#because sevens honestly was really underappreciated

[number-1-kuaidul-fanboy]

I'm just gonna say it. I've given it some thought and personally, I HATE the timeline twist in Go Rush.

Spoilers for the first season, I haven't started season 2 yet but I think I can talk about just season 1 for a bit.

Go Rush seemingly only takes place "before" Sevens timeline-wise for two reasons:

1) So they can have rush duels.

2) So they can have young Yuga. (Even though they never refer to him by name or even properly show his face.)

Now, I'm sure Bridge is either just more comfortable writing rush duels or it's what Konami wants them to do to really sell specifically just Japan on this new format. Whatever the reason though, it doesn't work for Go Rush. Rush duels were intrinsically connected to the story of Sevens. It was all about the creation of rush duels and how society reacted to them. The meta-commentary of master duels becoming too complicated for the original target demographic to understand/enjoy was an essential part of the plot, particularly in season 1. You cannot have a Sevens without rush duels. Go Rush though? Its story is just "aliens discover card games and want to use them as weapons for war." Both Zexal and Arc V did stories like this through master duelling. Rush duels don't add anything to Go Rush and the only new thing Go Rush has added to rush duelling so far are equip spells, which we've had in master duels for ages, and just aren't that exciting to me despite the show's best efforts. It's not even remotely comparable to Sevens' rush duelling, which gave us maximum summon and a new version of fusion summon, the latter of which carried over into Go Rush but doesn't fit into the plot as naturally. If anything, it causes plotholes.

Everything about rush duelling existing before Yuga's time, even if he was the one who brought it here via time travel, causes plotholes and paradoxes. Because Yuga didn't just introduce rush duelling to aliens, he introduced it to Goha Corporation, who would later try everything to eradicate it. Fusion was invented by a Goha before it was supposed to be invented. So did the Goha siblings know about this back in Sevens and it was passed down or some shit? That's a closed time loop, and takes away from Sevens a bit. Rush duels are part of an alien prophecy in an era long before they shouldn't have existed yet? Even if this is all explained away eventually, it's still really grossly confusing and stupid. And believe me, I'm quite tolerant of Yugioh's stupidity. This doesn't even ruin Go Rush for me, it's still pretty entertaining and I'm excited to watch more but this nonsensical plot development and just how derivative it is of the past Yugioh series (Sevens and Arc V especially) really detracts from it for me.

[softmoonlightmelody]

My Problems with HOO

Yes, this is a particularly long post, and mostly for the rant.

The complaints are mostly about Percabeth, Frazel, Nico's coming out, Caleo, and a little bit of extra things like Rachel and Grover.

First things first - Percabeth. I hated it in HOO. Honestly, it felt that if you made it the Six instead of the Seven it would've worked fine, because no one could tell the difference between Percy and Annabeth anyway. I really wish they were allowed to grow and be their own characters. I honestly preferred scenes without Percy for Annabeth's character. Percy felt flat to me. Also, I hated the judo flip and the continued use of 'Seaweed Brain' and 'Wise Girl'. Both nicknames feel immature to me, and Percy is smart. He shouldn't be constantly told by someone who should 100% be on his side about most things that he is dumb.

Frazel age gap? How about no. Including the entire love triangle with Leo. Personally, I love Frazeleo, but only if the age gap is fixed and/or they get together when they are all over twenty years of age. If I wrote HOO, Hazel would've been fifteen.

Nico's coming out sucks. Period. Reading back on it, I cannot believe it was approved for publishing. First off, it's hugely triggering and really terrible to be outed to someone you aren't close to. Jason and Nico are not close, and I don't exactly feel like they'd ever be super close. Jason is, as stated by Reyna in the books, an 'all-American boy' and he's very straight in most interpretations of the books (although not in my own, but that doesn't matter). He's literally the last person I would ever consider coming out to. Logically, we all know Jason isn't really homophobic, but he is a personification of the ideal blonde-haired, blue-eyed Anglo Saxon, and that creates a lot of hesitancy. It's stereotyping, but it is very true for a lot of people. I would've preferred Nico come out, on his own terms, to Hazel, his sister. Hazel's not the ideal blueprint for homophobic, not like how Jason is, and Hazel is really close to Nico.

Caleo. I can never state how much I hate Caleo. On paper, I like it. It's really cute and I like that kind of thing. But in practice, oh my gosh. I hate it. For one, neither Leo nor Calypso gets a satisfying arc if they end up together. Because Leo is struggling with a seventh-wheel, and he needs to accept himself as enough without a partner. Likewise, Calypso always feels left behind. She needs to realize she doesn't need a partner to be fulfilled in life. Rick really disappointed me with both Leo and Calypso, due to their incredibly unnecessary romance. I mean, I get why Rick liked them together, but they definitely didn't need to be.

Lastly, little things. I loved Coach Hedge, but I would've vastly preferred it if he was replaced with Grover. Rachel was underappreciated, she could've provided real insight to the Seven. Plus, she's great friends with Percy.

In conclusion, HOO is a pretty good series, but it has many glaring flaws such as Percy and Annabeth's fusion, the Frazel age gap, Nico's coming out, Caleo, and smaller things like Grover and Rachel. No book is perfect, and that is all the more evident in series like Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan.

[wyrd-syster]

FANFIC ROUNDUP: 2023

LIST OF FANWORKS

POSTED

lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor) | Haladriel neighbors AU | E | 2/2

tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all) | Haladriel "This is How You Lose the Time War" AU | E | one-shot

it's a dangerous game | Haladriel Venetian-style "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" AU | E | one-shot | dead dove

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone) | Haladriel canon divergence | E | 9/? (wip)

living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you) | Haladriel "Stepford Wives" cult AU | E | one-shot

take a chance and roll the dice (say it once, say it twice) | Haladriel Halloween-themed drabble collection | M | 8/8

there is a light (and it never goes out) | Haladriel Hanukkah-themed canon divergence | T | 1/2 (wip)

sugar and spice (and everything...) | Haladriel neighbors AU | E | sequel to lend me some sugar | one-shot

Total words: 127,458, almost triple my output from last year. I am flabbergasted.

UNPOSTED WIPS

oh boy. Not including wips noted above:

we were angels, once (don't you remember?) | Haladriel immortal soulmates au | M (probably?) | one-shot

break the lock if it don't fit (love sticks, sweat drips) | Haladriel "Ocean's Eleven" AU | E | one-shot (title subject to change)

and on the creature scratches (it doesn't know how to get out) | Haladriel mob AU | E| multi-chapter sequel to oh, can’t you hear that scratching? (there’s something at the door) 

Untitled third installment of the Haladriel like a good neighbor series

Untitled Haladriel Rumpelstiltskin AU

TOTAL # OF COMPLETED WORKS/FANDOMS WRITTEN IN

Six completed works written for the Sauron (Halbrand)/Galadriel (Haladriel) fandom, The Rings of Power

OVERALL THOUGHTS

it's like I can't consume media anymore without being like "*leonardo dicaprio meme* this could be a Haladriel AU!"

PERSONAL FAVORITE?

I'm going to say living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you), mostly because of the amount of work I put into it. Honestly, I never thought I'd finish it! I restarted this story six or seven times — I just could not find the voice. But I am so pleased with the outcome. I think of everything I've written this year, this story really underscored to me that, beyond "flashes of inspiration," writing is a lot of hard work that needs consistent attention and practice!

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED?

I definitely think this one is it's a dangerous game, my Dr. Jekyll and Hyde AU. I initially started writing this for a Gothic-themed challenge, abandoned for a bit, then finished in a flurry for Haladriel Week. This fic is also a close second for my favorite of the year. I love a Gothic aesthetic and I made sure this story was chock full of it. I was also so purposeful with my writing voice for this story and, to me, it doesn't sound like anything else I've written.

MOST POPULAR?

Oh without a doubt, lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor)! 

STORY WITH THE SEXIEST MOMENT?

I mean, this is so subjective, but I think the somnophilia scene from it's a dangerous game takes the cake for me! I wrote it in one sitting during my lunch break and my god was it hard to go back to work after this...

An excerpt from the end of the scene: Instead, he adjusts her skirts and melts into the darkness, leaving her as he found her; boneless and wet, flushed with heat and ripe for the taking. 

MOST FUN STORY TO WRITE?

Fun is a strong word, but I was the story I felt was most fulfilling to write was tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all). I already had some of the template letter concepts in my notes from a twitter conversation much earlier in the year, and expanding on them, while building the scenes around them, was a really fun exercise.

HARDEST?

I'm not going to lie, most of them! I used to be the type of writer who would have one flash of inspiration, write it up at a mad sprint, then quit writing until I was struck with another mad idea. I wrote for so many prompt and themed challenges this year that I was required to be more intentional about story building and more consistent with my writing — even when it was hard, even when I hated everything I wrote down. Felt a lot like muscle training at the gym!

BIGGEST SURPRISE?

My output really surprised me!! I complain to my therapist all the time that I'm shit at finishing things, but it's hard to deny the truth when it's staring me in the face: six complete stories, two wips that I will complete! And not just the quantity of my output, but the quality too. I am proud of, and really like, everything I published!

I mean, don't ask me how my social life is going lol, but at least my writing life is going well!

DID YOU TAKE ANY RISKS IN WRITING THIS YEAR?

Dipping my toe into Dark Fics for sure, which is new for me. But beyond that, just engaging with the fandom as a whole! I firmly believe that writing/story-telling is a communal activity and I am beyond grateful to have found that community. It's the first real fan-space I've been a real part of, and it's definitely improved my writing.

MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TELLING STORY?

My life is too boring to translate to fic lol. But I did not have to dig very deep to write the depression beats in living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you). A lot of what Galadriel goes through — the listlessness, the anger, the selfishness — is stuff I also struggle with during depressive episodes.

FAVORITE LINES/SCENES?

I like them all lol but these are a few that I know others, including my fiancé, have really liked:

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone): “My lady, if I had a dragon’s tooth for every time you told me not to worry while you went careening off into peril, I’d have a smiling crown for my troubles.”

lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor): And she shatters, then, like glass; a thousand glittering pieces sailing off into the light. Irreparably damaged, ground to dust — edges sharpening as they fall into a mosaic of destruction. There is no end and no beginning. A lifetime of little deaths folding in on themselves, one on top of the other.

tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all): I am drowning in this ocean of blood. And you — you are not here to pull me to the surface as you once did. How could you, when you are wave and anchor both?

there is a light (and it never goes out): She can offer him no words of comfort, no platitudes to ease his sorrows. But she can offer this. The soft touch of her lips to his, the gentle stroke of her fingers across his cheek. She cannot mend a broken heart, but she can hold it for a while, cup it in her palms and keep it safe. She can pour her light into his darkened soul, weave together a dream where they are bound and they are whole. If only just this once.

