#anyway i'm still obsessed with this game but kind of want to be done with the main story already

[beatcroc]

been dying to formally introduce these guys for months now FINALLY got a general ref done. designs for sales and mean as their own individual....designs! which i made for my own nefarious purposes, but if this is something you ever had need or want for your own you're welcome to them.

i'm fascinated by how willfully confusing the game is about what traits belong to what side whenever there's any call to distinguish between them; the voices and colors and such have all been assigned to a contradictory side at least once and it's an extremely cool way to portray that despite ena's duality theming, she's still very much one being & it's futile to try and draw lines about where one part of her ends and the other begins. but, yknow.... it's interesting to try and do so anyway, and a very fun challenge to make something that still line up with my interpretations of each's role in the bigger picture.

anyway. rambling about my own business with them under cut

ok if you're down here i will be blunt. i made them for unbelievably toxic selfcest. really obsessed with how worker ena is kind of just the absolute worst to and for herself. mean Cannot Fucking Stand sales, and sales is... as indifferent and uncaring towards mean as they are to everything else.

it's intentionally very nebulous how much each are "themselves" vs. the whole entity of "ena", but the important vibe is just that they both know basically everything there is to know about the other and how they work. no lying to or hiding from themselves through the other, which is something ena loooooves to do normally. shes got to confront it here.

this being what it is i haven't made much effort to give them actual extrinsic reasons for being/staying together; being part of the same entity means They Just Are A Pair And That's How It Is; but there's maybe something there in the ways of "sales really likes getting to do as they please and mean puts up with WAY more of their shit than anyone else", + "mean is just glad to not have to engage with anything herself and knows they know her better than anyone else will". 

there's an unfortunate amount of....trust? which is a word i that does not feel right to use here, but i've been unable to find a better one-- on her part, in the general familiarity they both have; in knowing no matter how much they piss her off that they're not going to try any shit to actually hurt her; being the same being and all, it would be detrimental to them both. meanie is also, i would say, Rather Particular, and feels like she hasn't got much else outside of them- which im going to be frank seems pretty damn substantiated by the game, but for the sake of this isolated dynamic i suppose it comes more from the passive dehumanization she’s been with from sales’ never giving a shit about her. 

for sales i suppose there is.... the satisfaction of being effortlessly great at what they do. mean is a tough nut to crack but they have explicit insider knowledge of how to do so, and again for her own lack of desire to engage with anything, really just kind of lets them do whatever; meanie is really just to all ends their favorite to mess with. and while she's definitely way more dependent on them than they are on her, they do also need her to keep them in check since their "doesn't give a shit" nature also extends to their own being and they're bad at recognizing/respecting their own limitations and weaknesses as well.

it does bear to stress also that they are both terrible. don't get me wrong, salesperson is way more of a piece of shit and i do generally think meanie is getting the short end of the stick here, but also they aren't harmful by intent and meanie is still very much... well, mean about everything, on purpose, and even if it doesn't really phase sales at all i think somewhere she enjoys getting to take out that vitriol on someone, even if it is herself. maybe even especially then.

anyway i dont normally release wip's this scrappy but it's all i've got rn and it's tested well in friend circles for getting ppl on board w/ what im trying to cook so here's an Extremely basic vibes sketch

come with me. my awesome ship where everything sucks and nothing is good.

[pleasantlycrazyworld]

Hello, I hope you are well.

eI'm thinking A LOT about a reader who is completely obsessed with Logan, like they're in a relationship, and she doesn't hide the fact that she's completely in love and compassionate with him because she knows everything this poor man has been through and just wants to take care of him and make him happy, and Logan is kind of lost because no one has ever done this for him and he feels very loved and wants to reciprocate. anyway it's just an idea, thankssss :)

Hello! I'm doing well and I hope you are as well. Thank you for this request! I loved writing it and I hope I did it justice and that you enjoy it!

At first, he would get flustered when you openly showed how much you loved him. He knows you loved him, obviously you did or why else would you be with him? But he wasn't used to someone being so open with PDA.

The two of you had planned a night out with some friends. The plans were simple, a dinner and some light shopping. Logan wasn't expecting you to still stick to him closely as you do when the two of you are alone, but he wasn't upset about it either. The two of you sat on one side of the booth while your friends sat on the other. Light conversation was flowing with ease as you began to cuddle into his side. He just wrapped his arm around your shoulder as he continued talking to your friend about the latest hockey games score when he felt you twiddle with his fingers. He froze mid-sentence and looked down at you to see what you were doing, and his heart skipped a bit when he noticed you were talking to your friend, and you were completely playing with his finger absentmindedly. He never truly realized how easy it was for you to love on him openly until this moment.

He also wasn't used to someone putting their life on hold to do something for him.

He was having an awful day, and he just couldn't find it in himself to function properly anymore. He knew you had a busy day today so he was planning on going to bed to sulk until you got home and then he would make dinner for the two of you. As he got home, he was taken back by the sight of you already there. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be home until eight?" He asked in a hoarse tone. Your heart ached for the man as you took in his beaten down form, "I took the rest of the day off, you sounded off earlier on the phone, thought you might need someone." You went to him and stood on your toes to kiss his cheek. "Want to help me make dinner?" He could feel his heart swell with the amount of love you give him. "I'd love to" He muttered with a soft smile. As the two of you danced between one another in the kitchen, he felt his body finally ease from carrying all the tension he collected throughout the day.

The longer Logan is with you the easier it is for him to open up, to love freely, and there isn't a day that goes by that he isn't completely and utterly in awe by you. You chose him, something he'll never be able to wrap his head around, but he never wants to witness you loving someone as easy as you love him.

Taglist:

@userchai

@mahi-tamashi

@100percentlazybonez

@lanassmarty

@western-pyro

@misscrissfemmefatale

@marit332

@navs-bhat

@fluffy-b33z

@chaimshelii

@aoi-targaryen

@eyes-ofhell

@sad0ni0n

@fries11

@slowlikehoneyyy

@brisinggamenwearer

[loquarocoeur]

PLEASE make a list. For research purposes ofc🫶 (to further my obsession with yoursverse lestappen)

Sighs dreamily

Just off the top of my head this morning, I'll say some Max-isms that Charles finds cute are:

• Smacking/kicking/elbowing Charles every two minutes when Charles says something stupid, but it's so gentle it wouldn't hurt a fly

• Him saying 'Charles' at the end of every second sentence for no reason other than just to say it

• His lying voice

• His 'I'm so done with Charles' voice

• His embarrassed voice

• His voice in general

• The way he says his S's and T's and R's

• How much of a typical boy Max is

• Him being obsessed with video games

• Him checking out his own biceps in mirrors when he thinks Charles can't see him

• Him not knowing how to decorate/interior design to save his life

• Him not being able to put together a decent outfit that isn't red bull shirt and jeans to save his life

• Him not knowing what SPF is and not believing in skin care and hair routines even though he lets Charles do it for him and hasn't bought 2 in 1 again

• His wrinkly forehead when he's confused

• The crinkles at the corners of his eyes!!!

• His beauty spots, especially the top lip one

• His tendency to speak before he thinks, so even if his face wasn't expressive enough to be an open book Charles hardly ever has to wonder what he's feeling

• His tendency to hide his face in his hands when he's laughing

• Also his tendency to hide his face in whatever part of Charles he can reach when he's embarrassed

• Or how he sometimes just smacks his forehead into Charles' shoulder when he's done with Charles' antics, but he'll let them happen anyway

• Max's talent for finding things in life to be mad about

• How much Max laughs and smiles without even noticing

• How much Max is obsessed with kinder chocolates, tomato soup and carpaccio, like he will eat anything, but it's like his eyes are magnetically locked onto tomato soup and carpaccio on the menu at literally every restaurant, you can physically see when Max found it as an option and there's no hope of him eating anything else

• His love/need for forehead kisses

• The override button he has for being embarrassed to talk about his feelings whenever Charles is even the tiniest bit upset

• All the ways he tries to coax the cats into giving him attention when they just want to live their lives

• His insistence that Leo is Charles' dog and Charles' responsibility, but he keeps finding Max cuddling him where he thought Charles wouldn't catch him or teaching him new tricks which isn't working because Charles is feeding all the pets too many treats for them to still work as a reward system

• His panic response when Charles starts crying for literally any reason including sad movies, honestly even happy ending movies, any kind of tears just give him a panic oh god how do i fix it response

• Max always feeling the need to explain to Charles again that he does hate the crying, but he also doesn't want Charles not to cry because he's allowed to have all his feelings

• T-Rex typing

• His innocent look when he's trying to pretend he has no idea what Charles is talking about when he wants to start a conversation Max won't like

• The thin layer of fat Max never loses over his stomach. He likes it especially in the off season when Max gets to eat lots of chocolates and things

Idk, there are probably loads more, maybe I'll keep a list in my notes app

[everwhovian]

There is something so tragic about the sibling bond In-ho and Jun-ho have

Ever since I got obsessed with Squid Game, their relationship stood out to me, and I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort and family and just imagining In-ho meeting his baby brother for the first time, giving him A KIDNEY and then he has to shoot Jun-ho and it's so tragic!

Anyways. I wrote something. Instead of studying for my exams... enjoy!

(a small glimpse into In-ho and Jun-ho's relationship as Jun-ho grows up)

masterlist | next part

what remains. | Hwang brothers

The room was dark. In-ho stood frozen in the doorway, fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. He reached out, fingers hovering over the switch, but he didn’t flick it on. The only light spilling into the room came from the hallway. In-ho waited. His eyes adjusted to the dim glow flickering through the curtains, casting soft shadows over the crib in the corner. It was smaller than he expected.

