#i will still be working on stuff but i now realize that the strike calls for not publishing other content so that we flood the feeds

[heich0e]

ever since you were young, you've fallen victim to at least one terrible cold per year.

it's not your fault—your almost laughably fallible immune system is seemingly genetic, as your family was always the same growing up—but even that biological truth does little to make you feel better when you're in the thick of cough and cold season, waiting for illness to inevitably strike. one faint, meagre consolation from your predictably lacklustre immune response means that you at the very least have a fairly well-practiced routine for when you fall ill. you know the brands of medication that work best, the fever patches with the most reliable adhesion, which teas seem to help decongest you better than others. you've got soup recipes, and hot water bottles, and fuzzy socks tucked away at the ready for when you need them, because you know that you eventually will.

but this season, there's a wild card in the mix. a variable you haven't had the opportunity to plan for in years past.

shouto.

you met shouto last summer at a going away party to which you were a plus one of someone who didn't even know the person who was going away particularly well. you'd been beyond shocked when you turned up to the gathering only to see half the top pro-hero ranking list gathered before your very eyes. even more shocked when the most handsome one in the room—in the world?—bothered to speak to you.

your relationship with shouto built slowly. you were casually dating last cold season, so he hadn't had to witness you at your lowest, but this year you're living together—having moved in rather suddenly just shy of your one year anniversary since your lease was ending and shouto's apartment was more than suitable for two.

so now here you are, languishing in the bed you share with your still unfairly handsome pro-hero boyfriend, drifting in and out of consciousness in a decongestant fuelled haze, with a (now tepid) fever patch stuck to your forehead.

and there is a god awful racket coming from outside your bedroom door.

peeling yourself up from the loving embrace of your mattress is a nearly herculean task, but once you're upright it's not so hard to stuff your feet into your slippers and stumble your way to the the door. your head feels heavy and your cough is still in the nasty hacking stage, but you suspect your fever's dropping, which means the worst of your illness is likely over. any relief you may feel is decidedly shortlived as you turn the corner to the kitchen and freeze in place.

"shouto—" your voice is so raspy it sounds foreign to you "—what are you doing?"

in the kitchen, standing in the eye of what can only be described as a culinary hurricane, is your apron-clad boyfriend. he has one of your barrettes clipping his two-toned bangs up off his forehead, and a smudge of something (presumably edible) across his cheek. his eyes are wide as he turns to face you in the centre of this disaster, a carrot in one hand and a potato masher in the other.

"i," shouto pauses, and though you know it's not for dramatic effect it sure sounds like it is, "am cooking."

you start coughing, and rush to cover your mouth—turning away and bending a little at the waist from the force of it. you see shouto step towards you in your peripheral vision, but with the hand not covering your mouth you wave him away—you should have gotten a mask before you left your bedroom, but in your haste you'd forgotten to grab one.

"you sound terrible," shouto remarks and then follows up his own commentary with another, somewhat reproachful, "that's not very nice."

you look at him curiously, confused as to what he's just said and he points to his ear where he has one wireless earbud in.

"that was bakugou," he explains, and you realize he was only relaying the comment of his friend on the phone. "i'll call you back," he says again, and this time you don't need to wonder who he's speaking to before he plucks his headphone out of his ear and sets it (and the carrot and potato masher) down in the very limited counter space left.

shouto fidgets with his hands now that they're empty, inching a bit closer to you—slowly, like he know's you're going to wave him off again and is trying to avoid it.

"how are you feeling?" he asks.

"a bit better," you say, even though you don't sound it.

"why are you out of bed?" he follows up his first question with another, concern in his gaze.

"i heard... something," your eyes scan the room as you take in the very something you speak of. "why are you cooking?"

"i'm making you soup," shouto says, and then looks around the room at the scene you'd just surveyed. then he looks back at you again with a somewhat grim expression. "i'm trying to make you soup," he corrects himself.

and maybe it's the fever, or the decongestants, or the fact that he's possibly the sweetest man you've ever met in your life (on top of being the most handsome), but suddenly you feel like you might cry. or laugh, maybe. you aren't entirely sure either of them is off the table.

"what kind of soup?" you ask him, and this time your voice is croaky for an entirely unrelated reason.

