#east enders

[absolutebl]

Oh! My Sunshine Night

Binge watch.

Okay so I am hopped up on cold meds and jet lagged and I decided to try to watch this soapy mess because why tf not?

Ep 1

Oh no, it’s good. Like: this is a good opening. And I do love OhmFluke, but you know who I really love? Noh (orig. Nitiman). Gah.

For the first time in a long while two boys in a BL make for actually believable brothers. Whacha know?

Fluke’s hair is AWFUL.

And suddenly the whole thing goes v odd. I’m not sure if that’s the captions, or if the show itself is trying to be existential. What an odd meet cute and what strange dialogue.

I’m so confused.

It’s like it’s trying to be both BL and transcendental poetry.

I like spunky Fluke tho.

Linguistic corner: these two are using chan/nai for I/you - v formal.

Poor Noh, they always make him play sports when it’s clear he just... doesn’t.

How much do I love the whipping boy side couple?

SO MUCH!!!!

Ep 2

Is the thing with the apples just to make Fluke cry?

I like the conflicted poor little rich kids family dynamic.

But there’s a lot of establishing scenes, it’s moving pretty slowly.

Sorry this one isn’t whipping me into a verbal frenzy. I’d drink, but not on top of cold meds. You know those warnings on med labels? They’re for me. I’m the one that shouldn’t operate machinery, not even a computer.

Wait. What? Why didn’t we get to SEE this bit?

Ep 3

So this is about classical music and no one is actually playing and no one is singing, so I’m absolutely fine with it.

The fencers with the unrequited crushes are boring to me. But there is a kind of Midsummer Night’s Dream aspect to these relationship dynamics.

GAH! The apple collecting thing was so cute and so romantic.

Not a lot of BL tropes so far in this show, but I like it’s brand of sappy.

I love how utterly incapable of flirting Kim is.

The opening the car door thing did, in fact, make me hoot with laughter.

Fluke’s pretty darn good at being a bossy bitch and Ohm does exasperation well. Honestly, I’m liking this show a lot more than I thought I would.

Oh yay! We  get to see Rain sleeping in his boys room. Lovely. I do enjoy whipping boy trope, v kinky.

*sits back and smiles in dominant smug*

I ALSO love the little brat in-crush with Rugby Rain. It’s all very delish.

It’s thanksgiving all over again, I’m all about the side dishes.

Okay, the end of this episode was so confusing. Are they play acting a couple break up for the girl? Are they actually arguing? What are they arguing about? Were they dating? What happened? What’d I miss? Why the dramatic soap opera music? Why the overacting?

What is going on?

Ep 4

Oh I forgot about the fencers.

And finally a BL trope, crash into me. (At least it wasn’t a pratfall kiss.)

Oh I do like a gay fencer sword pun.

Very nice. 

Also, a shower scene already? Are these two the PokeTongue’s of this show?

Who let Star Hunter in the house?

Rain + Sun and the insults was great. Very funny. These two are kinda of alike, actually. Fun fun. I like these characters.

Bounce bounce.

Why didn’t anyone tell me this was such a goofy show?

I’m getting a tiny bleed of Japanese slapstick absurdist leaking in and I’m not mad about it. The weird apples and arbitrary mood swings should have tipped me off.

This show has almost a panto play going on.

Rain IDing his brother’s bf and being like, welcome to the fam, I leave him in you care was such a Dom move.

Oh, baby is a floppy drunk! Finally some BL tropes are dropping. And another crash into me. And a wet towel sponge bath. Tropes coming thick & fast now (speaking of thick & fast.... wait, no, bad cold meds, don’t go there)...

Okay, we are back in familiar territory. I thought this one was going to be original. Silly me! This is BL!

Not sure if I am disappointed or not.

Ep 5

Bathroom drama.

Fencing sword boys drama. Why so mean? Honestly, if I were Kim I’d be out too.