MY FAVE PART OF FANDOM IN 2023

Literally just having this fandom. Having this community of wonderful, kind, incredibly talented people I can talk to, get advice from, brainstorm with!! I have made so many wonderful friends and I will be forever grateful.

2024 WRITING AMBITIONS

I want to continue developing a consistent writing habit, preferably once a day. Ideally, I'll become to type of girlie who wakes up at 5am and writes for two hours before work, but let's be real, I'm way to sleepy for that!

I also want to focus on two specific things: writing faster and writing less. First, I am, in my eyes, a slow writer — without that "flash of inspiration," it can take me a few days to write a single scene. Mostly because I do not follow my own advice and have to get everything perfect in the first draft. Second — as you can see from this post!!! — I have always been the type of writer who goes "why use one word when you can use ten?" I want to be able to write shorter stories without feeling like I'm compromising on my vision.

2024 FICS ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON

chapter two of there is a light (and it never goes out) 

the immortal soulmates AU

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone)*  (which I think will be on hiatus until I can get a few chapters ahead before posting).

Thanks to @liminal-zone for the format, @conundrumoftime and @thecoziestbean inspiration!

[mcx7demonbros]

My thought on Obey Me characters ranking

N.B.

This is my personal opinion, based on what I’ve seen, heard and read. And because it’s subjective to what I experienced, it may not be entirely correct.

For the new trio, I only compare them in their group (i.e. Mephisto with Thirteen and Raphael only) since I have not much info on these three.

1st Rank - Mammon

Honestly, no surprise here. I have seen some polls on “Who’s your fav among OM boys?”, or “Your favorite brother”. The results always had Mammon as number one choice. So when the devs announced the contest, I was already quite sure Mammon would rank first.

2nd / Runner-up - Lucifer

Also no surprise here. Same reason with Mammon, I have seen polls with Lucifer being ranked second, closely behind Mammon.

3rd - Diavolo

Another no surprise. I know that there are a lot of Diavolo simps out there. C’mon, he’s a prince, he gives daddy vibe, he’s wealthy, he’s attractive, he’s charming,…and big tits. I didn’t encountered many polls on Diavolo but I estimated the number of his simps must be only behind Lucifer and Mammon. So when he came out 3rd, I only nodded in agreement.

4th - Solomon

Now this is my first surprise, but not big. I did read posts and blogs with Solomon being a favorite, but I estimated that he would be a few ranks lower, like 5th or 6th or lower to the middle, behind another one or two brothers.

5th - Asmodeus

This is my really first big surprise. As far as I know, Asmo is one of the most, if not the most, underappreciated brother, and totally did not expect him to be in the upper half of the ranking. Though I know that Asmo has become more appreciated recently, I still expected him to be behind Beel and Belphie and totally didn’t expect a huge leap in rank, becoming 5th overall and 3rd favorite among the brothers.

6th - Mephistopheles

First, I didn’t expect them to include the new characters. Second, though it surprised me that Mephisto ranks among the upper half, I did expect him to be the most favorite in the new trio. I mean, I saw a lot of posts and memes on him, compared to Thirteen and Raphael.

7th - Satan

Satan is around the rank I estimated him to be, though I expected him to be lower ranked than the twins, probably because I favor the brothers overall and always give them higher rank than the side crew.

8th - Barbatos

I expected Barbatos to be at the rank where Mephisto got in the ranking, so the royal butler ranked a little lower than I had expected, placing precisely in the middle of the competition.

9th - Leviathan

Tbh, Levi’s rank wasn’t a surprise. He ranked in the middle, leaning to the lower half of the competition and behind characters I expected to rank higher than him, namely everyone who ranked higher than him in this race, except Asmo and Mephisto.

10th - Luke

Little Luke is no. 10 in numbering of the original 12 boys, and he got 10th in ranking. 10 is a good number. Perfect.

11th - Thirteen

Not surprised that she’s the second fav among the new trio, after Mephisto.

12th - Beelzebub

Very surprised that he’s this low T^T. Among the brothers, I expected him to be lower than Belphie and higher than Asmo, the reverse happened.

13th - Belphegor

Expected the murderer cow to be 4th in place or something and thought he would be higher than all of his brothers, except Lucifer and Mammon. Turned out he’s the lowest ranked among the Seven Avatars. It looks like Belphie needs to do more to atone for his sin.

14th - Raphael

Expected him to be last among the trio. But his smile is so precious (〃ω〃)

15th - Simeon

Now, Simeon. I did expect him to be lower half, but not the last rank. Though I may know why he got the last rank. The time when I harshly scolded Levi and that time he chided Mammon, calling him “useless” must have upset a lot of people. Also, some people may associate Simeon with cold piety, which came from fan-made content (though most of them are either memes or created so to fit specific context that writers/artists made up) and many don’t really like piety. Like, combining with Simeon’s hidden anger, he looks and sounds like a hypocrite.

Usually, I will tag characters according to their official order (Lucifer - 1, Mammon - 2, Levi - 3,…, Diavolo - 8, Barbatos - 9, Luke - 10,…) but for this post, the tag will follow the ranking.

[koko-online]

i had too much coffee this morning, enjoy my rambling and uneducated bullshit

I feel like video games are a uniquely bad medium for telling the kinds of stories they overwhelmingly try to tell. I'm gonna talk using the language of JRPGs, but honestly, almost every game these days works the same way.

I like the story of Trails in the Sky (+SC +3rd), I think it's good. But it would also have been better told, better paced, better executed in any other medium. It's an anime story that could have been a TV show, a series of movies, a novel, a comic, a radio drama, etc. You, the player, you are not Joshua, you are not Estelle, you are not Kevin. These are their own separate characters who have their own personalities, their own stories, who make their own choices without your input. And they're really compelling, too!

But instead of letting it play out naturally and flow, it reads it to you dialogue piece by dialogue piece in large tedious bursts that would be better served with more tools than a text box and one of like seven sprite animations, only interrupted by extended periods of gameplay.

But, like, does the gameplay help the narrative? Not really. Whether it's exploration or combat or resource management, it's like getting to the end of a chapter and your book going : "Ho-ho! If you'd like to continue to the next chapter, solve these riddles three!!!" And they're not even interesting riddles--by the mechanics of the system, the only solution for every game riddle ever created is "press these buttons in this order with a certain degree of randomness thrown in for good measure".

That sucks. It's bad and it's a shame that it's the flashiest, easiest, and most profitable way to craft a game narrative.

I give Guilty Gear a lot of credit for its storytelling, not because it's particularly coherent or Earth-shattering (ilu Happy Chaos, marry me), but because they realized that what they were actually making was a movie, so they just made a movie and packaged it in with the game as a separate thing.

That said, video games are not, like, impossible to create stories with.

Take old arcade games, for example. The story of old arcade games is that you watched someone who had put a lot of time in, mastered the game, and that sparked a sense of competition and rivalry within you. Whether you won or lost, it was a meaningful moment in your story and narrative growth. You either climbed to the top or quit before you did. There's really only two ways that could go. A nearly set-in-stone narrative around your game.

Look at old MMOs, too. Final Fantasy 11 has an incredible novel-style narrative story that goes underappreciated, absolutely. But the real story was that you were plopped down in this hostile environment, made friends, learned from them, worked with them, and overcame a shared struggle. Forged bonds that hopefully never faded.

But arcade games and early MMOs were social. That's a firm advantage. But look at Pseudoregalia, the game that got me thinking about this stuff. It's a single player 3D platformer metroidvania kind of game. The narrative, uh, is bad. I don't care about it, no one cares about it, something about the sun, a princess, keys, whatever. The real story is the one where you explore this mysterious, atmospheric castle to the point where you have a perfect mental map in your mind. You overcome obstacles creatively, with several possible solutions, and figure out what you're doing as you go. Hell, the first (only?) boss is a major roadblock because the game just doesn't tell you that you have a heal button. You have to try and retry and figure it out, making your own story that's the same as everyone else's.

The game, uh, has some issues as well, mechanically. I'm at a later point in the game where it looks like the only possible solution (according to redditors and youtube clips) seems to be this jank-ass glitchy, exploit-looking parkour trick that really breaks the experience for me.

A game's story should do three things :

create a sense of wonder

provide the player with tools to interact with the world that makes them feel that way

leave the player a trail of bread crumbs from the shadows, serving as motivation (yummy breadcrumbs) while letting the player experience their own experience

[utilitycaster]

Wizard Breakdown Tracker, Episode 140

Welcome to the penultimate Wizard Breakdown Tracker: Four Resurrections and an Ass-Kicking.

When I first started this, I declared my intent was to do this until the comeuppance of Trent Ikithon. That may not happen, so, while I may revive it for hypothetical future one-shots centered specifically around the comeuppance of Trent Ikithon, this tracker will otherwise unsurprisingly end with the campaign next week, with the final statuses of all or at least most of these wizards. Also, for some advance notice, it will almost certainly be delayed until Sunday night.

But this week we are still primarily focusing on the wizard NPC of the Nein. Is he, technically speaking, counted among the Mighty Nein such that any breakdowns induced in him by the Mighty Nein have a self-inflicted component? Yes. Is this unique to Essek's situation, by any means? No.

As a reminder Caleb Widogast is a PC and therefore not included.

Currently sidelined: Ludinus Da'leth, Trent Ikithon, Astrid Beck, the Wulf of Wall Street, Pumat Sol, Oremid Hass, Allura Vyesoren, Yussa Errenis.

Lady Vess Derogna: there is a very high likelihood this may be my primary sendoff for her. So: to Vess. We hardly knew you, which is a little disappointing in that I love watching evil women who are committed in their indifference to anything but their goals, and I would personally watch a campaign that was literally just slowly dismantling the Cerberus Assembly provided there was also some combat and romance on the side, but Lucien is, indeed, the worst.

As the red eyes on her body have disappeared, it's gonna be a little awkward for the Nein to explain that no, she actually was a doomsday cultist to an entity they have since killed. [sidebar: my guess is the Magic Eye Book got swallowed by the city as well, which in unfortunate because I would have like to have watched the Dynasty see THAT particular sailboat. It's no "dunamancy existed and still worked fine, even better, for those who wanted to kill the gods", but it's still in Undercommon and I still expect it will put them in a very uncomfortable place.]