"chicken soup," he answers, and he's suddenly closer than he'd been at first—having continued creeping closer to you when your guard was lowered. "with ginger. you said you like that."

"i do," you answer, and when shouto reaches out to wrap his arms around you, you have no will left in you to push him away. you tuck your face against his chest and relax against the firm, familiar shape of his body pressing into yours.

shouto peels the old fever patch from your forehead and tosses it aside, replacing it with the delightfully cool palm of his hand. he's been doing this since you fell ill, and was more than a little affronted the first time he came home from work and saw that you'd put a cooling patch on in his absence—as though jealous that it wasn't his touch that you were turning to for relief.

"was bakugou helping you make soup?" you ask, leaning into his hand.

shouto hums, and you feel the sound reverberate through his broad chest. "i don't know if helping is the right word."

"why did you have a potato masher out for chicken soup?" you then ask, remembering the utensil he'd been holding when you first walked into the kitchen.

"potato masher..." shouto says, realization heavy in his tone. he'd clearly had no idea what it was to begin with. "i was looking for a slotted spoon."

you laugh, and then cough a little.

"you should get back to bed," shouto insists.

"just another minute," you sigh, reaching up to hold his wrist and keep his hand in place. shouto freezes, and you feel his eyes on your face, peeking up at him through your lashes.

"what?" you ask him curiously.

in place of an answer, shouto wraps his arm (the one you don't have in your clutches) around your waist and hoists you up, balancing you against his hip like an overgrown toddler.

"sho-shouto! wait!"

he doesn't wait. in fact, he barely acknowledges you've said anything at all as he trots back in the direction of your shared bedroom. before you even manage to get your bearings, shouto's placed you gently back into bed, shucked his apron, and crawled in alongside you under the covers. you hardly have time to miss the cool weight of his hand before it's returned to its rightful place against your brow.

"what about your soup?" you ask him, but even in spite of your own words—and the fact that you've been keeping him at arm's length for days out of concern for his own health—you find yourself curling up against his side in bed, snuggling closer.

"i don't think it was going to taste very good anyway," shouto remarks somberly. he pouts a little. "bakugou said he'd drop some off for you later, because he was worried my soup was going to kill you."

you laugh, and then cough, and then rest your cheek against his chest.

shouto's heartbeat thumps steadily beneath your ear. his hand stays cool against your skin.

you may not have planned for him, but you think you might keep him around.

[ckret2]

One of my favourite things about the book of Bill has to be how hard it has cemented that, for all the airs Bill likes to put on, he's actually awful at manipulating people. Like if you look at the just the show, on the surface his record isn't bad. 2 1/2 successful manipulations out of 3 shown on-screen is solid. ((That is until you examine it further and realize that the 2 successful ones were done to 12 year old children who 1. Weren't exactly in the best states of mind at the time due to severe sleep deprivation/a difficult emotional state and 2. he still had to trick via his power (the fake timer on the laptop/possessing blendin so Mabel didn't know it was him)) But now? Oh man! Ford wasn't just lucky, he joined a tradition dating back all the way to humanities beginnings! Bill has been trying to get people to do his bidding literally since people had gotten good enough at resource-gathering and tool-usage to be able to potentially build his portal! And he failed over and over and over again and he never learned shit! That would be bad enough but not only did he fail at manipulating several civilzations worth of people, they ALSO constantly thwarted him in ways beyond that! He got himself banished, trapped, and annoyed to hell and back and thats just the stuff he told us! Thats not even speaking of his latest and possibly greatest fumble, failing the convince us, the reader of the Book of Bill who is canonically a fan of Bill or at least Gravity Falls into striking a deal with him. In short, if I asked Bill to manipulate a child into eating ice cream with just his words I wouldn't trust him to get it done within my or the kids life time.

Except, Bill IS good at manipulating people. You JUST DESCRIBED several examples of him being good at manipulating people.

Identifying the most vulnerable targets, the "weakest link" most likely to cave and do what you want—like children (or elderly people with dementia, or immigrants who don't understand the language well)—is part of being good at manipulation.

Identifying and taking advantage of people in a compromised mental state when they're not thinking clearly and are more likely to do what you want is part of being good at manipulation. (He didn't try to persuade Mabel to destroy the laptop, BECAUSE HE KNEW DIPPER WAS MORE VULNERABLE. He didn't approach Dipper or Ford dressed as Blendin—BECAUSE HE KNEW MABEL WAS MORE VULNERABLE.)