Ooo Rain with the consent, even if it’s just a hook up. Also... boys. Bunk beds? Everyone is gonna know. Like EVERYONE.

This show is going places I really did not expect.

Oh! It was all a fake out. *pout*

Okay baby boy, you get down with those fantasies. I’m with you. He hot.

What’s with Sun and the magical Ikea box?

Also, they’ve know each other since childhood trope? Really?

*whines” I don’t want to add another one to that trope list.

Ep 6

I like the plot of butler dad kinda finding out his son is involved with the heir. Good dramatic twisting. Also, evil homophobic jerk nozzle, turns out.

I remain engaged.

Did the stretching part make me grin?

Yes t did. Boys rolling around on mats together never fails to please.

There are a lot of faen fatals and fatales. Like this show is lousy with them. I see why everyone called it a soap opera.

I am so happy that there is no singing I don’t even mind that no one can play an instrument in that whole band (orchestra).

Honestly, the band leader (conductor) looks like First’s (of JaFirst) older brother. It’s wigging me out. 

Ep 7

Look, I admit, I am not even half way through and I am flagging a bit. This is a long arse show.

Speaking of arses...

Another shower scene?

(Anyone else notice that it’s always the same shower? No? Just me. Can’t be helped. Unforgotten Night has made me overly concerned with Thai pluming in BL ... not a euphemism.) 

Boy this series has a supper voyeuristic lens. Not that I’m complaining, never that.

(Bops over to see if the director is gay.... MDL = no info on subject. Well, okay then.)

Returns to shower scene, arses, pluming, and supposition.

Oh! Wound tending!

Ooo, rejected fencing cutie makes move on Sun! Kim is not pleased. you snooze you loose, big boy.

Coils within coils, this is such a soap. I love it. Did I mention I was raised on bread, water & East Enders?

Okay maybe not raised.

Definitely watched too much of it tho.

Oooo, that was a very Light On Me moment.

PAUSE TO REFUEL

Okay I have consumed Korean soft tofu stew and more loopy-making cold meds, and will work on a pomegranate while I continue to watch.

Ep 8

Mostly worked on the pomegranate.

Meds took effect.

Stuff happened int he show but I forgot to make notes. Pomegranate distraction.

Oddly, I’m missing the swordsmen.

Ep 9

Oh, hair drying. Cute. I kinda have come around to this trope over the years I’ve had it shoved in my face... erm... flopped on my head.

MORE SHOWER

Oh! My Showering Night more like it.

I declare this BL official winner of this trope. 

Meanwhile beach frolic. AND a woods frolic.

Ep 10

Finally I’m half way through!

Oooo we have a magic heart rebooting BOOP! to go with the magic apples.

Oooo more shower scene, this time with added bonus sexitimes. Also neck kisses! My favorite.

I’m sorry but I just keep imagining what if we had gotten to this level with Nitman?

Oh, what could have been.

Nice kisses! But also no sex on the beach boys, no one enjoys that.

Meanwhile, the fencers can’t figure their shit out, because they keep fighting with the wrong swords.

And our main couple is being quite tame with a shoulder lean, side hug, water watching triple trope strike on the beach.

Okay weird dream helicopter thing.

Look, Mean Rich Paw, I’d kick him out of the house for wearing that outfit alone.

No other reasons needed.

Disown the fucker.

Band shirt/vest/thingy, no inheritance for you!

Man the fashion this year in BL has been brutal.

Ep 11

I don’t know If I can finish this tonight.

Invited up to the Sun’s room is he? (occasional flashes of DeanPharm).

Okay, wait, the premise of Sun’s illness is SO STRANGE. He has to eat apples and stay away from his parents to save his heart?

What the hell is going on?

The whipping boy always has to run, identity separation is part of the trope. Because his identity is too tied to the spoiled prince, he has to try to make it on his own to realize he can’t.

I like the twist of butler dad encouraging him to leave, tho. (Usually whipping boy is abandoned or an orphan.)

