#but i'm actually terrified but we stay silly

[superbluebrick]

pinterest makes me laugh sm sometimes bc i'll try to find good pics of the blorbos and the search is like "lackadaisy freckles" "lackadaisy zip" who the hell are these peopleeeee 😭😭😭😭 these are Not their names

[gloriousmonsters]

watched the moominvalley AND 90s anime takes on the Last Dragon back to back earlier and I'm still so fucked up emotionally

[sallieraptor]

[huge post about the mystery of mildenhall manor]

(part 1 of my yapping)

[Episode 3] not to mention the way he didn't hesitate to pull Pomni back and try to free her from the spirit, even though he was terrified and had to listen to it reminding him of a painful loss. he simply just ignored it, and focused only on saving her.

he freed her, held her, and calmed her down.

and something that happens a lot whenever Kinger tries to solve a problem, is that he almost always ends up making it worse, or just not changing anything at all. and he knows it. he's mentally confused, he doesn't remember things well, it's difficult for him to stay sane and rational, but even so, he knows when he did something "wrong" or something that he "shouldn't" have done. he knows when he doesn't help, he knows when he makes things worse.

in the heat of the moment, he may not be good at understanding that he messed up in some way because of his constant mental confusion, but when he has the time to breathe, when he can recap things, when he can get to his safe place, he knows. and he feels guilty about it. I'm sure he mighty also feels worthless, and feel like a burden, but that's me talking.

the conclusion of it all is that Kinger can be seen as a character with a generic plot, the typical silly character who actually has a sad past that justifies his actions, but he is more than that.

Kinger is not just silly, he is the person seen as insane. the person in the crew who is reduced to the point of being nothing more than someone who has already lost their mind, but whose body is somehow still there.

Kinger is someone extremely brave, and extremely considerate of the others he cares about. he may be seen as a comic relief for his sudden shrieks, gasps and shaky body, but inside his stormy mind, he keeps all his loved ones protected under an umbrella. despite forgetting events, or even forgetting how to act, he always remembers them.

whether it's asking where a friend is; thinking about a friend that usually ends up missing a part of the adventure; or remembering another friend's adjustment to the world they're in.

Kinger is theoretically the unstable, unpredictable person who cannot be relied on, the person people laugh at, feel sorry for, or think they never want to become someone like him.

and it's extremely significant to know that the effect Kinger has when he holds his breath is to glow.

it's incredible how this can also be linked to the fact that he's not afraid of the dark. it's interesting to see that the representation of the thing that keeps him alive, his breath, when held, makes him glow.

I believe this shows that Kinger is the light of those around him. despite being seen as insane and crazy, he is the only one who can light the path for those who fall into the vastness of darkness. and it shows that he is someone who would be willing to stop breathing to guide those he loves.

I may have gotten it all wrong, this is just an interpretation that is subject to change of opinion, but I definitely love the depth that Kinger's character has, and I love that we could learn a little more about him.

[starstruckmiraclekitty]

Hi!! So I'm really happy because I just went on my first actual date!! But I wanted to request the 141+Köing going on a first date with reader. Not even something fancy like a 5 start restaurant. Like we literally just went to a waffle house lol. But just reader and their man going on a silly little spontaneous late night date. Just reader not caring about where they go just wanting to be with them. That's all!! 🖤🖤

Ahh, ilysm and thanks as always for your requests🩵🩷🩵

141 + Konig First Date With Reader

Warnings: FLUFF, slight angst, swearing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simon Ghost Riley-

Simon was terrified for your first date. He couldn't believe that he'd had the nerve to finally ask you out, but the fact that you'd actually said yes? He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

He'd smooth over the nice pullover he bought at least a half dozen times and fiddled with his hair at least twice that amount before he finally built up the courage to knock on your front door

His heart nearly stopped in his chest as his eyes landed on you, all dolled up for your first date with him

He took you to a nearby farmers market that had multiple vendors for fresh foods. He'd remembered you'd told him once how much you adored little markets, and he thought this would be a perfect first date

He refused to let you pay for anything, and insisted on carrying all the bags of goodies you'd acquired throughout the night

You'd both be lying if you said it wasn't a little awkward at first. Simon wasn't one for small talk, and he found it hard to strike up a conversation

Once you got him on the topic of his love of dogs, though, Simon began to slowly open up to you, and conversations began to flow naturally with you

You stayed at the farmers market until well after it closed, as the conversations between the two of you deepened

Simon, who didn't want the night to end, suggested sitting in the bed of his truck to stargaze, and that's how the two of you ended your night

Simon also begged you to never tell anyone that he blushed like a mad man when you planted a soft kiss to his lips that night - he had a reputation to maintain afterall

For real, though, that man was PUTTY in your hands the second you opened your door that night

König-

König still struggles with terrible social anxiety, and it was a miracle in and of itself that he even asked you on a date in the first place

He was over the moon that you'd agreed, but now came the second hardest part for him....where would he take you?

This was a question that kept him up at night for days. It had to be somewhere that didn't look like he was trying too hard, but not somewhere where it looked like he didn't care

He'd finally settled on taking you to a cafe, one that had a built-in library, since he knew you loved books

He watched in admiration as you squealed in delight upon walking in, your eyes immediately landing on the vast array of books that lined the walls. He knew in that moment he made the right choice

König adorably insisted on buying you a coffee and treat, and made sure that you didn't leave the date without getting at least one of the books he knew you had your heart set on

He got to learn a lot more about you, and König was falling HARD. He started to pick up on your little quirks, some more of your likes and dislikes, and he ADORED the way your nose would scrunch up, and cheeks would burn red whenever he'd compliment you

Though his confidence grew throughout the date that night, he still stuttered, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously when he asked you for a second date

And not that he'd ever tell anyone, but he may or may not have called his grandma the second he got home- to tell her all about you

Johnny Soap MacTavish-

Johnny had thought he had it planned out down to the last second. He'd already gotten you to agree to go out with him, and he wanted to take you to a pub that he loved dearly near base for your first date.

Then...came Simon. He teased Johnny relentlessly, telling him that a pub was probably the last place you'd want to go to for a first date

He grew slightly panicked and tried to find anywhere that he thought would be more suitable for you, and for the life of him, he couldn't decide

Unable to settle on anything else, he took you to his favorite pub for the date, and poor boy was so nervous to see your reaction

The man swore he was going to marry you the second he saw the elated look on your face as you walked in

You both spent hours at the pub, your conversations ranging from what you wanted your futures to look like your hobbies, interests- and neither of you wanted it to end

The two of you ended up getting just a bit tipsy, and Johnny took it upon himself to take you to a nearby McDonald's telling you it'd help "absorb" some of the alcohol in your systems

He'd later tell you, though, years into dating, that it was because he just didn't want that night to end

John Price-

Price was very traditional for your first date. You two had just gotten back to base after a mission, and he finally felt like he was ready to make a move

He asked you if you'd accompany him to a newer restaurant that had just opened up near base, and it was a bit on the fancier side

John masked his nervousness well, but he was silently praying that the date went well. He was beyond smitten with you

The date went wonderfully, the two of you talking about anything and everything - Prices only rule being no talk of work, you two talked enough about that at work

He was a gentleman the entire night, pulling out your chair for you, opening the car door, and insisted that he walked you to your front door at the end of the night

He was elated to get to know you outside of the field, and he'd be lying if he didn't feel his heart melting at the thought of getting to take you out again

Wouldn't let you pay for the bill, but I wouldn't say no if you wanted to treat him to some dessert at your local ice cream shoppe

He may have broken his own of "no kissing on the first date" rule, not that he was complaining though

Kyle Gaz Garrick-

You and Kyle had been friends for years, always dancing around your obvious feelings for one another, when Kyle finally asked you out

Kyle spent hours in the kitchen the day of your first date, prepping small sandwiches and snacks for the picnic he planned for the two of you

When he came to pick you up, he had a bouquet of fresh cut flowers in his hand, and a contagious smile on his lips

He brought you to a nearby lake, and adorably set up the picnic he'd spent all day preparing

Insisted on serving you your dinner, and went as far as to unwrap the sandwiches for you, and unscrewed the lid of your drink

You swore you'd never laughed so hard in your life than you did on that date, and it was possibly one of the best days of both of your lives

Since you two had known each other for quite a while, conversation came easy for both of you

You both lost track of time, and ended up falling asleep together on the picnic blanket, and awoke the next morning tangled in each other's arms

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[scrubbinn]

Mimic HRT: month ??? “Fulfillment”

“Alright, see you later, Grace.”

 Floating in the void, Mayday waved as another headmate floated away into the ether. She had made a habit of communicating with her others during her time here. It was surprising how many there were here, how long she had been suppressing them. But here, with no one else to talk to… it was nice. Pleasant even.

“You like her, don’t you?” 

Laborer rested next to Mayday, the first one of them to reach out, Often getting into fights with her, but always trying to steer her onto a better path. Laborer didn’t really fit them anymore. More like a navigator.

“N-no! I mean… She’s cool, I guess… Shut up you nerd!”

Definitely like a sibling.

“So. What now?” They asked. “You've met all of us. At least, everyone that I know is here. You still want to stay here?”

Mayday thought for a moment. The image of a doorway back home came to mind. There probably was one somewhere, but it'd been so long since she stuffed herself in here. What was the outside world even like? Did anyone look for her? Did anyone ca-

“You're spiraling.”

Her mind halted as she processed the words. It still wanted to continue her thoughts, but there was something about the words coming from them that made her reconsider. They carried the tone of “of course I know what you're going through.” She decided that maybe she could just rest a bit first. 

“Does it ever get easier?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“No.” They spoke with a cheerful tone despite the topic. “Maybe for some, but not us, that's why we're here. To help ease the burden. But I know staying here, just because it's what you're used to, isn't helping. You know that too, don't you?”

“It's where I should be. I'll be a burden to everyone else if I leave. And you won't be there with me.”

“We will though.”