In-ho swallowed hard. He’d known about the baby for weeks now, but knowing and seeing weren’t the same. This wasn’t just an idea anymore, some distant concept of a sibling. No, this was real.

He hesitated, still standing perfectly still in the doorway. In-ho could recall the voice of his mother, the disgusting tone when she told him about his father and his now stepmother. Growing up, In-ho had always known that his parents had issues, but seeing the living breathing consequence of those issues… the reason why his parents finalized their divorce…

He shook his head. He banished the voice of his mother, biting his own underlip to keep the traitorous words inside his mind, he didn’t want to repeat those words. The baby was not at fault for his parents’ issues. It was wrong for his mother to blame an innocent child.

He let the trap of his bag slip from his shoulder, slowly placing the bag down on the floor, before he dared taking a step into the room. It was so quiet. He took step after step, hesitantly, his footsteps barely making a sound against the floor. He stopped mere inches away from the crib, his torso bending forward until his arms rested on the wooden railing of the crib. He peered inside.

The baby stirred, his tiny hands curling into fists, his chest rising and falling with quiet, even breaths. In-ho stifled a gasp, taking a deep breath through his nose. He reminded himself that he had known about the baby – this half-brother – but standing here now, watching the rise and fall of a life so new, so fragile, made it real in a way he hasn’t prepared for. This was real. His half-brother was real.

And for the first time in his sixteen years, In-ho wasn’t sure what to do next.

He couldn’t remember what he had expected to feel. Maybe nothing. Maybe resentment, fuelled by his mother’s venomous comments. But instead, there was just… silence. A strange, hollow kind of stillness.

The baby. His half-brother. His father’s child. A stranger, and yet, blood. Something unfamiliar tightened in his chest.

He didn’t know how to be a brother, he’d never thought he’d have to be one. While he focused on the baby’s tiny chest, counting the quiet, even breaths, he wondered if that even mattered.

In-ho glanced at the small dresser next to the crib, recognizing the stuffed toy sitting on it. A tiny smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. It was his stuffed toy. The same well-loved duck In-ho had carried around everywhere when he was a toddler. In-ho had sifted through his desk months ago, when his father first acknowledged the existence of the baby, and had given the duck to his stepmother in lieu of a proper present. Now, the duck sat next to the crib, watching over the baby, as if a part of In-ho had been there all along.

His eyes drifted from the duck to a framed photo and next to it, a neatly embroidered blanket draped over the edge. The stitching was slightly uneven, like someone had done it by hand, but the name was clear enough: Jun-ho.

In-ho swallowed, unsure what he was even doing here, what he was supposed to feel. His hand hovered hesitantly over the crib before, without thinking, he reached down.

Jun-ho was so small, impossibly small. His face soft and peaceful in sleep. In-ho’s fingertips brushed against the warm, delicate skin, and then – tiny fingers curled around his own.

In-ho froze.

Jun-ho’s tiny fingers were warm and oh so small, but still holding on with surprising strength. He didn’t even know who In-ho was. He didn’t know what a brother was, didn’t understand the weight of the world, or the choices that had led to this moment. But none of that mattered. He held on anyway. Without question. Without hesitation.

In-ho swallowed hard, his throat tight. It was a strange thing to be trusted so easily. No one had ever handed him trust before. He had always had to earn it, to fight for it. But here was this tiny, helpless baby, offering it without a second thought. It was terrifying. And it was something else too – something he couldn’t quite name, something that made his chest feel heavy and hollow at the same time.

Jun-ho trusted him. Expected him to be there. And for the first time, In-ho realized just how much that meant. Because if this baby trusted him… maybe, just maybe, he couldn’t let him down.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 〇△□ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

At first, it was awkward. In-ho didn’t know what to do with the warmth in Jun-ho’s mother’s voice when she spoke to him, with the way she smiled at him like he belonged, like she wanted him there. It wasn’t something he was used to.

His own mother had never been soft. She had been distant, cold in ways that left a quiet, aching gap in his childhood – one that had long since hardened over. He had learned young that comfort was something other people had, that tenderness was a luxury he was never meant to expect.

But Jun-ho’s mother? She was different.

She cared. Really cared.

She never treated him like an outsider, never hesitated to make space for him. She asked if he had eaten, if he was sleeping enough, if he needed anything. She left out an extra plate at dinner without asking if he would stay – because she already knew he would. She called him son in passing, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

And it scared the hell out of him.

Because it was easier to be distant. It was easier to stand just outside the warmth of their family, to tell himself he was only here for… he didn’t even know why he kept coming back to them. He told himself that it was because of Jun-ho, not because some part of him wanted to come back.

But then there were nights when he was dead on his feet, exhausted from school, from work, from everything, and his stepmother would press a warm mug of tea into his hands and tell him, “You’re doing a good job, In-ho.”

And something in him cracked.

Because no one had ever said that to him before. No one had ever looked at him like he deserved to hear it.

He didn’t know how to be her son. He wasn’t sure if he ever could be.

But she was still there. Quietly. Patiently. Loving him in all the ways he had never been loved before.

And maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as alone as he had always thought.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 〇△□ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

The first time Jun-ho wobbled on unsteady legs, his tiny hands reaching out for something, someone, to hold onto, it wasn’t their father who caught him. It was In-ho.

It had always been In-ho.

He hadn’t planned for it to happen. It wasn’t like he’d woken up one day and decided to be the one to catch Jun-ho when he fell, to be the hands that steadied him, the voice that soothed him, the constant presence in his world.

Their father had always been good at disappearing, of slipping back into old patterns like a man following a well-worn path. His promises were always soft, always fleeting. I’ll do better this time. I’ll be around more. I won’t let you down. But he slipped through the cracks and made himself absent in a way that felt intentional, like an old habit he never quite shook. Falling back into old habits was easy after all. Stepping up? That had never been who their father was.

So, when Jun-ho took his first steps, it was In-ho who knelt in front of him, arms outstretched, waiting. It was In-ho who cheered when tiny feet stumbled forward, and who caught Jun-ho before he could hit the ground. It was his name that Jun-ho spoke first. The syllables clumsy but clear, unmistakable.

Not ‘Appa.’

Resentment burned in In-ho’s chest, sharp and steady. Because every time their father returned like nothing had changed. But everything had changed.

It was In-ho who caught Jun-ho when he stumbled, who soothed his cries, who stayed. And yet, Jun-ho still looked at their father with hopeful eyes, too young to understand that he would always leave in the end. But In-ho knew. He had learned that lesson long ago. And no matter how much he resented the man who should have been here, he swore that he would never be like him.

It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.

But Jun-ho didn’t know that. He didn’t know what he was supposed to have, what he was supposed to be missing. All he knew was that when he lifted his arms, In-ho picked him up. When he cried, In-ho answered. When he reached for someone to hold onto, someone to trust… it was always In-ho.

And with every moment, every milestone, the role of ‘older brother’ blurred into something bigger, heavier, something that settled deep in his chest and refused to let go. He wasn’t just a brother anymore. He was something else. Something more. He was the one who made sure Jun-ho never went to bed hungry, the one who stayed up through fevers, who soothed nightmares, who stayed when their father didn’t.

He hadn’t asked for this. But Jun-ho hadn’t asked to be left behind either.

So, In-ho stayed. Because someone had to. Because Jun-ho trusted him. Because the moment he had reached into that crib and felt tiny fingers wrap around his own, there had never really been a choice.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ 〇△□ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

In-ho built his life on his own. He put himself through university, became a detective, and earned everything with his own hands; his own effort. He never once turned to his absent father for help, never relied on his stepmother’s kindness, even when he knew she would have given it freely. Not because he didn’t appreciate her, but because he still didn’t know how to. He had never relied on a parent before. He had learned young that no one would catch him if he fell, so he made sure he never stumbled.

And he knew it hurt his stepmother. Knew she wished he would lean on her the way Jun-ho did, that he would let her be his mother, too. But the lingering thoughts never left him: “if he accepted her help, wouldn’t that mean he was taking her for granted?”

Wouldn’t that mean he expected her to stay, when he had spent his whole life learning that people didn’t? So, he kept his distance. He loved her in the only way he knew how: by never being a burden. And maybe that hurt her more than anything else.

When In-ho left for university, Jun-ho was only two years old. Small and wide-eyed, his little voice filling the house with endless questions and more often than not, it was In-ho he called for.

Leaving wasn’t easy. Not because he doubted his choice; he had worked too hard to get into university, had spent too long making sure he would never have to rely on their father for anything, but because of Jun-ho. Because every time he packed his bag to go back to school, Jun-ho would waddle after him, grabbing at his pant leg, his voice high and insistent. “Hyung, no go! Stay!”

And it nearly broke him.

He came home as often as he could, squeezing visits in between classes, taking overnight buses just to be there for a few days. It was exhausting, but the moment he stepped through the door and Jun-ho came racing toward him, arms outstretched, eyes shining as he shouted “Hyung!” – it felt worth it. Jun-ho would climb onto his lap, showing off new words he had learned, babbling about his favorite toys, his favorite songs, everything he had stored up to tell him.

But the visits never felt long enough. Before he knew it, he had to leave again. And each time, Jun-ho got a little bigger.

By the time In-ho became a police officer, Jun-ho was six already, just starting school, but still clinging to him whenever he came home. No matter how long he had been gone, no matter how much time passed between visits, Jun-ho’s face always lit up the moment he saw him, like nothing else mattered.

But the visits weren’t as frequent anymore. Work kept him busy, cases ran late, and sometimes, even when he wanted to, he just couldn’t make it home. And that was how, one afternoon, he found himself running late to pick Jun-ho up from school.

