#and things are going to be much different now if they continue like how we left off ... so u don't think dustin would notice?
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Noor's family of five once had a beautiful home, but it was destroyed by bombs and war. Because of constant displacement, she and her family have little left. Her children have few clothes and are sick! They live in a tent. Food is getting more expensive. Winter is on the horizon. They need your help!
Her daughter Rajaa was infected with hepatitis from malnutrition, her eldest son Hussein can no longer go to school, and her baby boy Youssef needs milk, diapers, and clean drinking water. Her husband, Ashraf suffered from a shoulder injury at the beginning of the war, and has lost his job because the place where he worked was destroyedâhe worked as a math teacher at a school.
Noor's donation campaign is a testament to her strength and resilience. She struggles to communicate with me because of internet issues in Gaza, but has nonetheless conveyed this message, which I will now share with you:
"We will continue to live, continue to love, and continue to dream of a better tomorrow."
She loves her children, and thanks everyone who helps her. Please, she has raised only 24,270 / 40,000. I personally am so grateful to all who donated, but I will admit I am deeply saddened how much things have slowed. Like Noor, though, I believe in hope. I believe you can make a difference in her life, for her and her family.
Below, I have tagged individuals @nooranqar1 has requested me to. Her campaign is verified by @90-ghost, though her old account was deleted. See here: https://www.tumblr.com/90-ghost/753980516275994624/legit-fundraiser?source=share.
@dirhwangdaseul-archived @girlinafairytale @khangerinedreams @prisonhannibal
@rhubarbspring @neptunerings @heliopixels @neechees
@anneemay-blog @lesboevils @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @heritageposts @dykesbat
@tamamita @tamarrud @nabulsi27 @punkitt-is-here
#art#palestine fundraisers#artists on tumblr#gaza#free palestine#mutual aid#polls#digital art#palestine#đ”đž
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The moon is pretty, isnât it? ⧠CS
âââ~đ©âĄđȘ~âââ
bsf!chris! Couldâve, wouldâve, shouldâveâall the possibilities kept eating at you, until he showed up knocking on your window unannounced. [angst, smut, fluff, a sprinkle of everything]
wc. 1.1k
note. English is not my first language!
You and Chris had a falling-out.
You had accidentally laid your feelings bare during a harmless game of 'Truth or Dare'. The look on his face alone made you feel that twist in your gut, but what he said after his silence made your stomach feel like it was dropping down 10-stories.
"Are you fucking serious with me right now?" The almost mad sounding tone made your heart beat faster as you tried to backpedal, "no, Chris, that wasâ" he cut you off, standing up, looking pissed. "Iâm going home, canât fucking believe this shit," he stormed out before you could utter another word.
The front door slammed shut after him and you sat in silence for a while, your brain unable to comprehend what had just happened. When the realization finally dawned over you, you couldnât help the tears from forming in your eyes nor the painful clump in your throat.
Not only did he reject you and get angry at you, he left as well. Was he that angry? Were your feelings such a bad thing? Questions swirled in your head like a broken record.
You didnât know what to do, what to think or what to say. All you could do was sit there and cry, completely shocked with the turn of events. Some people may call you oversensitive or dramatic, but they donât know how much it hurtsâhow much more painful it was than any physical injuries.
You curled up in bed, thinking about everything that you couldâve done differently, everything that wouldâve been if you didnât tell him about your stupid crush on him and everything that shouldâve been â in your selfish fantasies.
đ©âĄđȘ
You had fallen asleep on your bed after crying. Feeling slightly better but your sleep was plagued by memories of his face, the way he reacted to your feelings and the words he spoke.
You were jolted awake by the sound of knocking, looking around in confusion as you sat up on your bed, only to see Chris looking at you through your window.
You nearly had a heart attack, staring back at him with wide eyes and your hand on your chest. After all, your room was on the second floor, how the fuck did he climb up?
You scurried to the window, opening it to let him in, all the previous hurt gone, replaced by pure bewilderment. His expression turned pained when he saw the dried tear streaks and red puffy eyes, "donât look at me like that." You blinked, finally realising youâve been staring at him with wide eyes and a gaped mouth, quickly closing your mouth as you schooled your expression.
"What was that?" Chris sighed, "what was what?" He questioned back, "how the fuck did you climb up? Better yet, why the fuck are you climbing in through the window?" He rubbed his temple, looking frustrated, "look, I knocked on your front door but you didnât open it, just forget about me climbing in and letâs... letâs talk aboutâ"
You cut him off with a stubborn "no" , he blinked, surprised at what he was hearing, "what?" He asked confused, making you repeat yourself, louder this time, "no." He looked at you bewildered, like he couldnât believe he was hearing what he was hearing.
"Donât be a brat," Chris inhaled deeply before continuing, "listen, I know I reacted a bit too dramatically and Iâm sorry for that, but you have to understand how surprising it was for me," you scoffed at his words, eliciting a heavy sigh from him.
"Please, just..." His voice trailed off into another sigh, "I canât... I mean, we shouldnât," his voice was barely above a whisper, the uncertainty and vulnerability in his eyes caused your heart to race. "Why?" A simple question really, but the answer wasnât so simple.
"Because..." His voice trailed off, knowing he doesnât have a good excuse as to why they couldnât, "because weâre friends." That made your expression harden, "right, of course Sherlock, I know." Chris groaned, "youâre not making this easierâ" you cut him off, "and youâre being insensitive."
"Donât be like that, i just..." he trailed off again, biting the side of his bottom lip nervously, he was fighting a losing battle between what he wanted and what was the better choice in his opinion. "Please..." you looked at him, "please what? What do you want me to do Chris? You know what, never mindâ"
His eyes widened at your dismissive tone, realising he might lose you if he wasnât honest, "no, no, Iâllïżœïżœ weâllâfuck, letâs do it." He stammered, making you pause, "what?" He quickly added, "letâs date." You looked at him for a good minute, "what?" You asked dumbly, "letâs date," he repeated himself.
"Are you serious? You were just saying you won't and can't when i asked you just now," you raised your eyebrows, completely taken aback, to which he let out a quiet chuckle to. "I know, I just realised something, forget about it and come here," he pulled you closer, and you eagerly complied.
He hugged you tightly, "I realised I couldnât fight it anymore, youâre too important to me, I canât lose you no matter what," you let yourself melt in his embrace. "You serious?" You whispered into his chest, nuzzling into it, making him laugh softly. "Yeah, dead serious." You sighed, in relief and contentment.
Suddenly, he walked backwards with you still in his embrace and plopped on the bed, taking you down with him. "Heyâ" he shut you up with a kiss, a soft chaste one, and you smiled into it, your heart feeling lighter and warmer.
As you deepened the kiss, his hands wandered over your body, inching down to squeeze your ass before smacking it gently. The sudden feeling made you squirm, causing you to grind on him, making him let out a small groan into the kiss.
You could feel the heat and hardness under you, the only barrier being your thin clothes, and the friction was almost too good to stop. Your hips rolled as you chased after that friction, only for Chris to hold your hips in place.
Groaning as you broke the kiss, "why?" you whined breathlessly, "I wanna feel you, can I?" He whispered, playing with the waistband of your sleep shorts. Nodding as you helped him take off your sleep shorts, followed by his sweatpants.
đ©âĄđȘ
Your world blurred as he fucked you senseless, you didnât even remember how or when you got into the doggy style position. Your orgasm crashed over you for the nth time tonight, gasping as you tried to control your loud moans, your wrists were pinned on the small of your back by Chris as he pounded into you. "Fuckâso beautiful, ma."
As you two lay in each otherâs embrace, content and relishing in the afterglow, you couldnât help but make a comment about the full moon glowing brightly in the darkness of the night.
"The moon is pretty, isnât it?" Chris chuckled softly, pulling you closer, nuzzling his face in your hair, "yeah, as pretty as my girl."
đ©âĄđȘ
wc. 1,183
Isa's notes. I know my fics always end with smut or something suggestive... I try to make it any other genre, i really do, but the voicesâ lmaoo I'm js fucking around, i just like me some smut đ
xoxo đ©âĄđȘ
Masterlist đ©âĄđȘ Taglist
Taglist: @strnilolover @mattsfavoritestar @sophand4n4 @tpwktahlz @lilyyliloo @slut4angstt @pvssychicken @poolover123 @loud-sturniolos @inlovewchrissturniolo @queenshet @chrisstopherfilmed @billiesbabya
© sweetshuga
#chris sturniolo#smut#blurb#chris x reader#chris x you#fanfiction#chris sturniolo smut#christopher sturniolo#chris sturniolo blurb#christopher sturniolo oneshot#christopher sturniolo blurb#christopher sturniolo smut#chris sturniolo oneshot#chris sturniolo fanfic#christopher sturniolo fanfic#smut oneshot#oneshot#fanfic#chris x y/n#sturniolo triplets#nick sturniolo#matt sturniolo#sweetshugacs#đ©âĄđȘsweetshuga
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November is Diabetes Awareness Month A few years ago during his days in WWE, The Conglomeration's Kyle O'Reilly opened up about having diabetes. Here's what he said: "Iâve never been super candid or vocal about living with type 1 diabetes but since November is Diabetes awareness month I figured it was my responsibility to share some things that may help somebody else. This device on my arm is a continuous glucose monitor and it is basically my life line. I know how hard it can be living with diabetes. Injecting insulin or constantly stabbing your finger to test your blood at what always seems to be the prime inopportune moment. There are so many variables that make living with this disease difficult and every day is a struggle to maintain healthy blood sugars. Iâve been inspired recently by Chris Ruden and Kyle Kondoff two guys who are very comfortable in their skin and are very open about living with type 1 diabetes. Iâve been reminded that nobody has to travel this road on their own and having a support system is critical in diabetes management. Although there is no cure, medical technology continues to advance and having the EversenseCGM become a part of my life has really changed the game for me. I know how self conscious one can be with pump wires hanging out of your shirt or having to draw and inject insulin in the middle of a crowded restaurant, but thatâs life. And having this device makes me feel like a cyborg which is cool too. If you or somebody you know struggles with this disease youâve got someone cheering you on. If you care for a child with diabetes let them know they can achieve anything. Doctors told me a career in pro-wrestling would be impossible. Iâm an NXT tag-team champion now. This is a mental grind as much as it is a physical grind and take each day with a new perspective and chance to be better than you were yesterday." As well, from a different interview, if you're curious about how he manages things: "On days where Iâm on TV it seems like my insulin doesnât really work. I think thatâs cortisol and stress doing its thing. As soon as Iâm done and I can settle back down it works again. Typically before matches I tend to run pretty high, but I think that beats the alternative of having a low. We all know what can happen there. So I have to be a little comfortable being high going into the ring. I might get a little more tired at the time, but I can manage that. As soon as I come back through the curtain, I take insulin."
#aew#throwback#diabetes awareness#kyle o'reilly#the conglomeration#interesting#today i learned#pro wrestling#inspration
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This is my last post about it. OBX 4 wasnât just bad in terms of JJ but all characters in general.
The writers, knowing theyâd kill JJ off, started a character assassination train on him perhaps expecting us to feel like he deserved to die? But we know JJ. We all know JJâs reckless but not to this level of detachment. He was acting like an entirely different person. JJ wouldâve never treated Kiara, John B or any of his friends like that. Ever. Not matter how bad life turned out. Even with the whole âJJ blew all of our money!â itâs like they wanted us to hate him so badly.
Donât even get me started on how bad that JJ plot twist was and since Part 1 I said it. Trying to erase his entire life like that even when it didnât make sense was lazy writing. And all for what? To have his biological father be the one to kill him at the end? Because thatâs the only possibly cruel explanation for that plot twist.
Killing JJ in such a way when this character spent his entire life suffering physical and emotional abuse from his adoptive father is cruel and it sends such a sad messaging.
OBX has always been bad at giving the girls good story lines and that arenât always about their boyfriends. Kiaraâs relationship with her parents was totally ignored. We got from them cutting her off at 401 to them clapping for her at the ceremony and we never got to know how they reached that place. Did they go to family therapy in those 18 months? Did they talk and came to an agreement together? But nothing.
Cleo didnât get to have a story line that wasnât mostly adjacent to Pope. And for a character thatâs been here for 3 seasons we only know she worked for Terrance and itâs good with knifes. We donât know her actual surname. And I was expecting more from her revenge plot and I feel silly for expecting that from those writers.
Sarahâs PTSD regarding Ward was never further explored. The writers also forgot about Wheezie and Rose. Sarah wouldnât have continued on without trying to reach out to her. Itâs like they just didnât want to deal with it. And the worst one is them making Sarah say she didnât feel ready for a family at her age for them to forget about it and have her pregnant. Despite how silly it is considering the circumstances of their life and how much trauma she has to heal from.
Donât even get me started on the way the writers never explored the girls relationship. The only bonding scene between the girls we got was Sarah telling Kiara sheâs pregnant and Cleo wasnât even there. We never saw them just existing as young girls just joking around. Hell; even a whole boys conversation would feel somehow natural and we didnât even got that.
Pope is a killer now? And by the influence of Cleo not less. Did the writers forgot about Season 3? And how she was the one that stopped him from killing Rafe. So, now youâre telling me she was the one egging him on to become a killer. Make it make sense please.
And the pogues dynamic was so bad. God, it was so out of character for them all. Firstly, John B wouldâve never allowed JJ to walk into that self destructive path especially after learning about Chandler. And then, the way JJ confessed to Pope he was sucidical and he just didnât say anything about it? Kiara was also incredible out of character. And that death scene was particularly dumb in so many levels, because it couldâve been preventable and it was pointless. But the thing that pisses me off the most is that the pogues stood there watching. In a scene that felt perhaps a bit anticlimactic. âNot pogue gets left behindâ but they buried him on a desert in Morocco and had Rafe be the one to dig the hole too. Those are not my pogues and this wasnât the dynamic I feel in love with. OBX went from being a comfort show to give me so much unnecessary frustrations.