Mayday could feel the presence of her headmates grow closer. Her attention turned to the warmth of those around her. The friends and family that had always been there. Now finally visible to her. Despite such physical impossibilities of the void, it felt like a big hug from so many people. She found it hard to imagine this many people actually wanted her. She wanted to cry, but she had no tear ducts to show her joys and sorrows. Maybe she wasn't meant to stay in the void alone. Maybe she would come back here, but it wasn't nearing anytime soon.

“Maybe sounds like Mayday, that's probably why I'm so wishy-washy.”

A voice next to Mayday starts laughing. “Where the hell did that come from? That's the lamest attempt at sounding clever.”

Mayday laughs too. “I felt like being a bit silly.”

This was a new feeling for her. Completion? No. It was just happiness. Not the kind you have by playing games or going shopping, but the kind you're aware of, the kind you can hold onto and bring it close to your chest. The blanket of joy that lets someone sleep well at night. It was like sitting In a sunbeam.

“What if I end up doing something bad and hurting someone?”

The navigator spoke “You won't.”

“But what if I do something stupid, or I mess up, or I get worse and I end back here?

“You won't.” They chuckle at the reassurance.

“But how can you be sure!? I'm a monster, I might decide to abandon all of you.”

“You won't, and we won't leave you, we've been here. We've always been here. I don't know why we're here, or how long we'll stay, but we won't abandon you.”

“But, but… You could handle things so much better than me.”

“Mayday. This stopped being my story so long ago. It's yours. You're doing amazing.”

When Mayday opened her eyes, she was sitting in her room at THEMS, right in the middle of a sunbeam. She was back in Hyper city. At first she was terrified. Where were the others. Would she never be able to talk to them? But faintly, she heard the words in her mind. She calmed herself, breathing slowly. She checked her phone. Three months had passed since her trip. This was going to take some explaining to everyone.

Mimic HRT: Month 27 “The End”

“That's quite the story.” Dr.Gates spoke softly as the mimic in front of him had finished recounting her tales.

She had been appointed a therapist by Erian and Alexis after her runaway vacation. She didn't mind. It was probably about time, and all her previous doctors sucked.

He spoke again in a soft tone. “So, do you feel better recounting everything?”

“Yeah,” she spoke, matching his tone automatically. “It's helped us come to terms with what we are. Sort of.”

“Do you still have those nightmares?”

“...Yeah… I, don't think they're ever going to go away, but they don't panic us like they used to. Still the same dream: halfway through eating my friend's bodies, and any wounds start shapeshifting back into healthy flesh, then suddenly Miller, or Erian, or Abi crawls out of one of the bodies. I wake up eating my bed frame. At least they're over quick.”

Dr.Gates writes something down before speaking. “Abi appearing alongside Miller and Erian is new. Did something happen between the two of you?”

Mayday bites off a part of the couch she sat on. Dr.Gates didn't seem to mind.

“We broke up a while ago. Mutual. And we're still friends. Besties, even. But, between our transition, and explaining our plurality. She said she stopped recognizing us after a while. I guess I get it… Let's talk about something else, please.”

“Of course. Is there something else you wish to speak on?”

She sat and thought for a while, she didn't actually think of something else. Her confusion and frustration became apparent.

Dr.Gates interjected into her thought process. “How is your work with Erian going?”

Mayday perks up. “It's going great! I mean, we're still looking for new clients, but besides that, we're looking into new ways to support therians with detailed timelines of what their treatment will look like, and actual documents with guides, procedures, and resources for those starting their journeys. There's a lot. I, er, we want to create the tools we never had for everyone that comes after us.”

“That's quite a noble task, I look forward to hearing your progress on it.” 

He quickly checked his watch after a small beep came from it.

“Our time is almost up, one last thing before you go though. I want to ask for your progress on what we've talked about last time, with how you see yourself.”

Mayday couldn't help but let out a sigh. That's what most of her journey was, slowly accepting what she was, all of the struggles that came with it.

“I think…” She spoke softly. “I think it's really easy to blame yourself when things go wrong for being who you are. Although some of my problems were my fault. But… maybe that's what therapy is. Learning to not blame everything on yourself. It sounds like basic kid's morals, when I put it like that. I think we just lose sight of it easily… I'm a mimic. What that says about me, how I act, how I see myself, how I see the other parts of me, it doesn't matter anymore. I like being a mimic. Faults and all.”

The polar bear smiles. “A very nice thought, Mayday. I think that will end today's session. I'll see you next week.”

Mayday smiles back. “See you around.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Start - Prev

Thank you to @ashen-vulture for letting us use the character of Dr.Gates

So yeah, This is the final chapter of Mimic HRT. It was originally going to be posted on Friday, but after hearing about Dragon HRT, we decided to wait until now. What does this mean for this blog? Well, you might have noticed it took about a month between the previous chapter and now. We've been busy. With friends, work, studying, and learning to draw and code in RenPy, we've been busy.

So here's the new project! We're going to start working on an Animal HRT visual novel. Obviously this projects will take a while, but we will still be writing smaller stories for this blog in the meantime.

Hope all of you enjoyed Mimic HRT. Thank you for all sticking with this series. Love yall lots, and see you for the next project.

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Mention list: @a-shramp, @calliecwrites, @be702, @respectfulevil, @hyacinthdoll1315

@aster-is-confused, @bloodandbrandywyne, @glitchgloop, @nyxthewary, @lunadook

@celestemysterios, @i-am-trans-gwender, @reliablegal, @bookmothic-dyke, @fluffytransfemkittykatwitch

[bella-rose29]

Deck the Halls (and not your partner) - part 7

the mistletoe scene I have to give credit to the lovely @novelizt because of this post

this is basically just 3.5k words of fluff to make up for all the pain I put you through the last two parts

Word count: 3.5k

Warnings: swearing, making out (it's happening people, but also it's mildly in detail so for the one tiny paragraph feel free to skip if you're either not comfortable with it or not old enough), Will asks the important questions (both sensible and not), brief mentions of self-esteem issues? lockwood is a bit silly at the end, actually they both are

series master list

(why does he look like this :3 😭)

"What?" Y/n breathed. She wasn't entirely sure that she'd heard Lockwood correctly.

"I said that I think I've fallen for you."

He looked so sincere, his eyes more vulnerable than she had ever seen them before, and Y/n felt her heart constrict in her chest.

"You..."

"I know, I know." He rubbed his hand over his face, turning to lean back against the window. The mistletoe still hung at his side in his other hand.

"But you were horrible to me! From the very start!"

"I know. I was awful to you that first night and my only excuse is that I was exhausted and in desperate need of my bed, which I know isn't good enough. And then when you came in for your interview I just didn't want to be the one responsible if anything happened to you - wait, that came out wrong. You walked into the doorframe, Y/n. I was worried that you'd hurt yourself on a job, and I didn't want to get too attached to you in case that happened and you got injured or hospitalised or worse and I couldn't do anything to stop it. When I saw how easily the others took to you I knew that I was doomed," he let out a laugh, shaking his head. Y/n hoped he realised how ridiculous he sounded. "I know that doesn't excuse my actions, Y/n, but I meant what I said about that job we took in March. I really thought I wouldn't get there in time and I was terrified."

"Lockwood... you can't just... say that! I mean, you have said some genuinely horrible things to me and now you're saying that you - you what? That you-"

"I don't know!" he cried, filled with exasperation. "Alright? I don't know how else to describe it! I don't know if how I feel is love because I've never felt like this before, but I do know that I care about you far more than I should given I'm your boss, and I really don't know what would happen to me if you got seriously hurt, alright?" He was out of breath, cheeks flushed as he looked at her, and Y/n felt her own face heating up at his admission.

"Okay, okay," she said quietly, still processing everything he'd said. They stayed there for a few minutes, both leaning back against the windows as they tried to figure out what the hell they were going to do now. "I don't..." Y/n broke off with a sigh. She needed to phrase this right or they would be in even deeper shit than they were before. "I don't think I can just... forgive you, Lockwood. You have a lot - and I mean a lot - of grovelling to do to make up for how you've treated me these last few years." He nodded frantically, hope starting to shine in his eyes.

"Anything," he said. "Anything at all." She knew that he meant it.

"And I want to go on more cases if I'm staying at the company, because you can't just keep me behind because you think I'll walk into a doorframe."

"Done." He paused for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something else. "But you have-"

"Nope! No protests, thank you!" He stopped talking immediately, looking rather like a lost puppy as he gazed at her. "No more hating each other, either, although I feel like that's a given. And the first date had better be fucking incredible, alright?"

"... First... date?"

"Yeah, keep up, Schmoopie." She couldn't deny how her heart lifted at the sight of Lockwood looking so happy, and when he grinned her responding smile was involuntary.

"Wait... so do you... you know. How do you feel, about..." he waved his hands vaguely in the air, then accidentally hit himself in the face with the mistletoe. "Shit, I think that went in my eye. I forgot I was holding that," he grumbled, and Y/n didn't bother biting back her snort. He sent her a glare, but there was only amusement behind it.

"I don't really know, Lockwood."

"Anthony."

"What?"

"If we're going to start dating I'd much rather you called me Anthony." He blushed and went quiet as he looked out the window. "I like it better when you call me Anthony anyway. Sorry, I uh, I interrupted you."

"Oh, no, that's... that's alright. Uh... yeah. Like you said, I don't know how to describe it. I know that it really hurt me when you said that you wouldn't ever feel the same way, and I guess I just didn't want to admit to myself that I care about you a lot too because you were such a huge arsehole to me-"

"Yes, got it, sorry again."

"-but I do care about you, Anthony. A lot. And honestly that does annoy me because I'm pretty sure I've liked you since we met because I did think you were really gorgeous, except then you were really rude and-"

"Wait wait wait wait wait," he exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him. "You think that I'm gorgeous?"

Now it was Y/n's turn to feel her face heat up, and she swatted at his hands. "I did, yeah. Then you opened your mouth."

"Oh."

