#don't mind her wonky eyes ok

[queer-spectre]

Thinking abt Her 💕

[roseluxxx]

Come on in.

- Hobie Brown (Spider-Punk) X Reader

Warnings: 17+ content, sexual mentions, sexual actions, not explicit like full on but high key rubbing, language, british people

Word Count: 1k

Before Reading: Hypatia was a beautiful philosopher who was killed by men after she gained influence over a Roman ruler, You are dating alr in this and you come over to his place for the first time.

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“Aight, come on in; it’s messy but it’s sum’.”

The room was littered with colorful, sporadically placed punk rock posters with great philosophers and artists, including Van Gough and Hypatia, scattered throughout them. You followed Hobie in as he went straight for his bluetooth system, changing the music to one of his favorite songs.

*Wow. Never thought you'd know Hypatia, much less like her." Hobie nodded mindlessly as he scrolled through song after song, switching between an infinite amount of genres that had no correlation.

"Yeah, men are dicks. She was a brilliant mind; would've loved me you know.”

You laughed in agreement, plopping on his bed as you took in every painting on the ceiling and pattern filling the room.

“Damn, this place is amazing." Your comment was met by a laugh, almost a scoff as he tossed you his spotify playlist and told you to pick something, he didn't care.

"Amazing is an understatement. This place is art." He shoved his hands in his vest pocket and stalked to the bed, having half the mind to kick his shoes off before he made himself comfortable.

You observed the clashing colors and wonky furniture pieces that seemed not to go together until you looked at it from exactly that angle. They weren't meant to go perfectly hand in hand. Except that some of them did. Didn't look like a set but the textures and patterns matched beautifully.

Whipped out of your trance in an instant, you looked up to see Hobie snapped his fingers in-front of you, a bored look on his face.

"Hello? Anyone home? If ur tired just take a nap I don't mind, truly.”

You shook your head, grabbing his hand out of instinct and pulling him closer to you.

"I'm not tired but if you wanna lay down for a bit.. whatever."

He smirked, “Yeah it's never whatever with you but.. whatever."

He slid in next to you, laying on his back as you cuddled up on his chest, his hand finding your hair and playing with it loosely.

The windows placed on cornering walls had their blinds open just enough for the last rays of the golden sun to shine on the bed. Thankfully not in your face.

You finally spotted Hobie's guitar when you felt his hand slip under the hem of your shirt.

You looked up to a face still staring at the ceiling with an almost bored expression (but you caught the glimpses of a knowing smile peeking through).

Oh.

You guided your hand on top of his, pushing it that much further down your torso as you tried your best to steady your breathing.

Feeling his other hand pull a pillow to cover his lap from behind him, you urged his hand lower.

Faster.

A mumbled curse fell from his lips and he flipped himself over on top of you, facing you head on and removing his hands in favor of placing them right beside your head.

"Let's not play games now, yeah? I know what chu’ want," he looked at your lips distracted before he refocused himself, "and frankly I want the same. So let's not have a jest and be honest about it."

He sat up, grabbing your hand to let you follow suit as he let a few feet of distance separate you two.

"Just be honest with me darlin’.”

You took a deep breath. He was right. Just be honest.

" want you to fuc-"

Ok not that honest.

"I want you, Hobie."

He smiled, your face growing hotter by the second.

"Now that’s what I like to hear, yeah?"

He was on you in a moment. The soft fluttering kisses he laid across your face, starting at your forehead, made your heart pound. You extended your neck, closing your eyes as you let soft breaths fall when he crossed a particularly sensitive area.

He kissed down your collarbone, his hands falling to the hem of your shirt as he stopped instantly to look at you for any signs of hesitation. You nodded softly, a small smile leaving its mark as your shirt came swiftly off.

A moment passed as he just sat and admired you, his eyes roaming your body in an almost shy way. Like he's received a gift he's not used to getting but has never been so thankful to get it.

"Thank you," he whispered it like a prayer. Like a secret he's telling to just you.

"Hmm?"

He looked up, making eye contact at last as he repeated the phrase. You nodded telling him if he doesn't get on with it you'd never stop teasing him.

He does. Slowly. Sensually. Taking his time to explore every part before he reaches for your sweatpants and is met with a frantic halt and you sitting up on your elbow, an alarmed look blasted across your face.

"What? M’ going too fast? If you want you can take off my-"

"No, no- I mean yeah i'd love to- i mean, you know, if you'd want that but-“

Hobie takes your hand in his, a gentle expression staying on his face. “Nah, come on, get out of it. What’s up?”

You sighed avoiding eye contact as you allowed yourself to get to the point for once. Mumbling, you told him the issue, "it's just that i haven't shaved and i know we haven't talked about it but-“

Hobie stopped dead in his tracks, his face slowly lighting up with realization and.. laughter?

He evaporated in a contained outburst of chuckles as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Baby, be honest with me, yeah? I swing around saving the world, almost dying a dozen times a day, and you think i'm gonna get scared off by a little hair on my girl?"

You let your shoulders relax, resuming breathing though you never noticed you had stopped.

You laugh softly, pushing your hair out of your face as your body physically relaxed.

“Yeah, I didn't think about that."

He tugged on your waistband and you helped him take your pants off, letting him kiss down your stomach and skip over to your inner thighs, moving down to your knee as his fingers traced patterns over your skin.

“Fuck you’re beautiful, you know that?”

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Thank you for reading!

Feel free to leave a comment or check out my latest Hobie fic here!

A/N: y’all’s comments are wild 😭

[luveline]

you're writing for bradley!! i am so so excited!! could i request just some domestic fluff with shy!reader and bradley? maybe her coming home from a long day and he's just the perfect boyfriend with a glass of wine and a hug ready for her? love u gorgeous 💗

thank you for requesting, babe, I absolutely adored writing this and him, let me known if you have any more!! —bradley helps you feel better after a bad, long day with wine and a multitude of hugs. fem!reader 1k

You push into your apartment, a ground floor slotting of sandblown terracotta tiles and wooden shutters weakened by termites, and pause. There's something wrong, a humming sound. 

You take a step back toward the door and slide your phone from your pocket. 

Hi Bradley, where are you? I think somebody has been in my apartment. Should I worry? you text him. You've continued a streak of politeness with him even now, too shy to dip into the familiarity you feel when he's holding you close over the phone. You follow it up quickly. Don't worry, I'm sure it's okay. Do you know what time you'll be coming over? Any time is OK.

"It's me!" Bradley calls with an easy chuckle. Couch springs creak as he jumps up, and a second later he appears in the living room doorway with a frankly breathtaking grin, shoving his cell into his pocket. "I'm coming over right now. Holy shit, would you look at you?" 

You hold your bag closer to your side, hair not nearly as neat as it started that morning, the day's chaos etched into the small wrinkles either side of your eyes. "Me?" 

When he smiles, it's all white top teeth and joy. For someone who's been through so much, and who works so hard, he's a shaken bottle of fizzy happiness whenever the moment allows —you barely have time to put your bag next to the rack of shoes (and there, his shoes you must've missed toed off and perfectly aligned with your sandy flip flops) when he's crossing the hall in quick strides and pulling you into an ecstatic embrace. 

"Hey," he says, kissing your cheek, moustache not scratchy but far from soft. It rubs a wonky trail as he kisses without goal. Kiss on your nose, your cheek, close enough to your eye to make you cringe and back away. 

"Hi, Brad," you say breathlessly. 

You need time to prepare yourself for seeing him usually, his sudden closeness catching you off guard. You struggle to make any sense of how much he likes you, but you've given up denying his attention. You want it too badly. 

He doesn't stall at your obvious (embarrassing) flustering; he doubles down. His arms like steel cords behind your shoulders, Bradley noses at the side of your face, his breath warm on your cheek as he says, "Sorry, I thought surprising you might be nice, but I didn't think about your nerves." 

"My nerves," you say. 

"Your bad nerves. You're flighty." He gives it another press, the straight line of his nose digging into your cheek before he pulls away. 

Bradley doesn't give you time to miss his arms around you. He makes for the kitchen, notices you aren't following, and grabs your hand. Tugging, he takes you into the kitchen and elbows open your refrigerator, revealing a better sight than what you'd seen this morning. 

"I had to go out again when I saw your fridge," he says, ducking down to push aside what looks like the makings of your favourite meal to unearth a pretty bottle of red. "Sweetheart, when you said you had a shitty breakfast, I was picturing, like, half a grapefruit. Did you eat anything?" 

He only knows what you'd texted him, shitty breakfast code for the found half of a cereal bar in your jacket. 

You don't like to text Bradley too much in case you put him off, but today was bad, and you know he doesn't mind. He'd told you so only a few days ago. His hand full of your stomach, hot under the collar, you can't remember what you'd been talking about initially, your memory intricately busy remembering the planes of his tightly muscled torso and the feeling of his weight atop you, but suddenly he'd been leaning down, brown eyes pleading. "You can talk to me," he'd said. "About anything. I want to hear it. You know that, right?"

So you texted him somewhere around lunch time and had been delighted to find him puttering around doing a whole lot of nothing. He's been keeping himself busy on leave, staying fit, helping your elderly upstairs neighbour put together her new chest of drawers between half marathons and surfing, regular dreamboat stuff. 

I think I'm having a bad day, you'd said. What are you up to, Brad? Can I still see you tonight? 

Why do you act like I'm not obsessed with you? he'd text back immediately. Kidding. Kind of. What's wrong? Can I bring you lunch? 

Raincheck on lunch? I don't think I'll have time. I'll explain later if that's OK. Miss you. 

Miss you too, baby. I wanna hear all about it tonight.

You blink up from his hands to find him staring at you worriedly. You're in your own head, exhausted and a little muddled after such a long day, and he clearly doesn't like it. 

"Is wine gonna make you feel worse?" he asks, tapping your thigh with his knuckles. 

"Definitely not," you say.

"Before dinner?" 

Your smile turns sheepish. You want the wine much more than the dinner, but if you get both, you won't complain. 

He leans back against the fridge, arms crossed, the neck of the wine bottle held precariously in a confident hand. "Sure you're okay?" he asks. 

"I will be." You take a brave step forward and look up into his face. It's difficult to grasp what it is he sees in you when he's like something out of a movie, all brains, brawn, and bleeding heart. You don't get it, but he wants you, and he's here. "Thanks for coming over, Bradley." 

"This shtick again?" he asks, raising his brows. 

"This shtick again," you repeat, grinning at the implication. 

He hooks your ankle with his. "Thanking me for coming over is like thanking a fish for swimming. Couldn't stop myself if I wanted to." 

Your laugh is a wheeze. Brad does you the generosity of pretending you've made a more intelligible sound and pulls you in for a one-armed hug, rubbing a rough up and down into your side. It's such a nice feeling to be tucked up under his arm that you can almost forget how badly you want a glass of wine. 

"Want the big glasses from the top shelf?" Bradley asks knowingly. 

"Yes. Please." 

