#for now- enjoy another doodle animation!

[aur0raaura]

Yknow what- you're so right...

[xxplastic-cubexx]

i didnt plan to spend my sunday this way

[sysig]

Rosawatts, from memory (Patreon)

[dreamcastingdust]

Take this random warm up doodle

[cameforstuff]

Hate Mail

Stan had gotten used to reading and replying to piles of mail in a day, slowed by carefully deciphering the messy crayon so he could give the best response. It would usually take him several minutes to think of the perfect doodle to slip in with it. Sometimes he would scrap it several times before he was happy with the result.

His last letter was from a little girl from California asking if it could rain soda she poured it into the ocean. He’d written a polite answer explaining that it would be bad for the sea animals, and a simple experiment she could do with evaporation instead. After a bit of thought he drew Dr. Pine sitting a a table chatting with a sea turtle in purple crayon at the bottom. He was almost glad he had not improved his drawing skills since he was twelve. 

The next letter shocked him a bit. He almost set it aside when he saw it, thinking a bill had been slipped with the fan letters. Yet there on the front, in almost obnoxious cursive, was the typical address to Dr. Pine. There was no return address.

Another odd thing about the letter was just how carefully it had been put together. The wording straight and the envelope closed seemingly perfectly. Yet the bottom corner was scrunched like the writer had been holding it like their life depended on it. Stan opened the letter, to his surprise there was two. 

The first was like any letter from a kid, slightly messy handwriting gushing about their favorite part of the last episode. The ‘Tate Mcgucket’ seemed to really enjoy them discussing the lake’s food web and listed a few of his favorite fish. 

The second letter however was not as kind. It listed 12 inaccuracies in the episode. Each going in lengthy detail. He could only skim it as the text shrunk to save room. The explanations were familiar in a way. Kind of like how he tried to explain things, but laced with passive aggressive remarks. Hate mail was a thing he had gotten from angsty teenagers and upset parents on occasion, but this letter felt different. It was addressed by a ‘Mr. Mystery PhD, A real one unlike yours.’ He stared at the letter for several minutes unsure of what to do with it. 

He moved back to the first letter, replying to it like any other. Drawing a Dr. Pine riding a large bass. He quickly popped open a book for references, this kid seemed like the type to appreciate the effort. Then he looked back at the other letter. A bit of annoyance now when he remembered the letter had no return address. He pinned both to a the corkboard above his desk and moved on to replying to other letters.

He decided he was going to get his reply to Tate, not only because he was determined to reply to every letter, but also to spite this ‘Mr Mystery.’ He may be right that Stan is not a real doctor, but he was a man to stubborn for his own good

______

And thus a saga of mail exchanges begins. Where? Uh I lost it in shipping, you know how mail goes.

Forgot to link the post that this is based on.

[novascharms]

teach please me — tutor!reader x soccer player!rafe

reader's life is meticulously planned, from high school to becoming president of the country—she knows exactly where she's headed and every step to get there. but her airtight plan hits a snag when the principal ropes her into tutoring rafe cameron, the school’s star soccer player, who’s failing algebra and at risk of being benched next season. the team needs him on the field, and reader needs the principal’s glowing recommendation to secure her spot at her dream school. balancing her ambitious goals with rafe’s chaotic charm might just throw her perfectly crafted plan off track.

word count — 3.6 chapter index — prev. chap. — next chap. masterlist

six

tuesday, january 28th

you sat on your bed, legs crossed over eachother with your laptop on your lap. your philosphy teacher had given out this assignment friday and you'd been mulling it over the entire weekend.

you stared at the question asked.

what defines 'perfection"? is it a universal concept, or is it deeply personal and subjective? discuss how ideals shape our perceptions and actions.

you'd been staring at a blank page for five days now, unable to come up with anything. it was like writer block's mean older sister, academic block. anything you did come up with was stupid: a stupid attempt at dissecting society's perception of perfection which was boring, everyone was going to do that. another attempt would talk about how perfection didn't exist and though that was true, your writing quickly turned into the whole, 'nothing is real, nothing really matters mumbo jumbo.' so, you scrapped that too.

your thoughts were abruptly interrupted when you felt something being thrown against your head. you flinched and looked at rafe who was sitting there, innocently with his bowl of jellybeans.

"do you know how lucky you are that i've allowed you to eat in my room? and here you are, just taking my kindness for granted," you say and he laughs and waves his notebook up.

it's messy, full of scribbles where he scratches out his mistakes instead of using an eraser. the corners are littered with little things he doodles like footballs and small animals. by now, you could read it all perfectly though, could understand what he meant even when he didn't even remember his own thought process or was unable to read through all the scribbles on his page. "i'm done." he sings and you glance at the time, "23 minutes, record time." you praise as he stands to stretch his legs.

"we're approaching it."

"what are we approaching?"

"the moment when student becomes teacher." he says plainly and you roll your eyes with a stupid grin. "yeah, can't wait." you mutter, eyes flicking back to your screen.

"if i eat anymore of these, i might actually go up a weight group and coach will chop my balls off so i'm gonna go give your brother a sugar rush. be right back." he says and it only dawns on you after a couple of minutes of him being gone that you didn't even flinch at him just meshing in with your family, casually going down to your brother and you could just imagine the smile on your brother's face when he saw rafe, partly because of the jellybeans in his bowl but also because of how much he'd grown to enjoy rafe's presence.

you didn't know whether to be scared or happy.

you glanced at his sweater on your desk, all frumpled up right next to yours, neatly folded.

you looked back at your screen and started typing.

the concept of the ideal: a personal reflection

the concept of the ideal is elusive but also compelling, isn't it?

philosophically, ideals are often framed as unattainable benchmarks, guiding us but forever out of reach. plato’s theory of forms suggests that ideals exist in a realm beyond our physical world, serving as pure, perfect templates against which our imperfect reality is measured. yet, in our daily lives, ideals often take on a more tangible form—not abstract but embodied in people, moments, or emotions.

for me, the ideal feels deeply personal. it's not static or universal but shifts with my experiences and perceptions. i've always thought of 'perfection" as something distant, unreachable, and theoretical, yet recently, i've found myself reconsidering this definition. sometimes, the ideal isn't flawless but deeply flawed in ways that make it real and irresistible.

take, for instance, the idea of the ideal person. philosophers like aristotle argue that virtue and reason define the 'ideal human' but our hearts rarely follow reason. we find ourselves captivated by individuals who challenge our ideals and force us to question whether perfection lies in symmetry or in the cracks and contradictions.

my own life is a perfect example. i used to imagine the ideal as someone who fit a checklist—organized, predictable, and safe. yet lately, i've been drawn to the unpredictable, the messy, the human. there's someone i know who doesn't fit my old definition of perfection, but somehow, they embody something more profound. their laugh is loud and uncontainable, their honesty is sharp and unpolished, but it's real, they're restless and noticeably want more from life, there's a chaos to them that should be maddening but instead, feels like freedom.

perhaps the ideal isn't a fixed destination but a reflection of what we value in the moment. it's fluid, shaped by context, emotion, and the stories we tell ourselves. this realization doesn't make the ideal any less compelling or desirable. if anything, it makes it more so, because it feels within reach—even if only for a fleeting second.

in the end, the concept of the ideal may not be about finding something flawless but about recognizing the beauty in imperfection. it's about the moments, people, or ideas that briefly make us pause and wonder if we've just had a glimpse at something divine.

rafe walks into your room, your little brother in his arms. "that's not what i meant when i said you need a study buddy." you tell him as you close your laptop and rafe pauses from blowing raspberries in his stomach. "you're my study buddy," he says to you before holding your brother up real high and making him giggle up a storm. "this little rascal is our mascotte!" and your mouth hurts from smiling so you turn away from them and start tidying up your room.

"you wanna go somewhere with me?" yes. always, every day, any time. literally anywhere.

"depends on where you want to go." you say and go to pick up your brother who is now waddling to your book shelve and is bound to drop a couple of books on his own head.

"my friends are pestering me about this bonfire." rafe explains as he's putting his hoodie back on. "i kinda stood them up when i went to the retirement home with you last week so they're on my case now. it's close to your house but i can drop you off at home afterwards if you want?"

did he want you to meet his friends? you weren't sure you really wanted that. you had friends that you wouldn't trade for a thing in the world but maybe this was him trying to show you that he did want you in his life for longer than the next four months.

his friends were different than you, liked different things, had different priorities and different interest but ultimately, rafe was one of them and you really liked rafe so who says you wouldn't like them?

"how many people are going?" you ask even though you're already thinking about what you're going to wear and which perfume screams, 'i may be a little bit of a nerd and at times too studious but i know how to have fun when in the right mood.'

he takes your brother from your arms and goes to lie on your bed with him. "i'm actually not sure. hopefully not too many cause all this algebra has me pretty beat."

you're hesitating. you don't know anyone but him and he wasn't even sure if this was a bonfire which would turn into a beach party or a bonfire that would stay just that: a cute little bonfire with less than fifteen people which was totally your vibe. beach party with fifty plus people? not so much.

"but i'll be there," he says like he can feel your hesitation from across the room. you fiddle with the blouse in your hand. "and i won't abandon you." it sounds like a promise and you're a sucker for those.

you turn and nod, "okay, yeah, let's go."

"you're not invited." he says to your little brother, a sad little look on his face. you smile and turn back to your closet to pick an outfit.

you do your best at hiding how nervous you are on the car ride there and rafe doesn't seem to really notice which is good. you want him to think you're normal. just a normal girl who maybe doesn't ever go to parties but isn't about to shit her pants at the thought of one right now.

you look down at your outfit. a little unusual for you and your sister did give you a look when you were leaving but when you hid in the bathroom to search "bonfire outfits" on pinterest, this was what everyone was wearing. the pictures had lots of loose clothing, loose pants and big hoodies which you didn't have much of. the most casual thing you owned were these leggings and your dad's old university hoodie. a pair of sneakers that you bought for the gym membership you never used. they were almost brand new and a tote bag with some essentials. it wasn't that bad, right? you felt that maybe it was too sporty because it was missing those damn loose pants but you didn't have those in your closet.

when you arrived and took a look around, you realised, rafe looked perfect—always—but specifically for the occasion. he blended in seamlessly and what did you see? atleast twenty girls in either bikini's or skirts. you were ready to scream into your pillow. they were wearing sandals which you didn't understand because the sand would get all over them? and bikini's? it was january. that's like one of the coldest months of the year.

either way, whatever you thought made sense didn't matter because you were the one who stood out like a sore thumb, walking over with one of the most stared at people in this town.

the bonfire’s glow grew brighter as you and rafe walked down the sandy path, the muffled sounds of laughter and music getting louder with every step. the air was cool, carrying the faint scent of saltwater and burning wood, and the horizon was painted in deep oranges and reds from the flames licking the sky.

as soon as the two of you stepped into the circle of firelight, it was like a switch flipped. people called out rafe’s name from all directions.

“rafe, my man!” one guy shouted, jogging over with a grin that could rival the flames. a group of girls nearby waved enthusiastically, their voices blending in a chorus of greetings.

“hey, you made it!” a tall blonde clapped rafe on the shoulder, already pressing a cold beer into his hand. “and who’s this?” he asked, eyebrows raised as his gaze shifted to you.

“this is—” rafe started, but you jumped in with your name and a polite smile.

“right, right, the tutor!” the guy said, giving a quick nod before motioning toward the group gathered near the fire. “come on, everyone’s over here. there’s drinks and snacks if you want.”

as you approached, more introductions followed.

"guys, look who's graced us with his presence!" the guy who was obviously already drunk said to the group sitting around together.

"rafe!"

"what's up, cameron."

"and you brought a friend.."

the girl who said that didn't seem too pleased but before you could let it simmer in your mind too long, rafe started talking. "i'm gonna do a very quick round of introductions, just try to keep up and remember no one expects you to really remember these names." he says and the guy cuts in, "except my name, i fully expect to be remembered." he grins making the group laugh. you smile when rafe starts, "this pestering moron that has been attached to my hip since elementary school is topper," rafe introduces him first and topper does a little bow.

"then we have, kelce, cleo, adriana, jj, pope, kiara, john b and cora." he points at each person and you recognize most of them from school and almost all the boys seem to be on the soccer team. you knew without a doubt that adriana and cora were cheerleaders because of the pep rallies.

"so, you're the girl who's been keeping rafe so busy." so busy? you saw him twice a week. they got him for five, that sounded like a really sweet deal to you.

"honestly, it's the opposite. she's got better shit to do then tutor me." rafe says before you can and you feel a wave of relief come over you that you aren't totally being put on the spot here.

"right because you're student body president, right?" one of the girls, cleo, you think, says. for some reason, it excites you that she knows you, that these people know anything about you. you never cared before but you wanted rafe's friends to like you or at least, not hate you.

"yes, that's me." you smile and tuck your hands into the pockets of your hoodie when you feel a sudden breeze. "shit, you're number 1, aren't you?" one of the other guys suddenly says and you tilt your head, frowning in confusion. "your class rank." he clarifies and it dawns on you what he means, you nod and hope they don't feel like you're bragging.

"she's also number 1 for grade rank." rafe says it proudly and your heart warms at the thought of him even remembering that. "wait, what's class rank? what's grade rank?" you think his name is kelce but you aren't sure.

"you know that number right in the corner of your report card that says 'rank: 410'? with her it says 'rank: 1" because she performed the best in our grade. you can try to guess what yours means." kiara explained while the others were already laughing at kelce's rank number.

"i've been trying to beat you since sophomore year." the same guy who pointed out that you were number one speaks again.

"pope is number two." jj says before putting a joint between his lips and your eyes go wide, "wait, so," you pause and turn to rafe. "this whole time, pope could have been helping you with algebra!?" you're happy he didn't but still, the idea didn't dawn on them?

"he didn't want to help me!" rafe laughs and looks at pope who's quick to defend himself, "woah, woah! i tried to help him! he's the worst student!"

"false accusations, you just don't explain it the way she does."

"what? she's better than me?" pope laughs astonishedly.

"well, we know she's better than you. you're number two." topper says mockingly as he wraps an arm around rafe's shoulder.

pope's eyes briefly close as if it actually pained him but he's smiling so you know it didn't. "low blow, thornton."

"okay, how about another round!" one of the cheerleaders said and opened the cooler to distribute more beers.

they handed rafe another one almost immediately, while kiara held out a cup toward you.

“drink?” she asked, her smile warm.

“oh, no thanks. i don’t drink,” you said casually, shaking your head.

the reaction was instantaneous. every conversation in your immediate vicinity paused as heads turned toward you. “wait, what?” john b asked incredulously, and cora chimed in, “not at all?”

kiara blinked at you, still holding the cup as if you’d suddenly sprouted a second head. “you don’t drink? like, ever?”

you laughed nervously, feeling the weight of their stares. “yeah, um, i just don’t. it’s a personal choice, but also, i’ve read a lot about what alcohol does to the brain. it slows down neurotransmitters, messes with your decision-making, and—” you paused when you realized they were all still staring at you like you were speaking another language. “anyway, it’s just not my thing.”

an awkward silence settled over the group for half a second too long. then, rafe cleared his throat, stepping in smoothly. “she’s got a point,” he said, holding up his beer. “matter of fact…” without hesitation, he set it down on a nearby log. “guess i’m not drinking tonight either.”

a few eyebrows rose at that, but no one questioned it. instead, someone cracked a joke about who was going to give rafe a hard time for being sober, and just like that, the conversation shifted seamlessly to the music playing in the background. the tension evaporated as the group resumed their chatter, and the attention shifted away from you.

