#haven't actually listened to and fully enjoyed music in a while

[drifting-dragons-world]

Not a complete 'drifting dragons ships playlist' but I thought I'd post some songs for at least two ships

Some LeeCro and Fayeraya songs

LeeCro:

Head Over Heels- Tears For Fears

You've Got The Love- Florence + The Machine

Lucky Guy- Modern Talking

Fayeraya:

Speed Of Love- Owl City

You're My Heart, You're My Soul- Modern Talking

With A Little Love- Modern Talking

Songs that fit for both:

If My Heart Was a House- Owl City

Do You Wanna- Modern Talking

[reidmoony-toast]

Strawberry Wine. ౨ৎ

"If I was empty space, and you were a formless shape we'd fit"

Spencer x fem singer!reader

The two times they miss each other, and the one time they don't

content: no use of y/n, fluff, pining galore

cw: lil suggestive? (She sings Chappell Roan)

wc: 2.4k

an: I've been cooking this up for a while, but life has been super busy, so I haven't yet finished the other parts. I'm very sorry if they take a few weeks to finish :[ Anyways, hope you enjoy! <3

| pt.1 | pt.2 | pt.3 | series masterlist ౨ৎ

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He really wished he wasn’t here. He never should have begrudgingly agreed to Penelope’s crazy plans, no matter how much she bugged him about it. This was about as far opposite to his kind of thing that you could get.

The lights were bright–unbearably so; flashing so much he feared he would have an epileptic episode (if it weren’t for the small fact that he didn’t actually have epilepsy, but he digressed).

The large room was also deafening, filled with fans, all of them buzzing in anticipation. Penelope was not an exception–she bounced up and down like a rogue ball, shrieking in excitement close to every thirty seconds. He would know. He had been counting.

Although he would rather be at the very back (if he had to choose anywhere in this wretched place), Penny had physically forced him into the very front row, only a barrier separating them from the stage.

He didn’t know and definitely didn’t want to know how Penelope had acquired such tickets and at such short notice before the show. He had found that he was better living in ignorance of the borderline illegal habits of his best friend.

He had just endured half an hour of what Penny had called the ‘openers’. He was dismayed to hear that the performance was not the actual concert; he learnt that the hard way when he had asked Penelope if they could leave, which she replied to with a cackle, stating that the band that had just exited the stage was, in fact, not the main event of the evening.

He had buried his face in his hands and let out a loud groan. He only had himself to blame for being caught up in the ‘Garcia puppy eyes’ trap, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t whinge at least a little bit–or a lot bit.

He didn’t know much about this singer girl, only that Penelope was obsessed with her, bringing her up in conversation many a time. He admitted that he often didn’t fully (if at all) listen when Garcia gushed over her–he seemed to always zone out.

He had never properly heard her songs, only in passing when Penelope would blast music in her cave, and he didn’t even have a clue what she looked like.

He was mentally preparing himself for the next few gruelling hours, with Penny jumping up and down beside him, when the lights dimmed, sending the whole room into a frenzy.

He winced at the screaming and whooping coming from all around him. Smoke machines started emitting mist, covering the stage and fogging up the colourful lights. The crowd continued to roar, Penelope squealing next to him and gripping the railing of the barrier.

A figure emerged through the haze, the silhouette showing locks of hair cascading over their shoulders, clad in a silk slip dress that ended at the mid thigh, hugging their curves.

They started singing–a smooth, silky voice wrapped around him, making the room suddenly feel more bearable. He swallowed hard. The singing was beautiful. Sweet and rich, wrapping around him like a cosy blanket.

He raised his eyebrows with pleasant surprise. It was, admittedly, not bad in the slightest. He hated to say it, but he was enjoying it, a lot. More than he should, given that it was new-age pop, not the refined tones of classical music–his favourite genre by far.

All thoughts of music flew out of his head as the owner of the angelic voice stepped into the stage lights, allowing him to properly see her for the first time. His breath left his body as he took her in.

She was gorgeous, stunning–almost ethereal, as her other-worldy voice filled his cochlea, transmitting electrical signals through his nerve pathways to his primary auditory cortex.

Her hair shone in the light, giving her a halo of the highest grade, her bright lips curled into a perfect smile around her words, and her eyes shone with a million glinting stars.

He was utterly enamoured by her–every facial expression, every movement she made, every note she sang was all absorbed thoroughly by his wide eyes.

In no time at all, the first song was over, finishing with loud cheering and clapping from the audience. The angel grinned out at the sea of fans, soaking up the feeling.

Unlike Spencer, she was well and truly in her element, looking as though there was not where else in the world she would rather be.

He gazed in open-mouthed awe at the way she floated effortlessly about the stage–and, of course, that breathtaking smile that scrunched her nose and revealed the prettiest dimples he had ever seen.

He was snapped back to reality with a sharp poke in the side from Penelope, centering his gravity away from the girl on stage and back to where he stood.

“What?” He said loudly, an exasperated look adorning his face as he tore his eyes back to his best friend. She was smirking at him, arms crossed in front of herself.

“You have such a thing for her, I’m surprised you're not drooling right now,” she answered mockingly. He scoffed, dismissing her words with a wave of his hands as he faced the stage again, not wanting to miss a moment of the show. He heard Garcia laugh deeply at his half-hearted denial.

All thoughts of Penelope soon left his mind as the heaven-sent saint started to sing again, striking chords in his heart at every note.

The song came and went again, and Spencer wished they would not go by so fast, so he could see her for as long as possible.

The next song started with a more upbeat track, and the angel laughed, running back down stage, scarily close to where Spencer stood. “She was a, Playboy, Brigitte Bardot,” she started to sing, “She showed me things, I didn't know.”

She stuck out her tongue playfully, shaking her hips, making the satin fabric hugging her curves sway.

“She did it right there, out on the deck,” she bit down on her bottom lip as Spencer’s face heated, realising what the song was about. “Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck.”

She gestured with her fingers to a spot on her neck, pretending as if her fingers were the teeth, tipping her head back with imaginary ecstasy. He swallowed heavily, face hot.

“I'm in the hallway waitin' for ya,” she sang, “Mini skirt and my go-go boots,” on those lyrics, she bent over, running her free hand from her heeled boots and up her legs, jutting her ass out.

Spencer’s mouth fell open in shock. He had never felt like this from only a few minutes of meeting someone, let alone just laying his eyes on them. This was completely out of the ordinary for him, and it left him reeling.

~☆~

Songs flitted by like the butterflies in his stomach, and his gaze was permanently fixated on the captivating women centre-stage. He couldn't tear his eyes away even if he tried–and he most definitely didn't.

A new song started, fading in with a catchy guitar riff, and the crowd went wild, sparking a wide smile on the angel’s face.

The drum beat started, and she strutted down the stage, tipping her head back and shaking her smooth curls out in the dim lights before she began to sing. “Midnight,” she dragged out the end of the word.

“Come and pick me up, no headlights,” she blew a kiss to the fans in front of her, winking as she made her way down the stage towards where Spencer was situated.

Penelope grasped his arm tighter and tighter as she neared, buttery voice washing over him.

“Watch us go ‘round and ‘round each time,” she stretched out the note, rolling her head to the side, eyes landing exactly where Spencer was standing. He froze, dumbstruck, as he locked eyes with her.

He gulped heavily as a cheeky grin adorned her face, soft lips framing perfectly white teeth. She straightened up, continuing the lyrics as she floated even closer to him, never breaking eye contact.

“You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye,” She knelt down on the stage in front of Spencer. His breathing stuttered as his gaze remained on her, utterly entranced.

“And I got that red lip classic thing that you like,” she dragged her thumb across her lip, singing to him through a happy, if not slightly teasing, smile.

“‘Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style,” He could see her mouth curving around each syllable as she sang into the microphone, eyes still, somehow, on him.

He most definitely looked like an idiot in that moment, with his flushed cheeks and slack-jawed awe of the ethereal woman only a few feet away, but he didn't have it in himself to care.

She had seen him, and not only that, she had actually come over and sat, right there on the stage in front of him. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, she was–without question–looking, and singing, straight at him.

She leaned impossibly closer, leaving only a few inches between their two faces as she crooned the words into the microphone. His eyes flicked across the features of her face before they settled on her own.

Up close, they were mesmerising– long, thick lashes framed bright irises, sparkling with the light of the night sky– he could almost map out the constellations he knew off by heart from the incandescent twinkles in her eyes.

“You got that long hair, slicked back-” She moved her free hand to hover over the collar of Spencer's shirt, seemingly asking silent consent to touch him.

He shook out of his trance long enough to nod vigorously. She let out a short chuckle, grabbing his collar and carefully but firmly pulling him closer by his shirt. “-white T-shirt.”

His breath hitched as hers ghosted his lips with every exhale, noses almost touching, with hardly any room for the microphone as his heart raced impossibly faster.

“And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt.” At that, she pulled away, letting go of his collar as she leaned back to run her free hand over her skirt, smirking at Spencer and his flaming-red face.

“And when we go crashing down, we come back every time,” she repeats, still serenading him. “'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style!” She finally stood, winking and blowing a kiss at a thoroughly flustered Spencer as she strutted to another part of the stage.

Spencer stood there, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe she had not only noticed him, but also sang right to him. His shirt was crumpled from where she had gripped it, but he didn't dare fix it. If possible, he would never smooth the rumpled fabric if it meant he could have a reminder of her always.

A rough shake of his shoulder brought him back to the present, Penelope standing astonished next to him, incredulous smile playing on her lips and she all but shrieked in his ear–something along the lines of, ‘You're so lucky!’ and ‘You're so down bad!’.

He didn't pay her any mind, instead keeping his still-red face on her, and her only.

She wandered to different parts of the stage during the remainder of the song, but Spencer didn't miss the more-than-occasional glances she sent his way throughout the next few songs, smile growing each time they locked eyes.

When they did, he matched her smile with his own goofy grin, his heart feeling as if it was beating out of his chest, breathing becoming erratic as he clutched the railing with white knuckles.

~☆~

All too soon, the concert came to an end, accompanied by raucous applause from the crowd. He clapped like a mad thing too, finally understanding why her fans acted the way they did.

The version of him from two hours ago would have teased him relentlessly for this, but he didn't care. It was another completely different version of him, a version that had not yet laid his eyes on her.

It certainly felt like a life-altering moment in his existence. His being was now split into ‘before’ and ‘after’. Before and after her.