By the time he pulled up in his patrol car, the schoolyard was empty. Except for Jun-ho, sitting alone on the steps.

His little backpack rested beside him, too big for his small frame, his legs swinging idly as he watched the street. But he wasn’t upset. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t even restless. He was just waiting. Waiting for In-ho.

The guilt hit hard. Harder than it should have. He had tried to get here on time. He had rushed. But life, work, had gotten in the way, like it always did. And just for a moment In-ho compared himself to their father.

When he stepped out of the car, Jun-ho’s head lifted immediately, his face breaking into a bright, certain smile.

“Hyung!”

He jumped to his feet, grabbing his bag and running toward him without hesitation. No frustration. No disappointment. Just the absolute trust that, late or not, In-ho would always come.

In-ho crouched as Jun-ho threw his arms around his neck, squeezing tightly, as if he hadn’t just been sitting there alone.

“Sorry I’m late,” he muttered, ruffling Jun-ho’s hair.

“S’okay!” Jun-ho chirped, pulling back just enough to grin at him. “I knew you’d come!”

And that was what got to him. The unwavering belief in his voice, the simple, unshaken certainty that no matter how long he had waited, there had never been a doubt in his mind: his hyung would always come.

Swallowing the guilt, he nodded toward the police car. “Wanna ride in the front?”

Jun-ho’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.”

Jun-ho scrambled in, his excitement bubbling over as he settled into the seat, his feet barely reaching the floor.

As In-ho buckled him in, he made a silent promise to himself. No matter how much time passed, no matter how late he was – he would always come back. Because Jun-ho never doubted him. And he never would.

(edit [10/02/25]: I posted these scenes separately again cause I made a masterlist, and it's easier to organize the scenes chronologically like that. all next parts will be linked through the masterlist!!!)

masterlist | next part

So.... yeah. I apologize for any weird sentences. English isn't my first language, and while I do study English, actually writing non university related stuff in English is something I haven't done in years! Can you believe it?

I definitely have more little scenes and scenarios planned with In-ho and Jun-ho, like In-ho meeting his wife and Jun-ho wanting to become a police officer like In-ho. Just some cute family bonding stuff! And some hurt/comfort cause In-ho does give Jun-ho a kidney....

I think I will cross post this to Ao3 too! When I'm certain that I have every little scene I want for a first chapter: maybe up until In-ho's wife gets sick? And then the second chapter might be about In-ho's games and how he became the frontman.

[somuchbetterthanthat]

Sam&Alice's past, ep1-39

Episode 1

GWEN You'll have to forgive Alice, Sam. She's convinced that she's funny. SAM It's alright, we actually go way back. LENA Alice recommended Sam for the job.

(..)

GWEN So you and Alice go back? SAM Yeah, we knew each other at uni. GWEN That how she tricked you into working here? SAM To be fair, she did say the office vibes were- uh- “a bit bleak”.

(..)

SAM No, I mean for the job. I don’t know if I’ve actually said it. Thanks for this. ALICE Don’t worry about it. It’s not really the sort of job I’d expect to be thanked for hooking you up with. SAM It’s something to focus on. And I need that right now. ALICE And it’s not too awkward working with an ex? SAM Only if she won’t stop bullying me. ALICE Ah. Guess it’ll always be awkward then.. SAM snorts goodnaturedly.

More under the cut. THis is going to be so long, help :').

Episode 2 (I'm counting this one because I feel it's significant Sam remembers Luke's old band from years ago. Says a lot about their past.)

SAM So how’s Luke? ALICE He’s good! SAM He still playing with Bullets for Saint Sebastian? ALICE (returning to her desk) God no! They broke up years ago. He’s with a new group: Dredgerman. They’re pretty decent. SAM I’m glad he’s doing well, as far as brothers go you could’ve done worse.

Episode 6 (it's about the Timelines, etc.)

SAM (Yawning) I’ll have to risk it. I’m really struggling here. ALICE Oh sure. Ignore the woman who’s worked nights for almost a decade. What would she know?

(..)

ALICE Also, how do you know where I hide my biscuits. SAM It’s literally the same place you did when we were students – back of the top shelf in the upper left most cabinet. Where you think people won’t be able tall enough to see them.

Episode 9 (aka the episode that made me lose my mind first, etc.)

ALICE (sarcastic) Oh you know me, I just love to turn work into a minefield of interpersonal tension. TEDDY (who has known Alice for four years, btw.) You guys were together for years. It’s understandable.

(...)

SAM I mean, I do like Celia ALICE But? SAM But… I’m not sure we’re quite at the “going-to-Manchester-to-digthrough-a-burned-down-building” stage. ALICE Right. And we are? SAM (sheepish) Well, we used to be.

Episode 11

ALICE Well, luckily your best friend in this or any other world, the one and only Alice Dyer, has bought you a fancy coffee and a discount pasty. SAM (struggling to play along) Not the Alice Dyer? From such hits as “well at least it wasn’t both legs” and “who needs grandparents anyway?”

(..)

ALICE You actually wanted the Pain au Chocolat didn’t you? SAM What can I say? You’re predictable. ALICE Dammit.

Episode 12

ALICE (normal again) You know it’s rude to have absolutely no game? Christ, all these years and you still ask people out like a baby foal learning to tapdance. SAM Look it worked didn’t it?

Episode 13

CELIA Alice was right – it is easy to make you blush..

(...)

SAM And what else did she say about me? CELIA That you don't know how cute you are. SAM (pleased) Oh. Well… CELIA …and that you're an overachiever, obsessive, a bit repressed SAM Okay CELIA -nosey, kind of a recluse SAM Thank you. CELIA -and very easy to wind up. Beat. SAM Well, she's not wrong, I guess.

(...)

SAM Well after that it all just went downhill. Didn’t get into Oxford, so I went to Nottingham. I graduated but I missed a first by one mark. Then I went to work at a legal firm. I was there for years, hoping they’d eventually sponsor me for a law degree. CELIA And? SAM sighs. SAM I had a breakdown. Stress. There was an… incident at work. I… freaked out during a presentation. After that they “encouraged” me to move on and I did. Six unemployed months later and I took a job at the O.I.A.R. CELIA (Slightly cautious) Alice hooked you up? SAM (noticing) Yeah. Uh Full disclosure, we dated at Uni and stayed in contact after. I did my best to help her though her parents’ deaths but after that we pretty much dropped out of touch. According to her she dropped me a line about the job after “the most pathetic vague-post she had ever seen”. CELIA And now? SAM Now she’s a friend. An insufferable, obnoxious know-it-all friend but yeah, just a friend.

Episode 15

LUKE CONT. How’s Sam by the way? It’s been years since I saw the weedy git. ALICE Same as ever.

Episode 16

ALICE (sniffing) Thanks. Yeah I’m… I’m all right. Just a lot y’know? I haven’t seen someone die since… SAM Yeah.

Episode 19

ALICE Look, Sam, I really don’t have time to mess around tonight. SAM It’ll only take a sec. ALICE What’s wrong? You’re doing your twitchy eye, you only do that when something’s up?

Episode 22

SAM Why are you messing around with my cases Alice? ALICE I, uh… I would never- - SAM We both know you’re crap at lying so can we skip that bit? What are you doing?

(...)

ALICE I’m just trying to look out for you- SAM (Angry) No, you’re not! You’re trying to control me. Again. Well tough. I don’t need you breathing down my neck every second and claiming it’s to “protect” me! I can look after myself.

(...)

SAM Then why would you recommend me for this job? ALICE Because you needed something and… (sighing) I guess I just thought you’d be different. That you might actually listen to me. (beat) SAM Why are you even here Alice? ALICE I- What? SAM The money isn’t that good, the hours are crap and clearly you’ve seen this job destroy people. But you’ve still been coming in every night for years. ALICE You know why. Luke’s- SAM Don’t give me that. All you do is complain, but if things were as bad as you make out you’d already be gone. You’d never hang around if there wasn’t something in it for you, so what is it? ALICE Because if you can keep your head straight it’s actually pretty easy money. And you know what, maybe I do get a kick out of being the only one who can really hack it, but I had hoped you might be the same, that if I showed you the ropes we could… SAM (suspicious) What?

(..)

SAM (sitting) Yeah, I’m sorry. She just… pushes my buttons. CELIA It’s fine. You two have history. Maybe it’s easier if I don’t get mixed up in all the… SAM Baggage? CELIA (smiling) I was going to say “noise”. SAM Don’t worry about it. It’s her problem, not ours. I’m done trying to placate a jealous ex. She can either get over it or get lost, and right now either’s fine with me.

Episode 23

ALICE I had a favorite mug. It said “love you bitch” and had a picture of drunk dog on it. Luke got it me with the cash from his first gig. Sam broke it by accident last month. I nearly fed him the pieces…

Episode 25

ALICE Well that brings back uni memories doesn’t it. SAM Does it? ALICE The student union caff? SAM (remembering amused)Oh god, yeah! Eurgh how could I forget those “sloppy joes”. ALICE Sloppy was definitely the word. I can still taste it… SAM Ugh, D’you remember when they tried to do a veggie option and it just-

Fluff episode

COLIN I still can’t believe you got him the job, after everything you said. ALICE Hey, moaning about exes on Divorcemas is just what you do. He’s actually a good guy who just needed to catch a break.

(...)

ALICE (reluctantly) I think what Colin is trying to say is that as the newest member of this particular bitchy subcommittee you have to spill on your exes. SAM Um, ok… So, uh, there was this girl ALICE I’m right here. SAM Hey, I’ll have you know I have plenty of exes!