"you don't have to do that." you tell rafe and he's shaking his head, moving to sit on a log near the fire. "it's all good. i'm very worried about my..neuro..things.." he says slowly as if he's trying to guess the world. you giggle, "neurotransmitters." you correct and he nods, "that, and i'm driving you home so i shouldn't drink anyway." he did have a point.

rafe stayed with you for a while but then more and more people showed up and the music only got louder and topper forced rafe up to his feet and they were gone, disappearing in the crowd with big smiles on their faces.

"so, if you don't drink, i'm assuming, you don't smoke either?" kiara was suddenly asking and you smiled small, shaking your head. "then what's your poison?" cora asks and you guess you don't really have one.

"i.. don't think i have one.." you say and see adriana's brows go up. "how bland." she says flatly. you weren't sure when it became uncool to not be addicted to substances but for some reason, your lips wouldn't move to defend yourself. "shut up, adriana. no one asked." cleo tells her and adriana's rolling her eyes and walking away. cora follows her. "she's not usually like that. she's been in a mood for a while." john b suddenly says before he's shrugging and facing the sky again, joint between his lips.

"it’s perfectly normal. pope is the same way. the only thing pope can’t get enough of is…" kiara trails off, gesturing somewhere far behind them.

you follow her gaze, squinting into the distance until you just barely make out pope and jj—practically attached at the lips.

“oh, i didn’t even realize they were—”

“they’re not,” john b interrupts, cutting a glance toward the scene with a faint grimace. “jj’s a freak about commitment.”

kiara smiles sadly, but you can’t help the way your brain immediately starts connecting the dots. “well, that actually makes sense,” you blurt out, drawing their attention. “there’s a 2017 study in personality and social psychology bulletin that suggests people who have commitment issues often have a stronger sensitivity to rejection. it’s not that they don’t want connection—it’s more like they’re wired to perceive potential threats in intimate relationships, so they avoid them altogether.”

cleo, john b and kiara blink at you, a mix of disbelief and faint amusement in their expressions.

"why does that sound like something pope would say?" cleo gasped with a smile.

"i was about to say!" kiara laughs and john b perks up, “god, you and pope really are a match made in nerd heaven,” he says, rolling his eyes.

kiara shoves his arm and tells him to be quiet before turning back to you. “so what’s the science on why you’re always blurting out facts?”

“probably an overactive prefrontal cortex,” you joke, earning a laugh from kiara who shakes her head, "we have no idea what that means!"

you have to admit, the bonfire is fun and apart from adriana, you felt okay about everyone. rafe popped in and out a couple of times but you didn't expect him to stay by your side the entire time either. everyone here seemed to want to talk to him so you stayed with kiara and cleo and even danced a little. it was fun but you were ready to go. it was still a school night. you only gave yourself this much time because you were having fun and you finished your essay.

you had briefly seen rafe with cora and she was standing by the makeshift bar, opening a can of beer. you lightly tap on her shoulder and she whips around, "oh..hey." she says and you ignore her complete disinterest in you. "hi, i'm looking for rafe. i saw him with you a couple of minutes ago but then i lost him again."

"oh..he's.." her voice trails off and she's quiet for a moment, eyes almost examining you. "over there." she points behind some wooden beach bar that was closed. however, you could see people surrounding it so you thanked her and walked over to beach bar, grateful to be standing on some solid land.

you didn't see him immediately and started to wonder if cora hadn't sent you here just to get you out of her sight. you sigh, pulling out your phone as you walk to dial his phone number even though the chances of him hearing his phone were slim.

that’s when you saw him—or them. rafe was leaning casually against the ledge, adriana tucked between his legs like she belonged there. they weren’t kissing, but somehow, it felt worse. their faces were so close, lips barely grazing as they exchanged soft words and easy laughter. the way they smiled at each other made it clear: they were flirting, and neither of them cared who saw it.

you couldn’t stop staring. for a split second, your mind flashed back to all the times rafe had said something to you—his teasing comments, the way his smile lingered just a little too long. you’d wondered if he was flirting with you, or if you were just reading too much into it.

but now you were sure. because the way he was looking at her? it was the same way he’d looked at you.

your stomach twisted, an ache blooming in your chest that you didn’t want to name. you turned quickly, forcing yourself to walk back toward the party, your footsteps heavy and unsteady. that’s when you saw cora, standing there like she’d been waiting for you.

her smile wasn’t kind. it was small and pitying, laced with something sharper. “don’t worry, they’re just friends,” she said, her tone light but somehow cutting.

your lips parted to respond, but she wasn’t done. her next words hit you like a slap. “it’s a different girl every day with him. but hey, maybe next time it’ll be you.”

for some ridiculous, stupid reason, there were tears threatening to spill from your eyes. you blinked them back furiously, refusing to let them fall. you weren’t about to cry over a guy who, a month ago, barely knew your name. no way.

without another word to cora—or anyone—you kept walking. past the party, past the noise, past the place that suddenly felt suffocating. the whole way home, you blinked those tears away, again and again, the lump in your throat tightening with every step.

by the time you reached your door, the ache in your chest had dulled, but it hadn’t disappeared. you let out a shaky breath, swearing silently to yourself that this would be the last time you let rafe cameron get to you.

chapter index — prev. chap. — next chap. taglist — @rafeysworldim19 @my-name-is-baby let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist & interact with post to remain tagged <3

[selineram3421]

Shit fuck, fucking shit fuck-FUCK!

Late Valentine's Day gift.

I Desire Your Affection

Oneshot

Alastor X Human Reader

Warning? ⚠

⚠ starring 🔥arson cat🔥, fluff, Italics = thoughts, mention of murder, implied cannibalism, heavy suggestive/implied,😳 its the Gif's fault, friends to lovers ⚠

Your friendship with the Radio Demon was...strange.

Him being the demon you accidently summoned from an entirely different universe, and you being a fan of him and the show Hazbin Hotel.

It would be stupid to try and deny that you had any romantic feelings for the Overlord. As time went on, you realized that your feelings were more complicated than you thought.

Love, affection, and desire swirled within and you didn't know what to do with it. You were sure Alastor wasn't interested in anything sexual and you didn't know if he wanted anything to do with a romantic relationship. Plus, he was real.

He was a person who had flaws, hopes, dreams, ideas, and concerns. He was beautiful.

[He was also a demon but ya know...]

In the end, you felt a little hopeless.

You liked your friendship but it felt bittersweet. After many, many thoughts, you thought that maybe it would just be better if you didn't say anything at all.

You really did value your friendship with him.

The Radio Demon.

Alastor.

.

It's been two years, now going to three since he was summoned to this other version of Earth. The human that brought him to it was kind enough to let him stay, even though they knew he was a demon.

At some point, they became friends and he was quite glad for it. As he spent his time with them, he learned that he quite liked the human, enough to kill a stalker that they didn't know about. He did enjoy the meat and learned something interesting out of it too when he showed his host. But that's a story for another time.

When they told him about the animated show, Hazbin Hotel, he was a bit shocked.

Some strong magic must have been used but they haven't told him what spell they were trying to do. The human was quite secretive about it, looking a bit shy whenever he brought it up.

Though he was curious, he let it be for now. You might have the courage to tell him at some point in time.

Or....he could learn by snooping around.

With a simple plan in motion, bribing the little arsonist of a cat the human had as a companion, Alastor was allowed to look around their bedroom for a short amount of time. At least until the furry creature was done causing chaos wherever they went.

He looked almost everywhere in the bedroom, not finding what he wanted, he turned towards one of the closed doors in the room and opened it.

A bathroom.

He moves on to the next door and opens it, finding a closet with only three empty hangers, the rest filled with clothes, and some boxes.

Is that all? Where is their altar? Room of conjuring? Or "prayer" room?

Then he stopped to think.

It must be hidden away like a prayer room..

Closing the closet door, he looks around with a little more attention. Listing off the places he's already checked around the human's home.

Even listing off his current bedroom and closet.

Somewhat given up, he walks to the door and pulls on the handle to close it. Just as he's about to leave he notices something stupidly obvious, something he's already seen once.

The wardrobe.

Not just any wardrobe but one that the human was able to stuff all of their creative tools in. Paint, colored pencils, fabric, ribbons, and more.

Looking at the clock on the bookshelf, he takes note that he has a few more minutes until the cat must return home.

Going over to the wardrobe, he opens it to find it a familiar mess of colors and doodles on the wooden doors. The drawers are filled with many random things and paint, but he ignores all of that. What he's looking for is hidden in plain sight.

Somewhere.

Curse their love of hidden rooms and puzzles..

He spends a minute or two just staring. Which annoys him more than he cares to admit.

Where? Where is it? They brought out multiple tools from somewhere. So where is it?

He knows he's running out of time, but maybe he could use that to his advantage..

Deciding to enter the hidden room another time, he closes the wardrobe and exits the room. Bringing the cat back with a snap of his fingers.

Little thing was covered in ash and soot, but it seemed to be pleased by what it had done, purring as the creature rubbed itself on the side of his leg.

"I hope you burned down something interesting.", Alastor grinned.

All the cat does in response is meow.

.

You got back from work tired.

It was around that time of year when people called out a lot, which left most of the work on other workers, one of them being you.

Something that did cheer you up was the new merch you saw on the Hazbin Hotel website. A cute Valentine's Day Alastor keychain that said "love yourself", the deer demon dressed handsomely in a suit.

You purchased it without a second thought on your phone.

"Welcome home dear!"

Looking up, you find the said Demon that occupied your current thoughts standing in the entryway with you.

"Hi Alastor.", you smiled and put down your book bag on the bench near the door. "I hope you weren't too bored today."

"Nonsense darling.", he says and helps you take off your coat. "I'm enjoying myself in your little abode. Why, I even went out and got groceries for dinner."

"You didn't kill anyone today, right?", you asked.

"No, sadly I did not.", he reassures you, hanging your coat on the hooks mounted on the wall.

"Never hurts to check.", you shrug and follow the deer towards the kitchen.

It's been a little complicated trying to get him back home. The spell you used was a type of calling, and well... It was a little embarrassing to admit, even to yourself.

It was supposed to help your "true love" find you.

But to your surprise, Alastor, The Radio Demon, showed up.

How am I going to get him home? He shouldn't be here. I've messed up everything. Sure, the show is continuing but the Alastor on the screen looks different and everyone just accepted the redesign, the new voice actors, but you're panicking, and you need to think of a way to fix everything-!

You take a breath.

Focusing back on the present, you smell the spices the deer demon is putting in, watching as he stirred the food in the pan.

"It'll be ready in no time, why don't you rest for a moment? I'm sure you'd like to lie down or sit on the couch.", he suggests and glances over at you. "Perhaps some light reading?"

That didn't sound like a bad idea at all. Maybe I could figure out or find a spell to send him back home.

"Sure, thank you Alastor. I'll come to set the table in a bit.", you nod, turning towards your bedroom.

Entering your room, you don't notice the shadow that follows close behind you as you close the door.

You change into something comfortable, a loose t-shirt and shorts before walking over to the wardrobe. You open the painted doors and lift a hand to trace over the phases of the moon painted on top, pressing down on the full moon. A familiar click is heard and you pull out the drawers by a handle, making it go further out, revealing a little passage.

Stepping through, you enter your "office" room that you turned into your personal hide away. Bookshelves stuffed with knick-knacks, old grimoires, and that one random fake skull for fun.

You named it William.

"Ok, lets find something useful today.", you mumble and walk over to the bookshelf near your desk before taking a book out. "When in doubt, try the oldest book in your collection.", you go and set it down on the desk, flipping it open to start reading.

The shadow is looking at everything, finding a board full of papers with a list of herbs, sigils, and other little things. Taking note that it's all for one spell. Alastor quickly takes the shadow's place and reads what you have before letting out a chuckle.

You jump at the sudden noise and turn to find the Radio Demon staring straight at you.

"Is this why you wouldn't share the spell you did that night?", he says walking over to you. "Too shy to reveal it was a spell for true love?"

"I-I don't know why it brought you here though.", you managed to get out. "But I promised to send you home, so as your friend that's what I plan to do."

"Friend?", he tilts his head at that. "Yes, I suppose we have grown our relationship to be as such.", he tutts as he gets closer.

You didn't know if he wanted to kill you or not. You were honestly a little scared but you just decided to trust your friend.

"Why not tell me dear? What made you hesitate?", he asked, now standing in front of you. "Tell me."

"How could I?", you answered, looking up at him with furrowed brows. "I ripped you away from your world for just wanting to meet someone who would love me completely, but I shouldn't have ripped anyone away. I didn't want that. I-", you looked down at your feet in shame. "All I could do in the end was lend a hand as a friend. I didn't want to push anything onto you."

"But you haven't pushed anything~", he lifts up your head with a finger under your chin. "That's the problem."

"What?", you looked up at him confused.

How was that a problem?

"To put it simply darling-", he took a step closer.

Too close.

You bumped into the desk behind you and you placed a hand down onto the wooden surface to keep yourself upright, his chest pressed up against yours. The book you were reading now forgotten, having been knocked off of the desk.

"I desire your affection.", his eyes softened as he lifted his hand to caress your cheek with his knuckles, then his sharp fingers before he held the side of your face with his warm hand. "I desire you."

A shiver ran down your back after he said that.

He suddenly lifted you up and sat you on top of the desk, hands now resting on your thighs.

"Wait-", your breath hitched when he leaned forward and kissed your neck. "D-Dinner is still on the stove-! The cat!", you felt yourself start to get a bit light headed at his actions.

"My shadow will take care of everything.", he murmured against your neck, rubbing has hands up and down your thighs. "What I need to know..", he pulls himself away and gently pushes you until your back meets the desk. "..is if you want this? May I, as your true love, make you mine?"

Your heart was pounding.

The Tumblr post about asking "May I?" in a relationship was right on the fucking nose. It was hot.

With shaky lips, you say what you've wanted to for a while.

"Yes."

Your eyes widened as the deer demon grew larger as he leaned over the desk, leaning over you, his hands on the wooden surface as he caged you in, his smile growing wider as he did so.

"Tell me my dear~", he started, pressing his lips against the shell of your ear. "How often have you imagined us in this position?", he asks and moves his left hand off of the desk, finger slowly gliding up your leg until it reaches the side of your knee.

Then he moves his hand under your knee, lifting your leg so that your calf touches his shoulder as he moved down.