"Yeah." She waited a moment, then spoke again. "If you must know, I still think you're gorgeous," she muttered, and Anthony lit up, a smug smile landing on his face. Surprisingly she'd missed them, and while she still felt the burning flames in her body at the sight of that stupid smirk, it was no longer hatred.

He stepped forward a little (only a little, since they were back to being incredibly close to each other) and held the mistletoe in both of his hands. "Your grandma Jean gave it to me," he said. "She told me we might need it because it used to be a symbol of peace, and if people met under it they had to stop fighting." They both had been looking down at the plant, but when Anthony lifted his head so did she, and her breath caught in her throat at the look in his eyes.

"So you want to kiss me again?"

"I mean, I wouldn't be entirely opposed to that, if you're offering."

"Really? Really, Anthony?" Her tone was joking, but she felt him move back almost imperceptibly when she didn't immediately agree to it, and her heart skipped a beat when she realised he was waiting for her permission.

"Well I can't kiss you if we aren't under it, can I? So I don't know what you're so worried about, darling."

"Better try and catch me then if you want a kiss," she teased, and leapt away a second later.

"We're running now? When we've just had a huge meal?" He stepped forward anyway, and Y/n laughed with pure joy when he started chasing her around the room, attempting to catch her but just missing every time. Finally she tripped, catching her foot on the corner of the bed, and Anthony swept her into his arms to stop her from hitting the floor. Instead they hit the mattress, Y/n landing on her back and Anthony on top of her, his arms bracing his body while he still clutched the mistletoe in his left hand. They were both breathing heavily from the last five minutes of running and laughing, and now their faces were so close together that they were essentially kissing already.

Anthony held up the mistletoe over their heads the best he could while simultaneously not collapsing on Y/n, and he raised his eyebrows at her. "May I kiss you, darling?" She couldn't speak, so she nodded instead, and within a second his mouth was on hers, somehow better than it had been the first time. It was tentative and small, and he pulled back to flick his gaze between her eyes and her lips. It had left her breathless despite how short it had been, and before she could think they were crashing into each other with the same passion as they had the night before, her hands lifting to grab his hoodie and his hair in desperation. At some point Anthony dropped the mistletoe to move his hand to her waist and bring her closer to him.

There was nothing but him, nothing but the weight of his body on top of hers and his hands touching her and his tongue in her mouth, and then he was pulling back for air and she was chasing after his lips, and he was smiling down at her like she was the only thing that mattered.

For whatever reason, they started laughing, Anthony dropping his head to nestle in the crook of her neck while Y/n wrapped her arms around his torso to bring him impossibly closer.

"So... does this mean I can call you my girlfriend?" he asked, hope making him light up like the Christmas tree they had in the living room.

"Yes, Anthony, you can call me your girlfriend," she laughed, and it turned into a snort when he got up and did a celebratory dance. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"Oh, believe me darling, I am fully aware."

~~~

"Hey, Squeak. You alright?"

Y/n had been sitting in the library, staring out the window at the snow that had started falling while she tried to concentrate on the book in her hands. Anthony had been called into the living room by her parents, and they'd parted with a not-so-small kiss just out of view of her family. Will had apparently managed to find her, and was settling into the opposite side of the window seat that she was occupying. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno. You seemed a bit... off. At dinner. Is everything alright with you and Lover Boy?"

"Oh," her face burned at the memory of what had happened barely twenty minutes ago. "Yeah, we're all good." She awkwardly sent him a thumbs up, her smile more of a grimace than anything else, and Will looked unconvinced.

"What's really going on, Y/n/n? Because if I need to beat him up-"

"NO! No, don't... don't beat up my boyfriend, please." It felt weird calling Anthony her boyfriend now, despite it being more real than it ever had been before. "Really, we're fine."

"Fine? You're fine? What did you two talk about upstairs? Because I'm pretty sure I heard shouting."

"We were just..." At the look on her brother's face she trailed off, and glanced at the door to make sure it was closed. "What exactly did Mum say when she got off the phone with me a few days ago?"

"What do you mean?"

"When she told people that I had a boyfriend, what did she say? How did you find out?"

"Mum went into the kitchen to take your call because we were all in here playing board games, and then we heard her shout 'You have a boyfriend?!' and Linda went to investigate, and then you turned up with Lover Boy."

"And are you sure that Mum wasn't just... making it up for some reason?"

"Why would she make it up?"

"Because I didn't have a boyfriend, Will."

"But... if you don't have a boyfriend then why the hell are you making out with your boss?"

"We are not making out!"

"Sure. But when you kissed yesterday under that mistletoe," he pointed to where it hung over the library door, "I definitely saw tongue."

"WILL!" She picked up the nearest pillow and chucked it at his head, then hid her face behind her book. "Oh my god, this is not happening."

"Ok, but that still doesn't answer my question," he said after half-heartedly throwing the pillow back at her. "If you didn't have a boyfriend, then why is your boss here saying that you're dating?"

"Because I made him. We actually can't stand each other. Or, we couldn't. We made up. Ugh, this is complicated. We have hated each other for about three years and then when Mum said very loudly that I was bringing my boyfriend to Christmas in front of Linda I didn't have much of a choice but to bring someone or face utter humiliation. Apparently nobody wanted to go to the middle of the countryside for three days with a complete stranger and pretend to be her boyfriend so I had to ask Anthony because George was already busy, and honestly I think we did a pretty good job of hiding the fact that we hated each other."

"And the shouting was you making up? Or were you angrily making out?"

"Will! Fuck's sake! Making up. I did tell him he's got a lot of grovelling to do, but now we're actually together."

"So you did make out."

"What's with the weird obsession about whether or not I'm making out with him?"

"I just like making you uncomfortable. That's my job."

"Well quit your job and get a different one." They sat in silence for a while, just staring out the window at the dark landscape. Although she knew that Will couldn't see them, she still pointed out the few ghostly figures that she saw. Her Sight wasn't nearly as good as Anthony's when she wasn't using her Touch, but she could still make out the glowing shapes in the fields.

"While we're on the topic of jobs... I'm guessing you're not leaving the company anymore," he said after a while.

"What?" she asked, startled by his words. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you at dinner, Squeak. You said you were gonna leave the company. I didn't hear anything else 'cause Nanna Jean was talking to me about her garden again for like, the eighth time today, but when I heard you say that... I dunno. You love your job, and I didn't think there was anything that would make you leave it."

"I wouldn't have stopped being an agent, I would have just moved company. He said a lot of mean things, and in fairness I said some horrible shit too, but he's not got that much power over me."

"Squeak... are you sure you wanna be dating him? If he hurt you so bad that you wanted to leave the company then I don't know if it's the best idea," Will frowned, concern in every inch of his body.

"I know. If he fucks this up then I am leaving. Properly. Because I know that it's not... ugh, I don't know. I was just tired of not being treated in the same way that he treated the others, and he's explained why he was like that, and he was weirdly similar to a puppy when he apologised - not that that convinced me to date him, by the way - and I really hurt him too, over the years."

"Just... out of interest... what exactly did you say to each other that made you start hating each other this much?"

"I was walking back from a solo case, walked into him, apologised, stepped on his shoes, and he told me that he'd just bought them in the most stuck-up voice I had ever heard and it pissed me off." Will stared at her.

"That's... it?"

"To be fair I then went for an interview at his company, didn't realise it was him, and the moment I walked in he went 'we don't want agents like you' or something, so... you know!"

"Okay... that's still not a lot though. You really started what, three years of hatred based on... on that?"

"Well, when you put it that way it sounds stupid, but-"

"No, no 'buts', missy," Will said, waggon his finger at her. "It is just plain stupid. Did you actually hurt each other or were you too busy being idiots?"

"In fairness I really struggle with keeping up to other peoples' standards, alright?! And it did hurt that nothing I did ever seemed to be enough to make him like me!"

"With the way he was talking about you, he definitely likes you. And thinks you're good enough. You have nothing to worry about there, that's for sure." Y/n flushed at Will's words, thinking back to what she'd overheard Anthony say in this same room the day before.

"So explain to me your feelings on this? Because I feel like you went through every emotion known to man just now."

"I initially thought you two were great together because you're a lot more confident in yourself when he's around, then you told me you weren't together and I was incredibly confused, then you told me that you hated each other and I was even more confused, then you told me that you are actually together now and I was happy, and then you told me that he was horrible to you and I wanted to beat him up, and then you told me that you stepped on his shoes and that's why you hate each other and I was confused again. Make sense?"

"Just about. It wasn't just me stepping on his shoes that-"

"Nope!" Will turned his head away, lifting his hand out in front of him to stop her. "I don't want to hear anymore of this silliness, thank you very much!"

"But it-"

"Nope!" Will pushed forward, grabbing the pillow that he had earlier thrown back to Y/n and whacked her around the head with it. "Nope, nope, nope!" Each 'nope' was punctuated with another hit, and Y/n barely had time to pick up the other pillow and fight back before he was swinging again.

~~~

"Hey," Y/n whispered to Anthony as she came over. He had been sat in the loveseat again (he was almost completely certain that Y/n's family were leaving it specifically for the two of them to use, since her five siblings were squished up on one of the sofas most of the time), and he put down his mug of tea to help her sit comfortably.

"Hi," he whispered back, immediately wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back to curl into him. She brought her legs up to hook over his and was turned sideways in the seat, her head nestling into his shoulder. He picked up his tea again and was about to take a sip when Will burst into the living room, board game in hand and a slightly crazed look in his eyes.

"We're playing Yahtzee! Everybody take a sheet, you don't have a choice in this!"

"Is this the one you're terrible at?" Anthony asked, speaking quietly into Y/n's ear, and he chuckled when she slapped his arm.

"You can't be terrible at Yahtzee, Anthony, it's a fucking dice game. It's based on luck, idiot."

"Oh, right, silly me. I meant charades. That one you are truly awful at."

"Just because you get really into it and put on ridiculously large hats doesn't mean I'm awful at it," she responded indignantly. "Also, by the way, the use of props is against the rules of charades, so technically you've lost every single one you've done."