She waved and blew kisses enthusiastically as she made her way off stage. He deduced that she would have to walk right past Spencer to get there. He pathetically hoped she would look at him one last time–prayed she cared enough to seek him out once again.

Electricity jolted through his entire body, head to toe, as she locked eyes with Spencer when he was in her direct line of sight.

She gave him a wink and a little wave, biting her lip through a larger-than-life grin; he felt giddy, hand coming up in an awkward half-wave. He silently cursed himself for the stiltedness of his actions.

She, however, didn't have such qualms as she blew him an air kiss, giggling as she turned away, skipping the rest of the way off stage. The screaming continued as the heel of her shoe disappeared behind the side-stage curtain.

He felt oddly hollow as the venue lights came back on, signalling the end of the show. He kept staring at the spot where she had last been, silently hoping she would come back out and sing again. Look at him again.

He blinked hard, finally re-orienting himself, glancing around to see a few people staring at him, whispering to themselves.

They were talking about him–about his encounter. He turned away again, ducking his head as his cheeks burned again.

As quickly as they came, the stares went again, and his eyes flicked back to the stage again. He so badly wanted to meet her, talk to her, even just lay his eyes on her again. That would be enough.

Penelope cleared her throat next to him, and he hummed in response, still not looking away. She snorted. “Come on lover boy, time to leave.”

He turned his attention to see her nod in the direction of the exit.

He gazed back at that spot once more, heaving out a melancholy sigh, before turning away, heading towards the door.

“Yeah, let's go.”

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Thank you for reading, feedback is appreciated x

Tags: @reidology13 - Comment to be added!

Masterlist ౨ৎ

[malereadermaniac]

Alt-boy headcannons - Rantaro Amami x Male Reader

College AU, both of you attend hopes peak, but it's a college (ages around the 20s) Some longer headcannons of Rantaro as your alt-boy crush (U/t) - Ultimate Talent word count: 1.7k 1 Nsfw headcannon / MDNI ~ amab m!reader / FDNI

Pining over him

How could you not find the tall, deathly looking white boy from your class attractive?

Rantaro caught your eye almost immediately - with his muted-green dyed hair, his baggy clothes, the crystals around his neck, and his sexy, smug smirk

His style overall was just straight up hot! That alt-boy had you wrapped around his pinky finger - and the two of you barely ever even interacted!

Sure, you were both in the XXth class at Hope's Peak, but there are 15 other students in that class!

What changed things was a paired project sent from the God's above, forcing the two of you to spend at the very least A WHOLE WEEK TOGETHER

To say you were buzzing was an understatement

During that project, you two became friends, and you both started to talk inside and outside of school afterwards

It's great that you can talk to Rantaro, it's what you wanted, of course! But man, is it hard not to blush anytime you two interact or not stare at the man's beautiful features

He pines over you

Rantaro had known of you before that paired project. You were both in the same class, so of course, he knew your name and that you were the (u/t)

He did tend to admire you from afar. If a class ever got boring, Rantaro would wander his gaze over to you and watch as you clumsily played with your stationery

During the group project, Rantaro really got to know you - and that's when he found himself falling for you

Being in a closer proximity to you allowed the alt-boy to admire you up close; he found your features cute and attractive, the face you made when concentrating funny, you hands gentle & soft looking, and Rantaro fully could not get enough of your voice

He loved it when you talked and explained something to him, the hum of your voice sounding like waves on a beach

But Rantaro also found himself talking too, talking to you more than he does to his other friends at school - something about you, maybe your comforting look and tone, just made the green-haired man feel like he could open up to you

And while you two did chat about random shit and classes, more interesting things were talked out too - like your ultimates

And that's when Rantaro noticed that he could, for some reason, be vulnerable with some classmate he'd never talked to that much before

The stylish man opened up about his sisters, the reason behind his talent being how he's always searching for them and wants to dedicate his life to finding them

And the fact that you simply just listened to him and wished him luck, Rantaro was officially head over heels for you

Listening to music together

Rantaro insists on you giving his music a try

Even though you're more of a pop listener, Rantaro's pestering gets more intense by the day - so you have given in before

The first you gave in had you thinking about it for like 5 weeks, smiling 'n giggling and kicking your feet st the thought of it

What happened was Rantaro had his wired earphones in, listening to his indie music and swearing in his life that you'll like it more than whatever you were currently listening to

And to prove that, Rantaro took an earphone out and popped it into your ear, forcing the two of you closer together for the headphones to not fall out

You, of course, blushed immediately, Rantaro smiling down at you as you both listened to some Arctic Monkey's song

After getting over the fact that you two were practically at kissing distance, his scent and cologne making you feel dizzy, you started to actually listen and enjoy the song

Rantaro chuckled at you and said a very proud "I told you, you'd like it" as the two of you looked into each others eyes with an oddly romantic song playing in both of your ears

God, you still haven't really stopped thinking about that moment - and neither has Rantaro

Dress-up

As your bond with Rantaro grew more and more, you and the stylish man had become more comfortable with each other

Enough to go over to each other's houses and enough to change in front of each other

So when you went 'round Rantaro's and looked through his wardrobe, he offered to play a little dress-up with you

Not only did the handsome man let you borrow his attractive, baggy clothes that smelled of him in the best way possible, but he also dressed you himself then and there

You were embarrassed at first, stripping in front of your close friend/kinda crush, but Rantaro made you feel comfortable

You liked how he eyed up your bare chest nonchalantly, how Rantaro briefly ran his fingers over your skin as he put one of his huge jumpers on you

After trying on a few outfits, stripping to your boxers over and over, you couldn't help but notice Rantaro desperately trying to cover his crotch - he's lucky that his clothes are ridiculously baggy

The confession

Looking back on it, you still have no idea what came over you, but one day you just randomly confessed to Rantaro

Maybe it was the overwhelming romantic and slightly sexual tension between the two of you, or maybe it was the universe saying that you two are meant to be together

Whatever it was, it overwhelmed you to the point that as you were leaving Rantaro's house, as you were hugging him for a second too long, you looked into his hypnotic eyes and just word vomited your feelings

By the time you were done rambling about Rantaro's pretty eyes and good clothes n music taste and his kind personality and his fucking hot look and body, the taller man was blushing almost as much as you were

Rantaro covered his mouth with his lean hand in such a sexy way, his other arm crossed against his torso, as he looked down at you

You took the silence as rejection and instantly started to tear up and apologise

However you were quickly interrupted by Rantaro's fucking hot, slightly raspy chuckle as he nonchalantly said "I've been waiting for you to say all that y'know... I like you too, (y/n), my ultimate (talent)

Your brain just about short-circuited when you heard your now boyfriend say that

After talking the situation through briefly, you had to get back to leaving - bur Rantaro wouldn't let you leave until he'd had his fill of your lips and tongue

According to him, he'd been "deprived of your taste for so long now... been so patient for you"

Dating

The two of you are happily dating, you aren't an overly clingy or annoying couple - but you do see each other every day, and most weekends

You love to spend the night at Rantaro's, most of your dates take place in his home - but on special occasions, you two make the effort to go out on fancy dates

Cuddling, spooning, and falling asleep in each other's arms is usually how your little date hangouts end - Rantaro's huge clothes offering you both so much warmth along with his lanky arms around your waist and chest

Listening to music is almost a daily ordeal now, sharing headphones while eating lunch or just laying on each other's lap - you aren't clingy, but small amounts of PDA is a must with you two

If you two wanna go out but not for anything fancy, arcades and parks are your go-to's - especially if there's a bakery nearby, sweet treats, and time with one another really gives you both a dopamine rush

Rantaro can also get jealous pretty easily - something you did NOT expect. He's told you that he would get jealous and possessive even back when you were both just friends

But the green-haired alt boy isn't very obvious about it, he'll just get in his head if some guy tries to chat you up - cuddling into you a little more or holding your hand a little tighter for the rest of the day

Spice

Rantaro may not seem it, however he is one horny mother fucker!

Saying that, the two of you didn't have sex for a little while - but you both made up for it in making out like hell

On every single one of your dates/hangouts, once it got a little later into the evening, you would with no doubt end up on Rantaro's lap somehow making out with your boyfriend like your life depended on it

Rantaro loves holding onto your waist and the back of your neck, his slim, masculine hands gently holding you in place

Of course (being men with dicks which get hard at the smallest movement) you would both grind into each other, Rantaro's hard dick poking into your thigh while you rub your own against his abdomen

But for a while, the two of you wouldn't go any further, just make out for ages and then blue-ball yourselves

That was until you both got sick of that and wanted to go further

You prepped before going over to Rantaro's and double-checked his roommates were out of the apartment for the night - they were.

After making out until your lips were sore and your tongues were tired, you stopped Rantaro from moving away

With a deep blush, you mentioned wanting to go further, and your alt-boyfriend perked up even more in mood and in body; the smile on his face was immense and adorable

You were each other's firsts, and while it wasn't perfect it was pretty damn good

Ever since that day, Rantaro has been insatiable, he couldn't get enough of you before when you two would just kiss but now he's practically addicted to you

Missionary, Doggy, lotus, hell you've even tried a full-nelson! Rantaro and you fuck almost every night now and it's fucking heavenly

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #22

Best of Wish

I enjoy Irep's grit-teethed remark when he mentions Anti-Fairies can't have godkids. He's just like his dad, for real, for real.

If he's this annoyed at the thought of Anti-Fairies not being allowed godkids, that kinda implies he wants one, which is interesting. Godkids were always one of Anti-Cosmo's interests, but never something Foop pursued on purpose or ever expressed interest in.

Please enjoy this cut Anti-Cosmo dialogue from an early script for "Fairly Oddlympics" that I think about constantly:

btw, there are a lot of funny deleted scenes in the old scripts that I love talking about, especially from this one, so if you find anything that catches your eye and post about it, you should @ me because I would enjoy reading your reactions <3

Plot twist - Irep is doing healthy things to work through his "scary godparent for Vicky" trauma while Peri's reaction to Vicky trauma was to cover his ears, hide behind his mom, and sing "La la la, la la la" to pretend she wasn't there.

Peri said his memories of childhood are blurry. I wonder if Irep remembers his childhood better since he was fully able to talk and comprehend things back then.

"Once a fairy quits, any magical being can take their place!"

I mean... Technically yes, but you used to have to sing for it. lol.

The Pixies, who are literally last in line for godkids below all other magical beings (including pegasi, bigfeet, and lake monsters), watching Irep stroll in like: ???