Just straight up lying to people—about a situation (the timer), about a person (Blendin)—is a manipulation tactic.

Fabricating a totally artificial emergency and pressuring a target to ACT NOW to prevent disaster is a common con artist trick. (See: scammers who cold call strangers, say they're from the IRS and the stranger is behind on taxes, and demand they transfer a large amount of money from their bank RIGHT NOW or go to jail—WHICH ACTUALLY WORKS A LOT, especially because people CAN'T THINK AS CLEARLY when they're panicking.)

Disguising yourself as somebody trustworthy or somebody intimidating to trick a target into obeying you is also a common con artist trick.

Not to mention ALL the work we see into how he manipulates Ford: he makes note of Ford's social isolation and how Bill can use that to his advantage; he identifies the thing Ford wants most (respect & acknowledgment for his intellectual achievements) and weaves that into his manipulation; he uses both Ford's ego AND Ford's insecurity against him; he almost effortlessly turns Ford against the one friend who adores him, making Ford think his friend's kindest attempts to help are evidence of backstabbing; and even though ultimately it didn't work, you can't say that threatening to destroy Ford's life from inside his own body was a BAD manipulation tactic.

Plus the entire muse schtick. Fooling people into thinking you're doing something magical or supernatural is such a common manipulation tactic that there's a whole name for it: "mystical manipulation." Bill does this NON STOP with Ford, and with many of his other victims.

We see him successfully talk an entire tribe into helping him build a working redwood portal—and they only turned against him when the portal started petrifying people, unleashing monsters, and creating bottomless pits. He talked the Aztecs into sacrificing 9,000 people to build a portal that didn't even work. He talked not-Disney into making a cartoon about Bill that included UNLEASHING LIVE BEES IN THE THEATER. Who the hell would think that's a good idea!

And to top it all off, he formed multiple successful cults that were ride or die for him until the bitter end. That's like the crown jewel of being good at manipulating. Bill talked a whole town into joining his cult in under a month in spite of the fact that he kept calling them plasma bags and chugging formaldehyde. Based on the dates in the document about Silas Birchtree, people were marrying into Ciphertology at least five years after Bill's puppet disintegrated and he ditched them.

Bill was good at manipulating people!

Do you know what Bill WASN'T good at? Getting people to finish and open a portal.

Largely because portals are difficult to make, and because he can only get so far into the process before it becomes obvious that this thing will destroy the world and that's usually enough to override any other threats or promises he makes.

Yeah, he says some stupid things that should obviously give him away—like talking about setting off all the nukes. He's kinda pathetic and a bit of a dumbass sometimes. But, here's the thing about successful manipulators, con artists, and cult leaders: MOST of them are kinda pathetic dumbasses. Cult leaders are idiots. There's a cult leader who preached his followers should be on minimal vegetarian diets, had his chauffeur take him out to a big fancy steak dinner, then told his chauffeur he did that to test his faith—and the chauffeur was like well okay. Cult leaders are idiots, AND YET SUCCEED. When Bill says you can get anyone to hum along with your tune if you've got charisma? He's right—that's true in real life.

Manipulators get away with manipulation not because they tell such brilliant impeccable lies that the most clear-headed rational person in the world would believe them... but because they know to tell their lies to people who aren't clear-headed and rational, and because they know using cheap tricks and false identities and lies that the victim WANTS to be true works better than a flawless story, and because they know most people tend to give other people the benefit of the doubt that what they're saying is probably true.

So yeah, he's too cocky, he's a bit pathetic, he lost a lot, he loses at the end of the book... but that doesn't mean he's a bad manipulator. It means that being good at manipulating can only carry you so far, and Bill didn't have what it takes to carry him the rest of the way.

[offkilterkeys]

You draw tavros ugly and you need to stop. Or be better. Because your fucking bad at it.

Oh I’ve actually been working on that!!!!

Okay so basically like half a year ago I realized I didn’t like my art style and decided to do some Homestuck art studies as a means of getting better at like anatomy and stuff, and that’s where the Tavros on the left appeared from.