"How many nights have you ached to have me beside you?", he leaned over slightly, his cheek touching the skin of your leg. "To touch you.", he moved closer and kissed your thigh. "To kiss you.", his nose brushed against your inner thigh as he nipped at your skin. "To devour you."

A whine left your throat, which made you blush madly once you realized what noise you made.

"I'm.. I've never done this before.", you look away and bring your hands up to cover your face. "I only read about it. I'm-"

"Come now my dear.", he takes a hand away from your face and kisses the palm of it. "We have time to learn more together. Though this isn't something I'm interested in all that much, I would like to connect with you in this way on special occasions. It's a first for me as well."

"Ok.", you nod, gathering your nerves. "Can we move somewhere more comfortable?"

Something told you that a hard surface wouldn't be so fun after everything was said and done.

"Of course.", he lifts you up and takes you to the bedroom.

As soon as you're on the bed, he's kissing you, touching you, and slowly lifting off your clothes. Being extra careful with his claws on your skin.

"That's it, relax.", he says while undressing, his scars no longer hidden. "Ignore these unsightly things-"

"No.", you quickly say and lift a hand to trace a scar on his chest with your fingers. "They are beautiful."

"Thank you.", he said softly.

You smile when noticing his flushed cheeks.

"May I kiss you?", you ask him.

"Yes, you may. You needn't ask darling."

Placing your hands on his shoulders, you pull him closer and place a soft kiss to test the waters.

His smile widens and he follows your kiss with another.

When you first cast the spell, you didn't expect things to turn out like this. You just thought that you might meet your special someone while grocery shopping or at the park. Instead you summoned them in your living room.

It didn't matter now, as both of you were together.

"Alastor..", you sighed out.

Everything was warm and fuzzy. The oxytocin in your brain was high.

"Let me love you dear."

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Arson cat burned a very important building and it was on the news.

If you know, you know.

~Seline, the person.

✨Art✨

Taglist@

@+ in the comments +

@+?

ML II Alastor🎙 | 🔥Arson Cat List🔥

The keychain that slipped through my fingers 😭

[porcelaininkpot]

Miscellaneous D.A.M.N Crew Headcannons Volume Two >:}}}

Gavin always takes an extra long time to shower because not only does he have a fifteen step self care routine, he gets distracted by his reflection and admires himself for so long he takes twenty minutes to even start.

Damien works himself so hard he loses track of time completely and can't tell the difference between night and day. Once, he started getting ready for an early morning class and was almost out the door before Huxley emerged from his room and told him it was 11pm.

This concerns Huxley to no end, so to keep him grounded he'll come up behind Damien at random times and murmur the time and day in his ear. Its developed into an affectionate habit and he does it even now despite Damien being much less harsh on himself.

Up until meeting Freelancer and the crew, Caelum had never properly written anything before in his life. He still doesn't really have any need to, but Damien insisted that knowing how to read and write was a basic skill anyone should have regardless of whether or not they actually need it. This was said while he gave Gavin the most atrocious side eye.

As a result, he taught Caelum how to write, and his handwriting is less text and more doodles, he replaces his As with stars and his Os with spirals and uses exclusively pink glitter gel pen.

Damien was once having a terrible day and in the middle of a mental breakdown realised it was the birthday of someone he hated and got so offended and mad he snapped out of it, stopped breaking down and made himself have a good day out of spite.

After Lasko left, his parents erased all traces of his existence and had another child, a girl. Their parents were so scared she'd turn out like him they put her through unimaginable restrictions and didn't let her have any freedom. Unfortunately for them, she turned out to be a water elemental. They didn't take it well. She's now currently a teenager on the run and neither her nor Lasko know that the other exists.

Being around Caelum makes Lasko remember how much he always wanted a little sister of his own.

Freelancer once tried to put their little sister up for adoption.

Huxley has shoulder length hair that he almost exclusively ties in a half up half down look.

Dear loves drawing on other people's hands.

Lasko loves having his hands drawn on, but only when it's Dear doing the drawing.

They both do it to relieve stress.

Huxley is the only person alive that makes Damien feel comfortable enough to loosen up and just exist. No stress, no worries, no thoughts, just how much he loves and how much he's loved.

Dear is scarily good at poker.

Freelancer once tried to learn tarot but the first reading they did on themselves called them out too hard and they dropped it out of spite.

To this day, Gavin thinks platypuses aren't a real animal.

Damien has actually met Avior, it was at the library and they got into an argument over who got to check out the last copy of Pride and Prejudice.

The DAMN crew once went to the beach and got super competitive at sandcastle building. Huxley and Freelancer won against Gavin and Damien while Dear sunbathed, enjoying watching them fight.

Lasko was off elsewhere trying not to lose his shit at the sight of Dear in a swimsuit.

Huxley has freckles.

Damien has dimples.

Freelancer's favourite coat once tore, and Gavin seamlessly stitched it up. It was as if the tear never happened in the first place. {He used shibari knots}

Dear has the best handwriting out of the entire crew, unfortunately their cursive is so intricate and elegant no one can read it.

All demons have markings and designs across their bodies naked to the human eye but visible under uv light, similar to scorpions, they're a reflection of the demon's soul and naturally, unique to each demon.

Gavin's marks are smoky and wispy, trailing over his long limbs to form the most ornately designed hearts. They glow a deep pink under neon light and he loves showing them off at clubs.

Caelum's markings are bubbles and clouds that float around his body and change shape. His are bright yellow and blue and he didn't know he had them until Freelancer got him an invisible ink pen with a uv flashlight attached.

Freelancer has a uv tattoo of Gavin's wispy hearts across their own sternum, curling up to one soft heart right above where their own beating heart lies.

[tiredofthehumanlife]

Quiet time

Barbie dolls: poly maurders x reader (James, Sirius, Remus, you)

Word: 1.2k ish

Summary:you're overstimulated (autistic not sex) and Remus' chronic pain flares up and hilarity ensues

Warnings: you stim with your hands and also are overstimulated, I described it with my own experience so it might not be like yours, Remus Sirius and James are dating I know that's crazy but sometimes poly gets tagged with it just being an odd threesome and not actually poly, you watch TV? I think that's it dude

James and Sirius had left for their date a long time ago. You and Remus decided to spend the time they were gone at home. After they had closed the door a lot had happened. When Remus woke up that morning his hip was bothering him. 'only a little' he whispered to you three as you all watched him take pain meds. Remus often downplayed his pain for the benefit of others. He seemed okay though after his meds he was going about his tasks like normal. After Sirius and James left, his pain seemed to quadruple. So you got him into a warm bath. You made him his favorite soup. You made the bed, adding extra pillows for his back. You pulled out Remus' heating pad. You tucked him into bed with his soup and everything else you could think of. Unfortunately within the time it took for you to take care of Remus the world got too loud, your clothes got to clothesy, you could feel your teeth, everything was too much and now you were overstimulated and your boyfriend was practically bedridden.

When you did get overstimulated your partners were nothing but helpful. You often would stop talking, opting for silence. You wanted it dark and the only sound you wanted were sounds that you picked. Like the TV show you've already seen eight million times, the music you picked out. You need your weighted stuffed animal, your weighted blankets, your clothes needed to clothes in the right way, you needed to sit and not do anything for as long as possible.

Your partners were exceptionally good at working with your needs. Remus didn't mind when you stopped talking. He loved your voice but he also enjoyed quiet time. It was nice sitting next to a bundle of blankets that occasionally sprouted a hand holding out a peice of chocolate for him. Sirius would doodle on your arm, the repetitive movements calming your brain. He'd sit in a dark silent room anyday. Getting him to stop talking was sometimes a feat but you could press your finger to his lips and he'd get the message. James would squeeze you very tightly and the compression helped a lot. So that's how you and Remus ended up on either side of your bed, both wrapped up in your own comfort items. Your tv show was playing on the television, Remus didn't mind that he had all the lines memorized. You'd shake your hands every time the intro played and mouthed the words. It's all he needed to know you were more than happy. You had your stuffed animal pressed to your chest and your blankets wrapped around you.

Sometimes Remus felt too hot from pain to want to be all over another person. Sometimes you were too aware of your skin to want to cuddle. The only physical contact you two were sharing was your arms outstretched, your hands resting on the mattress, pinkies pressed against each other. That's all you wanted. The lights were off. Remus thought he might drift off and he hoped when he woke the pain would be gone. Then the door opened.

James and Sirius came prancing in. James was already moving towards the dresser, pulling out comfy clothes. Sirius looked like he wanted to jump into the bed, but he recognized the position you and Remus were in. He moved over to Remus and gently kissed his cheek. Sirius asked him all his regular doting questions. Remus answered all of them. Remus waved Sirius off when Sirius asked if he needed anything. James left to the bathroom to get changed as Sirius moved around the bed to your side.

"How you feeling about physical contact?" You pointed to your cheek. Sirius quickly leaned forward and press a kiss to your cheek.

"How do we feel about cuddles?" Sirius asked, looking between you and Remus. You heard Remus shuffling and moving his blankets to be more accommodating for another person.

"I suppose I could." Remus muttered. Sirius turned to you, waiting on your reply. You pointed to the bathroom. You held your thumb and pointer together to make a tiny spacy between, and then pointed to Sirius.

"You'll cuddle James but not me?" You nodded. Sirius clicked his tounge before pecking your cheek again. He whispered an 'I love you' before quickly moving over to Remus. He gently snuggled up to Remus, not wanting to hurt him. Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius. Sirius stuck his hand out behind him and wrapped his pinkie around your yours.

Soon enough James came into the room in his pajamas; red plaid pants, one of Sirius' worn band shirts, and fluffy socks. He first checked on Remus leaning over Sirius' outreached hands to kiss Remus. Sirius tugged on James' shirt, pecking him too. James moved to you, holding his hands behind his back. He knew if he didn't restrain himself he'd want to cuddle you immediately.

"Oh I love this episode." Sirius whispered, staring at the screen. He started to mouth the lines to himself.

"World got too much?" You nodded, letting out a sigh. You leaned to the side, knocking your head into James' abdomen. He took that as a sign you needed his physical affection, wrapping his arms around you.

"You want squeezes?" You nodded against James' chest. He pulled away from you. You scooted forward on the bed, giving James space behind you. He quickly crawled in. James had his legs on either side of you before gently tugging you back. Your back pressed against his chest. James wrapped his arms around you, squeezing lightly. You sighed against his shoulder. James kissed your shoulder. He looked over to Remus. You ran your fingers over the back of Sirius' hand.

"How are you feeling, Moony?" James whispered. He didn't want to be too loud for you and you greatly appreciated it. Remus groaned.

"Like an old grandpa." Sirius smiled at you before nipping at Remus' forearm with his teeth. Remus kissed the top of Sirius' head. James cooed. He gently kissed Remus' shoulder.

"Well I think you're a very hot grandpa." Sirius grimaced at James. James smiled at Remus. Remus burried his face in Sirius' hair looking up at James.

"That was gross James." Sirius whispered. His voice was muffled by the sleeve of Remus' sweater. James sighed, dropping his head against the headboard.

"I'm trying to be positive." James argued, still keeping his tone hushed. Sirius shook his head.

"It was nasty. What kind of person finds old grandpas attractive?" Sirius asked. Remus loosened his hold on Sirius.

"Ouch, Pads." Remus muttered. Sirius glared at him before looking back at James.

"I was being kind, but of course you wouldn't know much about that. I swear you almost mugged that guy at the restaurant." James rolled his eyes as he argued with Sirius. Sirius scoffed before looking to you.

"Can you believe this, baby? He's such a scoundrel. You should've cuddled with me." Sirius giggled at his own joke. You looked over Sirius' head to make eye contact with Remus. He shook his head.

"Would you like to leave them both and run off on our own?" Remus asked. You shrugged and turned your head. You looked away from them entirely. They took that as a sign you wanted quiet time. You slowly fell asleep in James' tight hold. They all kept quiet as they got ready for bed themselves. James just threw a pillow behind his head and scooted down further so he was laying down. Sirius washed his face and Remus took his melatonin. His insomnia and pain often made it difficult for him to fall asleep. They both bolted back into each other's arms the second they finished. Sirius rested his head on James' shoulder as he fell asleep.

[u3pxx]

PLEASEEE can you elaborate on the gavinners i cant stop looking at them theyre so pretty

sometimes i forget that outside of my friends and servers, i don't really talk much about my gavinners boys* huh! so basically, i originally wanted to make them so i could beef up turnabout serenade in my roleswap au, kind of like turnabout samurai where you have a lot more characters which in turn means a lot more suspects!

but then i realized, wait, i need to make them in the canon-verse first before i could make their swap au counterparts! and so now they exist pftt

here y'all go, i'm gonna be copy-pasting the character descriptions i wrote for them during art fight pftt <3

🥁 DEIDRE MINUENDO

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'9.5" (176) with boots on Birthday: Jul 7 ♋︎ | Pronouns: He/Him, She/Her, They/Them

Deidre is the seemingly gloomy and stoic drummer of the band The Gavinners! At first, it could be difficult to get a read on them but despite all that, they're just like that because they prefer saving their energy. It might not look like it, but Deidre enjoys company even if they're not the most chatty with it and thrives the most when they are around other people (she prefers it if she's around the people closest to her though). Deidre is pretty sensitive and an emotional person even if they don't outwardly express it. To the people close to them, Deidre has a sarcastic streak and can be pretty snappy when it comes to teasing. She can dish it but she can't take it however as they can get slightly irritated when they're teased back. Even if they are a rockstar, they can get embarrassed when people praise or say nice things about them to their face, he tends to brush affection if even if he is secretly flattered by it (he's not gonna admit it though pftt) They also enjoy doodling here and there and like stuffed animals (they have a few of their own!)

Deidre was the closest to Daryan so the events of 4-3 affected him immensely. They felt betrayed and confused and tried to deny that Daryan would be capable of taking another person's life; they scrambled to do everything to protect Daryan from omitting information and even lying on the stand. In the end, all of their efforts were for naught and they felt incredibly guilty for what they've done, especially since she started antagonizing Preston when he was starting to suspect Daryan. They cut themselves off from the group, their job, and stardom. They ended up severely depressed and started to rarely go outside anymore. Only Doremy (Daryan's twin, also a close friend of his) was able to reach him during this time while Viva tried to but he kept refusing to see him. It took them a long time to finally be able to reconnect with the group and it took them a lot of help and support to be able to be well again. Deidre carries Daryan's betrayal to the group heavily and it took a while for her to start forgiving herself.

⚡ VIVA CHI

Age: 25 | Height: 5'9" (175 cm) Birthday: Jan 1 ♑︎ | Pronouns: He/Him

Viva is the lively and energetic bassist of the band The Gavinners! Though he may seem goofy and a little unserious, he actually is pretty responsible and is the mediator of the band (as the eldest brother of his siblings and the eldest of the band, he kind of made that his responsibility). He's a forensic scientist and has always had an interest in science alongside music ever since he was young (he thinks Ema is very pretty but she finds him annoying pftt). Viva was the last one to join the band when they were all in high school and despite his extroverted personality, felt a little shy at the time getting to know a new group of people (it's because Preston was there who he may or may not have crushed at while in high-school.) He's a lover of all things caffeinated (especially energy drinks though he should really pace himself) which isn't always the best match to the fact that he's got terrible anxiety and thinks himself down a spiral when he gets too worried.