"I have not!" he jokingly started, putting on an accent and pretending to be mad. "I am the best at charades! How dare you accuse me of- mmph!" Y/n shut him up by pressing a kiss to his lips, and while he sat there for a moment with his eyes wide open and his posture incredibly tense, he quickly relaxed into it. He still wasn't used to kissing her, and he didn't think that he ever would be, and when she pulled away a few seconds later he was left to chase after her mouth while she giggled.

"Sure, whatever makes you happy, Ant." That was another thing he'd never get used to. The way she said his name. He didn't think he'd heard anything sweeter, and then she was laughing at something one of her family members had said and he realised that he would spend his whole life documenting which of all the things she did was the most heavenly.

"You're what makes me happy, darling," he mumbled, not expecting her to hear. She looked round at him, surprise on her face. He thought she might say something nice in response, but instead when she opened her mouth something else came out.

"You are so cheesy, Anthony Lockwood."

"I'm just getting started, darling. Like you said, I have a lot of grovelling to do. I hope you're ready for how cheesy I can be." Y/n wrinkled her nose in disgust, but the wide grin on her face gave her away.

"That sounded weird," she said, and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her nose. He shrugged in response.

"You're just going to have to get used to it, I'm afraid."

"Good. Hopefully you'll finish all the grovelling needed by the time you're about thirty, then."

"I'm grovelling every second of every day if it means I get to keep you near me, darling," he replied, and he revelled in the flush that crept up her neck. He accepted his score sheet from Will (who was getting very serious about the game, making sure that nobody would be cheating by using loaded dice), and took a sip of tea.

Then he nearly spat it out when he fully registered what Y/n had said.

"Thirty?!"

part 8

Tag list (once more hoping that this is everyone): @ahead-fullofdreams, @aislinrayne, @anathemaloren, @anthgoldenhrry, @augustisintheair, @avdiobliss, @aysha4life, @bobbys-not-that-small, @briar-rose23, @curseofhecate, @dangelnleif, @edible-rat-vomit, @el-de-phi, @ell0ra-br3kk3r, @ettadear, @fearlessmoony, @fudosl, @idkbubs, @imaginebeingmentallystable, @informedimagining, @karensirkobabes, @lady-ashfade, @light-23, @locklyebrainrot, @locklyle1kanij, @locknco, @magicandrosewaters, @mentallyillsodapop, @mischivana, @mitskiswift99, @mrsklockwood, @mrsyixingunicorn10, @newbooksmell777, @no-morning-glories, @novelizt, @phlooper, @ran23sblog, @reggiepeterss, @simrah1012, @somethingrandomwatzit, @star-of-velaris, @superpositvecloudshipper, @t2sh0, @taygrls, @tournesol77, @whistle1whistle, @whenselenefallsinlove, @wordsarelife, @y0urm0m12

let me know if you want to be added to/removed from the tag list! <3

[fisheito]

*rings the service bell* hi um i was wondering.. if there's any yakumo temperature play in here? sounds silly but i only realised after i circled the building a few times... that i haven't seen it at all. Seems to be common practice, actually- to not have it. i've visited several other buildings and there's been no sight of it.

which is... strange? if i think about it, it's surprising that i haven't encountered it yet! it sort of makes sense to have them together, you know? considering that temperature is so vital to a snake's perception of the world. and how sensitive reptiles are to temperature fluctuations.

so there's a lot of control to be had here. can you imagine controlling someone's energy level just by adjusting the thermostat? er- well, i guess we already do that. but imagine you put yakumo in an ice bath and he immediately falls asleep. brumation happens instantly now, sorry. and the only way to snap him out of it is to stick a flaming dildo up his ass

what?. no, i mean, restore his regular energy level with a soft warm-up. a heated blanket and a gentle steam. hahaha.

people plunge themselves into ice water before jumping into hot tubs and vice versa- for fun! they do this recreationally!! they call it a "spa treatment" and pay a premium for it! what's wrong with giving yakumo a spa treatment? who are we to deprive him of such sensory luxury?

i'm JUST SAYING that since he naturally gravitates toward heat, you could put him in a hurt AND comfort scenario he could be naked and cold, banished to the distant corner of the room.. but when you offer him a source of warmth, whether that be a hot rock or a warm hand or 20 lit candles suspended above him dripping wax on him at random intervals,,, wouldn't he have a tough time turning down your generosity?

i mean, he certainly would if he was tied up.

see, here's the other thing i cannot quite comprehend-- it's that--- how has a snake yokai not featured bondage scenes yet? i guess there was that one time with the.. hm. no, we shan't talk about the cellar. besides, ONLY ONE TIME is unacceptable for a sentient rope!! although yakumo would love to wrap up his prey and squeeze the cum out of em, i feel like we're missing out on a lot by not OutSnaking the Snake. tie up and restrain the Restrainer. it's just a liiiiittle step farther than putting him in a pillowcase! so mild!!!!

here's a guy who is always worried about losing control/// about being free to wreak havoc on his loved ones, despite his best intentions. so how about we give him a moment of peace? a moment where he believes he's subdued and unable to cause harm? just tie him up! keep him under TIGHT lock and key. (or some nice soft cloths for his sensitive skin, if we're being nice.) honestly, his brain will do the rest of the work. even if he's not truly incapacitated, his desire to BE So can fill the gaps in any questionable knotwork.

while he's half in the prison of his mind and half in the confines you've created for him, take some time to squeeze some whimpers out of him. although it pains me to cover up those soggy eyes, a blindfold may be an intriguing option. is yakumo the type of snake to rely on heat vision? WHY NOT FIND OUT! (if he's not terrified at his loss of sight, then i guess his pit organs are functioning . in which case, the blindfold doesn't really need to stay on. if he IS terrified and feels the loss of visuals acutely, this would be an excellent opportunity to soak in his panic. just for a bit though. we're not so cruel. guide him back with a warm touch. see? playing with fire temperature contrasts can bring such relief!)

maybe i'm getting ahead of myself. i don't expect yakumo temperature play to show up WITH bondage , why- that would be asking a lot, right?

but the basics are simple enough, yes? give the wretched creature the comforting warmth he wants, then perhaps inch closer to something bordering uncomfortable? Too Much? have him seek out what he craves, only to be burned (metaphorically and/or literally) if he indulges himself too much? oops! someone's become a slave to their senses!

i'm just saying that the sensory perception of yokai vs kink is (relatively) unknown territory. if temperature play already messes with humans, what could it possibly do to yakumo? he could experience it in facets unknown to others.-=- to levels others are incapable of appreciating---- like someone with synesthesia who can experience music with another layer of enjoyment.

if you give a snake ice cream, followed by a hot piece of meat [unknown origin], it'll really make him aware of the contrast, hmm??????

anyway. sorry about that. i'm not super clear on the specifics of it all. i just thought it peculiar that i haven't seen the yaku-hot-cold-sensitivity-finagling. out there, in here, nowhere as far as i've seen..

...or is it located in a part of the building i overlooked? if so, could you direct me there? i would really appreciate it.

if you don't have it after all, that's ok. i'll keep a careful watch now that i know what i'm looking for. maybe it's one of those things where, once i actively search for it, i'll notice it everywhere! wouldn't that be delightful!

with that, i guess i'll be on my way. thanks for your patience. yeah, i hope i find it too. have a good one!!

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hello hello friendo! I was wondering if I could request a Wally x wolf puppet reader? the scenario being that the other neighbors are afraid of R (reader) no matter what due to them looking like a big 'bad' wolf, R's appearance is quite frightful; stitches in a few places along with big teeth and claws plus they are on the large size (roughly Barnaby's size, if not a bit shorter). While on the outside they look all mean they are actually really sweet and just want to make friends.

"Do you think I'm doing something wrong, Wally? 'cuz I feel...unwanted here."

"No, no. You've done nothing wrong, Neighbor! What made you think of such silly things?"

"...well everyone's still acting like I'm gonna eat them for breakfast."

"Breakfast?? Why, that's nonsense. Breakfast is composed of bacon, eggs, juice, and toast..not people!"

"Uh, that was just a....nevermind." Sighing, you shook your head as you gave up trying to explain the idiom to Wally. But having this conversation with him over the phone did manage to cheer you up a little.

How you wished it was this easy talking to the rest of the neighbors, though they were all absolutely terrified of you and would've hung up the second they heard your voice.

Fortunately, Wally had recently learned a valuable lesson from Barnaby, who told him that he should never "judge a book by its cover". And he lived by that philosophy every time a newcomer came to town, whether they stayed or left.

You were no exception despite being a rather frightening-looking wolf with large sharp teeth, untrimmed claws, and stitches all over your body that made you look like a zombie. Of course, your clothes covered most of them, yet they didn't fully hide all of the things your neighbors were afraid of.

Of course, it didn't help that you're the child of The Big Bad Wolf...but you're nothing like him! You're not deceptive or evil in any way; all you wanted to do was make new friends.

But that was tough to prove when someone screamed if you so much as smiled at them.

Poppy was understandable, given she was a bird who already had some anxiety issues to begin with. And Barnaby was alright since you're both tall canines (and even then, he was still the taller one). He tolerated your presence and can stand being in the same room as you.

As for Julie, Eddie, Frank, Sally, and Howdy....you unintentionally scared them out of their wits.

For instance, you visited Howdy's bugdega for the first time to get groceries, and he ducked behind the register as you approached. The poor guy sounded like he was in tears as he stuttered that everything was free of charge.

Back then you thought he was having a bad day..but even outside of work, he seldom talked to you out of fear.

How naïve were you..

At least you had Wally, though, considering he's able to have normal chats with you both on the phone and in person. He still kept his joyful tone when speaking to you, and when you left he'd turn around to scold the others for "overreacting".

Honestly, he was growing tired of them treating you this way and not taking his advice. No neighbor deserved to feel so unwelcomed.

You weren't scary at all! He'll prove it!

