#flicker classic mode

[liquidsneaker]

classic mode sillies :3 (this is also old art but i love them and the classic mode characters need more recognition)

[flickercreatures]

this one isnt an ask i just wanted to draw her

this is peak character design i love her dumb stupid shirt that isnt practical at all

[peckforlovingheck]

I think Christy and Marie deserve to kiss. You agree.

[natswife-marvelicious]

Ghosts, Goblins and Growing Closer

Plot: During Tony Stark’s extravagant Halloween party, you and Natasha share playful banter and subtle flirtation. The spooky atmosphere brings you closer, leading to a sweet, intimate moment where you both realize your growing feelings for each other.

Warnings: none

Word count: 1,3k

Masterlist

The Avengers Tower was buzzing with excitement, decked out in orange and black for Tony Stark's infamous Halloween party. Cobwebs lined the ceiling, jack-o’-lanterns flickered from every corner, and ghostly decorations floated above the crowd. Tony had truly outdone himself this time, with a towering haunted house in the corner of the common area and a fog machine making the place feel like a spooky dream.

You walked through the sea of costumes, feeling the festive atmosphere. Everyone was in full party mode, Steve Rogers was dressed as a classic 1940s soldier, which earned a few chuckles, Thor sported a Viking costume, much to everyone’s amusement, and Tony? Well, Tony was, of course, dressed as himself. It was his party, after all.

The one person you were most excited to see, though, was Natasha Romanoff. You hadn’t had the chance to spot her yet, and there was an anticipation in your stomach as you searched the room. You knew she would look incredible, no matter what costume she chose, and the idea of spending Halloween night by her side had been your focus all week.

After a few minutes of wandering through the party, you finally saw her. Natasha stood by the bar, leaning against the counter in an all-black assassin outfit with sleek leather pants and a fitted top that hugged her figure. A playful black mask rested on her face, accentuating her mischievous smile. She looked drop-dead gorgeous, and your heart skipped a beat as your eyes locked.

“Hey, you,” she said, walking over with that signature swagger that left you feeling weak in the knees. “Nice costume.”

You looked down at your own getup. You had gone with something simple, an easy superhero-inspired costume, but the way Natasha’s gaze lingered made you feel like you were the only one in the room. “I could say the same thing. You look amazing.”

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at her lips. “What, no tricks or treats for me?”

You grinned, stepping closer. “That depends. Do you deserve a trick or a treat?”

Natasha leaned in slightly, her eyes twinkling with playful amusement. “I’ll take my chances with the treat.”

Before you could respond, the room erupted in laughter as Tony announced the costume contest over the speakers. The Avengers gathered near the stage, some eagerly ready to show off their costumes. You found yourself standing next to Natasha, who glanced at you with a knowing look.

“Should we enter the contest?” she asked, tilting her head as if daring you.

“I don’t think we’d stand a chance against Thor’s Viking costume,” you joked, nodding in the god’s direction.

Natasha laughed softly. “True, but we’d definitely win ‘Best Duo’.”

Your heart fluttered at the idea of being a duo with her, even if it was just for the contest. Before you could think too much into it, Natasha gently grabbed your hand and pulled you toward the stage. She waved off the contest, dragging you toward the quieter side of the room, away from the loud music and flashing lights.

“I thought we were entering the contest,” you teased as you followed her lead.

She shrugged with a sly grin. “Changed my mind. Besides, I’d rather spend the night enjoying the party with you.”

You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. This was what you loved most about Natasha—her ability to make even the most extravagant parties feel intimate and personal. The rest of the room melted away as you found yourselves in a cozy corner, watching the others dance and mingle.

Nearby, Sam was challenging Bucky to a pumpkin carving contest, and Steve watched in amusement, his arms crossed as he shook his head at their friendly banter. Wanda and Vision were mingling near the snack table, sharing a laugh as they tried out Tony’s over-the-top Halloween-themed treats. It was a lively night, but with Natasha beside you, everything felt a little warmer, a little brighter.

Natasha turned toward you, her gaze softening as the noise of the party faded into the background. “You know, this is the first Halloween I’ve actually celebrated in… well, a long time.”

“Really?” you asked, surprised. “Not even as a kid?”

She shook her head. “Not many trick-or-treating opportunities when you’re raised in the Red Room.”

The weight of her words settled between you, and you suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for this moment. Natasha had been through so much, and yet here she was, standing next to you, making the best of a night filled with silly costumes and haunted house decorations.

“Well, I’m glad we’re making up for lost time,” you said softly, reaching out to take her hand.

Natasha’s eyes flickered with something unspoken, something deeper than the playful banter that had filled the night so far. She laced her fingers with yours, her grip firm yet gentle. “Yeah, me too.”

For a moment, the two of you stood there in comfortable silence, simply enjoying the proximity and the unspoken connection between you. It was as if the party continued on without you, a blur of laughter and music while the world narrowed to just you and her.

“I’m not much for big parties,” she admitted after a while, her voice quiet yet sincere. “But I’m glad I came to this one.”

“Because of the company?” you asked, unable to keep the teasing tone out of your voice.

Natasha smirked, but her eyes were soft. “Maybe.”

Just as you were about to respond, Tony’s voice boomed across the room once again, calling everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone! Gather around for the haunted house tour! Who’s ready to get spooked?"

The crowd cheered, and you saw Thor raise his hammer, clearly ready for the challenge. You turned to Natasha with a grin. “What do you say? Want to check it out?”

Natasha looked skeptical, but there was a glint of excitement in her eyes. “You know I don’t scare easily, right?”

“Yeah, but you haven’t been through one of Tony’s haunted houses yet,” you quipped, tugging her toward the entrance.

The haunted house was exactly what you’d expect from Tony Stark: over-the-top, high-tech, and filled with more jump scares than necessary. As you navigated through the dark corridors, fog swirling around your feet, you couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Natasha, true to her word, didn’t flinch once, though she did smirk at your startled reactions a few times.

At one point, you found yourselves in a narrow hallway, the only light coming from flickering candles mounted on the walls. Natasha stepped closer, her shoulder brushing against yours, and despite the eerie atmosphere, you felt nothing but warmth.

“This is ridiculous,” she whispered, though there was amusement in her voice.

“Completely,” you agreed, but you couldn’t deny the thrill of being in this moment with her.

As the haunted house came to an end, you emerged back into the brightly lit common area, where the party had picked up once again. Tony was handing out awards for the costume contest, and the music had resumed, filling the space with a lively beat.

Natasha turned to you, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Alright, I’ll admit, that was kind of fun.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “I knew you’d enjoy it.”

Before you could say more, Natasha stepped closer, her hand finding yours once again. “Thanks for sticking with me tonight,” she said softly, her voice barely audible over the music.

You squeezed her hand, feeling your heart swell with affection. “Anytime, Natasha.”

She smiled, and for a brief moment, the noise of the party faded into the background once again. It was just the two of you, standing side by side, sharing a quiet moment in the midst of the chaos.

As the night wore on and the party continued, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for this strange, wonderful Halloween. It wasn’t the costumes or the decorations that made it special, it was Natasha and the way she made every moment feel like it was just for the two of you.

With a final glance at the lively crowd around you, Natasha leaned in close and whispered in your ear, “Happy Halloween.”

You smiled, your heart full, and whispered back, “Happy Halloween, Natasha.”

And as the night unfolded, you knew this was a Halloween you’d never forget.

[kezdispenser]

Cuddling Isn’t in the Goddamn Manual

A Soldier Boy Christmas one shot

The snowstorm outside coated the city in a perfect winter wonderland. Streetlights cast a soft glow over the white-blanketed streets, and your apartment felt like a cozy little bubble insulated from the cold chaos beyond. The Christmas tree in the corner glimmered with fairy lights, and the smell of cinnamon cookies mixed with the faint aroma of the hot chocolate you’d just poured for yourself.

Ben—better known to the world as Soldier Boy—was slouched on your couch in full “tough guy” mode. His leather jacket was still zipped halfway up, his boots propped carelessly on the coffee table, and his beer dangling loosely in one hand. The perfect picture of a man who thought he was too cool for comfort.

“You know,” you said as you walked in and set your mug down on the side table, “you could at least take off your jacket and pretend to enjoy yourself. It’s Christmas Eve.”

He didn’t even glance at you, eyes fixed on the TV where some black-and-white holiday classic was playing. “Jacket stays on. Gotta stay ready for action.”

You snorted, flopping down onto the couch beside him. “What action? The reindeer uprising?”

That earned you a side-eye and a faint smirk, but he didn’t dignify it with a response.

“Anyway,” you continued, nudging his knee with your foot, “I was thinking we could cuddle for a bit. You know, really lean into the festive spirit.”

Ben’s laugh was loud and derisive, the kind of laugh that made it clear he thought you’d lost your damn mind. “Cuddling? You’re kidding, right?”

“Why would I be kidding? It’s Christmas! It’s cold! I’m cute!”

“Yeah, well, cuddling’s not exactly my thing,” he said, taking a swig of his beer. “Not manly. Never has been.”

“Oh, please,” you said, crossing your arms. “You’re telling me the guy who once hugged a flamethrower like it was his long-lost lover can’t handle a little cuddle?”

“That was different,” he said defensively.

“Uh-huh. Sure it was.” You leaned back dramatically, letting out a loud, theatrical sigh. “Fine. Guess I’ll just have to cuddle myself. Or, I don’t know, maybe the throw pillows. They’re softer than you, anyway.”

He scowled, his jaw tightening in that familiar way that meant you were getting under his skin. You knew him too well; you could see the flicker of hesitation in his eyes, the way his hand stilled on his beer bottle.

“You’re really not gonna let this go, are you?”

“Nope,” you said cheerfully, scooting a little closer to him. “Look, it’s Christmas Eve. Just one night, Ben. One tiny cuddle. No one’s gonna know, and I promise not to tell anyone you’re secretly a big teddy bear under all that macho posturing.”

He gave you a flat look. “I am not a teddy bear.”

“Sure you’re not,” you teased, poking his arm.

For a moment, you thought he was going to dig in his heels and keep up the act. But then he groaned, setting his beer down on the coffee table with a thud. “Fine. One night. But if you so much as think about telling anyone, I’m gone.”

Your grin was instantaneous and shameless. “Deal.”

Before he could change his mind, you crawled into his lap, making yourself comfortable as you wrapped your arms around his neck. He stiffened at first, like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself, but you weren’t worried.

“Relax,” you murmured, resting your head against his chest. “It’s not gonna kill you.”

“You don’t know that,” he muttered, though his hands slowly settled on your back.

You couldn’t help but smile as you felt him relax, his body softening against yours despite his grumbling. He was warm, solid, and oddly comforting in a way that didn’t match the image he projected to the world.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” he said after a while, his voice quieter now, almost thoughtful.

“Of course not,” you said, biting back a laugh. “Just a totally meaningless Christmas cuddle.”