[princesssmars]

free love all around

a makidrey x reader

its valentines day at constance billard, and your best friend knows just the way to make it even more special.

wc: 4.337 (wtf)

contains: fluff. polyamory. steamy makeout(s?) at the end. reader described having hair and being shorter than max. max is a little shit and audrey is confused about her sexuality but intrigued. aki bein cute and schemey. this is just a bisexual disaster.

a/n: them. just them. i started this in early 2021 (embarrassing) when aki pissed me off but i warmed up to him more in the beginning episodes of season two so triad x reader! too bad they all pissed me off in this season but On This Page Canon Means Nothing. i just finished 75% of this in a day so so if it seems wonky im sorry.

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knock knock knock knock knock.

a loud sigh makes its way from the heap of covers in the middle of the bed in the grand bedroom. this little routine max loved happened nearly every damn week and god if it didnt annoy you every time-

knock knock knock knock knock.

you let out a long groan this time, muffling the sound of the door opening and the footsteps quickly making their way toward your bed, and just as you're about to reluctantly leave the comfort of where you sleep a giant weight plops on top of you.

"y'know i was about to berate you for sleeping in later but im actually feeling pretty comfy now."

"get off of me." you grumble, pushing your knees and arms forward to try to push your best friend off of you, making him laugh in the process.

"only if you get up." he moves his body to face you, his piercing blue eyes looking into yours.

your heart beats irregularly.

"ok fine, just move" you sigh.

he smiles victoriously, letting out a small giggle and rolling over on your bed, giving you the reluctant freedom to get up and start your day.

you move to your closet, look through your picked outfits and choose the one you feel would work for today before you move to your bathroom to wash up. until you see max get up from the bed.

"don't even think about it." you warn.

his eyes widen and the corner of his mouth quirks up slightly, showing how he thinks hes so hilarious.

“hurry up then, i need your help with something.”

you take a quick shower and put on your outfit and makeup, max’s foreboding words stuck in your mind and nearly making you poke your eye. it wasn't often that max let you in on one of his schemes, but when he did you knew your life was going to get very interesting for a few weeks.

“alright, what are you planning this time?” you ask, exiting the bathroom and grabbing your jacket and bag for school. max is already at the door, taking your hand in his as he leads you down the steps and out of your house. but not before you both say goodbye to your grandmother, who’s all sweet smiles in the mornings and has packed you some valentines themed goodies.

“don’t alright me, l/n. i swear this is finally the plan that you're going to agree with me on,” max holds your bags for you as you browse through something on your phone. once you're finished you make grabby hands for the snacks, looking through it after he quickly hands it to you to see some filled donuts and croissants. popping one in your mouth, you muffle a go-ahead for him to tell you his plan.

“first things first, I cant take all of the credit for this. our sweet little akeno helped, don't give me that look! he can be sneaky when he wants to be. anyway, both of us noticed something about audrey and need your help with it.”

“what have you noticed about her? is she acting like a diva because I'm afraid to admit that's how she’s always gonna be.” you joke, giggling when max rolls his eyes.

“obviously not that. its not about her personality but her..attraction to someone we know,” he states, sending you a pointed look that has you nearly stumbling over yourself. “don’t look so surprised, you definitely knew something was up.”

you stutter, still trying to process this load of information that's been dumped on you. “i-i knew she was being nicer to me, but I just thought she wanted some emotional support other than julien! are you seriously trying to say she has a crush on me?”

”that, my dearest, is what we’re going to find out.” his hand patting your shoulder alerts you to your surroundings, seeing you've already arrived to the crowded entrance of constance billards - st. jude’s.

he still doesn't let your hand go as you walk up to your table, the rest of your friends already sitting down and talking to each other.

“dont act so happy to see us, everybody,” you announce your presence, a collection of small greetings being directed to you.

“that’s five days in a row you’ve been late, y/n. if you need a lesson on punctuality you could always just ask.” money chides, looking at you with her iconic sarcastic smile.

“good morning to you too, money bags.” you joke, laughing along with luna as monet rolls her eyes at your silly nickname for her.

“you two look cozy.” the distinct voice of audrey hope pops up, her eyes pointed towards you and max’s conjoined hands. you hear max laugh under his breath.

deciding to tease her a bit you rush over to her and tightly wrap your arms around her, ignoring her protests so as to not ruin her outfit. “aww, don't get jealous auds. you know you’re my favorite hugging buddy.”

“you’re an idiot.”

“cmon, you know you love me.” you let her go a bit to look at her face, the blonde looking everywhere but at your eyes.

holy shit.

you look to max and aki who are sitting next to each other on one of the benches, the two of them looking at you with knowing expressions.

“did your grandma give you breakfast again? please tell me she made those stuffed donuts that I love.” aki reaches over to grab the bag from your hands, figuring you’ve caught on and will tease audrey some more. his face lights up when he sees the treats, taking a donut and biting out a large chunk.

when it came to audrey, aki was able to tell what she was thinking easily. she couldn't hide the clear distaste on her face when talking to someone she disliked, or the way she always seemed at peace when watching old hollywood movies. his girlfriend was a visually open book, which he regularly used to his advantage. but the one thing he didn't expect audrey to take a clear attraction to was you.

the way her eyes trailed after you when you headed to class, how she would frequently bring you up in conversation. he even noticed how she also did the same with their dear friend max. at first he thought it was jealousy, but now he knows there’s something more behind those eyes. it wasn't until he brought it up with max that they came up with the plan to see just how far they could push audrey until she admitted her not-so-secret feelings.

“dont be do greedy, menzies,” you snatch the bag back from his hands, “yes she made enough for everybody. including some croissants which i know you love, auds.” you say, picking out a croissant and raising it to the blonde girls mouth. she glares at you for a few seconds before leaning in and taking a bite while maintaining eye contact.

“alright I'm out of here. you four are always so weird.” monet gags before rushing from the table to class, the rest of your friends laughing and agreeing before trailing after her.

“and then there were four,” max muttered, wearing his usual smirk and putting his arms around aki and audrey’s shoulders before looking at you. “what ever shall we do now?”

“not whatever you’re planning. ill see you three at lunch,” you say goodbye to the three before heading to class. you would need some alone time to process what just happened and what it meant for your relationship with your best friends.

.

.

.

right after your english literature class with audrey ended, the girl tells you not to wait up for her as the teacher wants to over her last essay with her. walking the short distance into the middle courtyard, you see max and aki already at your table and engaged in normal conversation. walking over, max roughly pulls you into a side embrace, dragging you halfway onto the table.

“if it isn't our little star of the evening,” max gushed, smiling brightly at you.

“its eleven in the morning.”

“just enjoy my compliments, y/n.” ”anyway,” aki butts it, leaning forward to get a better part in the conversation. “thanks for going along with the plan so effortlessly this morning. we were going to take it a bit further tonight.”

they smile at you, aki’s hesitant and max’s borderline devilish.

“oh god what is it now?” you ask, slapping max’s thigh and laughing at his squeal.

“stop doing that! and what dear akeno was going to say was that he wants us to make it look like we're close so audrey gets a little jealous.”

your brows squint in confusion. “but we are close. we’re nearly attached at the hip most of the time?”

“he means make it look like we’re screwing.”

you move to smack max again, but he seems to expect it as he laughs and moves out of your hand's trajectory. you'd gotten used to max’s potty mouth but that didn't mean he could just say things like that in public. especially with this stupid gossip girl thing going around.

“have some class, wolfe.”

“if i did id be a different person, l/n. and we all know you'd miss my charming personality.” he purrs, throwing an arm around your shoulder. he’s really committed to this act, you think, as he looks like he wants to eat you alive. ”i can't believe im saying this but max is right,” aki says, smiling at max’s faux-insulted face, “if there's one thing i know about audrey its that when she feels like she’s missing out on something she will do everything she can to get it. she spent three hours last tuesday looking for a vintage chanel purse that got discontinued almost thirty years ago.”

“she definitely is persistent when she wants to be. which is precisely why this will work if me and y/n shag it up.” max leers. you consider criticizing his choice of words but decide to leave it.

“ok, so we make her jealous, and then what? she figures out her sexuality? what else?” you question.

they both open their mouths to speak but stop, not having thought that far. you can feel yourself slowly losing hope in them before max finally speaks.

“we’ll figure it out when is happens.”

.

.

.

its a few hours later that you’re back at home, getting dressed as you wait for max to come back from his house so you can go to dumbo hall together as the next part of the plan. throughout the whole school day, max had taken his part of the plan very seriously, treating you how he would one of his new flames.

he moved his desk right next to yours in your language class, unsuccessfully trying to persuade the teacher to let him stay and let the two of you work together, he held your hand as he walked you to your final class before pointing out how audrey was staring at your conjoined hands like they were her mortal enemy.

before you got in your lift home, he bid you goodbye with a long kiss right on your cheek, smirking at your shocked expression. you could've sworn you heard an all too familiar scoff and a mass of blonde hair storming in your opposite direction.

knock knock knock.

fixing up the last of your makeup and touching up your hair, you glide over to your bedroom door before opening it. in front of you stands max, wearing a not all the way buttoned up striped silk shirt with white pants and dress shoes. a classic max wolfe get-up but entrancing as always.

you try to ignore his eyes dragging up and down your body, his eyes lingering on your hips and chest before resting on your eyes.

“i don't know it could use a few touch-ups,” max purrs as steps closer to you, your neck having to crane to look up at him, “y’know i wouldn't mind helping you out of that and being a little late.”

“oh shut up, you flirt.” you groan, pushing his smiling face out of your way to head downstairs to your shared lift. max trails after you, hot on your heels as he takes your hand to help you step into the car without flashing someone because of your dress.

the ride there is mostly silent and it surprises you. in a good way. you'd been best friends with max for years now and it seemed like every time you two shared a space you were always talking about something, whether it be his recent sexual adventures or one of your new achievements.

but this silence was…comfortable. he didnt say any other innuendos about your looks, deciding to just sit beside you and look out the window, his left hand slightly brushing your right. you dont say anything when he conjoins your hands together, no cameras around to see you.

you enjoy the prospect of having him in privacy more than you'd like to admit. it takes more of you to admit that it feels like someones something’s missing.

when the car stops outside the building of dumbo, max helps you outside of the car and stays beside you up the elevator to the bar, keeping a pale hand on the bottom of your back as he gently guides you. its quiet again in the elevator unil you get a shared message from aki.

aki : we'll be there soon. gossip girl wont shut up about you two. audrey is 😾. almost done!

you both laugh at his message, all too familiar with audreys signature pout when she's pissed off. you told her once in eighth grade that she looked like a kitten when she did it and she told you to shut up. she's been using the cat emojis since.

“just one more push and audrey will finally join the alphabet alliance.” max laughs.

“did you ever think this would happen?” you ask. “i mean it in the nicest way but auds always seemed like the straightest girl ever.”

“so did i until what happened last summer.” max laughs but cuts himself off, looking like he really didnt want that to slip out.

your brows raise. “what happened last summer?”

