#but STILL i think its neat that Candy of all people has one of the only foods in sugar rush

[squibbymun]

Personally I don't see Candy going ''Youre not going Turbo, are you?'' as a Turbo Hint because the game has been around for 15 years at this point and I can believe that he knew what that meant even if he WASN'T Turbo, no you know what's one of my FAVORITE hints towards Candy being Turbo ?

The Candy Citizens cheering for him!!! Not only is their little stand thing a popcorn box which is RED WITH WHITE STRIPES but they are also DECIDEDLY NOT EXACTLY CANDY ? They're SNACKS!! I could be wrong but every other citizen is some kind of sweet candy but his is SALTY !!!! That is the EXACT OPPOSITE OF SWEET!!

[lovely-showtimes]

Rui and Akito x bubbly fem! reader who designed and asked their friend to make earrings of their favorite food, and bought them for chars bday? Tyy

earrings . . . ♡

characters - akito, rui.

type - scenario.

contains - written with fem reader in mind, although no gendered terms are actually used (there wasn't really an opportunity to write them in...)

a/n - i had to mostly rewrite rui's as it a) got really long and b) it felt too... clunky. i feel a little better than i did before about this, now! i really liked this request, i think it's cute! i hope you enjoy ~

You clutch the small, wrapped box close to your chest as you scan the Kamiyama High courtyard, searching for Akito. Despite how busy it was, your gaze soon lands on the ginger-haired boy you were looking for. You run over, a smile etched onto your face as you wave wildly.

"Akito! Hiiiii!" You skid to a stop in front of him and bounce on your toes. "I haven't seen you all day! Where have you been hiding?!"

"I've been caught up in a few other things. A few people have been pretty enthusiastic about my birthday, to say the least." Despite his slightly sarcastic tone, there was a flicker of glee in Akito's eyes.

You're glad he has some good friends.

You had gotten a little distracted from your main objective, however. You'd almost forgot! How could you?

"Akito, here!" You shove the gift into his hands abruptly, catching him off-guard. "For you! Happy birthday~!"

Akito studies the gift for a few moments, before carefully unwrapping it and lifting the lid. Inside lay two pairs of earrings - one of a tiny plate of pancakes, and one of a slice of cheesecake.

"I wasn't sure which you liked more, so I just made both. I hope that's okay," you let out a short laugh. "You could even mix and match them, if you want! One pancake, one cheesecake!"

Something else you said had caught Akito's attention, however. "You made these?" He lifts his head to gaze at you, surprise etched onto his features.

You nod eagerly, your hands excitedly balled into fists. "Yeah, for you! I did pretty well, didn't I?"

Akito studies the earrings for a few moments, running his fingers over them carefully, before a small smile creeps onto his face.

"Yeah, you did. These are pretty neat. Thanks." Akito puts the box back together and carefully pockets it. "C'mon, let's go. I wanna get home soon so I can try these on."

You eagerly knock on the door to the Kamishiro household, your barely contained excitement sparkling in your eyes. You momentarily paused to check your bag to make sure the present was, in fact, still there. Your hand wraps around it, confirming its presence, before you pulled your arm out of your bag again.

It had been a few minutes, and still had no one answered the door. You frown and knock once more, and this time you hear movement within the house. Eventually Rui opens the door. His hair is slightly messy, something unusual for him.

"Sorry about the wait." He smiles apologetically. "I may have fallen asleep while waiting for you. Only because I stayed up later than intended working on something last night."

He steps aside to let you enter and closes the door behind you. Once you're in his house, you immediately turn around and wrap him in a tight hug. You pull away before he even has a chance to react and pull the box containing his present out of your bag.

"For you! Happy birthday!" You beam brightly as Rui takes the present from you. He wastes no time in unwrapping it with surprising accuracy and lifts the lid.

Inside, of course, are the earrings you made him, designed to look like packaged soda candy.

"Ah...!" A joyful smile makes its way onto Rui's face. "I've never actually had any other earrings than the ones I always wear. These are wonderful. Thank you."

He leans over and kisses the side of your head, causing you to giggle and blush. Rui loves seeing you like this, so he doesn't want to potentially ruin it by letting you know that his left ear isn't pierced, and he can't wear both earrings at once.

Oh well, it's alright. He'll just use the other one as a spare.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: Identity Crisis | Real Time with Bill Maher

And finally, New Rule: now that we're all recovered from St Patrick's Day, let's make it the last one. You know, I never understood Irish Pride or any pride in anything other than what you've actually accomplished. And as holidays go, St Pattie's is kind of malarkey. You don't get presents like Christmas or candy like Easter or joyless appointment sex like Valentine's Day. You don't even get a Peanuts special.

There's just a parade. And what rights are we marching for? The right to drink in the day? Do we still need to take to the streets in a public expression of support for Irish migrants?

I think now more than ever we need to stop talking about the things that make Americans different from each other and start honoring the things that make us the same. So let my people, the Irish, lead the way because again, the Irish think I don't give a shit.

But, I do give a shit who wins the next election. And outdated racial pandering is one reason Democrats lose elections. When Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi put on Kente cloth, I don't think it earned them one vote for their powerful emotional ties to Ghana.

Here in California, we're now segregating kidnapping. Really. California doesn't just have amber alerts for missing children, we have ebony alerts for black children and feather alerts for Native American Kids. What is that we look for them by listening on the ground?

Look, even if you like identity politics, this kind of thing is antiquated. From 2010 to 2020, the number of people identifying as multi-racial in America went up 276 percent. One in five newlyweds now are in an interracial marriage. And that number goes up to 100% in ads for Subaru.

You couldn't do a remake of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" today because almost 100% of Americans approve of interracial marriage. Especially with rich in-laws. And 95% of white women would leave their husband to marry Idris Elba. Idris Elba who says, "As humans we are obsessed with race and that obsession can really hinder people's aspirations." Actress Raven-Symone agrees. She told Oprah, "I'm tired of being labeled. I'm not an African-American. I'm an American." She says, "I don't know what country in Africa I'm from. My roots are in Louisiana."

And you don't have to agree with that, but it's a point of view a lot of people have. It should be respected. Morgan Freeman says the way to finish off racism is, "stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man."

There's even a movement now to ban racial questions on the census, and many of its leaders are people of color like Professor Sheena Mason who says, "to undo racism we have to undo our belief in race."

The liberal group moveon.org formed in 1998 to urge Republicans to move on from the Clinton impeachment. Today's Democrats should move on from identity politics. It's not working. It's not working for them or for us. Democrats are hemorrhaging the very voters they think they're pandering to.

The Financial Times writes, "Democrats are going backwards faster with voters of color than any other demographic," and suggests the reason is that, "A less racially divided America is an America where people vote more based on their beliefs than their identity." Exactly. Far-left liberals are living in an old paradigm. Americans don't fit into into neat little boxes anymore.

Who has the number one country song right now? Beyonce. Lil Naz X won a country music award, and he's black and gay. And a brand ambassador for the waspiest purse in America, Coach. The biggest new star in country is Jelly Roll who was a drug dealer, then a prisoner, then a rapper and then a face tatted country music star. Not to mention a giant middle finger to the idea of staying in your own lane.

No, in America now, you're allowed to be many things all at once and that's a good thing even when it's really stupid.

Look, we're all Jelly Roll now. We're sloppy, complicated and contradictory. Two-thirds of Republican voters support weed legalization. And 41% of Democrats own or live with someone who owns a gun. Ms Marvel is Pakistani. And the winner of the last two NBA dunk contests is white. The new Captain America is black. And Spider-Man is black and Puerto Rican, just like AI George Washington.

Latinos make up half of the Border Patrol. And the name of the coolest black dude on the planet is Lenny Kravitz. Ru Paul has a ranch in Wyoming that does fracking. Really. And has a fortified compound with a bunker to die for. And somehow the leader of the Village People was straight. Really. Je just went to the YMCA to work out. And the leader of the Proud Boys isn't an old white guy he's Enrique Toreo, an Afro-Cuban. He burns crosses on his own lawn.

Caitlyn Jenner is a pro-Trump transwoman who supports a ban on trans athletes competing in women's sports. And there's even an LGBTQ organization called "Gays for Trump." And why wouldn't there be? Gays love drag queens.

Our black president was half white. And our black vice president is half Asian. And Tiger Woods is, oh we don't even have the time.

My point is, look, you're still building your politics around slicing and dicing people into these fixed categories. Democrats need to get the memo that you can't win elections anymore by automatically assuming you're going to get every voter who's not these guys.

The more you obsess over identity, the more you ignore the bread and butter issues that win and lose elections. The real issue is class, not race, and the real gap is the diploma divide. And the real future of the party and maybe democracy depends on Democrats figuring that out.

==

Prediction: Trump will win, because even if the Dems wanted to change course on this identity politics bullshit, there are far too many identarians who have been elected into it on that exact basis. Look at The Squad, where every single one of them is a pathological liar who plays only by identity cards.

They can't undo a decade of abandoning their core constituency, the working class, in favor of privileged woke academic elites in the span of only six months. Even if they wanted to. Not with the wingnuts still around, doing what they've been doing for years: sucking up all the oxygen and screaming about their imaginary oppression. And there's no sign they do.

[poor-impulsecontrol]

i don’t understand why anybody wouldn’t be nice to you- you’re as deserving of kindness as everyone else!

i don’t want anything from you, i- i just wanna talk. you’re interesting, you’re fun to talk to and ramble to and ask questions to!

am I overstepping?

uh— what’s your favorite movie right now? when you go to movie theaters, what kinda snacks do you get? i sneak stuff in , personally. minus the popcorn! i mix my own M&M’s with movie theater popcorn- it’s really good!

saying the wrong thing?

what’s your favorite candy? do you chew gum? OOH! do you like arcades? rhythm games? claw machines? do you have any stuffed animals? i like arcades. the atmosphere is so fun!!! :-D

being too much?

if you think i know who i am, you can guess! the worst that happens is that you’re wrong and I tell you who I am, silly goose!! I’m not gonna get mad and I’m not gonna embarrass you!

i’m sorry.

- i bet bugs think you’re real neat, 🐜🐜!!!

people aren't nice to me because i deserve it. i'm not a good person.

favourite movie right now? uh...probably...the new terrifier film that just came out. it's one of the few movies i can watch without disassociating, because it's so gorey. i don't go to movie theatres, i pirate everything. but if i was going to go to one, i'd sneak my own snacks in, too. i like sour shit, so...sour skittles, i guess. i like reese's too. i'll eat anything with a strong taste, it's a nice shock to my system.

i don't have favourite candy—wait, actually, does vodka jelly count as candy? or is that a whole different type of dessert? yeah, i chew gum. it helps with my anxiety. blueberry flavoured gum is the best. arcades are fun, sure, but i suck at rhythm games and claw machines. plus, claw machines are rigged, anyway.

i have some stuffed animals, yeah. just a few random ones that jordyn—or my old friends, who have completely fucking left me and don't give a shit about me anymore, well, it's not like they ever did, but it still hurts—gave me. my mom tries to give me some but i cut all their heads off. i actually feel a bit guilty about that. my favourite stuffed animal is this dumbass looking kangaroo that i've had since i was a kid. it's gross, but i haven't washed it in years. it has a nice, comforting smell—or maybe i've gone nose blind. but, yeah, it's extra cute because it has a baby kangaroo in its pouch.

okay. i'm guessing...you're the blog that keeps liking all my posts. the one obsessed with bugs. what's it called again? somethingwiththebugs. rocking? i don't know, but i bet that's you.

[pwblogarchive]

July 2005

July 4, 2005

your number one with a bullet:

i love the way you have with me.

i love william beckett. like a boy loves a boy.

i love this one girl. she makes me swoon.

i love your tired eyes trying to keep up with us on stage.

i love the way youre gonna make me an honest man.

and im kinda easy on the eyes sometimes, right?

i love being up at 9 am.

i love the night.

i love living forever.

i love summer.

i am loving this.

and you and everything.

you cant miss me, baby boy, we're doing big things.

thanks for always being the bestfriends and fans we could ever have.

- petey

July 4, 2005

----dearests

sorry i never get on the internet anymore. we're in fresno, california. warped tour has completely taken over our lives. everything we breathe and do is warped tour right now. we love seeing all of your little red faces singing with us. we're working on a new video right now. we'll probably shoot it later on this summer. we've also got some other exciting things coming up. theres nothing like seeing the same people over and over again over the years. you mean the world to us. keep up the votes over at TRL! we're thinking about you every second, so don't forget us. lets just live forever and ever. we've got some new plans coming for the end of this summer and fall.

hot and miserable but totally in love.

love you all

peter.joe.patrick.andy.

July 7, 2005

hey beauties.

hotness on warped tour.

checking in. just stealing an internet signal from our friends in My Chem. speaking of, we are really excited to have them on the TRL countdown with us! good music is taking over again. keep voting! the info is on the front page. if we keep it up there, we're pushning to do a free fans only show with mtv paying for the venue!! keep your fingers crossed. you guys have always been our ambassadors and made the world listen- number one with a bullet. we are going to be on the cover of Alternative press later this year. we did the photoshoot for it- kind of a creepy idea. but we're excited for you to see it. we have also been writing a treatment for a new video- i think it'll suprise some people. we don't get on here as much lately due to all the madness going on with Warped tour. but we still wanted to let you know how much your support means to our band, and it shows on a daily basis. so thank you. boo and yah. i dyed my hair black. now it doesn't look so shitty anymore. blah. i am tired but it's way too hot out to sleep. howl's moving castle is a great movie and made me feel alive. thanks for coming out to the shows...

i heart leslie simon. go listen to maximo park before you fall asleep. it will make you smile and miss someone/something you love.