“Damn right.”

The movie played on in the background, the faint sound of holiday music filtering in from the street below. You closed your eyes, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath you. His hand started tracing slow circles on your back, and you smiled to yourself.

“Hey,” he said after a while, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it. “Merry Christmas, doll.”

You tilted your head to look up at him, your smile widening. “Merry Christmas, Ben.”

And for that one night, Soldier Boy let himself be a little less soldier and a little more boy.

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

A/N: A little christmas miracle from soldier boy and from me to you guys.

[swann-song]

daydreaming - part one

summary: a bored librarian has a crush on the cow prince, pierre chavanges. pining and daydreaming about an unreciprocated crush that doesn’t even know she exists.

pierre hasn’t been sleeping, it’s made him even more irritable than usual which isn’t safe for anyone. he had tried the herbal teas, sleep hypnosis videos, counting sheep and now he’s in the library. since he has all the extra time he might as well. he fished out his library card from him teenage years from the back of a drawer, hoping it’s still valid.

the library in droyes was an old building with new shelving, it has awkward opening hours and a nice smell. pierre hadn’t visited in years and took his time strolling through the shelves as the afternoon light filtered in. a russian classic, perfect. nothing could be more sleep inducing. he took his book to the front desk and waited in line, he lifted his head from the book synopsis when he heard your voice.

you were arguing with a pimply teenage boy with a pile of books on the desk. looking up at him from your chair, brows scrunching. you had a frown on your face in an attempt to look intimidating but pierre thought it looked more like a pout. "bring back the other 20 and then you can take these" you snatched the books from the boy, putting them on your trolley, he was about to try again and you snapped, "i should be charging you for all the over drafts, stop pushing your luck" a finger in his face as he sulked out the door. "fucking nerd" pierre heard you mutter under your breath.

*

and then all the sudden, pierre chavanges was in front of you. of all the days, all the times, he decided to visit the library in time to witness you yell at some kid. you had known pierre your whole life, he’s somewhat a local celebrity, with his own nickname and everything, the cow prince. the young farmer had a reputation for being well, great at farming. his herd was the best and happiest, he was responsible, kept to himself and the mysterious air he had made him the perfect subject for speculation, rumours and in your case fantasies. you liked the way he carried himself, the definition in his body. pierre was known to be very knowledgable, strong and a man good at his job is always something you appreciated. the pretty face also helps. his baby blue eyes and sharp cheekbones. he never brushes his hair, even now he looks like he rolled out of bed, but you still like the way it fell around his face, the longer strands have a slight curl to them.

his blue eyes landed on your face as he placed his book on the desk, your eyes rested on his hands with his long fingers more than necessary or polite. you suddenly became hyper aware of how messy your hair is, today you skipped your makeup, are wearing the same sweater as yesterday and still have a scowl on your face. you entered customer service mode to stop yourself spiralling. pierre gave you a soft smile as he handed you his card, "sorry about that" you said just to say something. pierre smiled again, this time with a twinkle in his eyes. now looking at his library card, you paused, it’s ancient. you told him you are going to take a minute to update his card, he told you he’s in no rush and you tried to calm down enough to remember what to do. pierre's eyes bore into you as you tried to concentrate on the screen, you wanted to fix the hair strands around your face, but doing so would let him know you’d care and you felt mortified.

*

pierre knew you, he just couldn’t place from where. he was sure he’d seen you in the sea of parties, weddings and anniversaries. he has this image of you in his mind, off to the corner, talking to your friends, a flicker of your eyes on him as he walks by. you had big, expressive eyes and soft lips, slightly open as you read the screen. why can’t he remember your name, your hair bouncing as you run past him. now he’s closer to you, he recognises that crisp, fresh perfume and knows he’s walked into a room that you’d been in and looked around for you.

"are you julian’s sister?" he asks you as you work. your eyes turn at him like he’s gone crazy, you lips slid into a smile, holding out your hand and introduce yourself. pierre takes it and apologises, introducing himself as well. "i know" you chuckle. your hands are soft and delicate in his, your manicured nail slightly gracing the back of his hand. he steps back and apologises again. he feels his cheeks flush a little, he’s relieved your turning your back on him to laminate his card, he watched your hands work and notes how pin straight your posture is, taking in the lines of your body. you turn around with a professional smile and hand him his things, he turns, rushing to the door. "bye pierre" he hears your twinkling voice, your hand in the air and waves a hand goodbye to you as he opens the door.

daydreaming masterlist

[switchyglitch]

The Many Hues of Skitters 🎨

My little tickle-bot buddy's eyes can be many a color, but what does each color mean? 👀

Cyan (Default) - Cyan is Skitters' default eye color. Whenever he's just hanging out and relaxing with no real tickly antics going on, this is the color his eyes are. Classic Skitters, if you will.

Magenta (Ler Mode) - If his eyes start going magenta, you better watch out! It'll start with a simple flicker of magenta here and there, then suddenly they stay that way, and shortly after you're on the receiving end of a tickle attack. This mode is essentially his version of a ler mood, dependant on what Skitters' is feeling and things around him triggering it, like giggles, seeing exposed tickle spots, or just asking.

Yellow (Tag Mode) - Looking for a challenge? How about an extra tickly game of tag? In this mode, Skitters will scurry his way to a tickle spot and tickle continuously, only moving onto a new spot once you tag him. Or for a more chaotic game, he'll crawl all over you and around to every tickle spot without stopping, and the only way he will is by being tagged. He's pretty small and speedy, think you can catch him?

Orange (Trivia Mode) - Want to test your knowledge? Load up some trivia questions (or something you're needing to study and/or memorize) and activate Trivia Mode, inspired by @idreamofticklehugs' suggestion. Any time you get a question wrong he'll give you a quick tickly punishment, or switch it around to get tickles for correct answers as a reward. Make learning fun, with the slight possible side effect that you may think tickly thoughts and/or feel ghost tickles whenever thinking about the subject you use for a while after you play.

Green (Music Mode) - For those times where you wanna listen to some music AND get some tickles, how about mix them together with Music Mode, inspired by a recent convo with @pingobuparts. Choose a song (or a playlist of songs) and Skitters will sync his movements to it while tickling you. He can sync to vocals, drums, guitar, or whatever other part of a song you want him to tickle along to! You'll start looking at song structure through a whole new lens.

Purple (Hide & Seek Mode) - Looking for some fun surprises to spice up an otherwise boring day? Maybe try Hide & Seek Mode! Skitters will go off and hide, and throughout the day (or any amount of time you choose) he'll randomly jump out and give a quick tickle attack before disappearing again until the next. Is he in your hoodie pocket? Behind that box of cereal? Only one way to find out, he's a sneaky boy so don't expect to see him coming.

Which new mode would you use the most? Or would you mostly stick to classic Ler Mode? 🪶

[emma23]

Smoke and mirrors:

Jonathan levy x reader

————————————————————————

You stretch lazily on the couch, flipping absentmindedly through a magazine while the soft murmur of classical music plays in the background. Jonathan is at his desk, tapping away at his laptop with a focused expression that only deepens the furrow in his brow. The dim lighting in the room gives everything a soft, golden glow, and for a moment, you feel a sense of calm that is rare when Jonathan is in his work mode. He’s always thinking, always analyzing, but tonight he seems particularly quiet, too quiet.

Something feels… off.

You glance over at him again. His fingers fly across the keyboard, but there’s something missing. The familiar scent of his cigarette isn’t wafting through the room, and that’s when it hits you.

“Hey,” you call out, interrupting the silence.

Jonathan pauses, his eyes flickering towards you with a questioning look. “Hmm?”

“You stopped smoking?”

He leans back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head as he lets out a soft groan. “What gave it away?” he says with a dry smirk, his voice teasing.

You laugh, rolling your eyes. “I’m serious. You always light up when you’re stressed or working late. It’s practically your signature move.”

He shrugs, a lazy smile tugging at his lips. “I told you I'd quit if you kept my hands and lips busy.”

Your eyes widen in surprise, and then you burst out laughing. “Excuse me?”

Jonathan’s smirk grows, and he stands up, slowly making his way over to you. “I’m serious,” he murmurs, his voice dropping into that deep, rich tone that always makes your heart skip a beat. “I’m true to my word, love. You keep me occupied… and I don’t need the cigarettes anymore.”

You tilt your head, feigning suspicion. “So, this is all my fault, is it? Your sudden health kick?”

He leans down, placing one hand on the back of the couch and the other on your thigh, his eyes darkening with mischief. “You could say that.”

Before you can respond, his lips are on yours, soft but insistent, pulling you into a kiss that quickly deepens as you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands slide down your body, his touch igniting every nerve as he shifts his weight to press you into the cushions.

You break the kiss for just a moment, breathless and laughing. “You really quit smoking for this?”

Jonathan grins, his eyes gleaming with playful affection. “Why smoke when I have something far more addictive?” His lips find your neck, and your laughter quickly turns into a soft moan as he nibbles along your skin, making you melt beneath him.

“You’re ridiculous,” you manage to gasp, though your hands are busy tugging at his shirt, eager to feel his skin against yours.

“I’m committed,” he counters, his hands slipping under your shirt, his touch teasing and slow. “You made a promise too, remember?”

“Did I?” you tease, your fingers threading through his hair as you tug him back down for another kiss. His lips are hot against yours, and soon enough, any pretense of conversation is lost in the heat of the moment as the two of you get tangled up in the sheets.

Later, when the room has quieted down again, and you’re both lying in a comfortable, lazy heap, you run your fingers through Jonathan’s hair absentmindedly. His head is resting on your chest, and for the first time all evening, he seems completely at peace.

“You know,” you say, your voice soft but teasing, “if I had known this was all it took to get you to stop smoking, I would’ve done this ages ago.”

Jonathan chuckles, his breath warm against your skin. “Well, consider me a reformed man. All thanks to your… commitment to the cause.”

You smirk, lifting an eyebrow. “Oh, is that what this is now? A noble cause?”

He tilts his head up to look at you, his dark eyes glinting with amusement. “Absolutely. You’re my favorite bad habit.”

You laugh, shaking your head as you press a kiss to his forehead. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” he says, with a cheeky grin, “you’re still here.”

You roll your eyes, playfully shoving him off of you. “Yeah, yeah. Go get some sleep before you start philosophizing about this too.”

He stands, stretching with a grin, and starts to head towards the bathroom when he pauses and looks back at you, the smirk still on his face.

“You’re gonna regret saying that when I give a lecture tomorrow about how quitting smoking is basically the same as resisting temptation in life.”

You throw a pillow at him, laughing. “Oh my god, Jonathan, don’t you dare!”

[peachiejeongin]

The Phantoms Part 8: Edge of Great | Bang Chan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 (You Are Here) | Part 9 | Part 10

Synopsis: Y/n finds herself daydreaming over Chan while dancing with Felix, Han cannot figure out why Minho is acting so weird, and the phantoms are booked to play another gig at y/n's house.