“iiii don't know what you're talking about. it was a completely normal day with friends being normal. about each other. yup.”

max wolfe was caught off guard. if it weren't so shocking you would have taken a picture for memory's sake.

“cmon, you can tell me maxie,” you tease, bringing out the pet name you used to call him when you were little.

“nope. mhm. not falling for it.”

before you can question him further the elevator stops on the top floor, the familiar dark yellowish lighting and mingling twenty-somethings welcoming you into the space.

max rushes out of the elevator, trying his best to avoid telling you what happened last summer. in the short walk over to the seating area, you keep your eye on him as he maneuvers over to the bar, hopefully ordering your favorite cocktail. you would need it for the night ahead.

you feel a hand wrap around your wrist before pulling you down onto the couch, your brain stalling as it rushes to comprehend what just happened. thankfully, it's just luna. horribly, it's just luna.

“tell me everything. when did you two hook up? or are you only dating? i really doubt it because your sexual chemistry is through the roof-”

“lune!” you groan, stopping her inquiries as she giggles at you. while you loved luna and went to her for advice often, she really knew how to pry to get you to open up to her.

“we aren't actually together,” you whisper, “its just to help someone figure something out.”

luna’s brow raises. “sounds like a weird favor, but i’ll play along. but be honest with me, when this person figures out whatever it is they need to figure out, are you sure you’l be able to just…go back to normal?”

“yeah, of course, we will.” it takes you a few seconds to answer, and you can tell by the look on the brunette's face that she doesn't believe you.

you're not that sure you believe in yourself either.

a glass of f/c enters your vision and you take it happily, thanking max as he settles on the couch next to you, throwing an arm around your shoulder. you try your best to ignore luna’ stare.

it’s a while later that the golden couple makes their appearance. aki looks good as usual, managing to effortlessly loo both adorable and enticing. he looks at you and gives a little smile and wave. it’s so sweet you don't know if those are butterflies in your stomach or plain sickness.

audrey is standing hand in hand with him and god does she take your breath away each time she dolls up. her watching old hollywood movies as a kid and falling in love with the styles that suited her perfectly, the blonde wearing a simple black halter neck gown with a diamond chain necklace. her hair is flowing over her back and shoulders, perfectly framing her face.

she ignores the both of you, flopping down on the couch in front of you and starting up a pointless conversation with julien, whose eyes dart between the four of you.

aki laughs under his breath and sits beside her, all of you struggling not to laugh at her little hmpf as she scoots away from him.

you get in the group chat when he waves his phone in your direction.

max : well she looks cheery

aki : she thinks i knew about the two of you dating and didn't tell her.

y/n : so she's upset with all of us. how do we make her realize she’s got a big fat crush on me if she’s going to avoid me like last season's manolos?

max : i’ve got an idea

as soon as you read the message max grabs your arm with that devious look on his face and announces that you two are going to talk in private. you look to aki who shrugs and audrey who is barely concealing her annoyance.

max takes you across the room and inside a set of doors, pulling them almost all the way shut before he turns to you.

“i’ve got an idea,” he says.

“so I've heard,” you laugh. “did you have to drag me across the whole room to tell me?”

“it was that week at the hamptons.”

your laugh stops. “what are you talking about?”

he sighs. “last summer, that week at the hamptons. we were hanging at the beach and when you came out of the water audrey was staring at you. and then that girl came up and started flirting with you and she was the angriest I've ever seen her.”

your brain takes in what he’s telling you and it helps explain… so much. how in the span of a few hours audrey went from asking you to help her get changed to getting shy when you noticed a birthmark on her ribcage. from asking you constantly when you were going to finally find a cute person to take you out to gagging at every person in your dm’s.

you just wished she would have voiced this to you. you noticed her slight jealousy and just took it as her being protective. you had told her numerous times that she was the only girl in your life, knowing the problems she had with abandonment, always telling her there would be room for her. it breaks your heart to think how she felt knowing you didn't feel the same.

but then there's akeno, your dear friend and audreys boyfriend. it was safe to say everyone - minus monet and maybe obie - had a crush on the pink-haired boy at some point. he was kind and maybe a bit too indecisive, but if you had a problem he was the most level-headed person you knew and he put things into perspective when you needed it. you remember when you came back from a trip thinking everyone had forgotten your birthday only to be surprised by a birthday party thrown by no one other than aki.

“i just wish she would have told me.” you sigh. you look at max’s face to see his mouth in a thin line as he stares at any place in the room but you. “maxie? what’s wrong?”

“god, stop with that nick - you know what, im just gonna say it. i only notice audrey was staring at you because i was. i mean, you do realize you’re fucking gorgeous, right? we really should have expected this. the friends to lovers thing is pretty played out but i thought i would wait it out long enough to-”

max’s rambling is abruptly cut off when you grab the back of his head and bring his lips to yours. it takes him a few seconds to realize what's happening before he kisses back, but when he does… you’d heard talk from boys and girls around school about the skill of max wolfe’s mouth but you had no idea it could feel as good as this.

it was both desperate but sweet, the kiss of two people who were long overdue to indulge in each other this way. its not long into it that his mouth prods yours open, his tongue meeting yours when you do so willingly. the suddenness and intensity of the kiss makes you dizzy, your hands blindly coming up to pull harshly at the brunette's hair. he moans into the kiss, slightly pulling away and smiling when you chase after his mouth.

“i guess it's safe to say we’re on the same page,” he breathes, the breathiness of his voice making you want to kiss him until he can't speak, “i always had a feeling you'd be a good kisser but jesus,”

“shut up, wolfe.”

“make me, l/n.”

he doesn't have to tell you twice before you’re bringing him back to you. this time he takes more charge, his large hands wrapping up from your back and pulling you in. he moves the attack of his mouth to your neck, sucking so hard at one spot that you know there’ll be a hickey but that excites you even further-

you slightly open your eyes in ecstasy and widen them when they lock with audrey’s in the doorway. aki is standing behind her, looking both scared but…supportive?

you (reluctantly) push max off of you, and the small noise of confusion he makes almost makes the situation better. almost.

audrey steels herself and drags aki further into the room before commanding he close and lock the door, turning back to the two of you stuck standing like kids who were caught stealing from the cookie jar.

“so it’s true. you two are sleeping around and you didnt even bother telling me.” she seethes. but you know her. she puts up an angry front because she’s hurt.

“yup, sorry auds but we wanted to keep it a secret for a bit longer. it was fun to sneak around behind everyone’s backs, anyway,” max boasts, sliding up behind you and wrapping his arms around you. “we would have told you eventually. we didnt think you would get so upset.”

“obviously im upset! my two best friends are sneaking around behind my back!”

“but…are you sure that’s why your upset?” you ask her.

she halts, keeping eye contact with you as she studies your face. you can see the moment she understands but squash it down, in fear that you don’t really mean what you say.

“of course. i should know these things. im…happy for you.”

“babe, c’mon,” aki begs, moving to join you by your side. “it’s ok, trust me. we know. that’s why we did this.”

she squints, eyes flickering between the three of you before she scoffs out a laugh and folds her hands over her chest. “you’re all assholes, you know that? if you had an inkling about how i do or don’t feel you could talk to me like normal people.”

glad she’s not that upset, you rush in and hug her body close to yours, lifting her a bit up off the ground as she yelps and slaps you on the shoulder. it doesn't help, she's barely concealing a smile when you look at her. you turn back to look at aki, who rolls his eye and mouths a “duh” at you before you move in and kiss audrey hope like you’ve been waiting a lifetime for it.

it’s both different but the same as max’s kiss, the desperation still there but less hurried. its slow and soft, comforting knowing you’ll get to do this again as much as you want now. that fat shocks you into pulling away from her, her eyes blinking up at you as she smiles prettily, the non-smudge lipstick that you got her working like a charm.

you feel a tap on your shoulder and look to your boys, the two having shared flushed cheeks and grins. deciding to finish your perfect little square, you giggle as you move over to give aki a sweet kiss as max drags in audrey for the same.

when all of you stop, you stand in silence for a minute just sharing looks before you all start laughing. normally after something like this you'd be nervous, wondering if you just ruined a relationship, but with the three of them you felt safe. you didnt have to worry about what you were, what you would do in the morning, or even the next few minutes. you just got to laugh in happiness with your favorite people knowing they felt the same about you.

.

.

.

[jemwolf]

I NEVER SHARED SEV PLUSH

Here she is with Bubba the build a Bear axolotl for scale!

Bonus: she came with me to FanX :3

(Yes, I got her a collar and tag with my contact info in the unlikely event that I lose her leave me alone-)

She's a lil goofy-looking, but honestly, she turned out better than I expected for Budsies! Now that I've gotten a plush from them, I have some recommendations for anyone thinking about getting a one under the cut!

1. Make a plush-friendly ref! Here's mine for anyone who didn't see it the first time

Since Sev is asymmetrical, I showed both sides, a front view and top view, as well as her paws. I also kept it very simple! Knowing the general shape of plushies, I drew this ref specifically thinking of how difficult it would be to make a sewing pattern for. The more details your character has, the harder it will be for the artists to make it look accurate.

2. I didn't do this and wish I had; point out small details if you want to make sure they're not forgotten! For example, plush Sev doesn't have the dark brown ear tips. I noticed that during the sneak peek, but it wasn't a big deal to me compared to some other things, so I didn't ask them to fix it. (If you get the sneak peek, definitely ask for edits if you want them, though!) They also didn't put the bite mark scars, but I was OK with that, too.

3. I also wish I had listed out the colors. Sev plush is a much lighter brown than my ref, but that was alright; the one that was a little disappointing (and the photos they send during peeks are not very high resolution, so I couldn't tell), is that her scars are tan instead of pink. I might try to fix that myself someday but for now I've gotten used to it X3

4. Small details will be done with felt unless you specifically ask otherwise! Sev plush's spots, scars, teeth, and eyes are all made out of felt. This may not be a big deal to some, but if you don't like the texture of felt, or you don't want to deal with it pilling later, make sure you specify that you don't want them to use felt!

That's another thing I've gotten used to since receiving her, but someday when I have the time and energy, I will likely be replacing at least her spots myself, and I'll probably have to redo her eyes too; they're already pilling a bit.