Once the band disbanded after the events of AA4, Viva, though left in a bad place with his anxiety shot through the roof, fared better compared to the other members. He tried his best to keep in touch with everyone with varying successes despite Daryan's arrest being fresh and hurt. - visiting Daryan in prison to hear his side of the story - popping in to check at Preston in his office because the guy started to take worse care of himself - contacting Deidre even if she was trying to isolate and cut herself from everyone and looking out for Klavier even if he buried himself in his work He took a break from music like everyone else, he still hopes one day they can meet up and play music again, not even as a band, but as a group of friends who loved creating music.

🦇 PRESTON KEISS

Age: 25 | Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Birthday: Oct 25 ♏︎ | Pronouns: He/Him

Preston is the mysterious yet magnetic keyboardist of the Gavinners! Tall, dark, and bewitching; Preston is aware of the impression people have of him at first glance and likes to use that preconception to surprise and even catch people off-guard by purposely being silly or crass. He has a number of odd quirks and mannerisms that he doesn't realize he has, people tend to notice but they often let it pass because he is very handsome (pretty privilege lmao). Preston can sometimes be mischievous and finds certain things amusing only to him even if others don't find it as funny. He's always had an interest in horror and the macabre ever since he was a young boy which developed into a great fascination with the special effects used in old and new horror films alike. (He can be a bit jumpy when watching movies even if he loves to do it, he can't help it if the movie gets to him!) He plays up his whole immortal vampire schtick because the fans tend to theorize if he really was one. (He is not, he'd love to be one though pftt) Preston is very stubborn and adamant about his opinions and can be difficult to sway if he thinks he's correct; he is also quite awkward when it comes to personal matters, as can be seen in his strained relationship with his older sister and whatever romantic thing he's trying to achieve with Viva. He's used to acting larger than life when the cameras are on but being raw and honest has him feeling a little embarrassed and stilted. Preston smokes and keeps it a secret. (Don't tell Viva that!)

Preston was the first person in the band to start suspecting Daryan which he mostly kept to himself at first but wouldn't deny when you asked him (Deidre did not like that.) After Lamirior accused Daryan in court, Preston was determined to make Deidre confront the truth (unfortunately, not taking in why Deidre might be upset and in denial about it) which caused them to have a fight (with Viva being unsuccessful in de-escalating it.) After the Gavinners disbanded, Preston didn't feel very well after Daryan got sent to prison and lost contact with Deidre (whom he hasn't talked to since the case. [he misses them.]) He seemed fine afterward with his workload seeming to increase though upon closer inspection, he's started taking worse care of himself, skipping meals, and losing his interest in music. Preston has a lot of baggage to sort through regarding his friends and his family that will be difficult and painful for him to confront, but rest assured, he's gonna come out of it happy and well.

and here's a compilation of some very old turnabout serenade drawings too :^]

(i didnt make dei's bday turnabout serenade on purpose, it was a tragic happy accident DFGHDJ i wanted his bday to be 7/7 bc i made daryan 6/6 but then the date. i realize the date orz)

[flipppyflopp]

“This museum is celebrating its 100th anniversary? Wonder if there will be any pictures of me during its 200th anniversary.” 🎉✨

Happy birthday to my twst oc, Finn Lyder! I wanted to celebrate by doing my own spin on the Platinum Suit cards, so I decided to have Finn carrying a tray of candy apples since none of the other Pomefiore Platinum Suit cards include a snack. Then I let people over on Instagram vote for Finn’s duo partner and they all chose Sebek (which is a perfect pick since they are both in the Equestrian Club), so I included a doodle of what Sebek would give him for his birthday.

Below is a vignette I wrote for Finn and Sebek in the style of the other Platinum Suit cards, so feel free to read it below! Enjoy!

Platinum Suit template by @fumikomiyasaki

Finn’s Platinum Suit Vignette

Finn: This place just keeps going and going. I think there can’t be another floor and then there’s another set of stairs waiting for me. I’m tired of climbing stairs, let’s see what we’ve got on this floor.

Finn: Oh! A picture of the raven that served the Fairest Queen. What a loyal sidekick to have at her beck and call, makes me want one of my own.

???: Who’d want to serve as your sidekick?

Finn: Speaking of sidekicks, looks like I stumbled into one of Malleus’s sidekicks.

Sebek: Excuse you, human! I am not Lord Malleus’s sidekick. I am his loyal knight ready to protect him at a moment’s notice.

Finn: Geez, is there really a difference?

Sebek: What was that!?

Finn: Nothing! Just admiring how this painting captures the likeness of the Fairest Queen’s loyal servant.

Sebek: Really? How so?

Finn: This raven would fly to the Queen’s side no matter where she was or the time of day. He would also bring her ingredients from all over the world for her potions. Talk about total loyalty.

Sebek: How commendable. Going above and beyond should be the goal of any servant if they truly wish to stand proudly at their liege’s side.

Finn: Makes me want my own loyal companion. Imagine all that I could accomplish.

Sebek: What animal companion would you seek to aid you?

Finn: Hmm. I’ve always wanted a trusty steed…but…

Sebek: Ha! That’s a bold comment considering your performance in the Equestrian Club!

Finn: Hey, I do just fine!

Sebek: Your horse, Minimus, hardly listens to your whims. Often he is leading you around and through the courses.

Finn: I think you’re just exaggerating-

Sebek: Just the other day, you tried to lead Minimus through the mud and he kicked you into it. Then you tried to wrestle him into it as well. Riddle was ready to have both of your heads.

Finn: Don’t remind me. I had to clean the whole stables by myself, which took forever.

Sebek: Maybe you’re more cut out to be Minimus’s sidekick.

Finn: What?! Don’t be ridiculous! Me? A sidekick for a horse?

Finn: One day Minimus and I will be the best duo there ever was! Just you watch!

Sebek: Now here’s a painting I recognize. This is the rabbit known for his punctuality according to Deuce’s anecdotes about his hometown.

Finn: Yeah the White Rabbit was always in a rush from place to place. He worked hard to always be on time and do his duty. I don’t know how he did it.

Sebek: Oh, do you have trouble with tardiness, Finn?

Finn: Most days no, but occasionally I do oversleep.

Sebek: How many detentions have you received this year?

Finn: None.

Sebek: None!? That’s not possible if you’ve been late to class!

Finn: Watch the volume! Geez…I have a secret to not getting any detentions or tardies.

Sebek: Really? What is it?

Finn: Parkour.

Sebek: What!? How does that safeguard you from detentions?

Finn: Let’s take last week for example. I overslept because I stayed up to study for a big exam in Alchemy. I’m sure you already know that Crewel is unforgiving of tardiness, so I knew I would receive an automatic fail if I showed up late for oversleeping.

Sebek: He is ruthless when it comes to punctuality.

Finn: So I had to make it to the third floor and I was right in front of the main staircase; however, I encountered an obstacle.

Sebek: Which was?

Finn: Professor Crewel himself.

Sebek: What a grim predicament to be in.

Finn: Exactly. Crewel smirked and began heading up the stairs. Obviously if I wanted to beat him to class I’d have to sprint by him, which would give me a detention and I’d still be late. Instead, I took off into the courtyard. From there I took a running start and swung up onto the nearby archway. I quickly scaled the siding and used a column on the side of the school to climb my way up to the third floor. I jumped from window to window until I made my way to where the Alchemy lab would be on the third floor.

Sebek: What physical prowess! But you still haven’t gotten into the lab.

Finn: Well from there it was down to luck because the person sitting in front of the window was none other than Silver. I quickly tapped on the window and luckily, he turned around and let me in. Then I shut the window and slid into my seat just as Crewel walked in. I wish you could have seen the look on his face. He was so mad, but he couldn’t fault me because I was in my seat before he arrived. So that, Sebek, is how parkour has saved me from getting detentions.

Sebek: I can’t say I approve of you besmirching the school grounds, but I can commend your physical capabilities as not everyone is capable of such feats.

Finn: I would besmirch the school grounds again and again if it means I don’t besmirch my attendance record. Vil would never let me live it down if I couldn’t make it to class on time.

Finn: Oh, I recognize this painting. I used to love this story as a kid.

Sebek: Really? I’m not familiar with this piece.

Finn: This shows the demigod at the end of his journey to become a hero. He had been adopted by a loving couple, but he set out to find his real family because he wanted to know where he came from and where he belonged. At the end of his journey he realized that it didn’t matter who his family was because he had found where he belonged, with those who helped him along the way.

Sebek: What a touching tale. Is it a story your parents read to you as a child?

Finn: No, I grew up in an orphanage. I never knew my parents.

Sebek: I apologize for my carelessness! I shouldn’t have asked something so thoughtlessly-

Finn: It’s really fine Sebek, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t really care to know who my parents are or who they were. I’m me and that’s what matters.

Sebek: Really? You have no need to satiate a curiosity to know your past?

Finn: Yep. Besides, if I didn’t grow up in the orphanage, I wouldn’t have met so many interesting people. I always had plenty of kids to play with, not to mention I got to hear all kinds of stories.

Sebek: I suppose you would get to meet people from all over Twisted Wonderland.

Finn: Yeah, there was never a dull moment back at home. If I didn’t grow up there, then I never would’ve known all those kids.

Sebek: Huh, what a positive outlook to have.

Finn: Of course that’s just how I see it. There are different perspectives and of course things weren’t perfect as they were, but I was happy, and that’s what really counts. I had a place where I belonged.

Sebek: A place to belong…

Finn: But I won’t be going back there after I graduate. I probably won’t ever go back.

Sebek: Bwah!? Why not if you think on it so fondly?

Finn: There’s nothing left for me there as most kids come and go very quickly, so the ones I know won’t even be there anymore. Besides, my eyes are on the future now! Twisted Wonderland’s a big place and I’ve got tons I want to see.

Sebek: Really? Where’s one place you’d want to go to?

Finn: How about…Briar Valley? With you serving as my personal tour guide!

Sebek: What!? How dare you boldly assume I’d serve as a guide for you, human!

Finn: Come on, we’re club mates, not to mention I’m your upperclassman.

Sebek: I won’t allow you to persuade me so easily!

Finn: Really? Then I’ll just go ask Silver and he’ll say yes.

Sebek: Huh?

Finn: There’s no way he’d turn me down, he’s such a nice guy. Thanks for hanging out, see you later Sebek!

Sebek: Wait! Don’t think I’ll let this drop so easily, Finn!

[sosoribro]

1 YEAR OF CARLO OBSESSION GIVE IT UP FOR 1 YEAR <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

YAP SESH BELOW!

let's start at the beginning.

my name is miles morale- wait no

it ALL started in march 2024 where i was watching a whole bunch of poofesure's papa's videos. why? comfort probably

i became interested in the reoccurring characters in the games, and decided to look some of them up myself.

then, i was clicking around on the wiki, and i eventually found him.

i liked him instantly. i think it was his design that caught my eye at first. i read his flipdeck and thought, "wow! he sounds like a really sweet character! :3"

and on the 12th of march 2024, i made these little doodles of him

i found his hair difficult to get the hang of.

i did the best i could, and also decided "you know what? make it longer" and so i did. and it has sort of grown over the months, i've noticed.

i find it interesting that if you were to look at my carlo art from the first drawing to this one, it would look a bit like he himself had grown.

i draw him with the features that i do (i.e freckles, pimples, long hair) because that's just what i think would make him look beautiful oh yeah did i mention that i have a crush on him because yeah

as for headcanons, a lot of them once again come from what i would find attractive. most prominently his personality and temperament.

in my opinion, carlo is a soft-spoken and very sweet person. he's attentive and gentle with people.

i also seem to have given him traits that i myself have. for example, his emotional sensitivity and his fear of being a burden to others.

also he's asexual just like me.

this is important to me.

he's very important.

initially, i thought of carlo as a very romantic person. however, currently, i view him as loving in a variety of ways. he loves his friends, he loves his family, he loves animals, he loves nature, he loves so many things.

and while i do not headcanon him as being on the aromantic spectrum, i think he would enjoy reading about and thinking about romance, but the idea of actually being in a relationship makes him nervous.

i do not ship him with any characters.

he and deano have been best friends since childhood. carlo was a very quiet child, but deano seemed to understand him in a way nobody else did at the time.

he and koilee are close friends. she made him friendship bracelets and he wears them all the time.

he and scarlett had been friends since before her band came to be.

he knew marty from when he (marty) was clover's age, since he taught him guitar (canon).

clover likes him a lot, because she feels understood around him. she knows its okay to have feelings and be afraid or sad or angry.

carlo worries for clover sometimes, as she's put herself out there at such a young age. i headcanon her to be younger than carlo was when he started performing with his family.

let's talk about his family.

he worries for bruna. she works very hard, and it's clear that it isn't good for her. when she needs it, he looks after her with zero complaint.

he looks up to gino. gino is calm and knows what he needs, when he needs it, whilst carlo can be reluctant to admit when he's struggling.

he's abundantly grateful for his father. his father always knows when something's wrong. he lets carlo know that there isn't any shame at all in needing help or support, no matter how much support you need. he knows that carlo is trying his best.

and i'll be so honest right now i barely ever think of his relationship with olga i am so sorry💀

songs i associate with carlo:

'love, me normally' - will wood

'against the kitchen floor' - will wood

'¡aikido! (neurotic/erotic)' - will wood and the tapeworms

'um, it's kind of a lot' - will wood

'you' - tally hall

'cupid' - jack stauber

wow thats a lot of will wood

in conclusion, carlo is an absolute angel who tries so hard. he is trying so hard. he's incredible but he's way too bashful to admit it. i love him a lot. i have loved him a lot for a year. and maybe another year. and maybe another year. etc. maybe? i dont know yet

but i think that carlo would say that it's okay to not know what's going to happen.

i certainly didnt know i would be here a whole year later making a huge tumblr post about this guy from a fun little series of fun little food games designed for 8 year olds but here we are.

[silver-hwaberry]

⭑I Can See You⭑

TWO: cosmic rush

Warnings: angst, arguing, fighting (one physical push between 2 members), name calling, swearing Word count: 8.5k

⭑2016⭑

“Hello stranger!” Yunho greets her as Yeonghwa walks into the classroom

“Hey Yunho!” she laughs taking off her backpack

Yeonghwa hadn’t been at school for the past 3 days as she was in Japan working with Moonlight. They had a performance there plus were filming the MV for their new song ‘Cosmic Rush’.

“How was Japan?” he asks as she sits down

“Busy!” she simply answers. “How was school?”

“Boring! Mr Nams satellite ears weren’t as funny without you here!” he replies. He looks at her as she sets up her school stuff on the desk, “There is something different about you!” he says, not sure what it is

“Probably my hair!” she says not batting an eyelid

“Did you get a hair cut?” he asks looking at it more closely

“Not quite.” she laughs looking at him, “I am wearing a wig, Yunho!”