(...)

ALICE Oh Sam. I know you think you want normal, but I think it’s pretty obvious that deep down you only go for the truly depraved and bizarre. COLIN Sounds about right. ALICE Damn skippy. SAM Well what about you then eh? I’m guessing it was non-stop horror stories when I wasn’t on the scene. COLIN Mate, you have no idea. You’re a well-adjusted, genius, alpha-male heartthrob compared to what Alice has been dating.

Episode 37

SAM Did you try Alice? GEORGIE Who? MELANIE His better half from the sound of it SAM We’re not actually together MELANIE But you were close? SAM Close enough that our doubles might know each other too.

Episode 39

SAM I thought I recognized the address. This is Alice’s parent’s house, I’m sure of it. GEORGIE That a problem? SAM No it’s just… I helped her move their stuff out after they… huh…

(...)

ALICE (trying to muster herself) Then I’m sorry that I… SAM Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time an Alice has flung herself at me.

(..)

ALICE Oh, I’m so sorry. SAM Don’t be. It was mutual. We actually still work together and it’s… it’s fine.

(...)

SAM It did. Few years ago, I guess around the same time. I went to hospital and it was pretty straightforward. Look. Alice visited me in the Hospital… (with a quiet smile) She hid a fetish mag under my pillow so the nurses would find it.

And that's. all we have so far folks. That I could find/remember at least. that is SO LITTLE?? when you think about it???? there is SO MUCH we don't know yet about those two.

[rowena-rain]

Harry/Tom/Harry sandwich?

Also:

Anonymous asked: thank you for the tag on the wip game post! endlessly curious about the harry/tom/harry sandwich wip, would love to hear more!!

@sri-verse asked: Harry/Tom/Harry sandwich if you may? Because I am always hungry for those😁

GUYS. This might be the single most unhinged thing I've ever written, and I am so excited/nervous to share it! It will be posted very soon as part of Captivous. (It's technically completed already, but I'll probably release in parts because I'm an engagement whore.)

I guess if you want a taste of how unhinged this is, I can share a sneak-peek of the tags. Although I also think it could be fun to read going in blind without reading the tags (only if you're, ya know, not easily triggered or squicked!).

Call it Stockholm Syndrome. Call it Tom Riddle’s Harry Potter Obsession. Call it Harry Potter and Tom Riddle’s Codependency. Call it whatever you want. The red string of fate stretches across decades, across timelines, Horcrux or not. All the versions of you. The versions of him. It doesn’t matter. You’re all knotted up together so badly, you can never be untangled. And maybe if you’re honest with yourself for once, you don’t really want to be.

A/N and Tags Preview below the break!

Additional Tags: Angst, Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, Underage Sex (15), Dubious Consent, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Kidnapping, Captive Tom Riddle, Time Travel, Minor Harry/OMC (plot device only), Minor Major Character Death (not in the timeline that matters!), Threesome - M/M/M, Self-cest, False accusation of sexual abuse, Implied/Referenced Childhood Sexual Abuse (not between main pairing), Manipulative Tom Riddle, Tom Riddle is a Little Shit, Harry Potter is a Little Shit, Harry Potter is So Done, Harry’s Still Harry (just making some very morally questionable decisions), First Time, Age Difference, Daddy Kink, Praise Kink, Collars, Punching Yourself as Foreplay, Choking, Of both the sexual and nonsexual varieties, Double Blow Job, Come Sharing, Comeplay, Rimming, Edging, Begging, Double Anal Penetration, Double Penetration in One Hole, Anal Gaping, Light Masochism, Implied Pseudo-Incest, Is it Suicidal Behavior or Attempted Self-Murder?, Codependency, Trauma, Healing, Self-Love, (It's a work in progress), freak4freak4freak, Porn with Plot and Feelings, Baby dark lords can have little a double-servings of Harry as a treat, Captivous 2025

On today’s episode of Rowena Rain writes extremely kinky porn laced with heavy plot and enough feelings to make Brené Brown proud* (maybe?? If you’re out there, Brené, I love you, I’m sorry, please don’t read this)… Yeah. This one’s a lot—of everything. Mind the tags (or just raw dog it if you’re feeling brave). The dove isn’t dead, but awful things happen to doves who meddle with time, or whatever Hermione said. Rated E for Everyone’s Making Terrible Decisions Including the Author. (Harry’s not dark in this—he’s just tired, traumatized, and a bit ethically compromised :)) Yes, it's in second person POV**. I know, I know—I used to hate it, too. BUT! I promise this is NOT a "y/n" or reader-insert thing (no judgment if that's your thing). It's just the POV the story wanted to be in. I don’t make the rules. So maybe give it a shot anyway?

*Brené Brown was not consulted in the making of this fic and likely would not endorse the therapeutic value of DP’ing a narcissist with yourself, but we thank her for her service anyway. **And! Second person is actually super useful for m/m/m threesomes, self-cest, and any kind of gay smut where you don't want to have to repeat people's names 5000 times to clarify who's who. Or worse, having to say shit like "the raven-haired man" (that wouldn't even help in this case lol). So if you're a writer, consider joining our cult movement today! We have free... smut. (I mean, so does everyone else, but we do, too.)

[akechi-stole-my-heart]

I found myself rewatching the scene where the Thieves explain their plan on 11/21, and I noticed something. It's become a common consensus that the whole plan was Makoto's idea, and that's literally not true.

Futaba is the one to come up with the initial idea!

I've seen people use this to frame Makoto as the reckless and self-centered one who was too wrapped up in her genius plan to recognize the danger it put Akira in. And that's just...not even the slightest bit true? Futaba comes up with the cognitive copy idea, aka the part of the plan that requires Akira to put himself in danger. And I really doubt anyone would seriously try to suggest that Futaba doesn't care about Akira's safety. She's his little sister, of course she cares, but this is their only option left. There is no safe way out of this.

Not only that, but look at the way Makoto talks about this plan.

"This is our only option" paired with a sad sprite. Is that really the look of someone who is too obsessed with the genius of "her" plan to recognize the suffering of others? Not in the slightest. Makoto realizes this will be dangerous. She's not happy about it. But they're out of options. This is all they have left.

And I'm not done.

The game goes out of its way to have Makoto say she's glad Akira's okay after the whole things goes down! Makoto does care, you guys. She cares a lot, and this plan was not about her ego. It was about survival. Makoto and the others didn't realize the police would go so far with Akira, and if they had, I bet they would all have been a lot more hesitant to put their leader in that kind of danger.

I'm so sick of the fandom throwing Makoto under the bus for things she literally didn't do. And all the Phantom Thieves, for that matter! They aren't horrible friends for their plan!

I think people forget just how utterly fucked the Thieves are in November. They can't go public about Akechi because no one would believe them and his master would continue to remain unknown and unpunished. They can't go to Sae because she's been corrupted. They can't go to the police for obvious reasons. They're all wanted criminals, and they've been set into a trap they can't turn down by Akechi. What else are they supposed to do? It was either this, or let Akira, and the rest of them for that matter, be framed and murdered. Those were their only options.

They made this plan to save Akira's life. I'm sure if it was an option, any of them would have taken his place. But they couldn't. It had to be him. Akechi knows who the leader is--if he found someone else in that cell, he'd have figured out he was tricked immediately.

And don't act like Akira didn't want to do it. You know he'd do absolutely anything for the sake of his friends. He's a daredevil, he probably got excited at the idea of putting himself at risk like that. He didn't realize how dangerous it'd be, either. Yeah, afterwards he's been traumatized as hell. But that doesn't mean he didn't put himself in that cell willingly. The Thieves wouldn't have made him do it otherwise, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

I've gotten a bit sidetracked with this, but anyway. Stop the Makoto slander, alright? And stop the Thieves slander, too. They did what they had to in an impossible situation. Write your fics about Akira's trauma, but please recognize that it's not the Thieves' fault if he refuses to talk to them about his suffering, and that none of them ever wanted to put him in any danger. It wasn't their fault!

(Like, come on guys. If it's anyone's fault, it's Akechi's? He's the only one who actively put Akira in danger here, lmao. Not that I think Akira would see it that way, ofc, but still. If we're assigning blame here...)

[nicnevans]

Hey! GW2 fandom!

I'm semi-new here, though (since you guys seem friendly) a few of my screenshots and doodles have done the rounds so my characters might not be entirely unfamiliar to you. Anyway, I want more GW2 on my dash! with some caveats due to being New TM I'm looking for folks to follow who;

post a fair bit of GW2; other games and fandoms in the mix is fine, I myself am pretty multifandom over here (I don't have the braincells to separate everything out lmao)

have a spoiler-tagging system I can reference; I've just finished HoT and I'm absolutely not rushing through GW2's storyline (experience has taught me that the best way to enjoy an MMO is slowly) If you don't have a spoiler tagging system but still wanna chat, that's also great! hmu I wanna interact and meet the fandom! I just don't wanna hit a spoiler for content that, to most other people, is ancient lmao

I'm especially interested in seeing fanworks, whether you're a creator of them or a chronic reblogger. I miss the good old days of tumblr when my dash was 90% peoples' fanart and OCs and everyone hyping each other up 🥺

A bit about me (and my characters)

I'm not a single-fandom blog. My blog runs mostly on a queue, and in that queue goes basically everything I enjoy with anything cool that crosses my dash in between.

I'm a Millennial TM. I make Millennial TM jokes (puns) like my life depends on it. I'm sorry. I can't change.

I post art over on @ilmhist sometimes. Doodles and portraits and such. (That's also the blog I like/follow from.)