5. Go in with the knowledge that Budsies specializes in taking abstract children's art and making that into plushies. They are not an independent maker, they are a business. I can guarantee your plush will not look exactly like your reference. If you're not okay with that, save up and commission a plush artist! Budsies is a fun, more budget-friendly option for someone who wants a plush of their character on a relatively quick turnaround, but doesn't mind if they look a little wonky (which is exactly what I was expecting, so I am overall extremely happy and satisfied with my silly Sev uwu)

[rocketchip-comic]

I love that in Rocket's backstory she was a janitor, because as a janitor myself at the hospital I work at we're given a surprising amount of clearance for accessing rooms in the building, second only to security officers. Also, cleaning and maintenance staff are inconspicuous and often looked over. So, chances are you're not gonna question why a janitor is in a room as long as it looks like they're doing their job. Out of mind, out of sight; a ghost. It would be relatively easy (hypothetically of course, to any future employers I wouldn't do this in real life) to "borrow" company property and do... less than legal things with classified information, and with Rocket's engineering/tech experience and the lackluster security the only thing she would have to worry about is being patient and making sure that she's still doing her job to keep prying eyes away from her. Not saying that this wouldn't be a stressful plan to enact, but in this context it's very doable and I just think that's neat

As for the actual stealing of the ship... well, I assume that's where the luck comes into play.

anyway yea :) your comic v cool and fun and good

wait i forgot i had a question! ok so how exactly does Chip's memory deletion work? is it just like a button on the side of her head that just boop and poof its gone? Does she ever accidentally delete memories she wants to keep? wait thats 3 questions oops

HA I'm glad I got that accurate! At my last job whenever janitors got into stuff nobody else was supposed to see there was always this attitude of like "oh well, they won't know what to do with that info anyway." Which is .. hmm. But YES disclaimer for kids at home, I do not condone becoming a janitor to modify engineering plans and eventually hijack a spaceship to leave the planet. Just say NO!

Chip's robot physiology is a little wonky and works by cartoon logic, but basically she has two little electric panels on the sides of her head. That's what those yellow swirl things are supposed to be.

When she wants to forget something unpleasant, she essentially sends an electric jolt through her finger while pressing it up to the panel. and ZAP! (It's sort of meant to invoke the image of someone sticking their fingers in their ears when they don't want to hear something.)

To put it visually, its like her memory is a video in an editing program that she's dragging clips out of, and the gaps in the video are just replaced by vague jumbled static.

Sometimes she actually does remove more memories than intended. When she's in a rush or feeling panicked she'll cut out a wider section of memory in her haste to just GET RID OF THE BAD!! Which deletes pretty much all of the surrounding context of the memory as well. She's never really considered this to be a big issue.

Now where do the removed memory bits go? She has NO idea. All she knows is that she can't access them anymore once she's done the zappy thing, so they're as good as gone to her!

But who knows what could happen? 👀

[magicjesuscup]

Toa's Book 1 Thoughts

I just finished my second play through of Toa's route. (Someone, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like we had more time to play Jasper's route. We had a week/maybe less to play Toa's. I feel like we had twice as long for Jasper.) Anyway...

Spoilers for Toa, Lou, and Rio's book 1s.

Toward the end just before Toa erases MC's memories, there's some talk of MC not being able to stay on the Isle of Colde because of her lack of magical powers. I'm curious what would've happened if she didn't get them back.

If she was expelled from the island (which I don't see Lou doing), where would she go? Do they have something like a birth certificate or id (like a driver's license) in Saligia? Some form of travel papers? She's not going to have any of that. She doesn't have proof of citizenship to any kingdom, so how would she get in (assuming the princes don't find a way for her)?

I get that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to make someone go to a magic school if they can't magic, but all of the other students are rich nobles. If Lou kicks them out of school, they have a big, fancy house to go home to; he wouldn't be making any of them homeless (again, assuming none of the princes jump in to help her...which they probably would, but they were awfully quite when this topic came up.).

Even if she didn't get her magic back, her eyes are still black, and it would be bad if anyone else found that out. I feel like for that reason, he'd still want to house her on the Isle of Colde, just maybe not at the academy. The town is full of people ready and willing to bend over backward for Lou. I'm sure he could find someone who could give her a job and rent her an apartment at the very least. In Lou's book 1, it sounds like everyone is so willing to do whatever he asks because he helped them out at some point. He might not even need a great reason to help MC stay on the isle because in their minds, Lou helping someone is just what he does. He's the governor; he can do whatever he wants.

I like the idea that if MC pushed, "If I can't stay here, where would I go?", Fenn would be the first one to jump in with a solution. (In Rio's book 1, when Lou wanted the S ranks to help MC when her powers were going a little wonky, Fenn was the first one to volunteer. I feel like there are other instances of Fenn jumping in to help MC before the other consorts, but that's the only one I can think of right now.) Anyway, in my head, Fenn would offer to marry her. Since he can marry as many people as he wants, she wouldn't have to be queen (assuming he becomes king) if she doesn't want to. She wouldn't have to produce heirs for him (again assuming he becomes king) if she doesn't want to. Even if they're not in love (in this route anyway), Fenn wouldn't be stuck with her as his only partner. She has a place to go (he could ask Lou to let his fiancé/wife stay with him since he can't go back to Luxure or send her to stay with Hardie) and he can help his friend. Everybody wins. And because it's Toa's route, Toa would not like this AT ALL. XD

Speaking of Toa, I think it would've been funny if instead of Fenn writing, "Here's a love note MC wrote. Also, she's leaving soon so you better get back here and say goodbye," he wrote, "MC doesn't seem to have any memories of you. Did you erase her memories? Did something go awry? She's been in the infirmary since you left. You should probably come back to say your goodbyes." I can picture him sitting back and watching Toa literally fly back in a panic thinking his ancient magic was somehow killing MC. It's really funny to me picturing Toa freaking out confessing his love for MC, them having a moment, and then him saying something like, "I have to fix this; I can't let you die." And MC being really confused because she's not dying. And then Toa realizing Fenn lied, and while that's embarrassing, he has a paramour now so maybe it's ok (or maybe he'll just kill Fenn another time. lol.).

[alpona]

Link click: Theory & questions:

*all spoilers for season 1 !*

Just What how why everything? Lol. Every question I can ask will be deliberately left out plot point, meant to be slowly revealed. But let's get on with some anyway.

Most of my theories will be surrounding Lu guang, as he's the one mc shrouded in mystery. And he's totally not my favourite character and absolutely not pretty 😝

1. Lu guang is hiding something, or more like a lot of things. Duh. Everyone knows that.

He radiates this aura as if he's already... Guilty of something? And certainly carrying some burden (the burden of knowledge for sure, But more than that.)

I feel like he's on a mission of some sort. The business they're doing can't simply be for business. It's like.... A training session....? Is Lu guang training Cheng? In Preparation of a bigger, dangerous, life altering mission?

2. Is Lu guang somehow connected to Cheng xiaoshi's parents disappearance, at least knows something about it? I'm theorising this because of the guilt I sense from Lu guang.

What happened to the parents is a big question already, duh, very likely related to the timey whimey stuff (hey I'm still using the term! Hehe it's too perfect)

3. Ahem, what, I mean who is Lu guang anyway? (Or really what) sometimes I feel like he's already time traveling. Him being from the future is a popular theory.

His age is weirdly left unknown, thats also a big point.

He's possessing his younger self??

From Alternate timeline?

Is he actually xiaoshi (and qiao ling's) son from the future?  😂 it's almost scary how it kinda makes sense to me. Maybe xiaoshi died or disappeared or got lost in a dive.

4. Power mechanism. Still don't know how their powers work, since when, rarity of such ability, etc etc.

Lu guang probably can do more than we've seen.

5. What are the odds of 2 people with complimentary powers randomly meeting each other?

From the little we've seen of their backstory, I feel like Lu guang purposefully came to xiaoshi, their meeting wasn't any coincidence. Ties in with the mission theory.

6. Someone on YouTube said that 'maybe our protagonists knew each other beforehand in a different timeline, but something happened that caused only xiaoshi to forget everything. Thus lu guang's reason for being more knowledgeable. - very nice theory! I'd like to extend it, maybe xiaoshi died or disappeared in another timeline, thus Guang feels guilty. Thus his protectiveness and understanding behaviour. Hesitant to approach xiaoshi n start this business but couldn't help it either.

And not just to Xiaoshi, he's also quite protective of Qiao ling. Maybe something happened to her too... (Future son theory intensifies!!!)

7. Lu guang is seen to get tired while using his powers, right? When he's guiding xiaoshi for hours. He often takes naps on the couch at random times and sets up alarm to wake up at right times. Ok, I of all people should consider this a totally normal thing to do, do u need excuse to nap ahem ahem... And especially when you're 'watching a mundane movie through your mind's eye', of course it's tiring. But sadly (and fortunately) not everyone is Opshee, so the way it is shown, this can also mean that using luguangs powers are taxing. Low energy high intelligence.

8. The villain/antagonist, red eyes. Yeeeaah, so who that, what that? Should I even ask such obvious question, that's what season 2 will be about 😆 but I can state my theories beforehand.

That's not just a person, but more like....karma? Time police? A supernatural force that punishes everyone who messes with time? A being without even a solid body.... Woooo that'd be hard to deal with!

- wait, he did say something like being an 'agent' in last episode? Wonky translations, so not sure. But the original title of this show literally translates to 'time agent' apperantly, so......? Actual time police possible??

- or in simpler case, another person with similar powers to our mcs. Who's just a psycho. Wow so simple.

How his or her powers work is another question.

- is that person time traveling? Or just possessing people in present time? It should be time related to make it cooler n match our protagonist's powers, but there were scenes where it can be intercepted as just normal possession ability.

But then he can't be time police type....nah. I'll stick with 1st theory.

9. Obesvation: in episode... 6 maybe, there's a little scene at the police station, one of the serial killer victim's file/page went missing.

That has to mean something later. Maybe.... A police is related?

The assistant police, forgot his name, could he be the main villain? Dun dun duuuun!

10. Lu guang's watch. ...just, something seems to be there about it. It's highlighted more in the chibi shorts. That is related to something of his backstory.

11. Lu guang's platinum blonde hair, actually kinda stands out considering most people has the natural brown/black. Well, I wouldn't even think anything of it cuz, anime world! 😄 Multicolor hair is soooo common to us, especially when Lu guang n Xiaoshi are designed with complimentary black-white aesthetic. It just makes sense. But it kinda caught my attention from their university flashback scene... Lu guang was wearing a hat. It just felt like he was sort of embarrassed about his unnatural hair...?? Then my galaxy brain thought this has something to do with his mysterious background as well. A side effect of time travel? Future theke আসতে গিয়ে? Time travel makes your hair white? Lol

(Eeeeeeverything about Lu guang is sus. What's next opshee? Lu guang's shoes are suspicious too? His white shirt too?)

12. ..... I'll just clearly state my wildest n craziest theory here - Lu guang is Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao ling's son from the future. 😶

I have no reason or proof or argument for this, and I'm embarrassed, but it just keeps making sense somehow?!

( this note has been sitting on my phone for almost a year, but now that we have season 2 airdate, I better post this now, and let's all brainstorm about these!)

[delphi-shield]

i was gonna comment on this when I got home but I couldn't stop rotating this fic in my mind after rereading it again so im doing this on my lunch break instead lmao.

It was sweet. Ashley had kissed boys before, but never a girl. Jill’s lips were softer, not just in their composition or the way they sat on her face, but the way she kissed. It was nicer. Ashley was so engrossed in the kiss that she almost didn’t notice Jill’s hand on her cheek. The kiss probably would’ve lasted longer if they weren’t being gawked at by two men, and maybe ten more if you included the agents patrolling the area. 

sorry im on mobile this might look wonky-- anyway!! love this fic so much.