- which imo was implied to be a punishment for their race after H.P. was godparent to some unconfirmed kid I've been headcanoning was Dale for 7 years-

Actually, I like the implication that Irep was so fast to snipe Dev because he's been stalking them since he found out Peri was assigned a godkid.

Irep: Once a fairy quits, any magical being can take their place! Wanda: Peri didn't quit! He was waiting for you to call! Cosmo: He thought you two were on a break! Me: ... ?????? Peri was waiting for Irep to call and take him back? Run that by me again??

... I legitimately cannot tell if they're addressing Dev or Irep. Irep was the last person to speak, but Dev speaks next. Rewinding and listening to the conversation again, I can use my context clues to see they're probably looking at Dev (who is offscreen), but ?? why would you frame it that ambiguously.

Did anyone else get confused here or was that just me?

Also this has done nothing to disprove my previous "Peri is clingy especially where break-ups are concerned" interpretation.

I like how the very first wish Dev makes in this scene isn't for his dad to love him, but for Bev to love him.

How many kids in this class have names that rhyme with Dev and why is he so determined to befriend them all?

?? Okay, so I was previously confused about Dev's friendships because I was pretty sure I remembered him saying in Episode 1 that he and Trev were friends, but we haven't seen them interact at all. I went back and checked, and here's what he says:

"That's Trev! He's my bud, so he probably won't give YOU the time of day."

I wish we got to see him hanging out with Trev. Did they split after Trev didn't come to his sleepover?

- I just checked; I don't see any evidence of Trev at Hazel's. - Hey, did Winn and Jasmine ever find out Hazel lied to them about living in a 5-star hotel? - In conclusion, we are being ROBBED of the Trev-Dev-Bev friend squad.

Looking back, it's very funny that Dev made an effort to introduce Hazel to people when she was the new kid despite that not being his job... including giving some glowing reviews of a few of their classmates, including "This guy's my bud, this person's cool, and I respect this other guy." He wants to talk...

Also, moon is full in New York.

I keep waiting for Irep's music to drop again, but it never does in this scene. It's stressing me out; why did it only drop in THAT scene?

The version I'm watching unfortunately doesn't include credits and I can't find it after a few quick searches, but if Guy Moon did the music for this episode and remembered how he used to do it for Foop and his alt personality when they would do their switch cues 14 years ago, and so when he saw that body language he did it again, I'm gonna lose it.

Surely not... But he had to do it for at least 3 seasons; maybe it just stuck??

I don't see him credited for A New Wish at all on his own IMBD or Wiki page either. idk who did this episode, but I liked it. Hi, I'm the target audience; it's me.

And Irep's still a leftie! Even after putting both hands on the mace handle to smash it down, it goes back to his left when he takes one hand off.

He even does the "sword fight" with his left hand. It's the boy!!!

?? Is Irep's hair both blue (like both his parents') AND black (the color his tuft was in the OG series)?

Are his roots black, but the color eases to dark blue the farther out it grows? That's fantastic!

I like how Peri's hair looks most like his mom's but with a faint slope implying his dad's influence is there, and Irep's hair best parallels his dad's, but he gets his curl from his mom.

Huh. Looks like we've retired the 5 magic colors and now we're just pink poofs and dark blue lightning. Which I'm okay with; I just wasn't paying attention until now. But I know lightning-shaped Anti-Fairy magic was canon in "School of Crock," maybe others.

This does deprive me of my usual 2nd-watch shtick of reading moods based on color. Alas.

I enjoy Hazel rescuing the news reporter, but letting her know that she's a big fan of her work.

Okay, Irep uses his right hand at the last second, but I consider this a win.

I went back and checked frame by frame because I'm a NERD, and funnily enough... It looks like he changes hands after Cosmo blasts him in the left arm. It's hard to tell with the poof cloud, but when you consider the direction he moved (buffeted backwards), that implies it was a left-side hit. It's probably just coincidence, but that's funny.

I like Dev's silly star shades during this scene:

Peri's back!! Old buddies, ol' counterpart pals... I love that teeny-tiny movement Peri makes with his fingers to symbolize air quotes around "quit."

"I never gave two weeks notice~!!"

Also, this definitely belongs in my collection of counterparts using the same body language for opposite moods. idk if we'll see more of that, but it excites me that my stash grows!

I like Peri patting Dev on the head.

"He's still my godkid! :)"

Ooh, snap. Local cousins (once removed) are here to lay down Da Rules, as von Strangles do.

Aw, I like how undoing Dev's cheating means Hazel ends up with the prize shirt. I guess that makes sense; it just wouldn't have been my first thought.

I'm glad adult Irep makes squeaky sounds when you squeeze him. I seem to remember OG Poof making squeaky sounds when he bounced off walls.

Aw, Peri having a happy hug with his parents again! Instead of him feeling like they're overbearing. That's great.

Peri once again proving he's a jealous, clingy ex. I don't think this kid was okay when he was pried away from Timmy and I don't think he took his parents' leaving him on his own for 10k years very well.

I really enjoy Peri's body language throughout this series. All his little twitches and arm rubs and flicking eyes... It says a million words. You could talk forever about him.

I enjoy Dev and Hazel a lot this series, but I think Peri's my favorite. With all his little anxieties and moments he avoids eye contact, you really get the sense that he's working through a lot of baggage.

I like how his instinct was to be honest with his parents and then he immediately regrets it and closes off his body language, avoiding eye contact. He retracts what he said and says something else that he thinks makes him look better. He's got a lot going on.

The fact that he makes this big, decisive head nod as he changes his story to claim he wasn't "jealously spying on Dev" after quitting as his godparent, but he was instead "very normally and confidently passing by" is fantastic. That's... not how people talk in normal conversation, Peri. But I'm glad you're telling me you struggle with confidence issues.

- I think everything I've seen of you supports that. You've been the biggest anxiety ball ever since you got here. - Peri is the guy who'd be on edge wondering if he did something to make everyone mad.

It took me forever to get the above screenshots so I had to keep rewinding, and I have to say... I'm obsessed with that itty-bitty head tilt he does to the left before he goes full right. Idk why it's there, but I like it. It's like a shrug, or like he's thinking through his lie? I enjoy.

Also that teeny-tiny head squirm when he's enjoying the hug with his parents. He's so cute.

Okay, that's pretty messed-up of Peri to laugh with his parents while Dev is in the background really upset. Like, Peri is literally talking about Dev behind his back

-> I wish they'd snuck hints of purple in the background to indicate Peri was there, like a milk carton or pencil or something.

-> I stand by everything I've previously said about Peri not being emotionally mature enough to godparent. His kid needs comfort after a tough experience! Dev just got snapped at and punished by authority and now he's sitting on the ground looking dejected, and Peri's over there giggling!

-> C'mon, man! Hazel clocked on and she's trying to do your job for you. She shouldn't have to do that! (Though it's nice of her to try comforting her friend).

Oop, Dev just yelled at Hazel (again) and Peri did not discourage or discipline him in any way, and tbh... I don't think he even noticed. Because he was laughing and talking about his godkid with his parents. Dude, get your crown in the game.

I love Hazel throwing her prize shirt in Dev's face and shouting that she "hopes it was worth it" <3

I still don't know how to spell O-pairs and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask.

omg, Dev wants to learn about Anti-Fairies. Are we going to get lore and culture? Drama...

PERI, your godkid's running away!! Oh no, he can't hear us... he's got anxiety...

[eosofspades]

quick n easy list of gentle coping mechanisms for bad mental health days / neurodivergent understimulation episodes!! some are more applicable to one or the other but when i'm feeling particularly like a tiger in a too-small enclosure i find doing at least a couple of these things helps me so much

drink water. basic, but annoyingly effective

eat a snack. same as above

stretch! even just some laying down stretches like pulling on your arms and knees (in fact, here's a great tiktok series for "depression stretches" and workouts/physical stimulation you can do laying down/without much movement)

music/podcasts/video essays. your favorite playlist you haven't listened to in a while, a podcast you like/have been meaning to start (i listen to podcasts while i'm drawing!)

draw/color! if you don't wanna draw, a coloring book is always fun. i actually prefer kids' ones.

read a book. i prefer physical books bc i know i'll get sucked back into the social media scrolling for hours if i try to read on my phone. i also recommend a nice tea/hot chocolate/juice with this one.

video games. this can be anything from minecraft to destiny 2, but i usually never give myself time for these, even when i have it (stuck in that phone scrolling). a more action-packed game for mental understimulation, maybe a more mellow one for a bad depression episode.

shower. i am fully aware this tends to take a lot of spoons but even just sitting under running water ALWAYS makes me feel better when i can manage it. it also helps me with adhd overstimulation!

clean/organize. this sounds counterintuitive but i actually do enjoy organizing stuff for understimulation, and cleaner workspaces help with the depression. even if it's something as simple as "put all the pencils on the desk back into the pencil cup."

puzzles/brain games. this one is almost exclusively for mental understimulation but once i get going it makes my depression SO MUCH BETTER, TOO. my niche is getting myself some algebra sheets but this can be anything from math to jigsaws to crosswords to word searches!! some kind of problem solving that engages your brain and requires focus. this one is my favorite because i find it really grounding.

playing an instrument. this is in the same vein as the last one! again, my personal niche is the piano, but this could be any sort of thing. in fact this could even be substituted for some kind of alt hobby all together, like knitting or crocheting or something! again, mostly for understimulation, but gives me the serotonin boost to get through the depression stuff as well.

this is all i have for my list, but i'd love for anyone to reblog and add their own stuff!!

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Actually, one of the first things I thought of when learning that Liam had passed away was that he was Nora’s favorite. Liam to me was never the most interesting member of all the 1D lads but the way Nora talked about him on every single album had me appreciating him way more. I do think some of his qualities, both musically and personally, were a bit overlooked during the band.

This makes me want to relisten to the 1D related Every Single Album episodes anon.

I've just finished listening to the latest Every Single Album, and I enjoyed hearing more of Nora's perspective. I liked how expansive they were with what they talked about, the way that they emphasised the importance of 1D culturally and musically, and that they started by putting it in the context of fame.