Pairing: phantom!Bang Chan x fem!reader [Occurs in this chapter] (Minsung if you squint)

Genre: Julie and the Phantoms/3RACHA AU, Crack, Angst, Fluffy Moments

Warnings: Mentions of death

Notice: Part 8! Almost there, now! As always, I have no ownership of 'Julie and the Phantoms,' nor do I believe Han is gay in real life. Also, I got a bit lazy at some parts because I had no idea how to write them </3 Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy the chapter, my darlings!

Your little brother was in the dark of the house using his iPad to try and catch a ghost on camera. A shatter from the kitchen was heard, and he was hopeful it was a ghostly figure; however, when the lights flickered on, all that met his eyes was your aunt, who exasperatedly told your brother that ghosts were not real. Yet, she was unaware of the three ghosts in the living room watching the interaction.

"Typical adult!" Changbin sat perched on the arm of a chair, exclaiming at the sight before his eyes. "Do you remember when we were little kids, and they always tried to debunk our ideas?"

"I think that's just a 'you' thing, dude," Han disagreed, laying back on the couch. "I was pretty trustworthy as a kid."

"Shouldn't we be more worried about y/n?" Chan countered the both of them, his heart fluttering just thinking about you; the ghost was in a slouching position, his handed clasped together and his fingers fiddling with one another out of worry. "Her dad busted her, and he's probably making her quit the band as we speak."

"Well, we can't really do anything about that now," Changbin shrugged his shoulders, "but we can still help y/n's brother. Adults not believing kids ends tonight! Showtime!" Changbin flashed Han and Chan a playful smirk before he reached for the lamp; he proceeded to flicker the light off, which immediately caught the attention of your aunt and brother.

"Ghosts aren't real?" your brother repeated, mocking your aunt's prior words. "Explain that, then!" Changbin proceeded to open his arms in a prompting gesture.

"Light bulbs burn out all the time! It's nothing!" Your aunt waved her hand dismissively, and Changbin tsked at the matter.

"Wrong answer, Auntie!" Changbin hopped out of his seat, making his way over the to blinds of the nearby window. "Explain this!" He then began moving the strings to blinds up and down rapidly, causing them to open and shut in a swift motion. His actions caused Chan to cross his arms and roll his eyes, as Han threw his hands up in an annoyed manner.

Your aunt took a firm grasp of your brother's shoulders, a fearful expression quickly washing over her features.

"Do you think it's mom?" your brother asked, hope lacing his tone.

"Your mother would never scare us like this!" your aunt nearly screamed. "This is demonic work!" At your aunt's claim, Changbin stopped pandering with the blinds.

"Hey! Words hurt!" he dejectedly stated as a pout overcame his lips, inaudible to the living audience.

"Wait, I gotta get this on video!" your little brother commented, pulling up the camera feature on his iPad.

"Yeah, you do!" Changbin agreed, pointing to the young boy. "Time for an old classic!" The bassist then picked up a plain white sheet out of a closeby laundry basket and threw it over his head, moving around in stutters around the living room. Your brother tried to take a picture of the chaos, but the camera was in selfie mode; instead, he caught a humerous picture of your aunt screaming her head off. Before he could try again, your auntie frantically pulled him away from the living room. Han and Chan stared in disbelief, but did not do anything to stop Changbin's antics.

The latter of the three boys threw the sheet back in the basket, laughing in triumph as he fell downwards back onto the recliner. He looked at the boys, his playful smile contrasting Chan's anger and Han's astoundment.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Han inquired, his tone coming off more aggressive than intended.

"Yeah, I do!" Changbin assured. "I just stood up for every kid that has never been believed by an adult! Some may say I'm a super hero!" Changbin pondered for a moment before his eyes widened in realization.

"We should definitely hide before y/n finds out, huh?"

---

"Y/n, we need to talk."

Speaking of you, your were currently stomping up the steps to your house and being reprimanded by your father for sneaking out to go to the showcase. You let out a heavy sigh and stopped in the middle of the walkway, unable to meet your dad's gaze.

"So, skipping school, missing tests, and sneaking out even when I specifically told you to stay in your room and study?" Your dad was furious, there was no denying that; his eyes were narrowed and he crossed his arms as he talked.

"I know. I'm sorry," you replied, your voice barely audible due to guilt.

"You keep saying that," your dad countered. "If you would just let me in, I could have been excited about tonight! I hate having these conversations, y'know. Why didn't you tell me you were in a band?"

"It all just happened so fast!" you retaliated, your demeanor louder than your previous speakings. "Look, I have had a life-changing experience these past few weeks. When I play music, I feel so much closer to mom!"

"And you know I love that," your dad responded. "But Auntie is right; school needs to come first."

"And I know that, but without the band, without my friends, I would have never made it back into the music program. They played with me when I was trying to earn back my spot!" You finally explained the entire story to your dad, causing his eyes to widen and a confused smirk to etch onto his face.

"They did?"

"Yes! This band is my thing, Dad," you sighed as you flickered your gaze between him and the pavement.

"Well." As your dad began to talk, breaking the moment of quietness, you feared the worse; you were confident he was going to take the band away, that he was going to take your one connection to your mother away. Yet, his next words shocked you:

"I'd be a jerk of a dad to take that away from you, wouldn't I be?" Your eyes brightened, but your lips stayed molded into depressed pulsation as your dad continued. "You can stay in the band, BUT you need to keep up with school. Plus, I need to be kept in the loop."

"Seriously?" You smiled, watching your dad as he nodded his head.

"Of course."

"Thanks, Dad!" You flund yourself into your father's arms, embracing him in a tight hug that he quickly reciprocated. You broke away after a few seconds, confused at the dejected expression your dad now had.

"That lady at the show," he began. "She was some sort of manager, right? Could've been a big deal for you?"

"Who knows?" You shrugged it off. "Hopefully, she'll get to see us play again. Which I will tell you about."

"You better!" your dad playfully replied. "Because if I ever catch you sneaking out again, or if your grades tank, I'm pulling the plug! Or wires. Or whatever it is that makes holograms...hologram." You shook your head rapidly in understanding, awkwardness taking over the conversation. "By the way, do I ever get to meet these guys?" Your eyes widened at the question, and you felt your breath hitch in your throat from nervousness.

"Probably not!" You thought of something on the spot to tell your dad, settling on the fact that the phantoms were from Canada and that being seen was not their thing, which was only partially a lie.

"Well whoever and whereever they are, thank them for bringing my daughter back."

---

The next morning, you ventured downstairs to hear your dad and Changbin humming 'Finally Free' while the former was making breakfast. Your dad began to talk about how he wanted to make up for interrupting your conversation with the manager, thus he told you of his plan of hosting a garage party with some help from Flynn, while Changbin made comments about their now, "one-sided friendship."

"Oh! We're having a gig...at our house." At your lack of enthusiasm, your dad told you that the performance could be professionally filmed and put on YouTube, making your demeanor flip entirely.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! It's only fair!" He walked to the fridge to grab a drink, and Changbin beamed.

"Best dad ever!" the bassist exclaimed. "I'll go tell the guys." Changbin quickly glanced at your dad and waved goodbye.

"It's cool, you don't have to answer. You can't even see me, so makes sense." You chuckled at Changbin's antics before he warped out of the kitchen.

---

You strutted to your locker as third period ended; you grabbed your dance bag and a couple of other items for the performance you and Felix would be giving today. It had snuck up on you, and dread was overtaking the excitement you had felt that morning over the house party gig.

As you slammed your locker shut, your fearful thoughts were halted by a figure standing behind the metallic door.

"Hey there," Chan smirked, leaning on the cerulean lockers. You jumped back, gasping before you realized it was only him; the sight of him alone made your cheeks heat up and clear your throat rather obnoxiously.

"Normal people don't do that, contrary to what High School Musical may have taught you, and ghosts definitely shouldn't either." You crossed your arms, not being able to help the soft smile that came across your face; however, Chan looked rather confused.

"High School what?"

"Oh, right, movie from the 2000s," you quickly explained, forgetting that Chan would not have seen the film. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"Well, we need to talk about what song we're gonna play tonight," the Australian explained, his accent sending shivers through your body that it never had prior. "I was thinking..."Edge of Great?'" You tilted your head to the side slightly as a soft hum escaped you. You reached into your jacket pocket and pulled out your phone. You acted as if you were dialing a number and put the device up to your ear, the action of which made Chan scoff.

"Seriously, Love?" he questioned, the nickname causing your heart to thump. "You're just going to take a call in the middle of our conversation? This is really-"

"Hey! So glad you picked up my call, that way people won't think I'm talking to myself!" you interjected Chan's indignant rant, causing him to halt and nod in amusment and understanding.

"Okay, nice save!" Chan shot a wink your way, his own pulse racing as he did so.

"But, yes, I think 'Edge of Great' would be perfect for tonight," you agreed with him, causing him to smile once more.

"Great! Well, that's pretty much what I wanted to talk to you about, so..." Chan trailed off, his voice faltering as he shoved his hands in his pants pockets and stared down at the ground.

"Oh!" you responded, a tad down that the conversaton could not continue farther; you loved talking to Chan. After all, conversation flowed so easily with him and never felt forced. You gave him a shy smile, causing him to shake his head in order to correct himself.

"Actually, I did want to talk to you about one more thing." He went back on his prior statement, reaching one hand up to scratch at the nape of his neck. "It's uh...I think you uh...you know." His voice kept stuttering, and it was evident he was anxious about something.

He was not sure what was wrong with him in that moment; he had talked himself up to this all morning. He wanted to tell you how you made him feel, how you had won his heart over the past few weeks, how your performance last night was the proving factor; however, his words caught in his throat at this moment, and he could not find the courage to do it. Therefore, he settled on telling you how you made him a, "better writer," while mentally facepalming himself for being such a coward.

His kind words, although not what intended, made your eyes sparkle with joy and your heart warm with affection. You gave a shy smile, feeling the heat in your cheeks flare up further.

"I think we make each other better," you responded, causing the ghost to stare at you in awe.

"Y/n, why don't you just ditch with me today?" he asked impulsively; his tone became low, almost husky as it was coated in admiration, causing your eyes to widen, your throat drying up from the endearing effect of his rasp. "Let's just go rehearse, or at least spend the day together."

"Believe me, I would love to, but I can't. I promised my dad school first." Your expression saddened at the fact that you had to turn down a day with Chan; in contrast, his demeanor seemed to become more cheeky.

"Well, you came to school first, and now you're leaving to go rehearse!" the phantom countered, his voice becoming even more breathy, and to you, downright attractive. "Come on, I can't do this without you, Love." You shook your head playfully, attempting to conceal the ever-present red hue on your face.

"I-I can't," you repeated, your voice stumbling over itself. "Plus, I told Felix I would be his dance partner."