Ep 12

OMG who eats shrimp when they are allergic to shellfish? for fuck’s sake.

Another white towel sponge bath? I take back what I said about lack of tropes.

I do love the tug and cuddle my human bolster pillow. It’s very sleepy entitled.

I am v bored by the parents buying the estate plot-line. I can’t decide if doctor lady is running a con or father and son are running a reverse con on her?

OOOO DRAMA!!!

The parents have died! Rain is missing! The doctor lady is indeed evil! Ohm has to act!

Oh fuck me not the amnesia trope.

I HATE THAT TROPE.

Okay, I gotta go to bed. I really tried. Had this been a normal length Thai BL I would have made it. But the rise of the amnesia trope did me in.

Tomorrow~

Ep 13 

I am glad Dad Butler is evil enough to recognize Dr. lady is also Evil. And we have a textbook soap opera definition hostile takeover. The evils go up against each other. 

We are in true Heirs level soap opera territory now. 

Someone is definitely going to be kidnapped soon. 

Ep 14 

This is my surprised face, the man allergic to shellfish, who still eats shrimp, goes wandering off into the forest with no survival skills when he has a brain injury. 

Fantastic. 

A time-lapse 3 months. 

Finally, the attack of the amnesia trope! 

I am so unhappy about this.

Ep 15 

We are moving into Bold & Beautiful level soap. 

The guys in the woods are still looking for Rain, still wearing exactly the same clothes that they’ve been wearing for 3 months. 

Apple boy, still eating apples and still talking to completely whacked out mother. I hate her. While Kim turns into a forgetful depressed rich recluse in the mountains. Now I understand why people got frustrated with this show. 

I feel like I read this as a really bad 70s romance novel, or maybe it’s meant to be like a Jane Eyre remake? 

Anyway, finally, our boys are reunited, but of course, amnesia trope. We hates it precious. All the friends have arrived. Or to be more precise all the incestuous faen fatals have arrived. 

Ep 16

After 3 months, one would have hoped the fencing boys had figured out their shit. I guess not. More evil fashion. 

I just can’t even. At least they took it off him fast. Wish it had gotten ripped in the process. 

Fencing boys now figuring everything out in the best way possible. 

This show keep surprising me with how high heat it is. 

Ep 17 

Magical, candy-colored comets. I just can’t with this show. Also… new crumbs. 

The refractory period on these rebound couples is as fast as the show is slow. Some weird monogamy mathematical principle must be in play. 

And it’s finally revealed that they are childhood sweethearts. 

OhmFluke do give good kiss. Fluke dose submission v well. 

In fact * waves hands airily about* good kisses all around. Well done cast! 

Also, and I am only admitting this to you people, but I totally have a fetish for CMNM and we NEVER get to see it, so thank you for this one, OMSN. 

Ep 18 

Good sex, bad plot. 

That’s my ultimate review of this show. (Which makes this kinda a runner up to KP to be honest) 

Look, I get that BL has rules that must be obeyed: 

boys must damsel off into the woods alone. 

boys must talk to their not-quite boyfriend while said bf is asleep, but he is never actually asleep. 

not one drop of rain is ever allowed to touch your boyfriend’s head because DOOM AWAITS 

Clear? OK. No I don’t understand why these rules exist either. I don’t make them, the BL gods do. 

Anyway OMSN is all over rule #1. 

Anyway, back to this damn show. Attempted kidnapping, and Kim has to save his boyfriend with a bow & arrow plus some arbitrary somersaulting in, what is this now? The Hunger Games BL? 

*ooo, wait a moment - KOREA make that happen! - where was i?* 

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? 

THIS SHOW IS TOTALLY ON CRACK IN A WAY THAT, FRANKLY, EVEN YYY COULDN’T EMULATE. 

Look, my dumb new dictation software made that into all caps and I’m leaving it because it’s entirely appropriate.