As always it gives a sense of how differently people understand celebrities. I really want to interrogate Nathan about the idea that it's Taylor Swift's work ethic saved her. I think there might actually be an argument there (which is bascially - the fact that she always needed to work meant she always had people with her, and the hardest part of fame is the isolation from others in time), but it reminded me how easy it is to draw obviously untrue causation lines from success to wellbeing. When they basically asked 'is Harry Styles too dumb to be fucked up by fame?' I thought 'here are people who are less obsessed with what Harry has said to and about his therapist than I am.

*********

I'm going to articulate something that has been rolling round my brain, and which I haven't said yet. She mentioned again the clip about being locked in their rooms. Each time I've heard it, I've thought how much I think fans missed the point when they use that as proof of the evil of management. And I do think it's important to talk about the way the music industry is profiting is suffering in that example.

But by focusing on (or pretending to focus on) and literalising the quote (I've never been in a hotel room that you can lock people into). Fans miss the point - what was it that 1D was being protected from? Why couldn't they just go outside? How could 1D have been kept both safe and free while touring?

There seems within fandom a real unwillingness to look at the fact that was our actions that did harm. I'm sure the decisions by people with power did harm. It may not fully be that Eric Andre meme, but there is an element of it. Fans damaged Liam. Fans trapped him in his room with just a minibar. The damage was a result of aspects that were central to what fans love - they weren't avoidable just if better people were in charge.

I sometimes think that fandom's rush to blame someone is a way of avoiding the role we played.

[batcadillac]

Apparently I haven't introduced you guys to Riptide yet?? (Ofcourse I have like 25 OCs and haven't posted shit about most of them)

I'm not fully happy about the drawing but I am about his design.

More info about him underneath the cut.

**Ghoul information Card**

**General information**

Name: Riptide aka Rip

Pronouns: He/Him

Species: Ghoul

Element: Water

Sexuality: Demi/Pan

Period of arrival at Abbey: End Papa IV

Age: 178

Birthday: June 29

Zodiac: Cancer

Nationality/Origin: Australia

Part of the Pit: 2nd circle.

Languages/accents: Australian, Ghoulish, Infernal

Believes/religion: Satanist and worshipper of Leviathan

Occupation: Cook

Hobbies: Cooking, Fishing (specially catfish), Listening to music, playing electric guitar, games (from poker to videogames), swimming, going to the gym once in a while.

Specific Elemental powers: Fast swimmer, can hold water in his stomach and spit it out with quite a bit of force (waterblast), Camouflage himself, Can lure fish, Can communicate a little bit with large water mammals and sharks. Can stay underwater for unlimited time (2 sets of lungs)

Special abilities/skills: 2nd row of teeth (are slightly smaller than his front ones so not visible when he smiles, but are sharper to hold on prey)

Music taste: Death core, heavy metal, death metal, anything that sounds good to him.

Favourite food: Sushi, pokebowls and chicken parmi

Favourite drinks: Ginger beer and any soda really. (he enjoys the frizzy texture)

**Appearance**

Height: 193m

Hair color: Black and blue

Eye color: Blue and red

Skin color: Dark grey/black and white/light grey.

Spade shape: (still to be designed, but probably a bigger/thicker tail)

Special features: Fins on his arms, back (can fold down and are flexible), legs and ears. His "goatie" is also a fin.

Scars/marks: Scars on his arms from protecting his half sibling in the pit during a moon event.

Tattoo/Piercings/body mods: Septum, snakebites, tragus (both ears)

Accommodations/medical equipment: His skin/scales needs to be hydrated often or it cracks (doesn't have a mucus layer like it should), so carries a lotion, sunscreen and water bottle with him at work or if he goes out. His skin and scales are sensitive in general and can start to flake if not taken care off.

Scent: cocoa butter, coconut oil and a hint of jasmine

Clothing style: All his clothes are mostly black and wears bandshirts mostly.

Voiceclaim: nats whats i reckon

Other: He looks intimidating but is actually a cinnamon roll. Loves making people happy with his food, very protective.

[fitgirlfemdom]

whats your favorite nine inch nails album

The Downward Spiral is not only my favorite NIN album, but my favorite music project of all time. I've listened to it cover-to-cover probably a couple dozen times over the past few years. The storytelling, the songwriting, the instrumentals, the backstory to each track, the fact Trent Reznor got sent to court for it, the music videos, everything--I love that album so much. I wish Hurt wasn't such a meme song because I honestly think it fully encapsulates the post-suicide regret that many people experience after surviving. My favorite tracks on it are Ruiner, Mr. Self Destruct, Hurt, and I Do Not Want This, but I can't skip any tracks. It's probably the only album I've listened to where EVERY song is a hit, even the more subdued/abstract tracts like A Warm Place or the title track.

With Teeth is an incredibly important album to me--it's what I listened to after my OD, and also leading up to my OD. I remember I was having a seizure at a get-together after doing something, and my friend asked what album I should put on to calm me down after, and I said groggily, "With Teeth, Nine Inch Nails." My final OD before I got sober, I listened to With Teeth in the hospital, and realized I couldn't keep putting my body, my family, and my friends through it, and I went stone-cold sober. That was back in 2022. I'm planning on getting the With Teeth logo text tattooed on my wrist sometime, because the title track would always play in my head whenever I was offered anything else.

I enjoy Pretty Hate Machine, but I haven't listened to it as frequently as TDS, mainly because it's more new-wave/synth heavy and that just isn't my vibe. Certain tracks, though, like Sin or Something I Can Never Have are still in my constant rotation. Other tracks, though, like Sanctified are unlistenable for me. PHM was my first CD for my car, and while my mom was teaching me how to drive, Sanctified came on--"If she says 'come inside' / I'll come inside for her"--and I could never listen to the song the same. Down In It was one of my first NIN tracks, so it has a special place in my heart, even if it's directly ripped from a Skinny Puppy song. The Fragile has some of Trent's best tracks, but it's such a bloated record with so many filler tracks, I wish it was split up into two projects (especially since some songs like Starfuckers make no sense on the project). I don't think I've ever listened to The Fragile all the way through, because I can only take Trent's ambient droning for so long.

The post WT stuff, like Year Zero and The Slip, haven't garnered that much of my attention. Of course, certain songs like Discipline are unavoidable, but I was much more interested in the lore and mystery of Year Zero than the actual music. Some songs on Hesitation Marks still hit, like All Time Low, Copy of A, and Came Back Haunted. All in all, though, I hold the pretty common belief that after Trent got clean, his focus drifted more to his family and writing scores for films, which I support a lot more than his current NIN projects. The Soul soundtrack is fantastic, and I'm glad Trent wasn't one of those 90s male idols that died young, and if that means I gotta listen to his saxophone solos on his new albums, then so be it.

Also, thank you for asking me a question outside of fetish-content. It's nice to know people see me as human.

[tumblydovereviews]

Hamilton: Why it Worked

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your king, George III. Welcome, to Hamilton."

I've been in a Hamiton funk lately. In fact, while writing this post I was actually watching the Disney+ recording of the musical!

It's not just because today is the Fourth of July and Alexander Hamilton ultimately played a major role in helping America become what it is today. It's not just because Moana 2 is dropping in a couple of months, which Lin Manuel-Miranda won't be a part of, and I'm coping by listening to his music and work. I've always been a Hamilton fan, and while I haven't had the time nor the money to actually go out and see it myself, I have enjoyed it via listening to the soundtrack, reading the giant book I have on it, and generally appreciating the work itself.

A concept like Hamilton was fairly unique at the time of it coming out- after all, who has ever heard of an idea as abnormal as a sung-and-rapped musical about one of the Founding Fathers? In a way, though, Alexander Hamilton himself held many characteristics of a perfect protagonist for a show with this concept; he was restless, impulsive, and always moving, just as the show is paced to be. Lin Manuel-Miranda got the idea for the entire musical by reading a Hamilton biography. He was inspired by Hamilton's personality and compared it to that of a rapper; namely, Tupac Shakur, joining the past and the present together to form a new creation.

Any great musical would need to be propelled by music totally, and Hamilton is no exception; in fact, the musical holds a unique advantage over other generic shows- as mentioned before, it's a sung-and-rapped through musical. The majority, if not all, of the show is sung-through. Not only does this allow for a unique point-of-view inside of the personal issues of the characters, but it also allows the musical to be highly accessible. As I mentioned before, I haven't actually watched Hamilton in-person; my main way of consuming Hamilton media is by 'watching' the musical via its array of songs. Unlike other musicals, I didn't need to worry about gaps in the narrative not being able to be sealed by dialogue or body language.

And, speaking of the songs, they're great as well! In a variety of genres, such as rap, jazz, and pop, there's a Hamilton song for everyone, really. Lin, Leslie, Renee, and the rest of the class are amazing singers, and the orchestra and sound department also aids in elevating the play's most dramatic moments. Some are my personal favorites are the opening song, Alexander Hamilton, What'd I Miss, You'll be Back, and The Schuyler Sisters.

But, perhaps the main factor in the wide appeal of Hamilton was how well the writing and casting managed to humanize people that seemed so far away from our time, people who we'd usually think as being foreign to our modern-day issues. The cast of Hamilton are diverse in race, ranging from Hispanic to Black to Asian, and are given personalities that can relate to what people nowadays are like. Hamilton is ambitious and prideful, while Burr is more introverted but vengeful to a fault. Instead of random historical names, the two men, and all of the other characters in the play, become real. There's a reason that people of all ages, from young teenagers to fully-grown adults, have all managed to grow captivated by these characters. They are human. They are us. Hamilton is us.

And, ultimately, this is why Hamilton has become such a big success, in my opinion. Hamilton works because it doesn't just act as a play; instead, think of it as a river, using music, characters, and comedy to connect two oceans together- the past and the present. What started off as a random idea that was scorned down upon by others has ultimately become a global phenomenon, and with the feats mentioned above, it's no wonder that Hamilton managed to become such a success both on and off Broadway. To this day, the play still sells out tickets regularly, and is viewed, listened, and acted to by millions all around not just the USA, but the entire globe.

So, this fourth of July, you don't need to bolt out the national anthem while wearing red, white, and blue and bursting out oodles of fireworks everywhere you go. Instead, if you have the ability to, I'd highly recommend watching or listening to the soundtrack of Hamilton. Because, no matter the holiday or the country you lie in, there's something for everyone in this musical.

[notetaeker]

Hello!!! How did you become so dedicated to your studies? Do you have some advice?