After I’d gotten the hang of it I started to reintegrate some of my old stylistic choices, as seen by the Tavros on the right. But honestly I felt meh about both of them cause neither of them line up with my previous portrayals/personal view of the character.

(Old art, circa about a year or so ago^ Shows I used to draw Tavros with less of a lanky body and more fat.)

So I finally decided to buckle down and get the character right and this was the result!

Now I’ll be the first to admit that it’s probably not perfect, but I’ve finally gotten to a point where I like how I draw Tavros again!!!!

The og Homestuck style has like, a lot of variation, and hero mode is honestly wayyyy more vast of a “style” than people give it credit for. Personally, I like to refer to each Homestuck style more by act/place it appears in comic rather than just blanked “hero mode” or “sprite mode,” because I like to integrate THOSE specific influences into my art.

With Tavros specifically I’d like to say the rounder shapes call back to the mixed sprite/hero mode that we see in Tavros’ introduction, as opposed to perhaps Sollux’s introduction panels, where his limbs are rigid and angular, and definitely more “hero mode,” which causes one to view the character as lankier/skinnier.

Either way, I’m still working hard at getting good at striking poses and not falling into “same body type syndrome,” as is often far too easy to fall into. In the past I found it difficult to draw skinny/lanky characters because I wasn’t super used to it, and as of recently I’ve been doing them wayyyy more but I still have an easier time drawing thicker/fatter limbs and stuff. If you’ve got any criticisms or the like, I’m happy to hear them!!!! Always looking to get better eventually :p

[seoulmatez]

— 𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝑒𝓎𝑒 ౨ৎ

boothill x f!reader. 1k wc. ﾉ mostly sfw ﾉ  suggestive ﾉ non-canon compliant ﾉ farmhand!boothill ﾉ pet names ( little lady & darlin’ ) 

a/n: yay yay — farmhand boothill has returned! this is an extra to my farmhand boothill series but can be read as a standalone :)

the extended days of summer have long since shortened, the sun taking its leave much earlier in the evening. you’ve always preferred the light that daytime has to offer but, you must admit, having boothill to yourself for a couple more hours after work has been enough to sway you.

the both of you have wrapped up all of your tasks for the day—clocked out, eaten dinner, showered—and have retreated to the couch to dedicate some time to leisure. your legs are stretched across the length of the furniture where boothill is situated, your feet resting comfortably in his lap. his fingers mindlessly fiddle with the metal jewelry clasped around your ankle, eyes focused on the television screen ahead of him, though, he doesn’t seem particularly interested in whatever show is playing.

you’ve grown accustomed to nights playing out something like this—the two of you simply enjoying the comfort that is each other’s presence. you visit town every now and then, sharing a drink or two, appreciating the live music that often plays at the bar you frequent. it’s a far cry from the fast-paced life you lived back in the city, but, in the past several months, you’ve come to call this place home.

and, just like anyone who’s spent too much time at home, you’re beginning to crave a change of scenery.

you look at boothill’s profile—the tall bridge of his nose, the sharpness of his jaw. even in the soft glow of the living room lights, your eyes find their way to him—like a magnetic pull that’s impossible to resist. you’re sure you could stare at him all night without saying a word but, instead, you raise your suggestion. “we should go somewhere. like on a vacation”

“yeah?” he hums, dragging his gaze from the tv, his eyes landing on you. he wears a grin that showcases his curiosity at your words. “got any ideas?”

you hadn’t thought that far ahead when you proposed the idea but one thing is glaringly obvious—you’ve never really traveled anywhere with boothill. sure, you’ve hit just about every spot you can think of in town but all of the places you’ve visited together have been confined to the small, familiar area. while you’re sure that you’d enjoy his company anywhere, the thought of seeing boothill out of his element strikes you as an entertaining one.

you tilt your head to the side in contemplation, wondering where boothill would seem most out of place. it doesn’t take you long to come to a conclusion, after all, the man made it a point to constantly remind you of the stark difference between the two of you when you first arrived on the farm.

you meet his gaze, a glimmer of hope and amusement sparkling in your eyes. “maybe somewhere metropolitan… like new york city.”

his grin slowly fades at your recommendation. you wonder what boothill’s idea of an ideal vacation is. a cabin in the mountains? a tropical resort? you can’t say for sure but one thing is clear—his version of the perfect getaway does not start in the city.