She hadn’t heard of other sexualities before. It was 2004. It wasn’t like people talked about those things openly, not even on popular parts of the internet. Where was she supposed to read about bisexuality, pansexuality, asexuality, and the like? The gay newspaper? Ashley didn’t read the news. She barely had time for her own life, let alone anyone else’s. 

this is really important to me and it's one of the things i like about this fic (and most of your fics tbh) the most. while i understand the appeal of fics where characters are gay and no one bats an eye, where everyone is secure in their sexuality and it's not a source of stress and i think those are valuable and important, i really prefer when authors grapple with the reality of being queer, especially in the early-mid aughts. i think the end result winds up being much more engaging and its got more stick-with-you. even without getting super deep into it, without delving into angst about it, i really feel like this bit of realism & stepping back to look at the time period and the characters logically adds a lot to this fic.

The holidays were coming up, and if you know anything about America, you know that Christmas at the White House is a big deal. December is basically a month-long party.  When she’s not being held up by the press or forced into a photo-op, the parties can actually be kind of fun. Ashley’s the kind of girl who communicates only by Christmas carol beginning December 1st.  Initially, it seemed like the 2004 holiday season was not going to be so cheery. Every news outlet needed their fix of “post-Spain president’s daughter is A-OK” content. But since she’d gotten home, Ashley’s father had become more protective of her, maybe out of guilt, or maybe out of love.

This holiday season she would not be followed around by reporters because the Secret Service was ordered to keep them away from her. Yeah, it’d suck to be surrounded by a group of men with a grouchy disposition, but at least they didn’t talk. They were practically allergic to conversation. 

there was a lot to unpack in here but I bolded my favorite lines so as not to fill this comment with me just going "AHHH". love love love how much characterization you're able to pack in here for ashley. your writing here is very efficient - which i mean in a positive way, im a big fan of economical prose.

also oh my goddd I could go on about your use of the secret service in this fic. i don't know if it was intentional or not but they make a fantastic metaphor for comphet. i really enjoyed the occasional reminder that theyre still there, still watching, even as ashley is exploring her identity.

L: “You’re in luck :)”

A: “XD” 

Ashley then had to go on to explain to Leon the concept of XD and XP. They didn’t cover that in all the paramilitary training he’d gone through.

canon to me tbh. ashley really is an xD enjoyer. idk i want to introduce her to kaomojis, i think she'd die.

“Hey Ashley. You look great tonight.”

“Thanks. It’s Versace.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I take it it’s expensive.”

honestly I don't have anything intelligent to say about this exchange i just wanted to point out that i liked it. Ashley's def the kind of person to get a compliment and go 'omg thanksss it's [brand]' and Chris has got big 'ok 💛 yay 💛' energy here.

The moment Leon turned away to retrieve her refill, Ashley said, “You’re really pretty, Jill. I mean, your dress, it’s really pretty. I like it.” 

this is suuuch a cute little moment to me, i like how you've written Ashley's fluster and i love her using her status to show Jill around and kind of show off. Idk ashley really feels like she would try to like flex her status when she's flirting if that makes sense?? so offering to show jill around and being like "I can get us in >:3" felt very her.

And I also love what's essentially your case for Jill/Ashley! ashley doesn't have a ton of people to talk to about her experience, certainly not people who get it, and tbh, yeah, leon's pretty tight-lipped about it whereas i don't think jill has anywhere near that level of reticence to talk. idk jill's very action-oriented, and leon's prone to sitting and stewing in all the bad shit so while i think jill's eager to offer a shoulder she's also prone to withholding on her own end -- anyway. this ain't about them. what i'm saying is i really enjoyed the case you made for jill/ashley lmfao.

this is THE paragraph in the entire fic to me. she's that girl. idk I think there's something special about your first kiss with a woman, especially when you're coming into your own identity and accepting your feelings. I think this really captures it succinctly and beautifully.

and omg theres my besties the secret service mentioned again, hiiii. i really love the persistent reminders that they're being monitored as well. again, i don't know if it's what you intended but it really does add a lot to this portrayal to me.

there's a lot of little details about this fic that I love tbh, but especially jill's hesitance to chat ashley up at the beginning. idk the fear of seeming predatory is so real and like you didn't have to spell it out, it just kind of clicked. I would devour any wlw fic from you tbh.

make the yuletide gay

pairings: ashley graham/jill valentine, leon kennedy/chris redfield

cw: everyone is gay :), fluff!

summary: jill is ashley's gay awakening

ao3 link

The first time Ashley met Jill was at one of those galas that posed itself as something celebratory but was really intended for diplomacy and networking. As the president’s daughter, her presence was often requested by her father at such events. She wasn’t a part of any government agency, so it wasn’t like anyone would find her attendance beneficial in any meaningful capacity, but it was good for her father’s image. It made him look like a family man. Not that he wasn’t a family man. He was just busy.  Ashley made an attempt to attend these things for the most part in the hopes of gaining her father’s respect or at least, his attention. She knew there were only a few routes to her parents’ praise and this was one of them. 

On top of that, Leon was going to be there, and she hadn’t seen him since Spain. When she’d thanked him on Ada’s jetski while they watched the island go up in flames, he’d said “don’t mention it”, but she was definitely going to mention it every time she saw him for as long as it took her to properly express her gratitude. Her infinite gratitude.  Ashley assumed that Leon didn’t like her based on his standoffishness, but when she’d approached him about it soon after they’d made it stateside, he told her that he just wasn’t really an affectionate person. He learned to accept her hugs slowly, but surely over the years. 

As it turned out, the brooding air he carried was typical of most anti-bioterrorism agents. That late-2004 night Ashley met other agents from the DSO and the soon-to-be BSAA, not that she knew much about either organization. Most of the agents were male - the strong, hardened type. People that could realistically kill her in one punch. She was constantly watching her back after Spain, so she felt safer knowing that she had dozens of Leons in the room. 

There was one agent that would put all others to shame: Jill Valentine. The coolest of cool. All of the men around her were either infatuated with or terrified by her, sometimes both. Ashley personally just admired her. Her confidence, her power, her beauty. 

Ashley went for a stylish little number that night, wearing a designer dress that cost more than most people’s rent for the month, but still, she was not on Jill’s level. It was nothing to do with money or prestige because Ashley, as the president’s daughter, had more wealth and status than she knew what to do with. It was about coolness - an intangible, ineffable quality.

Leon introduced the pair with the typical “Ashley this is Jill, Jill this is Ashley”, and Jill went in for the handshake, not a hug like most of the women in the room. Most of the women weren’t Jill, though, they were all somebody’s wife or somebody’s daughter, but Jill was somebody. She bridged the seemingly impossible gap between woman and operative with a feminine chivalry in her handshake. 

“Jill seems so cool,” Ashley remarked to Leon once they were alone again. 

“Yeah,” Leon said, not quite as fixated. 

Leon knew the look in Ashley’s eyes way before she did. 

“Looks like someone has a crush,” he teased.

“What?”

“You’re staring at her, Ash. I wouldn’t be surprised if cartoon hearts replaced your eyes.”

“Shut up!”

Yeah, Ashley was blushing, but it wasn’t because Leon had actually clocked her. It was just an embarrassing thing for him to point out even if it was false. Which it was.  

Then again, when she mulled over the night in her mind that night, Leon’s comment refused to leave Ashley’s head. 

I’m not a lesbian. I like guys, so I don’t have a crush on her, she thought, I can’t have a crush on her.

It wasn’t that Ashley was homophobic. In fact, many of her friends from school were gay and she’d gone to the pride parade in DC that past June. She wouldn’t have a problem accepting herself if she were a lesbian. But she was pretty confident that she wasn’t. 

She hadn’t heard of other sexualities before. It was 2004. It wasn’t like people talked about those things openly, not even on popular parts of the internet. Where was she supposed to read about bisexuality, pansexuality, asexuality, and the like? The gay newspaper? Ashley didn’t read the news. She barely had time for her own life, let alone anyone else’s. 

The holidays were coming up, and if you know anything about America, you know that Christmas at the White House is a big deal. December is basically a month-long party.  When she’s not being held up by the press or forced into a photo-op, the parties can actually be kind of fun. Ashley’s the kind of girl who communicates only by Christmas carol beginning December 1st.  Initially, it seemed like the 2004 holiday season was not going to be so cheery. Every news outlet needed their fix of “post-Spain president’s daughter is A-OK” content. But since she’d gotten home, Ashley’s father had become more protective of her, maybe out of guilt, or maybe out of love. This holiday season she would not be followed around by reporters because the Secret Service was ordered to keep them away from her. Yeah, it’d suck to be surrounded by a group of men with a grouchy disposition, but at least they didn’t talk. They were practically allergic to conversation. 

Leon texted Ashley to let her know that he’d be coming to one of the many, many celebrations planned for that December, to which she replied without thinking, “Do you know if Jill’s coming?”

L: “I don’t know. Do you want me to ask her?” 

She could hear Leon’s teasing tone through the words on her screen. 

A: “No!”

L: “Okay.”

A: “I mean, you can if you want, but don’t tell her I asked.”

A few minutes went by before she received another message from Leon.

L: “You’re in luck :)”

A: “XD” 

Ashley then had to go on to explain to Leon the concept of XD and XP. They didn’t cover that in all the paramilitary training he’d gone through.

As soon as Leon made it to the party, Ashley was gushing to him about Jill, not that she’d admit it was “gushing”. Ashley went on and on while Leon sipped his champagne in relative silence. Free champagne was always the best tasting. It might have been the alcohol giving him a buzz, but he did start to feel a little bit warm inside listening to Ashley’s ramblings. 

Little did either of them know, Jill was having a similar discussion with Chris across the room. 

“She’s totally into you,” Chris insisted.

“Really? You think?” Jill tried not to stare, but it was hard not to when Ashley was twirling around the room with tinsel lighting up her hair. 

“Everyone’s into you. You’re like the most badass woman ever.”

“I think you might be projecting your thoughts onto ‘everyone’, but thanks for calling me a badass, I guess.”

Jill patted Chris, her personal cheerleader, on the back. 

When Ashley left Leon’s side for a moment to talk to whoever had just arrived - Leon was exhausted and not really paying much attention to names - Chris approached him with a conspiratorial look on his face.

Chris looked around the room to see if anyone was listening to their conversation before leaning closer to Leon casually to whisper, “Ashley’s totally into Jill, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Leon confirmed, “but she won’t admit it.”

“Jill’s convinced that Ashley’s straight, so she won’t go, you know, chat her up.”

“Even Ashley herself is convinced that she’s straight.”

From afar they probably looked like they were chatting about women they wished they were man enough to hit on, whispering and pointing vaguely at the two girls. No one would know that they were matchmakers in the making. 

Ashley returned to Leon’s side, forcing the two men to put their conversation on hold. 

“Hi Chris,” Ashley said with a smile.

“Hey Ashley. You look great tonight.”

“Thanks. It’s Versace.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I take it it’s expensive.”

“Very.”