Speaking of Felix, you heard his deep voice call your name as he approached you, passing slightly through Chan in the process. He was wearing a black button-up shirt, complimented by dress pants in the same color.

"And he's heading this way! Gotta go, bye!" You pretended to hang up the phone, focusing your attention onto Felix, which made Chan scowl out of slight jealousy.

"Talking about me, aye?" Felix gave a playful smirk, which only made Chan's disapproval heighten.

"'Talking about me aye?' She was, but not in that way you little-"

You cleared your throat loudly, signalling for Chan to shut up before you turned back to Felix.

"Yeah! Just telling my dad about how we're dance partners today."

"Cool! Speaking of, you ready for the performance?" Felix questioned, nervousness present in his words.

"Yeah, we're gonna do great!" you assured the boy; although, you felt a bit fearful yourself.

"Glad you're confident," Felix chuckled out. "After three classes, I'm convinced I got worse. But hey, I've got my secret weapon." Felix shot a finger gun and wink your way, causing Chan to jerk his head back in surprise.

"Awe, someone has a crush on y/n!" he teased the boy, and you for that matter, eliciting a 'shhh' from you; upon that, Felix furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Pshhh," you quickly saved your sudden action. "You're silly!"

"No, seriously, I am nothing without you," Felix affirmed his prior statement. Meanwhile, Chan was standing behind him, mocking his every word and action.

"You'll do great!" You shoved at Felix's shoulder. "See you in there?"

"Yeah, I'll be the guy trying not to make us look stupid," he replied sarcastically as he walked away, looking back at you whilst beaming; Chan followed Felix for a short time before turning back your way.

"Oh, he is just too cute!" Chan mocked, partially to tease you but the other part out of jealousy. "You gonna pick him over me?"

"Boundaries!" You rolled your eyes at the boy's comment, beginning to stride away from him. "We can rehearse after school."

"I know you're smiling, y/n!" Chan called once your back was fully to him. You were indeed smiling, grinning even as you walked away; it was Chan, so you really had no other option due to the feelings erupting in your heart. Chan made one final call before you had walked completely out of sight.

"Kill it on the dance floor!"

---

"Breathe in," your dance instructor commanded as the pairs stood in place for the performance. "Shake out your nerves, and..." her voice trailed off as she began the music.

You took a moment to reassure Felix's nervousness, although you may have accidentally called him Chan once or twice. You sheepishly covered your mistake by saying you were thinking of something else and your mind wandered. Felix nodded skeptically; you then tried to focus on your ensuing performance. The music began and you recited the routine you had been practicing in class for days, nailing every step. Felix smirked at you, nodding in beat with the music as he truly did think of you as his, "secret weapon," for the performance. You reciprocated the beam, turning to face the mirror; you were not expecting what happened next.

In the middle of the dance, you found yourself slipping into your thoughts, the melody pulling you under like a gentle tide. When you blinked, Chan had somehow replaced Felix as your partner. His hand slid into yours, warm and steady, grounding you despite the rush of your imagination. The world seemed to blur at the edges, leaving only the two of you in focus. The soft glow of the stage lights caught the gleam in his eyes, reflecting a quiet confidence that made your breath hitch.

Every step you took with him felt weightless, like you were gliding across the floor on air. His movements were fluid and deliberate, each one aligning perfectly with the sweeping crescendos of the music. You could feel the heat radiating from his palm against yours, an anchor that tethered you to the moment. Your heart thudded against your ribs, so loud you wondered if he could hear it.

A shy warmth spread across your cheeks, the pink glow rising as his gaze never left yours. Your smile came unbidden, soft yet unshakable, a reflection of the joy coursing through you. The room seemed to hum with an unspoken connection, every twist and turn leaving a trail of sparks in its wake. This—dancing with him—felt effortless, like this was how it was always meant to be. The performance wasn’t just perfect; it was a dream brought to life.

At the end of the song, you snapped out of your trance.

"Hey, that was awesome!" Felix's voice sounded, which was was rang you out of your train of thought. "Thanks, partner!" Judging by his reaction, the dance went inferably perfectly. You did not bask in the greatness however, instead opting to nod in agreement before speeding away into the music room.

---

"Look, we add the echoes during the chorus, then when y/n comes in with the melody, it's gonna be perfect!"

The phantoms were piddling on their instruments, figuring out where to add notes, harmonies, and other adornments into, 'Edge of Great,' for the performance tonight.

Yet, their brainstorming session was swiftly interupted by a thud at the garage door; all three phantoms turned their head towards the noise and were meeted with an astounding sight.

Minho.

The skater disappeared as fastly as he had appeared, causing all three boys to shake their heads.

"Again?" Changbin asked in confusion. "What is this even about?"

"I don't know," Han answered quietly. "But I'll be damned if I don't find out."

Outside, Minho attempted to skate away; however, he was halted by a squirrel-esque ghost teleporting in front of him. The sight of Han almost made him stumble off of his board as he stopped too fast.

"What's going on with you?" Han outbursted as he appeared in front of the skater, outstretching his arms in a wondering manner. "It's like you keep finding me just so you can leave again."

"Believe me, Han, I want to explain," Minho guiltily confessed. "I can't, though, man." Minho tried to escape Han's trapping stare; however, Han moved in front of the boy.

"No, you can explain and you're going to." Han crossed his arms, his voice upping an octave or two. "You haven't been yourself since Seungmin's club. I really liked spending time with you, and I thought we were having fun together." The latter part of Han's admission was softer than the first section; it was gentle, yet firm.

Minho shook his head, regret present in every physical feature of his body.

"We should have never met," Minho uttered under his breath dejectedly. Han stood in place, his mouth agape; he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, and his words caught stickily in his throat.

"What does that-"

Before he could ask, there was a faint rustling that sounded from behind the two boys. Minho jerked his head, as if something was going to come for him the moment he tried speaking to Han again.

"Look, I gotta go." With that, Minho warped away, not another word spoken between the two guys. Han stared at the spot where his crush had just been, his heart shattering as Minho's words replayed in his head.

Maybe they should have never met.

---

You softly beamed as you pressed each key on the piano, creating a melody based off of your encounter with Chan in the performance room; the melody was gentle and filled with intense passion and love. You mentally repeated the experience over and over again, remembering everything from Chan's gentle touch to the bright smile that he kept throughout the entire performance.

"There you are!" a high-pitched voice exclaimed, undoubtedly belonging to Flynn. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Why'd you run out so fast?" You lifted your head up slowly.

"Sorry, I needed air," you explained. "It was getting a bit too intense in there."

"Oh, I noticed!" Flynn grinned cheekily. "Dancing with the guy you've had a crush on since middle school will do that to you, girl!" She was, of course, referencing the "tension" she had noticed between you and Felix.

"Well," you sighed out, causing Flynn to tilt her head slightly. "The whole time Felix and I were dancing, I was thinking about Chan." You tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear, tsking slightly at yourself.

"Really?" Flynn asked in disbelief. "First off, knew it. Second, I know you always want things that are outside the realm of possibilities, but liking Chan is next level. He is quite literally out of the realm."

"I know!" you nearly yelled out of anxiety. "And now, I'm almost positive Felix likes me. Felix!"

"He totally does," Flynn beamed as she affirmed.

"But me and Chan..." your voice faltered as you ventured back into dreamland. "We click. Plus, he's so-"

"Non-existant," Flynn finished your sentence, causing your demeanor to switch from admiration to dejection. "You can make all of the music you want with Chan, but he's always going to be a ghost."

You felt hurt by Flynn's words; to you, Chan was real, just not alive. The two of you had built such a firm connection, and the feelings were bound to develop at some point or another. You could not bear the thought of leaving those feelings behind. Flynn, however, spotted your sadness, which made her grab your phone.

"How about," she started, "we send Lix a friendly little invitation to the party tonight?" She turned the phone screen towards you to show you the message, which caused you to move back in astonishment.

"I don't use that many smiley faces."

"Well, I am not letting you get heartbroken!" You did not understand the point of Flynn's comment, thus you shook your head, another idea invading your mind right after.

"Well, we're performing tonight anyways. What am I supposed to do?"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Flynn replied, surprisingly enthusiastically. "The key is avoiding those large, gorgeous, dead eyes."

"You're very pushy today," you commented upon Flynn's demanding tone.

"You're welcome!"

---

The phantoms were rehearsing in the studio, practicing moderately to the beat of, 'Edge of Great.' Chan and Changbin were delicate with their guitar riffs; however, their drummer was not so gentle.

Han was attacking his drumset, as if it were a zombie during the apocalypse. His two bandmates winced at his aggression, halting their playing as the youngest followed suit soon after.

"You alright?" Chan asked Han, concern present in his demeanor.

"Yep. Perfect. Why?"

"Look man, it's gonna be tough," Changbin reassured. "They say you never forget your first ghost. There will be others!"

"Plus, you're a great drummer and a great guy," Chan added on. "Don't let Minho get in between you and what you love."

"I don't know man," Changbin countered. "Sometimes, a bit of fire can spice things up on stage. Y'know, like the fire between you and y/n."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Chan scoffed lightly, but he could not help but grin stupidly at the mention of him and you together.

"Please, Chan," Changbin retaliated. "Everyone sees the way you look at her when you sing. The chemistry oozes between you two."

"I have chemistry with everyone I sing with," Chan countered, still attempting to conceal his already-revealed feelings. He caught eye of Changbin and began to approach the male.

"Seriously watch!" He then belted out the lyrics to 'Edge of Great,' adorning the verses as he grabbed Changbin's face and held him in place; the bassist's face morphed into an expression of shyness.

"That was...that was pretty hot," Changbin gasped out, his cheeks embarassingly red. Chan ended his endeavor by kissing his pointer and middle fingers and pressing them against Changbin's lips; Chan then walked back to his guitar, acting as if nothing had happened. Changbin, on the other hand, coughed exaggeratedly.

"Girls, am I right?"

"Yeah," Chan sighed out.

"No!" Han innocently rejected.

---

That night, your backyard crowded with excited visitors; everyone from classmates, your father's colleagues, and even a couple of record executives had showed up to watch your performance. Even Carrie had arrived, although she was currently attempting to persuade Felix not to trust you because of the abnormalities about the holograms.

"Hey, partygoers!" Flynn rang out at her DJing booth. "Make some noise for Y/n and the Phantoms!" The crowd burst into applause as your little brother and one of his friends opened up the decorated garage doors; they were adorned with flowers that spelled the band name.

As they opened the doors, there you stood, smiling nervously as you adjusted the microphone stand in front of the piano. You were wearing another one of your mom's outfits; you were wearing a white, butterfly top with matching butterfly clips in your hair. You thanked everyone for coming, taking in a deep breath before you began the song.