“what’s there to do in new york?” he asks, dissatisfaction lacing his voice.

“a lot of stuff!” you tell him, nudging him with your foot. maybe it’s just you, but there’s no shortage of ways to spend your time in a place that has so much to offer. “ sightseeing, broadway shows, shopping—and it’s really pretty this time of year.”

boothill raises his eyebrows incredulously and it takes you hearing yourself say everything aloud for you to realize that maybe those things aren’t up his alley. still, he shouldn’t knock it until he tries it.

“i don’t know,” he draws out the last syllable, “bein’ surrounded by so many people ain't exactly my idea of a good time.”

“oh?” you challenge. “country boy can’t handle the big apple?”

boothill clicks his tongue, that infuriatingly beautiful grin making its way back to his lips. you can tell something’s coming but before you can put your finger on what that may be, his hands wrap around each of your ankles, giving you a good tug. with a surprised squeal, you’re pulled from your upright position against the arm of the couch onto your back. all too quickly, boothill is hovering over you, strands of contrasting hair falling over his shoulders and tickling the sides of your face. “you’ve got jokes, huh?”

“i’m just saying…” you breathe out quietly, still recovering from his unexpected stunt. you almost consider letting it go, dropping the subject altogether, but perhaps you’re a bit interested in pushing boothill’s buttons for a while longer. “you sound a little intimidated, that’s all.”

“i think you’re underestimating me, little lady.” the warmth radiating from his skin grows even hotter as he dips his head lower, closer to you. his lips drift just above the pulse of your neck. when he speaks, his breath dances over your skin, causing yours to catch in your throat. “i’m capable of a lot, y’know. surely you don’t need a reminder?”

your cheeks heat at his provocative words, your mind flooding with memories of just how capable he is. you find yourself turning in the opposite direction, away from his tempting lips. as much as you’d love to give in, it’s still quite early in the night and the thought of getting caught by your grandpa in such a compromising position is enough to put a damper on things. “i believe you.”

boothill chuckles, stealing a surprisingly chaste kiss from your neck and then your lips before pulling away. he helps you sit up, not letting you return to the far end of the couch. instead, he pulls you against his side, a strong arm wrapped around your shoulders to hold you close. “i’m glad we got that misunderstanding cleared up.”

you playfully roll your eyes at his successful attempt to play dirty. resting your head on his shoulder, you ask, “does that mean new york is off the table?”

with a defeated sigh, he tells you, “darlin’, i’ll take you anywhere you wanna go.”

thanks for reading! please consider reblogging or commenting if u enjoyed it ❤︎

[standfucker]

Gremlin Reader Headcanons - Straw Hats, Whitebeard Pirates, Heart Pirates, Kid Pirates

CW: shenanigans, tomfoolery, and hullabaloo

Straw Hats

You and Luffy are BEST BUDS. You butted heads when you first met just from being a bit too similar, but now you understand each other like no one else.

“Quit eating stuff off the floor!” Nami snaps as you and Luffy reach for a cube of steak that fell from your plate. “Five second rule,” Luffy says. You both smack at each other’s hands, but he ends up maneuvering and grabbing the meat first thanks to his stretchiness. You respond by shoving his entire hand, still holding the steak bit, into your mouth. Luffy shouts, then laughs. Nami yells, “Y/N, ew! That’s even worse!” “You don’t know where that’s been,” Zoro adds. Luffy screams for real when you bite his hand, but he also lets go of the steak, so it’s a win. (It was yours in the first place.)

While your bathing habits are better than Zoros, it’s not by much. If you’re a girl, expect Nami to literally drag you to bathe with her and Robin. She’ll wash your hair for you if you promise to stop using soap bubbles to give yourself a beard and call yourself the “Saponicus the Bath Wizard.” At least Robin finds it funny.

Also, if you’re a girl…you put Sanji through it. Rather than getting a broom to shoo you from your perch on top of the fridge, he tries to coax you down with sweet words and sweeter foods. Instead of yelling at you for eating off the floor, he’ll wash off whatever fell for you. If you try to eat a piece of what he’s cooking, he’ll simply make you a small side plate to tide you over. To Sanji, your weird habits are endearing. But if you’re a guy? He’ll just kick your ass. 