I have... a lot of OCs. A lot. My OC page is packed and in a constant state of "oh god I still need to write so-and-so's bio..."

idk how to play GW2 I'm just here for the blorbosis, I'm certifiably Bad At It and I die constantly. This has become a character trait for my comm, it's a running joke at this point that he never walks away from a fight under his own strength, he's always getting carried or dragged out when it's all said and done.

I'm... kind of obsessed with sylvari. I support everyone who has brainrot for the other races and I'd love to hear thoughts on them, I just have none, it's all plant people all time in my one singular braincell.

(pictured above, left to right: Duilliche (main comm), Callainn, Lusanaisig, Dreaghann)

These lil guys are my current pride and joy. Lus and Drea are twins, but all four of them awoke during different times of the same day, and (mostly) had connected Dreams. Cal is the odd one out in this, she never got a Wyld Hunt and her calling in life is much more mundane than the others, but she sort of gets swept along with them anyway. Her running gag is that, for one reason or another, she never seems to make it to the Big Climactic Fight at the end of any given journey. Dill is very much in the wrong genre and should have been a Disney prince. He even sings. He also has a godawful sense of direction and if left in charge of Leading The Group, he will blithely lead the group in circles for hours. As is evident, they're season-coded. Autumn, winter, spring, summer. I thought it was a fun idea for a group of sylvari sharing a plotline :>

This post is getting really long. Okay, so, intro done, like/reblog/comment/something if you post GW2 and I can avoid spoilers if I follow you, if I can't avoid spoilers if i follow you feel free to drop me a message or something if you want?

[sircesimblr]

Get to Know Me Tag Game

Thank you for tagging me, @townsenddecades! Let's see...

Last Song

The soundtrack from the Emma. movie

Favourite Colour

Greens and whites in all their shades

Currently Watching

Still very much into K-drama's. I find these often don't lend themselves for binge-watching so I have a lot of them going "on hold" and pick one episode whatever mood I have.

Last Movie

Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe from 1956

Currently Reading

I'm kind of in between books at the moment! I'm contemplating finally picking up Middlemarch by George Eliot... I adore reading 19th century novels during summer. I'm not one to go on holidays but spending the summer months in my favourite olden times is just as precious to relax.

Sweet, Spicy or Savoury

Vietnamese spring rolls with 🌶HOT🌶 sauce!

Current Obsession

It is CAW, actually. I am trying to squeeze Saaqartoq through a time machine to make it time-appropriate for my historical travel party of Northeney sims to go ashore there. Lucky for me they'll be there during winter, so my not-yet-existing terrain paint skills will be covered with snow anyways. A good project to learn!

Last Googled DuckDuckGo'ed

How to take cuttings from a Ficus Lyrata. I have two of these huge plants that have reached the ceiling of my apartment, and still want to grow bigger (so they're going crammed sideways along the ceiling, so sad, but what else can they do). Something needs to be done soon!

Currently Working On

Making an extensive list of shared memories for a dear friend's birthday present.

I'm tagging @toadifylackoffantasy, @kimmiessimmies and @winterspixels if you feel like it!

[distant-screaming]

GMM2025 Lineup Game

Rules: write your thoughts on all the gmmtv series pilots released today (or just the ones you plan to watch) and tag any 3 (or more! or less!) ppl whose thoughts you wanna know about!

thank you for the tag @bubbalakebrome!! I actually was writing out my thoughts for @ranchthoughts and thought this was the perfect opportunity to put em up in public too! I'm very fried from exam stuff so if these are poorly worded please forgive me <3

'dee,' you may ask, 'which of these shows are you going to watch?' no idea. I watch stuff after it's done airing, and I'm not sure how much time I'll have next year. still, if I have a positive impression of a show I'm very likely to watch it, so take that as you will!

Dare You to Death - joongdunk: it's....crowded? there's a lot going on, and it feels kind of like they mashed together two separate ideas they had for shows? but I love shows with guns because I get to kill people in my fics so LMAO!! also joongdunk are cool

Head 2 Head - seakeen and surfjava: deeply ambivalent to the actors and I've never seen them before, the plotline seems fine enough but not really my kind of thing? kind of a weird enemies to lovers I think

Burnout Syndrome - offgun + gundew(?): fascinating stuff happening here!! however. unfortunately. I don't really care. offgun are not my thing and the plot doesn't really intrigue me, it just feels dark and edgy in a way that's not my style. gun in black lipstick was something though!!

I Love A Lot of You: LIKE… OKAY GUYS… CAN WE LEAVE THE ABLEISM?? anyway. het show so I wasn't really paying attention, also has kind of split personality disorder but I'm not sure how well gmm will handle it based on their track record? anyway nanon's in it but shrug

Whale Store XOXO - milklove and junemewnich: .........shrug? sorry yuri fans I'm very ambivalent to this one, it feels like fluff the way 23.5 was fluff? not a high school gl at least! I might end up watching this, but I'm not on the edge of my seat for it

Only Friends season 2 - earthmix, ohmleng and jossgawin: INSANE. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one because (glances at season 1)......theatre kids only friends is incredibly funny though

That Summer - winnysatang, mondryu and neomint: WINNYSATANG MAINS YAY!!! the more amnesia, but it looks interestingly done at least, and it's a jojo show and I trust him. tang being a prince is... this drama has the space to either become overdramatic fanfic or really really good and I'm desperately hoping for the latter. tang's chara is an amnesiac prince. I get to write ballroom dancing scenes. I win. mond kisses a guy which is awesome, neomint is a thing and I am deeply ambivalent to mint

My Romance Scammer - juniormark, ohmfluke: this one's concept is deeply funny to me, but the execution could vary! lowkey the energy it's giving is mame show if mame was not obsessed with blurring consent? trashy fun watch energy. also, ohmfluke doing this one is great because their most well known show is like Heavy and Serious and this one is 'I marry this guy as a gay marriage scam and fall in love'. incredible no notes. also can the actors start naming themselves fluke1, fluke2, ohm1, ohm2

Melody of Secrets - forcebook: YES. YESSSS. THIS ONE'S FOR ME. LITERALLY FOR ME. CLASSICAL MUSIC, HORROR ESQUE PLOT, SEMI MURDER, ESTABLISHED GAY PEOPLE, MAYBE MISTAKEN IDENTITY? INCREDIBLE NO NOTES. also forcebook are like, solid actors for me so yay no issues there! I want my blorbos in incredible angst STAT

Love You Teacher - perthsanta: perth's character is just a dick to kids for no discernable reason. amnesia. age regression????

Mu-Te-Luv - multiple pairings (seven I think?) gay ones are ohmleng and seakeen: I'm usually pretty chill with anthology style shows, they're fun enough! jamie's in this one and AHEM CLEARS THROAT I LOVE JAMIE JUTAPICH!!! so. the chances of me watching this are low simply because of my backlog, but it looks interesting enough! also there's ladyboy (I hope that's the right term) characters, and I don't know how good the representation is gonna be but it's there! neo is one of them (??)

Cat for Cash - firstkhao: this is just firstkhao get paid to flirt and play with cats the series, and honestly good for them!! a little supernatural element ie first can hear cats' thoughts, which I'm curious where that will go? but overall very low stakes show, seems like the kind of thing I'd binge in a day. firstkhao are fun. I hope people are capable of being normal about a low stakes show heart emoji. I personally think it's a chill watch but I'm not bouncing off walls excited. first is handsome though

Girl Rules - namtanfilm, milklove, viewmin: high heat messy drama shows I prefer to watch in gifs and skipped around eps, but we love messy lesbian representation always!! view plays a straight (soon to figure out she's not so straight) girl which I think is kind of funny. I hope they make out a lot

Boys in Love - papangpodd, lukemick, astonchokun: hello there, obligatory gmmtv high school show! I'm pretty happy with this one, because the actors are all actually young I'm pretty sure and they're all new so it's a nice start for them, very classic. I don't know any of them. papangpodd are there, and as soon as papang appeared I started crying loud and violent tears because I am deeply and unambiguously in love with him. I hope he commits hr violations on school grounds

My Magic Prophecy - jimmysea, teefranc: it's a doctor x psychic, and it feels like a vice versa but not really. the trailer was kind of boring in the sense of composition and scene choices and such. forced proximity trope, which I sometimes do not really like so this one is on thin ice. no idea who the side pairing are yay

A Dog and A Plane - taynew, marcpoon: banger cast!! I haven't seen taynew in anything yet I don't think? but I've heard good things? marc is my beloved, of course. the plot is incredibly interesting at first look, though the cheating thread kind of bothers me? whether it will win out over my enjoyment of the rest of the trailer is yet to be decided. judgement's still out on this one

Me and Thee - pondphuwin, perthsanta: overdramatic spoiled rich kid pond who is obsessed with lakorns x photographer phuwin. incredibly hilarious dynamic. I enjoy pondphuwin, and I enjoy rich kids who grow. seems interesting for sure

Wu - skynani (bl or bromance? unclear): they really looked at the skynani popularity, said bet filmed one (1) scene and stuck it in the lineup. good for them! I hope they kiss! there's golden thread of fate involved, which is fun. I don't want to watch if it's bromance though, my backlog yearns to be freed as is

Ticket to Heaven: RELIGIOUS TRAUMA AND INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA CATHOLIC EDITION THE SHOW????? FROM G4???? WILD STUFF. WIIIILD. I'm very excited for this one, it seems there's heavy topics so hopefully they're dealt with well. g4 will slay I know already. religious imagery goes hard in fanfic if literally nothing else. I will probably cry with this one. I will still watch it. I was also informed that gem went to a catholic high school. fun!