"Running from the past Tripping on the now What is lost can be found, it's obvious

And like a rubber ball We come bouncing back We all got a second act, inside of us"

You pressed a few more piano keys, before taking your microphone off of the stand; your dad, who was filming the performance nearby, switched on the hologram projector, and the phantoms appeared right on cue, bringing a perfect rise to the song.

"I believe I believe that we're just one dream Away from who we're meant to be That we're standing on the edge of Something big, something crazy Our best days are yet unknown That this moment is ours to own Cause we're standing on the edge of great!"

Throughout the chorus, you moved between Changbin and Han, vibing with both of the phantoms as the song reverberated across the backyard. Chan approached, eager to jam with you just as the others had, but you purposefully ignored his attempts, redirecting your focus back to the crowd. He was caught off guard, a flicker of hurt crossing his face at the sudden shift, his smile faltering as he realized you had pulled away.

You had reluctantly decided to take Flynn's advice, though it pained you deeply. You truly cared about Chan, and you could not imagine anything changing the connection the two of you shared. Yet, Flynn was right. Chan was a ghost, and there was no realistic future with someone who was not alive. As Chan began his verse, he watched you, hoping you would come vibe with him at the microphone, his gaze filled with quiet anticipation.

"We all make mistakes But they're just stepping stones To take us where we wanna go It's never straight, no"

Instead of rocking out with him, you stayed close by Changbin, headbanging and moving back and forth with the bassist while the guitarist watched sadly. Towards the end of his verse, you made awkward eye contact, and he motioned his head for you to join him for your united verse; however, you stared straight on, standing in front of the piano.

"Sometimes we gotta lean Lean on someone elseTo get a little help Until we find our way"

Chan was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions—dejection, hurt, and confusion. Han and Changbin mirrored his bewilderment, exchanging glances as they looked at you, wondering why you had suddenly pulled away. All day, you had been fine, so why this change in behavior? Whatever it was, it agitated Chan. He longed to be close to you, to sing beside you, yet you kept your distance. The separation stung just as much for you; your heart ached every time you caught the saddened look in his eyes as you distanced yourself from him. Trying your best to ignore the pain, you hopped onto the piano for the bridge

"Shout, shout C'mon and let it out, out Don't gotta hide it Let your colors blind their eyes Be who you are, no compromise

Just shout, shout C'mon and let it out, out What doesn't kill you makes you feel alive Oh-oh"

As you hit the falsetto on the third and final chorus, something unexpected happened. Your eyes met Chan’s once again, and in that instant, he added a guitar riff that was not in the original song, drawing closer to your criss-crossed position on the piano as if to capture your attention. There was a look of awe in his eyes, one that you could not help but mirror, a quiet understanding passing between the two of you as the music swelled around you.

All previous thoughts had been abandoned; you stared at Chan with longing in your eyes as you sang. Sure, he was a ghost, but he was a cute ghost; a cute ghost that you were slowly but surely falling for in every moment. In that moment, it felt as if you were singing to him, as if no one else was around. You became lost in his chocolate eyes, only breaking contact to stand up on the piano as you sang the high note to the chorus.

Han, Changbin, and Chan played their instruments in adrenaline-pumped fervor as the song ended; you remained atop the piano until the end of the chorus, in which you hopped down onto the bench and fixed your microphone back onto the holster. As you switched back to the piano to end the song out, the phantoms disappeared with a final riff.

Well, two of them did.

"Running from the past Tripping on the nowWhat is lost can be found, it's obvious"

Chan leaned over your shoulder, making intense eye contact with you as you both sang the final verse; this moment, although inexplainable, felt intimate, once again seeming as if the two of you were the only ones present in the audience. His gaze flickered down to your lips, and he seemed to lean in briefly; however, the music stopped and he vanished before he was able to make a move.

As with the other performances, the crowd became a cacaphony of cheers and gasps as the phantoms vanished. You gave a playful bow as you retreated back into the garage, smiling at your newfound confidence and the success of the performance.

Meanwhile, a heartbroken gaze who had watched every event unfold between you and Chan watched on, a lump caught in his throat and defeat present in his gaze.

---

After the performance, Chan, Changbin, and Han stayed outside, playing basketball at the small court besides the garage once the guests had cleared out.

"Feels like we should be celebrating or something," Changbin commented as he caught the ball from Chan's toss. "What do you guys wanna do?" Before Han or Chan could respond, another flickering jolt came over the boys, causing them all to fall onto the ground in pain.

"Not that," Han said, coughing slightly.

"That wasn't like the other ones," Chan noticed. "It's getting worse."

"Why is this happening to us?" Changbin asked rhetorically.

"It's because you guys are in trouble."

Minho had appeared from out of nowhere, his arms crossed and his tone laced with alarm.

"Minnie?" Han questioned, stepping closer to his suitor.

"We need to talk," he bluntly told the boys.

---

"All the jolts we're feeling is because of Seungmin's stupid stamp?" Chan was angered, his footsteps heavy as he, Han, Changbin, and Minho strided across Sunset Boulevard.

"He's threatened by you!" Minho explained concerningly. "You're the only ghosts who lifers can see without his help, so he wants you under his control."

"And you let him do this to us?" Han inquired, his tone more aggressive than he wanted it to be.

"Do you really think I can stop him?" Minho questioned Han, his voice breaking as he spoke. "He owns my soul. In fact, he owns every soul at his club. If he even knew I was here, talking with you guys, he...he would destroy me."

"So, if we don't join his club," Changbin recounted Minho's descriptions, "we keep flickering until our lights go out?"

"Yes," Minho gulped.

"So, what exactly happens when our lights go out?" Changbin followed up.

"That's it," Minho shrugged, his face expressing nothing but solemnness. "You're done. You don't exist anymore."

"What?!" Chan exclaimed, his rage growing. "So, you mean, we have to say goodbye to everything we've worked for? We have to lose y/n? I have to lose the girl of my dreams and work for Seungmin?!" Chan's confession was the least of anyone's worries at that moment; instead of focusing on that, Minho shook his head dismissively.

"There's another option, and you have to hear me out on this," Minho explained as he breathed in. "If you guys could figure out what your unfinished business is, you can cross over just in time and at least exist in the afterlife!"

"Why should we even listen to you?" Han stepped forward, his eyebrows furrowed out of anger.

"Because I care about you, Ji!" Minho yelled out, loud enough for all of Hollywood to hear if Minho's voice was audible to lifers. "I can't stand that I got you and your friends in this mess. Look, I can't be away from the club much longer, but I can apologize...I'm so sorry guys. For everything."

With that, Minho warped away, just as Han reached for him; the latter of the two took the former's spot in order to face Chan and Changbin. He kicked his feet at the ground, a tear falling down his cheek.

"This is my fault," he said, his voice mixed with guilt and regret. "I met Minho, Minho introduced us to Seungmin, and Seungmin screwed us over!"

"No, Han," Chan rejected his friend's claim. "We all wanted to go see Seungmin."

"We have to tell y/n," Changbin realized, sadness washing over his features.

"No! Absolutely not!" Chan protested, his tone several octaves higher than it should have been. "Okay, she has lost so much; if she knows she's losing us, it will break her, and I can't hurt her like that! The best course of action is to figure out our unfinished business and cross over without her knowing."

"Okay, how are we supposed to do that, Chan?" Han outbursted, running an anxious hand through his hair. "There was so much we wanted to do!"

Chan's stare shifted from his bandmate to just behind him. He took a few steps forward, as if he was drawn to the glowing sign just behind Han.

"What is it, man?" Han asked, his tone softening. He looked behind to where Chan was staring, and Changbin followed suit.

"What was the one thing we were meant to do together on the night we died, mates?"

The three bandmates found themselves looking at the large, glowing blue sign of the Orpheum Theater. All three widened their eyes in realization, and it took a while before Changbin clarified in the form of a question.

"Play the Orpheum?" Changbin asked, worry and disbelief mixing in his voice.

"How can we even do that?" Han shook his head as he inquired. "Even after 3RACHA was known, we had to use every favor we had. Getting that gig took us years!" At that moment, another excruciating jolt rang throughout the phantoms, causing them to double over and groan. Chan coughed his lungs out as he looked back to the sign of their saving grace.

"Well, we don't have years."

[thesims4blogger]

Watch Live: “Behind the Sims”, January 14th 2025

EA kicks off The Sims 25th birthday celebration with a brand new Behind the Sims stream.

Behind The Sims 25th Birthday Special

Sul Sul, Simmers! 

Welcome to the 25th Birthday Special of Behind The Sims! There is so much to celebrate as The Sims turns 25 on February 4th. What a journey it has been. We are thrilled to dive into our celebrations, including new free updates for The Sims 4 and The Sims FreePlay and more exciting news. 

The Sims is turning 25! Here’s A Sneak Peek at the Birthday Celebrations 👀

ICYMI, the 25th Roadmap is your guide to all things birthday, so start speculating—hmm…what could Nostalgia Now mean?—and mark your calendar:

Jan 16 - 3 Iconic Kits

Jan 27-31 - Nostalgia Now

Feb 4 - 25th Birthday Celebration

25 Hour Livestream

The Sims 4 Event Begins

The Sims 4 Free Content

The Sims FreePlay Events

Feb 6 - The Sims 4 Motherlode Season

Feb 25 -  👀

February 4th

The Sims 25 Hour Livestream

To kick off the birthday festivities, we’re hosting The Sims 25 Hour Livestream, featuring your favorite Simmers and some special guests you might recognize. Join the fun as we showcase The Sims’ impact over the last 25 years with top builders, storytellers and more on YouTube, Twitch and TikTok on February 4th, 2025 beginning at 2pm PT / 5pm ET!

February 4th 

The Sims 4 Free Content Update

What’s a birthday without gifts? On February 4th, The Sims 4 base game will receive a huge update, bringing 70+ new in-game items to all players. There will be new Create a Sim options, including two new hairstyles, baby hairs added to three classic hairstyles, and a goatee for those looking for new facial hair options. Kiddos won’t be left out, as Toddlers will receive a new hairdo! In addition, there will be new clothing from head to toe, like a new turtleneck and bodysuit, along with jackets, jeans, bike shorts, and so much more. And don’t forget to accessorize with a gold chain or a classy set of pearls, a fitted cap, and new shoes, including heels, sneakers, and sandals.

February 4th

The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event Begins

Get ready for a free, limited-time Event where you'll need to venture into Live Mode to participate.

The Sims 4 Blast From The Past Event will feature rewards inspired by iconic items from the 2000s, like a milk carton, telephone, alarm clock, triple-tiered birthday cake, and inflatable chair and loveseat. 

The Sims FreePlay: FreePlay 2000 Events

The Sims FreePlay has an exciting update planned! Starting February 4th, we’re taking you back to the 2000s, where The Sims all began. Participate in special events, unlock velour tracksuits, and enjoy 25 days of in-game gifts featuring some of the most iconic items from The Sims' history!