I do wonder what her afterlife has been like. The neutral evil outer planes do not seem like a great time, but honestly if I were her I'd probably be lying on the ground in Gehenna right now, looking up into the ash-strewn sky like "you know...I could have done better than Lucien, that fucking hack." Or perhaps "well, at least for me it was quick, and, blood from the eyes aside, at least I did not die a horrifying monstrosity."

Conclusion: 0/10. I haven't been tracking her breakdown otherwise, because, well, she's dead, but I have to imagine she's feeling some sense of vindication that Lucien is also dead and actually, her highly unethical modifications to him were still an upgrade by most standards. She's had three weeks to come to terms with her fate. Also I imagine any magical afterlife for the evil as completely lacking in such amenities as the catharsis of a breakdown.

Essek Thelyss: speaking of the catharsis of a breakdown!

If I may get serious, and I may because I have never actually cared for getting the readers' permission in my entire life and sure won't start now, what struck me about Essek is that there are many things that were implied he did not get much of - friendship, peace, an escape from the rigid confines of his society, people asking him about soup - but in many ways he has lived an immensely privileged life. Talented, powerful, free from want. Except he wanted more, because that's how people are.

I'm sure next week, and in the few following, amid whatever breaks and one-offs occur, (with some premature examinators writing them right now, even), there will be plenty of meta explaining what the Mighty Nein were really about, man. I will even probably definitely make some of them. And even as I make fun of those who are performing vivisections and calling them post mortems, it's not terribly hard to guess what we'll find. Redemption. Found Family Wait No But It's Different This Time. The complicated subtleties of morality across disparate cultures. Who You Are In The Dark. An extended metaphor of the underappreciated nature of utility casters.

But while all of those have truth to them, the story of the Mighty Nein, to me, is seven people-eight, now- being forced to answer one question: What if you actually got what you wanted, for once? What then?

More than anything, what Essek wanted was answers. He still wants them, though his priorities are shifting. He's gotten some answers already. He does not see himself as deserving. He might not, for many years. Perhaps ever.

And so when the people he does see as deserving want something - a relatively small thing, in the grand scheme, to want - and they are unable to get it, that is what breaks him.

Conclusion: let the poor man have a good cry in peace. fucking voyeurs.

Halas Lutagran: Oh? oh is it a long time to be trapped? Is it? Did the Mighty Nein free some souls from the time of the Calamity that had been trapped? for over a millennium? huh. interesting. I just think it's funny how they just did that? freed the souls of the mages? who had been trapped? for a long time?

[still-a-morosexual-help]

tbh i think simeon probably knows just because the fact that solomon is aware of mc's heritage (since it's literally the driving force of all the disasters caused by mc in s2) means that it isnt as tightly kept as initially thought?

(the devs also rush the writing a lot and theres a lot of plot holes in the story so it could just be that they didn't consider it or something haha)

but i think the fact that simeon knew enough about the situation to understand that he had to steal michael's ring to save mc's life implies that hes at least a little bit aware of their situation?

id have to replay s2 i guess but i do agree with you saying that simeons loyalties will lie with mc at the end of the day. the fact that he got that ring for them at all despite his paralyzing fear of god/michael shows that he cares more about them than his loyalties to the celestial realm. i love simeon so much honestly i think that aspect of his character is so underappreciated 😭

Honestly I don't really mind either way - whether Simeon knows or not. I think it could be quite possible that he knows more than he lets on & that if he did he would keep it secret from the Celestial Realm.

But I don't think it was Lilith's power that was the cause of the whole S2 plot. If I'm remembering correctly Lilith says in S1 that she was on the last reserves of her magic and after she uses it she'll dissipate? No longer exist? And she uses it to help MC in Lesson 15/16.

The way I remember it in S2:

Humans are able to borrow the magic of demons they make pacts with. No other human has ever made pacts with the 7 brothers before aka The Seven Sins. All of their magic was reacting and connecting with each other through MC and forming a ring of power that was going out of control cause MC wasn't strong enough on their own to control it. To stop it, they would have to either break the pacts, thereby breaking the links of the ring or use the dagger to cut through the actual ring.

[evanescentdawn]

thinking about… suigestu & tenten….

like! I absolute love the whole ‘tenten grabs zabuza’s sword for herself’ thing, and in my canon divergence au where team seven and team gai get to know each other before chunnin exams — because honestly, you telling me gai WOULDNT jump at joy and excitement at his beloved rival finally actually passing a team and wouldn’t want to meet them (like maybe there is reason; I honestly doesn’t remember much abt details of naruto) — and anyways so, team gai + seven are v aquatinted by the time that team seven comes by their wave mission and would deff want to know all the gossip.

tenten wants to what happened to sword and is aghast that they just left there! like who the hell does that? she obvs goes off to get it for herself and store it in her collection. I actually don’t remember if kiri has any sort of Thing about their (?) swords, probs do, but anyways… for plot’s sake sasuke is not there when this is all happening, he is never there for mostly anything anyways, and is probs in hospital considering the whole… dead-but-not-dead thing, so anyways, yeah. tenten has required zabuza’s sword. this is very, very unwelcome news to suigetsu when he is all excited and VERY here for getting his sword when he learns all about it and then… finds out that it’s not there, at all, what the fuck sasuke. sadly, in this version of this canon divergence au (unlike how I plan in my other fic) sasuke still leaves, and having absolutely no knowledge of what happened, thinks the sword is still there and they go to wave… where they find out from the people that some girl, konoha shinobi, grabbed it for her self and now at this point suigestu is confronting sasuke and going, what the fuck??? while karin gets angry at suigestu for getting angry at sasuke and just angry in general because she fucking hates suigestu and the engage in fight, and it’s very loud and chaotic and very normal in a team hebi day. sasuke is ignoring them, and pondering. it doesn’t really many time to realise it was tenten, because there isn’t anyone else he knows with twin bun hair and obsession with weapons, accompanying with two Very Loud, Very Green people. Like he really doesn’t know anyone else.

Suigestu, of course, wants to confront this person. Immediately and Right Now. It’s insult ontop of many insults that it’s a Konoha shinobi that grabbed the sword that was supposed to be rightfully his. I want him confronting Tenten, screaming thief, trying to get the sword back and just…. is beaten so badly. like so badly, it’s honestly pathetic to watch. tenten doesn’t give him the time, saying it was her sword now, since she found it. anyways, she’s more furious and more invested in sasuke’s appearance — like really, it turns into a more team gai + sasuke confrontation and suigestu….is there in the background. he’s very angry and very offended by ALL of this.

I haven’t thought beyond where I was going with it, maybe, suigetsu repeatedly trying to get it but getting his ass beaten instead so badly but… just. I really love the idea of suigestu + tenten. I think they’d get along SO WELL, if like… you know…. this whole thing didn’t happen. I really want a whole post-war, team taka wondering into konoha and wandering what’s up with sasuke, you know, and suigestu meeting tenten and getting along so well, because hell! after so long being with people so underappreciate about swords and the art of it, he very welcomes her. they become best of friends. <3

[someonemadeofstardust]

the star signs as people from my life

aries: some of my favourite people. the hard workers (although a lot of the hard work goes unnoticed because it’s pretty under-the-surface, behind-the-scenes, feet-paddling-under-the-water stuff). absolutely beautiful, unfairly photogenic. a good sense of style that’s also constantly changing. more sensitive than you’d think. naturally quite athletic. neat freaks. easiest people to hold a conversation with (mostly because they laugh at anything and make you feel better about your jokes). although they seem like they’re always happy and easygoing, they are some of the worst people at opening up. you’ll never know anything’s wrong until, one day, you see them crack and it sucks.

taurus: underappreciated people. they’re actually more talkative than you’d think; their voices are just quiet. quick to laugh. incredibly loyal. the “hey, i noticed you look down, is everything all good?”, “it’s okay, i’ll wait” friends. very distinct personalities (i don’t really know how to explain this but they’re the kind of person who, when you see a tiktok or something, you just clearly think it’s them). calming presence. they don’t all have cold hands but they give cold hands vibes, yknow? they give off big “friends to lovers” vibes; like, i can’t imagine them dating someone who wasn’t first a friend.

gemini: they have a bad rep for being two-faced but, honestly, i don’t see it. again, they’re some of my favourite people. very good at noticing changes in mood + being tactful about it. fast to get super excited (and super loud) about things. they’ll sit with you on the bad days and laugh with you on the good ones (basically, they’re really great friends). even when you push them away, they’re the ones who’ll stay, just at a distance, and they’ll understand. underrated sense of humour - very witty. smart. 

cancer: personally, i think they’re the most closed-box sign (does that make sense?). they never (completely) open up to people. or if they do, they usually end up regretting it. good liars. the coolest people - they own record players and shave their heads and have cool style and are beloved by their friends. i just want them to be okay. probably still awake at 2am. probably still awake at 2am because they’re crying. super low self-esteem which doesn’t make sense because.... seriously.... have you ever seen a cancer, they’re gorgeous. touch-starved. very, very, very loyal; they get super attached to their friends. usually in a corner at a party - but they’re very good at being social in their corners, if that makes sense.

leo: i don’t really know how to describe it but i know a lot of leos and they’re all just so distinctly leos but i can’t figure out what it is that makes them leos and it’s frustrating me. they all give off the vibe that they have a “sense of responsibility” if that makes sense? they have really distinct - but also really witty - senses of humour. clear plans for the future. fast bounce-back. a little too scared of being unloveable and dying alone (because they’re all convinced it’s going to happen). awkward but in a comfortable way. the most loyal people. they also have a lot of stuff going on under the surface and they’ll usually allude to it but never share all of the details. very active on group chats. 

virgo: my experience with virgos is limited. all my friends used to be virgos and then i became an introvert and now i associate only with people not born in september. from memory, they’re all fairly loud, life-of-the-party people. very loyal friends - most of the time, you’ll notice that their closest friendships (not friendship groups) don’t change very often. outdoorsy people. not exactly photogenic but also very photogenic at the same time. hard workers (you don’t always expect it but they really do try their best). passionate. funny.

libra: the best flirts. the stereotype is true. they’re also the life-of-the-party but not necessarily in an obvious way. just... they’re fun to be around so people want to be around them. conversations flow naturally - usually a lot of teasing. lots of random skills/talents that one day you’ll find out about and be like... “woah okay”. effortlessly smart - usually, they’ll be able to pull through most things with minimal work. adaptable. they definitely, definitely hold grudges so never get on a libra’s bad side, not unless you want all of their friends to also hate you. good at keeping in touch with people. the best inside jokes - six years later and it’ll still be funny.