And now he finally got an idea that he believed would work.

"Say, [y/n]..whatdya think about coming with me to the park?" He suggested. "I'm organizing a little painting lesson, and at the end we're all gonna paint something we like! If everyone's there and sees us getting along, they'll finally see how nice you really are!"

"You think so?" Your ears perked up, a small smile forming on your face as your tail began lightly wagging, thumping against the furniture.

While you haven't done any art since settling into the community, this hangout seemed to be a good place to sharpen your skills and, hopefully, make some friends. If they saw you indulging in a passion, you'll be able to connect with them more.

"Yup! I think it'll work! So are you in or out?"

"I'm in."

"Great! See you in an hour!"

Your smile dropped. "Wait, it's toda-?"

However, you didn't get the chance to finish as you heard the 'click' on the other end, realizing he hung up. You sighed and hung up your phone, too.

The thought of seeing everybody at the park so soon had you feeling anxious all over again, but you tried shaking off your worries, not wanting them to deter you from going. You couldn't disappoint Wally after how hopeful he sounded.

So instead you focused on making lunch for yourself before packing some art supplies together, finding a canvas or sketchbook to bring with you.

And about an hour later, you were fully prepared.

'It'll be fine..Wally's gonna be there..' You told yourself, taking a few deeps breaths, heading out the door with your head held high.

Surely, the neighbors will finally change their mind about you once they see that you shared a similar hobby as them..

Right?

.......

It turns out you were wrong.

As Wally hosted his painting lesson in the park, going over how to paint different figures and scenes step-by-step...most of the gang could barely focus on what he was saying.

Instead, their eyes were anxiously fixated on you as you tried ignoring them and listened to his words. Whenever you made direct eye contact with any of them, they'd quickly look away and shudder, their hands shaking as they pretended to paint or draw.

They kept their canvases close to their chest, as though you were gonna pounce and tear it to shreds if they let their guard down.

Obviously, Wally took notice of this fast and would ask them questions about what he just said, his smile slowly turning into a frown as some stuttered out answers..while others just didn't catch it the first time around.

You only expected this, although you did manage to impress everybody with your scenery of a moonlit sky after accomplishing the final task of painting something you liked.

But it wasn't enough for Wally. They only complimented you because they were scared you'll get angry if they said the wrong thing...he could just tell by their shifty gazes.

They're just pretending.

After everybody eventually left for home, as the sun was going down, you stayed in the park with Wally. He was still sitting motionless on the same flat rock, having already put his supplies away.

You frowned as you approached him, not knowing what's gotten into him lately

Of course this hangout wasn't going to immediately make you everybody's best friend, but you didn't think he'd be this upset.

If anything it should have been you who was upset, though you believed things went quite well considering nobody ran away from you this time around.

Unfortunately, Wally begged to differ, given how he hasn't spoken a word to you since everyone else left.

"Wally?" Crouching down in front of him, you tilted your head. "What's wrong?"

"...I don't get it."

"..look, it's okay-" You went to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, only for him to suddenly look up at you with frustration in his wide eyes. Even his pupils seemed to tremble as he spoke.

"No, it's not okay. I-I..I know they can't help it but..I thought they trusted me, Neighbor. I planned all of this so they could stop being scared of you! And yet...they..." He trailed off, fingers trembling as they curled into his pants. "They're never gonna change...are they?"

"They can. They just need some more time." You tried to reason, yet he shook his head.

"But how much longer will it be until y--?" He started, but quickly stopped upon seeing the flashes of concern in your eyes, shrinking away.

"...until I what, Wally?"

"........"

"Are you...scared that I might leave one day?" You finally connected the dots. "Is that why you're so upset over all of this?"

Given his silence as he looked back down at the ground, that basically confirmed your answer.

Now it all made sense.

"Oh, buddy.." You hugged him close, feeling him flop against you as he rested his head on your fluffy chest. "You don't have to worry about that. It's gonna take a lot more than just a few skittish people to kick me out."

"But..you're so nice...and I don't know why they can't see that.." He mumbled, slowly hugging you back. "I swear I've tried everything-"

"You don't have to do anything more, Wally. I appreciate what you've done, but..you don't need to be stressed for my sake. I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll even pinky promise it for ya."

After a long silence you felt him nod, and you smiled, relieved that he trusted you.

Soon you let each other go and made that pinky promise, sealing the deal. You could see that lifted a huge burden off his shoulders--one you didn't even realize he was trying to carry this whole time--as his own smile returned.

"C'mon. It's getting late. I'll walk ya back home." You suggesting, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

"Haha..that's usually my job, Neighbor." The blue-haired puppet chuckled as he fixed up his messy pompadour. "But thank you. I'll take up your kind offer!"

[crayonsquadlilac]

I had to scribble out his ending dialogue. I just couldn't lose this image i had in my head, of this poor charachter who tried his best still (for lack of a better word) dying, and not screaming or crying when it's happening but instead saying this and then gently apologizing, like it's his fault, and that's the last he ever says. I think this scene's gonna stick with me for a while.

I'm actually so sick about him like god like "I've wasted my whole life hiding, I think I should try saying hello." God. Me when the character is kind and well meaning and funny and silly and yet tragic by nature. Me when the character never gets the good ending they deserved (in a well written way.). What the Hell. God

Super Ultra Rambling under the readmore if you're curious about my elaborate Thoughts;

Ik is my favorite charachter because he is very silly and my best friend ever in the world but also because of the Tragedies. He's a person used to fear, a people pleaser, who let mr. Sob manipulate him and turn his hotel into something he never wanted, simply pretending it was still the same, who spends the whole game trying so hard to keep you in high spirits and unworried even when he himself is terrified. Someone who cares too much and tries so hard and probably never even gave nearly as much to himself as he did to others. Even at the end, as he describes to you all the horrors that unfolded on earth, he makes jokes and quips and keeps up his goofy manner of speaking despite the information clearly disturbing him.

When he tells you the story of his death, he never once mentions anything about how sad it is, and if you respond with "I'm sorry," he says like basically "oh it's fine," before hesitating with a concerned look on his face. His death may be something he avoids thinking about a lot.

And describing him, i can't help but relate to him, understand him, perhaps that's why I am so Insane about him right now.

I think this game is about, no matter what happens, at the end of it all it will still be the end. It may even end sooner than you'd expect. The human race before dying out solved all their problems and created a perfect world, Ik tried hard to do good and make people happy, Mr. Sob gained his own twisted control over many souls of the afterlife, you the player just kept going onward as much you could, but they all came to the same unceremonious end. I suppose it all matters on your perspective- do you focus on the ending, or how you got there?

When Ik tells you about his death, he describes how he saw the stars, and the view of his town from all the way high up, how he stopped and looked for a long time. But he couldn't stay forever, he had to keep moving. I think that's the part that mattered most. Even in so terrible a situation, he got something beautiful out of it. And like i guess part of the game is, "we can't stop what's coming, there's no use hiding, so we may as well face it with a smile and a greeting." Or maybe more like "the time will pass anyways" type of thing. If that makes sense.

I've seen some people interpret the Morning as everyone is brought to a final resting place peacefully. And of course, it's wide open for everyone to interpret it however, but for me personally I thiiiink Ik was probably right about it being the end of time. The thing seemed a little bit too obliterating-you-type-deal in the final cutscene. All the humans are dead and it's time for their afterlife to go too now. Maybe it's to make room for something that'll replace us, or to start over from scratch with everything, but for all the human souls, it's the end.

Maybe the sole survivor of all existence is Shrimp, in the afterlife, always running from the Morning, wandering for eternity. Which i say to be silly but also that would be really sad actually. He'd be alone... he'd get hungry and there'd be no one there to feed him lounge chairs and tables and glass vases..... poor shrimp..........

I don't know if it would have been better or worse if you could just find his abandoned collar on the ground somewhere before that last lantern. Probably worse actually. Yeah no I'm glad that's not a thing. I'm sorry for saying that.

But anyway, what a damn good game. I'm sad it didn't get more attention when it came out, it feels like such a passion project. I feel bad for only finding out it exists recently. I'll try my best with telling all my friends to play it too though. Cause like oh man. Good god. It made me laugh, it made me scared, and now it's made me cry, drawing and typing this post. It's a thinker. I love existential wonder in media, but this one is more like, existential indifference or something. but it doesn't feel cynical at all, i don't know. I like it a lot. Putting it right up there with my favorites.

also actually nevermind fuck all that noise good ending where the morning never comes and they just wander the woods forever together yippee wahoo!! who needs themes and messages and meanings !!!! when The Characters could be happy !!!!!!!

jtjfjfjdhdjskfskdkdsfdhdhsfjcjdhfhshsfhd everything is fine i am Fine definitely not Crying More why would you think that

[allwormdiet]

Shell 4.10

Certainly nothing bad is happening now, right

So this is like, a pain bomb? Like instead of melting you or turning you into sand it just makes everything hurt? That's. Man. Fucking Bakuda, that's nuts.

Honestly I think there was some deliberate fun had in defining what kinds of things could be done with Tinker explosives, and I'm glad Wildbow had fun playing with that but also owwwww

This is creative! And horrifying

God she's so fucking vicious, she's really good at the whole "villain" thing for real

@victoriadallonfan said on Discord that a point of contrast between facing down Glory Girl and facing down Bakuda is that like, against GG Taylor is able to think to herself "oh holy shit she's terrifying," but here Taylor doesn't even have the time or breath to acknowledge it, it's just been shock and horror and the animal need to escape death, and it's a really good insight into how these fights are already escalating

Ahh, I see Bakuda is making one of the classic blunders: underestimating Taylor Hebert where she can hear you

God, I can only imagine how fucked up it must be to hear your voice sound so weak

Meanwhile, time to bully the antagonist about fucking up at college

...I wonder how many fights in this story are gonna come down to head games and psychological warfare instead of pure combat? If you can't beat em, bully em into a nervous breakdown? That probably wouldn't work against an Endbringer but who the fuck knows right

(Obviously the people who've finished this novel know, but shh)

Fuck, I keep getting distracted by the Bomberman costume but it's not even silly anymore, it's just absurd, she's still so fucking scary

I hope to fucking god we never see Bakuda's 227, this sounds fucking heinous

And she loves it too, she thinks it's the funniest shit she's ever pulled

What the fuck happened to you, Bakuda? How much of this is you before you got powers and how much of this is because you can make enough bombs to level a city? Did you get here on your own, or did someone fail you too?