"i sleep with my hands across my chest and dream of you with someone else..."

keep on living (forever).

xo peter

July 11, 2005

Soooo its been a dramafree summer so far which is amazing. Almost as good as swimming pools and sleepovers. I'm watching the notebook does that make me sucky? Circle y or n. I need to take a shower. Nobody likes a dirty boy. I really don't have anything good to say.... No good words or neat quotes. Oh well.

Can you vote us back to number 1 on trl? That was a pretty amazing moment for us and we'd love to have another shot at it. Again, its all up to you though the info is in the news on the front page.

I miss you dearly.

XO

July 12, 2005

i'm in canada. it can't take me. i am stealing all of it's candy and pretty colored money. hidden behind eyes painted up to block out the sun. no more talking about hair color and eye color - the who's who of future failures. throw it away. close your eyes and put the speaker next to your pillow. dream away. dream yourself to life. stop wasting your eyes trying to figure out who is the heart - the smile - the voice - the words. you can't pull them apart. its just a mess. how you understand us is so one dimensional. but changes are coming. you won't wrap your head around us so easily. "you're nobody until somebody loves you" at least that's half true. let's not make it through the night. come on. you look so wrong but you feel so right. "he tastes like you only sweeter he tastes like you only sweeter he tastes like you only sweeter he tastes like you only sweeter..." and so on until the end. sometimes i'm just a goddamned lunatic. but i only keep myself this sick in the head cause i know how you get off on these words.

baby, ive got it bad for you.

peter

ps i love seeing all the s.o. kids and overcast kids... it makes my heart race

pps just call me up and tell me everything is going to be okay. it came out of nowhere and i just want everyone to know our thoughts are with them.

www.clandestineindustries.com - get your body covered in our ideas... fall line s(w)oon

www.jeanae.com - get your hur cut

www.infectkids.com - get your website designed

- petey

July 13, 2005

Hey from vancouver. I just got a new belt buckle and made a hoody. Just heard we were number three on trl. It blows my mind that you have kept us on there this long. Haha. I totally brag to other bands about how much cooler our fans our. Yeah I know I'm lame. But you guys make me proud. Take us to number 1. Its in your hands and io definitely feel okay about that. I trust you.

Well I gotta go and talk about how shitty I thought the new fantastic four movie was.

Love can't save you. Only my new powers can.

Stay in touch and see you soon

Xo peter

July 15, 2005

Woah. I feel almost bad saying it cause we are putting it out, but trust me I had nothing to do with it: the new panic at the disco songs will change how your head feels. You guys are doing an amazing job. Me and ryan worked together on some lyrics for it and I have to say he put me to shame.

Also, I wanted to say rest in peace chuck. Our thoughts go out to your family. Please be respectful and keep conversations about this off of livejournals and messageboards. Thank you to mcr and ray toro for filling in for a show.

Jose canseco is a madman. So am I.

Though I am over hearing your thoughts on haircuts and pants. I'm over us trying to be perfect tens for your little eyes. We don't care what you think of us. Listen to a song and time your heartbeat. Let it be okay to fall asleep slow tonight. Think about a good friend. Think about god. Think about death. Think about someone elses hand clumsily on your belt in the dark. Think it will be okay.

No more rants

No more poetry

Not tonight.

True love for the believers. Thank you. Keep on l i/o ving

July 17, 2005

From the diary of a madman: I think possibly I have been letting things get to me too much lately. Or maybe I hadn't been enough before. Either way, I'm sorry. Maybe one day we can explain both of our perspectives and laugh out loud at how stupid we sounded when we worried about "girls pants and selling out". Sometimes its hard to look in the mirror and feel okay with the person looking back. I've been going through a lot, not like its an excuse but more like I feel you deserved to know.

In other news, I haven't gotten the new harry potter yet but as soon as I do well talk about how awesome you/it is.

July 19, 2005

“guysanddolls-”

i guess we are half way to retirement on TRL. how insane is that? it makes me kinda giggle a little bit. but in a good way. thanks for keeping us in there and up so high on it. it probably doesn't mean a whole lot to you and it doesn't get us invited to any cool parties but what it does is get our label excited- so we can get money to make a better video! we have a plan coming together for it. it's gonna be a bit R. Kelly (but none of the pedophilia), a bit star wars (but none of the jar jar binks), and a bit sixteen candles (but- oh wait- but nothing we love that thing). haha i probably just gave you the weirdest impression of our video. i had the best time on kimmel the other night. i wish they could air the whole show- i proposed to caprice- i think it made her gag hahahaha and joe did metal hands/wizard claw a bunch. it was just fun. the way our shows always used to be. we got some plans for the fall tour that are gonna make you swoon- especially our old friends. remember when i made you guys that mixed cd- instead of talking about whose gay and whose got what girlfriend- tell me the perfect mixed cd for me right now... mwah. im gonna update the buzznet in a bit with some new pics. r.i.p. that sunburst bass- im glad he had a chance to get his fifteen minutes before he died. hehe. it was kind of sad all warped. it wouldn't stay in tune cause of this huge crack in it. i have decided i hate playing on tv, i always come off wrong- if i smile too much it means i am obsessed with attention, if i don't smile enough it means i am having a bad day. i think i am going to make a shirt that says what mood i am in. mostly it will be shy/looking for a starbucks mood. or maybe when we have to play tv i think i will just hide behind a post and highfive korean tom cruise a bunch. i flew home to see my mom today, so sorry i missed talking to everyone in l.a. last night- she bought me new socks and cologne so i won't be the smelly kid in class anymore. i go on the internet too much. i don't know why the q and a on the site isn't working but it bothers me just as much as you. i have alot of answers just bubbling inside me- favorite color- hrm i dunno. do you have a gf- uh david from simple plan. does patrick have a gf- uh this one girl...

wow i need to sleep. keep voting. keep loving.

for the longer story: www.fueledbyramen.com/journal 

time to make my dogs circle pit.

peter

July 19, 2005

to the peanut gallery: just flew in on the red eye. it feels so amazing to be at home. Kimmy Jimmel (fix the spelling on that one hehe). was one of the best "tv" shows we've ever played. the crowd was amazing. contrary to popular belief my bass was smashed because it had an unfixable crack all the way through the neck- korean tom cruise looked at me before we played and said "this is it for this one" - so we figured we'd send it out with a bang. don't worry we had a funeral for it. i don't know the story about joe throwing his guitar, but i'm guessing it was a good one. i dunno the story about breaking the mic stand, it just looked like it was sitting there taunting me. besides i kinda wanted korean tom cruise to get a bit of screen time. i was in the worst mood all day/week, so low and playing that show just definitely brightened my day. seeing all of those happy faces... i'm definitely gonna write more later. i just wanted to thank all of the kids who came out or glued their sleepy little eyes to the screen late at night- i am sorry i didn't get to say hey and all, i had to go to the airport right when we finished.

xxoo

dont believe everything you read on the internet.

most of all what we write on it. haha.

peter

July 19, 2005

wrote you a goodbye note (you just wrote me off) on your arm when you passed out. bestfriends, exfriends- better off as lovers not the other way around. racing through the city in the back of yellow checkered cars. the takeoffs are the worst but the skin from your shoulder to your ear makes it all worth it. and im sorry the way my moods flicker on and off like old light on your porch, but i know you wouldn't have it any other way. sneaking in your window instead of out. the way you hold a cigarette cause you don't know what to do with your hands when we are sitting this close. the way the waists of pants feel better at the ankles. the way you always were my best excuse for calling in sick on everyone else. i miss you.

- petey

July 19, 2005

first to all the kids at kimmel! thank you so much. i know alot of kids travelled far away and got there really early. it suprised me how many people i recognized. you didn't go unnnoticed! alot of people emailed about smashing the bass and what kind of mood i was in. i wish they had shown the whole show. that show made me light up. i felt alive. i don't know why i break stuff, its cause im little and strange. i throw mic stands and spit water and lick joes guitar. and being able jump on stuff and touch your sweaty little arms, honestly it gives me chills as dumb as it sounds. its all how the chords and words feel when they come out. 

"you want a war, you've got a war but what are you fighting for?"

hey. here i am 35,000 feet off of the ground writing to you. i will upload this when i land i guess. i'm not even too sure what i am writing for. not breaking new ground or breaking down. just maybe i need to take a break from getting on here so much cause i tend to run my mouth/heart without thinking too much about it. sometimes i need (alright alright) slow down. anyway. all of the growth and changes get to me too. i guess everyone says you get what you wished for. but this was never a genie in a lamp for me. it's always just been me and my bestfriends. and sometimes it feels weird inside like being pulled apart. and maybe people like my smile and patricks voice and joe's spins and how nice andy is or they hate how short i am and i can't think of any of the stuff anyone hates about the other boys but i've heard it- and it just feels weird, cause we never did this thing so it would become what it has. we always just wanted to sit in between the speakers in your bedroom and spin you to sleep. and these kids are my bestfriends. we talk about sometimes just disappearing off of the face of the planet and just doing something else. and everyone kind of laughs but just for a minute it sounds like the best idea. we are so happy and in love with everyone who has stuck it out with us. and i'm SOrry if i seem distant at times, my head is just filled with ideas, good and bad- its funny when you keep letting the same person get to you over and over and over and over- i'll try and be better. after having my livejournal hacked, i kind of decided maybe i need to take a break from just sitting on the internet and trying to decipher every little thing out there and at the same time drop coded messages everywhere. anyway, more than anything. i just wanted to thank you for helping me bloom and become a better person, or at least want to become a person that you could actually look up to. its time to be the dreamer instead of the dream///

talk to you soon.

i am going to go read the entire new harry potter book right this second.

peter

July 21, 2005

If you like My Chemical Romance, Saves The Day, Midtown, New Found Glory, Taking Back Sunday, BrandNew or Fall Out Boy....and you want to see where it all came from. Find your way to www.hellfest.com and go see the band that started it all: Lifetime

Oh yeah. Then vote for us on TRL. We want to be your number one again.

P

July 21, 2005

you/we are safe and (se)cure. no more stealing glances like a thief.. taking chances without giving them back. and maybe i take advantage of that by staring too long. but if you wanted the stars i wouldn’t rest until i was able to pull every one down and name one after each twinkle in your eyes.. and hope you don’t frown when we run out of stars. i just love that spark of light i get to see when all the other lights are out. you have the best smile even better than mine. this is for your memories section, this is for forever. we’re kissing out dreams goodbye cause who needs dreams when we have this. we’re risking everything and nothing could be more worth it. 

i guess my point is, you make me wanna fall in love and get stuck - haha

July 21, 2005

lately i’ve been into believing fictional stories like the ones about me and you being happy. they’ve gotta be science fiction because how else can you have a monster fall in love with a boy with no heart? actually i’m pretty sure you have a heart, but i’m just as certain it’ll never be mine. i can tell you’re willing to be loved somewhere on the inside but that doesn’t do me any good when i’m still seeing things through thick curtains over windows and padlocked doors on the outside. bitter regrets, predictable forfeits. we lit a fire that was nothing but smoke and hot air. ashes. my hands are empty and you hold all the cards, kind of funny how you don’t even want them/me. the final nail in my coffin stabbed me in the heart - from my back. you once made my heart skip a beat, now you make it want to skip this. you’ve got salty mails ripping my wounds open that you’re telling me to let heal. Love is a mirage, you only think it’s there for so long..til you either wise up or die of hydration. love is the way to blow your brains out minus the gun, i swear. it’s the stupidest form of suicide cause you don’t die. and whatever doesn’t kill you only laughs at you for coming close enough to. sorry, it’s just the bitterness talking. ignore it/me. i’m just loose words hanging on the ends of your lips, even looser when i’m anywhere near your hips. poetry written from blistered fingertips and sleep deprived eyes that was better before the ink dried. He said, "I should have stayed with her,” and I should have stayed away. held together by paperclips and lies, a part of me is still trying to pretend i was (mis)hearing things but even the voices in my head aren’t that mean to me. and them “i’m sorry,” too late, i’m a better (re)actor than the one you’re being to convince me. i’m just convinced that telemarketers are the only people with more hang ups than me. you called this before you knew the number, and hung up before you got a response. tell me any of this will get me somewhere worth being without being left behind. i tried, i gave it/you my all, but all i can do is give up. i don’t tell you my insecurities so you can use them against me, but help me get over them. instead you said and did the worst thing you could do. worse than cheating to me, i hope you know. but whatever i don’t even know, i guess sometimes it takes losing what you had to see what you didn’t.

June 23, 2005

From the bottom of our blackened hearts. Thank you for making us number one on trl. Its hotter than hell in dallas right now and we want to go to a waterpark. Koreantom cruise isn’t helping it go down though.

We always knew how you felt. Now the world knows.

Honestly. Beaming from cheek to cheek.

July 24, 2005

Sometimes when you’re feeling this blue the right smile can save you.

July 26, 2005

We spend way too much time talking about this one band f.o.b. (Both in a good way and a bad way). So let's focus some time on bands that are really underappreciated:

Panic! At the Disco- I just heard the new record mixes. I must say. I want to live inside their songs. I think I could be happy.