I love your blog, btw✨️

Hi hi hi!! Thanks for the sweet message 💞💞

My BIG study tips (after 25 years of studying):

Accept your fate. This goes for anything but I used to procrastinate with studying a LOT and once you start it's actually not that bad. It's guaranteed. Automatically once you start, you have started, so you're already on your way, so it's already automatically not as bad anymore. Whining abt ur studies and avoiding them will not make them go away unfortunately. Just do it.

Make study time sacred. A few minutes of focused study is much more valuable than 5 hours spent at the library "studying" + scrolling + talking to friends + listening to music at the same time. Doing 5 hours like that is literally putting yourself thru hell because 1. you cant fully enjoy any of those non-studying activities and 2. you come out of that being like ugh I studied this page for 5 hours I'm tired of studying I need a break. Pomodoro method really changed my life pls try it out if u haven't already

That one tumblr post that says 'learning is basically being exposed to the same materials many times in multiple ways' is 100% correct. How many different ways can you expose yourself to the material. Memorizing facts- can you draw it? Can you organize the facts into lists? Can you attach a funny story to one of the facts? The more ways you interact with any material, the stronger it's saved in your memory. Find out if you're a visual learner- and then create visual tools, maybe color coding things helps you. Do a little digging and find out what works for you.

Diversify your life. Have some hobbies, spend time with friends/family, take a break. Let the computer of your brain sort out things in the background while you do other things. Once you go back to studying, you will feel refreshed (and not fatigued from 5 hrs in the library doing "studying") This also means that if you fail an exam, you won't be like 'oh no i spent my whole spring break studying for this exam and didn't even enjoy it and now I got a bad grade i must be horrible my life is nothing' and spiral. def not based on a true story :) Instead you'll be like yeah I failed but look at this scarf I crocheted look at mee i have mental health!

Sleep is magic- no matter what anyone else tries to tell you. 1. If you studied something during the day, just review those things right before bed and magically they will get set into your brain. Also 2. sleeping is when our brain sorts info so if you don't get any sleep at all it' the same as taking your study sheets and throwing them into the air, so when you ask your brain for the info during the test it's like lol it's around here somewhere. On the other hand, if you slept and gave ur brain time to sort it, when you ask for that info, it'll just open the right drawer and give u the info!

That's it for the big ones- if you want more specific advice feel free to ask! Also as a disclaimer, these 5 are all big life lessons that I had to learn thru trial and error, so consider these to be the advice I would give myself at a younger age. Pls don't be offended lol whenever I said 'you' I rlly was thinking abt myself.

[batmanfruitloops]

Music Meister and Polka-dot Man seem like such a cute couple, so I must ask: what type of dynamic do they have? As in, is it the classic "extrovert and their introvert" trope? Or maybe they're both extroverted weirdos? I'm so curious to learn more about what Darius and Abner are like as boyfriends!

I'm so glad you asked, I've been meaning to explain those lovely goobers of mine!

"Extrovert and their introvert" is a pretty good description of how those two are, Darius being the extrovert and Abner being the introvert, although if Abner hadn't been stuck in a lab for years, he'd probably be more outgoing.

ALSO,

Because I haven't posted about Darius or Abner's backstories as of yet, I will be explaining as much as is necessary to fully understand their relationship dynamic, as well as a lot of things I like about them. So this is going to be very long and have lots of pictures (apologies that it took so long because of that)

Darius History

To start, Darius is gay (Although I suppose that's a given) and Abner is demi. Darius was aware of this from a pretty young age, and so went through the ups and downs of that over the years. Abner wouldn't know how he felt on the romantic to aspec end of the spectrum until much later. Given Abner has spent half of his life in a lab since the age of 12, and the raucous living environment he had before, developing feelings for anyone was the last thing on his mind. Living with Darius for a while and then being presented with romantic feelings, Abner would be able to think about what he'd really want out of a relationship, and if he'd like that with Darius, and he does.

Darius is an only child of Ronald and Dalia Chapel, one of the elite families of Gotham. His relationship with his parents was fine when he was very young, but when they found out that he had powers, that changed. It was a day like any other, really. Darius was playing with his cousin, Mikey. They were just playing around and Darius was singing at the top of his lungs. This was also a common behavior for him, as it was one of his favorite things. Without really thinking about it, Darius told Mikey to do whatever he said. Mikey did it all with a blank expression. Darius just thought he was playing along, so he brought his parents to show them. They were able to tell that he wasn't just choosing to listen. Terrified, they yelled for Darius to stop. He did, startled by their sudden frustration. Mikey snapped out of it, greeting his aunt and uncle. Because of this, Darius' uncle, Kevin, is also aware of his powers, although Dalia (who's Kevin's older sister) made him swear to never bring it up. Despite this, he's one of the few people to always be supportive of Darius in every part of himself.

Darius' parents tried to discourage him from doing anything musically. They didn't want anything to happen and affect their family. But Darius loved music and singing. There was just no way he was going to give that up in its entirety. So he still joined choir in school, much to his parents' dismay. He did well. He was his teacher's favorite: he could sight-read pretty much anything, he could play the piano as accompaniment during their lessons and performances, help others with their parts, as well as fit into any octave section, depending on who needed it most. Darius was bullied for this, but he brushed it off. It hurt, but he enjoyed what he did, and he knew he was good at it.

Among Darius' bullies, there were a main few who harassed him more than others, and physically instead of just words at times. These boys had another friend who defended Darius, telling them to leave him alone and helping him up off the ground. Darius fell for that boy, and he fell hard. He felt his heart flutter any time he saw him, and grinned whenever they touched.

Darius wanted to confess. He knew it might not go well, but he felt that even if the boy didn't feel the same way, he'd turn Darius down politely, and that would be it. Unfortunately, when Darius actually did confess to him in a secluded area of the school, his face contorted in disgust, and he turned Darius down not so politely. Still, Darius accepted that response and moved on. The boy, however, decided to start bullying Darius along with the others. Darius' sexuality became another thing to bully him for.

Besides that, the rest of Darius' school life was uneventful. Just homework, concerts, and a desire to belong. Right after he graduated, he got his ear pierced, and that little thing opened the floodgates for his parents to berate him again, telling him to get over himself so he'd be suitable to carry on the Chapel name. He stood his ground and soon moved out, tired of the toxic environment.

Darius is able to make friends after this, one of which he opens a club with called "Euphony Lounge". I'll have to get into that in a post of its own, but Darius co-owns and is the DJ there.

Darius still didn't have much luck dating. Not every experience was bad, but nobody was ever as serious as he was. His last "partner" before becoming the Music Meister was a guy named Corbin. Again, he'll get his own post eventually, but there's a reason I put partner in parentheses. He left Darius very drained, and with Darius also wanting a use for his powers, he threw his passions into becoming the Music Meister.

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

Abner History

Abner comes from a family of 9. This includes his parents and 6 siblings. His mother was an Iranian immigrant named Aviva Fazel, his father a born Gothamite David Krill. (Family order reference) His father was very controlling of his mother. She couldn't go out, couldn't talk to people or even neighbors, just had to take care of the house, kids, and whatever else he wanted. So Aviva did her best to appease his demands. Abner, being the second oldest, did his best to help around the house along with his other siblings. School was a welcome place to blend in because coming home meant going back to his father. Abner had heard his father yell and hit his mother on many occasions, threatening to throw them all out, but his mother never stopped him. That was until his father started yelling about Jamie and was going to hit him. Aviva wouldn't stand to have her children treated like that. Finally, David completely lost his temper, literally kicking Aviva and his kids out. And then they had nothing but each other.

Desperate to give her kids a better life, Aviva went from place to place, trying to find a job. During this time, Davin, Abner, and Chaya took the most care of the younger 4. They were too young to really understand what was happening, but they knew that something was wrong. A week turned into a month, then a month and a half. Aviva was able to pick up odd jobs here and there, but nothing she could keep. She could see her children starting to wither away, and it broke her heart.

Out of nowhere, Aviva spotted some fliers Stating that anyone willing to have a virus tested on them would have their living means provided for them into the foreseeable future. It sounded too good to be true, but she had to check. The flier was legitimate, and Aviva and her children were hurriedly ushered into an office to sign some documents.

The doctors and other staff all seemed fine at first. They treated the kids very nicely, getting them all cleaned up and fed. But once they were injected with the virus, their niceness took on an eerie presence. Each of them reacted differently, the spots starting small, and they felt fine. But not long after, the negative side effects started to appear. Again, saving that part for later, but I can tell you that Abner was the only one to end up surviving with the virus.

Abner hated it there. The silence filled only with the buzz of lights and passing footsteps, the dirty off-white walls, the doctors who only said that they cared. And they made him wear hand cuffs and a suppressor to keep his spots from getting out of hand until they needed him.

It was extremely uncomfortable, as well as a constant reminder of the condition he was in. Star labs' main concern is turning and/or taking meta-humans to become soldiers to fight wars instead of other humans as well as whatever intense or underhanded tasks, thanks to Waller.

Among these tasks, Waller wanted Abner to become one of her best soldiers, ready to kill and use any force necessary. But Abner is against killing, the idea terrifies him. He has no desire to be a violent person and refused despite the multitude of methods they tried using to change that. So they still deployed him for dirty government missions. So although he isn't wearing a suppressor and cuffs on missions, he's still equipped with a suicide collar and watched.

One such method they tried using on Abner was isolation: just enough to break him, but not enough to permanently take him out of commission. For many years, that was effective. Abner, stuck all by himself, left only to his thoughts. The many many thoughts of his family, outliving them, the neverending nightmare of his current situation.....the idea of dying didn't sound so bad anymore. But by the time he's 24, his current age, those isolated moments just turned to a burning rage and a plot to leave.

He puts this plot into effect during a mission and is able to get away. Again, I'll leave that moment for a different post, it's pretty important.

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

First Meeting

Oh boy, let's talk about how these two met. It was not actually as rogues, though they did know of each other. They met in a meet-cute situation not too long after Abner finally escaped from the lab and was traveling around. The Gotham subway system, to be exact. Darius was just getting to and from shopping before noticing just how uncomfortable Abner looked, standing stiff with his hands in his pockets, hood pulled tightly, and a medical mask on. Then that lead to noticing that Abner had handsome eyes, and continuing to glance out of the corner of his eye. Due to the subway bumping around, Abner's hood slips momentarily, and Darius is able to see a few spots. "Oh, I know who you are," an unspoken thought. They meet eyes in that moment, Darius from curiosity and Abner fear. The shuttle grinds to a halt, and Abner books it out of there, Darius close behind. He's never actually met another meta-human before, this was his perfect chance! Unfortunately, it comes across as creepy and once Abner is cornered, he pulls a buzz saw spot out in a panic, ready to use it if Darius doesn't run off. This finally makes Darius realize just how this scenario reads, and he tries to explain and ask if Abner is okay. They chat in that alley briefly before Darius offers Abner to stay in his house until he finds a better means for himself to live. Abner would still be skeptical at this point, but Darius hasn't made any moves to hurt him (he does disclose that he's the Music Meister, btw) and Abner has the ability to stop him if he needs to. So he follows him home. Darius would explain where things were and let him know that he isn't obligated to offer anything to stay, or even interact with him. This would be pretty surprising to Abner, people don't just do things without a motive.