Meanwhile, you can not do a close-up of a gun if it doesn’t have a trigger. I understand there are weird regulations in place but just do a further away shot OK? 

Oh look, it’s ABL’s Angels. 

Want to start a detective agency, pretty boys? I’ll be your voice in the box. You can have all the shower scenes you want. We could invite MaxTul? I’m sure they’d be game. (Frankly Manner of Death had a more cohesive plot than this.) 

We basically end on a pastiche of troops that the show didn’t manage to hit earlier: boys on bridges, a forehead kiss, back hugs, put a robe on him, and... 

How do I sum this up? 

I am left with mostly a profound feeling of confusion. Where did Dad Butler go? And yet I am also curiously satisfied. I mean, all the sex scenes were good. I don’t know how to rate this. Less annoying than LITA, not as boring as it could’ve been? Except that I was really quick on the fast forward button and skipped a ton of establishing shots. This was probably agony to get through if you watched it week-by-week, but it’s OK as a high-speed binge. 

What the hell?

7/10

Quick Pitch: 

Kim, a tsundere musician meets Sun, a sunshine transfer student with a weak heart. Also there’s a hot older brother + their household servant, and a couple of fencers for good measure. Initially this pretends to be a normal university BL, then it slips on wet tiles and falls right on trough multiple shower scenes into ludicrous soap opera territory leaving one with a sensation rather like trying to hold onto soap in a communal shower. Ultimately, everyone seems pretty happy they bent over, but no one actually got clean. 

Or should I say soap dishes? 

(source)

[juuls]

Fandom is hilarious.

There’s these people calling Father Brown (from the similarly-named show) ‘Daddy’ in a very non-ecclesiastical way and there’s the people being absolutely offended by it, like shipping anything in a show with a strong Catholic moral stance is going to get them into hell on purpose, and I’m just sitting back with my brandy snifter enjoying the murder mystery and admiring the BAMF former-East Ender character assisting in the solving.

This is living the LIFE.

[yoshimickster]

Welcome to the ee spoilers tag, where we talk about two completely different shows apparently!

[bobbie-robron]

Wait, do you actually watch Eastenders?! Because I have no one to talk about it with!!!

Yup! Everyday live! I started getting back into it after many many years end of last year when I saw that they actually cared about the characters driving the stories rather than the plots leading the charge and no pregnancies/babies being born ad nauseam. That other show that shall not be named is ignored totally until the trio are at long last booted.

[thecringefailintherye]

watching eastenders w my dad and audibly started laughing uncontrollably at the "Nish's" sign on the caff

[aliveaudiencegang]

merlin au where everything is exactly the same but kilgarrah has a cockney accent

[digitalfountains]

Photography by Klaus Ender

- East Germany, 1974

[emdotcom]

Some minecraft junk, mostly mock-ups for my Cathedral of Herobrine, plus a working piano, of sorts (it uses daylight sensors for keys! :3)

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

I’ll follow you darling

in wind and rough weather

to west coast and east coast

and highland and heather,

they travelled these seas in

the poems of kings

so draw up a bearing

I’ll learn me to sing. 

I’ll call you up, darling

in wind and rough tempers

while catching dead stars and

igniting their embers,

the world is too big and

there’s no one to blame

but I’ll follow you darling

if you’ll do the same. 

It sorrows me, darling

that ends come to enders

and some get no more than

four hopeful Septembers,

but hook or by crook or

by biscuits and boots

I’ll follow you darling

wherever you move. 

[jadienjaystoriesandart]

Had this idea for a Super Hero AU in a dystopian future. Based slightly in Hermitcraft. With some magic and fantasy elements.

A world that is set in a post apocalyptic time.

Watchers have pretty much desired the world’s ecosystem and atmosphere.

Humans died or became pets to them. Those that did escape made these advance dome cities in the sky, land, and underground.

Two people made and created the Mod Project.

Which took 13 humans and mixed their dna with that of various hostile mobs to create Super Soldiers to fight the watcher and protect their chosen city.