Lifetime- I wouldn't have made it through highschool without this band.

The Plain White T's- people don't get it yet, but I think they will.

Gym Class Heroes- people don't get this one yet either. And that's sad cause I think years later they will be considered a groundbreaking band.

Quicksand- I don't even know what to say. Go buy "Slip".

July 30, 2005

“baby boy don't be blue. we've got big plans for you.”

ive been up for three days straight trying to get you off of my mind. but your stuck like super glue. what a mess. i can't say i mind it. i am in love with the show 24. it's obsession. summertime is running. sprinting. it kinda makes me feel sick to my stomach. come back. punched a wall so i couldn't type anymore. gotta make it stop. all these paragraphs have become rainchecks. promises on things that will never change. and oh god. the cameras flash at us in the dark. i miss the days of sweat dripping under the radar, just off of the grid. the grogshop. the fireside bowl. chainraction. the greendoor. the downtown. the arlington heights knights of columbus. the continental. the crystal ball never looks this clear looking into the past. im becoming vaguely disinterested in myself and all of my excuses and complaints. and you're pretty easy on the eyes- i never know how to end my conversations with you. i need a writer. i need a script. im getting desperate.

"we're just a wetdream for the webzines. make us hip, make us hip. make us scene"

July 30, 2005

Thanks for keeping us on trl! We have some cool ideas coming up and also a bit of news for our friends in u.k.... As soon as we have more details well let you know, as we hate to miss shows under any circumstances.

And j, happy birthday.

07/30/05 Q&A

question

so pete, since you wrote the lyrics for saturday, was it originally patrick and i attacked the laws of astoria? can you take off your pants with your tongue?

answer

yes. and we had to change it to make sense.

question

Patrick has the SEXIEST voice! Are you jealous?

answer

nah hes my best buddy. we dont get jealous of eachother.

question

HEYYY!! old Joely Moely has been saying some nice stuff bout you Petey Wenztyy!! hehe!! im glad you guys n GC know each other!! my 2 fav bands!!!! yeaaa!!! oh and me n my yahoo buddy wanna know if we can touch you?? lol MADD LUV GRACIE

answer

me and joel hung out a bunch the other day. he’s definitely a good guy.

question

In The Song Atavan Halen Does Brendon From Panic At The Disco Sing In It And If So Which Parts? YOU GUYS ROCK

answer

yes the prechorus “keep telling myself…”

question

haha i just read a fan fic about you and frankie from mcr going out.

answer

man, you wish that was fiction.

question

hey pete you meanie, a group of us from the message boards (the messageboard bitches as we like to call ourselves) were upset that you NEVER answered any of our questions, so we got together and asked you around 400 questions. they were good questions too, funny and random because we thought they could get your attention and make you laugh and hopefully just maybe youd answer at least one. but no, we were let down. and yet you answer such things as “patrick and andy are so sexy!” why is this pete? just why? its so disappointing.

answer

look all you needed to do was ask 400 questions to get one answered. ps. i love you even if you hate me.

question

I read a lot of band journals and you are mentioned in almost all of them. How/why are you so popular?

answer

i pay good money for all my friends.

question

Im so flaming pissed at you guys right now. “we only do it for the scars & stories, not the fame” what the fuck happened to that?! seems you sure are doing it for the fame, ditching your whole European tour for a stupid VMA. that is fucking ridiculous and i hope you all feel fucking shitty, but im sure you wont feel as shitty as the fans you made a commitment to who were so excited to see you and spent TONS of money on you. I hope MCR beats you for that VMA, they dont screw their fans over. ill never buy another piece of fall out boy merch or pay the money that i was going to pay to go on your overcastkids trip to texas, because you guys probably wont show up to that either. fuck you.

answer

i’m sorry you are angry. we feel terrible that we have let you and a bunch of our other fans over there angry. we miss you. we are going to make this up to you. hopefully, we’ll get another chance with you— its not about selling our merch or tickets- its a chance for a connection. i apologize. this was beyond our control.

question

do you think you are hot? do you think anyone is hot?

answer

i dont think i am hot. i definitely think alot of people are hot. smart ones, funny ones, pretty ones.

[4trackcassette]

If someone wanted to get into Springsteen but didn't really know where to start, what would you recommend?

omg very honored you came to me haha. it really depends on what you're into/what you're looking for!!!!!!! i actually have made an intro Bruce playlist for one of my friends so if ur interested in that here it is (it's a few years old so doesn't have anything super recent but like. Still good)!! but i can't help giving some commentary so I'll split this into a couple of sections for ya

Hits!

"dancing in the dark" - it's Bruce's biggest hit for a reason! great lyrics, danceable, and overall a great rock song. born in the USA is just a massive album overall and this is one of the cuts that propels it.

"born to run" - this is a super fun song to drive to. also to run to. i think it captures some of those key Bruce-y elements - the driving current, piano and sax, the urgency in his voice, the desire to get out. From born to run which was his breakout album, it really encapsulates a lot of what people love about him.

"I'm on fire" - off born in the USA, this is a song that screams DESIRE to me. There's lovely space to this song. I love the music video as well. this live version also kills me. I could probably quote the speech he gives at the beginning from how many times I've listened. It's haunting.

"tougher than the rest" - this is one of my fav Bruce love songs. tunnel of love is a little more of a mature album, and this song is just representative of his growing sound, as well as a wonderful, spacey, love song. it also has a lovely music video... i have so many thoughts always

"do I love you (indeed I do)" - Okay Bruce didn't make this one a hit (its a motown song by frank Wilson) but it's a banger off his most recent cover album and it's just full of joy! i really love the sound and he really uses his older voice well and you can tell he's having fun!

Full Albums

imo he basically doesn't miss with a full album 1975-87. It's spottier from then on out, depending on your preferences, but all his live stuff is pretty stellar.

born in the usa (1984) - this is the CLASSIC bruce album (and his most popular). definitely a great album to drive to. accessible and pop! it's not my personal favorite but it's a great album and a great place to start. Nebraska (1982) was largely written at the same time and is like a lot sparser but also stellar songwriting. I wouldn't recommend listening to it first. "Atlantic city" is a great cut, and "Nebraska" is one of my fav songs (esp this live version)

darkness on the edge of town (1978) - this is probably my most listened to full album. it's a perfect balance of Bruce maturing as an artist but also bringing just great energy to his work. i really like "badlands" "candy's room" and the title track.

1979 no nukes concert (2021) - are we talking Bruce if we're not talking live music? This is a great encapsulation of his live sound and energy, including some real staples like "Jungleland." It's also a neat hour and a half so more accessible than some of his other live releases. My favorites are "badlands" "the river" and "stay (ft Jackson Browne)"

Covers!

Lucy Dacus's "Dancing in the Dark" - LOVELY voice. An interesting take on the song that doesn't lose the energy!

Patti Smith's "Because the Night" - she owns this. It's her song now. Her voice is just great in it, and what a great rock song!

Pet Shop Boy's "The Last to Die" - this one is a little funny bc PSB are a synthpop band. But I really like their cover. It's a really neat electronic rework!

Johnny Cash's "Johnny 99" - this is a country cover and its really lovely. A very nice reinterpretation, and Cash's voice is just remarkable.

[goblin-enjoyer]

Ok now that both polls are done time to compare results and see if i can gleam anything from this.

(spoiler alert: the second one only got slightly over half of the votes as the first one so this aint going to be useful or that interesting either way.

First poll was about what was you gits favorite troll blood type.

Ranking at the bottom of the barrel with no votes are Blue and Indigo. Trolls from the franchise with these blood colors tend to be controversial or just uncomfortable characters in general. while still having their fans, this poll did not reach them and thus 0% all for the "bluebloods".

Up next with only a bit more votes, are bronze,gold,olive,jade,violet and fuchsia all with just 5.9% of the votes. while not that high in the polls individually, its nice to know that even from this smaller sample size, almost every color has its fans. heck, i bet blue and indigo would have added on to the even all rounders here if there was more people voting. hard to tell anything from this, but still somewhat neat to see.

Last tied castes are purple and karkats candy red, or muties as i have called them. what can i say, do enough ork impressions and play them enough and (other than invade any setting while you're making neat little adventures in your head while daydreaming) you start to affectionately call things with orky terms. like i call octolings and inklings from splatoon beakies but that's starting to get off-topic. with 11.8% of the votes, i suspect the reason these got this far is because the characters associated with those blood colors are popular fan favorites, with karkat being a "sudo-main character" as ill call him for now and gamzee being an important and prime example of a fun trope where the comic relief turns into an actual threat, that and the purple bloods being generally some of the more beloved characters to come out of hiveswap/friendsim, it's no wonder they ranked as they did, however the next one may be my fault here.

With 17.6% of the vote are the teal bloods. terezi is another fan favorite character with plot relevance and the teal bloods from hiveswap/friendsim are up there with the purples for top characters people got out of those games. why did teals rank higher than purples then if they are liked for pretty much all the same reasons? well you see i kinda hit the limit for poll options (honestly kinda lucky there, got to fit all the blood types in there. [well except lime but that doesn't count because it has no trolls in it]) so I disgraced the post by omitting the mandatory other option. a grave sin, I know. so i voted on this poll myself. this was recently after finishing homestuck but before doing the extended zodiac quiz or playing friendsim, so my favorite character at the time was Terezi Pyrope. So I voted teal and that one vote pushed the teals ahead of the curb like a raid team that found an exploit. didn't mean to sway the vote as i did, as i expected there to be a bit more votes but in midnight post all polls being done hindsight I probably should have gone the tf2 route and put the characters names in the tags, but I think I got enough votes and interaction with this one.

and finally with a whopper 23.5% of the votes, surprising me greatly it's the rust bloods! I honestly have no clue on how they got ahead here. from what i remember the rust bloods from both homestuck proper and friendsim/hiveswap didn't do much and weren't all too relevant. but i guess i was mistaken and underestimated the power of underrepresented blorbos and the working class. i honestly do not know what to say at this point, even after trawling around poking at the general fanspaces I still don't see much talk around these characters and this caste. still they managed to get roughly 4 or so votes without the poll maker throwing in er hat into the ring so good on them!

Onto the second poll which probably got a lot less traction due to the fact that it was based on the extended zodiac quiz.

Yeah maybe i should redo the polls with the characters actually tagged huh? redo at 100 likes? hekekekekek

with 0% of the few votes i got here are rust, bronze,teal,blue,purple and fuchsia. don't know how the extended zodiac works so i don't really have anything to say other than man do I wish this poll got more votes.

with 11.1% of the votes each are gold,lime(idk why but the wiki says its an available option so i went with it),jade and violet. an even amount distributed amongst the crowd, maybe people's favorite blood caste is the same as the ones they have maybe it's not. like i said it's hard to tell with the small sample size i got i hand here.

next is olive with 22.2% of votes and i'm just going to get threw this quickly because reading makes me tired, its 1:51 am and i slept horribly last night. I got olive blood on the test, no other option. bada bing bada boom. onto an actually surprising thing next.

Indigo unlike last poll is the opposite of 0% with a solid 33.3% winning the poll thing. very surprising, tells me that either the people who did the first one didn't do the second or that peoples zodiac blood type are the opposites of the ones they actually like. i don't know but it's interesting to say the least.

well while confusing to say the least, this set of polls was pretty fun and interesting to dissect. I hope you all can get as much fun as I did with these bad boyes. while I didn't get as much as a sample size as i wanted to get, the results did show me some wee stuff about the homestuck fandom, at least on tumblr. maybe i'll do another set of these in the future but more to the point and including all the troll names (zog that sounds horrid but oddly satisfying to type) but either way feel free to discuss this stuff in the comments or tags or whatever, idk im not a mathy goober. Im Goblin Enjoyer and I remember it so you don't have to, good night everybody.

[crimson-catalyst]

3 11 19 24 40 47

(context)

okay so even though this is nine years old abandoned in my drafts i can still reply to this right? right??

i believe this is intended to be run with a single oc but im gonna jump around for kicks!!!

3: What’s your OCs favorite food?

i never think that much about this if im being honest. Dante strikes me as someone who always has some kind of snack or candy on him though!! big on lollipops specifically, and he likes more exotic or obnoxious fruit flavors like lemonade or pineapple

11: What is your OCs spirit animal What animal embodies your oc?

i like to think of Coyote and Teagan as a coyote and a badger 💖 the two species are known to hunt together in the wild, likely because their individual skills span two very different fields and are very compatible for winning their food.

anyways Coyote is very much a speedy luck-of-the-draw scavenger with the willpower to chase things down when he sets his mind to it and Teagan is a no-nonsense bruiser with the dogged tenacity to match that make a perfect pair and cover all their bases and i just think its neat

19: Does your OC prefer plaid or polka dots?

this is so specific LMAO. i cannot honestly think of any of my ocs that even interact with polkadots so in general the answer is plaid. i…. cant think of anyone recent who wears it. ad astra’s scarf is very nearly plaid lmao does that count

overall though they’d generally like plaid better its just more versatile

24: What does your OC smell like?

well Darius smells like campfire! it’s not entirely unpleasant but it can get a little tiring to smell strongly like woodsmoke constantly. since he hides his curse im sure people think he has weird taste in cologne

40: What is the craziest thing your OC has done?

every last one of them has done something stupid lmfao

sonata’s idiot moment is pretty bad; he decided sewing a blisteringly powerful magic crystal to his chest was a good idea! it worked, at least. he is however also purple, full of staples, and has permanent mummy wrappings.