Abner is honestly very grateful to have a place to hide and some company. The idea of being alone any longer would be unbearable. So Abner stays pretty close to Darius, and they get to know each other as they open up. It helps that Darius is so chatty, since it makes Abner much more comfortable.

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

Had they met as rogues instead, it wouldn't be too different? It mostly crossed my mind purely out of curiosity, but it's cute to me that Darius would still fall for Abner and try very hard to "rizz him up" before Abner went from flustered and distraught (from having to return to the lab, he wouldn't want to acknowledge anything at first, that could end up hurting both of them, and also, Abner still wouldn't understand how he was feeling at first) to wanting to run away with him. (I know, I can be extremely mushy)

It was a bit awkward for the first while, but Darius did a lot to make it comfortable for Abner and not feel like a stranger just passing through.

Darius originally offered Abner his room and he'd be sleeping on the couch, but Abner wasn't keen on the idea of being alone again, so he asked if they could both just be in his room. Darius understood that sentiment, so he obliged. A bit awkward for Darius (in a nervous context, not that he'd dislike the idea. He's only ever slept in the same bed as past partners), but Abner was used to sleeping with his mom and siblings before, so it's much more comfortable for him to share the proximity. Along with that, Darius also plays music on a low volume and keeps lava lamps on while he sleeps, which adds to an atmosphere that's calming. It's the opposite of the lab in every way,

Darius really did try not to fall for Abner, despite his initial physical attraction. He had just had a bad experience months prior with Corbin, and he wanted to prove to himself that he could be emotionally independent. Abner had also been in a situation that made Darius feel like he'd be unsure if he felt the same, or worse, that he'd feel obligated to reciprocate because Darius was providing him amenities. But the more Abner became comfortable with him, the harder it got.

Abner was very kind and caring, and very good at listening. He'd opened up about his past and let Darius do the same, so that only made them closer. Abner enjoyed how Darius liked to show him new things, and now enthusiastic he was about it. Abner treated Darius a lot like his siblings, it's what he'd best understand; he'd have a hard time placing how it felt different, but he'd just assume it was because they weren't actually blood related.

That said, Darius would reach a point where he'd confess, while being careful about it. He wouldn't want to make Abner uncomfortable, but it was affecting Darius on a daily basis.

Abner had to think about it for a few days, but he ultimately decided that he'd like to try and see how things worked out with Darius.

Abner likes to cook, but it would have been over a decade since he last got to. So he wouldn't have much confidence doing so, especially since he'd be recreating his mother's recipes based on his memories, but he'd enjoy himself a lot. Darius doesn't know how to cook, so it's helpful to let both of them eat better as well.

Darius is a hopeless romantic. He's just so happy to be dating Abner in the first place, and he has a lot of silly habits. Sometimes he'll just blush and giggle to himself if he catches Abner staring. He did this before they were dating too, but it's not something that ever stops happening. When he finds himself especially flustered, he'll tuck his hair behind his ear. Not the long side, mind you, but the shorter one. So there's not really any hair to tuck, it's just the motion, and Abner finds that very cute.

Abner is also pretty happy to just be dating Darius, although he shows it more through contentment. He's also a bit more aloof about giving affection. Not because he doesn't want to be affectionate, he's just so used to being by himself and left to his own thoughts that his actions can seem out of nowhere. To give an example for the sake of explanation, let's say the two were on an outing and Darius was being chatty the whole time (because of course he would be). Abner would feel the progressing want to kiss him, so the actual event of said kiss wouldn't be in reaction to any particular thing Darius said or where they were.

Euphony Lounge is a club that Darius made with his closest friend at the time, Micah. They wanted a club that anyone could feel welcome at, as well as have it decorated with lots of inspiration to their favorite music artists throughout the years, I'll get to it in it's own post eventually.

Darius will be working as the DJ most nights. Otherwise, he'll be out causing forgivable mischief as the Music Meister. He's so happy seeing other people enjoying music as well as themselves, and it's the perfect place for that.

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

Spot issues

There's so much I could go into depth about how Abner's spots and the virus work, but I'll save the bulk of that for another post. What's most important is that Abner's spots can make him feel very sick if his body reaches the limit of how many spots it can handle at once before they need to be purged.

He'll start to get a bad migraine, with spotty vision and his mouth with taste like stomach acid, throat dry, and sticking to itself. Nausea sets in as well, making moving at all uncomfortable. He'd be more aware of every spot on his body than usual, and so he'd want them gone. Unfortunately, he still can't purge them just anywhere. If he were to throw them all up in the toilet, it would be destroyed by the buzz saws and black holes, so he has to be able to find a secluded area to safely get rid of them all. Darius does his best to comfort Abner until these bouts are over, continuing to help as purging leaves him very drained.

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

Dating

Darius likes to sing in the shower and continues to do so while getting ready for the day. Abner finds this very amusing and will just listen to and watch him. Although it still caught both of them by surprise the first time it happened living together.

Abner had on cuffs and a suppressor for a majority of his life before escaping. Because of this, he gets extremely anxious when his wrists or neck are touched. Add any pressure to that, and he'll pull away. Darius is understanding of this and does his best to avoid touching them. Pretty much anywhere else is fine for him. Places that are more commonly sensitive, he'd be fine with, like your back, hips, thighs, that kind of thing. So he becomes a bit frustrated at himself about it. It makes total sense, it's going to take time, and it will probably only ever be Darius who'll touch him like that, but that's part of why he's frustrated. He trusts Darius, there's no way that man will ever hurt him, yet the anxiety is still there. But they work through it over time. Abner having patience in himself is very important. And Darius is just as patient and sweet. Perhaps I'm beating this point into the ground, but it's very important to me, given I've had a similar situation before.

Darius is very much on the opposite end. He likes all kinds of touch, anywhere, anytime. He's a very physically affectionate person, so his friends receive that too (given they aren't touch averse, of course). This is a helpful fact for when they first start dating, as it gives Abner the ability to lead. Darius is content just knowing Abner feels the same way, but he's very happy that Abner wants to be touchy as well.

Along with that, Darius is 6' 1" and Abner is 6', so they're practically the same height. If not for Darius styling his hair so big, and wearing platforms to go out, you probably couldn't be sure who was actually taller. Also a little fun fact that goes along with that, in 4" platforms Darius would be the same height as Jo, 6' 5", although his Music Meister costume has one of the few pairs of shoes he owns that have a normal sole.

Abner isn't particularly fond of going out. He wants to experience new things for himself, but the idea of his identity being found out and having to return to the lab is his worst fear. However, it's more comfortable when he goes out with Darius. Darius is very good at keeping his attention or re-directing it to something else. A firm hand hold can never go wrong either. Plus it's not fair to think that Abner would never be able to go out because of something someone else is responsible for.

Still, they mostly go out to the Euphony Lounge and that's a safe place to be. It's stimulating for Abner without being too much in the DJ booth, and Darius is able to enjoy a job he really likes. Sometimes they'll even dance together up there, just getting lost in the music and each other's presence.

I think that's everything I have at the moment, ha ha, I love these two,

- Sarsee

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 7/11/23, timezone change edition

the last time i wrote one of these things, i was not quite fully packed up in ma. now, i am technically temporarily homeless in houston, bc the apartment i originally signed on was completely unlivable. crashing in an acquaintance's guest room for a bit while i have a very bad time with apartment hunting round 2

i have lived in south florida, staten island, and various shithole student housing. i understand seasonal bugs in hot places and things such as different kinds of roaches and palmetto bugs. when i say that apartment had the worst roach infestation i've ever seen i fucking mean it. in theory i will get my full deposits back, but they're taking their sweet fucking time about it.

but having that full yes-i-know-about-seasonal-roaches conversation with new acquaintances and leasing agents takes too long so i've resorted to saying it had a horrific bedbug problem, which everyone seems to go Oh Okay Yeah Reasonable For You To Leave much more quickly.

listening

a lot of early aughts dance pop standards, to chase away the agonies as i drive to and from apartments only to get ghosted, find they were rented a week ago, or find that they look absolutely nothing like the pictures. i was really torn on which britney song to pick for this week until my sister sent me Twin Flame by Maude Latour, which i can only describe as "douchebag get the girl back song but for lesbians". spotify

also how do we like the "featured link from bandcamp or soundcloud with additional spotify link" format? in an ideal world i would buy all my music directly from the artists but realistically i use spotify 90% of the time. i don't know what your life is like, tell me if this is helpful or not.

-

reading

my best friend made sad faces at me until i read The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, and it was a little nice to see someone else's dire housing situation get resolved neatly and with thematic consistence in several hundred pages. it was also nice to text her snippets with "WHAT?????" every so often. this is a reading experience i don't have very often bc our current reading tastes don't overlap even a little bit.

i don't have much to say about it bc i didn't have particularly strong feelings and don't really read mainstream straight romance, so i can't point out what this did differently or well compared to its peers. if nothing else, it was a fluffy bit of distraction, and i think that's kind of the point?

(image from Tor) also read Saad Z. Hossein's Kundo Wakes Up novella in a waffle house while eating some of the best scrambled eggs i've ever had in my life.

this novella was the closest thing i've ever read to "aging English professor has an affair" without actually containing any of those elements. generally i enjoy his work, but this was sort of a way to check up and tie off many characters from previous works with a sort of light frosting of "my wife left me and i don't know why [ rot13:v pna znxr fbzr thrffrf ohg gurer vf ab zbzrag bs frys-ernyvmngvba, bapr ur svaqf uvf jvsr ur whfg perrcf ba ure sebz nsne naq nsgre qrgrezvavat fur'f abg jvgu nalbar arj znxrf gur gerzraqbhf fnpevsvpvny qrpvfvba gb yrnir ure nybar op fur'f zhpu unccvre jvgubhg uvz. gurer vf ab zbzrag bs frys-ernyvmngvba nobhg jul fur zvtug unir yrsg uvz. xhaqb arire trgf bhg bs uvf bja shpxvat urnq bapr.]"

while The Gurkha and the Lord of Thursday novella (TREMENDOUS) and Cyber Mage book (fun but with some dire pacing issues) are fairly standalone, i cannot imagine you'd get much out of Kundo Wakes Up if you haven't read the other two. for some reason none of the libraries i have access to have his other book Djinn City, so we'll have to procure that elsewhere.