#outer banks#outer banks season 4#this is for real THE LAST thing Iâll say#good riddance#i wonât watch season 5#obx#obx season 4#obx s4#jj maybank#jiara#kiara carrera#sarah cameron#john b routledge#cleo obx#pope heyward#jarah#cleopope#text post
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Therapy Files 1: Dead Enough to be Alive
Screenshot Credit: @neverscreens
Summary: Carmy is headed to his first therapy appointment and his girlfriend (who he calls Darling) tries to soothe him while he freaks out about it. (873 Words)
Warnings: Swearing, mention of vomit, passive suicidal thoughts, impending mental breakdown (no breakdown in this one), fem reader/generic lass who is a trauma surgeon, she/her pronouns.
Notes: Thank you for reading and sharing! Sideblog for social stuff: @m-z-shoroi. If you want to filter out the therapy posts, the tag is #cb therapy files.
Day 1
I almost threw up the day of therapy.
It's funny how al-anon meetings didn't fuck me up this bad. Being a no-face in a room full of faceless sufferers somehow made it easier to summon and examine the pain of Mikey dying, of cooking consuming every aspect of my being until all that was left was this chewed lump of mangled muscle and bone fighting for some form of continued existence. I could rip it from my chest, hold it in my hand, turn it in the light. Look at all the faces, the thin spots, the gouges, the dents. Half the people there werenât listening to me at all, were lost in the turmoil of their own pain and suffering, of the loved ones that were too far away to reach or so unreachable that they were gone. I didnât mind it.
Half the time, I just needed to hear what I had to say, anyway. Something about the words coming out of my mouth, as stuttered, incomplete, inadequate as they were; something about hearing my own voice say them to me, of my voice hitting my earsâthat was the important part. Iâve been through hell and back, I understand clearer than anyone else that Iâm the most powerful climber I know. I donât need someone to grab my hand and pull me out of this mess; I just need someone to know that Iâm here. I need someone to witness my existence, my pain, my misery. I just need someone to come looking for me if I go quiet for too long. Just a face over the edge of the cliff. They donât need to say nothing. They just need to exist.
Iâm just dead enough to be alive at all, and in a room full of ghosts, thatâs an easier thing to reconcile than trying to explain that to a fucking therapist (whoâll probably put me on some sort of watch list after probing me with a thousand questions about whether or not I want to die, how I plan to do it, how much of my plan Iâve enacted). I shouldnât be pissed. Itâs their job. Fuck only knows how many times theyâve had their 3:00 not show up only to find out the next day that their 3:00 would never show up for anything again. But how else do I explain these brambles of mortality, this barbed wire anchored in my skin. I canât escape death.
He owes me a brother.
He owes me some fucking answers.
 Darling's hand landed on my thigh. "Baby, you're going to crack your knees on the dashboard if you don't stop bouncing your leg like that."
And I'm fucking terrified of therapy.
"Why are you terrified, sweetheart?"
Shit, I said that aloud, didn't I? "I just... I don't know." I raked my hair back. "I don't know."
"It's a little too late to cancel the appointment nowâ"
"I know, I know, I know." I pressed the heels of my hands into my cheekbones. I know. Iâm not saying Iâm not going to go; Iâm saying Iâm terrified. Those are different things.
She squeezed my knee. "Breathe, pretty boy."
I heaved a breath.
"You're gonna be okay, baby.â
"What if I'm not?"
It took her a bit to answer. "Then we'll do what we can to make it okay."
She canât make promises, but right about now I need some of those. Promise me Iâll be okay? Promise me itâs not as bad as it seems?
The car turned, then stopped. Her cold fingers curled around my wrist.
"Hey. Look at me, Bear?"
I dropped my hands, but I couldn't make myself look over. Don't know why; it probably would've calmed me down to see her pretty face, but my eyes stayed glued to the hood of the car parked in front of us, the icicles hanging in front of the grill. Teeth. Fuck, I was clenching my jaw again. Heat surged in my chest, crawled up into my neck, only this time, the panic didnât come with itâmy eyes just stung. I only felt a breakdown coming.
She interlocked her hand with mine, brought the back of it to her warm lips. Pressed a kiss to it, just to the side, behind my thumb. She returned it with a plum-pink lipstick print on it. Jagged, sharp, blurred edges, but distinctly hers.
"Do you think that'll help?" She whispered, carding through my curls, tucking them behind my ear.
Iâm trying not to have a meltdown, baby girl, Iâm useless.
She pulled my shirt collar down and planted another one on my sternum, just below where the neckline would be. It bloomed a wave of coolness in my chest. A comfortable cold. This wasnât ice against my chest; ice is sharp, jagged, a frozen lightning bolt. The kiss was milder, softer. Diffuse.
She replaced my shirt, pecked my mouth. âHow about that one?â
How about you give me another one after this fucking appointment, hm?
Tags: @jess248, @catharticconsolation, @persymons, @morgthemagpie, @glitch0o0, @nox-is-thename @forgechildofheph @leminjelly
#cb journal#cb therapy files#carmy x reader#carmen berzatto#carmen berzatto fanfiction#carmy berzatto#the bear fanfiction#carmy berzatto fanfiction#the bear#carmen berzatto fluff#carmy berzatto x reader#carmen berzatto x reader
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i see you reblogging aa, is this a sign an ace attorney fic is on the horizon đ
I resign myself to the fact that any reblogging spree of one work inevitably results in people in my inbox asking if I'm currently writing fanfic about it. I can't complain, because the answer is usually yes absolutely of course I am.
I will say that the Great Phoenix Wright Trilogy Playthrough Of 2024 was this summer! It was very much a tether to sanity and I'm very grateful towards @lazuliquetzal for letting me watch her play and for making the experience so much fun. A very intricate bedrock of lore/in-jokes developed. Edgeworth thinks he discovered homosexuality and younger sister figures are mandatory in a court of law. We found it extremely well-written, very funny, and really interesting in character dynamics. I also got her to play Ghost Trick, which was awesome as usual. We're currently both obsessing about different things - and my fanfic to-do list is already VERY long - so no fanfic is actually in the works right now.
Of course I've already written some, who do you take me for. I wrote this just for us, so it's unfinished and rife with our in-jokes, but somewhat shockingly it probably has the densest joke-to-word ratio that I've ever written. Sometimes I want to continue writing something, but I look at it and I'm like, 'This is too good. I can't keep up this level of good. I can't reach this high again'. The short fanfic - sourced from our recurring jokes/efforts to figure out [SPOILERS FOR ACEATT3] how blind Godot is exactly, and what I would have found the most interesting - is, believe it or not, too good to keep writing.
Zany fanfic and spoilers for Ace Attorney 3 under the cut.
          As it turned out, there was a prosecutorâs lounge.
          Like a lot of Phoenixâs least favorite facts, it was both obvious in retrospect and deeply disturbing. The defendantâs lounge had an obvious purpose: confer with your client, beg them to tell you simple facts that would determine if they were sentenced to death via electric chair, let your coworkers blow off steam by making fun of you. Gumshoe is useful at the least useful second. None of these banal and extraordinarily stressful events had anything to do with a prosecutor.
          That was why Edgeworth had always wandered into the defendantâs lounge and made vague yet affectionate threats at Phoenix. If he had his own sterile room to stand around awkwardly, he surely would have done so. This felt so obvious it ought to have gone without saying. There couldnât, like, actually be a real lounge. That would imply a lot of things about Edgeworthâs choices.Â
As a result, when Gumshoe tossed Phoenix the updated coronerâs report and asked him to run it to the prosecutorâs lounge, Phoenixâs first instinct was to contemplate suicide. His only remaining link to sanity was the knowledge that running Gumshoeâs errands to an imaginary room was better than the alternative of staying here.
          Much better. Gumshoe was looking at Maggey, Maggey was refusing to look at Gumshoe, Phoenix wanted to be nowhere near any of this, and he was taking the out. Gumshoe might as well have asked him to go check if his refrigerator was running. Call him a mechanic, because he grabbed both Maya and Pearl and high-tailed it out of there.
          He had to ask for directions three different times before he even found the place. It was a place that could be found. In real life. Phoenix better go catch his fucking refrigerator!
It was also right next door to the defendantâs lounge. Had this really been here the entire time? Could Phoenix have been wandering into Edgeworthâs lobby and making vague yet affectionate threats at him? He could have even stood in front of the door and blocked Edgeworthâs ritualistic escape from his feelings. His was a life of missed opportunities.
          âI bet they have free coffee,â Maya said grimly. âI bet they have tacos.â
          âWith free avocados,â Phoenix intoned. âAs much as they want. Maybe caviar.â
          Pearl blasted her large and doleful eyes up at Nick. âWhy donât you put avocados on the tacos you make for us? I love themâŠâ
          Poverty, but he couldnât tell her that. Nick settled for patting her on the head. âAvocados are as immoral as the prosecutors themselves, Pearly. Itâs a matter of ethics.â
          âEthics are so overrated,â Maya said mournfully, kicking the doors open. âLetâs go evil, Nick. For the sake of the children.â
          The cops inside did not appreciate Mayaâs dynamic entry, but nobody ever did. Disappointingly, the prosecutorâs lounge was identical to the defendantâs one â down to the cops, cheap sofa, and ugly-ass art. The only difference was â son of a bitch, they did have coffee!
          Entirely possible that Godot refused to step foot inside the courthouse unless they installed a coffee machine. But it was the principle of the thing, goddamn it! Nobody ever cared about Phoenixâs hunger strikes!
          Potentially entirely due to coffee, Godot was sitting on the scratchy sofa with his head tilted back and one earbud in his ear. Its cord snaked onto the cushions of the couch, attacked to some small black media player. Was he awake? Was he asleep? Was he dead? If they were really quiet, would he sleep through the trial and leave Phoenix to win by default â
          âThey have a chartreuse board!â Maya screeched. âThose rat bastards!â
          Pearl gasped, hands flying to her mouth. âIs that sushi? Free sushi!? I love sushi!â
          âGet my purse, Pearl-chan! Grab much as you can!â
          âSo itâs hereditary,â Godot growled. Phoenix winced, instinctively checking for coffee cups in his vicinity. The familiar cheap coffee table seemingly only had one, but on closer look Nick could tell that they were carefully stacked into each other. How tidy! âHow did you even know this place existed, Trite?â
          One of these days Phoenix was going to start pronouncing his name âguh-dotâ. That would show him. He hadnât mustered the courage yet, but one of these days! âHow could I not know it existed?â Poker face, Phoenix. Look condescending. Evoke Edgeworth. Show him whatâs what. Literally nobody else you know is scared of him, therefore you are not scared of him, we are manifesting absolute zen in the face of the tallest man Phoenix had ever met in his life. He was sitting down. This shouldnât be hard. âItâs right next to the defendantâs lounge, how could we miss it?â
          âIs that so?â Godot slowly leaned forward, like a great beast awakening from a mighty slumber. His movements were stiff and disjointed, like a fat bear waking from hibernation. âThe spotlight of truth must be like a floodlight to the most enlightened defense lawyers. Illuminating all. Hiding nothing. But shadows cling to the undersides of society, and true darkness lurking underneath the charcuterie board ââ
          âI have the updated coronerâs report,â Phoenix said, flapping the envelope loosely. âGumshoe wanted you to have the other copy.â
          âYeah, give it here.â
          âIf the charcuterie board is evil donât tell me.â Maya was plowing through a hunk of goat cheese like a rabid coyote. âI donât wanna know. None of my business. Put the wasabi in my coin purse, Pearl-chan.â
          There was something inherently evil about having a cheeseboard at the workplace, but the legal system couldnât get much worse. Godot didnât stand up from the couch â he just thrust out a hand, making shockingly childish little grabby hands, forcing Phoenix to cross the entire room and put it in his hands. Pearl ran up to Phoenix and helpfully smeared wasabi on his hand.
          Godot took the coronerâs report and dropped it on the table. He leaned back, reaffixing his earbud in his ear. âCharmed. Clean us out of the nori, girls, itâs Payneâs favorite and I want him to experience suffering.â
          Pearl helpfully tugged at Phoenixâs sleeve, dying it a light green. If he lost this case because the judge thought he smelled bad⊠âCan you pour me the last of the coffee, Mr. Nick? I wanna be a big girl and do it for me but the big jug is too heavy.â
          âAre you kidding? Youâre way too young for coffee.â The last thing they needed was a nine year old bouncing off the walls. In a courtroom. During a murder case. Phoenix turned to Godot, who was biting his tongue and barely restraining himself from cursing out a nine year old. Was that blood? âYouâll want to take a look at that, Mr. Godot. Thereâs a new piece of evidence that could change everything.â
          âSave the dramatics for the courtroom.â Godot leaned back again, waving his hand absently. Yeah, that was definitely blood on his yellowed teeth. Phoenix had to admire the restraint. âWhatâs this new tidbit thatâs so important, then?â
          Was he everyoneâs errand boy? âThe reportâs right there, read it yourself.â
          âSeems like I was correct in pegging you as the lazy type, Trite. Look at you refusing to do a simple task.â
          Pearl made an âoooâing noise behind her hands. Maya broke a cracker in half, giving her the smaller piece. âDonât say that world, Pearl-chan.â
          âWhat wo ââ
          âYou canât insult me into doing the most basic aspect of your job. You read it.â
          âIâm a busy man. Iâm hard at work actually making justice.â But he was sleeping?! âDefense attorneys clearly have nothing better to do than eat our precious cheeses. Show me that you can do the most basic element of the job.â
          Talk about a turnabout! This man had cranked the hostility meter up towards eleven and broke the knob off. Francizka had spent most of a year almost gnawing his face off, but she had never made Phoenix feel so specially hated. âSorry, Godot, Iâm not falling for it. But youâll definitely want to read the report yourself. It has essential information for the trial in literally five minutes.â
          âIf itâs so important than why did we give it to him at all?â Maya garbled, spewing pita chips everywhere. âWe could have hid it and won this case!â
          âBecause thatâs unethical ââ
          âYou never let anything go! You and your silly ethics ââ
          âSilly?!â
          Godot leaned forward and swept his hand over the table with incredibly unnecessary drama. He swept the folder into his hands, yanking the crumpled police report out. He ostentatiously snapped the paper and held it up to his visor, reading it closely. He nodded several times. He even hummed once.