"A wig?" Yunho's eyes widen comically as he leans closer to inspect her hair. "No way! It looks so real!"

"Well yeah, that's kinda the point," Yeonghwa snorts, swatting his hand away as he reaches out to touch it. "And don't pull on it, I spent forever getting it to sit right this morning."

"But why are you wearing a wig?"

“New hair for the comeback, I have to hide. So wigs are a must when I am at school.” she sighs, “Personally I hate them as they are itchy and make my head sweat but it is strictly forbidden to reveal new hair styles and colours beforehand.”

“Am I allowed to know?” he grins playfully

“Absolutely not!” she laughs swatting his hand away again

“Oh come on, where are my best friend perks?!” he pouts

Yeonghwa freezes slightly at him saying ‘best friend’ and he notices her reaction. Since Yunho started at SOPA 3 weeks before they had gotten more friendly with one another, spending their time exchanging notes, talking during breaks and Yeonghwa was enjoying having a friend at school now but she hadn’t realised he saw her that way. She decides not to say anything about it but Yunho can see she is a little weirded out as she brushes it off.

"Well..." she drags out the word, pretending to think hard about it. "I guess since you did help me with that chemistry homework last week..."

"Yes? Yes?" Yunho leans forward in his chair, practically bouncing.

"It's white with these really pretty pastel pink and lilac streaks," she finally whispers into his ear covering her mouth so only he could hear. The sensation of her breath on his ear and the low tone of her voice makes his stomach flip a little. "But if you tell anyone, I swear-" she leans back

"My lips are sealed!" he mimes zipping his mouth shut. "But that sounds sick actually. Can't wait to see the big reveal."

“You will see it on comeback day if you watch the music video or our comeback stage.” she says, “I won’t be in school for a few days again.” she adds with a small sigh

“Of course I’ll be watching both and all performances afterwards! Just you try and stop me!!” he smiles, “When are the teasers dropping?” he asks

“First one is in 2 days so you’ll see my hair in its full glory then!” she answers, “And I can take this fucking wig off!”

“And don’t worry about schoolwork. I made you a copy of all our work this week and I will do the same next week too.” he says handing her a semi-thick folder

“Wow!” she gasps looking at it, “You really didn’t need to do all this! Thanks you Yunho!” she is grateful for his help in keeping up with her studies.

Previously, when she missed classes because of her schedule, no students gave her notes; she only received a small packet of assignments from the school to complete during her absence.

“It was nothing!” he shrugs nonchalantly

As Yeonghwa flips through the folder with a grateful smile, she notices a small piece of paper tucked inside. Curious, she pulls it out and unfolds it to reveal a simple doodle of a hamster which was her animal representative in the band with a phone number underneath it and faded heart at the end. It looks like he had drawn it and then erased it but the paper was still showing it faintly. It made her smile a little.

Yunho rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "I know it's cheesy, but I wanted to give you my number so if you had any questions about school work you had a way of contacting me," he says with a shy grin.

Yeonghwa glances up from the drawing, her cheeks turning a bit pink at Yunho's gesture. "Are you sure this isn't just a trick to get my number?" she teases.

"What? No, definitely not! You don't have to give it to me if you don't want to!" he replies, flustered.

"Yun! I'm just kidding!" she laughs, "That's really thoughtful of you," she adds, placing the paper securely into her folder with a gentle smile.

“Oh!” he sighs in relief as he scratches his head awkwardly, a bashful grin on his face. "I just want to make sure you're all set for your comeback without falling behind in schoolwork," he says earnestly.

Yeonghwa nods appreciatively. "I really appreciate it, Yunho. It means a lot to me," she says softly. “But you may end up regretting it as I could end up blowing up your phone when I am on schedules!”

"Feel free to send me as many messages as you want!" he laughs. "Oh, and keep it a secret that I have a phone. We're not supposed to have them until after debut, but we all secretly do. Hongjoong would be so annoyed if he found out, but I'm pretty sure he has one too!"

"A secret phone? How scandalous!" Yeonghwa teases, lowering her voice dramatically. "And here I thought you were such a good boy."

"Hey, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do," Yunho says, puffing up his chest before breaking into a smile.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a moment before Yunho clears his throat. "So, um, are you up for a ninja picnic lunch today? My treat, I’ll buy you whatever you want!" he offers with a hopeful expression. “I’m not going to see Mingi today as he has a dental appointment.”

"I can't today," she explains. "My manager reserved one of the private halls for me to rehearse. We're filming the dance practice video for the song tonight, so I need to get ready."

"Oh, that's cool!" he responds with a nod, but she notices the disappointment in his expression.

"But I'll be alone, so i-if you'd like, you could join me," she stammers nervously, her fingers playing with the bottom of her skirt. "As long as you promise to keep the song a secret!"

"Really?" he responds, brightening.

“Of course!!” she breaks into a wide smile “Maybe I can finally see some of these awesome dance skills you say you have too!”

“My dancing is totally awesome!” he grins

"Oh yeah? Prove it then!" Yeonghwa challenges, raising an eyebrow. "Show me what you've got during practice!"

"Challenge accepted!" Yunho announces with a theatrical puff of his chest. "Just don't hold it against me if my awesome moves leave you feeling jealous."

"Pfft, please," she rolls her eyes, trying not to laugh. "I've been dancing since I was like, 4 years old."

"Well, I've been dancing since I was in the womb," he replies with a cheeky grin.

"That's not even possible, you goof," she laughs, giving him a playful shove. "If that were true, I really pity your mom for dealing with that while you were in her belly—and considering you're a giant too!"

"I'll have you know, I was just as small as you when I was born! I only shot up in height over the past two years!" he says with a grin.

“I find that hard believe!” she laughs, “Scary part is you are still growing too! I stopped when I was 13 years old!”

Yunho looks at her fondly. He had missed her presence in school the past 3 days. Although he did get more work done in class as he wasn’t messing around with Yeonghwa, it wasn’t as fun and he missed her.

As the rest of their fellow classmates begin to fill the classroom and the teacher walks in, they got themselves prepared for the day ahead. They spent break time together as usual, going over the folder of notes Yunho had made for her, telling her what assignments had been set etc and before they knew it lunch time had arrived.

“You get yourself something to eat and come to room 107 when you are ready.” Yeonghwa says as they make their way down the stairs

“Do you want me to get you anything?” he asks, hoping she’ll be eating something but she shakes her head.

“I’ve got a protein shake and a banana with me today.” she answers, “Misty handed it to me as I was leaving this morning. Said she’d hit me over the head with the banana if I don’t have them!” she giggles

“Good! I’m glad someone is taking care of you!” he smiles at hearing she is actually going to be consuming something for lunch. “Want a bottle of water?”

“Yeah I do actually!” she says pulling her purse from her pocket to give him money

“Oh hell no, put that away! This is my treat!” he smiles, “and after your promotions are over I will take you out for a lovely meal to celebrate!”

“I highly doubt my company would allow me to do that, they control every aspect of my life,” she responds. Yunho feels a pang in his chest at her words, not because she said she couldn't do it, but because her company has so much control over her. It doesn't seem fair. "But I wouldn't say no to having a ninja lunch with you after everything is done," she adds with a mischievous smile.

“Really?” he breaks into a smile

“Absolutely! If it is okay with Mingi, that is!” she replies

“I am positive he would. He is pretty cool. I think you two would really get along!” Yunho replies

“Its a deal then! Once my promotions are over, we do the great escape!” Yeonghwa nods with a happy grin on her face.

As they reach the bottom of the stairs, Yeonghwa make her way to the private dance hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The familiar scent of polished wood and sweat greets her as she pushes open the heavy door. Sunlight streams through the high windows, casting long shadows across the gleaming floor causing her to smile. She loved being in practice rooms, it was her place of sanctuary, somewhere she can be free. She sets down her bag and pulls out her protein shake and banana, placing them carefully on a nearby bench.

Meanwhile, Yunho navigates the bustling cafeteria, the cacophony of voices and clattering trays filling the air. He quickly selects a sandwich and an apple, his mind already racing ahead to the dance hall. As he paid for his food, he grabs two bottles of ice cold water, one for himself and one for Yeonghwa.

Back in the dance hall, Yeonghwa has changed into her practice clothes - a loose tank top and form-fitting leggings with a pair of sneakers. The choreo she was about to perform would be impossible in her stiff and restrictive school uniform. She stands before the wall of mirrors, taking deep breaths as she centres herself. With practised movements, she begins to stretch, her lithe body bending and twisting to get rid of the stiffness from sitting at her desk for so long.

Yunho arrives just as Yeonghwa was finishing her warm-up routine. He slips inside quietly, not wanting to disturb her concentration. Knowing himself how important it is to get into the zone before dancing. He finds a spot against the far wall and he settles down to watch, his lunch momentarily forgotten.

He notices that her black wig has been tossed aside and her freshly dyed white hair, which is now shorter and falls a few inches below her shoulders, hangs in loose natural waves with pastel streaks that are barely noticeable from afar.

Yeonghwa pulls out her phone and set it on a small speaker. She sets up her ipad infront of the mirror, ready to play the group rehearsal video if she needed any reminders. A moment later, the opening notes of Moonlight's new song filled the room. The beat was infectious, a pulsing rhythm that seemed to vibrate through the floorboards. Yunho can’t help but nod to his head to beat as his eyes focus on her.

Yeonghwa begin to move. Her body becomes a living instrument, every gesture precise and purposeful. She flows across the floor, her feet barely seeming to touch the ground. Her arms carved graceful arcs through the air, fingers splayed in delicate formations.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa launches into a breathtaking series of spins, her body a blur of motion. She ends with a dramatic pose, chest heaving, one hand on her hip. For a moment, the room was silent save for her ragged breathing.

Then, catching sight of Yunho in the mirror's reflection, Yeonghwa's serious expression melted into a wide grin. She turned to face him, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"So," she pants, eyes sparkling with mischief, "what did you think?"

Yunho sits there, mouth agape, still processing the incredible performance he'd just witnessed. He struggles to find words that could adequately express his admiration.

"That was... wow," he finally manages, shaking his head in disbelief. "I knew you were good, but that was... incredible. Seriously, Yeonghwa, you're amazing."

“I know it looks strange dancing solo to a group performance but trust me it looks a lot better when we do it together, I promise!” she laughs as he hands the bottle of water to her

“Not at all! I practice alone too so I get it. I can’t wait to see the comeback stage!” he smiles

"Time to show me those moves you were bragging about earlier," Yeonghwa says, taking a long drink from her water bottle. "Unless you were all talk?"

"Oh, I'll show you my moves alright," Yunho grins, shrugging off his blazer, rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt and untucking it from his trousers to give him more freedom. "Just don't get jealous when I outshine you."

"I'm shaking in my sneakers," she deadpans, but can't help smiling as she watches him do some exaggerated stretches while she sits infront of the mirror to look at him head on.

"Okay, play that track again. I've got this," he says confidently, moving to the centre of the room.

Yeonghwa hits play and watches with growing amusement as Yunho starts to dance. Her amused smile is soon replaced with wonderment as he hits the majority of the moves - his movements are sharp and he has picked up the steps from that one performance she did. But when it comes to one particularly complex sequence that Yeonghwa does in the dance break which includes a backwards handstand and a landing into the splits, he gets his legs tangled and nearly face-plants.

"Shit!" he yelps, stumbling sideways. "How the hell do you make that look so easy?"

"Years of practice and one very scary choreographer," she laughs, walking over to help him. "Here, it's more like this-" She demonstrates the move slowly.

"My legs don't bend that way!" he protests, trying to copy her. "I think you might actually be made of rubber."

"Says the guy who's basically a human giraffe," she teases, adjusting his arm position. "Less flailing, more control."

"I am graceful as fuck, I'll have you know," he declares, promptly tripping over his own feet again.

“It is a hard move so don’t over do it, I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I fear your leader may hunt me down if I get one of his fellow trainees injured!” she says

“I can do it!” he nods

They spend the next few minutes going through the steps very slowly, Yunho's determination to get it right making Yeonghwa smile. Despite his jokes, she can tell he's actually trying hard to learn the complex move properly.

“Okay, you are getting it!” she claps when he nails the backwards handstand and nearly does a full splits

"That's not a move guys are supposed to attempt!" he chuckles as he stands, trying to resist the urge to massage his sore groin in her presence.

"You did great," she says with a smile. "But can you do it in sync with the music?" she adds with a playful grin.

“Is that a challenge?” he quips as she nods, “From the top!” he adds as she begins the track from the beginning

They both stand side by side facing the mirror as the music begins over the speaker, the bass vibrating through the floor they begin to dance in complete sync with one another. Yunho nailing every single move. Yeonghwas eyes are on him in the mirror as she dances beside him and she is seriously impressed.

As the dance break begins, Yunho smashes the quick movements, the backwards handstand and even the splits before getting up quickly to finish the routine off. As the music ends they are both breathing heavily standing in the ending pose.

“Holy shit!” Yunho groans flopping to the floor exhausted as Yeonghwa holds onto her hips and squats down beside him laughing.

“Yunho, that was awesome!” she says as she looks at him sprawled on the floor

“They didn’t give me the main dancer position for nothing you know!” he replies opening some of the buttons of his shirt to get some air, maybe a bit too many as the top part of his chest is on show.

Yeonghwa awkwardly looks away as she sees the skin of his chest before standing up and going over to her bag to get the banana. As Yunho sits upright he sees in the mirror how much of his chest he just exposed accidentally, quickly covering himself again.

"So uh, that was fun!" Yeonghwa says a bit too quickly, focusing intently on peeling her banana.

"Yeah!" Yunho agrees, still slightly out of breath as he fumbles with his shirt buttons.

An awkward silence falls between them as Yeonghwa takes small bites of her banana, very deliberately staring at the wall. Yunho clears his throat. "I think I’ve pulled muscles I didn't even know I had."

"You'll definitely feel it tomorrow," she snorts, still not quite looking at him. "Maybe I should've warned you about that part."

"Nah, totally worth it," he groans, rolling his shoulders. "Even if I have to crawl to dance practice tonight."

“Oh shit, you should have said you had dance practice! I would have gone easier on you!!” she says with wide eyes

"Please, I could do this choreo in my sleep," Yunho scoffs, though the way he's wincing as he stretches tells a different story.

"Oh yeah? Is that why you're moving like my grandpa right now?" Yeonghwa takes another bite of her banana, finally able to fully look at him now that he's buttoned up.

"Your grandpa probably has better flexibility than me right now," he groans, attempting to stand. "Shit, I think my legs are actually broken."

"Drama queen," she rolls her eyes, but offers him a hand up anyway.

Yunho eagerly accepts, forgetting her small stature as he pulls a bit too forcefully, almost causing her to topple over. He quickly steadies her by placing his hands on her hips as she clutches his shoulders for support. Even though he was seated on the floor, his height and her petite 153cm frame meant their faces were closer now than when standing. It was the first time she truly observed his facial features, and her stomach fluttered at how handsome he was, especially with the gentle way he gazed at her while her fingers softly held onto his shirt.