47: Does your OC tolerate violence?

yes

real answer though several of them are fighters by trade. Regan even does it illegally for a lot of money!

wheeeeee nothin like finding old asks haha

[understandableparadox]

Cherub camping diaries part 2: Side A-kratanor

Once again the camera turns on, showing the green alien holding a scuffed scrap iron axe, slightly sharpened to be a bit more effective. she hefts it to test its weight.

"Well! it seems like my brother has done... part of the work, im not sure you have the concept of "siblings" i think its more of human concept, but I found an excellent way to deal with their apathy towards situation is just make the task monumental, then they will either do the monumental task or do a small part of it!"

she takes the camera with her and sets it up in the nook of a tree, showing a few marked with a red X.

"todays going to be a start up on getting some kinda shelter set up. now. any cherub can live anywhere, they just need some form of sugar, some form of meat and a bed."

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. the axe swings in very long arcs. it becomes apparent quickly that she is relying more on brute strength to hack deeper and deeper into the tree instead of any true technique. honestly though it seems the brutality is getting a lot of work done.

"a bed is a little fancy but its very important to cherubs! i think... a bed seems important, I don't know how to explain it but its good to have a point you know your going to start at each day, right?"

She attempts to muse as she works. she seems dis-satisfied with the fact that her axe takes more and more work to remove from the meat of the tree every time. she takes out a phone and takes a break, imbibing on mountain dew and a slightly chalky looking choclate bar.

"OH! ok, ok ok, that's what it is! i see! noted! fun fact, your supposed to cut a wedge into into the tree, up and down in an alternating pattern! interesting! trees are weird ."

she returns to her work, she seems slightly frustrated that the work is now going a bit slower but she does notice that its now listing towards the cut.

"After... all... this...whew, this is... a lot of effort, oh dear... and I still have to do digging... uh, ok! so ill just... take break and explain."

she takes the camera from the tree and sits down.

"if... if I have to be honest, im not entirely sure what I'm doing... we...knew we could leave, and we took the gut reaction to leave! though i think... its fine that we don't know what were doing. im not as safe, but its a better place. I know... some people here.

they take a long sip from their drink. then start nervously tearing the can into neat shreds and rolling them up.

"they don't know me but that's also fine! I just need to get my disguise intact and then we can know lots of people! futures looking great, im not sad or scared and everything is dandy!"

she jumps up, grabs the trunk of the tree and forces it down early. looking a bit satisfied before a small white fruit drops and hits her head...

"OW! DARN IT! ugh... OH WAIT! FRUIT! THATS THE THING ON THE WRAPPER!"

she drops the camera and starts scrambling to pick up the selection of apple like fruit off the ground, stuffing them into a strife card as thrown-producekind.

"HAHA! see~! futures great, just need to figure out what these are and we can make some candy on our own! whew... welp, its just going to be a bunch of busy work from here on out, stripping the branch's and getting a shelter ready. so im gonna end it here..."

she stares at one of the fruits... tentivly sniffs it, then takes a bite, she tries to chew on it before retching off screen...

"hugh...ughg...not... not candy. ok... noted, im feeling a little oh... sick now so ill talk later!

[j4gm]

OK SO UH

https://www.ign.com/articles/adventure-time-obsidian-release-date-trailer

ADVENTURE TIME: DISTANT LANDS OBSIDIAN TRAILER IS HERE!!! GO WATCH IT!!! OBSIDIAN WILL RELEASE ON THURSDAY THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER. THAT’S ONLY TEN DAYS AWAY.

Anyway, here’s my trailer breakdown. This is kind of just an emotional outpouring of everything that stuck out to me so sorry if it’s a little rambly.

Right off the bat I’m curious to know what’s going on with Princess Bubblegum. We saw at the end of the finale she was hanging out in Marceline’s house, and similarly this trailer depicts her having domestic moments with Marceline. So is she still ruling the Candy Kingdom? Has that responsibility perhaps passed on to somebody else? Or am I reading too much into some establishing shots designed to tell the viewer that this is set post-finale? Who knows.

The song in the background is, of course, “Monster”, the song sung at SDCC by Olivia Olson. We’ve already heard the full song, but it’s nice to hear a cleaned up studio version. I wonder when in the episode it will actually be sung, and whether or not it will be diegetic.

It looks like we’re going to be getting plenty of new Marceline and Bubblegum outfits over the course of the special. Even the establishing shots of Marceline’s house featured three different ones, which makes me think these shots will actually appear as a montage in the episode itself. It wouldn’t make much sense for them to change clothes over the course of the same scene otherwise.

Okay, as much as I want to, I’m not gonna fill this post with every Bubbline shot because I’m sure there are plenty of people doing that already.

THEN THERE’S THIS FUCKING SHOT:

The little girl on the right is almost certainly Marceline, but who is the person on the left? Simon, Marceline’s mom, and Hunson all come to mind but don’t really match the mysterious figure. It could be some kind of weird hybrid flashback scene where young Marcy is leading adult Bubblegum through her past. Whatever the case, this is clearly shortly after the war, and I am standing by my theory that the Glass Kingdom could be located in the Earth’s crater.

I don’t have a lot to say about the Glass Kingdom and its inhabitants. These are new characters and locations and it remains to be seen exactly how they will tie into Marceline and Bubblegum’s story. The animation and background design is looking exceedingly good, though. Again, this landscape doesn’t really match any of the deserts we’ve seen in Ooo so far, which makes me think this is somewhere else on Earth.

A fun Easter Egg: This shirt Marcy is wearing is the shirt given to her by Hunson in the episode “Marcy & Hunson”:

It’s interesting to see that what a lot of people assumed were spacesuits is actually motorcycle gear. I actually checked if Marceline’s motorbike is the same one she rides in the Thunder Road graphic novel, which would have been a neat tie-in, but unfortunately it’s not. Also I love that Glassboy has been duct taped to the back and covered in bubblewrap.

Oop there’s the storyboard we’ve seen. Seems like Marceline has been summoned by Glassboy to come and defend the kingdom against this mysterious dragon and its dark minions, which is pretty much what we already knew from the bits and pieces of plot information that have already been revealed.

It’s cool to see Bubblegum putting her elemental powers to use. She didn’t get much opportunity to show them off before the show ended. So far, most of the spotlight has been on Marceline, so I’m also interested to see what role Bubblegum plays in this story, and how her character will develop.

Also THE MORROW IS BACK! Bubblegum’s trusty mount was last seen helping her perform recon over Gumbaldia before the finale, but it looks like they’re getting back into the hero business this time.

We already know from the screenshot Muto posted that there is going to be a visit to a human gas station, but this looks more like some kind of bomb shelter. This is certainly one of the darker shots I’ve ever seen from Adventure Time. It looks like we’re going to be getting a lot more Mushroom War lore. Marceline’s dejected stance here makes me think this place has some personal meaning to her. If that skeleton turns out to be her mum or something I will never stop crying.

That’s all I’ve got for now. There’s probably some stuff I haven’t noticed. I haven’t looked at anyone else’s reactions or thoughts yet, I went in totally blind.

There isn’t long to wait until the special now! I was certainly not expecting a November release. Expect an Easter egg/lore breakdown from me when it drops!

Farewell for now!

[borrovved]

warned you p.sh

pairing: tutor!sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: smut, but at most suggestive for now

wc: 3k

warnings: mature content, cursing, mentions of erection, mentions of casual sex, y/n saying she’s screwing someone’s dad but she doesn’t lmfao

synopsis: y/n needs to pass calculus, and sunghoon needs to get laid

part 1/???

You were going to your snobby and strict private school, just walking to the beat of Sunmi blasting in your headphones. The pigtails got in the way of the headphones but you made it work. You were aiming for the cutesy innocent look today, regardless of if your whole grade thought you were some harlot. You’d rather call yourself a femme fatale, but what you’re really trying to reclaim as a raging bratty feminist is a bimbo.

Bimbos definitely need to keep their head up high with confidence, but seeing the latest AP calculus quiz on your desk with its 37% marked in red severely irked you in that it made you feel dumb, and not the good kind, the very small and insignificant kind. Bimbos don’t like feeling like that. You twirled your pigtail in your hand and tried to keep a neutral expression, holding in the heavy sigh you so badly need to exhale out. That’s when you heard it.

“How did she manage to score that low?” someone snickered.

“All that time spent on her back and not at a desk really paid off.” another person snickered. You really wanted to say you’ve actually got railed by their dad on his desk and that you’re quite adaptable on where you do it, but you didn’t wake up and choose violence today...and plus the teacher would’ve sent you to the office. Giving them attention would just fuel the fire that you can’t put out when you’re up against slut shaming vermin when you’re only a team of one. The bell rang, signaling your next class and before you were able to stand up and go, you were asked to stay for a few minutes afterwards along with someone else. That someone else being Park Sunghoon. You and Sunghoon walked to the desk of your teacher and stood before her.

“Now Y/N, I know that you haven’t been doing well in class so I decided to pair you up with Sunghoon as your tutor. I feel as though you would have great improvement after a few study sessions, considering big chapters are coming up to wrap up the semester, and now is the best time more than ever to get some aid that I can’t provide.” You peek over to Sunghoon and he glances at you briefly before looking back at the teacher.

“Is this mandatory?” you ask.

“If you want to pass this class, I strongly recommend that you let him help you. An alternative explanation could help.” You really had no other choice but to nod your head yes and go along with it.

“Good. Now that both of you are informed, hurry along before you’re late to your next class.” After both of you scurry out of the room, you walk ahead to your next class and feel a tap on your shoulder.

“Hi, I’m Sunghoon, but you already knew that.” he says awkwardly while he hands you a post it note in neat handwriting. You eye it, then look up.

“You’re giving me your number?” you ask. He nods.

“Texting is the most efficient way to communicate with me since I have ice skating practice and student council related things to do.” he iterates. Before you even say a word, Sunghoon is already off to his next class, but you don’t miss the way he turns around to wave at you and yells “Text me!” in the hallway. You’ve gotten many stares before, from the way you carry yourself and from the way you purposely pull your uniform skirt higher because you think it would look best as a mini skirt, but this time, you heard whispers.

“Why is he talking to her?”

“Must be doing charity work.”

You smile. You can’t wait to tell your best friend Sunoo what just happened at lunch.

-

“The ice prince is doing what now?” Sunoo says with fruit gummies in his mouth.

“He’s helping me with calculus. And gave me his number.” you say while grabbing for a piece of candy to which Sunoo lets you grab a few.

“So…what’s the plan here?” Sunoo says with an eyebrow raised.

“I’ll text him right now and have some fun.”

“You whore! What do you mean have some fun?” Sunoo asked not subtly with his booming voice.

You roll your eyes. “You know the drill. I think he’s an easy target. I’ll be my cute charming self and see what happens.”

“You mean you’ll be a man eater and devour that poor innocent boy whole?” 

“You know me so well.” you say, grinning ear to ear. You whip out your phone and compose a text.

You: Hey Sunghoon, it’s Y/N, are you free after school today?

Unknown: Hey, and yes. Where would you like to study?

You: I’m more comfortable at my house where there’s less distractions. The library is too quiet for me and I like some white noise.

Sunoo peeks over your shoulder and says, “He responds fast.”

You smile, “Right?”

You start typing right away, but notice the three dots before you get to send anything.

Unknown: Sounds good, I’ll meet you after school :)

Sunoo gasps. “A smiley? A smiley!” You giggle at his reaction.

“It’s just an emoticon silly.” you say.

“It’s going to be water droplets and eggplants soon though.” Sunoo said in a sing song voice. You can’t help but laugh at your easily giddy best friend. You had big, big plans to get your prey, and you were going to have your fun in the process of passing calculus while you’re at it.

-

English literature wasn’t the most fun class in the world with talking about MacBeth and all, however, the fun part was daydreaming about Sunghoon. You have fancied the boy for the longest time casually but thought he was a little too vanilla for you. And you don’t like admitting it, a little too good for you with being a smart hardworking boy with his head on steady shoulders while yours just bobbled to whatever. Anyhow, you needed danger. A little spice, and everything delectably nice. He didn’t seem the type to be rough enough.

He was however tall, lean, and achingly adorable. Handsomely crafted, so soft spoken, and knew when to shut up unlike every boy you’ve slept with thus far. He’s a nice target. 

The bell rang, and you were quite surprised to see Sunghoon standing by your locker while you’re on your way there.

“Sunghoon!” you say cheerfully, making sure there was a bounce in your step, very glad you’re not wearing a bra today. For some reason the air conditioning wasn’t working today at school so you used this as an excuse to unbutton a few buttons earlier on your white crisp button up. You can see very clearly Sunghoon gulp and you can’t help but do your eye smile at this, and he does a soft grin in return.

“How did you figure out where my locker was?” you say as you tilt your head. Sunghoon couldn’t help but think the simple gesture of a head tilt was so charming. 

He shrugs. “I was going to text you but I knew you would be in class, so I looked at some documents to find out which locker it was. You know, student council perks.” 

“Ah.”

“Please don’t find it creepy.”