          Finally, Godot straightened and tossed the report on the table. âBoring! So much for crucial evidence. Youâre looking at the shadows in the cave and calling them innocent of heinous crimes, Mr. Trite. Turn away from illusions and overcome your cowardice by entering the deepest depths of Platoâs cave, facing your inner demons and reckoning with the truth of ââ
          âBoring?â Phoenix cried. âThe window for the potential time of the murder is completely different than we thought? And Iâm the one living in a fantasy land?â
          Godot stared at him. âReally?â Phoenix made a garbled noise of outrage. Godot ignored him. âWhatâs the new window, then?â
          âRead it yourself!â
          âHm.â Godot angled his head to the side, facing away from Phoenix. âHey, little girl. I bet you canât read.â
          Going for the throat?! Pearl clearly didnât know whether or not to puff herself up in indignation or start crying. âI am such a good reader!!!!â
          âReally? Prove it.â Godot picked up the crumpled page and wave it at her. âOr are you a liar?â
          âBeing a liar is for bad girls! I am a very good girl!â Pearl reached up on her tip-toes and nabbed the paper out of Godotâs hands. She scanned the page seriously, eyebrows furrowed. âHere! Right here! The new time of death is ââ
          âAre you making a nine year old read a coronerâs report?!â
          Maya slurped slivers of ginger with pitying eyes. âShe channels the dead, Nick.â
          âAnd thatâs the time,â Pearl finished smugly. Phoenix hadnât even heard her say it. She held out the papers to Godot again, who ignored her. âNow you know the time, because I am such a good reader.â
          âYouâre a diamond in the rough, kid,â Godot told her seriously. âNever let these dullards dull your shine.â
          âMy nameâs not Diamond,â Pearl informed him, equally seriously. âIt is Pearl Fey. Donât feel bad. Itâs a very common mistake.â
          âI donât make mistakes, kid. Iâm just one step ahead of reality. Count on it.â
          âYou donât have to be prideful, Mr. Godot.â Pearl smiled brightly and encouragingly at him, as if she was trying to connive a pit bull into a doing a trick. âItâs okay if you arenât a good reader. Or if you arenât a good speller. Iâm a bad speller but that doesnât make me a bad reader. Being a bad speller has nothing to do with being a good reader. I am a piece of decisive evidence about that.â
          Maya looked grimly at Phoenix, who was contemplating suicide again. âWeâre ruined her vocabulary.â
          âWe let her sit in during murder cases, Maya.â
          âAnd itâs ruined her vocabulary.â
          âWhatâs ruined your brain?â
          âDo you need me to read more things for you?â Pearl asked sweetly. âI like practicing my reading. Iâm always practicing with Mr. Nickâs court records. Theyâre lots of fun and very educational. I can read âfive counts of manslaughterâ very well. Do you want to see me spell it?â
          Godot looked at Maya. He looked at the coffee table, where the papers were not. He looked contemplative, maybe. Finally, he said, âHow are you at serving coffee?â
          âIf the jug is medium sized I can be very good at it!â
          âYouâre hired.â
          Alright, that was enough. Phoenix had a lot of responsibilities, but his responsibility to Maya and Pearl came before every single one. That conviction had been put to test during that awful Engarde case. Phoenix almost sacrificed his integrity as a lawyer for Mayaâs sake - he was not going to lose it now!
          âAbsolutely not,â Phoenix said. It didnât matter how insanely tall this guy was. Phoenix was taking a stand - right here, right now. Granted, the stand would go to his shoulder, but it was the conviction that counted! âChild labor is against the law, and her legal guardian does not give consent for this.â Phoenix made dangerous eyes at a cowed Maya, just to reaffirm that her legal guardian was not giving consent. âDonât you have your own co-counsel? Make them do your chores, and stop stealing mine!â
          âI wasnât planning on paying her,â Godot said affably. âThatâs a violation of child labor laws, you know.â
          Maya appeared to be seriously considering his proposal. Which shouldnât have been a big deal, but please refer back to the legal guardian wrinkle in this case. âI donât know, Nick. Donât you think itâs time Pearl flew out from underneath your shadow? Itâs not exactly as if you pay me either.â
          âYouâll get paid when you do something helpful that gets me paid,â Phoenix said instantly. Maya glumly accepted this reality. âThereâs no paycheck in moral support, Maya. Godot can use his own co-counsel ââ
          âI donât have a co-counsel,â Godot said. âDo I look like Iâve received an ounce of moral support in the last four years? Of kindness? Hell has no comradeship.â
          Phoenix flapped a hand. âYeah, whatever. Your plucky imouto, co-counsel, whatever. Just get her to do it.â
          For the first time, Godot actually gave him a baffled look. Maybe. It was insanely hard to tell. âWhat would I do with a â younger sister, is it?â
          Everybody froze. You could have heard a penny drop. Maya and Pearlâs eyes practically goggled out of their heads.
          Godot just stood there, ignoring Pearl and Maya but clearly unsettled by the silence. âCream and sugar undercuts the delectable bitterness of the black coffee. A life without siblings is a satisfyingly dark roast.â
          Slowly, Phoenix said, âIâm sorry. Youâre a lawyer with no plucky female sidekick?â
          âIâve had kouhai,â Godot said defensively. âI have a certain talent for mentorship ââ
          âMentorship? What makes you think youâre qualified to give any sort of mentorship? Youâre a rookie!â Phoenix said the word ârookieâ like how Edgeworth said âpolyesterâ, which was deeply satisfying. âAnd havenât you lost every case youâve ever taken?â
          Maya looked close to tears. âNo wonder heâs such an awful lawyerâŠhe doesnât have a single imouto.â
          âIs that the âhellâ Mr. Godot talks about?â Pearl asked, voice wavering. âA world with no women?â
          âYouâre projecting,â Godot snapped. âJust because youâre surrounded by teenage girls all day doesnât mean any other lawyer is obligated to do the same.â
          âAny good lawyer. Why do you think Edgeworth has an imouto.â The thought of Edgeworth with no Franciska to hone hisâŠedgeâŠhow sad. âAnd Franciska has Edgeworth as an imouto. This is law one-oh-one, Godot.â Phoenix propped his hands on his hips, grinning. âHah! No wonder you canât beat me! You donât know the first thing about law, do you?â
          âAnd he canât read,â Maya said sadly. âMaybe Mr. Godot isnât exaggerating when he tells us how sad and pathetic he isâŠâ
          âYou thought he was exaggerating?â
          The tragic sight of the thoroughly baffled man clearly tugged at Pearlâs heartstrings, but she quickly found her resolve too. She rolled up her sleeves, as if they were at the office and she was ready to attack Phoenixâs toilet with a scrub brush. Once she had almost fallen in. âThat does it! If Mr. Godot doesnât have an imouto, then Iâll - â
          âNope. His problem, not ours.â Frankly, Phoenix was just trash talking a little. If you pretended Edgeworth and Franciska didnât exist â impossible for Phoenix, but he could stretch his imagination â then Godot was a pretty good lawyer. To be a pretty good lawyer without the massive handicap of no young girlâŠPhoenix better stop giving the competition a hand like this. âCome on, the security guardâs started glaring at us again. Itâs definitely time to start the trial.â
          âYour face will freeze like that, you know,â Pearl seriously told the security guard. He didnât visibly react to her words at all. Maybe Pearl was onto something⊠âMr. Nick, I have a duty to my fellow man -â
          âYou can practice your reading with picture books, like a normal kid.â Pearl indignantly opened her mouth, doubtlessly about to launch into a meandering and breathless rant about her favorite Newberry Award winning childrenâs book author. âIn English, not Japanese. Reading in English is your problem. At this rate youâre going to know how to read legalese and nothing else.â Phoenix yanked open the door, shepherding both girls out. Maya quickly stuffed more California rolls in her sleeve. âBad enough Mayaâs neglecting â Jesus Christ!â
          âYou canât give me a hard time about that,â Maya said reproachfully. âIâm Shinto.â
          Obviously, goddamn Gumshoe was at the door, one fist raised and clearly about to knock. His fist fell at the exact moment that Phoenix opened the door, and Phoenix only barely avoided a royal smack on the head by via Gumshoeâs meaty fist. He really couldnât afford another concussion at this rate! CTE was a very serious brain disorder!
          âMr. Wright! Hey, I thought Iâd find you here! Right underneath my fist too! Howâs that for some detective work, huh!â Gumshoe laughed uproariously, as if his crush wasnât about to board her kayak and start doing the death row. And as if he hadnât told Phoenix to go here. âWell, enough playing around! Itâs time to get back to it! Thereâs no excuse for slacking off when Maggeyâs life is on the line, you know!â
          âYouâre the one who sent me on an errand!â Phoenix snapped. He shut the door tightly behind him. The last thing he needed was Godot adding his two cents. Or, knowing his wordiness, his two dollars. And change. âDid you forget telling me to give Godot the coronerâs report? It was five minutes ago!â
          âWhat? Why would I do that?â Gumshoe paused a second, creaky and rusty gears churning in his brain. Maya made demonstrative kissy noises. âOh, yeah! Did you read it out to him?â
          Phoenix was going to have a fucking aneurysm. âIs there some reason why Prosecutor Godot is incapable of doing his own work? Iâm already doing half the prosecutorâs job in the courtroom anyway!â
          âSome reason? Uh, yeah.â Gumshoe scratched the back of his neck, quirking an eyebrow. âItâs not exactly as if he can read the thing, you know.â
          âOh my god,â Maya whispered, âhe really canât read.â
          Pearlâs eyes were brimming with tears. âA lawyer who canât readâŠheâs so brave!â
          âBrave is one word for it,â Phoenix said flatly. How could he have ever been scared of this guy? No imouto, no literacyâŠthe only thing impressive about him was how heâd even gotten this far. âItâs not my problem if Godot dropped out of fourth grade. Heâs giving me enough problems, tell him to solve his own.â
          For some reason, Gumshoe outright glared at Phoenix. Phoenix was getting used to his misplaced ire over Xirneohp, but what did Maggey have to do with this? If anything, he should be thanking Phoenix for refusing to help the competition. âThatâs out of line, pal! Havenât you heard of basic human decency?â
          âIn a courtroom? No.â
          âHeâs got you there,â Maya said wisely. âWhen Nickâs putting the âNickâ in âpanickedâ, then he can do some pretty sketchy stuff ââ
          âAnd you call me the narc?!â
          âThe courtroom doesnât matter.â Gumshoe was still scowling at Phoenix. Of course itâs only Phoenix who gets treated like this. Edgeworth insults Gumshoe all day and heâs still his biggest fan. âI told you specifically to read out the autopsy report so Prosecutor Godot could record it into his PDA. Then he always labels it with that funny little label maker of his. You gotta get your ears cleaned out, pal.â
          Phoenix turned to Maya and Pearl, silently pleading for backup. Gumshoe was making Phoenix doubt his own sanity. Normally he just made Phoenix think he was losing it.
          But Maya just looked tragically disappointed in him. âNickâŠyou didnât even let Godot label it with his funny little label maker?â
          Desperately, Phoenix rounded on Pearl. He was ready to fake tears. But Pearl just looked ready to whale on him with her little fists. âHow could you, Mr. Nick? I didnât get to see Mr. Godotâs cassette recorder! Iâve always wanted to touch one!â
          âAh, Prosecutor Godotâs things are always super fun to touch!â At least Gumshoe looked sufficiently cheered up. âHis bumpy labels make no sense to me, but I think theyâre super cool. Like a secret code or something. But Prosecutor Godot always dumps coffee on my head when I mess around with themâŠmakes me put âem back in order, then he says Iâm doing it wrong, andâŠI wonât say I miss the whip, but prosecutors can be so rough sometimes.â
          Wait. Hold on a minute. Several different small pieces clicked into place, and Phoenixâs familiar trusty intuition began to churn its gears. Phoenix raised one finger, and Gumshoe instinctively ducked. âDetectiveâŠthat label maker wouldnât happen to be a Braille label maker, would it?â
          Gumshoe brightened, nodding voraciously. Then he apparently remembered he was angry at Phoenix, and started scowling instead. âYeah, thatâs what he called it! And Iâve just caught ya in a contradiction, pal! You said I didnât tell you about the bumpy label maker. But you obviously knew what it was, didnât you? You really were lacking human decency on purpose, werenât you!â
          Cool. Phoenix wished he was dead.
 Both girls looked at Phoenix immediately, correctly deducing the return of his consistent suicidality but uncertain of the cause. Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose, hard. âBraille is an alphabet for the blind. You read it by feeling little bumps with your fingers. Apparently Prosecutor Godot is some level of blind. And apparently nobody saw fit to tell us this.â
âDid we gotta?â Gumshoe asked blankly. âMr. Godot doesnât like talking about it.â
âYes, you gotta! Now I look like some kind of - you know!â
Sure enough, Maya was giving him the most judgmental look heâd ever seen. Her face when full-ass adult Maximillian admitted that he had asked a sixteen year old to marry him was nothing in comparison. âYou were bullying the blind, Nick? I canât believe you!â
What was it, bully Phoenix for something that was not his fault week? âItâs his fault for not saying anything -â
âVictim blaming?!â
âI thought he was just being an as - jerk again! Itâs not exactly out of character!â
âAbleism,â Maya denounced. Phoenix drooped. âI canât believe it. I expected better from you, Nick.â
âIâm literally ADHD, donât give me this -â
âWho isnât autistic?â Maya said frankly. âThat doesnât count.â
âPlenty of people in this world are neurotypical, Maya.âÂ
Heâd had to explain this multiple times. Sometimes she even made him doubt himself. It wasnât as if he knew neurotypical people. The people in Phoenixâs life either knew they were neurodivergent or thought that normal people were the freak. Most fell into the later category. Unfortunately. Lana wasnât winning sister of the year, but Emaâs diagnosis and Ritalin prescription was probably his sole link to sanity during that case. Phoenix had a conspiracy theory that Gumshoe plus Ritalin would produce a shockingly competent person. Like everybody else on the prosecutorâs side, he had no idea.