The moment stretches between them, neither moving. Yeonghwa can feel the warmth of his hands through her practice clothes, and she's suddenly very aware of how sweaty she probably is from dancing.

A loud bang from somewhere in the hallway makes them both jump. Yeonghwa stumbles backward, nearly tripping over her own feet this time.

"Shit, sorry!" Yunho says, hands hovering awkwardly in the air where her waist had been. His ears are turning pink. "I didn't mean to, uh..."

"No, it's fine! I mean, You did save me from face-planting so… thanks!" Yeonghwa says quickly

They both move at the same time to gather their things, nearly bumping into each other again. Yunho takes an exaggerated step back, almost tripping over his own feet.

"So uh, when exactly is the comeback?" he asks, trying to break the weird tension. "You know, so I can mark my calendar and everything."

"Thursday," she answers, grateful for the change in subject.

“You must be really exhausted with the preparations and school on top.” he says

“I think my body's running purely on energy drinks and bananas at this point." she laughs

“I wonder what Misty would say if she knew!” he smirks

"What Misty doesn't know won't hurt her," Yeonghwa says with a guilty grin. "Though she has this weird sixth sense about these things. Last time she caught me with a Red Bull she literally appeared out of nowhere like some kind of health-conscious ninja with shoving one of her disgusting kale smoothies into my hand."

"That's terrifying," Yunho laughs as he stretches his legs. "Fuck, I think my legs are actually dead."

"Aww poor baby," Yeonghwa teases. "And here I thought you said you were graceful as fuck?"

"I am! I'm just... gracefully sore."

“Well get used to it with being your groups main dancer! You’ll be pushed past your limits a lot… but it gets easier.” she says as they sit on the wooden bench beside the wall, “Hows things with your group anyway?”

“The same. Late night practices for all of us after school. Monthly reviews.”

“Ah I don’t miss those!” she nods taking a sip of her water, “They scared me every time!”

"I heard you were the top trainee every month, though!" Yunho remarks.

“Oh I was because I worked my ass off but also feared for my life too.” Yeonghwa confesses, as Yunho listens intently. "The company constantly threatened to terminate our contracts and give us bus tickets home if we didn't meet certain targets. I didn't want to go back to Yeosu! Don't get me wrong, I love my little hometown on the south coast, but I wanted this opportunity too much.”

Yunho nods, absorbing everything she's sharing, catching a rare glimpse of the real young woman behind the image of 'Korea's princess' that most people see.

“So hows your companies trainee search going? Last I heard there was someone you’s were trying to steal from another company!” she says

"We're meeting him next week, so fingers crossed he chooses us! We do have a new person who started this week, and you'll never guess his name!" Yunho responds excitedly.

“What is it?!” she giggles

"His name, Yeonghwa, is..." he pauses for a dramatic effect, emphasising her name, "Seonghwa!"

"Yeonghwa and Seonghwa!" she exclaims, eyes wide. "You have no excuse for forgetting my name now, mister!"

"As if I ever could!" he replies. "He seems nice though, older than the rest of us, and he's also from the south coast. I think he and San will have a lot to talk about."

"Where is San from?" Yeonghwa asks as she tosses her banana peel into a small trash bag.

“Namhae.” he answers

"That's right next to Yeosu! My family and I went to Namhae for vacation a few times. It’s really beautiful! My aunt actually moved there because she loved it so much." she says, her eyes lighting up. “And Seonghwa?"

“Just below Jinju, I don’t know exactly where but I heard him say he lived by the ocean so must be at the coast.” he answers, “Good news is the company will be giving us a dorm soon! Living together will help us bond more I think.”

“That is so cool! Dorm life can interesting but mostly fun! Do you know how many members your company is looking to have in your group yet?” she asks pulling her legs up to sit crossed legged

“At the moment they’ve said 7.” he replies, “Though the CEO just can’t make up his mind. Last week he wanted 5 members, the week before we said 11! Next week he’ll probably want 25!”

"God, can you imagine?" Yeonghwa snorts. "Just an entire army of idols on stage. The poor stylists would have a mental breakdown."

"The choreographer would quit on the spot," Yunho grins. "Though at least the fanchants would be epic. Might take fans three hours just to get through all the names."

"Your lightstick would need its own battery pack," she giggles, then grimaces as she shifts position. "Ugh, I think my legs are starting to cramp up too."

"I swear that backwards handstand into splits thing is actually torture disguised as choreography." Yunho groans

They both laugh, and Yeonghwa checks the time on her phone. "Shit, we should probably head back soon. Mr. Nam will have an aneurysm if we're late."

"His satellite ears might actually explode," Yunho agrees, attempting to stand up and immediately regretting it. "Fuck, I think I'm stuck. You might have to wheel me to class in a desk chair."

"Some main dancer you are," Yeonghwa teases, getting up with a similar feeling to Yunho. "Need me to carry you?"

"On your back?" he asks hopefully.

"In your dreams, giraffe boy." she says

“It was worth a shot!” he shrugs, “I’ll take our rubbish to the bins and wait for you outside as you get changed.” he adds

Yunho heads to the bins outside, clutching a bag of trash. After tossing it in, he leans against the wall, savoring a quiet moment alone. A smile spreads across his face as he reflects on spending his lunch break with Yeonghwa, watching her dance and learning from her. He had admired her dancing for a long time.

Yeonghwa emerges from the dance room, her wig slightly askew and her uniform slightly rumpled from changing quickly. She fidgets with her blazer as she spots Yunho waiting, her mind unhelpfully flashing back to the accidental chest reveal and the feeling his hands on her waist, the way he looked at her.

"Ready?" Yunho asks, pushing off from the wall.

"Yeah," she mumbles, looking down at her feet as they start walking.

They walk in awkward silence for a few steps before Yunho trips going up the stairs.

"Need me to call you an ambulance?" she teases, walking backwards up the steps to face him. "Or maybe a crane to lift you?"

"You're evil," he declares, dragging himself up dramatically. "Pure evil disguised as a tiny person."

She's about to retort when she notices her wig slipping slightly. She quickly adjusts it, glancing around to make sure no one saw.

"Your disguise is slipping, Spiderman," Yunho whispers conspiratorially.

“I hate this thing!” she grumbles “The quicker this comeback happens so I can stop hiding my hair the better.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better, I think your new hair looks really good.” he smiles as they reach the top of the stairs. “And the new song is amazing too. You ladies are going to smash the comeback.”

“Thanks Yun!” she says feeling a bit flustered at his compliments

Yunho notices her flushed cheeks and shy smile, and in all honestly it makes him feel good seeing her react to him like that. However he knows the reality of their situation. They are friends only.

⭑2020⭑

Yunho sees that same flushed cheeks and shy smile on her face now all these years later. It still gives him butterflies. As much as he wished it wouldn’t. Seeing her again after so long during the award season had been difficult for him. A mixture of emotions he hadn’t realised he’d been keeping inside were coming out now.

Their last conversation had replayed in his head over and over again despite not thinking of it in over a year. The hurt in his heart resurfacing once more. The words she said. It had come out of nowhere as well and he couldn’t wrap his head around why. He had just came home from a month long training trip to LA with the other members, they had spoken every single day on the phone in secret when camera, managers and Hongjoong wasn’t around. Nothing had changed until they met up, Hongjoong allowing her to visit the dorm for a bit since Yunho hadn’t seen her in so long, and as far as he knew barely spoken to her while away. Yunho had been so excited to see her, he cleaned up the entire dorm himself, set up his shared room with San with blankets and pillows to watch a movie (the door was to be left wide open at all times Hongjoong demanded), bought her favourite flowers and had presents from LA for her. He had been so excited to see her again, hold her close in his arms once more.

But the moment she stepped into the dorm, he sensed that something was amiss. After some time, Yunho broke Hongjoong's rule about keeping the bedroom door open, closing it when Yeonghwa repeatedly pulled away from his attempts to hug her or hold her hand—something she hadn't done since they'd become more than friends. That's when she uttered the words he never imagined he'd hear: ‘I don’t love you.’

She walked out and disappeared from his life, until award season arrived two years later. By then, Ateez had debuted and, though still considered 'rookies,' they were gaining popularity, meaning Yunho and Yeonghwa were bound to cross paths again.

His band members had silently rallied around him during each award show that Moonlight was in attendance at, trying to be subtle about keeping an eye on him but he could see through them. He truly appreciated their care but he didn’t want a fuss.

He takes one more glance at her and feels his heart skip a beat as she smiles at the fans in the audience waving to her. Her new hair colour - cherry red catching the lights perfectly. As a member of staff approaches the band, her focus turns to them and they all stand up. Clearly it’s time for them to get ready for their performance and it would be a lie if he said he wasn’t looking forward to it.

As the five women hurriedly passed by the group, Yunho attempted to focus ahead, but his gaze lingered on Yeonghwa as her subtle perfume enveloped him. He caught Mingi's eyes on him, and Yunho understood exactly what Mingi was thinking. Yunho had been open about his feelings for Yeonghwa since she ended things with him two years ago. Mingi detested her and was never shy about expressing it.

"For fuck's sake, stop staring," Mingi mutters under his breath, barely moving his lips as he maintains his camera-ready smile.

"I wasn't," Yunho whispers back, though they both know it's a lie.

"Stop making moon eyes at the person who-" Mingi cuts himself off as a staff member approaches with fresh bottles of water for them all, his expression shifting seamlessly into his usual cheerful demeanour. "Thanks noona!" he says brightly, before immediately dropping his voice again. "Who literally broke your fucking heart."

"I know, okay?" Yunho mutters, grabbing a bottle. "Trust me I was there, I know."

“And so were all of us!” Mingi grumbles, “Don’t let her suck you back in! She’s like siren - pretty and luring but evil inside!”

"I'm not getting dragged back into this," Yunho says, rolling his eyes, though Mingi's words tug at his heart. "And she's not evil! You never truly understood her."

"I know enough!" Mingi retorts, turning sharply to face Yunho.

"We're on camera, so both of you need to stop!" Hongjoong warns with a tense smile. "You can talk about this later when we're in private!"

Yunho takes a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension that had built up between him and Mingi. He knew his friend meant well, but sometimes his protective nature could be a bit overwhelming.

As Moonlights opening VT plays on the screen in preparation of their performance, Mingi leans in close to Yunho, lowering his voice. "I just don't want to see you hurt again, man. You deserve so much better than what she put you through."

Yunho nods, grateful for Mingi's concern. "I appreciate it, really. But I've come to terms with everything. It's water under the bridge now."

Mingi gives him a sceptical look, but doesn't press further as they all focus on the stage.

The lights dim, and a hush falls over the audience as Moonlight appear on a raised platform in the middle of the stage. They had changed into colourful sequin outfits that suited each of their styles. An ominous song plays as the camera does close ups of each of the members faces on the screen with the crowd cheering loudly and as Yeonghwa appears the noise appears the double in volume.

The opening notes of their latest song fill the arena, and the group burst into flawless synchronisation, their dance moves sharp and crisp. Yeonghwa was a blur of silver sequins and flowing red hair, her body twisting and leaping with astonishing grace.

As the song shifts into ‘Cosmic Rush’, Yunho's heart skips a beat. Moonlight launch into the energetic choreography for it - the same one Yeonghwa taught him years ago, back when they were just two innocent kids in school. Happy memories flood back to him - Yeonghwa giggling as he stumbled through the routine for the first time, her patient encouragement as he slowly got it right. The way she clapped, cheered and encouraged him when he nailed the complex moves.

As the song reaches its climax, Yeonghwa delivers the fast paced dance break moves with ease, her body seeming to hang suspended in mid-air for a breathless moment before crashing back to earth in a perfect landing. The crowd erupts into cheers, but Yunho barely registers them. His eyes are still locked on Yeonghwa, his heart pounding in time with the driving beat of the music.

“Aria is amazing!” Yunho hears Wooyoung say to San

San nods in agreement. “She always delivers every time! That’s why she is one of the best dancers in the business!”

“Shame about her personality!” Mingi says causing Yunho to glare at him

Hongjoong swiftly rises and guides Yunho to move to his seat, asking San to switch seats with Mingi positioning himself and San between Yunho and Mingi. Sensing that the situation was escalating, Hongjoong realised he needed to take action now.

On stage, Yeonghwa dances with dizzying speed and precision. Yunho can't help but grin - she was always destined for greatness on that stage. Watching her continuing to soar fills him with joy, even as a twinge of wistfulness tugs at his heartstrings. If only things could have been different between them...

As the final notes fade away and Moonlight take their bows to thunderous applause, Yunho feels a strange sense of peace wash over him. No matter what had happened between them in the past, he knew that Yeonghwa would always be an important part of his life.

As Moonlight make their way back to their seats, all their fellow idols standing to bow at them including Ateez, Yunho becomes intensely fascinated with his water bottle label, picking at it with his thumbnail while trying desperately not to look in their direction.

The award show drags on for what feels like eternities, with Yunho's leg bouncing so much that Hongjoong eventually places a hand on his knee to stop it. As the final award is announced and the closing ceremony begins, Yunho feels an overwhelming urge to find Yeonghwa backstage. He needs to talk to her, even if he has no idea what he'll actually say.

"Don't even think about it," Mingi hisses as they file off stage, clearly reading Yunho's mind. "I swear to god, I will literally sit on you."

"You're not my mom," Yunho responds, scanning the crowded backstage area.

"No, but I am your voice of reason, and right now your reason is telling you to get your ass to our waiting room before you make a big mistake."

"Mingi, I swear-" Yunho starts, but freezes as he spots a familiar figure in a silver sequin dress with long red hair disappearing around a corner. Without thinking, he yanks his arm free and darts away, ignoring Mingi's colourful cursing behind him.

Yunho weaves through the crowded backstage area, dodging staff members and other idols with his long legs while trying not to knock anyone over. He spots Yeonghwa again, this time talking to one of her members near the vending machines.

He hesitates for a moment, suddenly realising he has absolutely no plan. What the fuck is he even going to say? 'Hey, remember that time you completely shattered my heart? Good times!'

Before he can chicken out, Yeonghwa turns and spots him. Her eyes widen slightly, and for a moment they just stare at each other like a pair of deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, hi," he manages eloquently, internally cringing at himself.

"Hi," she responds, equally awkward. Her member Areum glances between them before making some excuse about needing to get her make up touched up. Yeonghwa nods grateful at her for giving her and Yunho space to speak.

"So..." Yunho starts, then trails off. Fuck, he really should have planned this better.

"So..." Yeonghwa echoes, fiddling with the sequins on her dress. "Your performance was amazing. As always!"

"Thanks. Yours too. That, uh, that backwards handstand gave me war flashbacks!"

She lets out a surprised laugh. "You remember that?"

"Kind of hard to forget when my groin still twinges every time it rains," he says without thinking, then immediately wants to die of embarrassment.

Yeonghwa snorts, covering her mouth quickly. "Still as graceful as fuck, I see?"

