game than Anders did and I don’t think that’s really debatable. And I can’t really make my point here without saying that but I do want to make it clear this is not some moral condemnation of Solas enjoyers cause it’s not)

Getting anon hate on the regular, being told “oh you’re allowed to like Anders as long as you regularly talk about how much he sucks”, people gleefully describing how much fun they have killing him ON your posts about the fact that you like him, the devs making jokes about shitty fates for him when fans asked innocent questions about him, the absolute audacity of his writer to say half the shit she did in interviews (about bisexuality and mental illness, most critically), and then being beaten over the head again in inquisition about how Anders is the worst character to ever exist and there’s no redemption for terrorists who lie to you one time in the entire game and he deserves death or worse and that’s it

And now… 72% of people are down to redeem the guy who lies to you for 2 games straight and who did a lot of questionable things that includes creating the fucking blight and. Like. I guess I’m glad that Solas fans can live in a world where they aren’t constantly harassed and can give their ship like. A pretty damn good ending all things considered. And that the devs love Solas and actually give the option for that happy ending and have characters go to bat for Solas throughout the game and the most annoying thing they have to see are people making scrambled egg memes. I would not wish anyone to have to deal with the shit Anders fans had to put up with back then cause it sucked. It really sucked. And I’m glad it’s not being repeated with a different character, if nothing else

But like. Man there really is a difference when the writers actually like the character who does the thing, huh

[kaiserouo]

"Huh."

[lulu2992]

Happy 6th Anniversary to this detail that made me emotional.

[miniature-knight]

When your deranged Captain is growing as large as her ambitions