There was no way Edgeworth knew he was autistic, but Phoenix was softening him up for the revelation. He had to take it slow. Couldnât afford for him to run off to the Philippines to find himself and then come home acting as if he invented autism. Again. Like he did with homosexuality. Shut up about the German discotheques, Edgeworth!
âMr. Godot is blind?â Pearl gasped. Horrifically, Phoenix was relieved that she knew what blind people were. âIs that why he couldnât read? And you made fun of him! Thatâs bullying, Mr. Nick!â
This was a thousand times worse coming from Pearl. âI wouldnât say I made fun of him,â Phoenix said evasively. âIf anything, I really think heâs been bullying me.â This did not impress Maya and Pearl, who somehow only looked more disappointed in him. Phoenix began to sweat. âI got nothing against the disabled, guys. Theyâre - like, theyâre fine! Some of my best friends are -â
âAutism doesnât count,â Maya said frostily. âYouâll never get your Disability Awareness and Inclusion Girl Scout badge at this rate, Nick.â
âI - am I a nine year old girl now? Seriously?â
Pearl straightened, eyes widening. âIâm a nine year old girl!â Phoenix gestured towards her, emphasizing the handful of differences between them. Gumshoe nodded vigorously. âCan I get a disability aware badge? Iâm aware of disabled people!â Left unsaid: unlike Phoenix, apparently. Yet another difference between him and nine year old girls.
âYou arenât a Girl Scout,â Phoenix said, exhausted. âIf thatâs something youâre interested in, we can sign you up -â
âGirl Scouts! Thatâs a great idea. I was a Girl Scout way back when. It was awfully rewarding.â Gumshoe gave Pearl a big thumbs up, as if he hadnât casually dropped the most insane bomb of all time and promptly moved on. âYouâre probably overqualified for the Legal Expert and Fortune Teller badges. You could really make it!â
That was it. They had lost her. Pearl rolled her sleeves up, puffing out her chest with pride, and before Phoenix could react she had already turned around and pushed the lobby doors open. They swung open with a theatrical flair, revealing -
Godot, just on the other side of the doors. Judging by his somewhat harried look and unbalanced stance, he had also just barely managed to avoid door-to-face impact. Or, more likely, door-to-visor impact.Â
Pearl either didnât notice or didnât care. She jabbed a finger at Godot, who still seemed dazed from the unintentional assault. âIâm taking your case, Mr. Godot! Iâll be your co-counsel! Iâll find you innocent of all charges - um, not that!â
âI lost all innocence a long time ago,â Godot said darkly. He pushed past them, flagrantly brushing off everybody. âIf you wish to scout for something, scout for that. It ought to distract you from standing around and wasting time with meaningless gossip.â
Phoenix winced. He didnât seem very happy. But he never really did - cheerful and amused, frequently, but almost never actually happy. âUh, hey, man. Iâm really sorry about - in my defense, you were actively hiding it -â
âClassic defense attorney,â Maya announced. âAlways defending himself!â
âMr. Edgeworth says that the attorney who represents himself has a fool for a client,â Pearl said helpfully, blissfully unaware of that one time Phoenix had to defend himself against a murder charge. Edgeworth had known. Obviously.Â
âSave your pity, Trite. Save it for the courtroom. So you can pity yourself.â Godot held up one hand, not even bothering to aim it in Phoenixâs direction. âOut of all of your victims, of course you would pity yourself the most.â
âDude,â Phoenix said, âdid I, like, ghost you the morning after or something? Iâm sorry about it, but becoming a lawyer because I didnât text you back is a little weird.â
âA little weird?â Gumshoe said, baffled. âThatâs a crazy accusation, Wright. Who would become a whole lawyer because of a guy?â Phoenix looked at the ceiling. Godot coughed. âI donât like the sound of that cough, pal.â
âFor whom does the bell toll, Detective?â Godot said. Maya looked actively distressed as she attempted and failed to decipher what the fuck he meant by that. âIâll see you all in court. Prepare yourselves. I donât intend on losing to the likes of you.â
He turned on his heel, striding down the hallway and escaping them all as quickly as possible. Pearl gasped, and she immediately let go of Mayaâs hand so she could set off barrelling down the hallway. âHold on! Wait for me, Mr. Godot!â
Godot didnât look back. But he did slow until Pearl caught up, and when she shoved her little hand in his large one he didnât pull away.Â
Gumshoe scratched his chin. Maya squinted at the departing duo, obviously wondering how Godot knew where to take a left turn at the hallway. Phoenix made a mental note of it too. For a blind guy, he was really familiar with the courthouseâŠwhich meant that Phoenixâs mistake was perfectly reasonable! Anybody would make it! âJust double checkinâ. You two are actually cool with sending off a little girl with the sketchiest grown man ever? Completely unsupervised and stuff?â
What, seriously? Phoenix and Maya glanced at each other before shrugging. âIf you canât trust your coworkers,â Maya intoned seriously, âyou canât trust anybody. Nobodyâs more trustworthy than a real lawyer.â
âAnd Edgeworth recommended him,â Phoenix pointed out. âGood enough for me. The state of California would never have certified him as a defense attorney if he wasnât trustworthy.â
âThat doesnât sound right, but I donât know enough about the law to dispute it,â Gumshoe said cheerfully, displaying a chain of logic that had proven extremely convenient for Phoenix over the years. Maya had once tricked Gumshoe into letting them into a crime scene by pretending that there was a legal holiday once a year where every law and police procedure was inverted. âDonât we got a trial to hit, anyway?â
âShit!â
Pearlâs inaugural performance as the prosecutionâs co-counsel/imouto went off without a hitch. Phoenix couldnât be prouder of her efforts. She played her part perfectly: from the well-timed timed motivational encouragements to tension-relieving funny quips, she was a natural. Her only experience co-counseling with Phoenix had been very stressful for her, so Phoenix was happy to see her shine with confidence. Pearl Fey was truly suited for villainy.
She even went above and beyond into the role of personal assistant imouto. She carefully managed the presented evidence, holding up the right photograph or blood-stained object for the purview of the court. Pearl read out any written reports, described the evidence that Phoenix presented, and reported on any notable body language. Phoenix wasnât sure if Godot knowing that âthe Defense looks like you ate the last onigiri he was saving for lunchâŠâ was remotely helpful, but it was cute. Godot better realize how lucky he was to have such a top-quality imouto at his side today. It confused the judge, but what didnât.
âIâm sorry,â the judge said, as Pearl carefully withdrew a generic white coffee mug from a large box underneath the table. SeeminglyâŠfilled with more mugs. âDoesnât that little girl belong to the Defense?â
âThe Defense is loaning her out today,â Phoenix said seriously. Pearl began wrangling a coffee pot the size of her head. âDonât worry, itâs not a conflict of interest.â
âI see!â Pearl carefully tipped the large pot into the white mug. It spilled everywhere, but coffee was poured. âAnd what is a âconflict of interestâ?â
âObscure old legal term. Donât worry about it.â Pearl reached over the table and attempted to slide the mug towards Godot, as the unlucky draftee from the audience always did. He just pointed at a random pot in the crowd and told somebody that they were in charge of his coffee today. Terribly unorganized way to do things.Â
âWatch it, you senile old man. The Defense is distracting you with outdated legal concepts. Focus on the most important aspect of this case!â Why was only the prosecution allowed to insult the judge! Why were they the only ones allowed to get away with that! Seriously unfair! As if Phoenix didnât want to strangle the judge with his own two hands too?!
The mug scooted forward a little, but barely moved. Pearl scowled and tried again, sliding the mug forward a few inches and sloshing coffee over the side again. Pearl huffed in frustration before carefully cupping her hand around the mug and pushing it forward as she walked down the table.Â
Godot cupped his hand on the table and let Pearl push the cup into his hand. Then he slammed the table, throwing his head back and chugging the entire mug of steaming hot coffee in one go. He slammed the mug back on the table. Pearl carefully retrieved it.Â
âThe fact that the old man and this fake Frenchman saw the accused put poison in the cup!â Godot announced. âThatâs one fact that canât be denied! Not by a reliable witness!â
Pearl clapped. Godot patted her on the head. Phoenix groaned.
Phoenix got his way - as usual - by the skin of his teeth - as usual. He was going to have a heart attack before he was thirty at this rate. Phoenix and Maya waited in the courtroom lobby for almost fifteen minutes before Pearl finally came running up to them. She was beaming, cheeks flushed red with pride.Â
âGreat job out there today, Pearl!â Maya cheered, clapping her hands. Yeah - a little too good. Godotâs performance in court was way smoother than last time. Maybe he was just getting his sea legs, but Phoenix never underestimated the power of young girls pursuing merit badges. âAre you ready to go home?â
âNuh-uh! Mr. Godot said heâs gonna take me out for ice cream!â Pearl thrust her hand out, shining the biggest, wettest gaze directly into his eyes. âCan I have money for ice cream, Nick? Please?â
âTypically speaking, when you take people out for food, youâre the one paying,â Phoenix said flatly. âMr. Godotâs on a prosecutorâs salary and Iâm representing a waitress. He can pay.âÂ
âMr. Godot doesnât get paid,â Pearl said frankly. âHe said he does it for the love of the game.â
This was somehow the most surprising thing heâd heard all day and completely predictable.Â
Maya frowned, tilting her head. It was a gesture heâd seen in Mia a thousand times. Even after all this time, Maya still hurt him in those little ways. âProsecutors get paid by the government. How do you legally work for the government and not get paid?â
âMaybe heâs a volunteer?â Phoenix suggested. âPeople volunteer at places, right? LikeâŠin zoos?â
âThat makes sense!â Maya said brightly, clapping her hands together. âZoos, a court of lawâŠwhatâs the difference, right?â
âAfter weâre done with it, not much.â
âI canât believe I didnât meet the parrot,â Pearl said, crushed by the immovable weight of the worldâs injustices. âI wanted to make friends. We have so much in common.â
Maya sympathetically patted Pearlâs back. âYou do! Youâre both so good at imitating voices! Maybe one day Phoenix can cross-examine you too, huh?â
Nope. No. No way! âNot happening. Iâve accused every imouto Iâve ever had of murder on the stand. Pearlâs merciless enough, we canât take that chance. She wouldnât make it a day in prison.âÂ
âSounds like a you problem,â Maya said, unimpressed. âGodot would never accuse an imouto of murder. Heâs a bro like that.â
âHeâs a prosecutor, itâs not his job -â
âApparently being a prosecutor isnât his job either.â
âYouâd make an unemployed man pay for my ice cream?â Pearl demanded. âFor shame, Mr. Phoenix Wright!â
Phoenix sighed and pulled out his wallet. He didnât know why he wasted time pretending this wasnât going to happen. Pity he wasnât in the habit of accepting the inevitable. His life would be a lot easier.
#my writing#you read this fic and it doesn't SEEM like i had to stop because it was too good#but trust me. trust me alright.#as you can also undoubtedly tell it's 1/2 injoke lore developed over the course of the games#so if the jokes are weird uhhh they're not weird to ME#my asks
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In which I continue looking through Agatha scenes in Wandavision, I want to get to AAA nowwwwww but I can't stop taking screenshots. I forgot how good this show is
We are on episode 6 and it's naughty couture time! (so much for less screenshotting)
Oh wow, these three together, very cute and not painful in any way! Also not foreshadowing or anything.
I'm not clear on this point, did Ralph have ANY free will or was Agatha just puppeteering him at all times? Because he totally sounds like Agatha doing a half-assed Quicksilver impression. You want to know about Wanda's trauma, don't you Fietro???
Bit much there, buddy. That's right. Too much ham. Off you go.
yep, that's Agatha's manipulative ass alright. and she almost got away with it too.
Episode 7, where Agatha can't wait to get her paws on those little boys and do horrible villainous things to them (like making them snacks and watch cartoons. And some light trauma)
That's why Billy's her favorite, he's such a mama's boy.
the exact faces the three of them will make when auntie Agatha tries to ghost-mom the twins
babies are delicious
why is she being such an ASSHOLE TO WANDA OH MY GOD. psychological torture for days and days and days
IMMEDIATELY tries to bond with Billy. she's also prodding for his powers but there's genuine kindness there too
Billy genuinely likes Agatha though, that's the thing. despite everything, even in the future he instinctively trusts her and seeks her out. in a way they kind of adopt each other
why does her voice get so tender goddamnit Hahn. you know Agatha is thinking about Nicky and having so many feels
this whole dynamic really hits differently now, doesn't it?
her body language with Monica is so threatening, she's containing herself but you can see she wants to KILL
At this point Monica and SWORD are approaching and there's no much time left, so Agatha takes another big risk and openly approaches Wanda - or actually, not *much* more openly. She goes from over-the-top neighbor to over-the-top witch, the same trick she always uses, except she never went again someone as scary powerful as Wanda. She is truly gambling here, and you can tell by how rigid her body language is. She's projecting strength more than feeling it, and I think she's using señor Scratchy both as a prop for her villain persona (hilarious. that's a cuddly bunny, you idiot!) and also as moral strength, she's holding him like a shield.
^^Agatha when she's purposely being a clown and fucking with people
^^the real Agatha, razor-focused, serious, and, more often than not, cruel.
Episode 8. We now know that Evanora hates Agatha because she was born with succubus powers - born different, born evil, queer analogies abound. Jac Schaeffer says that Agatha has never been loved by her mother or really by anyone before she met Rio, so let's just sit on that.
Here we have a very young Agatha, still a teenager, already up to mischief. Interesting that Evanora does not mention her killing anyone quite yet, Agatha's crimes are about seeking knowledge, something she'll keep doing all her life. She's already a self-fulfilled prophecy, she's being bad and going against her coven because her coven calls her bad and pushes her away. This is supposedly her family, her sisters, her community. She committed a bloodless crime, and they're about to execute her for it.