“I won’t, you dork.” You bend over to reach your locker since it was on the bottom row. Sunghoon stepped aside to let you open your locker, and his breath hitches in his throat. Seeing the back of your thighs in a skirt that was hiked up higher than it was supposed to was bewitching. He felt like he was in a trance and lingered his eyes on your legs for quite a while. Your skirt was just at the edge of the curvature of your ass, leaving some to the imagination but not much. You knew exactly what you were doing. You had many cheap tricks up your sleeve, and you were going to use them to your advantage. You could practically feel his gaze on you and you can’t help but smirk as you grab your calculus textbook along with your pencil bag, still bent over taking your time putting the items in your backpack. Sunghoon knows he has to stop staring or otherwise this won’t look good for him.

“Ready to go?” you say with a smile. It takes a moment for him to process what just happened and he’s all the while wondering how did your legs not hurt when you didn’t crouch to the ground all the way.

“Of course.”

-

The walk to your home was pleasant, you looked down at your shoes often and Sunghoon mapped out what sections you two were to go over in the textbook, including the homework that was assigned today. You asked him how his classes went and he responded after pausing to mull over his thoughts.

“It’s okay. Nothing exciting happened other than right now.” he says, looking at you while giving you his undivided attention. You can’t help but admire the beauty that is Sunghoon. His soft looking hair that frames his face nicely and the way he has his hands shoved into the pockets of his uniform slacks make him look so boyishly handsome and breathtaking.

It takes a moment for you to respond. “What about right now is so exciting?”

He gently smiles and looks away from you. “I don’t tutor people often. Every once in a while I get asked to help students about a few things but never really spend enough time with them to consider it tutoring. And the change of pace on how I manage my time is much needed. I don’t interact with different people often, so this is...nice.”

Your heart races as the clouds take over the blue sky slowly. You notice just how pretty the cute moles on his face are as your gaze lingers on them for a bit. He does that stupid charming smile that makes you giddy and you blush, picking up the pace. You start turning while walking backwards just to give him your undivided attention.

“We should walk faster, Sunghoon. It might start drizzling.”

-

Both of you entered your home and took your shoes off at the front door. Sunghoon took a quick glance at your home, to which he said “this is a cozy house.” You tell him your bedroom is the coziest spot in the house, and let him trail behind you as you go up the stairs, and he doesn’t miss the way your pretty and dainty hand smooths over the railing as you walk up. Entering your room, he noticed the pink canopy bed right away, and the pink heart shaped pillow on it. There were so many details in just one spot, with the floral comforter and lights attached to the tulle. It was pretty and graceful. Light and airy. Soft.

“You can sit on the bed. Let me get changed out of this uniform, it’s so hot in this blazer.” you say as you start to strip in front of your closet, looking away from Sunghoon. Now, Sunghoon doesn’t see himself as a pervert, so therefore, when he noticed you unbuttoning your white button up and could only see the smoothness of your back and notice there was no bra in sight, his cheeks flushed. He quickly turned the other cheek and looked anywhere else but you. Unfortunately, perhaps fortunately, you had a full length mirror with fake pink roses running along its sides across your room. Sunghoon tried really, really hard to look at the curve of the pink petals and not at the curve of your breasts when you turned to the side slightly, but he failed so horribly. He could see himself and his cheeks were beet red. The bulge in his pants was so noticeable too. He quickly placed his backpack on his lap and winced at how heavy it was against him. Why did that kinda feel good?

You turn around wearing your school uniform skirt still but this time with a bright red crop top and of course, no bra. Sunghoon is dying and he can’t help but stare at how prominent your nipples are through the thin material. You take the pigtails down and he loves the way your hair cascades down your shoulders once it’s out of its confines of a scrunchie. He blinks once, twice, many times. Maybe if he sees only the back of his eyelids long enough he will stop picturing you naked. It doesn’t work, and you just stand with your hands on your hips and a lilt to your voice.

“Are you thirsty?” you say sweetly, knowing your tricks are working.

“Uh, y-yeah. Do you have water? Can I have water please?” Sunghoon is so precious.

“Of course you can.”

-

You really are a chintzy whore at best. Your excuse for not sitting at the desk of your room to study was that there was only one comfy study chair, and that you didn’t feel like bringing the dining room chair upstairs. That’s understandable, right? You could’ve however used the chair at your vanity, but that’s just a padded stool with no back to it. Wouldn’t want you or Sunghoon to forget and lean back too far and fall to your doom. So you told Sunghoon that you would rather study in your bed.

You played a little playlist in the background, something mellow and soft and not too distracting. Every once in a while Sunghoon will ask what song it is, and you respond with a chipper in your voice.

“Oh, this one is Sex and Sadness by Madi Sipes and the Painted Blue!”

“That’s one hell of a title.” he chuckles.

“It sure is. The lyrics are so...pretty? I can’t put it into words. The part where it talks about ‘stained glass loved lace’ gets me every time. And ‘whispering words into the singer’s skin.’ It’s romantic.” Sunghoon notices how there’s a certain dazzling feature in your eyes as you talk about the song. He wants to stare in your eyes, but alas you have to finish this one problem. Sunghoon prioritizes responsibilities over such silly, frivolous things that only he notices.

“So tell me how you’re going to solve this problem.” Sunghoon says swiftly while grabbing the glass of water on your nightstand.

You stare at the problem and try your best to concentrate. You really do. But you can’t help the way Sunghoon’s hand looks lazily placed on his thigh. Without much thought, you trace a finger on the back of his hand and say, “Your hands are so veiny.”

“Y/N.”

“And big.”

Well that’s a first, Sunghoon thinks. He knows he’a good looking, a bunch of girls swoon over him at school and at the rink all the time. The most common compliment he gets is on his eyes, and maybe hair, but not on his hands of all things. You’re fascinated by them, and you won’t stop tracing along the veins. Your touch sets his skin ablaze, and it doesn’t seem like you’re finishing this problem any time soon.

“Let’s take a break. I think you’re getting distracted because your brain is all fried.” Sunghoon says softly, still letting you continue playing with his hand.

“I’m getting distracted because I have a pretty boy in my bed.” you giggle. You finally look up and see how pink his cheeks are from blushing.

He starts to stammer “You’re the one that wants to study in your bed!” His voice is a little pitched and you can’t contain your laughs. 

“Do you want to move to the desk then?” you ask.

He shakes his head and mumbles a “no.” A few moments pass and you almost didn’t hear what he says next because it’s under his breath.

“I’ve never been called pretty before.”

“Gasp.” you say, lightheartedly.

“No but like, I’ve been called handsome, smart, a little weird, but not pretty.” Sunghoon replies. A moment of silence passed, and you started to ponder.

“There’s a song called Pretty Boy in my playlist somewhere.”

You go over to your laptop and click on The Neighbourhood song. You sway your hips gently and get lost into the music. Sunghoon just gazes at you as you move along to the steady pulse of the music and let the melodies feel you instead of the other way around. You do a little twirl and waltze your way to your bed, grabbing his hand.

“Dance with me.”

He obliged, wordlessly.

He takes in the words of the lyrics and closes his eyes. If he can’t see how close he is to you right now, it feels less real. It feels less scary. Not that you’re scary, Sunghoon doesn’t think girls with pink heart shaped pillows are scary. What’s scary is you laughing at his boner because he hasn’t been this close to a girl before since a random winter formal he had in grade school. The girl wasn’t all that nice since she dipped to dance with his friend. You’re much softer and nice. More delicate. You even smell nicer. God, your little hands enclosed together behind his neck and his big hands on your waist feels too good to be true. He can feel your gaze on him.

“Sunghoon, open your eyes.” He does, and his breath hitches and you look down, because you definitely feel something poking you and it wasn’t there before.

“I have to go, I have a curfew and it’s getting late, I’ll walk myself out.”

“Sunghoon I can at least walk you down-“

“No, seriously. I can go by myself. Thank you though.”

He’s so wide eyed and his cheeks are so rosy and he dashes away like his life depends on it. And you didn’t even get to kiss him.

[live-the-fangirl-life]

By the Light of the Moon

Aelin Galathynius x Rowan Whitethorn - Ghostly Stroll

Walking through a graveyard on Halloween, what a cliché. Happy Spooktober

Masterlist | Read on Ao3 | Halloween Collection

Warning: Potential Crying, Mentions of Death

1358 words

*******

The moonlight shown through the cloudy sky, reflecting in the small puddles left on the paved, damp road.

Aelin liked stepping in those puddles.

She would huff a laugh every time her boot fell in the shallow water, creating rippling distortions to the light before it calmed and mirrored the moon once more. She liked the feeling of the stray droplets of water splashing against her foot.

Rowan didn’t comment, simply shook his head fondly and rolled his eyes with each passing puddle.

There was a chill in the air as a soft, crisp breeze blew through the trees. Aelin listened to the rustling of leaves—the ones that were left anyway, seeing as most had already turned shades of crimson, ochre, and toffee, before blanketing the ground.

As a particularly strong gust of wind lifted strands of Aelin’s blonde hair, now shimmering in the moonlight, Rowan reached across with the arm not entwined with hers and gently tucked it behind her ear.

She smiled at the gesture and leaned closer to her husband, savoring the feeling of her shoulder pressing into his and smiling again as he turned his head to kiss the top of her head.

“This is nice.” She said quietly, “don’t you think?”

“Which part?” he asked, facing her and meeting her blue and gold gaze.

Aelin didn’t answer him right away, instead enjoying their peaceful stroll along the empty road. She pushed a stray silver lock back from his face. “The breeze.” She smiled as sounds filtered from houses out towards the road. “The echoes of strangers telling stories. The smell of a fire and roasting marshmallows.” Aelin caught and held Rowan’s gaze. “Walking this beautiful night with you.”

They kept walking, not in a hurry to get anywhere but just enjoying each other’s company. “It is nice, Fireheart. It’s the best time of year.”

Aelin smiled again as she caught the faint sounds of children giggling as the last, straggling trick-or-treaters collected their candy before returning home. She squeezed Rowan’s arm, keeping pace with him as they strolled farther down the road, enjoying the fresh October air.

“My favorite.” She agreed.

They walked along the familiar road for a while more before the houses disappeared and gave way to a large plot of land housing graves, tombstones, and mausoleums.

Aelin turned to grin at Rowan, and he knew exactly what she was going to say.

“It’s Halloween.” She said as if that was question and answer enough. He supposed it was, but Rowan raised a brow, and she rolled her eyes before amending, “Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhain—the sentiment’s the same. But we’re here,” she looked toward the graveyard for a long moment before insisting, “we can’t not go in.”

“Walking through a graveyard on Halloween,” he muttered dryly, but followed her lead as they passed through the creaky metal gate. Its not like he would say no to this, or to her. “What a cliché.”

Aelin snorted and met his amused stare with her own. “You say that like we don’t do this every year.”

The front of the graveyard mostly held newer burials, all polished headstones and fresh flowers. The farther back they walked, the older the dates on the stone became. The organization also became more haphazard the further back they roamed. Near the gate the plaques and stones had been lined up in neat rows, but as asphalt turned into cobblestone turned into grass-covered paths, the headstones were placed at odd angles and spaced at random.

“Hmm” Aelin contemplated, halting in front of a new-looking stone and glancing at the dates.

“No, not again, Fireheart.” Rowan groaned, knowing his wife too well.

“I’m going to say that this woman died at the ripe old age of eighty-seven while posing for a tastefully nude portrait.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Don’t you think it’s a little vulgar to make up outrageous stories about the dead?” Then he snorted. “And how would that even kill her?”

Aelin raised a brow at him even as his lips quirked up. She steered them down another aisle. “Are you saying that because you actually think that?” Her tone made it obvious she didn’t believe it. “Or are you upset because you know you couldn’t come up with anything more interesting?”

He scoffed as they landed in front of a stone with slightly older dates. He glanced down at Aelin who was watching him expectantly as if to say show me what you’ve got. He glanced around, making sure one no one else was within earshot.

Occasionally, Aelin and Rowan would spot another person or sometimes a small group of people walking through the graves or staring solemnly at a particular headstone. They would nod in acknowledgment and share a brief, understanding look.

Not seeing anyone, he begrudgingly focused on the plaque and said, “Let’s say that this fellow lived his life in the circus and had an unfortunate fire-breathing accident.”

Aelin laughed, her eyes sparkling as they continued to make up stories.

They kept walking. Every now and then they would hear a bird flying across the grounds or the wind whistling through the trees.

“Ooh here’s an older one.” Aelin glanced at Rowan before nodding, “this one accidentally shot himself with a cannon.”

Rowan snorted, “how does one shoot themselves with a canon?”

“I don’t know,” she rolled her eyes, “maybe it failed to fire, and he went to check on it and suddenly boom.”

They meandered through the aisles and slowly watched as the stones became rougher and covered in moss, the words etched into them barely legible.

The clouds had cleared and now the sky was filled with the light of the fading moon.

This far back into the graveyard, neither Aelin nor Rowan could make out the entrance from which they came.

But that didn’t matter. Not as Aelin kept her arm hooked through her husband’s while they turned down another row of ancient, long-forgotten tombstones.

Rowan stopped walking and felt Aelin press herself closer towards him.

“What do you think about these?” he whispered; voice barely audible above the low wind.

Aelin squeezed his arm. “I think,” she whispered just as quietly, “they lived a long, happy life and forever thanked the stars that they found each other.”