scorpio: i mean... i know scorpios but i also don’t know scorpios. they’re pretty quiet (and some people say that they’re intimidating) before you get to know them but, as soon as they’re comfortable around you, you’d be surprised by how loud they can be. not necessarily talkative, just loud. not afraid to be mean to you. they have the longest-lasting friendships - not necessarily out of loyalty, just out of a fear of strangers. lots of obscure talents. very artistic. there’s always going to be a lot of long silences with them but not in an awkward way. reliable.

sagittarius: they get bored easily but they’re also super terrified of abandonment so, together, not the best combo for stable relationships (which includes friendship). they have a lot of close friends but also, no close friends, because they push and pull people regularly. say “i want to travel” 24/7. actually, they say a lot of things and don’t actually go through with them. their self-esteem is so low it’s a little concerning. give random compliments all the time. they hate being touched but also love being touched - it really changes at any given time, according to just how sad they are at any given moment. terrible at hiding their emotions but equally terrible at opening up (so you always know that something’s wrong but never know exactly what’s wrong until they eventually tell you seven months later). give them 10 business days to reply to your texts.

capricorn: i really don’t think i’ve ever had a close capricorn friend. or even just a capricorn friend. they’re usually extroverted but not the loud kind of extrovert - they’re happy just being with their friends, sitting back and listening to the conversation, only contributing occasionally. they laugh easily. supportive, reliable. funny but not noticeably so - the kind of person who mumbles sarcastic comments and makes the person sitting beside them crack up.

aquarius: aggressive as fuck. if they don’t like you, you’ll know. and if they don’t like something, everyone will know; they literally have no filter - which is funny if you’re their friend and annoying if you’re not. very, very loyal. they will not hesitate to start a fight on your behalf. pretty outdoorsy people. they’re also definitely not straight. they have super strong opinions and it’s pretty hard to get them to change them. really random taste in music - if you ever stalk their spotify, you’ll see the most unexpected songs in there. they’re actually super easy to talk to - they laugh easily and are pretty encouraging in conversations, as long as they like you. they get angry, instead of sad.

pisces: they will tell you anything. literally the biggest oversharers but in the funniest way. very touchy people - just drawing patterns on your leg, comparing hand sizes, plaiting your hair. they give “old soul” vibes - like, holding eye contact, running into forests, long skirts and dresses and hair. intimidating because of all that big dick energy. again, cold hands vibes. they’ll send you lots of random tiktoks. reads fantasy and smut. no sense of shame. seriously the most beautiful people - not photogenic but that just means they amaze you when you see them in real life because they’re genuinely stunning.

[incomprehensiblelentils]

For the blorbo etc ask meme - I'd love to hear your blorbos from The Magnus Archives, Warehouse 13 and whatever your preferred season of Dimension 20 is (or just. D20 as a whole I guess)

oh man you really went for my neck huh lmao

TMA

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most): Agnes Montague my beloved ;_; Hilariously my first time through I was like "yeah I don't really get why people are losing their shit over the avatars, like they're fun but I'm not a monsterfucker I guess" and then episode 68 happened and boy was it all over for me! I too would let Agnes burn off my face for one (1) kiss! I also have a lot of feelings about Melanie King, who is mean and angry and prone to lashing out and doesn't want to be, and I love her so much.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped): Gerry Keay has very much become this for me. I love this weird goth boy and I wish we'd gotten more of him <3 but also I feel weird not mentioning Georgie who I also love very very much.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave): I just don't think we talk enough about how fucking delightful Nikola Orsinov is, frankly. My favorite scene of hers is where she berates Jon for having a bad skincare routine.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week): Jude Perry was so valid, I like seeing Asian bastard representation

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave): who in this series is not problematic lmfao. I guess Daisy bc I feel bad about liking a cop so much fucking oops

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason): I think I'm supposed to want to send Elias to superhell but damn it's funny when he squirms. remember when Jon [REDACTED]? good times :)

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell): that one bitch who was like "I can have little a murdering grandmas and newborn babies as a treat, because my life matters more than theirs." That episode makes me ill every time I listen to it.

someone else actually asked Warehouse 13 so I am answering that shortly!

Dimension 20 (I pick D20 as a whole lmao, it's like potato chips, too hard to pick just one)

blorbo: Ayda Aguefort because autistic lesbian representation! Ricky Matsui because I just like a nice Japanese Superman. Katja Cleaver because she's a horse girl, I was always going to love her. Kristen Applebees because same as above except ex-religious lesbian. Sundry Sydney is probably going to round out the top 5 blorbos because I do love a robot learning how to be a person.

scrunkly: Honestly I feel this way about all the Fantasy High/Seven kiddos, like, they're good kids and I love them so much!!!! but also the Misfits & Magic kids. Mildly feral teens who love each other with all their hearts give me a lot of feelings.

scrimblo bimblo: I deliberately don't look at the fandom so I have no idea who is underrated, but I think Kingston Brown is one of the best characters in like, anything. I also really like Danielle Barkstock because she is intensely relatable.

glup shitto: Ayda, obviously, lol. I also think Chungledown Bim is so fucking funny and I cannot wait for him to reappear in Junior Year. OH and Stephen Sondheim!

poor little meow meow: Is Fig this? I don't know. I really dig her chaotic messy angsty teen energy. I also like "Skip" as he is after episode 1 of A Starstruck Odyssey, but I was also kind of looking forward to Zac playing a mean captain, lol.

horse plinko: Cody "Night Angel" Walsh is the perfect fit for this category. He's awful but he makes me laugh so much. I wish the clip of him critfailing with his stupid sword and dealing himself 30 damage, farting, then having his moped fall on him was on youtube because it's my favorite.

eeby deeby: Sam Nightingale's mom, Adaine Abernant's parents, and Kristen Applebee's parents. I would say Penelope Everpetal too but she's already there :)

[sarah-crewe]

bc i am waaaaay too lazy to go through all 100 of those questions and the questions you asked me were all so funnnnn: two, six, fourteen but you don't have to answer, twenty-one, twenty-four, twenty-nine but only if you have a specific answer, forty-one, forty-two, fifty, fifty-five, sixty-one, seventy-five, seventy-six again if you want, eighty-eight, ninety, ninety-seven, ninety-nine, one hundred :D

welp. i typed a lot of these questions and then it deleted them, so i’m going to have a quick cry face down in a marsh and then i’ll brb

okay, now that that's taken care of, let me try again: hilarious and inspired choice, i will absolutely answer those, but like, under the napkin (aka the cut because i talk a lot)

2. What kind of emotions do the stars evoke for you, if any? The ocean, the sky, the moon? i think i might underappreciate the ocean a little too much. maybe because i basically grew up right by the seaside and have the most experience with like the coast and all that. i love the ocean though, especially the fully-clothed, chilling with a book and a stiff sea breeze type of ocean (absolutely hate the beach for summer beach things). all four make me feel very peaceful and thoughtful and grateful and small, but not in a bad way. i do have glow-in-the-dark stars in the shape of constellations (did i send you my star tour, bud?) on my bedroom ceiling...

6. If you have siblings, are you similar to them, and in what ways?  it's kind of funny because i used to think that my sister and i were very different, but as we've gotten older, i'm not so sure anymore. in many ways we still are very different, but especially as kids we both kind of marked our territory out once we were old enough. i was always academic and introverted and nerdy and she was always athletic and extroverted and not really into fandom stuff. she took team sports and i took individual artistic sports. i stole art from her (consciously! intentionally!) and did music and theatre. she took trends and teenage drinking (not a dig, lol) and lots and lots of friends. we're still pretty different: i'm still really academic and introverted and kind of a maximalist (hoarder), she's still very into aesthetics and extroverted, and is SO in neutrals and natural colors. but we've eased the boundaries a lot. we both love soccer and have a pretty wide overlap in our music taste. she is a photographer and we both love kids (especially HER kid). i think we value in a similar way and we're both NOT ones to get like... publically emotional without REAL reason... idk, we're not as different as we thought we were

14. What are you worried about right now, if anything? i'm always reminded of the penguin comic when i talk about the two of us and worrying. when am i ever NOT worried about something?? but honestly, between maturing a bit over the last ~half decade, and been on a decent dose of SSRIs for anxiety that i caught from the pandemmy, i'm at least BETTER about working around, through, and over my anxiety. that said i'm still worried, and specifically i'm worrying about the fact that i have to wake up a little bit early tomorrow and afraid that i'm going to oversleep 

21. What's the luckiest you've ever been? this was NOT how i was thinking of this question when i sent it to you, but maybe the one time in college when i was going to buy a coffee on a rainy morning before my (predawn) 6:30 am shift at the daycare and, while i was crossing the street i felt a huge truck pass literally INCHES behind me 🙃🫠 like what do you do with yourself at that point? i just bought my coffee and went to work with a haunted look in my eyes lol

24. Does your name suit you? Do you think you "look" like your name? idk, i actually asked you this question because i wasn't sure. i like my name a lot. i think sarah is a lovely name and has a good meaning and story and lots (LOTS) of other sarahs that are great to take inspo from. sadie is a good nickname. i guess maybe i don't feel super connected to it because there are just so many other Sarahs? i wouldn't change it but it's hard to say that something suits me if there are 15 other people named Sarah in the room and we're all totally different, you know? i do love my middle name (mari) and think it suits me. it has family history and i share it with my mom

29. How do you want your body to be treated after your death? i have been an organ donor since i got my license (and actually STRONGLY believe that we should be opt out about organ donation, not opt in!!). outside of that, i'm less sure. i am so not into embalming and traditional burial. i have no interest in that at all. i guess i lean towards cremation or maybe one of the much more natural burials? i'm looking for something low fuss, low chemical, i guess haha

41. Do you find it easy to ask for help? not in the slightest. well, to be most specific (do you expect anything less) the more i trust a person, the more willing i am to ask for help, or the more "practical" the problem, like if something physically is wrong with my car, I'll ask one of my dads or a professional. i do have a gay audacity problem (i think i can handle all crafts, regardless of my actual experience) and i have no emotional problems to ask for help about >.>

42. Does affection come easily to you? affection DOES come easily to me, especially for anyone i kind of click with, then it's compliment city, and then compliment super city if i get positive responses back (and i will mean every one). physical intimacy is less. i *do* want it from specific people, but i'm not great about making that known or pursuing it. 

50. What qualities do you find charming? i'm such a sucker for some good wit and someone who can just make me laugh, especially by being smart and insightful. i love talking to people who are interesting, by which i mean have interests that they're passionate about. kindness is very charming too. and i always love me a dweeb and a try-hard. 