She denies, Evanora calls her out. Agatha is already refining her greatest skill: deception.
Can she control it? Did they ever try to teach her? And why is she talking about her powers now? She is not being executed for stealing at all, is she? And she knows it. (Also I LOVE that when Agatha is at her lowest she resorts to beg. Her survival instincts are stronger than anything, even her pride, she is self-centered to her very core. That's the only way she could ever survive.)
Evanora starts chanting "mors monstrum innaturale", death to the unnatural monster. And, I'm sorry, that's incredibly fucked up. It gets more fucked up the more I think about it.
"Watch this, Lisa. You can actually pinpoint the second when her heart rips in half."
The coven in an excess of prudence must have decided to kill Agatha in a joint effort, just in case her powers are too much for one witch or two. They thought they would destroy the so called evil with their moral superiority, they actually had no idea of what Agatha was capable of, and by her shocked expression, neither did she - she was never allowed to explore her abilities, not to such an extent anyway.
That's the same expression again, completely focused and merciless. I know I'm repeating myself but the real Agatha is anything but bombastic. Her emotions are subtle but formidable.
When I first watched this scene 3 years ago I came to the conclusion that Agatha was conning the Salemites in order to kill them. She was absolutely not. She is shell-shocked at what happened.
Hahn is very deliberately making understated choices here. No evil cackling, no gloating, just contempt and bitterness.
And I'm running out of space again but it was worth it, this scene was so interesting to analyze. Hopefully part 3 will be the last one for Wandavision
go to part 3
#wandavision#Agatha all along#Agatha Harkness#character study#screenshots#wanda maximoff#billy maximoff
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Beggin' On Your Knees by nihil-denial (wc: 4,725)
Rating: Explicit 18+ MDNI
Pairing: Dewdrop x Phantom (x Aether mentioned)
Tags: Smut, PWP, boot worship, light angst, Newly-summoned Phantom, Impera Tour
Summary: Phantom doesn't realize that Dewdrop has a 'punishment' for Ghouls who make fun of his height. Based on the ritual videos where Phantom gets on his knees during Kiss the Go-Goat.
Thereâs fifteen minutes until theyâre required to be ready on stage, and most of the nameless Ghouls are already finished getting dressed. The five male-oriented Ghouls shared a sizeable greenroom in between Papa Copia and the Ghoulettes, only separated from the female Ghouls because of the way Dew and Swiss all hog mirrors.
Dew was taking his time plaiting his hair on top of his head, making sure the ash blonde strands wouldnât be a complete ratâs nest under his hood.
âHey look!â Phantom is crouched by the rack that held their Impera uniforms. Now with most of them dressed, the only thing left are Phantomâs and Dewdropâs shiny, black boots.
He can tell Swissâ eyebrows are furrowed under his mask. âAre you discovering boots for the first time?â
âNo, I know what they are! I was pointing to the size difference between my boots and Dewâs. Mine are like, so much taller!â Phantom chirps.
He's right. Dewdrop may have long legs, but his short torso makes him stand 5 ft 2in and his wiry legs make his boots look like childrenâsâ shoes. Phantomâs lanky form is made of mile-long legs and his request for a small amount of extra heel makes his boots seem monstrous in comparison.
âYou sayinâ something about my height?â Dewdrop crosses his arms.
âWell, yes, I think. But in a good way! Look at how silly our boots look together. Theyâre proportionate, just like our height.â
Mountain sits at the mirror behind Dewdrop, gesturing with a slash across his throat in the reflection that Phantom can see. âGuys, we have only twelve minutes until curtain.â
The Fire Ghoul cocks his head accusingly at Phantom. âLook, I understand youâre still getting used to being on tour with us and sharing a dressing space, but I donât appreciate comments about my height.â
Phantom blinks, a little unsure at how the Ghoul was taking this the wrong way. In the four weeks since he was summoned heâs watched Swiss comment about their height difference all the time! Even Papa called Dewdrop âLittle Manâ at the last ritual. âSorry, I just thought it was a little funnyâŠâ He pouts.
Dewdrop snatches his boots and laces them up with an ease only gained through tying them thousands of times. âThe difference isnât even that big,â He sniffs. His helmet is on and latched as he walks out of the green room.
âConcert mode,â Rain shakes his head. âHe always gets a little testy before a ritual. Donât sweat it, Bug.â
âYeah, needs to let off some steam. Heâs worried about bossing you around because youâre new,â Swiss shrugs. âHeâll get his bossy kink sorted out by dragging one of us back to the bus by our tails after the ritual Iâm sure.â
Phantom quietly ties up his boots. He knew the consequences of being Aetherâs replacement would eventually show up.
-
Copia is glad his contract gives him a separate dressing room judging by the way Dewdrop is stomping down the hallway. âSave the stomps for the encore, per favore!â He calls as the Fire Ghoul passes by.
Dew flips him off and continues towards backstage.
âThat means showtime, Papa,â Kevin pokes his head in the dressing room.
-
The last ritual before the end of the tour is nearing its end on a high note, despite Ghostâs lead guitaristâs earlier fuming. All of the Ghouls are doing their normal antics of chasing each other, Swiss shimmies with Papa, and dueling guitars.
Copiaâs encore monologue begins, and Phantom takes his first deep breath in a couple hours. He takes note of his guitar and stretches each of his ankles discreetly. The mid-calf boots are great for support, but his legs get so sweaty under all the layers of pants, socks, and insoles.
Thinking of his boots reminds him of the greenroom incident. He glances over at Dewdrop and sees the Fire Ghoul posing for pictures with the fans at the barrier. He should be doing thatâhowever, heâs still new to the fans and his mind is beginning to spin out of control with racing thoughts.
Phantom wants to be on Dewdropâs good side. He wants to be a member of the pack and be an addition to Aether, not a replacement. Theyâll return to the Abbey overnight and theyâll have time to relax and work things out.
His earpiece clicks with the recorded two-verse intro track of Kiss the Go-Goat and Phantom comes up with a plan to woo the Fire Ghoulâeven in front of thousands of fans. Playing this song is easy, so Phantom uses it to keep an eye on the best opening for his plan.
ââŠYouâve been daddied, by all the dudes that were not dadâŠâ
Copia swings his right hand through the open space of Dewdropâs knees and nestles his head on the plane of the Ghoulâs thigh. The kneel and next quick movement away from Dewdrop is impressive for a man of Papaâs age.
Phantom can feel the satisfaction at the open display of affection.Well, if Dewdrop likes those who kneelâŠ
The second chorus comes around and the Quintessence Ghoul summons all his courage to march to the center where Dew is riffing. Keeping time with muscle memory, Phantom easily slides to his knees at Dewdropâs feet. Feeling the shock and surprise from the crowd makes him grin.
He takes it a step further when Dew doesnât move away for the next riff and spreads his knees, arching his back until his helmet touches the stage. He locks eyes (goggle lenses really) with the shocked lead Guitarist and shoots his best smirk through his mask.
Dewdrop stands still while his fingers continue to dance over the frets. Phantom rocks his hips upwards and over his feet then stands up effortlessly. As he saunters back to stage left, he can feel the hidden amber gaze laser-focused on him.
Copia ends the ritual with heart-pumping Square Hammer. The opening riff is usually conducted by Phantom, Rain, and Dewdrop, gathering the crowdâs applause for one last song. Thereâs typically a lean involved in their riff between Rain and Dew, and Phantom decides instead his forward towards the barrier, he leans in time with the other two Ghouls.
Dewdropâs gaze barely moves away from Phantomâs form as they break apart to their sections for Copia to take the spotlight. The song continues until the last repeat of âright here, right now,â and a final shower of sparkles from the overhead catwalk.
Phantom hands off his guitar to the stagehand and returns to the stage with a bag of marked picks to throw.
âPulled a fast one on him,â Swiss bumps hips with Phantom as they stand around throwing picks to fans.
âI thought I would do something to show him that he has nothing to worry about us fighting,â He shrugs. âKneeling is a sign of respect in some human countries.â
âItâs also kinky as fuck. Heâs going to think youâre propositioning him.â
Phantom once again shrugs. In the few orgies heâs witnessed and been involved in, he steered clear of Aether and Dewdrop. Not only did they have closer moments, but Copia and Cumulus were all too happy to heard the new Quintessence Ghoulâs attention. Phantom totally would not mind being under either the Ghoul couple separately or simultaneously.
Dewdrop saunters past Phantom on the way to center stage for bows, the Fire Ghoulâs elegant hands trailing along Phantomâs lower back. He settles himself in line between Phantom and Papa, squeezing his hand harder than normal.
âHey, my hand hurts when you squeeze like that,â He hisses when their head are bowed.
Dewdropâs amber eyes are visible through the mesh of the goggles. They stare at him heatedly.
Phantom tries not to think the heat is anger. He breathes a sigh of relief when Dew lets go of his hand and strides off stage.
âYou know, that was so incredibly hot,â Aurora is pressing herself into Phantomâs side as soon as theyâre behind the heavy curtains. âReally gave me some ideas about testing how flexible you are.â
She knows he canât resist her. They were summoned together and share a bond that goes deeper than normal lust and affection. He lets her pull them towards the Ghouletteâs dressing room.
Tonightâs the last ritual of the tour, and though many of them are eager to get back to the Ministry, theyâre only a five-hour bus ride away. Copia is probably taking his own time to pack up his cluttered dressing room.
Cumulus and Cirrus are a little upset when they find they canât access their room, but chat with Kevin, Ashley, and Papa while they wait for the soft moans inside to cease.
-
On the bus, everyone scatters to different areas. Mountain curls up in Copiaâs bed at the back, quickly joined by the singer and Swiss for cuddles. Cumulus and Cirrus tangle themselves together on the living area couch, Aurora and Rain head for their bunks, and Phantom sits at the dining table to pull out his markers and coloring books.
Dew surprisingly is the last one to board and heads straight for the bathroom. His phone is already smushed to his right ear.
Cumulus calls out, âSay hi to Aether for us.â
Dew nods and disappears, voice too soft for any of them to eavesdrop.
Phantom watches him go with worried purple eyes.
âWhatâs got you concerned, Bug?â Cumulus picks up her knitting needles and unrolls the large blanket sheâs been working on for the entire tour.
âJust Dew. I said something earlier that I think made him upset with me.â
Cirrus pokes her head out from the couchâs blanket. âLike what?â
âWell, our boots were together on the rack, and I was joking about how different their sizes are. He took that the wrong way I think.â Phantom sighs and colors in a cherry blossom tree.
âIâm sure heâs simply ready to be alone with Aether for a bit. He was a little more restless then usual on stage tonight and I think heâs had enough of being away from the Abbey. All of us are in that headspace. It typically hits Mountain hard as well,â Cirrus reassures him.
He nods. That seems likely. âIâm just so excited to be at all these different places. Staying at the Abbey doesnât seem as fun to me.â
Cumulus smiles gently, âYouâll get there. Youâre still full of raw power and young. Dewdropâs an old man compared to us. Let the old man have his alone time and then we can all make a comfy pile in the den together. By next tour, youâll be just as smooth as the two of us at this.â
Phantom begins to color the rainbow that arches over the picture. That sounds nice. The three of them sit quietly and listen to the radio station the Brother of Blasphemy is listening to up in the driving area.
Suddenly, the bathroom door opens, and Dewdrop shuffles out. His pale grey cheeks are flushed pink, and he doesnât meet any of their gazes, hurrying off to his bunk. The swish of his curtain lets them all know he wants to be left alone.
âDamn I guess he really didnât like what I said,â Phantom says quietly.
âGive him some time,â Cumulus repeats.
Phantom stares out the windows as they finally reach the highway back to the Ministry.
-
Being the last on, does mean that Dewdrop is the first Ghoul off the bus. Heâs clamoring out of his bunk, backpack ready, and sits with the Brother driving for the last ten minutes of the drive.
Papa, Swiss, and Mountain all saunter out of the back bedroom and sit with Phantom at the table while munching on the last few packs of Oreos.
âIâm very proud of you, my dear Phantom,â Copia says warmly as they all stand to disembark from the bus. âI love the energy youâve brought to the band.â
Phantom leans into the manâs embrace, hugging him tightly. âThank you, Papa. It was fun to explore the world like this.â
Just as Copia opens the bus door for himself to step out first, Dewdrop weaves under his arm to slip out ahead of him.
He simply sighs and puts back on his smile for the gathered Siblings and Clergy members on the Ministryâs front lawn. Lots of greetings, hugs, and kisses are shared between them all as Ghost is welcomed back home. Phantom is congratulated by everyone and even gets an approving look from Sister Imperator.
He goes down to the Ghoul den with a bounce in his step and guitar case in hand. He would go unpack his Fantomen, change the strings and clean it, then relax for the night.
The Ghoulsâ practice room is across the hallway from their bedrooms, so he puts down his duffel bag on his bed. When he moves across the hall to the rehearsal room, he sees that the lights are already on; which is interesting because heâs the first Ghoul to come down here. The others stopped into the dining hall to eat first.
Phantom looks in but doesnât see anyone on the stage. So, he opens the door carefully and hears the sound of someone restringing a guitar.
Dewdrop is standing off to the far side of the stage by equalizer setup. He doesnât look up as the Quintessence Ghoul enters.
âI thought youâd be with Aether somewhere,â Phantom says apologetically and goes to back out of the room.
âDonât leave.â
The Quintessence Ghoul freezes. âWhat?â
Dewdrop continues to turn the pegs of his guitar in-time with the plucking of strings. âCome here.â
âNo, youâre going to flick my forehead like you do to Swiss.â
âIâm not gonna.â
Phantom eyes him warily.
Dewdrop glances up at him through his loose ash blonde hair. âJust câmere. Iâm not going to hurt you. Itâs just weird to talk across the room.â
Phantom watches him for any sudden movements as he walks over. He sets down his guitar case by the rack and steps up beside him.