The stones were old. Rounded corners from age and layers of moss were identical on the pair of faded headstones. And even though the letters had long since faded, the inscription was something neither of them would forget.

Go Rattle The Stars. Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius & Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius. To Whatever End.

They stood quietly for a long moment. Their humor replaced with a calm serenity.

“How long has it been, Buzzard?” She whispered. “I lost count ages ago.”

A lie. Aelin knew exactly how many years had passed—how many anniversaries, how many holidays, how many celebrations; how many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; how many Halloween nights she and Rowan had made this same trek through the graveyard.

“Too long, Fireheart.” he murmured.

She held his hand even tighter. They didn’t speak again, relishing in their companionable silence and the comfort of simply being with one another, until the moon had almost fully dipped beneath the horizon.

Aelin faced him, a fond smile growing as she placed a hand on his cheek. He still looked as handsome and young as the day she’d met him, despite them having grown old together long, long, ago.

“Until next All Hallows Eve,” She promised.

It wasn’t a thing to feel sad about, nor angry or frustrated. It simply was.

She wasn’t sure how it happened or why, but she and Rowan found each other every year on this night, and she would thank the universe for letting it be so.

“Until next year.” He held her waist as she wound her arms around his neck. Rowan leaned down to press his forehead against hers. “To whatever end, Aelin.”

“To whatever end, Rowan” she raised herself on her toes to kiss him.

As the last glimmers of moonlight disappeared, Aelin Galathynius and Rowan Whitethorn faded away once more in a ghostly whisper.

*****

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[discet]

Hmm, how do you suppose a crossover with Adventure Time would work? I'm imagining, like, the trio somehow winding up on the Land of Ooo with Marcy being super stoked about being in a wacky cool fantasy world, but only for her to slowly realize in horror that Ooo is a post-apocalyptic Earth.

Ooo would be another really good setting for the Amphibia girls in my opinion. Granted I've only fully seen the show up through season... 5? So I'm probably missing a great deal of context.

I think the premise is largely the same, Marcy is moving away finds some artifact to try to keep her and her friends together. Dropped in Ooo. What that would be in this case I'm not sure. Maybe the Enchiridion?

What's neat about early adventure time is that, outside of the finales there is a lot less of a time pressure than say, Owl House or Amphibia. So the girls could each have a lot more solo adventures bouncing off the wide spectrum of characters in Ooo.

I think I would actually have a 'season' of the three of them all together in this world, really getting a chance to see both how their friendship grows and how it is very toxic. With tension slowly ratcheting up between Sasha and Anne. With the season ends with the reveal of Marcy having brought them to Ooo on purpose and the three of them separating for a time which coincides with the lich getting out.

There's a big fight Anne is more hurt than angry. Sasha is way more angry than hurt. Marcy ends up with a pretty big helping of both

Marcy would end up with PB for the time being, going on science adventures and learning candy magic. Which is a fun parallel with Andrias since while PB doesn't have any ulterior motives, she is still super immoral

Sasha would end up over with Marceline who they had met in an earlier episode and they end up jamming out for some time. Marceline being a much more chill source of character development than Grime.

Anne I guess would end up with Finn and Jake for a while? I don't know there's a lot of good interactions between them, but again I don't feel as prepared to tackle this whole AU

I think over the season, the three end up running into each other awkwardly over the course of other adventures.

Anne and Marcy both end up in the candy kingdom for some mission for the princess to help people, ending with Marcy promising Anne to find a way home for them and their relationship slightly patched up.

Sasha gets captured by the Ice King during a round of capture princesses and Anne and Finn are out to rescue everyone. Sasha is resistant to being saved since it means being in debt to Anne but changes her mind when Anne seems liable to actually leave her there if thats what Sasha chooses. It's a lot messier than Marcy and Anne's first touch point after the reveal but the bridge is mending even if its no where close to fixed.

Sasha and Marcy end up dragged into the whirlpool of their mutual immortal guardians whole... *Gestures vaguely to early season Bubbaline episodes* thing. Maybe the episode is about vampires or witches or something. The main emotional thrust is that Sasha has grown a bit and is the one that actually reaches out to Marcy who spends much of the episode assuming that Sasha is going to hate her forever. This shows both Sasha's growth as a character at this point and the possibility of reconciliation.

Finally in S3 of this vague idea of a fic the three are back together and actively seeking a way home Which I think is when we finally get some of the big wham moments of the series. When the trio come to realize that they aren't in a wacky other dimension. Whatever artifact dropped them here actually flung them into the future days before Armageddon. So we get this moment of Marcy realizing that she can never fix her mistake. And of Anne and Sasha grappling with the fact that if Marcy hadn't made that mistake they would probably all be dead by now.

I think its a moment and a scenario that really brings Adventure Time's tone and theme in really well. Where sometimes messed up junk happens and the characters have to learn how to cope with it. Where there isn't a nice little bow to wrap up an episode and things are just kind of complicated.

Following seasons would probably show the arc of the three of them dealing with the trauma of being permanently displaced in Ooo and making the best of it. Figuring out what they want to do with their lives now that this is their lives and not some wacky off year until they return to Earth.

I think the three of them pool the favors, skills, etc they have acquired from their time in Ooo and build a cool place for them to live more permanently.

[leonicscorpio]

Batboy Headcanons because I made this for me but you all can enjoy this too if want. (May contain mild NSFW)

Dick:

Has a weird relationship with unwanted gaze and the attention he receives because of his physique. He genuinely likes the attention but he draws the line when people start getting touchy. Just because he's shirtless working out doesn't mean he gave you consent to touch him.

Has good dieting skills but he's in his mid-late 20's and his metabolism has 0 signs of slowing down. He once ate a whole xl bag of M&M's in front of Steph and Babs and both said they wanted to murder him because he won't gain a pound.

Dick has ADHD and I'm sorry if you don't think otherwise. He has hyperactive type ADHD and while he's gotten better at controlling his symptoms he still stims stretching and flexing his arms and shaking his arms.

While not so much in Gotham, Dick is very politically active and volunteers at voter registration and working with organizations with the mission of police demilitarization in Blüdhaven.

Dick is a very sexually driven individual. However, I don't think it's entirely healthy. His ADHD also comes into play with this but Dick just needs to have a release at least twice a day or he'll feel physically sick.

I don't know if you all have seen male gymnasts. But Dick, like the rest of them, has FREAKSISHLY large biceps. Everyone talks about Dick has the best ass in the bat family and while Jason may be larger and stronger, Dick has the best physique.

Dick's apartment is littered with sticky notes in places such as the fridge/in front of his computer. If it's not written down and in a place where he can't ignore it, it's not going to get done.

I'm sorry I know everyone says his birthday is in March but I have to go to the older Nightwing comics and say his Birthday is December 1st. I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me this man doesn't give off Sagittarius energy. You can't. I respect you but you can't look at that and tell me that man isn't a Sagittarius or has super heavy Sag in his birth chart.

Dick's at home doing nothing but chilling? You best believe he's gonna be shirts off, tits out, and rocking some blue flannel PJ's.

Dick is currently the only member of the family asides from Barbara who is regularly attending therapy. And he actively encourages each of his brothers and sisters to go every time.

After his Agent 37 days. He sits down with Jason and talks about having to use a gun and how hard it was. And how having to kill people has affected him. When he had to kill the KGBeast (Agent 37 days he snapped his neck) I headcanon Dick just trauma v*mit*d. Jason hugged him and just consoled him.

It's canon that Dick has anger issues but to me, it's not explored or talked about enough and not a lot of people like to talk about it. Dick is very much the 'if I ignore it it'll go away' type when it comes to his anger and he can brush most insults or harassment off fine enough. But when he breaks, he makes Jason look like a saint. I'm talking slamming you into a wall and screaming in your face angry. He'll be profusely apologetic afterward but still.

Despite popular belief, I don't think he's that bad of a cook. He's just not very experimentative. He can follow a recipe and does look at some guides. But to me, Dick Grayson just is that guy who is like Chicken veggies and rice are a meal that I can cook 4-6 times a week.

Dick has a slight fear of dentists. He doesn't have bad teeth and has good dental health. He just doesn't like the idea of a drill going in his mouth and the few times Bruce has to take him to a dentist he had a panic attack every time.

Everyone lives for the fics where Jason beats the shit out of Tim and everyone is just like lol well Bruce and Dick just forgives him. No. When Dick found out it was Jason who beat Tim to the ground, Dick was literally seething and told Jason "Pick on someone your own size or else I'll make you wish you back in that f'ing coffin."

Dick's favorite foods (some based in Canon*): Milk Chocolate*, Cereal*, Asparagus, Bananas, Banana flavored candy, Hawaiian Pizza* (suffer its canon) Rum, thanksgiving Turkey.

Jason:

He may be the self-diagnosed black sheep (rightfully so) of the family, but Jason does genuinely love spending time with his siblings. Whether it be sharing memes with them on social media or just randomly showing up where they are and abducting them to go get ice cream/coffee/snacks.

He'd probably attempt to harm you if you told him this to his face. But he is the closest acting to Bruce out of all of the family. In terms of mannerisms and inherent warmth and kindness behind a dark façade.

Has two moods: either exceptionally, almost neat-freak levels of clean, or his life is completely falling apart and Jason can't tell you for sure what color his floors are because there's so much stuff scattered about.

Despite their initial hatred of each other, Jason truly feels closest to Tim and Tim is the only person asides from maybe Barbra who he can just talk to without feeling any judgment.

Jason only smokes when he's extremely nervous about an operation or a hit. For those who don't know criminal justice cigarettes are the fastest way to get genetic material on someone. That being said he does still like to smoke occasionally.

Me, plus a lot of people give him this sort of 'Lazarus Rage' as I like to call it. When he's in the heat of a mission or if he's getting upset/angry his vision will get blurred with green, and it feeds on his anger and just gets perpetually harder to contain until he releases it. Jason has gotten much better at controlling it. But as he will tell Tim or Babs, he's "seeing green" which means they need to be careful because Jason could kill.

Everyone says Dick is the mother hen. I see you, I accept you, but let me raise you. Jason came to realize that he died because of his rash decision to go after The Joker alone. If Jason finds any of his siblings out acting alone, or even at the very least without Oracle. Jason WILL forcefully interject himself and ask them what the fuck they think their doing.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Trying to get close to Jason is hard. He will degrade you can attempt to try to get you to hate him before he lets you in (that cheeky Tsun of him)

He genuinely cares for and supports all of his siblings but has been rough on them needlessly. But if Bruce is being the distant or absent parent he is, you better believe if any of the siblings drops him a text or a call, Jason will be there in a heartbeat.

He's the most physically powerful of the whole Bat Family. You don't understand because of his time in the League, his time with the All-Caste, and having abused Venom for a time, he can snap an arm bone like it's a carrot with little effort.

Everyone in the family likes dogs and goes out of their way to gush over a dog, but Jason takes it to a whole new level. And even when he's masked up dogs just gravitate to Jason.

Can and has grown a beard in a matter of a few days. He usually likes to be clean shaven but some days he likes to wear a beard just to throw everyone off.

One time him, Steph, Tim, and Duke all went to a restaurant (Red Robin lol) and the waitress got his order wrong and his burger had raw tomatoes on it, Jason took the tomatoes off and ate it while looking absolutely miserable. Tim: Jay why did you eat that you didn't have to you know you could have asked the server to fix your burger. Jason, almost in tears: "She works really hard and she tried and I'm a scary dude I don't want to make her upset.." Duke: "... Jason you literally shot at a cop for looking at you funny the other day. But you're afraid of upsetting a waitress?!? I mean ACAB but dude.. "

Jason's happiest big brother moment™ was taking Tim and Damian to the shooting range and watching them both get their first bullseye.

You can't tell me Jason Todd was into the Emo/Screamo/Warped-Tour Scene. His favorite bands/Albums in no particular order, That's the Spirit (Literally the whole album is Jason Themed and I'm gonna die on this hill) & Sempiternal by Bring me the Horizon, Digital Renegade & Everyone's Safe in the Treehouse by I See Stars, The Resistance: Rise of the Runaways by Crown the Empire,

Jason Todd's favorite foods: (Also some based in Canon*) Burgers, Chili Dogs*, Lager-style beers, Freshly baked bread*, Neopolitan ice cream, grilled corn, and Chinese Chicken noodle soup with Duck.

Tim:

This boy *slaps car roof* gives off so much asexual energy. I know New 52 exists but I just feel like Tim is the person who really, REALLY has to trust you and like you before he's sexually active with you.

HYPERFIXATES. You also can't tell me Tim isn't on the spectrum/or has ADHD.

Is the only member of the family who regularly checks up on Jason and talks to him every day via text message. The two are memelords together and love to play pranks on the other members.

While Dick may give the most frequent hugs and Jason gives the tightest, most secure hugs, Tim's hugs are always the warmest and make you just feel good.

Tim's birthday is July 19th. Meaning he's a Cancer. Let that sink in.. no, really let that information just soak. (Note I have nothing against Cancer women, cancer men however....)

All of the bat boys really struggle with talking about their feelings. Dick will manipulate you into changing the subject via twisting it to be about you, Jason will just cut you off or will ignore you, Damian will deflect everything and harass you until you stop, Tim however, Tim is very emotional and while he's very calculated about who he's emotional with, he's not afraid to break down and cry if he trusts you.