-

watching

the dnd movie, the day after i broke my lease on the roach apartment. i don't remember a ton about this movie. do generally like a heist. michelle rodriguez was hot

-

playing

genshin. listen. it is a free and familiar way to turn my brain off by doing open world exploration and puzzles but CRUCIALLY! most of it is completely new to me. i have not played this game in a year and a half. i have not played this game since right before enkanomiya. there was no chasm. there was no Sumeru. i have absolutely no idea what’s happening lore-wise.

i pulled for the fancy ice claymore lady and got a catboy archer (at least i think it is a catboy? the ears do give a pharaoh hound vibe... he is distinct from the extant dogboy archer). not terrible but not my vibe.

i have been enjoying the shit out of the temporary summer event carnival space. they really did pull out several stops by introducing a ton of genuinely interesting and innovating little new mechanics and mini games. delightful!

-

making

altering the worst shorts ive ever seeeeeeeeen with a demure little two-inch side slit on both legs bc my thighs simply will not quit. mens shorts are so much better than womens shorts in nearly every way except for the catastrophic physical fit issues.

when i got ghosted by two different apartments on saturday i bought myself a spoon ring so chunky it makes my other chunky rings look positively delicate by comparison. not very comfy to drive in but fine to wear while tippy tappying on the spreadsheets

a girl i saw for one singular awful date in 2016 called my hands "coarse but honest" and i think about that every time my hands are in a photo. what did that even fucking MEAN, [REDACTED]?

[lia404]

Get to know me better game—2 in 1 because I'm 6 months late

Tagged by: @baratrongirl and @missmewachu

Thanks for being so patient while I was figuring out how Tumblr works again and why I had a blue dot beside "Activity" (as in, notifications about tag games I've been sent 6 months ago. Better late than never 🤦‍♀️) Thankfully the tag games you sent my way are very similar so it won't be hard to do 2 in 1!

Last song I listened to: Chipzel - Courtesy - YouTube

The 1st track of Super Hexagon, composed by Chipzel. Chipzel's music has been a pick-me-up since 201...4 I think? And since I fell back into Super Hexagon around a week ago, the music has also found its way back into my work playlist.

Currently reading: Trick question! There is what I am MEANT to read, and what I am ACTUALLY reading.

What I am MEANT to read is To Shape a Dragon's Breath, by Moniquill Blackgoose, which has absolutely all the elements I need to love a book. The problem is that my brain absolutely refuses moving further than Chapter 1, and I've been stuck for MONTHS. The good news is that when it happens, I usually struggle until the moment my brain finally snaps and I read the whole book in an afternoon. Wait for me, Moniquill Blackgoose, I'll soon be raving about your book.

What I am ACTUALLY reading is... well, it's more re-reading, but I'm going through Happy Hour by Inkflavored and Keep the Light Shining by Clydeside, two Yu-Gi-Oh AUs that have been incredibly healing for me in the past months, for very different reasons. I wanted to re-experience them to see if I could turn them into fanbinding projects (if the authors give me the authorisation of course, but I haven't reached this level of confidence yet, let's give it time.)

Currently watching: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS.

Do you believe me if I tell you that it was an accident? It kinda was though! I wasn't the one who played the first episodes I just kept going afterwards. That said, I have fully adopted Yusaku. I kind of wish he could meet Philip from Kamen Rider W. Things would go so well.

Currently writing: this one is plain cruel, because after a drought spell of almost 2 years, I finally feel like getting back into writing (thank you, current obsession.)

I have 3 WIPs, one PWP because I like a challenge, one backstory of a character that has basically become my OC, and one AU that @wisyhana created and that I'm using as a wonderful sandbox. I am between 2k and 5k into each, nothing is complete, I'm losing my mind. But at least I'm writing again, right?

Spicy/sweet/savoury: Okay yes no it's cruel again and you will not make me pick just one.

If you've followed me these past years you know that I have completely lost my sense of taste between 2020 and 2023. I was lucky enough, and honestly even the specialised doctor said it was a miracle, to have most of it come back to me abruptly in March 2023, after 3 years unable to enjoy a bit of chocolate or a nice gratin. Some tastes are lost forever, but so few compared to what came back that I just can only be very very grateful and very confident in saying SPICY SWEET SAVOURY I'LL TAKE THEM ALL. I LOVE TASTES. ALL OF THEM.

Relationship status: I have been told polyamory looks good on me.

And I am lucky to have the most patient and tolerant lovers ever. EVER. I love them so much and I'm so bad at showing it because I am a mess. There isn't a day where my heart doesn't overflow with gratitude that they are in my life and agree to putting up with my bullshit.

Current obsession: Listen, Mew put it SO ELOQUENTLY I can help but quote:

mentally ill traumatised japanese teenagers and their ancient egyptian guys who hang out in their jewellery all playing card games.

So, yeah, current obsession is Yu-Gi-Oh!, and with it Duel Links, and everything children-card-game-adjacent. I am currently trying to figure out why everyone in this kid's show is so hot and delightfully traumatised. Characters after my own heart, all ready to be projected on and used for cathartic writing purposes. Other obsession is MEW'S FAULT TOO ACTUALLY since it's my newly founded Clan in Flight Rising. Ask me about my dragon Atem.

Favourite colour: I like my colour like my wine—burgundy. (I actually like all sort of shades of purple, violet and red, but I don't know how to list them.)

Tagging: Wow uh who do I know around here who is still active?

@twilightknight17 for sure (although I'm sure you already did it), @wingsonghalo maybe? Uuuh, I think @the-wanderer-of-thoughts and @istadris? You know, considering how inactive I am here, I think it's already a lot, but if you're not in the list and want to do it too, be my guest!

[neptunianrefrain]

my real actual life got in the way, so it's time to play catch up! this post will be a compilation of all days missed.

OC-tober day 4 - underappreciated OC -skipped

sorry for skipping a mandatory day, but literally none of my ocs specifically come to mind. because like all of them are because i forget they exist, there's no one guy that specifically gets that title. and i'm not drawing all of them there's TOO MANY

OC-tober day 5 - redesigned OC - skipped

no specific redesign i want to talk about :P

OC-tober day 6 - past

not many of my ocs get backstories, since i don't often have them for long enough to care about those sorts of things... but all of the ocs i've spoken about so far do have at least something within their past! so let's talk about them!

gio was born in the philippines, to a family who didn't really want him. his original birth name was marikit. through some kind of program he was adopted out to a family in canada. this family adopted 3 other children due to fertility issues, though they did manage to have one biological child. they let him change his name to georgia. his life was pretty normal. in his teens, he started to figure out he was trans. by the time it started to click, his mom died. so that kind of got in the way of things. there's also an abusive ex somewhere in there but i haven't figured that bit out. anyways now he's an adult and looking into transitioning. now his name is giovanni. he really likes g names. he fully transitions over the course of several years. during this time, somewhere towards the end of his transition hes like late 20s or something, he meets and soon falls in love with a guy named michael (who belongs to my moirail @dialtone-town,) starting a long and loving relationship. eventually mike's sibling dies and mike fucks off to new jersey. this fucks gio up for a while! and eventually he has to go to new jersey for work shit. and he meets mike again. and theyre friends now yaaay

starlight has a vague backstory involving his development, as he was a custom order. there were several prototypes made of him, that still exist somewhere probably. they're more so an oc that exists to exist instead of an oc that exists for a story.

victor is still very new, but i did come up with the idea that her coding - that is to say the very makeup of her being - was intentionally messed with by another gem to create a reliable hitman, though they fucked up and victor immediately killed them, now continuing to kill as she lacks purpose beyond this.

chartreuse probably served the gempire at some point. eventually rebelled and had a bit of a turbulent life, had a best friend for a while but he fucked off and became a massive bitch. now she's part of a major rebel group, serving as the lead engineer.

OC-tober day 7 - likes

most of my ocs like similar things to me, or things that fit their sort of vibe. it's kind of hard for me to come up with likes and dislikes sometimes... but i try my best!

gio loves all kinds of video games, particularly liking ones with interesting stories or game mechanics. he also tends to enjoy science fiction, liking both sleek and elegant futuristic tech, and rough and war torn machinery. he watched some anime as a teen, and still finds new animanga to enjoy to this day.

starlight enjoys futuristic themes and styles, such as cyberpunk, and cassette futurism. he also enjoys fashion, especially alternative styles. and by god does he love playing weird indie video games. sometimes he does play more normal video games. sometimes. loves music, genre and language mattering not. he WOULD pass those "do you really listen to anything" tests. he also loves creation, making art and music and writing. he loves creating as much as he loves looking into what others have made.

uhh victor. victor likes killing people. chartreuse uhh. she likes something probably.

i have other ocs i cld maybe put here but i don't want to introduce them now. blehh

[lemurzsquad]

Music to Owl Ears (Ch 1)

Ch 1: Jogging Laps

Pairing: Bokuto x musician fem!reader

Summary: After being knocked over, your morning is hijacked by the pair of students responsible, and your mind is jogging laps trying to figure out one question: What in the world just happened?

A/N: I have once again been dragged along by my own story, I have no control of what happens lol

In all seriousness tho, I was not expecting some of this stuff to happen right off the bat, but we're going with it. Also, this is NOT going to be a love triangle---Akaashi is a very important character, but I am not adding him to the romance problems TvT he just got a surprising amount of attention this chapter

I hope you enjoy!! And please read the prologue if you haven't! (It's essentially the actual Ch 1 lol)

Word count: 1510

cw: overthinking, some jealousy, rambling

"Bold for English"

"Not bold for Japanese"

- Masterlist -

< Prologue | Ch 1: Jogging Laps | Ch 2: Lunch Break >

Your first day of school turned out… interesting, to say the least. Chaotic may have been a better word—maybe hectic. Or perhaps unexpected and eventful were more accurate. Confusing? Not quite, save for the lingering question of how you got to this point in the back of your mind.