âIâm sorry about me exploding at you before the gig,â The Fire Ghoul says. It sounds genuine, even if heâs not making eye contact with him. âIn talking to Aether, he made me realize that you didnât deserve my anger because to you, it looks like everybody jokes on my height without consequences.â
He nods, âI understand. Thank you for your apology, and Iâll make sure not to do it again,â Phantom feels his whole body relax at the apology.
âSo now, youâll know what happens when you talk about my height.â
Phantomâs eyebrows furrow. âBut you just saidââ
âI said that to you, it looks like there are no consequences,â Dewdrop finally raises his head to meet the Quintessence Ghoulâs gaze. âOnly naughty Ghouls disrespect my height and donât expect a punishment.â
Phantom takes a startled step back at the heat that rushes through his body at the veiled threat. Usually, heâs cornered or wistfully swept off his feet in soft embraces. This feels like Dew wants him to posture back. Phantom takes the argument bait, âA punishment, I was just making a joke!â
âA hurtful one at that,â Dew goes back to tuning his guitar. âKneel and apologize to me."
âWhat? No!â Phantom agrees getting down would be hot as hell, but his instincts are warring after he already has apologized.
Dewdrop shrugs. âOkay.â
âOkay?!â What the fuck does he want?
The Fire Ghoul turns and plucks another new guitar string from the open pack on the amp. âYou can leave and live with the guilt that you hurt my feelings without making it up to me, or you can suffer through the punishment and we both leave here satisfied.â
Phantom canât deny that his interest in how this mystery punishment will leave both of them satisfied. Isnât that the opposite of a punishment? This Fire Ghoul is too confusing for him. âWhat kind of punishment?â
âKneeling at my feet and not being allowed to cum for an hour.â
Phantom huffs. âJust kneeling? Sounds easy.â
Dewdrop nods, âSimply kneel right here, and Iâll be more than willing to forgive you.â
âJust kneeling,ââ He repeats dumbly.
âJust kneeling.â
Phantom shrugs off his hoodie and checks his phone. Itâs midnight. His sweatpants are stretchy enough for this. Without another word, Phantom steps over until heâs directly in front of the Fire Ghoul just like on stage. He sinks to his knees, relaxing back onto his heels.
Dewdrop watches him with those constantly burning amber eyes. He stays silent and his gaze focuses back on restringing his C string. âGood boy; youâre kneeling so nicely for me.â
A shiver wracks through Phantom. Oh no. He suddenly understands how this is a punishment. He fights the immediate arousal that surges through him. Everything is made worse because he is now eye-level with Dewâs crotch, seeing how heâs not affected at all.
âAm I allowed to talk?â Phantom tries after a few minutes of quiet off-tune tuning plucks.
âNo.â
âOh,â He mumbles. His purple eyes look for anything else to focus on when he thinks too hard about this situation makes hisâŠsituation hard. Sitting here and purposefully allowing himself to be below the Fire Ghoul is hotter than he expected. He shifts from sitting on his heels to more of a W kneel. As he moves, his eyes catch a flash of his own reflection.
Dewdrop is wearing his stage boots. It looks silly when paired with his dark blue jeans, but seeing the cause of his punishment sends a searing blaze across Phantomâs pink cheeks.
Another few minutes go by without too much trouble.
âYouâre doing so well for me,â Dewdrop says. âSwiss never stays still for this long.â
The competitive instinct in the Ghoul rears its head.
âOh? You like me talking about how naughty the other Ghouls are?â
Phantom bites his lip and nods.
Dewdrop plays a scale riff to test out the newest string. âSwiss is the easiest to get on his knees for me. Heâll beg me wherever; no matter who could walk in on us. Sometimes he doesnât even have something to make up to me for, he simply wants to show how much he likes being underneath me.â
Phantomâs mind spins with the thought of walking in on the two of them. Swiss, most likely half-dressed, kneeling and shifting constantly at Dewdropâs feet. Would the Fire Ghoul be as bored with him as he is right now? Would Dew keep a locked gaze with Swissâ pretty mauve eyes?
Phantom canât help it and raises his gaze. He drags it up the shined boot leg, then thick denim to the edge of Aetherâs black hoodie, then finally up to his face.
âYouâre allowed to look.â
The Quintessence Ghoul smiles as Dewdrop gives him a softer look. Itâs not a smile, but an expression that somehow conveys the same warmth.
âSwiss looks too much. He tries to goad me into breaking before he does, using those stupidly pretty eyes of his. You wouldnât try to undermine your punishment, right?â
Phantom nods, body reacting to the image of a subservient Swiss Army Ghoul compared to the demon grinding on his stage microphone.
âOf course you wouldnât. Youâre such a good boy. I see how sweet and caring you are to our packmates.â
Phantom is very much losing the battle of not letting his arousal show. He has to shift back to sitting on his heels as an ache begins in lower legs. Doing so brings a thread of pleasure as his knees touch, involuntarily squeezing his thighs.
Dewdrop notices. âRemember that you canât touch yourself.â
Phantom nods. He didnât say anything about squeezing his thighs together. He does it more slowly, so the Fire Ghoul doesnât notice.
Another new string is put on. More off-tune plucking until the string sings in harmony during a scale. The repeated scales and sounds of Dew taking care of his precious guitar work as hypnosis to make every part of Dew in Phantomâs visible range seem hotter, more beautiful and sinful.
âForty minutes left.â
The way Phantom can see the flush on his cheeks in the reflection of Dewdropâs boots. He looks debauched, and heâs done nothing kneel. Dewdrop has only called him two pet names and described how Swiss is a little shit even during punishments.
âOne day Iâd like to see you and Aether go at it. He likes to pull hair.â
A soft moan slips out of Phantomâs mouth at that. Cumulus always made sure to scratch his scalp when he went down on her. The grip of her claws sent pinpricks of pain/pleasure down his spine.
âIâm sure he would love to have you under him. We would watch you with Papa, how you were so eager to show your devotion to him. Like a puppy greeting his owner after a long day,â Dew says. He barely has any emotion except for how his lips quirk at the analogy.
Phantom whines in the back of his throat.
âGood boy for holding yourself back.â
Phantom shivers. It forces him closer to Dewâs feet. Heâs practically straddling the Fire Ghoulâs right foot. He settles his knees wider, and his ass makes contact with the hard toe of the shiny boot.
âYouâre going to ruin the shine of my âsmallerâ boots,â Dewdrop says. âYou better make sure they donât get stained anything.â
âNo, they wonât.â
The last guitar string is expertly threaded through the pegs and down the fingerboard. He doesnât call out Phantom speaking. âTwenty minutes left.â
Phantom nods. He tenses his thighs to get another wave of pleasure when the pressure of sitting on the toe of Dewâs boot makes him moan again.
âDid someone find a loophole?â Dew questions boredly. âI donât care as long as you donât cum.â
The blanket permission has Phantom leaning his hands behind him and slowly starting to grind down on the steel-toe hidden under smooth black rubber.
Dewdrop coos, âSo pretty. Papa summoned such a beautiful creature.â
Phantomâs head hangs forward at the praise. He doesnât care that heâs beginning to openly rock against his feet. His hand slips and he shifts forward on the boot, the taut lacing creating nodes of friction through his sweatpants. Itâs impossible not to chase the pleasure racing up his body. He can last twenty minutes! He just has to stop right before he cums.
What Phantom doesnât expect is for Dewdrop to starting playing music. Circe's opening melody floats down to Phantomâs floaty and desperate mind. When did Dew hook up his guitar?
The amp next to them makes the melody seem all-encompassing, filling both ears until Phantomâs usual solo is haunting him with every thrust of his hips.
âDewâŠâ Phantom whispers in the noise of the music. His clammy hands keep slipping on the wood floor and he has to arch forward to wrap them around Dewâs leg. He feels the slight tensing of the Fire Ghoulâs thigh under his fingers but sees no other outward expression of arousal.
Phantom rucks his hips up against the vertical lacing. He lets himself grind without holding back as Dewdrop continues to riff different melodies. Each of the spicy shenanigans they pull on stage flashes behind Phantomâs eyelids.
Swiss pretending to jerk off Dew during Watcher in the Sky. Papa kneeling behind him and grasping Dewâs thigh during Kiss the Go-Goat. Aurora kissing Cirrus when she returns to her stage after her Mummy Dust solo. The way Swiss leaned over his stage and kissed him during Square Hammer.
Phantom grips Dewâs thigh tighter and uses it to pull himself harder against the lacing. The front of his sweatpants are damp now, and it only makes the slide of his cock easier and faster. The tip of his cock bumps the knot of his laces, and as he grinds, he lifts his hips to press the knot against the underside of his cock head.
âSeven minutes left.â
Oh fuck, heâs not going to make it at this rate. Phantom shudders and uses all will-power to pause his grinding.
âI like seeing you down there. Youâve been so good for me.â
Phantom whimpers at that. Heâs tired from performing and though he knows heâs good at his instrument, praise on everything else makes his heart skip a beat.
Dewdrop begins the Cirice melody again, playing around with harmonies.
Itâs like hypnosis; Phantomâs hips buck up without him telling them to. He can feel the pulsing of his heart in his dick, and he so hard that even just staying pressed against the boot laces shoots pleasure into his veins.
Suddenly in the haze of melodies and the smell of Dewâs cologne, there are footsteps.
Phantom presses his face into the meat of his thigh to hide his embarrassed flush as his hips refuse to stop humping Dewâs foot like a heâs in heat.
âI see you two are working this out.â
Aether.
Phantomâs breath hitches. Heâs so close that tears are forming in his eyes. He has no idea how many more minutes are left at this point, but it better be soon or else heâs going to explode.
âFour minutes left. Tell him he has been doing good."
A large hand is raking through Phantomâs sweaty black and white hair. Blunt claws scratch at the base of his hairline. âYouâre beautiful like this. Making our Dewdrop feel better by being such a good little Ghoul. Does grinding on his foot feel that good?â
Phantomâs head is pulled back until heâs staring hazily up at Aether. His exposed throat and face feel the coolness of the older Ghoulâs aura compared to the heat Dew is radiating against the rest of his body. âPleaseâŠI need toâŠâ
âThatâs an impressive wet spot. Iâd say you were ready to burst, huh,â Aether crouches behind Phantom and kisses his lips. Itâs awkward with them being opposites, but he swallows Phantomâs loudest whimper yet. He releases Phantomâs head and lets him grind to his heartâs content.
Phantomâs claws dig into Dewâs jeans, eliciting a hiss from the Fire Ghoul that forces a glob of pre-cum to smear through his sweatpants and onto the black boot laces. âPleaseâŠâ
âTwo minutes.â
âPlease,â Phantom cries into his knee, âPlease let me cum!â
âI said, two minutes,â Dew snaps. He lifts his foot, and the steel-toe presses up against Phantomâs balls.
Phantom jolts, a startled cry of frustration slipping out. Another wet drool of pre-cum leaks out onto the shiny black surface. âIâm gonna--!â
âNo, you arenât,â Aether takes a handful of Phantomâs white bangs. âIf you cum before time is up, then youâll have to sit here for another hour.â
That causes Phantom to pause his thrusts for a second; but the pleasure is too great and heâs so keyed up from everything. âPlease, pleaseâŠ! You said Iâve been so good.â
Dew looks at the wall clock across the room. âOne minute and then you can cum.â
Phantom nods and resumes his rhythm---sixty seconds is manageable.
Except itâs not.
Aetherâs hand in his hair pulls his head back again. Phantomâs hips cant up against the laceâs knot and the combined pleasure of the friction, the wetness of his pre-cum and the pain of the hand on his head makes him shoot cum into the front of his sweatpants.
He keens loudly.
âThat was dirty, Aeth. He still had thirty seconds,â Dewdrop chides.
Phantom pants openly in Aetherâs grip. He whimpers when Dew moves his foot upwards again. It forces out another spurt of cum that leaks out onto the Fire Ghoulâs shoe.
Aether shrugs and lets go of the Quintessence Ghoul. âIâd say thatâs close enough. Besides, I want to see what his mouth can do next.â
âHow much longer do you think you can stay on your knees?â Aether asks. His hand gently lifts Phantomâs tear and spit-slicked jaw.
Phantom slowly slides back off the boot. By the time heâs turned his head, Aetherâs already unzipped his fly. He hears the click of the amp turning off and the creak of the rack for their guitars.
âHowever long you want me to, Sir,â Phantom croaks.
Dewâs elegant fingers trace down the smaller Quintessence Ghoulâs nose. âSuch a good boy.â
#eek#in love with this#ghost fanfic#fanfic#ghost fanfiction#ghost band fanfiction#ghost band fanfic#the band ghost#ghost bc#ghost#ghost band#nameless ghouls#phantom ghoul#aeon ghoul#dewdrop ghoul#dewdrop#aether ghoul#pwp fics#pwp#spicy ghost fanfic#nihildenial
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Okay, English teacher to the rescue, hopefully. Letâs try to simplify this.
OP: System posting is allowed to be silly.
Random Person: Yeah I hate the focus on trauma.
Korya: Hey, while I agree people are allowed to be silly, talking about the trauma part is still important, and too much focus on the sillies can be harmful.
OP: Actually systems owe you nothing. We donât need to post about our trauma, I want to be silly.
Korya: Nowhere did I say you had to post about trauma. All I was saying is that everyone only focusing on the more fun aspects, like alters, and never discussing the traumatic aspects, like what CDD systems experience, can lead to misinformation.
OP: Sorry if Iâm misunderstanding, but what youâre saying feels like youâre saying I canât post about alters. It isnât misinformation to share silly things. You can post about trauma, but you should be allowed to be silly.
(AUTHORâS NOTE: The above statement is part of what Korya said originally! You are in agreement!)
Korya: Yes, you are misunderstanding me. To clarify, I wasnât doubling down, and I was just trying to add to the conversation.