Everyone who says he's the level headed Robin haha how's it feel to be WRONG. Tim is at best the least functional college student and at worst a lemming. 'No Tim, coffee isn't a meal I'm going to make you some food or I'm going to stick you in a room with Damian for an hour.' Richard (Dick) John Grayson.

People overblow how addicted to caffeine Tim is. But it's true. Just overblown. You can talk to him before he's had his caffeine just don't expect him to be anything but curt and blunt.

Everyone says Jason would be the worst at texting but it's Tim. He's the master of leaving you on read. While Jason may do it on purpose, Tim is just really bad at texting people and while he always will read your messages he forgets to respond unless it's really funny or really pressing.

Everyone sees Tim as this bean pole super skinny boy Robin. Tim may not be stacked like Dick or a freaking tank like Jason, but Tim is NOT super skinny. He's just as muscular and likes to work out as anyone, but he just is super lean, so he looks a lot bigger and his muscles are more defined because of how thin his skin is. He has those almost disgusting spider veins on his arm. Kind of gross to look at, but he's the dream of any nurse. This means Tim is also the king of accidentally sending/posting thirst traps.

He really is the glue of the Bat Family. Everyone kidnaps Tim for 'Tim Time'.

Dick likes to spar with and in general just hang out with Tim. Tim tried to teach Dick how to skateboard and you'd think the boy who mastered the trapeze would know how to skateboard but you'd be wrong.

Babs and Tim always hang out and talk about computer stuff and Babs knows she can vent to Tim about anything and he won't say a word.

Tim and Steph were a thing for a while and even though they're just friends now, they still are very close and the two have a very deep bond, liking to shop with each other and watch movies,

Cass just loves to be around Tim because of how calming he is but also she knows she can spar with him AND Cass can also skateboard with Tim too.

Even though him and Damian are always fighting, the two still end up being together and have this unspoken bond. They work great together on a team but other than that they still hate each other.

And while everyone still is hesitant around Jason, and despite the fact that Jason literally beat Tim to within an inch of his life, AND would still trigger Tim and taunt him about it. The two have this odd closeness that rivals even him and Steph. Tim will always be the first to bat for Jason. Jason was Tim's Robin. And despite the fact Jason literally beat it into Tim's head to "never meet your heroes." Tim will always be there for Jason should he ask. The two are just close. And it's hard to describe. Bruce has caught Tim and Jason just platonically sleeping next to each other or just doing their own things shoulder to shoulder silently, just enjoying each other's company.

Tim and Duke also have a really positive relationship with one another and the two can stay up all night just talking about anything. Their minds just mesh well together. The two also love to team up and prank the other members of the Batman Family.

Tim's favorite ASMR/Stim? Watching those Tik Toks of people cleaning computers or cleaning phones. The sound of an air duster is like music to his ears and if any of the Bats need their technology cleaned it secretly makes Tim so happy to help them.

Wear his hair up or wear his hair down? It depends! While Tim likes his long hair he also has gotten plenty of compliments for his short hair and likes to style it to suit any occasion.

My one pet-peeve with Tim is that he probably is that person who lets his privilege show from time to time. While he was essentially raised to just sit down, shut up, and be a perfect trophy son to the Drake's. The Drake's were in the same tax bracket as Bruce and Tim definitely was a rich kid. He never means to come across as spoiled, but sometimes Jason will give him harsh looks if Tim just throws away food he doesn't like or says things like Chipotle is 'poor people food'

Tim Drake's favorite foods (you know by now*) Donuts*, Shallot and Artichoke Pizza with Canadian Bacon* (odd choice but it could work) Artichokes in general are his favorite vegetable, Strawberries, and Beef Pho.

Damian:

I headcanon that he has the worst teeth of all of the Bat Boys and he actually has to use lingual braces. (Hence why you can't see his braces)

Canonically is a very good artist and while him and Tim don't get along, Tim introduced Damian to digital art and gave him a photoshop pack and a nice tablet for his birthday one year and Damian loved it so much.

Damian is a capricorn and I will die on this hill. A January capricorn too.

Now you want a good chef? You've got Damian. Having converted to veganism Damian has had to get creative whenever he goes out to eat so he tends to like to eat more home cooked foods. Damian loves all matters of mushrooms, eggplant, and bell peppers.

Damian really struggles the most with his wanting to just be a normal kid. Despite the fact he will dismiss you for it, anytime he gets to spend at Gotham Academy with Jon and the rest of the kids he's naturally the happiest.

Damian LOVES to give gifts. He loves the look on people's faces when they are shocked when they actually get something from Damian.

Despite the fact that he's been traumatized from both his times with Ra's and Talia as well as with Bruce. He just wants Bruce and Talia to be together because he loves them both equally.

While he's the least flexible and least gymnastic of the Robins do let your guard down around him. He is the fastest runner and the guy is rivaled only by Jason in terms of lethality.

So someone (Jason Todd & Duke Thomas) introduced Damian to trap music and ever since anytime his phone gets stolen people will be shocked to find he's listening to some combination of Lil' Yachty, X, Kendrick Lamar, Wiz, and Kodak.

If any random person tries to hug Damian he'll immediately push them away, he'll bitch and moan about just about anyone hugging him other than Bruce & Dick.

Damian loves to go to the beach/the ocean. He just thinks it's so vast and he loves the brineness of the air. Also being half white, quarter middle-eastern and quarter Chinese (Yes everyone forgets Talia is half Chinese) Damian gets DARK. And although he's just okay as a swimmer he still likes bogeyboarding and eventually wants to learn how to surf.

I'm genuinely afraid once Puberty is done with this kid and everyone in the family is. He has Bruce Wayne AND Talia Al-Ghouls genes and those are two SEXY human beings. Damian's gonna grow a beard one day and people aren't going to know how to act.

Damian secretly plays Fortnight and not even Jon knows. He doesn't want to get shamed. He'd rather lose a match and ruin his streaks than deal with the shame of anyone in that family finding out he plays Fortnight.

Damian Wayne's favorite foods (canon*) Cereal*, Avocados, Grilled Tempeh, his mom's Tabbouleh, Mushroom Tacos, and Vegan Sushi rolls, and grape juice.

Duke Thomas

Duke is like, freakishly good with a piano, and he picked it up naturally!

Also everyone says Tim brews the best pot of coffee in the Bat Family, cue to everyone's surprise when Tim was sick one day and couldn't make a pot. Only to find the coffee was freaking amazing. Duke didn't take any credit at first until Alfred let it slip that Duke was the one who brewed the pot.

Duke being the only Meta of the family originally thought he was the double-token because he was a Meta and a black boy. Needless to say his fears were seriously unfounded the moment he got to know everyone.

Although he somewhat fears Jason and his temper initially, he and Jason have one of the closest relationships in the family. If Tim isn't around to bat for Jason, Duke will happily take his spot. The two work on each other's bikes and grew to share the same taste in music.

Duke uses his Photokenetic powers as a force for good and for shenanigans. Jason wants to play a prank on Dick and Damian while Dick is reading Damian a story? Duke will hide Jason in the shadows and will cover up his shadow. Alfred dropped something in the dark? You better believe Duke will find it in 3 seconds or less.

Duke makes it a point to visit his parents every weekend to talk to them. Although they are making some progress in their recoveries, it's still slow going. Eventually, he starts bringing members of the family to see his parents. It started with Cass, then Jason, and the rest followed suit.

Duke loves playing video games with Damian and even helps Damian beat some tougher levels when Damian is about to rage and destroy the console.

Duke is into Magic the Gathering and you cannot tell me otherwise. Duke also is the DM for the Bat Kids annual D&D games. I can and will make a D&D Batfam Headcanons if asked.

Loves Pho just as much as Cass and Tim and they all call it a date night every now and then where they can go to a hole in the wall pho place. It's really a secret between the three of them.

DUKE THOMAS IS THE BEST SWIMMER OF THE BAT BOYS AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. HE JUST THRIVES IN THE WATER.

Finding out his birth father is a supervillain was really tough for him. He went into a shell for a little bit afterwards. Cass and Steph were there to help talk him out of his funk.

Duke Thomas's favorite foods (lol what canon DC hasn't acknowleged our boy in a while..) Chicken Pho, Thai Iced Tea, Papaya, Crab Cakes, Italian Hoagies, his mom's Lemon Poundcake, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I hope y'all enjoyed! Up next (eventually) will be the Bat Girls!

[goldenraeofsun]

4:01 PM

Dean sips his whiskey and glowers across the bar at his own reflection. His wrist is burning like a brand, but it’s probably all in his head. The stupid timers don’t cause physical pain when they reach T-minus zero, Houston we have a problem. The numbers freeze, and that’s that.

Dean’s had counted down to nothing at exactly 4:01 PM, fifteen minutes ago. Fifteen minutes of running into his soulmate, getting his number, continuing on his way to this bar, and telling the bartender to keep ‘em coming.

He refuses to look at the far corner of the room, the booth he had reserved like an idiot. Four PM, party of two, under the name Winchester.

On the bar by his glass, his phone is still lit up with Cas’s texts from the past hour.

Cas 3:11 I’m so sorry I have to move our appointment. My client just unexpectedly switched our time to 4pm.

Cas 3:21 I think I’ll be able to escape by 4:30. Can I meet you then?

Dean had responded with a thumbs-up emoji. He didn’t have it in him to say any more.

Cas 3:50 This city is impossible to navigate. How does anyone live here?

Cas 3:58 You were right, I should have rented a car.

Three minutes after Cas’s last text, Dean ran into his soulmate. Right on schedule.

As far as first meetings go, it hadn’t been as much of a shitshow as Dean had expected.

The dude was attractive, at least, and the first thing he did after bumping into Dean was apologize. But he was wearing a tailored suit and glued to his phone, so it definitely could have been better.

His soulmate would’ve run off none the wiser, except Dean had to blurt, “Wait!” because, despite his disappointment, Dean couldn’t let his soulmate disappear into the throngs of Michigan Avenue. Dean wasn't about to fall to one knee, but he also couldn't let his best shot just go.

The man stopped, irritated. His gaze refused to linger on Dean, instead fixating on a building at the end of the block.

Head swimming with too many thoughts to name, Dean couldn’t get the right words out. He gestured mutely to his wrist, pulling up the flannel to show him.

Eyes widening with understanding, his soulmate quickly tugged up the cuff of his sleeve, only sparing a second to verify his own timer stopped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice.” he said, distracted. “My name is James. Here,” he fished out a pen and something to write on from various pockets of his trench coat, “my number. We… should talk. Later.” He scowled, raising his other wrist to check at his watch. “I need to go.”

“Sure, man,” Dean said, mostly grateful he didn’t have to stick around and have some heart-to-heart with a stranger that was apparently meant for him. Whatever the fuck that actually meant.

“Thank you,” James said swiftly. Without another word, he took off back down the street.

Dean didn’t bother to watch him go. He had a barstool waiting with his name on it.

Sam will laugh himself silly once Dean tells him his perfect match wound up being some corporate suit. Dean once told him he’d rather microwave his own head than set foot in an office cubicle.

Sammy was the big soulmate skeptic in the family. He found his non-timer approved other half while he was protesting an illegal dismissal of a disabled employee. Three years later, when Sam bumped into Gabriel Crawford in a strip club at midnight on Dean’s birthday, he discovered Gabe was perfectly happy to let Sam live his apple pie life while Gabe continued to party like it was 1999.

Gabe made Sam promise to look him up if Eileen was ever down for a threesome.

Turned out, Eileen was.

Sam most certainly was not.

He still sends Gabe a card for the holidays, and usually Gabe sends him back candy samples from wherever he’s vacationing for the winter.

But everyone else Dean knew bought into the soulmates game, hook, line, and sinker. His parents were soulmates. Benny and Garth both settled down with theirs. Charlie and Aaron were holding out for theirs. Hell, even Jo had her weird thing with Bela Talbot.

Dean would’ve counted himself among their number - until he met Cas.

Well, until Cas messaged him on Bobby’s new ask-a-mechanic feature on the garage’s website. Cas had inherited a banged up 1967 Mustang and had no idea where to start with restoration. Apparently Gabe of all people was staying with Cas at his place in southern California, and he recommended Dean.

Why Cas couldn’t just look up a local place still baffles Dean to this day, but he has never been more grateful for Cas’s weird-ass logic.

Their relationship had stayed strictly professional until Cas’s actual car broke down on some random highway in California. Dean had tried to talk Cas through the repair himself, but it was no use. Cas either didn’t have the equipment for the fix, or Dean didn’t diagnose the right problem. Dean was about to hang up, when Cas had asked, clearly embarrassed, “Would you please stay on the line? I have this irrational fear of being murdered in the middle of nowhere where nobody can find my body for proper rites.”

Dean, almost surprising himself, didn’t laugh. Instead, he said, “Sure thing. Wanna put me on hold while you get in touch with Triple A?”

He spent an hour and a half on the phone with Cas, telling him stupid stories about the worst things people have done with their cars.

In return, Cas told him all about the stars that were just coming out in the darkening desert sky.

The week after, Bobby’s garage received a gift certificate in the mail. It was for a weeklong stay at the Chicago location of the five-star hotel chain Cas works for, in Dean’s name.

Those little chocolates on the pillows ruined Dean for motels everywhere.

At the bar, Dean signals the bartender for a refill. He glares down at his phone. The little rectangle contains his entire history with Cas, call logs, text receipts, everything.