You found yourself at your assigned desk, running through English synonyms for your experiences that day and trying to think of Japanese synonyms in the process. Your teacher was running through class expectations for the year that you only vaguely listened to but never fully locked your attention on. It wasn't intentional; your mind was simply jogging laps to process what had happened that morning.

You recalled the course of events once more, attempting to grasp some sort of understanding of the question that ran through your head over and over: What in the world just happened?

After you had been pulled to your feet, eyes wide and taken aback, you finally got a good look at the person who you assumed had knocked you over—and you could immediately tell how that happened. He towered over you, still holding on and moving you around slightly to inspect for any signs of injury. From the way he had picked you up with such ease, you gathered he was pretty well built under his partially disheveled uniform. His hair was two-toned in black and silver and slicked back into what you would describe as spiky owl ears—the thought almost made you chuckle, but you kept it to yourself.

You glanced over to the left in the direction of his friend. His stature was not quite as tall or nearly as visibly brawny, and he was much more put together. He gave you a very brief look of sympathy and apology that you barely caught before your eyes turned back.

The one still holding you by the shoulders finally spoke a coherent, complete sentence that wasn't some broken variation of “Are you okay? I'm so sorry!” When he deduced you had not sustained any wounds due to his carelessness, he said, “I'm so stupid, I'm sorry. Glad you're not hurt, though!” He gave you a grin, one that was somewhere between sheepish, apologetic, and lighthearted.

“I told you, you should have been paying attention,” his black-haired friend interjected dryly. “You might want to let her go, though.”

Something seemed to click beneath his owl ears that reminded him he was still clinging to you. He pulled his hands back finally, chuckling as he scratched the back of his head. You smiled and sniffled whatever remains of your previous tears were left.

“It's no worries,” you reassured. “I should have been paying attention, too, but I didn't know where I was going.”

“Oh, are you new? A transfer student, maybe?” The shorter of the two asked while his companion went to pick up your bag and hand it back to you.

“Was it that obvious?” You joked, brushing off the remaining dust, pebbles, and strays bits of grass from your uniform. You tried your best to straighten out your outfit—the first uniform you'd ever had to wear to school before—before slinging your bag back over your shoulder and across your body.

The one to the left tilted his head slightly, replying, “Well, you were speaking English earlier, so I just took a guess.”

“And you have a strong accent,” his friend interrupted. He grinned brightly and held out his hand, unexpectedly blurting out, “I'm Bokuto Koutarou, by the way!”

You probably would have shook his hand if you didn't get distracted by your own thoughts. “Bokuto's your… surname, right? Last name, first name, I think. Sorry, I haven't met many people since I got here even though it's been a couple weeks,” you rambled. “Also, sorry if I get anything wrong, I'm kind of new to this whole ‘being in Japan’ thing.” You gesture with your hands as you speak, using your fingers as quotation marks near the end.

Bokuto laughed lightheartedly, and his friend almost joined him. “Don't worry, you are doing okay,” he said—to your surprise—in English. It was a bit stiff, but you could understand it just fine—it was about as good as your Japanese. You turned to him, the faucet of your thoughts running out of your mouth quickly closed, and your jaw hung open. “My name is Akaashi Keiji. You can just call me Akaashi,” he added.

For some reason, his words seemed to hit you right in the chest. Maybe it was because he went through the effort to say them in your own language, or maybe it was because you were still emotional and unsure of how living in Japan would go. A couple of subtle deep breaths were enough to stop the tears threatening to well.

“My name is Y/n– I mean, L/n Y/n,” you replied, making sure to correct yourself. “Please just call me Y/n, I'd feel weird being called by my last name.” You held out your hand with a hopeful smile, shaking their hands in turn. I have no idea why I just did that, you thought in reference to the handshake. That felt way too formal.

You shook your head softly at your own thoughts before continuing, “It's nice to meet you, Akaashi and… Bokuto.” You took a guess in calling him that, not entirely sure which name to use. You were already uncertain if you were being impolite, but the wide grin you got in return told you it was fine.

The whole situation went by in a blur to the point you almost had to ignore your own awkwardness, finding yourself just trying to form sentences. It somehow made you both anxious and relieved by having to focus solely on the conversation. There was no time to think about how or why the conversation was happening in the first place.

You briefly pulled out your phone, and your heart leapt in your chest when you saw the time. School would be starting in seven minutes. “Oh no, I have no idea how to get to class—” You looked between Bokuto and Akaashi, the panic of unfamiliarity rising in you once again.

When you asked if they knew the way when you mentioned your class, Bokuto piped up, “That's on the way to my class! You should totally come with me, I can show you where it is!” Before you could give any sort of answer, grabbed you by the arm and started to almost race into the building.

You had just enough time to wave at Akaashi and for him to see the flustered, stunned look on your face. He shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets and heading to class at a much more leisurely pace—he didn't bother trying to catch up. He had the sneaking suspicion that this year was about to be a very entertaining one.

Bokuto had dragged you a good while before you had managed to get him to slow down, saying you couldn't tell where you were going and needed to commit it to memory. Eventually, you had made it to your class. You found it odd that the classroom was just open with no teacher inside. You had glanced around, confused, but didn't bother asking about it.

In the time it took to get to where you needed to go, it was evident that Bokuto was fairly popular. He had loudly greeted people along the way with a shining smile and enthusiastic waves.

A feeling started to eat away at you—a guilty emotion that brewed of envy, discomfort, and something else you couldn't quite place. You were grateful that he had shown you around, but a nagging in your mind told you it was just to make up for his first impression. And seeing him so carefree and able to talk to people so casually made you infinitely more aware of your standing. The realization that he may have been that comfortable due to years of enrollment at the school didn't make you feel any better.

You now sat at the back of the class, running through the busy morning once more. You wondered mindlessly if you would ever run into Akaashi and Bokuto again as you listened to your teacher. You hadn't greeted anyone or introduced yourself; you knew you should have if you wanted to make friends, but the thought alone made you start to feel nervous.

It was too early to be coming to the conclusion that, in reality, you knew you weren't going to go out of your way to make friends, but you couldn't help it.

The bell that signaled lunch rang just out of your current sphere of focus.

And just as you started to get fully immersed into your spiraling reasoning and excuses, jogging laps in your mind with an ever-increasing speed, a voice pierced through your protective, self-destructive bubble, loud and clear.

“HEY, HEY, HEY!! Y/N!”

It would seem that you didn't have a choice on that friendship front.

Thank you for reading!! <333

- Masterlist -

< Prologue | Ch 1: Jogging Laps | Ch 2: Lunch Break >

Do not copy and/or repost!! Any likes, comments, or reblogs are appreciated, though! (c) 2024 LemurzSquad

[ohhgingersnaps]

Hrm...what's a fun and different ship to ask about lmfao...oh yes. What do you think about Wizard/Linus? Oh and also I actually saw Maru/Sam once and while that's kinda crack I also love it? What do you think? 😂

Oooh Wizard/Linus is ship I haven't considered before!! I could see it working— I could see this ship falling into Grumpy Old Man Divorcee/Free-Spirited Sunshine territory, which I do enjoy (albeit the Sunshine here is one who's a bit wary of other people, but I love a good slow burn).

Re: Maru/Sam, my feelings are !!!! YES. It's an OTP for me. Sam's very emotionally intelligent, upbeat, and a good listener, and he is endlessly supportive as a spouse. He's had to shoulder a lot of responsibility with Kent gone, and imo he's more mature than he seems (see: the cutscene with Vincent), but he has learned to chill. And Maru is passionate, intelligent, outgoing, and ambitious, but she also needs to undergo the process of differentiating herself from her dad that Sam kind of had to undergo when Kent left, and navigating that is a huge part of her in-game arc (or it was intended to be, even if it comes across as more Demetrius' arc than Maru's imo).

Sam's tendency to question societal expectations of productivity, and his ability to relax, will be good for Maru, actually! Let Maru question the expectations she (and Demetrius) puts on herself a little bit. Get that girl a man who challenges her to ask what she wants, instead of what she thinks she's "supposed" to do and be. ("Did you get everything done on [your research project] today? If you didn't I won't be mad!" <- a post-marriage quote from Sam that Maru would greatly benefit from hearing more)

Also, once he gets the job at the library/museum?? In my mind, he is burning custom-tailored playlists for her and sliding the CDs in alongside the books she puts on reserve. He is constantly asking for her opinions on his songs. They infodump at each other (him about music, her about her latest fun chemistry or mechanical engineering thing) (yes I am sprinkling in some autism/ADHD solidarity here). She is fixing his audio equipment with scraps she finds around the lab like MacGyver and he thinks it's the absolute coolest thing.

Also worth mentioning: Sam isn't set on a traditional career. If Maru's pursuing a full-time STEM career (as she wants and deserves to!), this is actually a benefit, logistically speaking. From personal experience, a STEM career requires constant relocating from college age through your late twenties (undergrad -> PhD -> postdoc), which makes romantic relationships during that stage of life notoriously difficult— not to mention the "two-body problem" dilemma she'll face if she ends up wanting to go into academia. A STEM career is a lot easier to navigate if your partner is open to rearranging their own career to move with you.

Side note: Demetrius would not approve of Sam, at least at first. He's near and dear to my heart, but he tends to have Ideas About How Things Should Go, and I don't think it's easy for him to let go of the idea that his little girl deserves someone who has the same type of talents and intelligence and can "provide for her" in the traditional sense, despite Maru a) being happy and fulfilled because of Sam's differences, b) recognizing that Sam's talents and ambitions, while less traditional and financially stable, are incredibly valuable, and c) being fully capable of being the main breadwinner. There's a whole character arc of "Demetrius learns to let Maru be a grown woman who makes her own decisions, even if he doesn't understand them, and Maru learns to be cool with her dad not approving of her choices" that's begging to be written, here.

Also, secondary to the rest of it, but I can't get over the idea of Sam going through Maru's two-heart event. Demetrius tries to give Sam a shovel talk and our favorite golden retriever boy immediately goes "haha oh yeah Maru's the BEST isn't she? :D" and spends the next ten minutes rambling about what Cool Fun Science Girl Vibes she has. This is fully off-script from the scenarios Demetrius prepped in his head, and he has no idea how to respond.

Thank you for asking!! I apologize that this turned into such an essay, I'm just really invested in them haha :)