"You know me," he grins, relaxing slightly.

Yeonghwa can feel her heart racing in her chest at Yunho standing infront of her, actually talking to her! She never thought this would ever happen after she hurt him so much.

"Anyway, you are one to talk! Your moves are pretty insane!" Yeonghwa says, tucking some of her cherry red hair behind her ear. "The one where you practically fold yourself in half backwards. That looked painful as shit."

"Oh god, don't even remind me," Yunho groans. "My spine basically files for divorce every time we perform it. Pretty sure our choreographer is secretly a contortionist who enjoys watching us suffer."

"At least you're tall enough that when you do it, it looks cool. When I try anything like that I look like a garden gnome having a tantrum!"

Yunho snorts at her garden gnome comment. "Hey, at least you can do aegyo without looking like a sleep paralysis demon. I try to be cute and fans think I'm having a stroke."

"Oh god, remember that time you tried aegyo in the hallway during break and scared that poor freshman?" Yeonghwa laughs loudly, the memory hitting her suddenly. "Pretty sure she transferred schools after that."

"Listen, I was trying my best back then!" Yunho protests, though he's grinning. "And she only screamed a little bit."

"A little bit? The entire hallway thought someone was being murdered! Mr Nam came flying out the teachers lounge with a bat ready to attack someone!"

"Yeah well, not all of us can be naturally tiny and adorable," he says, gesturing vaguely at her whole... everything. "Some of us are cursed with being basically a tree."

"Please, you love being tall," she rolls her eyes. "How many times did you make me get stuff from the top shelf in the library or at the store just so you could watch me struggle?"

"It was quality entertainment!" he defends. "Like watching a very determined hamster trying to climb Mount Everest."

Yeonghwa gasps in mock offence. "I will climb you like a tree and fight you right now!"

"What, and risk messing up your fancy dress?" Yunho grins, nodding at her sparkly outfit. "Also I'm pretty sure if you tried to climb me in those heels, we'd both die."

"Worth it though," she smirks.

They both laugh, and for a moment it feels just like old times. Her laughter causing a flutter of butterflies to erupt in his stomach at hearing it once more. He has missed her a lot more than he realised. Then they hear Mingi's voice calling for Yunho from somewhere nearby, and reality crashes back in. "Ah shit."

"Still getting into trouble?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Some things never change," he shrugs. "I should probably-"

"Go," Yeonghwa finishes for him, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Yeah," he says, but doesn't move. "It was... it was good to see you, Yeonghwa."

"You too, Yun," she says softly, and something in his chest tightens at the old nickname. He swallows hard, suddenly feeling like there's a whole fucking field of landmines between them.

"Are you... would you be interested in meeting up at some point? Maybe we could grab a coffee or something." The words come out in a rush before he can second guess himself. "Just as friends though! No pressure!"

Yeonghwa blinks at him in surprise, processing his sudden invitation. A part of her screams yes immediately, desperate to spend more time with him, but another part hesitates.

"That sounds nice," she says slowly, carefully weighing her words. "But I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Oh," Yunho nods quickly, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face. "Right, no worries! Totally understand."

"It's not that I don't want to-" Yeonghwa starts hurriedly, but stops herself. What is she doing? She can't do this to him again.

"It's fine," Yunho says again, forcing a small smile he doesn't feel. "We're both busy people with hectic schedules anyway. It was a dumb idea."

"No it wasn't-" Yeonghwa reaches for him instinctively grabbing his hand.

The sudden physical contact between causes both their hearts to leap. Without thinking Yunhos free hand cups her cheek as she nuzzles into it, finding comfort in his touch.

The moment stretches between them, charged with unspoken words and memories. Yunho's thumb brushes gently across her cheek as he leans down, drawn to her like a magnet. Their faces inches apart, he stops himself just before their lips meet, instead resting his forehead against hers. They stay like that for a heartbeat, sharing the same air.

"One coffee," Yeonghwa whispers, barely audible.

Yunho lets out a shaky breath of relief. "One coffee," he repeats softly.

"But if Mingi tries to murder me, I'm using you as a human shield," she adds with a weak attempt at humour.

"He'd have to catch you first," Yunho murmurs, still not moving away. "And you're basically pocket-sized, so you could probably just hide behind a plant pot."

"I will literally bite your kneecaps," she threatens without heat.

"See? Tiny but vicious. Like an angry chihuahua."

"Keep talking like that and that coffee's gonna end up in your lap," she warns, but her fingers tighten slightly in his hand as Yunho lets out a breathy laugh

"YUNHO!" Mingi's voice echoes closer, making them both jump apart like startled cats.

"Quick, go before he has an aneurysm," Yeonghwa says, taking a step back. "I'll text you about the coffee."

"You don't have my number anymore," he points out.

“I can easily get it,” She grins at him, tightening her fingers once more “I have my connections!”

Just then, Mingi rounds the corner looking annoyed, his long legs eating up the distance between them quickly. His eyes narrow when he spots Yeonghwa before he sees them holding hands. Yeonghwa immediately drops it and takes a step back, nervously fiddling with the ends of her long hair.

"There you are!" he exclaims, grabbing Yunho's arm. "We need to go. Now."

"Mingi-" Yunho starts, but Mingi's already dragging him away.

"Nice seeing you again, Aria!" Mingi calls over his shoulder, his voice dripping with fake sweetness with extra emphasis on her stage name, which Mingi also knew she hated being called. "Love what you've done with your hair. Really brings out the snake-"

"For fuck's sake," Yunho mutters, yanking his arm free. He shoots an apologetic look at Yeonghwa, who's watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. “I was just being polite!” he looks back at Mingi

"Just being polite? Are you fucking kidding me? You are standing there holding her hand like teenagers!!" Mingi's voice rises an octave. "What happened to 'I'm not getting dragged back into this' and ‘water under the bridge’?"

"We were literally just talking about dancing!" Yunho protests, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Oh sure, because that's how it starts! First it's 'oh hey, nice backwards handstand' and next thing you know you're sneaking out to hotels with her then crying into your pillow when she throws you to the side again."

Yunho catches Yeonghwa shifting uncomfortably in his peripheral vision, her eyes fixed on the floor. The awkwardness is practically radiating off her in waves.

"Can we not do this here?" Yunho hisses, although the corridor is practically empty now, anyone could hear Mingis loud voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is this inconvenient for you?" Mingi's voice drips with sarcasm. "You know what else was inconvenient? Having to watch you mope around like a kicked puppy for months!"

"For fuck's sake, that was two years ago-"

"Yeah, and I'm not watching you go through round two of the Great Depression because you can't keep your distance from that bitch!" he points towards a startled looking Yeonghwa as Yunho pushes him. Mingis entire body language changes as he straightens up, somehow looking taller than Yunho.

"Song Mingi!" Hongjoong's sharp voice cuts through their bickering like a knife. Their leader stands at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Both of you, waiting room. Now."

"But hyung-" Mingi starts.

"Did I fucking stutter?" Hongjoong says making his way towards the three of them

Mingi throws his hands up in frustration. "Fine. Fucking fine." He shoots one last venomous look at Yeonghwa before storming off, muttering under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, Yeong!" Yunho says moving back to Yeonghwa, who's hugging herself and looking like she wants the ground to swallow her whole. "He had no right to-"

"Yunho," Hongjoong cuts in firmly. "Say goodbye."

Yunho's jaw clenches, clearly wanting to say more, but one look at Hongjoong's expression tells him it's not up for debate. He turns back to Yeonghwa, his eyes softening. "I'll see you soon."

She manages a small nod, still looking shaken. Yunho hesitates for a moment before following the path Mingi took, his shoulders tense with barely contained anger.

Once Yunho's out of earshot, Hongjoong turns to Yeonghwa. His expression isn't unkind, but there's steel in his voice, there was no denying his intentions with his words. "You need to stay away from him. You once told him to leave you alone - do the same!"

"I didn't- he came to talk to me," Yeonghwa protests

"Yeah, because he's Yunho and he can't help himself," Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Look, you know how he is. He sees the best in everyone, even when they've hurt him."

"I never meant to-"

"Doesn't matter what you meant to do," Hongjoong cuts her off. "What matters is what happened and what you did to him! And it nearly broke him." He takes a step closer, lowering his voice. "I know that you genuinely once cared for him… so I'm asking you, for his sake and mental wellbeing - keep your distance."

Yeonghwa swallows hard, nodding slightly. She opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by her manager calling her name from down the hall.

"Good," Hongjoong says simply, already turning away. "See you around, Aria sunbaenim." he adds with a respectful bow but his tone of his voice was anything but.

Hearing her stage name feels like a sharp blow. The message is unmistakable. She observes Hongjoong walking away, then turns to face her manager, who is watching from a distance. Taking a deep breath, she heads back to her dressing room.

"Are you alright?" she inquires, wrapping a comforting arm around Yeonghwa's waist as she joins her.

Yeonghwa can only nod as they walk back to Moonlights waiting room.

As Hongjoong returns to his own waiting room, the air is heavy and silent. Mingi and Yunho are sitting on opposite sides of the room, the space between them crackling with unspoken words. Mingi’s arms are crossed, his jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might shatter at any moment. Yunho, on the other hand, is slouched in a chair, his eyes fixed on the floor.

The rest of the group is scattered around the room, their usual chatter replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Seonghwa is leaning against the counter between Yunho and Mingi as if waiting to play referee, his brow furrowed in concern

“Hey,” Seonghwa says softly, pushing off from the counter and walking over to Hongjoong. “What happened? Mingi stormed in not saying a word and Yunho came in a few minutes afterwards and.. I’ve never seen him look this way before!”

Hongjoong sighs, running a hand through his hair as he shut the door behind him. “They were… ” he says quietly, tipping his head toward the two. “I don’t even know how to describe it. They looked like they were about to go at each other’s throats.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widen. “What? What happened?”

Hongjoong shook his head. “I don’t know the whole story, but I walked in on the tail end of it. Yunho was talking to Yeonghwa, and… I don’t know what they were discussing, but Mingi clearly didn’t like it. When I found them, they were standing in the hallway, it was like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.”

“Damn,” Seonghwa mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “And then what?”

Hongjoong hesitates, replaying the scene in his mind. “Yunho… he pushed Mingi. Actually pushed him. I’ve never seen him like that before. He’s always the calm one, the peacemaker. But… he just snapped.”

“Yunho p-pushed him?!” Seonghwa asks shocked

“Mingi called Yeonghwa a bitch.”

Seonghwa’s expression turns grim. “Yeah well, that is like a red flag to a bull. We all know by now not to badmouth her infront of Yunho.”

“Yeah, well this was not only infront of Yunho but Yeonghwa too! And in a corridor!” Hongjoong sighs, “We are just lucky the corridor had cleared out by this point and no one saw or heard any of this!”

“Ah shit!” Seonghwa rubs his head, “This is bad. Really bad. We need to nip this in the bud, now!”

“I know,” Hongjoong sighs, his voice laced with worry.

"You know how Yunho becomes when it involves Yeonghwa. His judgment gets clouded, and Mingi... Mingi's just trying to look out for him, but he's handling it the wrong way!"

Mingi suddenly stands up causing everyone except Yunho who is still staring at the floor, to look at him. “Yunho… you are my oldest friend,” he says taking a step forward, “And I’m sorry that I upset you but… I can’t stand by and watch her hurt you again.”

Yunho lifts his gaze from the floor, his face reflecting both surprise and defiance. "Mingi, I get it," he starts, his voice unsteady, "and I know why you all have issues with her," he glances around at everyone else, "but you've only ever seen one side of my relationship with Yeonghwa, and unfortunately, it was the worst moment. None of you witnessed us when we were alone, those times when her guard down, and she wasn't Aria from Moonlight, but just Yeonghwa from Yeosu! You never saw her!"

"No one's saying those moments weren't real," Seonghwa cuts in gently. "But-"

"But what?" Yunho says. "She's evil? A snake? A heartless bitch? I’ve heard it all and worse, from each of you! You may not have said it to my face, but I could always hear you badmouthing her when you thought I couldn’t."

"Dude, she literally told you she never loved you while wearing your fucking hoodie," Yeosang points out. "Like, who does that?"

Yunho’s jaw tightens as he processes Yeosangs words. His fists clench at his sides, his eyes flickering with a mixture of hurt and anger. “I know what she said,” he grits out through clenched teeth. “But you don’t understand everything. You weren’t there for the whole story.”

Mingi steps closer, his expression softening. “Yunho, we just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”

Seonghwa nods in agreement, his gaze sympathetic. “It’s not about doubting your feelings, Yunho. It’s about looking out for you because we care about you.”

“And we are sorry you heard us speaking badly about her.” Wooyoung says

Yunho appreciates the support from his friends, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He nods gratefully, the sincerity in his eyes reflecting his gratitude. "Thank you, guys. I know you all mean well, and I'm grateful to have you looking out for me." He takes a deep breath, “But if you really do care about me, I need you all to back off when it comes to her.”

“What do you mean ‘back off’?” Jongho asks

Yunho looks around at his friends, his expression firm yet pleading. "I mean back off from talking about her, from trying to intervene with Yeonghwa. I need to figure things out on my own without all the negativity and interference. She’s agreed to meet me for a coffee… just the one!" he adds quickly as San groans.

Hongjoong frowns, concern etched on his face. "But Yunho, we just want what's best for you. We don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I know," he starts, his voice filled with gratitude. "But I need to handle this in my own way. I don’t know what is going to happen, we might never speak again after the coffee or we could slowly become friends once more…"

Mingi lets out a silent sigh at this that Yunho thankfully does not hear.

“But I can’t bear to have any of you disparage her anymore, regardless of what happens.” Yunho finishes. “You all say you don’t want me to be hurt, but hearing you speak that way about the girl I lov… once loved - THAT hurts me too!”

Seonghwa places a comforting hand on Yunho's shoulder. "We hear you, Yunho. We'll respect your wishes and try our best to support you in the way you need," he reassures him, his gaze filled with understanding.

Mingi, who had been listening quietly, finally speaks up. "Yunho, we've got your back. Just remember that we care about you and want the best for you," he says with a reassuring smile, his eyes reflecting his sincerity.

“That is all I am asking for.” Yunho replies

Wooyoung chimes in, his tone serious. "Yeah, we'll respect your boundaries. Just know that we're here for you no matter what."

Jongho nods in agreement. "We just want you to be happy, Yunho. We'll trust that you know what's best for yourself."

San can’t help but hug Yunho. "Just remember, we're here for you through whatever comes next."

“Don’t shut us out either!” Yeosang says

Mingi smiles at Yunho. "And I promise to keep my opinions about her to myself from now on. I didn’t realise I was hurting you whenever I spoke of her. Your happiness is what matters most to me.. to us."

With a collective nod, the group stands in solidarity with Yunho as he prepares to face the uncertainties of his meeting with Yeonghwa, knowing that they will be there for him every step of the way.