Imagine you have your enemies on the ropes and one of them, sprawled out on the ground and wracked with full-body pain, manages to stab you in the fucking foot and cut off the toes you needed to activate your inventions. Like obviously it hurts like a motherfucker and your plans are ruined but also how the fuck did she know to do that? Was it luck? Did she figure out how you were activating the bombs? How?

Not to sound too much like I have sympathy for Bakuda, she's been really good at negating any possible goodwill she might have earned over the course of this arc and I don't think she's gonna get any more tolerable now

Good job Taylor now please for god's fucking sake take it easy for a little bit

Current Thoughts

God fucking damn this got stressful. Like obviously Taylor and crew were gonna make it out, they've got a while before I'm worried about any of them dying, but this could have cost them a lot more without actually killing them, that's for sure

Bakuda has proven herself to be an extremely fucking capable threat and a deadly antagonist; the only things holding her back are entirely self-inflicted, the need to make people suffer instead of just kill them, the same fragile ego that keeps her moving while being her biggest weak spot. I don't know how long she stays in the spotlight but for everyone's sake I hope it's not long

Two more chapters to go before we wind down on Arc 4, let's go

[the-abandoned-director]

Why do Endos/Tulpas/Willos/ect want to be a system?

I understand that other traumagens can have happy things to do with being systems but there's so much pain being a system.

I usually only post happy system things but.. I'm done with making this look all happy 24/7

Non-Traumagenic systems are not systems. Systems form through trauma. Systems form from intense trauma in early childhood. Why would someone want the panic, paranoia, pain of splitting, flashbacks, or even alters? (We love our alters, sure, but that's because they help us survive. They helped us survive.)

I've seen too many Endos be like "omgs I made myself develop an evil alter so quirky x3x3x3 who should I form next" ... do they understand that you can't force yourself to develop alters? Do they know how actually terrifying it is to have an alter who is not at all good morally, to have an alter who holds impulsive and intrusive thoughts that would disturb most people? Do they understand how fucking bad this disorder is?

I may be young but I know that I have this disorder and it's horrible to live with. Sure, I can try and make it feel better by posting about the silly things in the system, ect ect. But it isn't fun. It isn't a disorder everyone should have. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

The future is NOT plural.

Endogenics are NOT real systems.

Tulpagenics are NOT real systems.

Willogenics are NOT real systems.

"transDID, transplural, transSystem, transProgrammed, ect" ARE NOT REAL SYSTEMS.

Trauma is the ONLY way to be a system.

--- I'll only sign off for this because I'm especially pissed at this. So, Irato made this post to be clear on our stance.

ONLY ENGAGING IN SYSCOURSE ON THIS POST, after this I am staying away from it. Non-Traumagenic "systems" fuck off.

[rosemariilovesyou0922]

WHAT DID I JUST WATCH???

SPOILERS TWF4 !!!

It was the best thing I could ever experience rn, I'm pretty much ascending. The fact that there was ANIMATION?? ON IT??? Martin is extremely talented I swear to god.

Personally I think a Lot of My questions we're kind of answered. Deffinetly not the "Where the hell is Jack?", No I'm Even more confused about that... I THOUGHT LIKE- FELIX GOT RID OF HIM OR SOMETHING I DIDN'T THINK HE WOULD TELL THEM WHAT HE DID? I honestly thought he would hide it and kill anyone who knew (he didn't need to they're all pretty dead). I honestly felt slightly Bad for him, HE DUG A HOLE FOR HIMSELF 😭. I swear I was SHOCKED- mouth open eyes wide type of stuff, I COULD FEEL HOW AWFUL HE FELT, He reeks of guilt, desesperation and actual negativo emotions, where before I honestly think he only transmited me the smell of alcohol or something; I deffinetly feel Bad for him now.

Okay so aside from the whole Felix thing here's a few things I really enjoyed/noticed:

Beggining ANIMATION with Ed and Molly; knowing what happened that night it was honestly really sad and I felt like it was the Best way to start pt4

THIS HAHAHHA:

ROSIE VOICE REVEALL!!! Girl I swear, it's extremely obvious how hard I Stan Rosemary Peony Walten SO You know I started levitating ‼️‼️

"Bon" appears in the video early on so that's cool, aside from that uhhh Tv Guy is deffinetly going to be quite the goofy silly guy so stan

SUSAN AND CHARLES BEING SILLLLYYY!!!

Charles struck me as kind of a manager? Someone who does stay in the establishment and is involved but isn't actually like- an engenieer or chef.

Susan You wonderfull woman I swear the strong ass mecanic lesbian is all I needed in my life.

So the whole animatronics moving around and facial recognition actually clear up a bunch of stuff for me, for instance: How the hell would Bon be able to tell who Sophie was. Also I was screaming for them to run whenever an animatronic was lowkey near, scary stuff.

AWOOPPPP TIME SKIP!! Or something skip I have no clue, Charles and Susan talking about Rocket being there. Rosemary and Jack did not know Félix was an alcoholic aparently, that explains why Jack would ever let him drive his children anywhere from somewhere there would be alcohol at.

JACK?? JACK BANGING AND KNOCKING ON THE DOOR FOR FELIX TO OPEN ACTUALLY GOT ME SHOCKED TO MY GODDAMN CORE?? HIS VOICE IS CHILLING.

Félix and the whole cliff scene really broke me not going to lie, You dumbass of man, you're stupid and reckless but I feel awfull for you.

Felix told Rosemary and Jack what happened which actually throws my "Oh yeah Felix deffinetly sent killer animatronics to kill his Best friend and his family so the business wouldn't crash" theory down the drain. Also Rosemary asking for the doll, I cannot imagine how devastated She would have felt, She does not deserve that.

Alright that was terrifying!! Scary imagery actually got me bit scared at atimes, which is good, the show keeps me on My toes.

WHO THE HELL IS INSIDE OF BON?????? WHO IS THAT...

The fact that: We could actually SEE how he KILLED Susan but ED AND MOLLY HAD TO WATCH TOO 😨

Poor children, god.

The animation actually scared me really Bad, it was so unreal and disturbing in a sense that Made You feel like you'd get jumpscared at any moment, that's what makes this kind of horror amazing.

The whole conversation between "Bon" and Susan/Banny is something You have to watch for yourself.

She was ALIVE in the SUIT, GOD 😭

The fact her 'Wonderland' for has her neck snapped and everything, it looked so disturbing, it was really clear how she got killed.

THE MUSIC WAS CELESTIAL, I PRAISE WHOEVER PLANNED THE SONGS THAT PLAYED BECAUDE EVERY SINGLE ONE MADE IT TEN TIMES BETTER.

Ed and Molly at the end :[

[simplepotatofarmer]

Blog Update:

Hi, it's me, Loyal.

I just want to say first and foremost, I really do love (parts of) the fandom and I'm not going anywhere.

I will, however, not be around as much. One, I'm about to enter an all day intensive treatment plan so I'll literally just be on in the evening. Two, as much as I'm going to keep writing and creating, I have no intention of interacting publicly with fandom as much as I have.

I can't. It's actually fucking insane that it's gotten to this point. I made tribute post and because I used lyrics from Dream's song, I got harassed. The people doing this, acting like this, thinking this way are insane.

So in case it's not clear: Based on my personal lived experience and some information that's come to light, I still enjoy Dream's content. You can approach me personally, off anon, if you want to know my reasoning. If you dislike me for this, that's fine. But I'm done trying to walk this fine line just so I don't get people threatening me, my kids, and my pets. Just so people stop sending me the city I live in, so they stop digging up twelve year old tweets, so they stop calling me slurs and suicide baiting me.

That's absolutely insane. It's horrible. It's disgusting and I was honestly just sitting here, taking it, because I'm terrified of upsetting people and losing friends if I say 'yeah, I'm excited for a new manhunt and I also this song helped me and my kids process my grief'. And the worst part is, it's not an unfounded fear. People have done the most vile shit to me. People I thought were friends jumped on me instead of those harassing me.

I just want to post about Techno and c!Rivals duo and not worry about whether or not this post is going to get me hate. I don't want to worry about how random discord servers are talking about me.

Because that's fucking batshit. Not the worrying, but what these people are doing and I'm tired of letting this effect me. I have enough going on in my personal life. My partner of 15 years almost died. We almost lost our house. I should be able to come online and post about the silly minecraft guys I like and their RP and lore without censoring myself out of fear of literally being doxxed and cyber stalked. I should be able to talk about the racism that effects me without being afraid people will make it about cc drama or calling me slurs or erasing my identity as an Ojibwe person.

The people doing this are the problem. It hurts that so many people are part of this, it really does. But I can't keep letting it get to me. I've always done my best to be kind. I haven't been perfect, especially not lately, because all this hate and stress has gotten to me. I've lashed out. I shouldn't have.

And I shouldn't have had to deal with all that shit in the first place. I hope no one else does. It's terrifying and draining and I'm done.

So I intend to post the things I enjoy, I intend to reblog my friends' art, write the Emerald duo and Rivals duo fics I want to. I want to post about the Syndicate and the new manhunt when it comes out. That's what I'm going to do.

Asks are staying off for the moment because people are too happy to make burner blogs but I'll probably turn them back on at some point as I love answering lore and headcanon questions and, again, it's fucked up I can't enjoy an aspect of the site and fandom because people can't just leave me alone.

To those people: Get help. You're harassing someone because you think they deserve it and that's the most fucked up thing.