Finally, we're wrapping up the birthday celebration with something really special. This March, The Sims FreePlay will release a new option to add enhanced lighting for all your home lots. With this addition to the game, sun rays will be able to flood a room, giving it a bright and lofty feeling, or you can dim the lights and create a cozy nook in front of a flickering fireplace. We can’t wait to see how Simmers use it to make their perfect homes.

MySims: Cozy Bundle is Coming to PC

Has anyone else not been able to put down the MySims: Cozy Bundle since it was released on Nintendo Switch? The retro re-release includes MySims and MySims Kingdom, where players can explore familiar worlds full of puzzles to solve, locations to discover, and fan-favorite characters DJ Candy, Yuki and Chef Gino to meet. There’s plenty to build, paint and decorate! 

The MySims: Cozy Bundle on Nintendo Switch also includes Create a Sim customization options, blueprints, decorations, fun characters and The Gardens location—content previously exclusive to the original MySims on PC.

Speaking of which (drumroll, please)... the MySims: Cozy Bundle will be coming to PC on March 18! We can’t wait to share more with you all soon. Preorder MySims: Cozy Bundle on PC via EA app™, Epic Games Store and Steam®.

For now, if you haven’t had the chance to pick up the MySims: Cozy Bundle just yet, you can pick up this adorableness on the Nintendo eShop or at select retailers today.

New Experiences from The Sims Labs: Updated Townie Homes, New Main Menu and more

You may remember that last Fall, we shared some BIG updates on The Future of The Sims, including a movie based on The Sims.

We’re happy to share that The Sims is looking Plumbob green as The Sims Labs has been cooking! We’ve learned so much from recent playtests, and that’s all thanks to the thousands of players that jumped into the various innovations across future and current Sims products. And just a reminder for all the Simmers that have helped us in our playtests, what you might see are slices of experiences that are in very early phases of development, and we’re still finalizing the final product.

All Simmers have experienced the great work that’s come out of The Sims Labs, including the “Apply All” button and the “Occult Switcher” in The Sims 4. We will continue to keep innovating the game experience as part of commitment to building and improving The Sims 4, including the main menu:

Your latest save will now be front and center and ready for you to hop back in and play. The good news? This main menu update is now available for everyone!

Alongside today’s main menu update, the team renovated and rebuilt the iconic townie homes with the content and items released from the base game updates over the years for The Sims 4. The refreshed townie homes including the Pancake, Goth, Caliente, Landgraab and BFF houses, now have pools, hundreds of swatches and more! You can read more in the Patch Notes here.

Three New Kits

But wait, there’s more! We’re launching three special new Kits on January 16: the Secret Sanctuary and Casanova Cave Kits, which will include a mix of Build Buy and Create a Sim items inspired by iconic Sims characters, plus the Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with lilsimsie!

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Design a warm, inviting gaming room with personal touches that will offer your Sims a place to unwind with their favorite pastime with The Sims 4 Comfy Gamer Kit, created in collaboration with longtime Simmer and content creator lilsimsie.

Create a luxurious space tucked behind a secret passage in a bookcase, full of lavish furniture sure to delight Sims who enjoy the finer things in life and indulge in timeless fashion with The Sims 4 Secret Sanctuary Kit. 

Maybe your Sims style is more modern and sleek? The Sims 4 Casanova Cave Kit has just what your Sims need to entertain and make an impression, whether it’s game night with friends or a romantic date night. 

For more information on these kits, check out our latest newsroom article on January 16.

More Creator Kits Coming Soon

We also want to take a moment to talk more about our recently released Creator Kits, which are designed and built by custom content creators to add new collections based on their unique styles and content.

The first set of Creator Kits were Myshunosun’s Cozy Kitsch and Trillyke’s Sweet Slumber Party. These Kits are full of vibrant colors and mid-century modern designs along with the elevated sleepwear and sleepover options. These Kits are available through The Sims 4 on PC, Mac and console. 

Simmers can look forward to more Creator Kits coming soon to The Sims 4; starting with two kits in collaboration with Pierisim and Madlen launching later this month, followed up by two more Creator Kits featuring the styles of aharris00britney and Syboulette to come out later this year.

The Sims Birthday Merch

And, while there is so much to already be excited about for the 25th Birthday of The Sims, it wouldn’t be complete without a celebratory merch collection, available February 5 on shopthesims.com.

That’s it for the 25th Birthday Special of Behind The Sims! Follow The Sims and The Sims Freeplay across social media to keep up with the latest news and join The Sims community Discord to participate in the Sims conversations, giveaways, challenges, and contests we’ll be hosting! 

Until next time, Dag Dag!

[klausinamarink]

One Kid Gone, Another Up and Vanished (part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 next: Part 5

(no Wayne POV this time sorry!)

When Eddie finally lifts his head up, he’s still on the kitchen floor and everything’s too dark except for the floating ash and vines. It’s a little hard to see clearly when his eyes have tears coming out of them.

Something bumps against his arm. He glances over to see Will sitting next to him, carefully eating soup right out of the can with a spoon. Eddie hopes that spoon got washed.

He watches as Will dips the spoon into the van, stirs it, blows a few nearby ash away, brings the spoon to his mouth and carefully slurps it as if it’s hot. Eddie almost believes that maybe Will did find some way to heat it up while he was silently crying to himself like a baby. But there’s no steam coming off it.

“Why you’re doing that?” He asks without thinking. His voice is raspy as he speak.

Will nearly startles. “Do what?”

“That.” Eddie nods at the can. “Pretending like it’s hot.”

Will makes an ‘oh’ sound and looks away, seemingly embarrassed. “It’s just how I eat soup sometimes…” Then he looks up with a neutral expression. “It’s not that bad. Cold soup, I mean. I think it’s gross when the chicken just, you know, sits around like mush.”

“Hm.” is all Eddie can say.

“You can finish mine.”

“Nah.”

“Are you okay?”

Eddie breathes in and out slowly, but ends up coughing. The air here is starting to taste weird at the back of his tongue. “Yeah, I guess.” He clears his throat. “I mean, I’m sorry you had to…” he gestures to himself.

“It’s okay.” Will looks down at his half-eaten soup again. “My mom has those moments sometimes. Mostly because my dad yells at her. I found it better to sit next to her instead of in my room.”

Eddie has known this kid for probably half a day, but he is already willing to die for him.

Speaking of days…

“What time is it here?”

Will blinks. Then he shrugs. “I don’t really know. The clocks don’t work at all. But we’ve heard people getting up so… early morning? Maybe eight?”

Wayne should either be home soon or is already sleeping here.

Eddie snorts, “Okay, power and time are fu- completely useless. Typical of the Vale of Shadows.” He shakes his head dramatically, tsk-tsking. It makes him feel better somehow. Maybe because it makes Will laugh a bit or that Will clearly knows D&D.

Then he nearly jolts up with a sudden realization. Will Byers knows D&D. Not only that it almost makes him squeal in glee, it also makes the wheels in his brain turn into Dungeon Master mode.

And when he’s on Dungeon Master mode, it helps him think ten times better.

Because what the hell, he’s in an alternate dimension with a missing kid and a monster. That’s like prime campaign material!

“Eddie?” Will cuts in just before his thoughts start to make sense.

“Wait, wait. Shush now, Little Byers. Actually, no. You may now speak.” Eddie gets up and starts pacing around, barely mindful of the vines so he doesn’t trip over.

“Uh, what?” Will tilts his head in confusion.

Eddie stands tall before him yet keeps his gaze even as he starts, “Little Byers the Vanished, you have wandered into the domain you identified as the Vale of Shadows. Is that correct?”

Will’s eyes briefly flicker to one side. He nods slowly.

“Declare your arrival to the Vale of Shadows.”

“Uh… I was biking home from my friend Mike’s place. Then the demogorgon appeared in the road…” His breath shudders but Eddie gestures him to continue, “I fell off and I ran. Went to my shed to shoot it but it got me, well, here.”

Eddie grabs his heart with his classic dramatic flair, though he doesn’t fall to the ground. “Oh, a Nat 1 capture by a local monstrosity! But alas, it seems our fates has been mirrored. Now, together as allies of demonic capture,” he kneels down with outstretched arms and his hushed tone, “we must think not just of our escape, but of our survival.”

Will only nods for two seconds before laughter bursts out of his lips. When he catches his breath, he says, “Sorry! I just- I mean it’s really cool that you’re a DM but it’s kind of-”

“Stupid? Dramatic? Very mood fitting?”

Will snickers before asking, “But what are you saying?”

Eddie dramatically gasps before spreading his arms, “Little Byers! Wisdom check!”

He blinks before he seems to register Eddie’s message and looks around the kitchen. “Uh, this is a kitchen…” Eddie waits until Will looks down at the can of soup still in his hand. The boy’s eyes flicker to the rest Eddie had taken out and they brighten. “There’s still edible food! We can take the cans with us! And- and-”

He looks around almost feverishly until he points at a knife rack. “Take the knives as self-defense weapons!”

Eddie doesn’t stop himself from hugging the kid, squeezing him tight and almost throwing him around in a spin. “Little Byers, you genius! That’s a Nat 20!”

Will shrieks with laughter. Oh to be young and innocent. “No, it’s not! It’s more of a 12 in my party!”

“Nope, that’s a 20!”

After their little celebration, Eddie sets to shoving half of the cans in Will’s backpack. Some of it chicken soup, some beans and vegetables. He also checked for the hard foods like granola bars but they were too covered in vines to be pulled out.

The whole time, Eddie feels some hope in his chest.

Just as Will zips up his backpack, Eddie clears his dry throat again and remembers another vital thing. “Shit, what about water?”

Will stops and shakes his head. “Taps don’t work either. Only weird sludge comes out.”

“Have you drank that?”

He gets another judgemental look in return.

“Alright, fair enough.” Eddie observes the cabinets again, biting his lip. “I reckon some folks in this lovely town have stocks of bottled water. At least some drinks that aren’t weird sludge.”

“Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that exists. We don’t have any in my house, but I know Mike’s place has some!”

Great, they’re not going to die of thirst. Unless they die of something else. Eddie shoves that thought away, trying to remember anything else. “Is there anything-”

A grossly familiar sound interrupts them outside.

It’s a growl. Loud and close.

In their frozen state, Eddie stares at Will, both of them sharing wide eyes. Before Eddie even mouths a question, Will nods fast, terror-stricken.

The growling continues. Crunching of dead leaves. Claws dragging across metal and wood.

Shit shit shit shit shit

Eddie can’t think straight at any high-stake scenario. Hell, he can’t even do any of Ms. Click’s pop quizzes. But Will is urgently tugging him up, forcing him to get up and move move.

It’s only by a miracle that Eddie even thinks to grab one of the kitchen knives as a weapon. It’s cheap and hilariously short when Wayne bought the set few years ago, but it’s sharp. It should stab through a monster’s skin enough, right?

He really hopes this demogorgon doesn’t have any acid blood.