Tagging: @winnysatang @jojotichakorn @lamonnaie @pondphuwin @jjsanguine @cornflowershade! apologies if any of you have been tagged before <3

[doubleddenden]

Time for more reviews nobody asked for, this time the gen 1 protagonists and rivals.

A little caveat: I'm only reviewing them as they appear in the games they are playable in, otherwise I'd have to make a few posts just to get through Red and Blue. We're also counting Let's Go for this.

We'll start with the GRBY era for this

Let's start from the beginning. Red himself. According to the game, he's 11, but most would assign whatever age they want to him since he's just pixels on a Gameboy at this point. That would also include gender, since there's no girl character to select in gen 1- unless you're the type that really gets bothered by that kind of thing, it probably didn't affect you and you just imagined yourself as a tomboy or something.

Ken Sugimori's early styling is iconi- a beautiful water color palette masterfully done, with an art style he himself claimed to be Akira Toriyama inspired. We don't have the corporate styling just yet, so it's a really charming, retro look with blocky styling and pretty simplistic clothing. The hat, t-shirt, and jeans are a pretty simplistic attire for any kid about to good off- the vest really adds about 80% to Red's individuality with fans probably recognizing it as being similar to gen 1 Ash- fitting since Ash is based on Red. The shoes are also kinda retro and cool, but that's not quite as important imo. Small thing, I do prefer when Red is depicted with black hair rather than his brown haired counterparts. I can't really fault the design much because it is pretty early on,except maybe I'd have made the shoes black instead of white and added gloves. Still, it's an outfit I'd probably wear as a kid. 9/10

Now I'm not going to give a full review on this, but I figure it's fair to bring up Green's prototype artwork before she would eventually become the playable girl character in frlg. Gen 1 games were held together by bubblegum and a dream, so adding a girl character was probably too hard for them in the 90s- it's a shame, Green isn't dressed for adventure, but she is cute, the white gloves and white belt are a nice touch on the black dress. I think Manga Green really pulls it together with white boots instead of black flats. Still, really cute for the time, although I feel that people probably would have been over critical of her design in this day and age had she been canon. 8/10

Ah Blue, the original asshole we all know and love. Always 5 steps ahead of you, somehow catching a lot of pokemon before able to, and 1 really inconvenient battle in Sylph Co marked him as an opportunistic rival hunting you outside of caves for some reason. A smug narcissistic bastard, perfectly fitting for an 11 year old grandson of THE pokemon authority. Weirdly obsessed with smelling you later.

Design wise, you gotta love the spiky hair. It's such a cool look that screams 90s, and really adds to his "cooler than you" attitude he has, which his cocktail expression further adds to. The clothes are pretty simple, a purple long sleeve, darker pants, and really cool brown boots- and also a necklace. It's not much, but the design is pretty reminiscent of cool kids you'd see on tv shows and such. As opposed to Red's bright and varied colors, Blue has darker colors, which is another nice contrast.

As a rival, he does a pretty good job setting the foundation for what fans should come to expect. Stronger pokemon to yours- as a proper petty rival should- with the exception of his Eevee in Yellow that evolves depending on your first two battles with him, if I remember correctly, with Vaporeon being the cocky evolution he chooses if he's beaten you- aka, he doesn't see you as a threat. Weird how he ditches it in gen 2 forward, but I guess he did ditch his Raticate. Anyway, his teams are touted to be geared to handle any type- at the time, this is certainly true, although certain teams will have certain glaring weaknesses, such as a triple electric weakness if you picked Bulbasaur. His Alakazam for sure was the stuff of nightmares, especially in gen 1 when Psychics were op as hell and had no weakness you could reasonably exploit. It's no wonder he became a champion and then gym leader- fun fact, in Japan he's called Green (for some reason, blue and green get swapped in translation between Japanese and English often), and the Earth Badge is called the Green badge in Japan- isn't that hilarious? He's so full of himself even after losing the champion title that he could've gotten a new badge or renamed it, but he kept it named after himself. Anyway, a solid rival. 9/10

Onto frlg

Frlg Red became the new standard Red going forward after being introduced in the gen 3 edition of the gen 1 games. Sugimori's artstyle has evolved by leaps and bounds at this point, and we now sort of have a more modern artstyle that a lot of people consider the True tm pokemon artstyle. It is a small shame we lost the pretty water colors, but at the same time, I feel like this does look a bit more agreeable.

I think the design is solid, and unlike og Red, frlg Red is a bit more age ambiguous, which makes him an even better blank slate for any player of any age. The outfit is a bit more modernized, now untucking his pants from his shoes, and zipping up his simpler vest over a black tshirt. The hat, too, is also a bit more characterized, being more unique to him. Rather than gloves, he opts for black wristbands, which is nice for helping fill empty space and give some oomph to his look. The yellow backpack kinda clashes imo, but also kind of works- I'd want it, anyway, and even comes with the Vs Seeker pinned to it. Lastly, we have a change to his hair color- brown. I have brown hair, but honestly I'd have preferred they keep it black. All in all, this is a nice outfit and I'd probably wear a variation of it if I could. The main thing I'd change is unzipping the vest and making his hair black again. I do also need to express my appreciation for having full length pants- this is a rarity for guy protagonists as we get to the more modern era gen 7 onwards. The outfit just looks comfortable overall, nice and roomy, breathable, and something that'd fit right in in the world of Pokemon. A 9/10.

We finally have an official gen 1 girl character- 8 years later after gen 1, and also being mostly forgotten outside of Masters. "Leaf," as most people call her, would be the third girl mc added as of gen 3, and she's a nice addition imo. Like FRLG Red, her age is also left up to the player, and her design also somewhat reflects another blank slate to attach to.

The outfit is a pretty and simple one- although I will say, I probably wouldn't adventure through oceans and mountains in a mini skirt if I were a girl. Regardless of that, the red skirt and blue and black top are a cute combo and a flip of Red's colors, which is pretty creative imo. The loose socks are also a neat addition, and the white and red shoes match with her white and red pork pie hat. The black wrist bands- like Red's- help add just a little more to the design. The messenger bag is fine, again not really my favorite color, and personally speaking after using a few myself, probably not the most comfortable to lug around. The pink VS Seeker is an okay touch, but the pink does sort of clash and probably would have been better if it was either premiere ball colors, or red like her skirt. Lastly, her hair is a long and kinda frizzy brown- it's cute, I'll say that, although I think I'd have either covered it with a cap, make the hair shorter, or shortened some of the hair frizz. I wouldn't say the outfit is practical for adventuring- just a smidgen better than her gen 1 prototype- but who cares in a work of fiction as long as you look cute? I know plenty of girls that like the design- grown and young- and it is a satisfactory extension of the player. Although, some might still prefer Red for pants. Still, 9/10 on a personal note.

And now gaming's most famous douchebag returns in an updated look. Peak 2000s asshole fashion with the half popped collared shirt, choker, and smug expression. The colors for his pants and shirt flip and go darker for the top and lighter for the pants- which I like, this is an outfit I've probably worn similar to when I was a kid. The purple wristbands match with the pants and also fill empty space, the shoes are a simple black that also just work very well with the rest of the design, and- although probably not something I'd get caught dead wead wearing in public- I do like the silver and black hip bag. The outfit is trendy for the time, I appreciate the guy having pants with pockets that are also breathable and not skin tight, and it's just right amount of smug asshole. The one thing I dislike is how the art portrays Jim with orange hair rather than brown- in game, it's not so much an issue, but it does repeat over time. It'd be one thing if it was a similar hue to the brown in the og work, but this is NEON orange, not even ginger orange. Well, it at least made it accurate when I named him for my best friend and life long pokemon rival at the time.

Blue FRLG doesn't really change much personality wise other than a few lines of dialog, but his tactics do get smarter when using his revamped team and even smarter with his Johto'd up rematch team. How did he get back to the champion room? Well, when you're as strong as him, who can stop you other than the only guy to beat you before? 8/10, fix the hair and you're gold- wait, sorry, different guy.

Now, onto Let's Go, or essentially the "diet" versions of above

Let's start with the art style. The art style is completely different from any main series game while also having some gen 1 faux water colors. It's a charming art style that I think is fine for a game aimed towards younger kids instead of the traditional audience, but I'd just prefer gens 3-8 style. Art style aside, the mcs and rival for Let's Go are essentially just "diet" versions of the other MCs and rival, and tbh are inferior for the most part.

"Chase" is the replacement for Red, as Red is a standalone trainer now. He's a fine enough design with lots of great colors going for him, and his outfit definitely feels like a spring fit you'd wear. The color choices are mostly moot because you can change them, but the outfit is non changing. It's fine, gen 7 just kinda decided boys don't get full length pants anymore and we're still dealing with that 9 years later. I like the jacket, bag, and hat, and I do appreciate then giving him black hair again. But god, they made him so baby. That looks less "11" and more "7" imo, and makes me think of my nephew. It doesn't do the job previous gen mcs did by giving a blank slate to do or project how you want, instead pretty much forcing the role of baby on you. It's a 7 for me, not the worst, not the best, and again I do like the colors.