Of the 13 only 8 survived the process.

These soilders don’t need sleep. They feed on the blood usually of Watcher monsters they’ve slayed.

Because most people don’t travel outside their chosen city they don’t have much contact with each other.

Meaning each solider of the dorm city has various levels of what they consider to be ‘morally right’.

They can also eat normal food but not as much as a normal human.

Hybrids do exist in this. Often these were the first attempt of the Mod Project. They still need basic human functions. And have bred with humans to make natural born hybrids by this point.

The story follows HotGuy, the ‘hero’ and ‘protector’ of the Crystal Dome City. In the east. His code name is The Vex

As to why humans don’t leave the city. The oxygen levels around the dome are of 60%

The farther you get from the dome the less you have and the more monsters you encounter.

The Dead Zone to the far west has only 10% oxygen.

Supposedly a few miles from it is a dome city in the sky? Land? They aren’t sure. And is protected by their solider called The Dragon.

There is one under ground run by The Warden

Two in the sky to the far north called the Phantom and the one to the south called The Blaze.

And one to the east also near the coast line, roughly a few weeks from HG’s city. It’s under the protection of The Guardian.

It’s unsure why the ‘Dead Zone’ is so well dead. But some speculate that this is where the Watchers first started their assault of Planet Craft.

There are 8 creatures with their own city.

-

The Vex

The Guardian

The Warden

The Phantom

The Blaze

The Dragon

The Ender

The Spider

-

The failed ones were

The Wither

The Husk

The Skeleton

The Piglin

The Ravager

-

They failed mainly because during the process the human died before the full transformation could be realized.

The Vex, or Hotguy/Scar, is able to turn into a monster like vex. He’s taller than the usual vex, about 6 or 7 feet tall. Long claws, sharp teeth, perfect hearing and smell. But has low eye sight in daylight, mostly can only see when something moves. He also has an aversion to fire in this form as vexes are cold beings.

The story in my head is HG with his friend Mumbo are trying to get back in contact with the 8 cities the Hart Foundation is still in contact with. In order to try to come together to stop the Watchers once and for all.

Of the ones he’s met so far is The Warden (Cub), The Blaze (Tango), and The Guardian (Grian). (Yes we are going with Sea Grian for this.)

Each of these groups of ‘Heroes’ have different ideas of what they consider to be ‘good’. Mainly due to the fact society is very different for each of them.

The Warden’s city is in the east but is deep underground.

The Blaze’s is in the south and is a city far in the sky. The only reason HG got tos we is is because, after contact with the Guardian and Warden, the Blaze opened up his teleporters to meet with The Vex in person.

Despite being of the same project, they don’t know each other and have foggy memories of their time being tested on.

Feel free to write for this or draw if you guys want. I’m just coming up with ideas. I’ll write a oneshot later.

If you have any questions feel free to ask. :3

Btw the ‘oxygen levels’ is mostly the amount of ‘breathable air’ for them. It’s not the amount of pure oxygen, it’s just the percentage of air that is breathable.

[korkandisabledcharacters]

Today’s disabled character is “Penny Branning” from “East Enders”.

Penelope “Penny” Branning is the daughter of Jack and Selina Branning.A drug dealer who deliberately hit Penny with his car when she and Selina were waiting at a bus stop, causing Penny's spine to be severed.Since then Penny has been in a wheelchair.

For further information visit https://eastenders.fandom.com/wiki/Penny_Branning

Character played by Kitty Castledine (She is a real life wheelchair user,She was left paralysed by an illness called Transverse Myelitis)

[batfam-fanfics]

the curious case of jeff by wickedsmille

5 Chapters - 11075 words

Side eyeing Tim, Jason catches the designer embroidery on the front of his shirt. There's no way any East Ender would be gallivanting around in something like that. Even if they picked it off some richy rich sucker or got it from the lost and found. This isn't an Alley kid. Tim probably isn't even from the East End at all. He's too clean aside from the mud on his sneakers and speaks with an accent Jason has only ever heard when he's desperate to pick a fat wallet from someone in a much higher tax bracket.