OP: You are not clarifying. Iâm sorry I misunderstood. I said people can be silly, and you said they have to share their trauma or else itâs misinformation. All I said is we donât have to focus on trauma. What do you think is misinformation about that?
(AUTHORâS NOTE: Korya never claimed you canât silly. They just said that always and forever only being silly is kind of erasing the trauma part of a trauma disorder pretty frequently, and EVERYONE ONLY EVER being silly can lead to aspects of CDDs and disordered plurality being erased. They never disagreed with your premise and said directly in their first response that they agreed with it.)
Korya: I have clarified and I donât know how to clarify more. You started a conversation and I added to it with more insight. I didnât respond to just what you said, but to what everyone has said on this topic in the past. Like Iâve said a few times now, I wasnât calling you out (or disagreeing with you). You keep asking me for clarification, which I have tried to give. I explained that you misunderstood and you continued to say the same misunderstanding. I will stop the conversation here because the communication barrier is getting frustrating.
OP: You havenât clarified shit and now Iâm mad. I tried to be nice and polite but you rejected clarifying and rejected a conversation. You disagree with me and you said itâs misinformation to be silly online. You talk weird and I am now going to make fun of you for it, because I feel like you made fun of me for my lack of English skills, despite the fact that I brought it up. Fuck off and Iâm now calling this post harassment of a teenager.
Korya: Well now Iâm going to point out youâre legally an adult, and youâre arguing in an adult space about adult topics. Also your language barrier is the issue here.
âŠâŠ..
Does that clarify? =_=
TL;DR: OP, Korya literally said âI agree with youâ and then added more thoughts. You read that and immediately went âthat is a disagreement.â The word agree means the opposite of disagreement.
To further the actual convo Korya was trying to have (and Korya, Iâd love to take this to discord or a different post!), people are absolutely allowed to post about the fun aspects of their disorder, but I do wish the trauma aspects were also celebrated. Or at least fucking welcomed.
Seeing constant posts of âI canât believe people focus on their suffering, stupid fucking miserable peopleâ really hurts as someone who tries to hold their trauma close for understanding and healing. I canât grow past it unless I embrace it, and being told that it is bad to do so sucks â and many individuals (not OP, but many) in this topic of conversation treat my trauma as if itâs bad to even mention.
âDID/disordered plurality isnât just about having silly guys in your brain, itâs about TRAUMA AND SUFFERINGâ
yeah ok sure. but it can also be about the silly guys. thatâs okay too
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here are three things about the baby:
he seems to visibly understand a couple of commonly repeated phrases now (???). I too thought this seemed insane (heâs so little!!!) but the internet seems to think this is not that unusual at his age. when heâs lying down on a flat surface I say âready? ready? ready?â in an excited voice and he starts grinning hugely and lifts his hands up to mine and braces his neck so I can slowly pull him up into a sitting position (we call these baby sit-ups haha). and then the more devastating one is that my mom taught him to âgive a kiss.â youâre either holding him or have him sitting up facing you and you say âowen, owen, can you give me a kiss?â and he opens his mouth wide, leans forward, and puts his mouth very gently against your cheek. he will do this each time you ask him. đđđđđ itâs too much!!!!! I donât actually know how much of it is him recognizing phrases vs. recognizing body language and situations⊠I remember from my reading about dog training that dogs learn to recognize the environment first, then the body language cue/gesture, then the words last of all, so maybe heâs just picking up on repeated situations. but itâs still so amazing to me. like weâre not THAT far from him being able to talk and really understand. I canât wait to hear his little speaking voice wahhhh
he is REALLY into his hands lately and loves watching them move around. before naps or bedtime Iâll cradle him against my chest and sing to him for a long time, and he will lift his little baby hands in front of his face and make them âdanceâ ie do these slow graceful little gestures to the music. heâs also just sooooo mesmerized by music. A gave him a little mandolin concert yesterday and he just stared at her without blinking the whole time she was playing.
itâs so fun to watch him start to problem solve. he is absolutely obsessed with this toy thatâs just a flat sheet of crinkly paper. BUT heâs also obsessed with putting stuff in his mouth right now so he can chomp on it and itâs hard to get a flat sheet of paper into his mouth in a way you can satisfyingly nom nom nom on. so this morning I watched him spend a solid five minutes (an eternity in baby time) experiment with different ways of crumpling up the paper so he could shape it into something he could really sink his teeth into. itâs so funny because heâll work at a problem like this with total focus and then heâll get frustrated and start SHRIEKING and then heâs like no no we must persist this paper isnât going to nom nom nom itself!!! and resumes trying. itâs so relatable ahaha I too often have to take shriek breaks in the middle of projects before I can continue.
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Ok I have gone through all available evidence and I have a prediction.
Look I'm ngl I am watching Arcane for Cait and Vi. I love the show overall but this ship is what I'm most here for, especially after I spent the last 3 years under the assumption that Mel was dead. Glad she isn't. Point is, I really want CaitVi/Violyn/Piltover's Finest to be handled well, and I pay a disproportionate amount of attention to what happens with these two.
After watching the first arc of season 2 the other day, I was trying really hard to ignore the ending to episode 3. I didn't like that Cait hit Vi in the stomach and abandoned her in a pit after being all classist at her, but I thought, this is Arcane. Arcane is the greatest fucking thing I've ever seen, of course they're gonna find a way to make this work. But that made me think of it as a puzzle. How could they possibly make this work?
Option one, Cait sucks now and she and Vi don't get back together. I don't think this makes sense, because of the brand. CaitVi is a popular ship that just about everybody likes. A huge amount of the hype for this season before the trailers came out was building up assurances that don't worry, CaitVi is happening and it's not gonna be ambiguous. Take this teaser from like two weeks after season 1 ended, a couple of Valentine's Day icons, and one million tweets from Amanda Overton. Why the fuck would they make this season be about Cait and Vi not working out? It simply doesn't make logical sense.
Ok, so we're starting from the assumption that Cait and Vi have a happy ending that makes people feel like they should be together, and continue to want to play as them in the games and buy merchandise. That means they either explicitly get back together, or it's so implied there isn't much of a difference. My money is on zero ambiguity. Vi is the main character and Cait is maybe #3 or #4. Ambiguity about their ending would just look like a weak writing choice and they didn't know what they're doing. The Arcane writers don't tend to go for wishy washy.
But here's the problem. Domestic violence is bad. It's about the fastest way to guarantee the majority of your audience doesn't think two characters should be together. It would take a herculean effort on Cait's part to make up for that and honestly I still wouldn't believe it. To me, there isn't any kind of act of service that makes up for hitting your partner. Not even ensuring the independence of the nation of Zaun. Add on top of that the over the top hurtful comments about Vi's blood and class. It makes her look very much like, deep down, she thinks of Vi as beneath her. If she meant those things, a relationship between them is impossible. (Not to mention how many teenaged girls I know are watching this, and I don't want them to think it's ever okay to be treated like that, even in a fantasy series.)
So my prediction is this. The only way to make a relationship between Cait and Vi viable again is to render those comments and the sentiment they carry meaningless. How do the writers do that? Imo it turns out later that Cait intentionally came up with cruel things to say to cut Vi loose. She realized that Vi would never be able to kill Jinx, and this new explosion will make the situation aboveground even worse, and Vi still won't be able to contribute to the hunt after this. Vi has no future as an enforcer against Jinx and will probably get treated like dogshit as a Zaunite, so Cait is "breaking her heart to save her", as Tvtropes would say. In Cait's mind, it's better if she's left down here in Zaun.
What evidence do I have for this? It fits Cait's characterization as a genius who thinks quickly and several steps ahead. It fits the tiny animation details we zero in on of her stiffening her trembling lips and furled eyebrows. It un-ruins the most popular canon relationship in League. It allows act 1 to end on massive shock value but roll it back later to show that Cait actually does love Vi, enough to let her go for her own good.
I'm not arguing this is the best possible solution but it's the one I think they're going to go with. Amanda Overton and some others have repeatedly said that CaitVi fans will be happy with the ending to Arcane. Everything about the show(the opening, Netflix Brazil's Twitter account, the story) points to them being the show's OTP except for this one scene. I think Cait intentionally cut Vi out of her life by pretending to be much crueler than she wanted to be, to protect her and, likely, as a form of self destruction.
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SoâŠseason 4B, eh?
Iâm the kind of person that doesnât like to pile on something without suggesting a better alternative. Therefore, after reading everyoneâs takes on what was done wrong and how they would have done it differently, Iâve finally decided to throw my own 2c in, too.
Before I get to âmy versionâ, I must comment on some of the most glaring moments of 4B in which the bag was monumentally fumbled with JJ and Jiara.
1. All of the near death experiences of JJ falling into water. First, the villain boat night trip. Second, being left to die by Groff at the sea. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE that Kiara, JJâs girlfriend, has 0 reaction??? Especially because we have the exact same scenarios to compare it to from previous seasons. Aka, the infamous âsup?â scene from season 2 or the bike crash scene from season 3. Girlie was so worried. Now we donât even get a hug??? It is so weird, that it pulled me out of the story. Those are not two people in love, or even two people who are friends. Thatâs the reaction one would have about a coworker at best.
2. JJ and Sarah almost dying at sea. John B runs to Sarah the millisecond he sees them. Kiara doesnât even stand up??? What?! That was so bizarre I couldnât believe what I was seeing. I donât know how to possibly read it as anything other than âI donât careâ.
3. Another peak stupidity moment - why would JJ turn his back to Groff who was just threatening Kiara with a knife? Heâs always had above average survival instinct and reflexes, what was that? How about you get away from the lunatic whoâs already tried to kill you once before the emotional reunion? Beyond stupid. Just out of character and bad, no excuse there.
4. JJ abandoning all of his spidey senses when road tripping with Groff and acting so incredibly out of character that it was sad to watch. Where all the trust issues go? Itâs BAD writing.
5. JJ having to open his motherâs casket⊠literally why? What was the point. I am literally speechless. Havenât seen this much unnecessary suffering bestowed upon a character since reading A Little Life.
Now hereâs how I would have done it. The three main variables Iâm working with are i) Rudy is leaving; ii) Rudy and Madison have some sort of an issue and need to touch as little as possible; iii) Netflix demands a fifth season.
1. As much as I loved the slow burn of Jiara in the first 2 seasons and even the 3rd, given the actor drama, clearly itâs impossible to have those two as a couple. So during the 2 years time jump have them give the relationship a try and ultimately decide that it canât work. Continue on the season 3 line of JJ being freaked out about letting Kie that close and ultimately sheâs afraid to lose him as a friend and mess up the group dynamic too, so they call it quits. When we meet them after the time jump they are no longer together, but there are lingering feelings communicated through stares + the awkwardness between the actors (which we all felt) would work in favour of this plotline if interpreted as âitâs awkward to touch you / be near you, because we have crossed that line and maybe a part of me still wants thatâ. It would also work perfectly well with JJs other plotlines and the sense âthat everything I touch turns to shitâ. No romantic touching really has to be involved at all. Drama averted.
2. Turn up the volume of the found family trope. My jaw dropped when we got that 6second scene from the Pogelandia house with the Pogues cooking and JJ eating pasta off the wall. We needed more of that! Why didnât we get more of that?! Maybe have that be the first year in the house when everyone was coupled up and it was âperfectâ, then followed by Jiara break up and things getting rocky financially. This strengthens the idea that âgood things donât lastâ for JJ.
3. I think I would keep Luke as JJâs real father but have him think that the mother chose Groff and was going to raise the baby as theirs. Have Luke really love the mother but also be incredibly resentful that she âdidnât chose himâ, which he projected on JJ, who also looks like his mother. Then have JJ and the audience learn through Groff that actually the mother was about to leave Groff for Luke. When JJ learns of this he might go somewhere and notice a happy family of three and think of an alternate universe where that could have been his family. This could be nicely integrated with Sarah pregnancy storyline too. All this gives JJ the feeling that everything about his life was already decided when he was a baby and there is no point to his actions anymore.
4. Throughout the season, put emphasis on JJ being the last surviving heir and make it clear that while he is alive Groff will want to kill him so that he inherits all. Thus, JJ has to disappear for a while. Letâs also not forget the murder charges against him and everything. It is clear that JJ has to disappear to protect himself and his friends and to have a chance at having a full happy life in the future. In a way, JJ still sacrifices everything - canât stay in his town, in his house with his friends/family, canât figure out whether there is anything left between him and Kiara, etc. But he is alive. Get the tearful goodbyes and everything.
5. Then season 5 is still getting back at Groff and the Pogues making sure that JJ has a chance to come back. JJ is completely off the grid. Then at the very end, possibly after another time jump, have the Pogues be summoned by the new mysterious owner of Goat Island and learn that in fact part of it is being turned into a nature reserve. Surprise, surprise, once the Pogues get there, it turns out that JJ is the new owner and voila we get a happy ending after all the crap. Maybe throw in one more âStupid things have good outcomes all the timeâ. Plus, have one last Jiara hug + a âWelcome homeâ + a loaded look implying that the year/s apart have shown them that they do belong together. Film it before Rudy leaves or negotiate him coming back for that one final episode. If thats not possible at all, then pull out the alleged body doubles and make do.
Thatâs my take on the situation. JJ deserved better, the story deserved better, we deserved better. This turn of events was tragic.
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Some points from Johannes' interview on the Arto Nyberg show on 10.11.2024
Johannes was asked what makes him nervous anymore, since they've had quite a lot going on already.
He said trying things for the first time and those moments where he "kind of doesn't know" how things will go. He also said it's what keeps live shows interesting, as things are never quite the same between shows.
They showed him a small compilation of some of the things from last year
His topmost reaction was that in the first and last clips they showed, he was nervous and still remembers that. Also that the moments showed feels like a forever ago, despite having happened last year.
"We've talked about it with Jonttu and Aarni that it feels like one year has fit at least three years."
Johannes was also asked about his songwriting process
He said he on average writes something down every other day, and that these sporadically compiled notes are what becomes the song texts. He also said he does this to take pressure away from the actual moments when he's supposed to write.