Elaine gives me vibes of my 8 year old niece by looks alone, which is spunky, energetic, and ready for whatever. Elaine sort of abandons most of what Green/Leaf had going in previous gens in favor of a more summery attire, while keeping and sort of remixing colors between Leaf and Let's Go Green. It's a cute look I could see kids wear, and I definitely dig the ponytail in the baseball cap more than Leaf's pork pie hat and messy hair. Again, a similar issue of not being able to project yourself onto the character, and appearing much younger than intended, but I think it's a nice design. Probably still prefer Leaf or Green though. 7/10

Ah Trace. The inferior Blue. I think this is the most "who?" rival of all time. I think he's a nice enough kid, but I really do not understand why we needed to replace Blue. Blue is the type of rival- RIVAL being the keyword here- that challenges you to actually do better. He irritates you just enough to give the satisfaction of beating him into the ground and taking his lunch money after he shit talks you. Trace? He's a ~~fRiEnD~~ a friendly friend that just congratulates you over the littlest thing and is more than happy to let you steam roll him. I think the best parts about him is that he took in the Cubone that Marowak left behind, abd that he has a mega Pidgeot on his champion team- otherwise he just feels like a overly sanitized Blue in an effort to appeal to WAY too sensitive audiences.

Design wise, he certainly is an all around downgrade. He does actually look 11, but those clothes are just way too sporty for a kid his age. Also, track pants in socks? Really? Come on man. The hair also just doesn't form as interesting of a silhouette as other rivals. He's just boring imo. 5/10.

Now if I were to have room to dissect later versions of the gen 1 gang- ranging from Gen 4, 7, the Let's Go variants, Masters, and any others I might be forgetting, I'd have to say that Gen 7 Red, Gen 4 Blue, and Let's Go Green are my favorite iterations of the characters. But as those aren't rivals or mcs, I will not count them towards the reviews.

Okay so the final roundup: these guys aren't quite as story heavy as some modern day counterparts, but they still for the most part lay the foundation for future gens- or as far as Trace goes, rides the coattails of his betters. Red and Blue becoming recurring trainers is still neat, and as much as I tire of the Kanto dick riding, I do love getting more chances to go toe to toe with them. Red practically trained me as a kid when I kept fighting him over and over to try and beat him. Blue has mellowed out a bit in his later years, I still love the opportunity to knock him down a few pegs. Maybe we'll see them again in their 30s in the 30th anniversary. I'd love to meet Green as her own entity again though. I didn't like lgpe, but I liked whatever tf was wrong with her there.

But as far as the designs, mcs are a decent 8/10. The two rivals... 7/10. Blue is cool, Trace is not.

Gen 2 next

[ask-squidbeaks-agents]

Staring at Four and Kay and rotating them in my mind

Got any 4K bits you haven't had a good chance to share yet that I could ask for?

They are one of *the* ships of all time

// Oh I mean they may be my own characters that I'm obsessed with but I wouldn't call them that... they're just my silly idiots lol- But I do! Mainly stuff I haven't had the chance to draw or write yet- I still find it a little crazy how much some people like these two- Anyway here's a ship chart I've done for them- I've done it for 3/8 and my idol ships but- not important rn lol

// Everything under here is going to be rambles cause I'm a loser who's obsessed with their own characters lol

// I haven't shown much of their dynamic outside Four teasing Kay but generally Kay's pretty normal around Four, he just gets flustered from her teasing and what not. In fact Kay also likes to kinda tease Four- in a very friend like way for instance holding something she wants above her head till she says please.

Kay and Four met about- 4 years prior to this blog or 2 years prior to Splat3, I am attempting to write out this first meeting so once it's done it'll be posted here and maybe on AO3 (however I'm a slow writer- might take... some time lol)

Four has saved Kay's butt on multiple occasions however there was one specific time where she full on saved him from getting shot, it was during this case- Kay had been lured out for getting too close to solving it, Four had tailed him and from the shadows using a charger prevented the assailant from shooting Kay. While there are many reasons he loves Four this was the moment he realised.

The moment Four realised she loved Kay- he was helping her with a mission, and while Four jumped over the fence no problem, Kay's suspenders (that he doesn't wear properly) got caught on said fence causing him to fall and land himself upside down against the fence. Of course Four found it hilarious and it was just this kind of "Oh I love this idiot" moment.

The reason Four, who is much more confident in her feelings then Kay is, hasn't confessed is because 1. she finds him getting flustered cute. 2. she wants him to actually have the confidence in their relationship and 3. she won't admit it but she's actually scared of ruining their relationship- she worries that she isn't actually good enough (which is the same reason Kay won't confess, that and while he knows Four likes him as a friend he doesn't think her feelings are actually anymore than that)

The pair share a few interests, they have similar tastes in music- Four loves it when Kay shares his music, it might not always be her taste but it makes him happy so it makes her happy- they also both like video games- Four's more into RPG or action games akin to like Sonic or Persona whereas Kay is more into puzzles and horror like Resident Evil.

They understand and respect each others boundaries but ironically they are also the except to the rule like in Fours case- Four hates physical contact and others being in her personal space to which Kay then goes out of his way to not be too close to Four but Four actually likes being next to him but she also does very much appreciate the fact Kay understands that boundary.

OH- There's this one little story idea I had for them- something silly not really agent related- Four gets herself caught out in the rain, luckily she's slightly more water resistant but Kay runs into a very soaked Four. Obviously he's extremely worried for her despite her waving off his concerns but eventually he convinces her to at least get indoors and get dried. Four points out his place is closer and they should go there to which he reluctantly agrees. Once arriving Kay instructs Four to stay by the door while he grabs her a towel which he gently throws upon her head once returning. Four being Four then starts to a bit too roughly dry her head to which Kay promptly stops her- reminding her that she's still in very melty state and she'll hurt herself doing it like that. Kay points her to the bathroom where she can go dry herself and get changed (into one of his old t-shirt/shorts) Four complies and returns shortly after dried and with her soggy agent gear which she hands to Kay who throws it into the dryer. He says it wont take long but Four points out its really late, she might as well just- crash at his place for the night- she'll just sleep on his couch. Kay is- a bit taken a back at the suggestion but realises she's right by the time her gear will be dried it'll be super late. So he agrees, reluctantly, to which Four wastes no time in running to his living room and checking through all the games he has (cause she wants to play some) She finds that he's got a game she has been dying to play and begs him to let her try it, obviously he lets her (seeing her face when he agreed was- way too adorable for him) Kay sits and watches Four play for a bit before ending up asleep on the couch next to her, when Four realises this she turns off the game before just- leaning her head against his shoulder for a bit before falling sleep herself.

Kay definitely plays rank in his free time, he's tried to convince Four to join but every time she refuses- at first he thinks it's because she's too high a rank for him (He's like A-) but he learns it's actually because she too low a rank to join which major surprise considering the feats he's seen her do. When he finds out he actually offers to help teach her which she initially refuses, pointing out how her whole family are S/X rank and none of them have been able to teach her. Kay understands but does point out that he doesn't play like her family, they're strict and pro, taking rank very seriously where as he's just- a causal player and is much more loose about playing the games and that might be the approach she needs. Four is yet to actually agree to train with him (more out of embarrassment for herself) but she has started to consider taking up his offer.

[lia404]

okay I’m really sorry cause I’m somewhat spamming your inbox but if you still wanted to answer the questions Ryoken for 12, 14 or 26 (you don’t have to do all unless you want to lol)

Don't worry, you're not spamming at all! If anything, *I* am sorry I can't answer the other ask. I'm not deleting it, maybe in a year or so I'll be able to answer it ^^" I don't know when I'll be able to fully watch Zexal. For now I'm only going with second-hand knowledge, so it's not ideal to answer this type of questions.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

(As usual with ask games, a note to myself so I don't lose the link: question comes from this ask.)

Ryoken. Of course it's Ryoken. It's always bloody Ryoken and since he's kind-of the fandom sweetheart, I'm always terrified to write about him. 😂 I have another ask game to answer about him and it's taking forever (if the person who sent the ask for it reads these lines: I'm so sorry. I promise I'm on it...) But I'll do my best!

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

So much has already been written about Ryoken, it feels like everyone has so many headcanons and I'm not sure I can bring anything REALLY new. I do have two or three I can share now: - Ryoken is a massive tokusatsu nerd. I know I'm not the only one to think this. His summoning poses and chants, his dramatics, even his Revolver outfit... And that explosion after the infamous prison break? All very sentai-ish. One may even argue that Rokket dragons assemble to arm Borreload the way a sentai robo assembles with its different parts, but that might be stretching it. - Ryoken does karate. His poses and the way he moves betrays some martial art training. I like to think he took classes because he was obsessed with tokusatsu shows and wanted to do the same as the stunt performers. I also believe that on the boat, he trains with Spectre: Spectre's salute at the beginning of a duel shows he has some knowledge too. - In spite of his name and aesthetic, Ryoken hates fireweapons/he is terrified by them. I haven't developed a whole theory about it yet, but for me, the whole gun-thing is a way to go against this fear and reclaim something.

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Please don't hate me. I mean it. Please please please don't hate me. I'm sorry. Maybe you should jump directly to the next question if you don't want me to ruin the character for you. Don't say I didn't warn you. After seeing so much of shiny, dramatic Revolver, discovering Ryoken's IRL persona was... deeply underwhelming. And I had a hard time enjoying the character. I actually still have a hard time liking him (I SAID PLEASE DON'T HATE ME :'( ) when, paradoxically, Revolver remains one of my faves. Anyway, with this disclaimer in mind: every time real-life Ryoken would appear on screen, something about him was bothering me. His clothes, his face—there was something vaguely unpleasant. It took a simple comment from my partner to unravel the mystery.

"This guy looks like he has a Linkedin account."

Massive oh moment. Nailed it.

(A few months later, I met one of my colleagues and I KID YOU NOT, the guy worked in communication and had a well furnished Linkedin account and he wore THE SAME CLOTHES as Ryoken. Except his jacket was pink and the top was white, not the contrary. IT WAS UNSETTLING)

And thus, IRL Ryoken Kogami, I assign you the fashion aesthetic of That Networking Dude, and you shall forever be known as LinkedIn Ryoken in this house.