55. What reminds you of your childhood? oversized sweatshirts and sunglasses over shorts, sunbleached braids, jumping in the lake, all eleven and a half hours on my nostalgia playlist, homemade dresses, fish chowder, reading in bed late at night, playing in the woods, skating and sledding at my aunt's house, hikes, wild strawberries

61. Are you a romantic person? Why? oh desperately romantic. i read too many books as a child and have never been able to correct the notion that the world should be a beautiful, kind, and just place.

75. What is your favourite fairytale? it's always Cinderella, at the end of the day. i have a book of Grimm fairytales i've read cover-to-cover and i love so many of them, but nothing ever gets me like someone who chooses kindness and strength of character and doing just one thing more, even when things are desperate and awful 

76. What do you label yourself as, if anything? What subcultures do you identify with, if any? i'm a lesbian. i feel very secure in my gender, and do like the label of women, which i know isn't always true for a lot of my friends and peers. i'm thisclose to feeling comfortable calling myself Jewish but i'm certainly jew-ish by now. i love being a Mainer. i love being a librarian and a nerd and a bookworm. i love being just a LITTLE bit of a daredevil (a sport isn't a sport until you bled for it ;})

88. What's an unusual but useful trait or talent you have? idk if it's unusual, but i am very good at finding things online. it's scary how much information is out there and i know a LOT of things i didn't mean to find out, but even more that I do! and i like being able to just you know. find it.

90. What surname would you choose for yourself? i don't know exactly WHAT it would be, but i feel like i have two of the three components of the perfect last name and i'm just missing that last one. my last name is intuitive to say/spell ✅ , relatively rare ✅ , but a supremely inelegant collection of sounds 🙅🏼‍♀️

97. What is a trivial hill that you are willing to die on? god, i have taurus disease where, if you get me started, i'm ready to die on almost any hill. i'm relatively chill, but One Wrong Move and i get very "i hope you die, i hope we both die". i too asked people close to me what they thought, and basically got the exact same answer back. i'd die on an anthill but none of us know what anthill...

99. Do you enjoy "slice of life" media? ugh YES it is my FAVORITE

100. What do you want an answer to? when? 

[romanianwilkinson]

LESS IS MORGUE SENTENCE STARTERS

A collection of quotes from the podcast Less is Morgue, episodes 101 and 102. Feel free to change pronouns/wording as desired. CONTENT WARNING(S) FOR: Crude, gore, cannibalism, drugs, death.

“ Oh my gosh, so they can hear me? ”

“ Hey! How is everybody doing? What's Earth been like since I died!? ”

“ Do people still say “Cool beans”? ”

“ In 2012, a Florida man died after consuming two-dozen live roaches in a competition - this is fifteen fewer than my personal best. ”

“ Let’s keep this tight, the pizza guy will be here any minute now. ”

“ What toppings did you get this time? ”

“ We need to get to some kind of point, or the reviews are gonna tear us a new one! ”

“ I apologize for being the first person to diss Nickelback. ”

“ At least they played it as you were lowered into the grave, in front of all your friends and loved ones. That must’ve been cathartic. ”

“ You were already in the afterlife at that point, right? ”

“ Well, I filled out my paperwork for sixteen years. ”

“ Every time you tell me this, I just can’t imagine an amount of paperwork that would take sixteen years. ”

“ Oh, I could ace that. I remember everything. ”

“ On this day, five years ago, I ate two dead rats and half a pound of Chef Boyardee’s canned unicorn meat. ”

“ [NAME], you know I eat way more than eight spiders a year. ”

“ I ate her corpse out of her grave. ”

“ To be fair, I had no idea that being eaten by a ghoul would mean that my sixteen years of paperwork would be for nothing. It’s okay though, I still had seven years left to go. ”

“ Why did you eat my body, anyway? ”

“ In hindsight, the gaping wounds probably would have been easier to manage than this. ”

“ I don’t want the deep state to know any of those things about me. ”

“ Personally, I think the rules of this whole haunting thing are nebulous bullshit. ”

“ That’s like asking who’s a better blind date than Jeffrey Dahmer. The answer being: literally anyone but Jeffrey Dahmer. ”

“ [NAME]! [NAME]! Stop! You’re killing the pizza man! ”

“ There’s blood everywhere, [NAME]! Jesus! Why did you do that!? ”

“ He entered my space without warning me! It was self-defense! ”

“ No, no. I think the rules are different when “eaten by ghoul” is the cause of death. He’s probably in the great DMV in the sky already. ”

“ That - in addition to my hefty child support bills - is why I’m shilling Agamemnon Condoms, the only brand willing to overlook my many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many transgressions. ”

“ No, but these are probably the kinds of questions you should ask yourself BEFORE killing random people. ”

“ It’s not ridiculous! You just have to remember not to murder everyone so hard when you meet them! ”

“ Name five people you know that aren’t dead. Family don't count. ”

“ Come on! This is the one thing we didn't want to happen! ”

“ Please don't undermine me in front of the dead pizza guy. ”

“ I physically can't stop anything, which is something you're probably gonna understand soon. ”

“ We used to call it Hell, but the underworld is a little more tourist-friendly. ”

“ Well, [NAME], me and my associates have been crunching the numbers regarding the fate of your immortal soul, and you, my friend, are Hellbound. ”

“ Okay so, just last week you illegally downloaded three movies that are still in theatres. ”

“ So you're sending me to hell...for piracy? ”

“ Now, come along, we just finished polishing the slide covered in razor blades. ”

“ I mean, it's better than literal Hell. ”

“ Wait, was that it? I’m not complaining, but I feel like you should have done more to torment us. ”

“ I think we should probably wrap this puppy up. We digressed, we forgot to plug our socials, we committed second degree murder - ”

“ So no demons, no murder, no digressing. ”

“ Do you have any idea how hard it is to scrub ghost audio out of a file? ”

“ In Tokyo, you can pay the Family Romance Corporation to imitate your friends, co-workers, and loved ones. Me? I do it for free. ”

“ Who told you about Instagram? Wait, doesn't matter. ”

“ Only we could go from having too many guests to not enough guests in the span of a minute. ”

“ This jerk can’t even see me, [NAME]! ”

“ As a soothsayer, I can say the sooth, the whole sooth, and nothing but the sooth. ”

“ A witch will take your bones. ”

“ Beware the ukulele. Nothing good will come of it. ”

“ I was just getting to that! Point is, I heard tell that this basement is haunted. ”

“ Don’t mock me with your pity. ”

“ He literally doesn’t know...anything. It’s almost impressive. ”

“ Fuck this, I can’t die now, think of my investments! ”

“ I’m living in the real world - and that means avoiding disappointment by having subterranean expectations! ”

“ I feel like maybe you’re just used to people treating you badly so you always assume the worst. Sometimes, good things just happen. ”

“ Sorry I’m late. A Shoggoth was blocking Oak Street so I had to take the long way round. ”

“ You didn't tell me he was a zombie! ” “ I thought it was implied, with the whole "brains" thing. ”

“ So anyway, one day they brought in this rare Sumatran Rat Monkey that some collector wanted to buy, but the little bastard got loose and just ate my face off my skull. ”

“ Should have been expected, really - the mortality rate for employees at that PetSmart is super high, especially after they started selling those flesh-eating scarab beetles and the goldfish that can control your thoughts. ”

“ Overworked? Underappreciated? Harboring a dark soul full of terrible secrets? Then go to Hell! Literally! ”

“ You know, people are always saying that the wages of sin is death, but who can afford to die in this economy? ”

“ You like it hot? We’ll literally boil your fucking skin off. You like dogs? Ours have three heads! That’s triple the dog! ”

“ You may or may not have the time of your life! ”

“ I think I’ve got a family of dead opossums in the freezer to tide me over… ”

“ You barely even look dead, honestly! ”

“ Did you know there are whole twitter accounts that just have pictures of dogs? I hadn't seen a dog in sixteen years, then boom, dogs everywhere! ”

“ Dogs driving cars - can you believe that? Can you believe that there's a dog out there that can drive? I mean, how did the dogs learn how to drive? Is there a doggy driving school? I bet every dog that goes to driving school just aces it, because dogs are good at everything. ”

“ I am a mistake of nature, a mad beast. ”

“ STOP EATING OUR GUESTS! ”

“ Stop invoking fate to excuse your mistakes! ” “ It’s my right as an American! ”

“ That’s no excuse, I’ve been dead for over ten years, and I’m here! ”

“ So she likes to indulge in a little of the devil’s lettuce… Or even a lot of the devil’s lettuce, who are we to judge? ”

“ I can do a really awesome metal scream. ”

“ Are you speaking to the goat again? ”

“ Goats are pretty cool, I guess. But also not real. ”

“ I wouldn't make a habit of doing this. It’s kinda creepy. ”

“ Sorry, sorry, I haven’t used a body in sixteen years, I'm a little rusty. ”

“ Just don't break it. I don't need anymore ghosts in here. ”

“ I don't think I could have possessed her for much longer. It’s not a good feeling. ”

“ What I’d give to live in your world, [NAME], it always sounds so much nicer than mine. ”

“ Don’t make me call an exorcist, [NAME]… ”

[kogo-dogo]

"Why has Kogo been so quiet?"

Answer: My job is killing me.

So, folks who've been around for a while probably know I work hotels. Primarily in operations, back-of-house, where I'd have my own desk and a computer with two screens and I'd occasionally kick down the door to sales/events and be like, "What the HELL are you all doing in here?" And, to say that COVID threw a wrench in my career would be a grand understatement.

I recently (see: a little over a month ago) got a job at a hotel that... I won't name, but I will say it's considered the best in my state and is nice enough to be internationally known. I was thrilled to be hired on because, fuck yeah this would look good on a resume, but I'm now a shadow of who I once was. This place is killing me, and is making it a goal of doing so as fast as it can.

- I interviewed for front desk supervisor, but I am now a mixture between "basic front desk agent" and "somehow the assistant director of housekeeping, judging from what is expected of me." Half the time, I'm being talked to by condescending front office/accounting staff like I'm an idiot child. The rest of the time, I'm heaved into a pit of wolves in the basement and expected to somehow keep a department together that honestly seems irreparably broken.

- I don't have anything resembling a consistent schedule. I don't think I go in at the same time twice each week. Sometimes I work first shift, others second, often weird mid shifts. I go in at 7am, 9 am, 2:30pm, 12pm, 3pm. I work to midnight, I work to five, I work to seven in the evening. Today I'm randomly working a nine hour evening shift and I have no idea why because... it's a Sunday and they don't actually need me.