Jill, who’d gotten caught up at the bar ‘mingling’ with some government officials, rejoined the group. Chris took her by the shoulder, pulling her into the conversation. 

“Leon and I are going to go get another round. Do you ladies want anything?” Chris asked.

“Just got a brand new one myself, so I’m good, thanks,” Jill responded, holding up her full champagne flute.

“Ooh. Can you get me another one of these?” Ashley asked, thrusting her glass at Leon.

“What is it?” He looked at the pinkish remnants of liquid contemplating its contents. 

“Just tell the bartender ‘it’s for Ashley Graham’ and he’ll know.”

Ashley, herself, wasn’t quite sure of the exact recipe, though it tasted like it had more than a hint of grenadine in it.

The moment Leon turned away to retrieve her refill, Ashley said, “You’re really pretty, Jill. I mean, your dress, it’s really pretty. I like it.” 

Ashley’s cheeks were pink, realizing that she’d said something a bit more flirtatious than she’d intended. The drink must’ve had more alcohol than she’d thought because she was already making a complete fool out of herself, or so it seemed. It was true, though, that Jill’s dress was really pretty, a subtle blue, that complemented her blue-gray eyes, eyes which Ashley was trying not to get lost in. 

“Thanks. I wanted to wear a pantsuit originally, but I was told a dress would be more ‘festive’.”

“You could totally rock a suit.”

“You seem to have a good handle on what’s fashionable these days, so I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

“I just read a lot of Cosmo and Elle, you know.”

Jill nodded, pretending to know about fashion magazines. 

“Have you seen the Blue Room yet?” Ashley asked, hoping an exclusive White House tour would be enough to impress her.  

“No, I haven’t. Are we allowed back there?” Jill didn’t care much about Christmas decorations, but if she got to spend time with Ashley, then she could pretend to be interested in whatever Ashley liked for a little while.

“I am,” Ashley said proudly. 

“Is this an offer for a behind-the-scenes tour of the White House?”

“Yeah, I can even show you the Oval Office if you want.”

Ashley looked back at one of the Secret Service members behind her who only glared back. 

“Okay. Maybe not the Oval Office,” Ashley said. Then, leaning over, in a whisper, “They’re a little on edge tonight.”

“Who?”

“Secret service. Otherwise, I could probably convince them.”

“Are they following you around?”

“Yeah, my dad doesn’t want any reporters hounding me about Spain, and neither do I.”

“That makes sense. People don’t really take into account how traumatic an experience like that can be and don’t even realize how insensitive it is to constantly be asking questions.”

Jill followed Ashley out of the ballroom, completely forgetting about the men they’d left at the bar. Who needs men when you’re getting a tour of the White House from the president’s daughter who is almost impossibly beautiful. Along with her designer dress, Ashley was also wearing tinsel in her hair and a necklace of battery-powered string lights. It was actually quite fitting that she’d put a flashing rainbow on around her neck. If her actions didn’t say ‘I’m gay’, her accessories sure did.  Jill would’ve thought the ensemble looked tacky on anyone else, but Ashley managed to make it look festive, maybe even avant-garde. Though, fashion terms weren’t her area of expertise. 

In the corridor, Ashley turned to face Jill, “They put all these articles in the news saying how happy they are that the president’s daughter is home safe, but they don’t even treat me like a human being when they talk about me.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. After Raccoon City, I remember constantly being asked questions about everything that happened, and I couldn’t even remember most of it. I passed out for days,” Jill said, trying to be sympathetic without raining on everyone’s parade. 

Ashley’s holiday spirit surprised, yet delighted Jill. Knowing what Ashley went through, she would’ve expected her to be bitter or closed-off, but she retained this vibrance and sweetness that was charming. 

“Wow. I don’t know that much about Raccoon City. Leon brought it up once, but he didn’t say much, and I didn’t want to ask him.”

“Yeah. There's solidarity between all of us who went through stuff like this. A silent solidarity, but it’s there. Especially silent on Leon’s end.”

Ashley had gotten to know Leon well over the course of those past few months, and yet, he was still a mystery in many ways. 

“He’s definitely the quiet type. Sometimes I wanna open up to him about the whole thing, you know, Spain, but I’m sure he’s the last person that wants to talk about it.”

“If you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, I’m always here for you.”

“Really? That’s so sweet of you.”

“Of course. I’ll give you my number.”

Ashley couldn’t help but notice how the hundreds of lights strung around the blue rooms’ Christmas tree reflected off Jill’s face, how she glowed, how she was far more beautiful than the angel that took its place on the top branch of the tree. There was a moment of peaceful silence where she stretched out her pinky finger, not even realizing what she was doing until she felt the tip of Jill’s pinky touch her own. Similar to the moment before someone kisses you, where it becomes inevitable, the slow rush of butterflies to the stomach, but with an added tenderness, a sense of sweet innocence. 

Leon and Chris appeared near the entrance to the room, but were stopped by a Secret Service member. Ashley had to step in with a, “they’re with me”, before the two men were allowed to be within 100 feet of her. 

Chris, ever the opportunist, spotted an ornament on one of the many Christmas trees in the room, and swiped it. It was mistletoe shaped. He dangled it above Ashley and Jill, causing Ashley to blush and leaving Jill to be the one to initiate the kiss. 

It was sweet. Ashley had kissed boys before, but never a girl. Jill’s lips were softer, not just in their composition or the way they sat on her face, but the way she kissed. It was nicer. Ashley was so engrossed in the kiss that she almost didn’t notice Jill’s hand on her cheek. The kiss probably would’ve lasted longer if they weren’t being gawked at by two men, and maybe ten more if you included the agents patrolling the area. 

Jill deftly snatched the mistletoe from Chris’ hand and dangled it over him and Leon. Chris seemed surprisingly receptive to the idea, but Leon, on the other hand, looked a bit nervous. He cleared his throat and tried to hide the pink rising in his cheeks. 

Hey, at least the blood wasn’t going anywhere else in his body, right?

Ashley held in her giggles while she watched the event unfold. Jill continued to hang it over them both, letting them know there was no way out. 

“C’mon Leon,” Chris said. 

Leon rolled his eyes, but he seemed to enjoy the kiss he and Chris shared. 

Jill and Ashley were caught in their own little world, barely paying attention to either of the men, when they rejoined the conversation. They both slowly retreated once they realized they weren’t going to receive the attention of either of the women. 

“Do you think they’re offended that we were ignoring them?” Ashley asked. 

“No,” Jill said, “I think they get it.”

Get what? Ashley thought. 

Jill’s lips were on hers again and she understood ‘what’. 

At some point, the two noticed guests beginning to file out at a more rapid rate - people always came and went, but now the party was wrapping up. Jill looked at the clock and realized how late it was. 

“Oh, wow. I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun, right?”

“Right. I should get going, but I hope I get the chance to see you again soon.”

It sounded like a question that Ashley didn’t know how to respond to except with a ‘yes, absolutely, please and thank you”.

She said, “Yes, I have your number, so I’ll call you, if that’s okay.”

“Sure.” 

Pulling away from their goodbye hug, Ashley kissed Jill on the cheek without really thinking about it. Luckily, before she had the chance to be embarrassed, Jill kissed her back. 

Jill was leaving the room when she turned back to Ashley and said, “If you see Chris, tell him I left. He follows me around like a lost dog sometimes, so I don’t want him to get confused and end up roaming the halls for the next few hours.”

“Will do,” Ashley said with a smile.

She did start to wonder where Chris and Leon were. She hadn’t seen them in quite a while. Since most people had left, her security loosened her leash a bit, and let her wander off on her own to some extent. She eventually found Leon and Chris making out in an otherwise empty room. As much as she thought Jill might like that story, she was sworn to secrecy. 

[hiilikeanimelol]

OK SO I GOT VERY BORED

Thoughts on each individual character under the cut

Reblogs are always appreciated ♡

Ace: simple lobe because he is probably lowkey scared of the pain, think tragus looks nice with the lobe but not on its own scared of not being able to talk and pain, gets it done with deuce

Azul: had daith for a while and gets matching helix with floyd and jade thinks they might look unprofessional

Cater: has both sides of his nose pierced, loves matching his septum with his nose rings would get these in future years when he can afford

Deuce: got them during his bad boy phase, industrial was a present from his mum for having better grades also scared of pain eventually gets it done with ace

Epel: thinks they make him look tough, if the tongue ball is too big it brings out his accent and it drives vil up the wall, industrial healing time scares him and he feels the lobes may be too feminine (gets them eventually)

Floyd: matching helixxxx! It was his idea to get them. Would like an eyebrow but is scared he might bash it and hurt himself

Idia: ortho wanted it adding to a model of his so idia got one to match, feels like they wouldn't suit him

Jack: only piercing for animal ears, would get if he had human ears

Jade: matching helix part 3, not big on piercings unless they have meaning.

Jamil: simple gold stud, would get tongue eventually but is scared the asim family wouldn't approve

Kalim: likes the jewelry possibilities, gets them in the future but is slightly scared by needles, makes jamil realise that his parents don't mind others having piercings

Leona: only piercing for animal ears likes to fiddle with smiley and vertical labret while thinking , would get if he had human ears, also scared that cheka would pull them or want one himself

Lilia: YA WANT A PIERCING?! DONT TELL LILIA BECAUSE HE WILL GRAB A LIGHTER AND A SAFETY PIN AND DO IT HIS FUCKING SELF, does all his own piercings. Next piercing he would do is his septum but doesn't want to pierce it wonky

Malleus: pierced my lilia, would get his anti tragus done with yuu as a permanent symbol of their friendship

Ortho: likes the shiny, and no pain for it either! Doesnt know if he would suit them, yanno, being small and all

Riddle: his mother hates piercings! Gets his septum done after college as a small sign of freedom and flips it up around her. Trey pays for it. Will get it when he can ensure that he will be able to remove it for seeing his mother, Chenya pays for this one

Rook: thinks having his rook pierced is hilarious! Has an industrial that looks like an arrow (so do I and its a favorite of mine, super cute) would get them in the future but wants to wait until the rook is healed fully

Ruggie: is difficult and expensive to get animal ears pierced due to the fact they're all different. Leona pays for it as a birthday present, has one on each ear. Lilia wanted to pierce someone's nose and ruggie said fuck it do mine

Sebek: not overly fussed for piercings, mentioned an oribital infront of lilia and abracadabra he had it in under 5 minutes. Kept it because malleus said it suited him, scared that it will reject and doesn't NOT trust lilia to get it straight

Silver: has both eyebrows done with black jewellery to stand out against grey hair and eyes, fiddles with smiley to avoid falling asleep in lesson, is waiting for a good time to ask lilia to do his septum

Trey: has simple black studs and is happy with just those, tempted to get a septum after seeing riddles

Vil: had lobes since a young age, tragus and surface tragus done in early teen years, scared incase vertical labret gets infected and messes up his face, gets helix done before leaving college

[legionnaireslover]

Answers to Mom anon post from @doctortwhohiddles blog...