I'M SORRY. YOU HAD BEEN WARNED.

26. What's something the character has done you can't get over? Be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

This:

Nothing has ever made me fall for a character THIS fast. During the duel where it's revealed, I literally said JUST the turn before "if I were him, the face-down card would be Mirror Force."

LO AND BEHOLD.

I had to pause the video to catch my breath. And to this day, I'm still in disbelief, and I love Revolver for this.

The other (positive) thing I can't get over is how FUNDAMENTALLY good Ryoken is, to Takeru in particular, but to many characters overall. He's a goddamn tsundere and I really enjoy it. But I also can't get over the (negative) way he behaves with Yusaku, about which I have already complained at length and will always hold a grudge for.

So let's just stick to Mirror Force, which pleases me endlessly. What a nerd.

[the-blorb-system]

Okay, thought of this just because I happen to be listening to it, but you know how EPIC has a handful of lines that tend to be misheard? Like. Jorge even has videos where he just acknowledges it and has fun with it, which I love so, so much about him. "Well done, you lied to me" is still one of my favorites XD

But I realized recently that I have been unironically mishearing a lyric in Luck Runs Out and never questioned it because it made sense to me.

The lyrics are "How much longer 'til the snake breaks free? How much longer 'til your great days cease? How much longer 'til your strength takes leave?"

I heard the first and third lines correctly, but instead of "How much longer 'til your great days cease?", I've been hearing "How much longer 'til you break daisies?"

I thought it just meant like. how much longer until you become so focused on your goal that you carelessly trample the innocent? I figured it was just a saying of some kind being thrown into the lines, like it made sense to me that being so focused on the horizon causes you to break daisies under your feet, since you wouldn't be looking at what you're stepping on to get where you're trying to go. It seemed like a perfect comparison to becoming so hyperfixated on your goal that you hurt the good and the bad, the daisies and dirt alike, because you've stopped caring to see the difference.

It's not the correct line, but I'm gonna keep singing it like that. Thanks, Jorge! Your musical has caused me to accidentally create a new, very meaningful saying by virtue of me being partially deaf in one ear XD

...I wonder if I can like. officially coin it somewhere. "Careful that you don't break daisies in pursuit of the horizon", or something similar. It just makes too much sense, sort of like a more cautionary version of "Don't neglect to do good in the pursuit of great".

In an alternate universe it's definitely a common phrase. Probably built its way into the linguistics of multiple languages, just like... Coach is telling your buddy "don't break daisies" when he's knocking people over obsessively trying to get his 4th 3-point shot in a basketball game or whatever, idk XD

Anyway. Just thoughts.

Could probably rant about it, if I wanted, given a little more research, but idk.

-Lizzy [She/Any]

[flownwrong]

one more writing tag game!

thank you @zmediaoutlet, really appreciate the tag! <333 i haven't written in a while due to questionable irl circumstances so it's nice to talk about it a bit, maybe claw my way back to the wips :)

1. How many works on AO3?

15! not great, not terrible

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

34,796 (a bit embarrassing for four years of intermittent writing, lol)

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos?

double exposure (no wonder, an event fic with marvellous @tgtbata's art!)

any weight beyond your own (i think it was also some kind of event? but i'm too scared to open it and check haha; first real attempt at a fic after some teenage dabbling, really)

never really opting in (huh! how did it end up so high?)

perpetuum mobile (which i'm quite proud of, so yays!)

and you shall receive (which i'm just as proud of, double yays!)

4. What fandoms do you write for?

mmm, due south and spn are the top two by count, but i dunno when any spn stuff i have is getting finished! (hopefully when and not if is applicable here haha)

i also have one fic for MASH, True Detective and Star Trek Discovery (oh god lol) each. if i'm brave enough, one day my other TD wip is getting finished, but after that I'm done with it — i feel too reverent of the canon, lol.

5. Do you respond to comments?

always! how could i not <3 appreciate every one!

6. Angstiest Ending?

mmm. I don't really have any of those, although I do have an almost finished resdogs fic up next that would have one, necessitated by canon. out of those I have, it's probably hold till better times, per the unrequited premise. tallahassee, cynosure and over / for technically fit the definition, but they're all too short to have endings per se, and all of them are inevitably hopeful, again, per the following canon, so.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

perpetuum mobile probably has the most syrupy sweet one, as do all of my other due south non-ficlets, but i'd argue negating, repeating is the happiest of them all in spirit — newsom's namesake song didn't lie about that joy of life!

8. Do you get hate?

i'm not known enough for it, which is a situation i'm very content with!

9. Do you write smut?

i try my best!

10. Do you write crossovers?

i have one in the works i'm pretty excited about, but usually they're very hard to justify for me :)

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

as with hate — not known enough for it, and pleased with that :)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope, but i hope it's yet :) i'd be delirious with excitement if that ever happened!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

nope, and it's hard to imagine how that would work... but i would love to try, if there was a writer in the circle i trust who's not my superior by a million points :')

14. All time favourite ship?

um, Fraser/Kowalski, i think! can't help thinking I'm still too young to know, lol. but fairly sure these two will haunt me the longest.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

all of them, lol most of my unfinished wips are this way bc i realised i lack skill to finish them, not because i lost interest, even if i stepped away from a fandom. i look at them longingly often enough and try to practice so i can come back :) but no, that one red meat coda i started early into my spn obsession is likely staying that way or at least becoming a ship of theseus bc the idea was shit.

16. Writing Strengths?

uh. voices, probably? i'm not too satisfied with them, but it's what i feel most confident about, anyway. kind @petymology told me my romance and sex dynamics never feel like they're retreading same old steps and feel complex, and many other kind people told me my prose is very sharp at times, so i choose to believe that as well :)

17. Writing Weaknesses?

plot, but also many many other things i lack practice for. i struggle with scene/summary balance, rhythm, flow and pacing, dialogue, fleshing out images... but i think i am getting better at most of these with every work :)

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

love when it comes up meaningfully! if i ever have a reason to use german in fic, i could probably do it believably. i think.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

jesus... sailor moon? i think? i lost my old hard drive and can't check if there was something else i forgot!

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

as z said before me, usually the most recent one. otherwise, it's a draw between negating, repeating and and you shall receive — both i stumbled into by pure inspiration which held back my insecurities and allowed me to give them my all.

i'd love to hear more from @gueule, @petymology, @rightspocko (or did you do this one already? idr!), @feroxargentea and @redmyeyes!

[veifei]

kiss me anyway and grief's sharpened teeth for the game,,,,, huge eyesemojis

THANK YOU FIR THE ASK MARI <33

ok so kiss me anyway (working title, taken from a lyric from lizzy mcalpine's method acting, which i was and tbh still am Obsessed with) is essentially my post s2 fic in which 1) cxs Finds Out 2) time trio take a fucking break and go on a mini holiday somewhere. maybe the mountains (emotionally though there are no breaks cos. well point one). because i am an all vibes no plot writer the details are all *waves hand* and its not got Many words either but i would like to revisit it, because i'm interested in writing something with a slow paced, slice of life backdrop wile all these complicated emotions bubble to the surface-- cxs reckoning with finally knowing the truth and trying to process all that, along with the way he feels about lu guang — and how lu guang feels about him, and what he's been willing to do for that love. i was working on this a bit before yingdu, and while i was getting a feel for the characters, so some of the dialogue i've written is a little off the mark now, but here's a small non dialogue bit i like:

Lu Guang's mundane nightmares make up most of his dreams — not of that day, but a million others. An empty shop, a message left unread, a feigned smile and looming dread, the dying light in the sunroom at dusk, knowing he won't be back. 

as for grief's sharpened teeth...hehehe you've read some snippets before but i will yap cos i am having many thoughts about it. it is the obligatory post yingdu xia fei crash out fic, in which xf 'breaks in' to vein's penthouse in search of clues and well. he just has a bad time instead and falls into memories of the past. i'm hoping that it will have a sort of fluid, loose quality to it and that the non linear structure Works but i'm having fun regardless with writing these vignettes and moments veifei share with one another! another fun thing is that i have unknowingly connected this fic to this time, always (previous vf fic i wrote, where xf gets drunk goes to a bar and calls vein to pick him up LMAO)-- not in an obvious way mind you, but thematically they work well in conversation with one another and have moments and motifs which parallel the other. ESPECIALLY the endings...i think reading this time, always will make the ending of sharpened teeth even worse for the heart <3

(and because I'm not Actually that evil i kind of want to write a third fic in this series for veifei reunion purposes but i haven't figured out the details so i will shush for now)

here's a small small snippet from what i just wrote last night, it is Slightly suggestive (also i was literally fighting to stay awake so it's not my best LOL)

Once, he woke up before Vein—this being a rarity of the highest order. So often, Xia Fei would sleep and let Vein have his way, slip in and out of consciousness and hand his body over to his boss, trusting his hands to be tender. Xia Fei, still half asleep himself, rolled to his side to get a good look at Vein's features, smoothed out in sleep. There was no pinch in his brows or sly smile, his hair loose and fanned out on the silken pillow, while his chest rose with each steady breath he exhaled. Close enough to hear him, to smell sweat and smoke, Xia Fei reached out a hand, intent on touching Vein the way he'd touched him many times before. He could have done all sorts of things, but Xia Fei ghosted his fingertips over Vein's face, barely getting to cup his cheek with his palm before his wrist was caught.

again thank uuu for the ask i love to yap about my wips even the ones that have been collecting dust dfdfkjfs :D