“Back door, the back door.” Eddie hisses urgently as he takes the lead. Will nearly stumbles but they’re both on their feet, being swift and quiet as they possibly can.

But apparently the universe doesn’t hate Eddie enough.

At the hall, he steps on one of the bigger vines.

Before he could even curse, the demogorgon roars.

“RUN!” Eddie isn’t sure if he’s screaming at himself or Will as they burst right out of the door. But they’re running fast as they could. Something breaks and crashes in the kitchen but he doesn’t stop. He runs as fast as he could around the trailer, Will’s hand tight in his grasp.

They run across the rest of the park. The crashing sounds get followed up by a ear-piercing shreeee of ripping metal.

Eddie feels Will tumbling behind, but he keeps yanking the boy up, desperate to keep them both on moving feet. They duck behind the other trailers, hopefully away from the demogorgon’s sight.

Eddie finally stops behind one of the homes, close to the entry gate. His lungs are burning like his average gym class. A quick glance at Will, who doesn’t even look at all winded. He peeks behind the wall, trying to catch any movement.

They both jump at a crash of some garbage cans. There’s another roar, but it’s still farther.

Eddie crouches down, meeting Will at eye-level. “Okay, we’re just gonna run away from that thing. We don’t stop until we don’t hear it, got it?” Will nods. “We’re gonna- god, what are we going to do?”

“We can go to my house.” Will suggests, the brilliant angel he is.

“We go to your house. So-”

He stops at another sound’s arrival. It’s only the rumbling of a truck engine coming up the path. But this one he knows from the bottom of his blackened heart. It’s the way from how it putters every five seconds and how the front wheels click from a card Eddie once superglued there at the lovely age of twelve because other rich boys had cards in their bike wheels and he never had a bike of his own.

“Wayne! Uncle Wayne!” He calls out because what the hell, how could he even forget his uncle? Wayne is coming home from on and Eddie wouldn’t be there.

The truck obliviously rumbles on.

A new kind of hurt clenches around him as he stands up and begins to make chase. “Wayne!”

Before he can take another step, Will pulls at his wrist (his bandaged wrist, ow) with surprising amount of strength. Eddie stumbles back and almost yells at him when the demogorgon roars closer.

For the second time, Will tugs Eddie with him by the hand and Eddie lets him to so. As they run out of the trailer park, Eddie almost turns around and calls out for his uncle again.

But the new hurt stops him from that. He doesn’t know if it’s a good thing.

— —

Taglist: @unclewaynemunson @steves-strapcollection @hellion-child @sidekick-hero @mmmmwaffles94 @demolitionjetstar @hbyrde36 @princessstevemunson @sirsnacksalot @tartarusknight @lyriclight @kodaik97 @plsdontdrinkmylavalamp @wuttttttttttt @bookbinderbitch @gutterflower77 @tentativeghost @soaringornithopter @angeldreamsoffanfic @panicatthediaz @renaissan-vvitch @manda-panda-monium

[dalek-ix-writes-stuff]

Red Ruin - INTERVAL 00: INCEPTION

"Qrow, it's Harlan. I know the fucking system we made. I looked it over with you, compared it to the alternatives, and agreed to play my role, when the first signs appeared. I'd run the tests. You'd keep her grounded. I don't need you to tell me what I already know, jackass."

"Which is why I'm asking you to sit your dusty ass down on a chair and listen very closely. Because you don't see what I do."

----------

*Click*

The scroll made a noise, a vauge approximation of an antique film camera, and the image of Beacon Academy was preserved. The girl who took the photo turned away from the airship's window, and stared at what she'd taken. Trying to burn it into her memory.

She felt her forest fire of a sister nearby, and Ruby Rose felt glad she was here. Things were better when Yang was around. Yang was safe.

In both interpretations of that sentence.

She adjusted the hood of her cloak, and the whispers quieted.

The roaring flame leaned closer. "Whatcha got there- oh," she started to say, before realising it on her own, "Pretty sweet, huh?"

"Yup!" Ruby said, nodding, "Our new home…" A beat. "Except for the holidays. And the times we're out on long missions. But other than that…"

She trailed off, focused on the screen. It flickered. Yang wanted to know what the view outside looked like to her.

Ruby didn't want Yang to know.

----------

"You don't see the readings when she's under stress. You don't see what she does when she let's a tiny fraction of what's in her loose, Qrow. And that's by her own admission. A tiny… Insignificant part of what she can do."

"And that scares the shit out of me."

----------

The cloak could muffle the whispers, but Ruby still needed to see.

Mostly.

She was having a good day, though! The sun was shining, the air was clear, and she was about to become a Huntress (well, Huntress-in-training) at her sister's side. She could even still see what Is underneath what her mind was telling her was there.

Silver eyes scanned the crowd, a smile on her face. She found the knight in paper armor emptying his stomach into the nearest plant pot. An iceberg stood alone, cold and unassailable. And then there was the masked shadow, twitching and tense as if about to flee…

Ruby blinked, and what is flickered into view for an instant.

The knight in paper armour had a sword in a collapsible shield-sheath. The last time she'd seen one was in a museum! Either it was good enough to still keep up with modern stuff, or it was a hand-me-down.

It was definitely a hand-me-down. Still, can't go wrong with the classics!

The Iceberg had a Multi Action Dust Rapier (Eeeeeeeeee!). Another had a Collapsible Dust Staff (Ooooooooh!). The Shadow had-

"Is that a Variable Blade Chain Scythe?!"

The blush came, unbidden, and Yang laughed.

"Whoa sis, calm down," She said, a smile in her voice, "They're just weapons."

"Just weapons!?" Ruby couldn't believe her ears. Her own sister is saying this! "They're extensions of ourselves, what we choose put between us and the enemy…" She toned the passion in her voice down a little, adjusting her hood even though the conviction never left her eyes, "They say a lot about who we are."

Yang chuckled.

"With all those new weapons, won't Crescent Rose start to feel jealous?" She teased.

Ruby huffed and, unfolding her weapon from it's storage mode on the small of her back, brought the Super High Velocity Sniper Penetrator-Scythe in front of her and hugged it.

"Crescent Rose knows I love her," she shot back, grinning, "But I still like seeing new weapons. It's like meeting new people!"

Her grin faltered.

"Just… Better."

A shake of a head that sent hair swaying to and fro like the firestorm that Yang was. "Come on, Rubes," her sister said, gently, "Let's meet new weapons. Who knows, we might meet new people completely by accident."

And by "Completely by accident", Yang meant "Completely on purpose".

Ruby felt her sister recognise someone in the crowd, and she looked back at her.

Maybe it was the warmth in her chest from being here that gave her the confidence to do what she was about to do.

"You can go and say hi," Ruby told Yang.

There was hesitation.

"You sure?" It was a lifeline. A chance to back out.

Ruby nodded. "Yup!" A smile. "I can handle this."

She turned back, and her eyes fell on the iceberg and the MADR on her hip.

----------

"I understand that keeping her caged will only lead to us having a fucking nightmare made manifest out for our blood. You told me that. I didn't believe you at first. I thought containment -physical containment- was possible, maybe even preferable. And I'm not shy about admitting I was wrong."

"But when she's with you, you see your honorary niece. Your little apprentice, swinging that scythe she made. You don't see just how tenuous the hold we have on her is. The hold she has on herself. Like a ribbon in a hurricane."

----------

The Iceberg had been cold and aloof (iceberg, duh) and the shadow had been… Well, she'd been nice, after Ruby had been not-quite-shooed-away by the Iceberg (Schnee. Weiss Schnee. Heiress to the SDC, just her luck.) but she had her own aloofness.

Ruby didn't like aloof people. They made her want to blurt out things she shouldn't know about them.

Things like "Why are you hiding your ears?"

And "What are you so afraid of?"

… She hadn't actually said any of that to the shadow (Blake. Her name was Blake Baetica), Grimm and Dust. And the Ice- Weiss. Weiss was too closed off and (mercifully) quiet for her to get much. But it was a pretty close thing. The knight in paper armor (Jaune Arc) had been friendly with her even after she'd kinda sorta maybe accidentally scared him but…

Well.

She hoped his armour stopped being paper soon.

Professor Ozpin had made a rather paradoxically unmotivating speech before sending them to the dorms for their first night, and it was time for bed.

Ruby was ready for sleep. She had her favourite PJs, her mother's cloak, her medicine (the chalky tablets never went down easily and they made breakfast taste like sand, but it was better than the alternative) and Yang and Crescent Rose.

She bit her lip, her scroll extended to full in front of her, and a messaging app open.

She felt the flame sneak closer.

"So, what ch'u writing, sis?"

"A letter," she answered.

"Just the one?"

Ruby winced. She'd hoped her sister wouldn't notice that.

"Just the one," she answered. She began to type.

To: Harlan Wade

Dear Dr. Wade…

----------

"I know what you're going to say, if you ever do the intelligent thing and pick up your fucking scroll to call me back. That we shouldn't cage her. That if she believes she's holding your niece back –because we know they'll follow the other no matter what we do– things will only get worse. That we need to give Ruby agency so she wants to help us. That she has Yang with her to watch over her, and us to smooth things if they're needed. And those are all true.

"But just because this is the best choice doesn't mean it's a good one. There are too many "what if's" for me to sleep at night. What if she slips? What if she has a surge, like those she used to have? What if she tries to do something and doesn't hold enough back? What if Ozpin decides to ass-fuck us all for his own agenda?

"What if something happens to Yang?

"It's too late to go back. I'll keep monitoring her from here. And she'll be sending me messages every day. But I'm asking you to keep your own eyes open. And to brace yourself.

"Harlan Wade out."

[flicker-confessions]

FLICKER CONFESSION #0016

Submitted by anonymous:

i love the classic mode characters and i want the fandom to love them too as much as i do but also im so scared about what the fandom would do to them

Blog runners' note: guys where are you finding these toxic flicker fandom ppl.... the only flicker fandom I know are like 6 people on tumblr here I'm a bit confused and worried lol

submitted on 08/12/2023

[darkgorerat]

Hey. My name is Gore Rat. This’ll sound so cringey and weird. I don’t know WHY I thought clicking on a random fucking link on a random fucking twitter post was a good idea, but hey. Make me an example to never click on SHIT without looking up the source.

It was your average Friday afternoon. I was in my room, scrolling on Twitter. I came across a post – linking to a website I didn’t recognize. I decided to read through the post, just to see if this website was worth clicking on.

“I found this weird Sonic game just lying around on the web. Played it for a bit – actually pretty damn cool. Instead of Sonic or Tails or any of the big popular characters, you can play as Silver and Blaze! There’s also a villain story – kind of like Sonic Adventure 2. Just thought I'd share it around the internet.”

Weird. It’s a classic Sonic game... but with Silver, Blaze, and a villain story? The longer I looked at the tweet, the more I wanted to click the link. Damn you, internet.