What has he gotten himself into?

(@wickedsmille)

[cbedfordart]

if we're allowed to ask on a scale of 1 to 10 how scary is the game? i know that horror is subjective, i mean more like is it jump scare heavy? the new trailer looks amazing!

It is not really a jump scare game! There might be maybe 2 in there that I can think of?? And they're not huge ones either lol. it's more like, spooky vibes and gross places sorta game. The whole thing is actually very story driven and narrative based, so there's a large portion where you can be chilling and talking with characters and ruining their lives too. So its like half spooky half East Enders but with angels and demons and shit lol

[hero-israel]

Years and years of work towards the Abraham Accords and impending normalization with Saudi Arabia--a stepping stone on the way to tangible progress in the region--was just obliterated overnight because certain journalists across the world could not stop themselves from tripping over the corpses of butchered Jews and all the people who actually suffer in this conflict while on their way to receive the Word of God from genocidal terrorists who oppress and murder their own people.

This has nothing to do with the IDF, who are no more flawless or immune from criticism than any other organization, especially one with the responsibility of prosecuting war. This is about the historical double standard from some of the same people in English-speaking countries who would never accept a narrative report from other terror and/or hate groups with question. Apparently it's better to signal as loudly as possible what sports team you're on than engage in any serious wartime journalism, lest you make the mistake of humanizing Jews and Israelis and god forbid treat us equitably.

(I should add-- Iran and its proxies may still have been able to derail the normalization process even in the absence of any Western reporting at all. I don't want to over-ascribe importance to certain political players while ignoring others just because I don't speak their language and can't access their untranslated media. I'm just bitter that journalists at major papers in the West have played directly into their hands once again with zero regard for how it breeds anti-Semitism; consequences they will never have to face.)

Of all the things that have been damaged by this atrocity, at the moment I would worry the least about the normalization trends. The four Abraham Accords countries were still aboard after the big blow-up in May 2021, Jordan has been on through the Second Intifada, Egypt across both of them. Saudi Arabia was willing to come aboard this year after all of the above. Israel's actions in Gaza so far have not been a category different from what we have seen in the past. And if anything, the Saudi government has gotten a clearer view than ever at what an Iran-sponsored proxy death squad is able to do, so they quite likely still want a partnership.

If you look back through my posts of the last year, you'll see I never discussed the talk of Saudi normalization. That's because I wasn't sure I wanted it to happen now. Yes, it's always good to show Palestine dead-enders that the time for wishing is over and they need to just accept and deal with Israel. But the current Israeli government did not deserve to be able to claim Saudi normalization as a reward. They could hardly normalize while Israel was BDSing itself to stop the judicial overhaul. I actually would not have minded if Saudi Arabia had trolled Israel in the end, saying "we were going to do this, but you're too racist, it's postponed until you do better." That is NORMAL DIPLOMACY, carrots and sticks, and no country in the world is too good to get it.

As ever, the various antisemitic fascist militias of the Middle East have not changed any of the underlying facts or dynamics. All they can manage is to kill Jews. This time, they killed more than usual. We can see how proud they are.

[sunnycycle]

Immy posts a tiktok. If starts with her stifled laughter as she pans to Mike and Will on the couch, currently 'arguing' whilst oblivious to her. They're two favourite shows, Mike's bejgn East Enders and Will's being Masterchef, are kn at the same time.

Mike, trying to snatch the remkte off Will: Max's comin' 'round to watch it with me!!!!!

Will, hogging the remote: Puh-lease, I'm meeting with El and Jon tomorrow to discuss this! I'll look stupid if I haven't watched it all.

Mike, hands flailing now: Just search up who wins or whatever

Will, scoffing: Nobody wins yet- it's the ninth episode. Cant you just watch it at Max's????