I am not going to repost all of the original answer that Mom Anon wrote (nor the original post from @doctortwhohiddles) because of space and disruptiveness that would cause to any readers, but here's my take on Mom Anon's reply to @doctortwhohiddles...

About the Vanity Fair quote...

First MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

So she says she "thinks" the enthusiastic fans (who the Skeptic/Haters refer to as "Nans") are the "skeptics" Ben is referring to in this quote of his.

That is complete gobsmacking nonsense of course!

He CLEARLY isn't talking about enthusiastic fans! He is quite blunt right up front and identifies them as... the people who think his wife and children are PR stunts. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT ARE THE HATERS!

AND BEN KNOWS THAT! He also identifies these same people as CONSPIRACY THEORISTS ... and we ALL know which group is into THAT sort of thing (and it ISN'T the super enthusiastic fans!!!).

The part in which he zeroes in on their feelings of possessiveness about him directly related back to the Haters too. That's because, as Ben explained, this obsessive behaviour is what drives them to think that they are entitled to have a say in his private life, and AGAIN... ONLY THE HATERS ARE INTO THAT SORT OF BEHAVIOUR!

He NEVER once mentioned objecting to fans coming to see his plays more than once, NEVER mentioned fans giving him gifts are the ones who think his wife and children are faked, and NEVER once mentioned he has a problem with fans attending multiple conventions to see him!

So WHERE do people like this Mom Anon get this idea from?? How do the Haters make that enormous leap to conclude that?

Well, I think they are just saying this complete nonsense to try and justify their pathetic behaviour towards the Cumberbatches.

And if by chance they really DO believe this crap, then the Haters reeeeeeally should STOP trying to read Ben's mind and "interpret" what he means because they are ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AT IT!

Oh, and one last point - what else could he have said... how about "no comment" ? That would have been pretty easy if he was finally asked about the nutters who have been saying his wife and family are fake.

But he chose to address it head on. So naturally the Haters, who have built a whole mythological structure around their obsession about his marriage and family, are going to just assume he was LYING when he gave an honest answer (even though, apparently, Haters like Mom Anon, actually believe he WASN'T talking about THEM when he decided to LIE about it... hey! That doesn't make any sense!!). LOL! CAUGHT YA!

About the second pregnancy picture...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

OK... so produce that "proof" photo, please! But it better NOT be just some undergarment that got bunched a bit! Or a bra strap showing! It better be absolutely CLEAR that it is a prosthetic, clear enough to identify the make and model (if Anna can do this then so can I )! It better be sharply in focus and that fake belly strap better be FULLY in view! (Not some wee bit of fabric that can't be identified as anything specific).

About the journalist not EVER seeing or saying ANYTHING about fake pregnancies of Sophie's...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

Wow! Yes, paps, photographers etc. Do snap pix very quickly. But IF all these pictures that the Haters claim are sooooo OBVIOUSLY showing her fake pregnancies, then how do these pictures EVER make it past the EAGLE EYES OF YGE MULTIPLE EDITORS WHO GO OVER THESE PIX WITH MAGNIFYING GLASSES BEFORE THEY ARE PUBLISHED (that's the way those things work... I ought to know - 40 years+ very close to the newspaper/publishing business)? Without them NOTICING anything "wonky" about THREE PREGNANCIES!!! And remember, it is the BUSINESS of these people to get scoops on celebrities everyday!! Oh, right! Sophie is PAYING THEM OFF TO KEEP THEM QUIET... oops! There's those "conspiracy "theories" (exclusive specialty of the Haters) coming up again! 🙄

About the name-calling of the Cumberbatch children...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

That's the Hater way of saying... I'll NEVER STOP calling those innocent children vile names! How "big" of this "Mom" to decide when a child deserves to be called by their rightful name! Disgusting ENTITLED behaviour!

About Haters not giving their approval of Ben's marriage...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

She claims she isn't demanding Ben have her approval of his private life BUT the proof of this is woven into the very fabric of the Hater posts they make EVERY DAY!

Haters make JUDGMENTAL PROCLAMATIONS about almost EVERY aspect of Ben's life - career, appearances, his marriage, how he behaves as a father, the food he eats, the projects he does, the clothes he wears... and much, much more! These entitled statements aren't just observational, they are completely infused with demanding "instructions" on just exactly how he SHOULD be living according to the Haters.

Haters are the ones who whinge on and on about Ben not "introducing" Sophie to his fandom in the "proper" way! They haven't "approved" of Sophie since that engagement announcement appeared in the London Times. They are constantly telling him how he SHOULD BE a husband and father (apparently - he DOESN'T hold her hand "correctly" enough for their tastes, Sophie and Ben AREN'T "loving" enough on camera for the Haters' sensibilities, they aren't GOOD ENOUGH PARENTS, etc.). So it rings VERY disingenuous of Mom Anon to say she doesn't care about Ben's private life when there is all kinds of concrete evidence to the contrary.

About the children's birth certificates...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

Yeah, almost to the person, the "the children aren't his and the family is fake" crowd are pretty solidly behind the "Fake/Nonexistent Birth Certificates".

So the question of the existence of those VERY REAL BIRTH CERTIFICATES is something that EVERY Hater should answer.

So Mom Anon is just plain LYING about being so neutrally "shrug" about this issue. Mom Anon declared right from the get-go that she didn't think Sophie has been pregnant.

It is just TOO CONVENIENT that she takes this blasé attitude so that she doesn't have to address the Cumberbatch children having legitimate birth certificates.

This is prevarication plain and simple. She is skirting around from facing the truth by acting like it doesn't matter. But it does and she knows it.

Because if you believe (like Mom Anon so clearly does) that Sophie has NEVER been pregnant with Ben's children... then how exactly WOULD you explain the very real existence of those birth certificates???

And finally, we come to THE PREGNANCIES...

MOM ANON'S REPLY:

MY RESPONSE:

Yes... her first point - she states as an outright fact that Sophie got on "a plan [sic] looking seven months pregnant" and got off "looking two months pregnant". Nice try, but THAT NEVER HAPPENED! That's all complete bullshit dreamed up by the Haters. Sophie got on and off that plane looking EXACTLY THE SAME AS FAR AS HER PREGNANCY IS CONCERNED. The pictures even show this (unless you are a Hater and then you just deny reality!).

As for the "hydration" bit... this is the first time I ever even heard of that, so who were the hoards who proclaimed this "theory"???

Then Mom Anon goes on to talk about the changes and shape of Sophie's belly. Again with the definitive statements about the position of Sophie's belly, when it is all based on a series of blurry, long shots that the Haters misrepresented with ridiculous lines drawn all over them, claiming Sophie had worn her prosthetic belly UPSIDEDOWN!! Again, just HOW did this happen??? Those honeymoon pix were all taken in a matter of minutes! This Hater "theory" cakes absolutely no sense at ALL!

The Oscar pix... no proof at all that it was Sophie's bellybutton showing - instead it makes total sense that what was moving was the fetus. But that's too simple and reasonable for the Haters to accept AND it doesn't fit into their conspiracy theories!

*******************

Soooo, there you have it! The truth laid out to counteract all the lies and delusional thinking of the Haters.

We also have Ben HIMSELF talking about (occasionally) his wife and family. And there are LOTS of other people totally corroborating EVERYTHING BEN HAS SAID!

But haters obviously don't care about the TRUTH or Ben . They have their "theories" and their "opinions" and their "experts" and their "secret sources". 🙄🤔😩🤯

[satelliteaccident]

*screeches in like a whole entire day late with -- ok not starbucks but i have coffee and i'm happy to brew more for anyone who wants some, let's DO this*

ok so there are at least two threads from the main post:

what might kim's skillset look like?

what's volta do mar?

and i think the second is a BIG thing worthy of its own keyboard-smashing elsewhere, so i'll briefly respond to it and then move on.

for the in-game definition let's turn to @morgue-xiiv's trusty FAYDE:

you know how ruby's death ray machine-thingy imposes dimensions (let's read that as "structure" for the moment) on the pale?

i'm guessing that volta do mar, done right, imposes structure on *the human mind*. (alternatively, it doesn't, and my "creation process for poetry" is cooked. :p)

so instead of the mind, the consciousness, dissolving/fracturing in the chaos of pale (or whatever menaces "other troubled souls") -- you keep it together. you self-impose structure. you go into the roiling, fractal crazy and you emerge -- not *unchanged*, no, but recognisable to yourself and others: intact.

(side note: the paledriver says those who loved her no longer recognise her. she doesn't recognise herself, either, to the point that iirc she's pretty much like "lol i don't remember what's between my legs and tbh i don't caaaaaare, go away and let me wander through other people's memories.")

... ok i'm in serious danger of derailing myself so let's impose a little structure right here and say that's enough for volta do mar for the moment, let's use what we know about it as a springboard into the skillset of (and i say this as a megabino myself) everyone's best and favourite binoclard, kim "absolutely NOT 'pinball', kindly go fuck yourself" kitsuragi.

note: from here, unless otherwise noted, i am just screaming headcanons. these are not prescriptive! feel free to be like "six you are a wrong person who is wrong and here is why."

my headcanon for kim's base stats: intellect 3 psyche 6 physicality 2 motorics 1 (this one's canonical)

i work from the assumption that kim has the same 24-skill set as harry, plus volta do mar. (he does have it canonically i think? because he's wearing a jacket that has it.)

it's possible -- probable? -- that harry, who when he was a kid canonically wanted to be a poet or an entroponaut when he grew up, *used* to have volta.

but he's forgotten the pale. he says in the logic check when theorising about the swallow that the person he *used* to be did know about it, extensively; given the wonkiness of boundaries of self within pale and harry's grievous self-inflicted damage, i'm willing but hesitant to accept those as his own personal memories.

kim, though, canonically knows about pale and wears clothing that boosts his volta stat. as @brennisteinnexe points out, it's not certain which of the four skill umbrellas volta sits under; psyche is a solid working assumption because it's one of the colours za/um used for it *and* it's arguably about keeping one's psyche intact.

now, this is gonna seem unrelated, but bear with me: i can't remember who brought it up, but someone in this blue special interest hellpit mentioned being curious as to how kim, whose base motorics skill is canonically a shit-tastic 1, managed such an epic and arguably signature composure stat.

and i think the answer -- to that, to his volta stat, to most things kitsuragi -- is "because he needed it to survive."

he was bullied in high school. he can't see for shit. he's a homo-sexual. he's physically small; measurehead calls him "paedomorphic".

in short, he can't *not* be a target -- but he works really, REALLY fucking hard to make himself an *unsatisfying* target.

he's turbo-boosted his composure, denying bullies the satisfaction of a reaction.

he's upskilled his hand/eye coordination to counter his poor vision, enabling him to better protect himself and others -- and to tailor his own clothes, giving his slight self a broad-shouldered, broad-hipped silhouette. (<-btw this? this right here? is my single most unfailing "OW OUCH OW FUCK" kim heartbreak button. i don't even know why. it just *is*.)

he's upskilled his interfacing to take care of his own vehicles, reducing his need to rely on others (read: give them the chance to hurt him) (TRAUMA IS FUN).

he's augmented his naturally strong authority so much that harry describes his eyebrow-raising powers as "psionic". when he intervenes to take charge during interviews, i get the sense less that he works himself up to it than that he lets himself relax into his natural resting state of ahem, *i* am in charge here.

and re: kim and harry's authority toward one another as the game progresses, i'm possibly telling on myself here, but i don't think authority is a zero-sum game -- that is, i don't think Person A gaining more authority relative to Person B means Person B has less authority relative to Person A.

in fact, to me? the best and strongest relationships (platonic, romantic, any type) are mutually high-authority *and low-deciding to use it*.

from the very first moment kim and harry meet, kim can, canonically, literally just raise an eyebrow to render harry incapable of speech.

even though that goddamn enormous level of kim-to-harry authority never drops,

kim not only doesn't abuse it, he is *scrupulously* -- arguably to the point of error, if you take bribes/punch cuno -- like "no, you're your own man, these are your choices to make even when i think they suck";

the level of harry-to-kim authority can *also* be enormous, if harry proves himself worthy. (can the game provoke any more viscerally satisfying feeling than that of, during the tribunal, having a high-trust, high-mutual-authority bond between harry and kim? one that results in harry focussing on kim's safety *while himself bleeding out*, and kim trusting harry so completely that just *the look on harry's face* as he says "NO!" convinces kim to turn and fire? it cannot. change my mind.)