To everyone else: So so many of you have been amazing. You've been supportive, you've been kind. That kindness and support speaks volumes and I love you all. I genuinely love you. Dreblr, you've been here for me for over a year at this point and I cannot thank you enough. You are the best part of fandom as far as I'm concerned. And to Dtblr, y'all have come to support me countless times and that means the world to me, it really does. As for all my fellow Rivals duo fans, you people are worth your weight in gold for the joy you bring. A special shout-out to @vpofcookies because you've been here since the beginning, practically, and I love you. There's more but you know who you are.

Anyway, I've been carrying this for awhile and I'm tired. I'm no longer going to give any amount of thought to the people determined to drag me down and harass me constantly.

My best advice is stop focusing on the things and people you hate and instead focus on what you love. That's what I plan to do, from here on out.

[nichoswag]

Hey I really love your works!! I wanna request the trope "demon x human" with maki please? Demon is y/n and human is maki! Not sure if you need more infos, but you can add the prompt #9 "may i have this dance?” Thank you!!

eyes . hirota riki

prompt: "may i have this dance?"

trope: demon x human

pairing: stranger!human!maki x demon!female reader

warnings: reader is a demon obviously, lots of flirting, kissing, cursing, teasing, fear, pet names (handsome, love, cutie)

song rec: your eyes tell - bts

a/n: this is an interesting take on this trope! when i put it on the list, this was not exactly the person and scenario I'd imagined for this quote and trope, but i'm happy to write it!! i like writing new things! thank you anon for requesting, and i hope this is what you had in mind! enjoy ♡

maki looks around the lively room. he's currently at a party his friends have dragged him to, except they've all gone off and he's all alone.

he keeps looking for his friends when he spots you.

you meet his curious, doe-like orbs with your own siren eyes.

immediately, you decide you need to have this man. he's simply too cute and attractive. you have the urge to steal him and take him far away so only you can look at him.

maki's curious eyes turn fearful as he realizes you're eyeing him as if you want to devour him whole. he realizes as your eyes flash red exactly what you are.

a demon.

maki obviously knew there would be demons at this party, but he could not have predicted he'd pique one's interest. he wonders if the rumors and myths about your kind are true - are you truly capable of unimaginable sins? would you snap and kill him in a heartbeat?

you notice the look on his face change from curious to terrified, and flash him a smile as if to say 'it's alright, i'm not gonna hurt you,' as you're thinking quite the opposite. there's just something about him that makes you want to protect him forever.

as you smile at him, he takes in your razor-sharp teeth from across the room, and his fear turns to sheer panic.

"relax, she won't hurt you," a voice says from beside him. a girl slings her arm around his shoulder. "i think she likes you, actually, considering she looks like she wants to rip my throat out."

maki looks back to you to see you making a face that's truly much more terrifying. somehow, even looking angry, he's able to notice how absolutely stunning you look in your red dress with your hair down.

"do you wanna go get a drink with me?" the mystery girl next to him asks.

only then does he notice her sharp teeth and red eyes.

"oh- i, uh-"

"sorry to interrupt, but can i steal this guy away for a sec?"

maki turns to see that you've made your way across the floor and are now standing in front of him, seemingly close to bursting into flames.

the girl side eyes you, but maki feels something wrong about staying with her, so he opts to nod at you as you take his hand and lead him back across the room.

you both seat yourselves on an unoccupied couch, ignoring the couple making out against the wall next to you.

"sorry if i startled you," you say. "that girl is just-"

"dangerous, right?" maki asks, and you're taken aback at how he knew that. "i could kind of sense something was wrong with her."

"she's one of those demons who hurts humans for fun," you explain. "i won't get into detail, but it's pretty fucked up."

his eyes widen. "wait- so you mean all demons aren't like that?"

you're again taken aback. "how little do you know about us? the laws we go by say we can't do any harm to humans."

it's his turn to be surprised now. "but- earlier, you were staring at me like you were gonna eat me."

you laugh, and he somehow still thinks the sound is sweet. "i wasn't gonna eat you, silly. though i could if you want me to-"

"i'm good, trust me." he chuckles.

"so what's your name, handsome?" you ask.

he blushes furiously. "it's maki. well- riki, technically, but my friends call me maki."

"cute," you mutter. "i'm ____."

"that's a pretty name," he says, attempting to be bold.

you giggle. a new song plays in the background, a japanese song you recognize by bts. "ooh, i like this song!"

he nods his head to the beat. "it's a nice song. you have good taste.

you stand up in front of maki and extend your hand. "may i have this dance?"

he giggles like a little kid. "you sound like an old person."

you glare at him. "do you wanna dance or not?"

he grabs your hand and you both walk closer to the middle of the room. his hands are on your waist, yours on his broad shoulders, and you swear you could die like this as you sway to the sweet melody.

"so, you like me?" maki asks suddenly. "that's what that girl said, and the way you were looking at me..."

you contemplate how to answer. "well, yes. i thought you were really cute when i saw you and i hated that that bitch had her claws on you."

he blushes again, flustered. "you're really pretty yourself."

"yeah, love?" you smirk at him. "you like me too, don't you?"

he exhales sharply, not sure how to answer. "um... i think so."

"you think so?" you aren't satisfied with his answer. "you mean you don't know?"

"well... i wanna get to know you better," he says.

this satisfies you a bit. "you're so cute," you whisper, but he hears anyway.

"thank you," he says, not meeting your eyes.

you remove a hand from his shoulders to palm the side of his face and steer it back towards you. "look at me. i wanna see those pretty eyes of yours."

he blushes again, his doe eyes wide as he looks into your narrow, crimson orbs. they're beautiful to him, in a way.

he realizes your faces are getting closer together when you're only inches apart.

"can i kiss you?" you whisper as your lips ghost his.

he closes his eyes and connects his lips to yours. your arms wrap fully around his neck, pulling his body in closer, and his arms envelop your torso.

a few moments later, he pulls away with a gasp for air. "jesus. that was..."

"good?" you ask, tilting your head to feign innocence. your eyes narrow. "i've been told i'm a good kisser."

"how many people have you kissed?" he asks, seemingly upset.

you caress his face with one hand, reaching the other to snake around his waist and close the distance again. "the number doesn't matter. what's important is that none were ever as stunning as you."

you kiss him again, and this time he rests his hands on your hips, thumbs rubbing circles into the bare skin where there's a gap in the dress you're wearing.

this time, you pull away to let him get some air, but you stay close, resting your forehead against his. "i want to get to know you too, cutie."

he giggles against your lips. "well, what are you waiting for?"

©nichoswag | do not copy my work or repost onto any other platform.

[rosebudbl00d]

ur post about aiden was so good. u have fundamentally changed how I view him and now I'm even more obsessed with him. pls can u talk more about him? in any way?

oh god, how do i go on about him without restating everything ive already said 😭😭😭

and yet at the same thing i feel like there's a MILLION things i could touch on!!

The way the fandom perceives him, his ships, his cut dialogue, the way he's drawn, the ridiculous discourse. He's been my comfort character for so long it almost feels like i'm talking about an old friend lmao

i think to start i should probably specify that these are 100% my own opinion; yes they are forged in my interpretation of canon content, so that means that some of this post will seem really tight-knit to canon, while other portions will seen outrageously out-of-character. And that is ok! I try to base my head-canons and perception of characters off of their personalities and such, but I can't help but be a little silly sometimes.

Probably first on my docket is his weird obsession with Lukas and Jesse...Yes i call it obsession, though I wouldn't call it far to suspect that Aiden is dependent on Lukas, he's so grotesquely attached. Even from the first time we meet him, Aiden's immediately searching for Lukas' validation.

"Lukas! Get a load of these losers!"

Why? Maya and Gill have already stirred enough insults that surely he's heard by now. Is it just the potential of being addressed? Of being heard? It's only to be brushed off.

Lukas calls the shots. That is told to us very early on. Whether that's because he's actually respected or Maya and Gill are forced to fall into place because Aiden will listen to him- who truly knows (probably the first one).

Later on he antagonizes Jesse again, and once again, only really deterred by Lukas. He's trying to lighten the mood, ease the tension. All the while Aiden seethes behind him. The hatred is so clear. Once again like I said before he's in this constant fight for attention against Jesse. First it's just with Lukas, then its with the world.

You could even say him breaking the lava was for attention. He smashed a STONE BLOCK. WITH HIS BARE HAND. This is past school bully levels of torment now, he's so desperate to make sure Jesse stays below him that he's willing to break his hand in order to destroy Jesse's build. And you know.

he doesn't even start to realize how bad of an idea it was until lukas comes up from behind him.

Of course, depending on whether or not you make Olivia and Axel stay to save the build, Jesse's gang either wins or loses. Of course the interaction you get from Lukas afterward is different, but god.

"It's not cool you had to deal with Aiden being an idiot."

You just know he was lingering behind a stall, overhearing a conversation he wasn't meant to. Later on we meet him again and somehow he seems even more pissy.

"How's your stupid pig" it's not out of genuinely. Lukas probably made him ask. He goes on and on, he won, why is he so mad?

Of course this eventually bounces off into the birth of the Wither Storm.

Aiden was in the conference room when it happened. When was the last time he saw Lukas? All he knows now is that there's some devilish creature tearing the earth apart and EATING people. Maybe for once he's worried about someone other than himself, but of course he's terrified. Hell he's the first one out of there.

He manages to group up with Lukas again, only to lose him. We know that post EP4 he managed to evade the Wither Storm because he can show up to help distract it in the ending battle, so it further begs the thought.

He and Maya and Gill were out there alone. Without their leader- helpless. They probably presumed him dead, or worse. And in the wake of the rubble it's almost like Aiden has a change of heart—and then a miracle. Lukas is okay. Lukas is okay and he needs their help. He needs Aiden's help. Oh sweet recognization.

He does their bidding for what? To have his spotlight be stolen by Jesse. And just when he thought he got Lukas back, once again. He's been taken from Aiden. First by the Wither Storm, now by Jesse.