Mike, already up to call Max because he's a bitch but a bitch with a plan: Lucas is watching basketball!!!!

Previous - Next

[aspens-dragons]

Off Screen Post

An Escape Attempt - Part 2

Arc Ender: Patchwork Sanctuary

Date: 08.16.2024 Time: 22:43 Location: East Province, Area One

Aspen could feel his heartbeat quicken with every second that passed, eyes scanning the horizon. All he could think about was everything that could possibly go wrong in that moment, every single what if and worst case scenario he could possibly think up running through his mind. He held onto Spitfire for dear life; if his heartbeat wasn’t accelerating the way his Cyclizar did, he would’ve thought it stopped ages ago.

The sun was rapidly setting. Clouds began to move. Neither helped with Aspen’s nerves or the panic beginning to rise up within him as he desperately searched for some kind of sign of the [DATA EXPUNGED], be it the beast itself or a single footprint.

Spitfire glanced up at her trainer, and even through his anxieties, Aspen could tell he was worrying his Pokemon; if only for Spitfire’s sake, he barely managed to keep his head clear.

As the moon rose, he heard a howl in the distance; for a moment, he took comfort in the sound, reminding him of his island challenge days (He also remembered that he should probably call his brother back, but couldn’t bring himself to let go of his Cyclizar.) until Spitfire perked up and began running towards the sound, picking up speed the way she would during the final stretch of a race. 

Aspen’s stomach lurched. A wave of nausea overtook him the same way it would just as they crossed the finish line. He knew he could trust in Spitfire’s instincts like always, but his breath hitched like he couldn’t believe what they were approaching. The familiar, yet foreign feeling of adrenaline and instinct mixed with calculation rose within him, and as Spitfire dashed towards a figure on the horizon, he exhaled slightly. He stared forward, eyes trained on the beast as Spitfire raced towards it; warm summer wind ran through his hair, shocking his body with a newfound calm.

As Spitfire began to slow, the [DATA EXPUNGED] came into view, a creature indescribable with human words.

Aspen approached it slowly and carefully. He recalled the last incident, and how he grit his teeth through the pain; at this point, he was more than aware of its capabilities and how fickle its trust could be.

“Hey,” he said quietly, “It’s just me, 04.”

The creature only growled at him, taking a step back.

“It’s alright,” Aspen repeated, taking a slow step towards the beast, “It’s just me.” Spitfire took a careful step towards it, but Aspen placed his hand behind him. Not yet, girl. 04 eyed him, still wary.

“You must’ve been pretty scared, hm?” He remained gentle, taking another slow step, then another, but froze at the sound of 04 snarling at him, “Alright, alright. I’m not moving. It’s okay.”

He stood there for a few moments, the stars fully shining down on them by now.

“It must be painful,” He said finally, “That mask. They never should’ve put it on you.” It just stood there, staring at him, suspicious and scared. Aspen continued to talk, though it was unclear if he thought the beast could understand him. “If we could take it off, we could. I would, at least. I can’t speak for the others, or the higher ups, or those white collar assholes,” He laughed slightly, “But I’d take it off of you if I could.” He took another step; the [DATA EXPUNGED] didn’t react, and Aspen smiled. He took another, and another. “That’s it,” he said quietly, gently approaching the beast that’d scarred him and his coworkers, “You’re okay.” He stood before the creature, closer than he’d been in quite a while; it suddenly hit him, how large it really was. He figured it could’ve been after 7 or 8 feet tall on it’s hind legs. “There you go,” he breathed out, tentatively reaching his hand out to place it on the beast’s not-face.

As he made contact, his smile widened, “Look at that…” After a few moments, he felt himself being nudged; he looked back to see Spitfire holding his bag. A shiny, new Heal Ball sat inside, the one he kept for emergencies. “Oh.”

Aspen paused for a moment, before taking the Heal Ball with a small smile.

“What do you say, bud?”