Humour me and imagine DE game from Kim's perspective for a moment.

Instead of 24 skills we start the game with like what? 6 skills maybe? Authority, H/E Coordination, Volta do Mar*, Empathy, Composure, Encyclopedia.

Composure is the signature skill.

He starts the game with medium Empathy and cranks it up to the max during the gameplay to make sense of his new partner.**

Finding the badge is at least -2 Authority towards Harry. Learning his cop stats from the trashed ledger is probably -1 Authority.***

90% of dialogue options are:

1 - Nod stoically.

2 - "Mhm."

3 - Raise an eyebrow.

4 - Sigh.

5 - "We should get back to the case." (Continue)

That fifth dialogue option could actually be a white Authority check. It keeps failing mostly.

All Encyclopedia checks are passive and Trivial, Easy or Medium (mostly fun fact exposition).

During the tribunal, he rolls a red H/E Coordination check.

When Harry dedicates a song to him, he rolls a red Composure check and loses - his ears go red.

His Journal tab is all blurry and Tutorial Agent says "Handwriting illegible, glasses foggy. Just go with whatever lieutenant double-yefreitor is doing right now".

*The bomber jacket gives him +1 H/E Coordination and +1 Volta do Mar, that much we know from ZA/UM atelier. We also know from that page that the black bomber jacket gives him +1 Interfacing and +2 Volta do Mar. This implies he has the Interfacing skill, probably used for his Kineema, but it doesn't really show in the game and we don't see him wearing the black jacket. Btw, I have no clue what Volta do Mar is. Something connected to aerostatic revolutionaries? His version of Shivers?

**Perhaps he internalises a thought that gives him extra points of Empathy towards Harry, but also subtracts points from Authority towards him. Possibly gets this thought after Ace's High/Low? Or when they read the ledger? Or when they find the motor carriage?

***I'm basing this on Reddit hearsay that reading the ledger raises the 'Kim Trusts You' check modifier. Which in turn raises Harry's Authority towards Kim during the tribunal. So logically it lowers Kim's Authority towards Harry. Right?

Thoughts, anyone?

[notaboutmeeee]

Thoughts on episode 3 while I watch

Warning: SPOILERS, read at your own risk!

Oh noo poor Clark with his powers going haywire; so much tumblin

Yeaa I still got no intetest/idea about Jon's story about footbal/beefing up/fitting in with the guys

Uhm hmm, the jordan & Sarah drama... I need to know if Sarah was guilty about having kissed someone else or bc she kissed a girl and liked it;feel like there's a difference; trying to compare her secret with his secret about powers? Uhm no;one is a life altering and threat ting secret and the other is 'I kissed a girl'

Yes! Lana for mayor; tho it's a no for the blouse for me haha

Ah her second daughter exists still yay haha

Teasing the quince;I can't wait

Mr Lane just chilling in that lake, love it! He deserves to fish in peace, tho if he were to take his position back from Anderson I wouldn't mind that at all

Oh oooohhh hot digidy damn; Clark?!you OK? Dude take a breather, your eyes are glowing and you're huffing and puffing and growly voice!! On the one hand I was like give me mooore but on the other hand his powers going haywire bc of the thing in the mines almost hurt Jordan, nooo

But Jordan's part in the fight was so cringe? A 15 year old thinking about marriage? Uhhh whut? My dude, there's a line between love and obsession/infatuation

I get lois side but I'm probably more on Clark's side..

Wait she kissed 1 girl and jordan ends the relationship? Or is it bc he doesn't want a relationship where he has to keep a secret&lie? (which didn't bother him too much before)

The teen drama in this show is all over the place and not my scene

Ahh yes! I knew it the x kryptonite huffing for Jon's storyline (ugh big sigh)

Jon better not join in, he should know better; imma be watching him

What if he does some investigating like his mom, I'd like that for him;similar to the van in s1 tho hopefully not as traumatising

Why are the townspeople still blaming Lana and Kyle for edge and the town not doing so well? She did her job with the loans like any employee and how should she have known about edge? The guy was super secretive and once she knew she went to lois, a reporter ;I haven't been a fan of this plot line for the cushings; they deserve nice things! They aren't to blame

Ooh getting closer to Lucy showing up yes!

Wait Jordan should be telling his mom and dad/superman about the x kryptonite thing

How are teenagers getting access to the xkryptonite??

Oh more glowy eyes?!

What?

I AM CONFUSION BUT VERY INTERESTED AND CURIOUS

Lol what wonky truck driving/swerving

A psychic link with the thing.. Interesting

John Henry better stay safe in the mines

Aww lana, I'm still rooting for her as mayor! She got this, I know she does

How can you sit with your shoes on the bed? No Natalie, don't do me like this

Ha "don't go all doomsday on me" you're funny lois (/the writers)

That lady better not - God damn it I was just gonna say she better not knock John Henry out and she immediatly does it nooo

(im sorry I can't remember her name at all)

What is going on in the mines? I'm so confused lol

Oh I'm getting excited about Lucy, she seems like a firecracker

For a second I thought Sarah was gonna say "what if.. What if I liked kissing a girl?" and now I'm sad

I don't get why they make an emphasis of her having kissed a *girl* but then the kiss literally meaning nothing except for a drama plot point between the teens bc of a secret

Aww lois and Clark being all cute

Oh it's happening yes I'm not ready oh god

Who is in that suit? For crying out loud! Ugh ads again (I'm probs gonna have to Google to find out who it's supposed to be, cuz I don't know superman lore)

Oh they are kryptonian OK, I mean I figured but still

Oh they're beating the crap out of supes

John Henry to the rescue yay

Blue glowing eyes? And scars? Lol I paused just now to type this and it looks like an alt version of clark/supes (ie it looks like hoech is in that suit) and now I'm scared but very excited

But it would explain their connection hmm

I'm flying blind here OK! I know no DC stuff so I apologize if I'm supposed to recognize who that was haha

Nah that was not my bae evil supes from John Henry's world, did you see the teeth on this alt supes?? Haha

Wait but how did Nat get here? I still don't knowwww

"Bizarro"? I feel like that's a reference I'm not getting oops

I'm feeling a dark path is coming for jon and I'm scared

Yes Natalie is helping! Yesss

Oh a barn upgrade? Or change in location?

Oh lana doing social media aghhhh OK I kinda love it but also kinda cringe

I was gonna say "oh a heart necklace, how cliche" but oh Clark gave him his mom's necklace to give to Sarah that's a sweet gesture

But also I cannot with this teen "we're gonna be together forever and ever" stuff

Yeaaaa dark times a comibfor Jon I'd say

Omg the cult leader woman

How dare this woman! The gall! I hate her already so much

Wait what did alt supes say there? Also wasn't Clark's ice Palace thing destroyed by his bro? Or is this a new place?

Ooh the face scars and holes in the cape; what's up with the necklace?

Lol the hair side parted and a bit tousled had me giggling

Added later on:

I for some reason did not notice Bizarro supes speaking 'weirdly' in the fight scene, only picked up on it in the closing scene; but now I know he spoke backwards! And that he's Bizarro supes! Hope i/we don't have to play all his scenes backwards

Thoughts on Superman and Lois season 2 episode 2 (sort of while I'm watching it)

Aww lois trying so hard to get Natalie to talk with her/like her, hopefully she listens to John Henry's advice to just be herself

Ugh this show is making me feel slightly bad for Sarah.. Tho at the same time I'm like "dude just give her some space and wait for her to come to you when she's ready to talk about whatever is going on with her"

What is your secret saraaaahhhh

Natalie and Sarah? Yes more of that!

Lana is for sure gonna end up running for mayor herself right? I knew she was gonna enter the city politics back in s1 lol

The lights on the creature/person in a suit that is in the mines are sorta throwing me off a bit, can't figure out who its supposed to be hmm

Jon wants to be more buff/man's man to get a better position in football/fit in with the guys or sth?... I do not care

Aww Jordan protecting his dad

Also how are Tals powers back? Did the energy/power sucking thing from s1 not work? How did no machine/security thing at the dod notice his powers being back, aren't they hightech? Confusion...

Is it lois' mom or sister who was invved in the cult.. Hmm I think Lucy.. Either way interesting...(further in the episode and ahh Lucy was the source)

Tag!! Ahhh;maybe I'll join team sulerkids/superschool (this does not include Anderson)

Poor Clark with his visions, headaches and being smacked around by villains loki/hulk style hahaha

So smoking the exkryptonite gives you temporary powers? But does it only give temporary strength /aka only one power?

A little flashback moment of alt!lois.. Will we see another flashback moment of evil superman (pls pls pls)

The bro bro mom drama with dupes tal and their mom is meh, so much drama, don't really care much about it tho I thiiink

Is tal gonna join team superman (like John Henry did in s1)? And try and be good to win his mom's love/approval or sth?

Is the cult leader gonna be one of the many villains this season?

Ahhhhhh I knew it! But also YES supportive Kyle! Yes! I love ittttt! Aww two great minds (Kyle and lana) thinking alike

Wtf is the point of Sarah's secret? I'm sorry? So she's straight (it was just a camp thing; which ugh, coulda been some bi rep, sigh) but also felt guilty about kissing a girl/her friend but also wasn't sure about telling Jordan about it? This makes no sense..

I'm confused why only Clark is having this telekinesis connection with whatever/whoever is in the mines and not the other 2 kryptonian aswell.. Hmm

'sth came through' so there's a portal in the mines?? Came through from where? Another planet or universe?

Who even knows who she's talking to, I'm not gonna try and guess yet lol