He can’t look at it any longer. He shoves it in his pocket, and the receipt with his soulmate’s phone number crinkles in protest. With a sigh, Dean takes out the flimsy piece of paper.

James’s handwriting is neat, so Dean doesn’t even have the excuse of not being able to read a digit or two.

Maybe Dean will give him a call after his drink with Cas. Hopefully, once James finds out that Dean’s just a mechanic, lives in a shoebox apartment in Bucktown, and has never been to Aspen or the Alps, he’ll tell Dean to take a hike.

Dean flips the receipt over, and his stomach gives a sickening lurch. In pretentious curlicue lettering, the first words Dean reads are, The Nine Spheres.

James is staying at Cas’s hotel.

Fucking great. Dean crumples the receipt and shoves it back in his pocket. With his luck, James will probably want to meet in the restaurant on the first floor, the fancy-ass place with the steakhouse burger and truffle fries Dean would actually sell his soul for.

Dean actually dreamed about that burger, a few months after his Cas-sponsored stay. When he told Cas about it, Cas let out a bark of laughter.

In the next breath, though, he told Dean he does the same when he’s scoping out a new location and can’t stay at a nearby Nine Spheres.

Dean tips back his glass of whiskey. It’s stopped burning on the way down his throat, a good sign.

He was so stupid, thinking he could fuck with destiny, fate, or whatever shitty power up there decides soulmates.

Once Cas told him about his business trip to his neck of the woods, Dean had taken one look at the numbers on his arm counting down and did the math. He would meet his soulmate smack dab in the middle of Cas’s window in Chicago.

He could make Cas be his soulmate. Cas never brought up his timer, if it was still ticking, if he’d already met his other half. And Dean, coward that he was, never asked. If he didn’t know for sure, then there was that slim, slim chance that theirs matched up after all.

But no, Cas had to go and switch up their meeting time at the last second, and Dean had run into James instead.

His pocket buzzes with a new text. Mood lower than Cas’s voice register, Dean slides his phone out.

Cas 4:38 My meeting is over. Should I still meet you at the same place?

Dean 4:39 Yeah Hope its okay I got started without you

Cas 4:40 More than okay, considering my scheduling difficulties.

Dean 4:40 See you soon

Dean sighs and drains his glass.

Foot jiggling on the barstool and eyes trained on his hands clasped in front of him, Dean deliberately does not look around as the door opens.

And opens again.

And again.

Confused and irritated, Dean takes another look around. Above the bar, a chalkboard clearly proclaims Happy Hour from 4:30-6:30 PM. Dean ducks his head, scowling into the remains of his drink. He probably overlooked the sign before because of his single-minded quest to get shitfaced like a freshly-dumped senior at prom stuck next to the spiked punch bowl.

His phone obnoxiously tells him it’s 4:43.

That’s just great. Dean hops off the stool, meaning to ask the hostess if anyone’s asked for Winchester, when James pushes open the door.

Dean stops dead in his tracks.

James freezes, his eyes going wide. His trench coat swishes ominously to a stop.

Should Dean turn around? Pretend he didn’t see? Cas is going to be here any second.

Before he can make up his mind, James is walking towards him. “Hello,” he says. “I wasn’t expecting to run into you here.”

Dean swallows. “Me neither,” he says honestly.

James scans the small crowd now gathered around the bar, brow furrowing in concentration. “I’m supposed to be meeting someone.”

Dean lets out a silent exhale of relief. He musters up a weak smile. “No problem, man. I’ll leave you to it.” As he turns back around, James steps up to the hostess stand.

James says, his voice slightly raised to be heard over the din, “I’m a bit late, but is there a reservation for Winchester? For 4:30?”

Dean could not possibly have heard what he thinks he did. But the timing is right - for once. He spins around, practically losing his balance thanks to the booze he already drank.

The hostess scans her sheet of names, shaking her head. “There was a reservation for Winchester at four PM, but that’s it.”

James’s face falls. Shoulders slumping, he pulls out his phone, squinting as the screen lights up. “He said he was here,” he mutters.

He can’t be Cas. That would be crazy - like, dingo ate my baby, crazy.

“Could be at the bar,” the hostess says flippantly, tilting her head to the crowded area. “Most of ‘em don’t check in.”

James’s lips press together. “Thank you,” he says to the hostess, his tone clipped. “I’ll wait there.”

Dean steps in front of him before James can get lost in the throng of people. “I heard you’re lookin’ for me,” he says with a confidence that’s only 99% bullshit.

James blinks. “You?”

“Dean Winchester, at your service,” he says, spreading his arms wide.

“Dean,” he echoes, his gaze raking up and down Dean’s body, drinking him in with his new eyes.

“Gotta say,” Dean drawls as his heart pounds with nerves. Doubt niggles at the back of his mind like an itch he can’t scratch, but he’s already made his memory foam bed. Might as well lie in it. “Cas is the weirdest nickname for James that I’ve ever heard.”

“My full name is James Castiel Novak,” Cas says, flushing. “James - that’s what I go by professionally. My family calls me Castiel.”

Dean can’t hold back his broad grin. “Family, eh?”

Cas’s expression takes a swift dive from embarrassed to mortified. “And friends,” he tacks on. He takes a step closer, staring at Dean’s face in wonder. “But you’re also my soulmate.”

Dean laughs giddily. “Should’ve known you wouldn’t beat around the bush. Not your style.” He jerks his head towards the bar. “I think I see an open seat. You wanna have that talk now?”

Cas hesitates. “Would you like to go to Nine Spheres instead? I’ve had business dinners every evening I’ve been in Chicago so far, and, while the food has been good-”

“It’s not the steakhouse burger?” Dean finishes for him.

The corners of Cas’s mouth turn down into a slight grimace. “Last night, a client treated us to tapas. I woke up starving.”

Dean smiles. “You know I’m always down for that burger.”

“Excellent,” Cas says with relish as he pushes open the door.

They walk onto the street, and it’s almost offensively quiet after the noise of the bar. It’s a balmy Spring evening, the sun still relatively high in the sky.

“You don’t seem disappointed anymore,” Cas says out of nowhere as they reach the end of the block.

So Cas caught on to that, back when they first ran into each other. Dean shrugs. “I just got stood up by the guy I’d specially set up to meet me at 4:01. Wouldn’t you be?”

Cas clears his throat, asking hoarsely, “You wanted it to be me?”

Dean throws him a look. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Cas just shrugs. The light changes, and they step off the curb.

“Were you… disappointed?” Dean asks hesitantly.

Cas lets out a surprised laugh. “Of course not. I didn’t even think - well,” he falters, casting a sidelong look at Dean, “I’m not disappointed. Believe me.”

The automatic doors to Nine Spheres open, hitting them with a burst of perfectly conditioned air. Dean hasn’t stepped foot in the hotel since Cas paid for his stay, but it hasn’t changed one bit. The same tiered giant chandelier glitters overhead. Giant pillars bracket the concierge desk to the left and the enormous staircase to the right that leads up to the second floor rooms. The tiled floor, so polished Dean can practically see his reflection, stretches the length of the lobby.

Dean sticks out like a flannel-wearing sore thumb. “Cas,” he hisses, “hold on. I don’t think I’m dressed right for this place.”

Cas sucks in a breath. “No,” he says as Dean’s heart sinks, “I suppose not.” He jerks his head towards the elevator bay. “Room service?”

Dean blinks.

“I’ve called for the burgers on several occasions at other locations,” Cas assures him. “It tastes as good.”

Was Cas actually trying to convince him to go up to his room? What a dumbass. Dean laughs.

Cas colors, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Forget it,” he mutters. “We don’t-”

“You know, if you invite me up to your room,” Dean cuts him off, “you’re going to have a bitch of a time getting me to leave, right?”

Cas stares at him.

“Dude,” Dean says, “I’ve never stayed anywhere this nice in my life. Between the food, the water pressure, and the robe that felt like I was fucking a cloud, I had enough of a hard time leaving last time.”

“I’m glad,” Cas says stiltedly. “We strive to provide the optimal experience to all our guests.”

Dean rolls his eyes. “’M saying, add you to the mix, and they’re gonna have to drag me out of here, kicking and screaming.”

“And if I don’t want you to leave?” Cas asks in an undertone as he pushes the up button for the elevator.

“Then I guess we don’t have a problem,” Dean says, winking.

Cas’s responding grin falls as the doors close behind them and the elevator starts moving. He shakes his head. “It’s a shame there are cameras in here.”

Dean leans in closer, whispering in his ear, “Doesn’t bother me much. Whaddya say to giving the peeping toms a show, then?”

Cas bites his lip, and this close, Dean can see how his eyes have blown black with want. “I - I can’t.”

It’s like he’s been doused with a bucket of ice water. Dean steps back, shame filling him. That’s fine. He can regroup. Hopefully Cas will be more receptive behind closed doors. It’s not the first time this has happened, anyway.

“Dean, I have to work with these people every day,” Cas hisses, wringing his hands. “The last time an executive got… busy with a coworker in the pool, the mocking didn’t end for weeks. Not to mention her rebuke from upper management.” He throws Dean a desperate look. “I would like for you to be fully clothed by the time you meet my coworkers for the first time.”

Cas is already planning for Dean to meet his people?

The elevator dings, and Cas steps out. “Are you coming?” he asks hesitantly.

“Oh, yeah,” Dean says quickly. As he follows Cas down the maze of rooms, he has to ask, “You were planning on introducing me to your coworkers?”

Cas’s cheeks pink. “Unless you were opposed to it,” he mutters as he stops in front of Room 1518. He sighs, making no move to insert his keycard. Instead, he lifts his head to meet Dean’s gaze squarely. “I’ve put in a transfer request to Chicago.”

“What?”

“It was before I knew you were my soulmate,” Cas says quickly. “I’ve never felt like I fit in in California, and my parents live in Pontiac. The Chicago office is decently large, and, well, I knew you were here,” he says, his voice going quiet near the end. He straightens. “So there were many reasons.”

“You’re staying?” Dean says, his mouth dry.

Cas bobs a nervous nod. “I hope that’s okay.”

Dean grins. “Sure is.”

Cas touches the inside of his wrist, his expression turning almost shy. “Of course, when I first pictured introductions, it was strictly as a friend. I don’t really know anyone else in this city well, and I’ve told you about my difficulty in social situations, so it would’ve been more for moral support than anything else. But after this evening -”

Dean interrupts his rambling. “Are there cameras in the hallway?”

“What- oh,” Cas says, his eyes flicking down to Dean’s lips before back up again. “Yes?” He points. “They’re all the way down there, though, so they can’t -”

Dean cuts him off with a heated kiss.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Writing Fanfic: Another Weird Trick

Now let’s talk about the neatness of very different cultures or groups running into each other. This is far easier to pull off in original fiction than the AU Villain. Entire books and even series can be made out of cultural clashes; Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold is one stunning example, and C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series is one of my personal favorites to read and re-read.

The thing is, it usually takes a whole book - or series! - to set up a proper cultural clash. If all you want is to write a relatively short, fun story exploring the concept, you may not have the energy for that. So how to do it in a short piece for fun?

Trick #2: Crossover Cultural Clash.

Every show, and group of heroes, has its own “culture” and standards as to what are the proper ways to do things. How do you defeat an enemy - by beating them in a card game, or beheading? How do you treat a friend; candy and hugs, or a rough pep talk when the chips are down? What are the limits when you’re defending people you care about? What’s the worst thing that could happen to you on any given day?

If you find two shows that you think you can make fit together for a story, you have a built-in culture clash.

Three authors on Archive of Our Own I’m particularly going to recc’ for this: Kryal, Ellen Brand, and Jedi Buttercup. I’m sure there’s plenty more, but I’ve been following these three for a long time.

For Kryal, two that are particularly good are The Dragon-King’s Temple (Stargate/AtLA) and What the Cat Dragged In (MCU/Miraculous Ladybug). The usual levels of violence are higher in Stargate and the MCU, so there are some interesting ways things either get toned down (ML) or we see more real-life consequences than usual (AtLA).

Ellen Brand has plenty, but I really like Unprofessional Opinion (outsider take on Detective Conan) and Loose Ends (Tony Hicks of Godzilla: the Series poking Sunnydale). An outsider’s look at how really weird a canon situation is brings the wonder of the original canon right back again.

Jedi Buttercup... wow, so many awesome crossovers. Pausing to Wonder (CSI/Dragonriders of Pern), imagine the delinquency (Sleepy Hollow/Guardians of the Galaxy) and Of Iron and Fire (Fast and Furious/The Last Witch-Hunter) are three in particular you would never think work... and they do.

In case anyone’s wondering, there is one particular culture clash I’d like to see in a fic, but I’m not sure I can write it myself. That would be Shen Yuan (Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System) as Shen Qingqiu suffering reverse culture shock by getting dumped back into the modern world still as a xianxia cultivator... and still up against monsters that need his level of skills and power to take down. Say, if he ended up in the Chitauri invasion of NYC, or something....

(Which a friend pointed out is actually three culture clashes in one neat package. 1) Reverse culture shock of coming back to the modern world. 2) NYC is definitely not China. 3) Aliens WTH.

Bonus: I'm a scholar and geek, not a fighter, why does everyone expect me to use this sword, I'm not Liu Qingge-!)

Free to good home!