So, I did what any person would do. Opened Discord and hopped into a call with my two friends, Sasha and Riley. We boot up the link and immediately see red flags. The SEGA logo flickered? That’s not normal. I didn’t notice it at first – but Sasha did. She pointed it out, but my computer is trash as hell so I brushed it off as it processing the code weirdly.

The game played pretty normally, for the most part. Playing as Blaze was pretty damn cool, given we were never meant to play as her in the classic sonic mode. Sure, there were glitches here and there – some of the assets were unloaded. Looking through the recorded footage, we should’ve realized that was NOT normal.

The minor glitches only really happened in Green Hill. It didn’t matter much; the game was still very playable and fun. They died down in Chemical Plant. This, as far as we were concerned at this point, was just a fangame made by some Sonic ‘06 fanatic.

The next red flags, which were slowly getting more apparent as we played through the game, were the pop-ups. Things like “Warning - this game might have a virus!” and “Warning - suspicious activity within Classic_Silver_the_hedgehog.zip.” MAJOR red flag, but I guess we were too caught up praising the Blaze sprites to care.

Speaking of those, her sprites were kind of broken. Glitchy and the coloring was off. That’s why we were paying so much attention to it. It’s a dumb reason to ignore the red flags waving in our faces, but whatever. It was, like, three am. Our brains were too focused on how pink she looked rather than the off coloring and saturation of the background and the enemies, or lack thereof.

That was the next red flag. Where the hell were the enemies. We were meant to be fighting Eggman, but he just... wasn’t there? The game crashed after that. We all kind of agreed that was odd but we opened the game up again and decided to play as Silver, just to see how his powers would be implemented. Silver’s version of the game, good god was this shit BROKEN. Glitches, saturation, ZERO enemies, and there were flashes of words we couldn’t read because they lasted FIVE FUCKING SECONDS. This was probably the BIGGEST red flag.

We all agreed that we would continue playing in the morning since it was now four in the morning and Riley had things to do the next day. So, I closed out the game, left the call, and crawled back into bed.

Thinking about the situation, it kind of reminded me of that one news thing that happened when I was young. This guy named Kyle found dead in his house, his friend Tom following with a Sonic disk in his hands. Broken, at that, but that story always freaked me out. What murderer kills two guys and blames a Sonic the Hedgehog disk for it. Freak. Whatever, I eventually fell asleep.

We all got up the next day, and when Riley was free from the grasp of his dentist, we hopped on call. We booted the game up again and continued playing Silver’s route. Once more, let me say, HOLY FUCK, this game was BROKEN. The glitches got worse every single level, and the flashing words made me lower the brightness on my computer to avoid wanting to rip my eyes out. That’s how bad it was.

Sasha managed to go through the previous day’s footage and get the stuff from the flashing words. “HELP US,” “WHY WON’T YOU DIE,” “STUPID SLUTTY BITCH.” These sentences were so fucking... vulgar. And for what? A kids game? I swear, they were NOT warranted for whatever they were targeted to.

We got to the boss part and the game crashed again. I was actually going to start freaking out, cause when we opened the game, it mentioned me BY NAME. My computer’s name is DarkGoreRat. NOT my name. Freaked me out. I have NOTHING that refers to me by my actual name – my friends literally just started calling me Gore Rat.

I deleted the game, obviously. I’m not fucking stupid. I’m not keeping a game that knows my full name when I don’t even have it fucking saved.

If the creator of that fucked fangame reads this: You are an asshole. Spreading your game directed towards people and breaking their computers. Get a life, dickhead. But, otherwise, that’s all I can share until we can get everything figured out.

[ablegaming]

Photosensitivity-safe games for the Nintendo Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance

I recently picked up an old Gameboy again (the original Gameboy Advance model to be specific) to see if my photosensitivity would fare better with a non-backlit screen… to my dismay I discovered that although the intensity of lighting effects is diminished there are still a lot of flashing animations that bother my eyes and give me headaches. I’ve been working on combing through the entire catalogue of games released for the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance to find the most photosensitivity-safe games for us to play! None of the games on this list make use of any flashing animations.

For the record, I didn’t try to line this article up with the recent release of the Gameboy emulation on the Nintendo Switch Online, the timing was just a happy synchronicity. Unfortunately none of the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, or Gameboy Advance games that were recently added to the Nintendo Switch Online are photosensitivity-safe, they all make use of flashing light animations. Used Gameboys for sale can be found on eBay, at resale shops, thrift stores, and garage sales around the world.

Gameboy Dig Dug Hyper Lode Runner Megalit Motocross Maniacs (the new track record screen has flashing text, but at a fairly slow rate) Prince of Persia (the flickering candles are easier on the eyes on a non-backlit screen, also on Gameboy Color) World Bowling

Gameboy games can be played on Gameboy, Gameboy Pocket, Gameboy Light, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance Micro, Gameboy Advance SP, Super Gameboy adapter for Super Nintendo, and the Gameboy Advance adapter for the Gamecube.

Gameboy Color Frogger GBC Harvest Moon GBC (the sudden flash of the bright white segue screens between buildings/areas is way too too hard on the eyes on a backlit screen, but is fine on the Gameboy Color or original Gameboy Advance. Weeds disappear-flash briefly as you clear them from the field) Harvest Moon GBC 3 (the sudden flash of the bright white segue screens between buildings/areas is way too too hard on the eyes on a backlit screen, but is fine on the Gameboy Color or original Gameboy Advance. Weeds disappear-flash briefly as you clear them from the field) Pocket Bowling (press start quickly as the title screen has flashing text, the sudden flash of the bright white segue screens is hard on the eyes on a backlit screen or rom, but is fine on the Gameboy Color or original Gameboy Advance) Prince of Persia (the flickering candles are easier on the eyes on a non-backlit screen, also on Gameboy) NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant Road Rash (there are brief flashes of white screen between publisher intros, this isn’t an issue on non-backlit screens or you can look away for 10 seconds after powering the system on, additionally road lines may be dizzying) Triple Play Baseball 2001 (turn “cutscene movies” off to avoid a flashing sign after getting a homerun)

Gameboy Color games can be played on Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance Micro, Gameboy Advance SP, and the Gameboy Advance adapter for the Gamecube. Gameboy color games can also be played on the original Gameboy with a very limited color palette, but only the black Gameboy Color cartridges and Pokémon games will work, the see-through Gameboy Color cartridges will not work. See the “Dual Mode” column on this page for the full list: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Game_Boy_Color_games

Gameboy Advance Chessmaster Classic NES: Dr. Mario (press start quickly as the title screen has some flashing colors, colorblindness may be an issue when playing on the non-backlit Gameboy Advance screen) Classic NES: Ice Climber (falling icicles are a little hard on the eyes on a backlit screen or rom, but they’re fine on the non-backlit original Gameboy Advance) Killer 3D Pool NHL 2002 (the goal siren light is hard on the eyes on a backlit screen or rom, but isn’t nearly as intense on the non-backlit original Gameboy Advance) Madden NFL 2005 Rebelstar: Tactical Command Scooby-Doo Super Monkey Ball Jr. Tetris Worlds (avoid looking directly at the shimmering star next to the currently selected option on the main menu, there are also some flames flickering in the background of the volcano level, otherwise the core gameplay is safe) Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf 2002 (press start quickly as the title screen has flashing text) Top Gear Rally

Gameboy Advance games can be played on the Nintendo Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance Micro, Gameboy Advance SP, DS, DS Lite, and the Gameboy Advance adapter for the Gamecube.

If you know of any more photosensitivity-safe games for the Gameboy, Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance please leave a comment and let us know!

This post can also be read and listened to (text-to-speech) on my Medium page at: https://medium.com/@AbleGaming/photosensitivity-safe-games-for-the-nintendo-gameboy-gameboy-color-and-gameboy-advance-1cbeac012aee

[satoshi-mochida]

Street Fighter 6 DLC character Ed trailer, details, and screenshots - Gematsu

From Gematsu

Capcom has released the official trailer, details, and screenshots for Street Fighter 6 downloadable content character Ed, who will launch on February 27. Ed will be unlocked for owners of the Deluxe Edition, Ultimate Edition, or Year 1 Character Pass.

Get the details below.

Ed becomes the 21st playable character following Rashid and A.K.I.’s release last year. Players will encounter the pugilistic puncher across all three game modes of Street Fighter 6—World Tour, Fighting Ground, and Battle Hub. The “Ed Arrives!” Fighting Pass is also now live for a limited time, so players can pick up some boxing equipment for themselves and gear up for the fight! Alongside Ed’s release, a brand new stage called “Ruined Lab” will drop, showcasing the aftermath of Shadaloo’s fall as its laboratory lies in shambles. Owners of the Year 1 Ultimate Pass and Ultimate Edition will automatically receive this stage when Ed is released. Various quality-of-life updates will also be introduced, including the ability to switch button displays on PC and an Extra Lighting feature being added to Photo Mode. First appearing in Street Fighter V, after rejecting the evil intentions of M. Bison, Ed managed to escape the grasps of the Shadaloo organization and create Neo Shadaloo with the hopes of helping others like him. His attacks in Street Fighter 6 have changed significantly since the latest installment with all of his attacks now being punches. Ed, the initial inspiration of Modern Controls in Street Fighter 6, will also retain his simplified controls, while now receiving expanded inputs for his Classic Controls. Get ready for some of Ed’s knockout moves, including:

Psycho Flicker – A quick flicker jab from a distance that can go in one of three directions to catch the opponent off-guard and is vital to Ed’s ability to control space. If you hold this button down, Ed will use his Psycho Snatcher from Street Fighter V where he can pull in opponents with psycho-powered tendrils

Psycho Blitz – Unleashes a series of punches cloaked in Psycho Power

Psycho Storm – Ed’s Level 1 Super Art sees him striking opponents with a series of high-speed flicker jabs

Psycho Cannon – Ed’s Level 2 Super Art, previously from Street Fighter V, generates a multi-hitting ball of psycho power that moves forward

Psycho Chamber – Ed’s Level 3 Super Art turns opponents into his own personal punching bag by tying together their hands and feet and pummeling them in the name of Neo Shadaloo

Ed will be unlocked for owners of the Year 1 Character Pass, Year 1 Ultimate Pass, Deluxe Edition, or Ultimate Edition on February 27. Ed’s Outfit 2, which is inspired by his Story Outfit from Street Fighter V, will also be available when he arrives. The fun doesn’t stop either with Capcom Cup X just around the corner! Players have through February 14 to head to the in-game Battle Hub—decked out with Capcom Cup X celebrations—to predict who they think will be the next champion for the chance to win an exclusive Outfit 1 color for the character the champion uses to claim the crown. And the wait is almost over with Akuma set to release in just a few short months this Spring! Stay tuned for more later this year.

Street Fighter 6 is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.

Watch the trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

DLC Character Gameplay Trailer

English

Japanese