Because Lukas is a hero now. And Aiden is just the guy who won the building competition.

The gap between EP4 and EP5 is unexplained but we can guess from the reactions of the townspeople to the state of Beacon Town that it's been at least a month or two- maybe more.

But in that time Aiden's been lingering, meditating on his thoughts. He tries in some way to confront Lukas probably, to try and regain what they'd lost. But no, no there's no going back. So the Ocelots are no more, and the Blazerods rise from the ashes. Aiden is their leader now, and it's getting to his head. Lukas called the shots, Lukas was his shining star in a way- but now with Aiden as their lead, he has no one to look up to—a big fat fucking lie.

Aiden will ALWAYS need Lukas' validation. Even in his attempts to berate him there's almost a weird sense of falsivity to the statements. Insistence that "they ditched him", the Ocelots were "Lukas' gang" anyways. They're not connected to him anymore! (Gill even comments about the Ocelots being a cooler name. almost like a sign that breaking off from Lukas was Aiden's idea in the first place. A strike back for leaving him.)

"The minute the Order decided you were cool he wouldn't stop sniffing around you like a tame dog."

He is SO jealous. It's a statement that's embedded in cruelty but at it's core, he speaking to a mirror. Was he not following around at Lukas' side for the whole of EP1? Searching for him? Hoping? If anything Aiden is the tame dog here, Lukas is the one holding the leash.

I won't recite everything I said in the last post (though I'm sure I've practically already done that), but once again he goes from heeling to Lukas to trying to murder the guy. Talk about a messy break-up.

Part of me wishes that his last fight was with Lukas rather than with Jesse (of course this would never happen obviously). We only get a snippet from he and Lukas' mini fist-fight in EP5, which ends horribly no matter what you decide to do. But there's such a strong hatred in the lines.

"I've got him Jesse!"

"Oh you've got me?"

It's angry. When did it turn from "The Ocelots," from "Lukas and Aiden," to : "I've got him." Betrayal. This is almost a final hit. A final straw that breaks the camels back about every thought Aiden has been thinking since Lukas left.

Lukas isn't his friend anymore.

Lukas is on Jesse's side now.

And Aiden will not have that. Not one bit.

How did he go from struggling to fight, to kicking Lukas off the edge? A sly advantage once The Founder falls? A clean cut punch that dazes Lukas enough to knock him off his feet? It doesn't matter anymore. Because as far as Aiden knows now—he's made his choice. His problems are gone. Lukas is gone.

I wonder a lot about what happened during the "before" of Sky City's end. Did they just go ham? Or did Aiden sit and think about what he'd done for a few minutes. What about Petra and Ivor? What goodness did he have in his heart to let them go? Maybe just the shock of coming to terms with the fact that he just killed his best friend. No. No Lukas isn't his best friend anymore. He just killed his enemy. The biggest pain in his side.

Anyways, most of this is probably just me recounting what I've already said. When it comes to his story it's pretty clean-cut and simple, it's just the interpretation. For me, it's a descent to madness. And honestly I relate LMAO

I think a real big eye-opener for me was codf1shbaby's Aiden's Memoir, which is. So. Fucking. Good. It's heavy as hell, but god damn is it well written. Really got me to thinking about his psychology on a deeper level, which is GOOD!! Aiden is one of those characters who gets read at face value (which is fine, I expect it. He has like a total of 40 lines in the whole of MCSM), which I think forces a narrative that there's nothing there worth looking for.

I implore you to read Aiden's Memoir if you like deep psychological stories, and if you like the writing PLEASE check out my friend Cosmo's stuff (shameless plug), he's extremely talented.

I also implore you to do your own searching! There are so many characters who are worth diving into!

It's 12:30 in the morning for me right about now, so I'm sure I'm going to wake up and face-palm about all the bullshit i wrote and everything i forgot !! But I will continue to go into Aiden more. Probably more into fandom interpretation and such next!

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Changes chapter 44

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Julie was unusually quiet as Max took the route Lucy had advised. If he was being frank, it unnerved him. The last time she had been so quiet was when she hadn't had a choice in it. Of course, he knew David had visited her. And, even though he believed she should understand how extraordinary it was that David actually made the effort to somewhat apologise, he was proud of her for not accepting it.

But this silence, he thought to himself as he turned onto a dirt road, wasn't because of that. No, as he glanced at her that much was very clear.

"Why are you nervous?"

She didn't respond, causing Max to sigh. He parked the car on the side of the road and looked at his daughter. "Jules..."

"What if Michael's right?"

"Then you're really close to seeing your mom again."

"But what if i don't remember? It was - it was so weird and awkward when Michael recognised me, and I just froze, realising I should have known him but didn't."

"I told Lucy that you suffered memory loss."

Julie glared at him. "Why?"

"So that if she is your aunt, she wouldn't be surprised by you not knowing her. I told her how I fostered you after you ended up in the hospital, that you stayed with me ever since and that i helped you look for your family."

"You're covering."

Max nodded, deciding to ignore the judgemental tone in her voice.

"I am. This way we'll both be safe."

Julie was quiet, biting her lip as she took a deep breath. "I don't want to go."

"You're scared."

"Yeah."

Max sighed, taking his glasses off as he rubbed his face. "She knows you're coming. She was happy to meet you. Even if you are her niece, I promise you, things will be fine."

Julie looked at him, not looking very certain of herself.

"You won't be alone, I promise you that. And if you feel uncomfortable at any time, we can leave. Lucy will understand."

When he saw her slight nod, he started the car again, driving further down the road until they came upon an old, wooden house. Large wooden decorations were scatered around the yard.

As Max parked and got out, Julie was slow to follow him. When he arrived on the porch and knocked on the door she was a couple of feet behind him.

"Don't worry, you'll be alright-"

"Julie?!"

Lucy stood in the doorway, her eyes widening as she saw the young girl in her front yard. Julie stared back, a terrified expression on her face. She shook her head, giving Max a pleading look. "I can't..."

Max looked at Lucy, then at Julie, quickly walking towards her. He stood in front of her, blocking Lucy from sight, and looked at her.

"What's going on?" He asked quietly, so Lucy wouldn't hear.

"She - I -" Julie shook her head, trembling slightly. "I can't. I want to go home, I can't do this."

Max nodded slightly, slowly pulling her in for a hug. "I'll explain it to Lucy. But you can't keep on running. If things go well, I'd like to invite her to our place. There you will have to meet her properly."

Julie trembled. "How can you explain this?" She motioned towards herself.

Max was about to answer when he sensed Lucy standing behind him. He turned around, subtly shielding Julie from her. Not that it was necessary, but he knew that right then and there, Julie would appreciate that more than anything else.

"Hi," Lucy greeted, an awkward smile on her face, "I'm sorry if I scared you. I recognise you, but it's alright if you don't recognise me."

Julie stared at the woman, unsure of what to do with herself. So she opted to stay exactly where she was, standing halfway behind Max, feeling silly for being so overwhelmed by this all.

"My name's Lucy. I wouldn't force you to come inside, but if you want to, I made pasta."

Julie was quiet, closing her eyes as she finally realised what she smelled coming from inside the house. She had eaten this before, this simple yet delicious pasta. She took a moment before looking at Max, giving a slight nod. She'd try, but when it became to much, she'd leave.

"Mom!" Sam ran into the kitchen, followed by Edgar and Allan. "I brought some dinner guests too."

Lucy frowned, looking at her son. "Why, Sam? I told you this was important-"

"We can always just make some peanut butter sandwiches or something. It's more than the Frogs have at home..."

Lucy shook her head, knowing exactly what her son had just done. "Grab some plates. I want you to be nice towards Max and his -" she paused, thinking for a bit, "daughter."

"Sure thing, mom. Can I help with something?" He asked as he grabbed three extra plates, not leaving the kitchen yet.

"Could you grate some parmesan cheese?"

Sam nodded, not looking at the dinner guests as he dropped the plates on the table and washed his hands. He grabbed the cheese from the fridge, grating it and mixing it with some garlic the Frog brothers had given him. According to them, it was a steadfast way of figuring out whether or not Max was a vampire.

It didn't take long, and after eight minutes the whole meal was ready, and Lucy brought it to the dining table.

"It smells delicious, Lucy."

The woman blushed, serving the six plates before sitting down and quietly muttering grace. "Is it good?" Lucy asked Julie, noticing with a small smile that the girl had not only opted to sit next to her but that she also seemed to enjoy her food. Julie nodded, not saying anything.

"Do you want some parmesan?" Sam asked, handing the small bowl to Max already before he could even answer. "It's really good."

Max took it, with a small smile. "Thank you, Sam."

As he put several spoons of cheese on his plate, Julie couldn't help but pull a face. It was a horrible smell, thar crawled into her nose and nestled it there. She shoved the tub away, earning herself some judgemental glances from both Sam and his two friends.

Max didn't pay it any mind, instead opting to continue eating. But after a first bite, he ended up in a coughing fit, causing Julie to look extremely alarmed.

"Max?"

"I'm alright," he reassured her, coughing once more, "but this isn't cheese, it's garlic."

"I bet you hate it!" Sam said quickly, paling when he saw Max shake his head.

"No, I quite like it, I just like to know that I'm going to be eating it before hand."

"I'm so sorry, Max. Normally, he isn't like this," Lucy apologised, sighing audibly when Edgar turned the lights off.

"Boys?" She asked, unable to hear the hushed whispers that both Max and Julie heard clearly.

"Why aren't they glowing?"

"She's not a vampire!" Sam whispered.

"She's with him and did you see how she reacted to smelling the garlic?!"

"What if she's the only vampire?"

"Sam. Turn on the light now." Lucy shook her head, not believing what kind of ridiculous behaviour her son was showing now.

As the lights popped back on, Julie began to feel more and more uncomfortable and unsafe. She looked at Max, pleadingly, silently begging him if they could go. When he gave her a subtle nod, she rushed out the door, leaving a startled Sam and Lucy behind.

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