[hummingjay]

My First OC that I haven't Scrapped in like a week: Kasuar or the Cassowary, flightless harbringer of rage. Fun fact, she was originally an OC Ara unit that was put into the war and I eventually just made her into a different replika type and now she is the manifestation of my rage.

Two pages of lore and three pages of bonus doodles under the cut!

KSAR  (Kampf-schlicht-angriff-replika) “Kasuar”

(Combat-simple-attack-replica) “Cassowary”

Light infantry units, 180 centimeters tall. Light Infantry units mostly used in frontal attacks, excelling in trench and siege warfare.

Kasuars love combat and possess an easy persona to manage with bladed weapons as stabilizing objects. Originally meant to be cheap and simple long-stationed infantry for light work, their violent personalities have convinced our ÆON strategists to exploit their use as beserkers.

Their Neural maps are from a religious zealot of a religion long-banned by both the Empire and the Nation called ##########, their fanaticism now directed towards near-religious patriotism not dissimilar to worship. They suffer from what commanding officers call “extreme bloodlust”, and will wrestle violently with one another, often sustaining injuries from the practice even when not in combat. These units generally imprint on nearby STAR or STCR units, admiring them for their close-quarters-combat prowess, and they regard SAPR units as parental and protective figures, often more willing to listen to them than their commanding officer. For this reason it’s not uncommon for Kasuars to hang on to Schnäpper units as they walk. If their Starling or Storch dies or is decomissioned, they will fall into a state of rage or sadness, sometimes oscillating between the two. It’s also not unheard of for Kasuars to become romantically attracted to respective Starlings and Storches.

They carry bladed weapons, usually heavier ones such as swords and axes as fetish objects. When given the chance, these units relish CQC and will violently maim enemies, storming trenches like rabid animals unless explicitly told to take prisoners. After being disarmed it is not uncommon for units to use discarded limbs as blunt weapons, which they will later carve the bones of which into tools or decorations. Though technically contraband, it’s recommended to not confiscate the morbid carvings. They like to decorate their firearms with flower petals on string, and are fond of Ara units who help them find or grow flowers to gather the petals. They generally treat medical units such as Eules with a strong fondness and will keep a close eye on them to keep them safe. One can grow close to them by catching them sharpening their weapons, when they are at their calmest, when conversation can be initiated. Do not speak of religion of any sort. An additional method of getting close to a Kasuar is gifting them a blunt weapon such as a hammer or club. The more elaborate the weapon the better, and one-handed weapons are preferred, in contrast towards their preferences towards bladed weapons. Do not gift a Kasuar a dagger, as this act is seen as a declaration of love, ill-advised unless one is willing to reciprocate. Kasuars are fervently devoted to their lovers and will carve totems as gifts.

They have a strong group culture akin to Starlings, which they allow other units to enter, though rarely, by proving themselves to the cadre. Eules who heal the cadre report that the units are surprisingly gentle with those who don’t enjoy violence and allow the Eules to style their hair, which is longer than most replikas. Storches and Starlings who enter will often wrestle with them. Kasuars will dig trenches and small openings in the ground for Ara units they grow fond of. Kasuars will sleep close to their compatriots, side to side in a straight line. Older Kasuars sometimes whisper odd chantings in their sleep. Never place a Kolibri or other bioresonant unit near them during this time, as the they will experience deeply unsettling nightmares which they refuse to recount. 

Degraded Kasuars are angry and difficult to control, often crying for hours, before possibly falling into a state of insanity-induced violence towards both allies and enemies due to combat fatigue. This state is called ‘wutblindheit’ by medical units and is untreatable but temporary. It is possible to have a Starling, Storch or Schnäpper that they have grown close to calm them down. It’s also best to give them a blanket and have their respective Starling or Storch talk to them. Once degraded, Kasuars will either fall into a state of wutblindeit or revert to disturbing rituals such as cutting the palm, drinking their own oxidant, making necklaces from body parts such as fingers, seldom but possibly their own, and carving odd symbols from banned religions onto their flesh and armor. The practices are possible remnants of a gestalt life and are mostly harmless to others unless they are interrupted or told to cease, which causes them to attack whoever ordered them to stop. Decommissioning is difficult and it is better to send them on a task with an abyssmal survivability rate.

For reasons unknown, Kasuars have a deep love of animals, often attempting to befriend dogs, cats, birds, and horses, and will keep large spiders or centipedes as group pets. It is not uncommon for Kasuars to allow their bugs to build webs and burrows on vehicles. After finding a pet the Kasuars will come together to name it. If an officer is to confiscate the animal it is to be done before this happens, as named pets are honored as part of the cadre, sometimes brought into battle. Some ÆON commanders actually encourage this practice, as seeing a soldier with a centipede coiled around their arm is intimidating at best. The death of named pets speeds degradation, but this can be countered by allowing the cadre to mourn properly. Attempting to gift a replacement pet is ill-advised and viewed as an insult to the previous pet.

Kasuars have a deep love of their melee weapons, keeping them in pristine condition and even sleeping with them. Kasuars rarely allow others to hold their weapons, and often the weapons of fallen Kasuars will be passed to lovers or friends. In the case of a Kasuar allowing one to hold her weapon, know that this is a sign of feeling safe, and is a declaration of affection second only to gifting a dagger.

Kasuars show fear so rarely that it is thought that they are incapable of the emotion, making them ever-suitable for the dangerous tasks they find themselves on. However, in the rare case of a FLKR unit being stationed near Kasuars, they will show signs of deep fear, nervousness, and agitation. Officers report that Kasuars will jump at the sound of a Falke’s voice, and will resort to rubbing the neck and forearms, as if checking for wounds. ÆON psychologists speculate that Falke unit voice modules resemble the mother figure of the gestalt neural template, the former of which has a civil record of domestic violence and abuse. In the case of this agitation, Kasuar units will retreat to areas deemed safe, usually near trusted Schnäppers, Starlings, Storches, and sometimes medical units that healed them in the past. If reprimanded harshly by Falke units, Kasuar units will often retreat to tents where they can be heard crying and muttering that they are safe repeatedly. It is best to have a gestalt officer act as a relay point between Falke units and Kasuars. Never allow a Falke to physically touch a Kasuar, not even gently,, as they will become even more agitated and will freeze up, and will refuse to speak for days on end. The Kasuars in the cadre will become extremely protective of the agitated Kasuar and will refuse to let anyone see her until she has calmed down, sometimes screaming at medical units to stay away.

[vellichorom]

you know what it is,

oh my GOD it's 2025 at last. holy shit, i think i'd be lying if i didn't say that i'm a little fearful for what's to come in the nearing future, what with the state of the world currently & all the wild turns it seems to be taking, & i'm sure you feel the same.

but take as much comfort as you can in knowing you're NOT alone. we're all in this together, we know how it is, we'll get through. remember to be kind to one another, & tell those you care about that you love them, even if you think they know it or otherwise, just be sure to remind them & let them know. do what you can & take it all one day at a time, it's all anyone could ask for.

god help those in times of crisis right now, & many prayers to those suffering in palestine. please everyone, keep fighting.

oh right this is an art post as well as the annual toast, UM PROPS TO ME for making my first, fully-formatted comic - which you'll be able to find below, & taking steps into character design diversity & recognizing color patterns & making them ACTUALLY look GOOD? MAYBE? ( with MUCH help from my beloved inspiration & sibling @velsebwifey of whom i love with all of my heart, ) & ANIMATION AS WELL! the narrator parade collab nearly fucking put me into an arrest BUT I DID IT! & learned quite a lot! last year's resolution was to " try new things, " & i think i did INDEED live up to it, especially when it came to my art! so once MORE! may i be so lucky as to learn a couple new things in the realm of creativity this year as well!

thank you all for another wonderful year, for EVERY bit of support & attention, for ALL your interest, for those of you who've made fanart ( that i promise i'm still reblogging ) or paid me for a commission / doodle, or even just asked me a question or enjoyed what i had to make or say! & THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS & ALL THOSE I'VE GOTTEN IN TOUCH WITH / MET THIS YEAR! sweet blessings & well wishes to each & every one of you!

let's go forth & SPITEFULLY have a grand ( or at least tolerable ) year to come! & live dammit, live!

( template credit to @/moa180! )

2024: JAN / FEB / MAR / APR / MAY / JUN / JUL / AUG / SEP / OCT / NOV / DEC.

[clevercatchphrase]

Cheers to a decade

My blog is 10 years old today. I have some thoughts.

On Januray 22nd, 2015, I made this tumblr blog. I remember it being my second semester of my senior year in college and feeling lost and depressed in my dorm room. Despite being in the class of 2015, I had technically graduated the winter prior, having come in to college with enough AP credits from high school to be ahead a semester. I remember not being ready to become an "official" adult yet. Despite having a degree, I didn't feel like I had enough choices in my future, so I stayed an extra year (3 semesters) and got a second degree before finally just being too sick of college life to stay there any longer.

I made this blog to practice art, but in truth, I think it was to distract myself from existential dread of being bottle necked into an occupation I didn't want with little to no choice of upward movement. I can't remember my exact thoughts, but I have a strong feeling it was along the lines of "if I can't get a job I like with my entomology degree, then I will practice art and try my luck as a freelance artist!" Not that freelance is any easier than an hourly paid 9 to 5, but at least it let me feel like I had more options.

It's so surreal scrolling back to that very first year. I posted a lot more frequently and did a lot more doodles and sketches and figure drawings back then. I didn't care about scheduling or queuing posts. I saw a cool tutorial? Neat, I'm reblogging this right now. just pumped out a 2 minute doodle of an animal, and it's going up on the blog immediately. I did more art challenges. Heck, I made a 50 day art challenge for homestuck and DID it! I made my very first long form song comic less than a month after creating this blog. It was for kingdom hearts set to the song "king" by Lauren Aquilina (which was almost certainly inspired by the LoZ song comic made by caffeineandcarpaltunnel set to the same song 2 years prior. (and I don't even play loz, I just liked the song)). I can't help but question myself; "where did all this motivation go?" "Where did all that passion go?" "Now I only post one piece of art a week and queue all the other stuff in november only." (Well, I didn't start doing that last thing until 2022, so I guess I can always revert my neurotic habits). But then I have to remember that until the summer of 2016, I didn't have a job. I didn't have bills. I lived in dorm rooms and off of college loans that funded my meal plan. Any time I wasn't studying or hanging out with other Cepheids (shout out to the 3 of you who know what that means) I was undoubtedly on the internet, enjoying what the 2010's web had to offer.

Can you believe youtube hadn't officially been around for 10 years at that point? musical.ly hadn't merged with TikTok yet because TikTok hadn't even been created in 2015. Vine still existed. This blog is even older than Undertale's official release.

I can't help but think of my life in "chunks" or "eras", some based on where I lived at the time, some based on the state of the world at the time, but a majority of it based on the media I was obsessed with at that time. (For example, 1998 to 2002 I refer to as the "hawaii era" because my family was military and we were stationed in Hawaii.) Shorter eras can also exist within bigger eras, like 2016 to 2020 is my zoo era, because I was a part time zookeeper, but it exists within my undertale era, which is still ongoing (this hyperfixation has a choke hold on me). So whenever I am given a date, I cross-reference it with what era of my life it occurred in, comparing it to my mental state and what was happening with my life. This blog started in my homestuck era (which went from early 2011 to late 2015) and it fucking showsssssss.

Another example; some of the earliest art on this blog was for Kingdom Hearts, because I am a KH fan. KH3 released in 2019. My blog had just turned 4 years old THREE days prior in 2019. KH3 will be SIX years old three days from today. 2019 was before the pandemic. I was still at my zoo job. Ghost switch wasn't even 1 year old yet. It's this kind of mental math that I am constantly doing for everything all the time whenever I have a date to compare to. Why do I do this? I have no clue. To measure up progress or advancements? To contrast what I've accomplished in that same amount of time versus what others have achieved? I don't know, but I've always done it and I will never stop. The endless forward march of time bewitches me so in this way.

Looking at the years and dates, remembering how it overlapped with my time in college and the memes of the early 2010s, which reminds me of my college era (fall 2011 to spring 2016) which brings up a whole well of other memories, like the world ending in 2012, the let's players I'd watch because I didn't have a gaming console or tv in my dorm, the basketball concessions I'd volunteer at to pay for my ticket to go to the student-run convention in the spring, the libraries and computer labs and dining halls, and shitty dorm room thermostats in winter and it's blaring fire alarms that would go off at 3 am because people microwaved popcorn wrong, and the time it rained so hard on campus that the basement hangout zone flooded.

Man... this whole thing got melancholic. I thought it would be nostalgic, but now it feels like I'm doing an elephant walk for my own blog (again, shout out to the three of you who knows what that even means). I don't know if my past self would recognize or approve of who I am now. And yet, I also can't say i've changed all that much. I still live at home with my family because I can't afford a house of my own. I still keep up with the youtube channels I subscribed to in 2013. I still check in on the webcomics that went on indefinite hiatus in 2010. I still use the same deviantart account I made in 2007. I still log on to my neopets account that I made in 2004.

This blog has been with me through a third of my life.

I don't know what I'll do when I finish Ghost Switch. (which will still take me 6 more years to finish, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere soon). Maybe i'll go back to posting shitty little doodles that I drew quickly in 2 minutes to practice figure drawing. Maybe I'll finally learn to code and make that visual novel I've been brainstorming since 2017. Maybe I'll make more (shorter) webcomics with my own OCs. Maybe I'll sit down and actually seriously think about professionally editing and querying a few of those novel drafts I wrote for nanowrimo, which I've also done for 10 years now, too. Maybe I'll come out of the closet and finally embrace the fact that I am a furry and draw nothing but anthro wolves and dogs.

Last year, I pulled out 10 old composition notebooks that I used as diaries for the years 2005 to 2010. This covered the beginning of seventh grade for me, to the end of 11th grade. Rereading these journals was simultaneously the most hysterical things I've ever written as well as the most depressing shit I've ever written, but that's just middle and high school for ya, babe. Still, I bring it up because when I look back on the past, I never know what I will think or feel about the past in hindsight. Seeing so many informative and hilarious posts from those early years fills me with great joy and also great sorrow, because those times are gone now. The internet landscape has changed so much, tumblr included. I do wish I could go back, sometimes. To go back to being so care-free, to relive those highs fandoms gave me when everything was new and exciting and happening Right Now, to be less stressed out about the state of the world, to laugh at stupid nonsensical rage comic memes.

But I also want to stay right here. To be proud of how far I've come, to appreciate what I've accomplished so far, and to remind myself that Today is good, too. I don't want to waste all my time wishing to go back to the past, because in 10 years from now, I'm going to wish I could come back to Now.

Do I even think tumblr will still be around in 2035? Probably. We're kinda like a roach like that, and also i've got some posts queued for 2033 that i need to see go live for The Bit.

Anyway, to end this reflection on a more positive note, thanks for hanging around for so long. We're all stuck on this glue trap together, but I'm glad I'm with you. These last 10 years have been interesting and wild, both on and off the internet, and I hope the thrills don't stop anytime soon.