- Actually, my schedule makes so little sense that sometimes I show up to work and the managers will look at me and actually ask, "Why are you here?" DUDE, I DON'T KNOW, THEY TOLD ME TO BE HERE.

- The GM is... awful, to say the very least. He's an extreme micromanager and, as soft spoken as he is, very manipulative and intimidating to get people to conform to what he wants. He gaslights the hell out of me. I can be speaking perfect English and he'll act like I'm talking gibberish, usually with, "You were so articulate during your interview. What happened? :C" thrown in for good measure.

- My thirty day review was spent with the GM standing between me and an exit in a guest room while he repeatedly interrupted me ("Let me talk.") and told me that my conduct at a meeting was "cause for concern." I literally said that housekeeping was a little disorganized, that I wanted to help the director get it organized, and suggested a way the desk could help us print off better start-of-day reports. What I actually said, according to him, was that this is the worst place I've ever worked and I'm going to go into housekeeping and tell the director how to run his department.

- "Oh, now that I know I get this reaction, I'm going to milk it!" <- the HR Director when I showed worry about being called into HR for a meeting with zero explanation.

- They hired a guy who I worked with at a previous job, who was known for being sexist and sexually harassing female staff... even his boss. He started on me a bit before he was fired because, well, even if I ain't no woman, I'm close enough. I tried to warn management that this was probably something that wasn't disclosed by the temp staff and to keep an eye on him... but when he started harassing one of our housekeepers? And I reported it? Well, the housekeeper is gone, he's still here, and the official story is, "Well, it was probably a two way street. :)"

- He is now starting on one of the housekeepers who speaks no English.

- The workload is insane. One person cannot inspect every last room in a nearly 300 room hotel on their own, at least not thoroughly. But perfection is expected. Out of a thoroughly exhausted and underappreciated housekeeping staff, and a housekeeping director who is basically left high and dry. The only help he really gets is me (on select days; I mostly cover his days off), and a select few people from other departments who--out of the kindness of their heart--volunteer to come in early or stay late to put a dent in it. If they don't show and I don't work, he is screwed.

- Or, should I say, was screwed? Our director of housekeeping quit. He couldn't take it anymore. He lasted a month.

- Our only housekeeping supervisor is talking about leaving, too, because the GM keeps forcing her to go back to being a housekeeper. She never gets to actually do the job she worked so hard to get.

- I am going to be so fucked.

- Literally everyone I know of is telling me to bail. My partner, my friends, my brother, and even my old bosses from previous properties (who I still keep in contact with; I'm not a bad employee, I swear!). The consensus is that this is an extremely toxic and draining work environment, potentially even dangerous.

- I can't leave because I'm the only one in my apartment with income. I just keep hoping and praying and keeping my fingers crossed that I'll get a call back from my previous employer (who is just now opening up positions in earnest), or someplace new.

- I am so tired.

[taetaespeaches]

favorite albums of twenty-twenty:

I’m indecisive, so disclaimer lol. But I wanted to be self-indulgent for a moment and share my very favorite albums of 2020. In a year where I felt both alone and lonely, music was massively important to me. I tried to limit this to my top ten but I’m too indecisive and a lot of amazing music came out this year so there’s eighteen albums lol. Why not. So yeah, enjoy or ignore, I just had the urge to do this. (This isn’t in order except BE, D-2, Maria, and Map of the Soul: 7 are all definitely in the top five.)

Also, if you see this and want to do your own, tag me! I’d love to see your top albums <3 

↬ BE — BTS

⟶ Top tracks: Telepathy, Blue & Grey, Fly To My Room, Disease, Life Goes On

I mean come on. This was the pandemic album we all needed and I will forever be grateful for this masterpiece. I think this is an album that will grow with me and will kind of act as a companion throughout my life. The musicality, the lyrics, the variety, all of it, it’s just perfection. It feels like a friend who gives you comfort but also makes you confront your emotions, and that was everything I needed this year. I will forever be obsessed with this one. BE is my friend. 

↬ D-2 — Agust D

⟶ Top Tracks: People, Moonlight, Daechwita, What do you think?, Dear my friend

Agust D came back and he fucking owned it. The amount of pure talent and passion in this mixtape is un-fucking-real. Yoongi is just unbelievably talented and this album perfectly displays that. Plus, these songs have been my ride or die since May, like, there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t listen to this album in full at least once. Just incredible. 

↬ María — Hwasa

⟶ Top Tracks: LMM, Maria, Intro: Nobody Else, WHY, I’m bad too

This album is so connected to my fucking soul. I swear, Ahn Hyejin and I’s emotions are so similar and the way we process them is soooo similar, this album just honestly means the world to me. Plus, it’s amazing. Every song is a masterpiece. Obsessed. Much like D-2, I listen to this album at least once a week. And the number of times I have cried listening to it is unreal. Intro: Nobody Else is very much how I felt this year and LMM has made me cry more times than I care to admit. This album makes me feel what I’m feeling, gives me comfort, and helps me pick myself back up again. Another one that will grow with me. This year through the loneliness and in times that I felt I had no one, this was my companion.  

↬ MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 — BTS

⟶ Top tracks: Black Swan, Interlude : Shadow, My Time, ON, Friends, Moon, We are Bulletproof: the Eternal, Outro : Ego

Come onnnnnn. Perfection!!!! Quite literally the album that has been there with me through every step of this pandemic. I still cry watching the Ego mv. Why? No clue, just makes me sob tears of happiness. Black Swan? Possibly one of my very favorite songs EVER. OF ALL TIME. My Time? Relatable as fuck. Friends? The cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Moon? I’m sobbing again, that’s my emotional support Seokjinnie. Just, the album is a goddamn masterpiece, I don’t care who disagrees, my opinion is fact on this one.

↬ love is not dying — Jeremy Zucker

⟶ Top tracks: full stop, oh, mexico, hell or flying, lakehouse

Jeremy is another one that I just feel emotionally related too. Like I just get what he says and means and it hits me right in the heart and mind and gut. Another companion album. I think full stop is one of the most relatable songs I’ve ever heard- lyrically and the way it builds and becomes a bit chaotic… like whoah. I feel that in my chest. Also, oh, mexico is another song I related to so hard this year. This album has just made a massive impact on me and I love it.

↬ folklore — Taylor Swift

⟶ Top tracks: seven, peace, the lakes, the 1

So Taylor surprised everyone with an album. What the fuck, ma’am? This is my second favorite Taylor album to date, second to only her second surprise album of the year. Like what? I’ve cried listening to this album and absolutely sobbed listening to seven. She just really popped off with this one and I don’t think I need to explain to you all why this album is so good. If you’ve heard it, you know.

↬ evermore — Taylor Swift

⟶ Top tracks: ivy, cowboy like me, long story short, coney island, gold rush

Oh here we have another surprise album, and now my favorite album by Taylor. I think this album perfectly displays Taylor’s insane lyricism better than any of her works. This album just hit really different for me, every song was my favorite on first listen and I still have the hardest time picking favorite tracks. It’s just beautiful and it’s great and I love it a lot.

↬ SAWAYAMA — Rina Sawayama

⟶ Top tracks: Fuck This World (Interlude), Tokyo Love Hotel, Bad Friend, Comme Des Garçons (Like The Boys)

Have you heard it? If so, you know why it’s on this list. Pop perfection. Rina is a goddess. That’s that. It’s just amazing. Rina is a visionary and this album displays that perfectly. Comme Des Garçons was the first song of hers I ever heard and I was immediately obsessed. Next level, this woman. A queen.

↬ Petals For Armor — Hayley Williams

⟶ Top tracks: Crystal Clear, Why We Ever, Over Yet

Wow. Just, bless Hayley for this. Crystal Clear has quickly become one of my very favorite songs ever and Why We Ever is a little too relatable. And I distinctly remember hearing Over Yet for the first time in May and feeling joy for the first time since the pandemic started. This album is one to listen to when you’re mad, sad, when you need comfort, or when you’re ready to heal. Honestly, another companion.

↬ Nectar — Joji

⟶ Top tracks: Like You Do, Your Man, Sanctuary, MODUS, Run, Mr. Hollywood

I could honestly list nearly every song on this as a top song. Holy shit. Joji is another visionary. He’s insane and I’m obsessed with this album. I swear, every time I listen a new song jumps out as a favorite. Like You Do is a song that just means so much to me. A masterpiece. This album is my go to when I’m looking to get into my feels. Also Daylight isn’t listed in the top tracks but what a fucking bop. I’m just in love with this album. For real, obsessed.

↬ Plastic Hearts — Miley Cyrus

⟶ Top tracks: Angels Like You, High, WTF Do I Know, Midnight Sky, Never Be Me, Plastic Hearts

I’ve never been like an avid listener of Miley, just a few tracks, but this year I got more into her. And this album, goddamn. Every song is a contender for top track. How does that happen? Midnight Sky? Huge for me this year. Like I cannot tell you how massive of an impact this song made on me. Angels Like You is such a perfect song. High is a little too relatable. Just seriously, wow. Kind of speechless, I just adore this album.

↬ Positions — Ariana Grande

⟶ Top tracks: pov, obvious, 34+35

The way I cried my first time hearing pov. Ari what are you doing to me? That song is just such a beautiful way to look at love and this whole album is just so healing. A happy spot on this whole year. 34+35 is a thot anthem and I’m obsessed. This album is just another example of Ariana’s talent and we were all blessed to be able to hear it.

↬ CALM — 5 Seconds of Summer

⟶ Top tracks: Wildflower, Lover of Mine, Best Years, Teeth, High

I don’t care if y’all think it’s cool to like 5sos or not, this album is so fucking good. It far exceeded my expectations. Some of these songs are some of my favorites for the year. Wildflower is a fucking happy pill and Best Years makes me fucking cry. High is too relatable, and Teeth may as well have been written about me. And Lover of Mine perfectly relates to the most important relationship of my entire life. I’m gonna say it, Luke Hemmings is such an underappreciated lyricist. The man is good. I love this album a lot. 

↬ Manic — Halsey

⟶ Top tracks: Finally // beautiful stranger, SUGA’s Interlude, Forever … (is a long time), 3am

I never really listen to Halsey so it took me a long time to give this album a try and wow I’m so glad I finally did. It became an instant fav. Honesty, anything Yoongi touches is a favorite for me so obviously that song would be in my tops, but Forever … (is a long time) is so relatable and just so fucking good. And Finally // beautiful stranger is honestly my favorite Halsey song ever. It’s stunning. This album is amazing. Period.