He also noted when asked further about themes or messages of the songs that that's not something they intentionally pick going into it, but that he has been very happy to see people for example finding and connecting with the message of hope from their last album and the comfort it has provided.
Johannes was asked to sum up the time after UMK, and this is what he responded:
"Well, maybe just that, that a lot of everything has happened. We've gotten to do the kinds of things that we've like nine years ago dreamed of and everything has actually been just as wonderful as we've imagined. That has been in my opinion like very wonderful that often you hear this narrative of 'when these things happen you won't be happy and you'll feel hollow and you'll be somehow tied up' but my experience has been the opposite. Sure, there have been long days and exhaustion and all sorts of things but we've had an incredible few years here."
Johannes was also asked about the very immediate success of the band from the start.
Johannes responded by saying that they've been and continue to be very lucky, and that from day one it has been a group effort. He said he acknowledges their privilege of having such skilled people around them that they get to work with.
The habits and routines of the band, such as the fiilisrinki were asked about. Here's what he said about all that:
"Well, we spend with Aarni and Jonttu horribly much time together. Like probably on average 6 days a week and then we've just noticed, that so that our collaboration and friendship that are in this kind of happy mess together all the time stays aerated* if we make time for talking about our feelings, were they small worries or big or whatever, the communication is really important."
*He literally said oxygen-rich. Meant essentially the same as fresh, aired out.
(Follow up question: What do you tell each other?)
"Well there are different kinds of days so it really depends on what is going on but usually band practice or sessions start with that we kind of force our selves into that moment, that now is the moment we talk about feelings. And then usually it clears the air a lot."
They asked Johannes about his career as an actor as well, such as how different it possibly feels to take the role of a singer vs actor and so forth
He said that making music happens for him just as easily when someone orders him for a job as for when he's under no requirement to make music, saying that he has more of a need to make music as opposed to acting, which he says he's gladly do it when asked. He also noted that performing a character is in some ways much easier that performing yourself.
Finally Johannes' family background was brought up
Johannes noted that maybe the biggest effect it has had was the freedom to fulfill himself in a safe and encouraging environment, and that the creativity was fostered in his family but never pushed onto him or any of his siblings.
#Johannes brotherus makes the longest most nonsensically structured sentences and says the word Like a thousand times a sentence#johannes brotherus#kuumaa#translations
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i'd rather be friendless than to constantly have my boundaries disrespected
#i am so frustrated and annoyed rn#at the beginning of this year my ex best friend reached out to me and i cautiously let her back into my life#things were going great but now she turned a harmless topic into a full blown discussion even though i told her multiple times that i no..#.. longer want to discuss this matter but she kept going & then accusing me of continuing the discussion as well#and tbh i really should've stopped engaging with her messages much sooner but it's so annoying when someone sends you lots of messages with#their opinion although i mentioned several times that i want to drop the topic & then i'm just expected to shut up lol#she didn't respect my wish to move and made a huge fuss about nothing#i stopped replying to her since yesterday bc i really had enough & i should've just left her on read much sooner#but her messages were truly annoying me#her last message now says that we often have different opinions & she thinks she's more optimistic than me & that makes it hard for her to..#talk to me..... i was so dumbfounded when i read that this morning#our initial conversation was about whether a song is more pop or rnb....... & she twisted that into me being negative lmao#she was so obsessed with being right that she couldn't drop the topic even though i told her how exhausting the convo was for me#and like it's such an irrelevant topic... imagine being that obsessed with always being right đ#idc anymore i'd rather be a negative bitch than someone who disrespects others' boundaries <3#i thought she changed for the better but she's so self-righteous opinionated & stubborn it's awful#i calmly told her that her behavior is bothering me & we easily could've just moved on but she kept going on and on#and she herself admitted that it's one of her flaws that she always has to be right & she's being petty & yet she didn't stop đ€Ą#even writing all this down feels so silly to me bc the initial topic was sooooo trivial#am i supposed to feel sorry for thinking a song was rnb rather than pop???? like go touch some grass please#she even sent me a screenshot of the wikipedia page of the song to prove that it's rnb & it literally said synth pop & rnb lol#but i wasn't even mad about that her not respecting my wish to drop the topic & move on even though i said it multiple times really pissed..#me off though.... like girl just let it go it's not that deep!!!#but apparently i'm negative & pessimistic for having a different opinion than her đ€·đŒââïž#like imagine starting a fight over smth SO IRRELEVANT but i'm the negative one sure lmao#okay i just needed to get this off my chest bc i don't have anyone to talk to about this & it's just ridiculous to me#âïž
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smth abt eddie telling dustin to look after the little sheep -> s5 is going to return to s1 form -> dustin tells mike in s1 that his obliviousness blows his mind -> the whole painting & confession & obvious general fiasco that is willelmike -> dustin's going to have to put on his bob the builder / "the world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes" sherlock holmes hat and get involved
#byler#do i think he's going to go âDude You Are GAYYYYYYYYYâ? no. but i do think he'd go âđ€š why are u guys being weird.â in some way which is#what tips over the first domino in the series of events#maybe . wishful thinking? mayhaps . but im Free#i also wouldnt be opposed to steve saying smth to jonathan which makes him go đ€šđłđŠđ«ą#but i think ppl very much downplay dustin's role in the group and the support he offers his friends and how observant and ânosyâ he is#and things are going to be much different now if they continue like how we left off ... so u don't think dustin would notice?#and u don't think tht he'd say something? esp when he had to deal with mike being an el stan + his obliviousness to others and their#jealousy over him? especially with him now being the character tht everyone wishes would shut up lmao? or with how#close he was to mike before he went to cali and how he had to take his place in his absence?#there's a million ways it could to obvi and i really don't have an expectation any which way but .#with tht latest least fave poll........ it jus made me think abt how a lot of people jus . really forget he exists#which is so crazy bc he stays in everyones business LMAO#but anyway .#she be rambling#and on mobile top so u already know im not rereading this if its incoherent its incoherent đ€·ââïž#omg the typos... >_> you guys know wht i Mean .#mine#s5 predictions
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actually ascension needs its own post since that's the one with the most details to speculate over and im starved for soho talk so i will talk to myself if need be
First the cover again, because I kinda can't get over it:
my only thing is that I had been hoping we might get Lizbeth on a cover again since she's never been on one of the boxsets before, despite being the 2nd person credited on all 4 of them (even if that's just alphabetical, still, she's the only one of the four main characters who never makes the cover)
But letting that go...
I know we already kinda knew the brief for this one but damn I didn't expect it to go quite this hard. Maybe that's just because the Parasite & Ashenden covers were (comparatively) similarish to each other and I was so pleased with Unbegotten's, and then got so used to it as the placeholder for Ascension while they kept postponing it, I wasn't expecting anything this colorful or detailed or with what I can't help but register as Fun New Outfits even though these are still like, pretty damn basic as far as costumes go. Still, it's a different vibe from everyone in suits and trenchcoats on every cover, technically. (Oh the woes of being an audio fan such that two characters owning sweaters actually does qualify as new information)
On top of just being visually delightful though, I know we knew religion was gonna be a fairly big part of this one, but I didn't actually expect to get quite this much of it - though I'm glad of it for a number of reasons. The BF twitter already made the ineffable joke so I don't have to, but also yeah I did very much spend all of season 2 episode 4 of good omens half convinced Samuel Barnett & Dervla Kirwan were about to pop up around any given corner (if you will go around being gay supernatural and horrible at your messy bureaucratic jobs in midcentury soho then I'm sorry, this is where my brain's gonna go) - so, fuel to that fire. But in terms of actual important things, at least one of my Soho wishes looks to be being granted because we have a Rev Edward Folgate on the cast list, which must mean we're finally meeting Norton's father, even if his mother & brother don't appear (which they could, technically, I've definitely seen BF not list all the doublings on their cast tabs before). Religion, domesticity, and the nuclear family are all things that absolutely fascinate me when it comes to Norton's character, so getting any amount of story involving his father & his church is something I've been actively hoping for for a long time now.
(I will say I'm a tiny bit bummed Saffron Coomber isn't on the cast list to play Mia again, but I kinda figured she wasn't going to be since Greg Austin's Armitage, who's making his first recurring appearance after originating in Unbegotten, was listed ever since the boxset was announced - presumably if she was also returning, that would've been handled in the same way. But since Unbegotten ended with Lizbeth and Mia going on a date, I still held out hope. Who knows though, maybe things did go well for them and Lizbeth just has a better work/life balance than Norton so she can date someone without them getting dragged into every scifi plot. I know that's not a very common accomplishment for any Torchwood agent, but a gal can hope)
At this point I know I'm completely in the realm of speculation & even wishful thinking, but I'm really really hoping we get some more clues as to Norton's overall timeline in this one, and I have a feeling that even if there's nothing as direct as dates given, the events of a plot like this one are going to heavily influence my personal interpretation of it.
To say that life & death are major themes for the soho crew feels wildly reductive, but even by Torchwood's standards and taking into account its origins as a piece of media with Jack Harkness & his newfound immortality at the heart of it, the living/dead status of this bunch has always been fantastically up in the air to me. Obviously Ghost Mission introduced Norton as kind of a ghost before revealing more obvious ghostly characters later on to which the title might have been referring, but his being from the past did beg the question of his survival into Torchwood's present era all the same, which Outbreak later alludes to much more directly, and his habit of showing up via hologram in multiple stories only further obfuscates any certainty we might have about where & when he definitely can be said to be alive and well. Then you've got Lizbeth and Gideon both being effectively 'brought back to life' via paradoxes that prevented them ever having died in the first place. Again, they are very very far from being the only Torcwhood characters this happens to (for a sprawling EU, it's really rather impressive how often & in how many different ways Torchwood as a whole manages to circle back to being about like. chaotic undead queers at the end of every day. though I suppose that consistency is part of why I keep falling in love with its different iterations again and again). That's without even getting into the question of Norton's dubious fate in God Among Us - and I say dubious because I know some people take that to be his ultimate death, but I personally think that reading something as vague as that as having any kind of finality rather goes against the spirit of this whole world/series, not just because I want him to live. (There are obviously other ways to make him survive/reappear, but I don't see this as a River Song scenario where we can safely assume one of his earlier-released adventures had to happen at the end of his personal timeline). But wherever God Among Us falls for him, he does very much meet God in it - or at least, a god, since the sentinel in Unbegotten is also described as a god of sorts, and even if he doesn't ultimately have the status of the god Jacqueline King is playing there, Unbegotten is still full to bursting with ghosts/undead/came back wrong/echo characters to continue underscoring that life/afterlife theme.
So all things considered, even allowing for the fact that we know Norton's twin hobbies are lying about himself and abusing time travel to suit his own ends/ever-shifting alliances, I find it difficult to believe we could get through a whole 6-part boxset about religion & death without something providing some kind of compelling evidence about where this adventure fits in among his other run-ins with apocalypses and gods and ghosts and dead-but-still-here characters/creatures, so I'm very much looking forward to any further exploration on that front.
And lastly, and least intellectually, I really want to know what the hell 20th-century Torchwood's obsession with Reginalds is. Reading through the cast list, I had to do two separate doubletakes over the character 'Sir Reginald Peebles' - firstly, because I had Reginald Rigsby on the brain, this being Soho (and the other Troughton brother being so active on BF's releases for this same month) - and secondly, because reading this in conjunction with the announcement for the July monthly adventure in which the new main Torchwood guy of the 20s is apparently called Sir Reginald Dellafield, there was a brief moment where I took that monthly release to be a tie-in with Ascension. I don't expect it to be, but damn. was it really so popular a name?
anyways, catch me thinking about those stained glass windows for the next couple months I guess (and knowing Torchwood Soho, for a long long time after it comes out as well lol)
#torchwood soho: ascension#let's start with the most obvious shall we? behind norton - hellfire or divine radiance? whadda we think?#i know one's much more likely for him but also consider: he's been a fairly good boy by norton standards anyway lately#well i say 'lately' like i know when this takes place#idk why but i kinda feel like this starts very soon after unbegotten#comedy is probably why honestly. since that ends with them being like hey! something went right!#i think ever since i first heard that i was like ok cool so the next installment's gonna be something earth shatteringly bad#& it's gonna kick off dramatically literally one second after this scene ends right?#not that it wouldnt be nice to have some (clearly-defined) timeskip there#tbh i feel like that's the one thing that's missing with soho sometimes - those little medium-sized gaps in continuity#where either speculation or even a missing scenes style fic would go#between parasite & ashenden lizbeth was dead and andy wasnt in the right era for soho shenanigans#and norton and gideon went through SO much offscreen (offmic?)#rebuilding torchwood and starting a relationship and breaking up and getting possessed by space eels and destroying torchwood again#that's like... Too Much to analyze/meaningfully discuss without a few more details from canon#and between Ashenden & Unbegotten it's very unclear how much time has passed#norton certainly seems affected when he sees gideon again for the first time but we also know he went there for him so how long was it?#that and we have literally zero explanation for what andy's doing in the 50s in that one to begin with. has he been there continuously?#or did he leave and come back? if so did norton even have to try justifying it to him?#or does andy just accept at this point that he'll be summoned for anything norton feels is noteworthy? honestly either's plausible w him#but also we have so little confirmed about what torchwood looks like at this point in time!#maybe andy gets summoned for all missions bc he norton and lizbeth are virtually the only agents left after gideon quits#there's just a few too many things unexplained/alluded to for me to go total total fandom mode on this#speculating & theorizing about everything that happens off-audio#doubtless this is mainly bc of norton's general untrustworthiness#like im sure a different main character would've left the audience with fewer uncertainties after this many hours of storytelling#but with soho im still left needing just a tiiiiiny bit more before i feel im knowledgeable enough about the situation to expand upon it#in the traditional fandomy 'transformative' way#right now most of my fanning over it is just speculation about what precisely we can be confident in from the dialogue we do have#but i'd like to go further than that truly. these characters captivate me. obviously.
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