↬ Future Nostalgia — Dua Lipa

⟶ Top tracks: Pretty Please, Cool, Don’t Start Now

This album is just disco pop perfection and I’ve been obsessed all year. It’s the perfect album to listen to when you just wanna fucking dance and forget about all the shit that 2020 gave us. The perfect escape and it’s so so fun and the songs are just bops. I’ve probably listened to this album a hundred times because it’s just the perfect escape. If I wanna let go for a bit, this is my go to.

↬ Punisher — Phoebe Bridgers

⟶ Top tracks: I Know The End, Chinese Satellite, Garden Song

This album makes me feel some shit. Like holy hell we are in our feels. Phoebe’s songwriting is superb and these songs just hit. I honestly only listen to this album when I really need to get in touch with myself because it literally doesn’t allow me to avoid my feelings. But it’s pretty much perfection and I think it’s going to grow with me throughout the years. I just love it. I remember being blown away on my first listen, it’s just unbelievably good.

↬ Ungodly Hour — Chloe and Halle

⟶ Top tracks: Tipsy, Baby girl, Ungodly Hour

I don’t even know how to explain how good this album is. Like, have you heard it? You get it. These girls went the fuck off and all we can do is thank them for it. Thank you for your service ladies. This album is just a vibe from start to finish. And Ungodly Hour is one of the best title tracks of the year. That’s just that on that. Give them all the awards.

↬ IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? — DPR LIVE

⟶ Top tracks: OH GIRL, NO RESCUE NEEDED, KISS ME

This album isn’t just an album, it’s an experience. This man takes you on a musical journey. It’s a story. It’s flawless. I adore it. DPR LIVE is so underrated and I can’t wait for him to get the hype he deserves. This was the most surprising find this year and I’m so thankful I found it. Just so god. From start to finish, you just get sucked in and then it ends and you’re just left like, whoah. Amazing. 

[blondekasp]

Absolutely Smitten

hihi!! so this is my gift to @november-hydrangea for the @itfandomprompts gift exchange, i’m sorry it’s a little late (had some internet troubles haha) but i hope you like it!

read on ao3

“Hey there, blondie. S’it okay if I sit here?” He wasn’t expecting to interact with someone so soon. But this is good, he supposes, it’s better to get the weight of first interactions with new people out of the way right out of the gate—he’ll maybe feel more prepared for class, later.

So he smiles, nods n’ watches the man sit down on the bench at the other side of the table, chunky ringlets bouncing around his head as he offers a braced grin. “Are ya just starting here?” Eddie short circuits for a moment, then remembers what the man must be talking about, n’ he sits up a little straighter.

“Oh, yeah, it’s my first year. Are you?” He receives an enthusiastic nod and a flash of buck teeth emerging from behind curved lips. His glasses are clunky, maybe a little too big for his face. The lenses are thick, too, magnifying his eyes to the maximum, n’ it’s maybe not a conventional look but it somehow completes his appearance. “Do you need directions or something?”

“Nah, I’ll figure tha’ stuff out, don’t worry, pal. I was actually wondering if ya wanted to join, a club, maybe more of a group, of sorts that me n’ my best girl Bev are starting?” He nudges his coke bottle glasses a little further up his nose, “It’s for, as Bev likes ta say, ‘friends of Dorothy’, so, would ya happen to be one?”

He’d heard about friends of Dorothy before, mostly whisperings between them in high school, n’ maybe it was because he paid too much attention, but he knew what it meant. Something twists achingly behind his ribs.

“Oh, I, uh, no! Uh, I…”

“Hey, hey, s’only a question, promise. M’not trying to catch you out.” The man’s eyes widen a little, azure irises covered over by pale lids, n’ then revealed again as he holds up his hands, as if to show that he meant no threat. Eddie suddenly feels his cheeks begin to burn like the eventide. “If you’re not, tha’s cool, but if you are, tha’s swell, too. N’ if ya wanna hang out after your classes or somethin’, we’ll be at the café across the street. Five o’clock.” He jerks his thumb behind him, n’ Eddie’s line of sight follows. He memorises the name, even if he’s not going to go.

Rather than open his mouth n’ embarrass himself further, Eddie nods. The man breaks out into a grin, “Neat, m’Richie by the way. I didn’t get your name either, blondie.”

“Oh, oh, it’s Eddie.” Richie holds his hand out, Eddie takes it slowly, shakes it, n’ lets it go soon after.

He’d thought that Richie would leave right away, now that the conversation is over, but it appears that he plans to stay. It’s silent, mostly, other than Richie making a passing comment or two about the weather, or people walking by. He asks Eddie about his classes, what his major is. He finds out in return that Richie is a drama major— it makes sense, Eddie thinks.

“Okay, I have to go, I have class now.” Eddie rises from the bench, gathering up his water n’ backpack, sun catching in his eyes for a moment before he raises his hand to shield them. “It was nice meeting you, Richie, you’re an interesting character.” He chuckles in spite of himself.

Richie stands, too, picking up his own things n’ smiling to Eddie. “You too, Eds, you’re a real cutie.” He winks, overly playful, a little ironically, n’ Eddie’s grip on his backpack tightens a little.

“My name is Eddie.” He reminds the man, face betraying him with a small smile. “I don’t usually go for nicknames.”

He’s met with a faux thoughtful expression, “Isn’t Eddie already a nickname?” N’ he can’t seem to think of a response to that, “See ya ‘round, Eds!” Before he can protest, Richie’s already bouncing away, but Eddie doesn’t have time to see where he goes off to, he has to go to class.

College isn’t what Eddie had thought it would be. Honestly, he’s not too sure what he’s been expecting until now, but he knows that it’s different. Classes are more laid back than they were in high school, the people are friendlier—though it wouldn’t be hard to find people to be nicer than most he’s met before, having grown up in the murder capital of Maine. Generally, though, the entirety of it is a breath of fresh air. He gets to stay in a dorm, by himself, away from the prying eyes of Ma, away from church, away from everyone who’d had a ruthless comment or two to make about him back home.

Five o’clock comes faster than he’s been anticipating, n’ as much as he dislikes the fact, he’s actually considering going to the little café across the street. It would be a nice way to wind down, ‘cause even if he’s elated to be here, the transition is stressful. But he wonders if he will be admitting something to himself if he goes.

By the time he makes it to the café, it’s gone quarter past five—if he hadn’t spent time fussing over whether or not he was actually going n’ walking back n’ forth between the college n’ the sidewalk where he’d have to cross, he’d probably have gotten there earlier.

Upon entering the café, he feels slightly intimidated. He hopes people aren’t staring at him, in Derry they stared a lot. “Eds, hey!” Thankful that he won’t have to awkwardly search for them, now, he gives Richie a tight lipped smile, n’ slowly walks across the room to their table. There’s seven of them, he realises, all very different looking people.

“That’s Miss Marsh, otherwise known as Bev.” Richie stands from the table, gesturing towards the red-headed woman who approaches him, holding out her hand. “She’s a real spitfire.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Eddie. D’ya like coffee?”

Eddie nods, “Oh, yeah, I like coffee. It’s nice to meet you, too.” He doesn’t like coffee, not really, anyway. It’s too bitter for his taste, even with sugar to sweeten it. He drinks it, though, every morning, if only to spite Ma. She’d never let him have coffee, or any caffeinated drink—said it would damage your heart, Eddie bear, you know how fragile it is. It hadn’t, of course.

“Great, I’ll go order you some.” She winks, reminiscent of the one Richie had thrown his way earlier in the day. He’s greeted by five others, Stan, Patty, Mike, Bill n’ Ben, or as Richie likes to call them—Stan the Man, Patpat, Micycle, Billiam n’ Haystack. They introduce themselves one by one, with kind smiles n’ a hug or a handshake to offer. He watches all of their eyes briefly flicker to his left shoulder, where his shirt is tied off n’ there’s a distinct lack of an arm, but they don’t ask, or look at him strangely, like he’s used to people doing.

Bev comes back a few minutes later, sits a cup n’ a small plate with a cookie on it down in front of Eddie, “Oh, thank you.” He smiles, finally pulling his jacket down from his shoulders n’ draping it over the back of his chair. “I’m Eddie, by the way.”

“Thanks for coming, Eds. We just thought this would be a good way to meet some new people who have things in common. Make things easier, have some good chucks.” Good chucks? “Stan, Patty n’ Mike are together, Bill has a girlfriend called Audra but she couldn’t make it n’ me, Miss Marsh n’ Haystack are all single pringles. Ya got a sweetheart yourself, Eds?”

“Oh, no, I don’t. Not many options where I lived, before I came here.” He explains, taking a sip of coffee. They all nod, murmurings of understanding coming from around the table. “Are all of you in college?”

Mike starts first, “I’ve been working on my family’s farm back home for years, I’m here with Stan an’ Patty while they get settled in n’ then I’ll just be visiting at weekends.” Stan takes Mike’s hand n’ squeezes it gently, Patty watches, smiling softly. “The rest of you are in college, right?”

“Yeah, n’ it’s already better than high school.” Richie interjects, “My comedic genius went very underappreciated in high school.” He explains solemnly, dramatically, n’ Eddie can’t help but chuckle.

“I’m yet to hear some of this ‘comedic genius’ that you speak of.” Eddie remarks, n’ Richie gasps, throwing a hand over the right side of his chest.

“Oh, you wound me, Eds! Already broken my heart n’ I’ve barely known you a day.”

“Your heart is on the left side, Einstein.” Richie waves him off, leaning over the table. Eddie feels himself lean closer, narrowing his eyes playfully. “Can I help you with something?”

Richie pinches his cheek gently, “You're a real cutie, Eds. You’ll be positively chuckalicious in no time, I promise m’hilarious.” He sits back, wiggling his eyebrows obnoxiously at Eddie, before taking a bite of his sandwich. He rolls his eyes at Richie, shaking his head as if in disagreeal. “Don’t believe me?”

“No, not really. How could I?”

“Alright, let me prove it.”

Suddenly, it’s six-thirty n’ he’s been watching Richie prove his comedic skill for an hour. About forty minutes ago, he was trying his best to blow Eddie away with his impressions which yes, even if Eddie tried hard not to show it, he thought were actually very funny. Twenty minutes ago, he decided that he wanted to showcase his ventriloquist act, but explained that since he doesn’t have his doll with him, he’d have to draw a face on his hand n’ improvise. Eddie’s almost thankful for the lack of preparation for this act, ‘cause the sight of Richie using his hand to flirt with Eddie is truly something else.

The others have almost faded into the background, ‘cause, unexpectedly, Richie is right at the forefront of his attention. He’s almost mesmerising, his confidence n’ charm to be admired. “Awh, come on, Eds. Whatddya say, my buddy here has all the top tier characteristics required of someone who can treat you right.” He moves his hand up n’ down rhythmically, as if to make it nod along with him, “He can be real handy when you need it.”

“Oh my God, Richie.” Eddie pushes him back a little, rolling his eyes n’ giggling as his face blooms red, “M’sorry but I think I’ll have to reject your hand, I already have a great one. I can write with it n’ everything.” He waves his right hand in front of Richie’s face, n’ proceeds to have it ‘kissed’ by Richie’s hand-puppet.

“That’s too bad, you two would’ve been great together, pal.” Richie nods solemnly at his hand, before putting it in his pocket. “So what’s your verdict, Eds? Do you deem me funny enough to be worthy of your friendship?” He casts a hand over his eyes, dramatically awaiting Eddie’s ‘important decision’.

Eddie giggles, “Yes, okay, but just know that even if I’m rejecting him, it was your hand friend that convinced me. He’s funnier than you.” He watches, amused, as Richie goes on another spiel about his poor broken heart n’ how he’ll never recover. When Richie’s finally done, n’ he’s flopped back down into his seat, Eddie finishes off what’s left of his coffee, still smiling to himself. Putting his cup down, he checks his watch, “Alright, I think I’m gonna go back to m’dorm now, m’kinda tired.”

“Okay, no worries, Eds. Think I’ll turn in for now, too. I could walk you back, if you like.” He offers, starting to pack up his bag as Eddie does the same. “Only if you want me to, of course.”

A little more time with Richie would be nice, he thinks. “Oh, sure, Richie. If you want to.” He nods, standing up, “It’s been great to meet you all. I hope we can hang out again soon, it was fun.”

“Of course! I’m glad you had fun, Eddie.” Ben pipes up, reaching up to pat his arm. Bev nods beside him, delighted, n’ the others all share murmurs of agreement. They’ve been kinder to him in a few hours than any of the people in his hometown in eighteen years.

Eddie says his goodbyes, lets Richie do the same, n’ then they’re off. The walk isn’t too long, the weather is still nice n’ the sun is just setting. It’s still busy on the streets, presumably other college students going out with their friends. “My dorm is just over here.” He points to the block closest to them. Richie nods, walking him over to the bottom of the building.

“Did ya have fun, today?” Richie asks when they stop outside the door, finally facing Eddie fully. He shoves his hands into his pockets, rocking back n’ forth on his feet. “I hope I wasn’t too, uh, loud, for you.”

Eddie shakes his head quickly, “Oh, no, of course not. I had a lot of fun, actually. More than I’ve had in a long time. So thank you.” Richie grins, looking sort of relieved. He pushes his glasses up again, Eddie thinks it might be a nervous tic of some sort.

“Of course, Eds, I’m glad.” He pauses for a moment, like he’s picking his next words carefully, “Say, uhm, would you maybe like to have breakfast with me, tomorrow? If you’re free?”

“Oh.” Eddie begins, taken aback. He hadn’t been expecting any of them to ask for more time with him outside of meeting all together. It’s a good thing, though, he supposes, to have made a new friend so quickly. Hell, to have made seven by the end of his first real day here. This is why he’s here. He doesn’t need Ma anymore. “I think that would be great. What time?”

“Ten o’clock? I’ll meet you out here? I saw a little diner a few streets away, we could maybe try it out.”

“I’d like that.” He agrees, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rich.”

Richie comes a little closer, n’ bends down to press a short kiss to Eddie’s cheek. “Bye, Eds, see you tomorrow.” Then he’s moving back, waving briefly, n’ walking off the same way he had this morning. Eddie's heart picks a little, just enough to send a warm buzz around his ribs, into his fingertips.

“Yeah, tomorrow.”

[sachiwrites]

do i like bread?? on god gonna bake some brioche tomorrow watch me! anyways 👀 who are your fav HQ bois to write for? (if Atsumu happens to be one of them hello yes I’d like a 17. Kiss to hide from the bad guys please)

ahhhh, that sounds so good. raisins bread, melon bread, banana bread. i love all the breads. hope your brioche turned out great!

sakusa was really the first one i really get into but im always a sucker for the underappreciated bbs so send any and ill shoot my shot.

it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to you in the slightest. your former high school classmate seemed to have an irksome personality that managed to rub anyone the wrong way. in school, he’d been more respected as essential player on the team and by the time people noticed it was an issue, he was already a third year and ready for graduation. now as a university student, the totem rankings have reset and not particularly always in atsumu’s favor.

the fact that you’d even been accepted into the same school felt more like a curse than a blessing. stacking on the unfortunate luck of hanging in the same circle of friends. in a way you supposed it had its benefits. like having front row seats to the blonde setter finally getting what’s coming for him.

you’d noticed him lingering near one girl all night. friendly proximity lessening by the hour as more alcohol were introduced into the situation. honestly you couldn’t blame the girl, the giggly flush so familiar that it caused an ache in a part of your body that you chose willingly to ignore. despite his ugly personality, there was no denying that atsumu was an attractive guy.

it was a shame that his pretty face was about to get a very aggressive makeover.

the crowds almost parted willingly as star of the men’s basketball-team, and conviently the boyfriend of the said girl trapped under atsumu’s spell. from under the rim of your cup, you couldn’t help but smile because finally, just maybe atsumu would get some sense knocked in him.

but there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, even noticeable from a cross the room as he seemed to come to terms with his impending doom. it didn’t, however, seem to deter him from brushing a kiss over the back of the girl’s hand before he managed to disappear into the crowds. a disappointed sigh escaped your lips as the fuming male made it to the scene only a moment too late, his frustration now directed towards his girlfriend. not the kind of drama you were interested in, you decided as you backed towards the kitchen for a refill.

this would be the last one, you promised yourself. most of your invited friends had decided to call the night quits a little over an hour ago. you weren’t sure what urged you to linger a bit longer. you had no intention on bringing anyone home but a good night out seemed too infrequent to waste.

twisting your wrist, the clink of ice against the side of the cup served as a brief distraction from your thoughts.

-and subquentally you from the figure approaching your from behind.

“ah, so alone? that’s no way to party.”

suddenly you mood all but soured, your fresh drink already feeling stale in your hands as you rose your gaze to meet atsumu’s. his grin was as wide as ever, no less winded by his unexpected escape. which didn’t feel like much of one at all given how close he still was to the scene of the crime.

against your will, you eyes flicked back to the corner once occupied by himself in the girl, finding not even the so called boyfriend present. maybe they’d called it a night?

“so rude. i figured it was just class that you wanted to ignore me in. now my feelings are hurt.”

rolling your eyes, you set your drink down and turned to fully face the pouting man. “hardly, i was just planning on leaving actually. it’s late.”

you were outnumbered and one cup was already too much alcohol in your system to be hanging out with miya atsumu alone. while your stance wasn’t swayed, you couldn’t say the same for your resolve if he continued to stand so close. subconsciously, you already counted seven times that your gaze had dropped to his lips. even three years later, apparently past crushes still made them look so inviting.

whether he picked up on your obvious dilemma or innately just that confident in his own ability, his usual smile adopted a new curl that didn’t sit quite right with you. the said smile, however, had a short lifespan as his attention flickered behind you and dropped all together. instinct taught you that if someone like atsumu was tense in a situation that you likely should have fled a long time ago.

the ideology only becoming immedialty more true as the said man quickly encroach on your space with an unreadable expression. you’re thankful for your forethought to set down your drink prior, freeing up your hands to push against his chest before it could meet your own.

“w-what are you doing? back off miya.” without his brother around, you could comfortably use his surename without sounding too familiar.

there was a clench in his jaw as attention remained behind you instead, almost as if he’d planned to step over you the whole time and you’d just been in the way. had he not initially greeted you, it would have felt too much like your high school experiences. but you were older now, aged out of a futile crush.

strengthening your voice, you gave him a firm shove that didn’t nothing whatsoever in your favor. “im serious, back off.” touching him served to be your second mistake of the night as his fingers curled around your offered wrist and pulled it behind his head.

grasping wildly, your managed to snag the short of his hair in retaliation. the hiss he gave in return was well earned. “what the hell are you doing?” quickly losing patience, you slapped at his chest with your free hand. “atsumu! if you don’t-“

you hadn’t been a wallflower in your coming of age, but you hadn’t particularly stood out among your peers. your close group of friends being all you needed to survive three years of high school. they were enough, allowing you to gain all the social skills needed for any situation in life. or so you thought.

nothing prepared you for sudden pressure of lips against yours. miya atsumu was relentless as he licked firmly into your mouth, opening you up for his onslaught of experienced tongue. the sudden shift tilted your world upside down, giving him more than enough pliancy to mold your mouth how he wanted. too bad it made more for a hostage situation with your comically wide eyes. you could easily see the confusion reflected in atsumu’s as he grimaced.

yet rather than be deterred, he only closed his eyes to you completely and pulled you closer. you would blame how easily you kissed him back on the alcohol later as you went slack in his hold. he’s kissing you like he’d been doing so for months, like his lips belonged slanted against your own. it was almost too overwhelming to keep up with. yet feeling so right as you slowly matched his rhythm.

then reality bled into the fantasy.

you weren’t sure how long the figures at your back had been standing there, the harsh words jarring your consciousness as if they’d just appeared out of thin air. rather than letting you investigate, atsumu kept you close, unrelenting as his swept you into another series of kisses.

“you sure that’s him?”

“i think id know that asshole that was all up on my girlfriend, asshole.”

“ just saying, man, looks like he’s got one of his own.”

“forget it. let’s go.”

it’s not the voice that’s familiar, rather the context as a particular scene become too vivid all too quickly. the disruption drawing you away from the kiss with more strength than you’d had at the beginning. that had been the basketball player (i.e the boyfriend of the girl atsumu had just had charmed in the corner of the room. you’d just been used, as a distraction to avoid conflict. suddenly the kiss tastes more bitter than sweet.

an overwhelming wave of conflicting emotions was enough to dam your tears as you rounded on the newly relaxed male. however, the easy going expression sharpens in time to catch your errant palm. miya atsumu looks down at you with all the arrogance of a man that had yet to learn his lesson. and you weren’t sure if you were qualified to teach it. the choice taken from you as he restricted the control of your hand by intertwining his fingers.

dark eyes, viscous like honey, peered over your joined hands pressed against his lips.

“so girlfriend, why don’t i walk you home now? this party is getting a bit old.”