If you occupy that odd space in between genders (or lack thereof,) however, the poor cook does not know how to deal with you. After much stumbling over the subject and at first treating you how you most closely present, he ends up finding a neutral middle ground that makes you both happy.

You play with Franky a lot. You like to climb him like a jungle gym–he’s just shaped so perfectly for it. Sometimes you’ll sneak up behind Franky, jump and reach around to boop his nose to surprise him and change his hair. Every now and then he anticipates your strikes and catches you by the arm, holding you off the ground as penance for your crimes. You swing and wrap your legs around his rectangular arm to retaliate, and he’ll wave his arm to try to jostle you. It’s all fun and games until you get flung off the ship.

Once you discovered how light Brook was, you realized you could pick him up. This led to you plucking him off the ground at random and using him as a jousting lance with which to harass Zoro. Brook started to wisen up to that gleam in your eye, using his cane to keep you at a distance or jab you lightly.

Whitebeard Pirates

There are a lot of crewmates, and you manage, somehow, to be the most feral of them all. Marco calls you “the ship’s pet, Y/N” as a joke.

Unless it’s snowing, you go barefoot everywhere. The soles of your feet have thickened considerably, and you occasionally entertain your brothers by showing off how you can stick safety pins through the very bottom layers of skin. This leads to Marco yelling at you to stop playing with sharps, and that you’re going to accidentally hurt yourself.

Poor Marco has to look out for you often, especially because you do things like get into wrestling matches with the biggest crewmates. You don’t have the size to do much, but if you get pinned, you cheat by biting your opponent. This usually worked for you until you cracked a tooth on Jozu, earning a stern “I told you so” from the first division commander.

Ace is a reformed gremlin and so takes you under his wing. You remind him of Luffy, so he’s quite fond of you compared to the rest. The two of you bring out the worst in each other’s bad habits, indulging the other. If you two are ever spotted together and giggling, the others know to be concerned, as you’re certainly up to something, usually pranks.

The only person who can get you to behave is Whitebeard, and he doesn’t bother most of the time, feeling it better for his children to “sort themselves out”. But he’s not wrong–the crew takes care of you no matter what mischief you get up to.

“I bet you can’t steal Vista’s hat,” Thatch challenges you and Ace one day. You’re always well-mannered toward Thatch, because he’s in charge of the food, but that doesn’t mean you guys won’t challenge each other to dares. “I bet I can steal it before Ace does,” you immediately respond. Ace protests fiercely, and the game is on. Ace takes a straight-forward approach, sprinting down the deck like he’s going to run past Vista, leaping into the air, and going to swipe it off. Vista blocks his hand with a raised arm. “What are you doing?” Vista questions. “Nothing,” Ace says, jumping again and promptly getting grabbed by the arm and tossed aside. This repeats, with Ace making big, energetic attempts to steal that hat and getting thrown around instead, over and over with no success. You wait until Ace has calmed down, then approach Vista. “Can I tell you something?” you ask, motioning him to lean in closer. Vista’s smart enough to know why you want him to bend down, but his reflexes are quick, so he leans over anyway. “Yes?” You stick your fingers up his nose. Vista makes a muffled, indignant shriek, flinching. Completely caught off guard, he’s too slow to stop you from snatching the hat off his head. “Run!” Ace screams, and you book it with Ace joining at your side. You wave the hat and yell, “Burn it, Ace!” mostly joking. “I’ll gut you both!” Vista shouts, hot on your heels, drawing his swords as he chases you two down, the sounds of your crazed laughter echoing through the deck. Marco sighs and gets ready to heal you again.

Heart Pirates

You would tire out Law, but you’ve been a part of the crew for so long that he’s used to your antics. Really, you tire out Bepo, who’s in charge of keeping you in line.

The Polar Tang has a ventilation system to keep airflow and environmental controls during dives. You like to crawl into the vent shafts for fun and because they’re a cozy, private space away from everyone else. Whenever no one can find you, Law locates you on the ship and uses his power to teleport you out. You’ll be napping peacefully, shirking your duties, and suddenly you’re falling through the air and onto the floor in front of your captain–whoops, busted.

Once you tried to steal Law’s hat as a joke. He removed your hands for the rest of the day, stating you’d lost hand privileges.

“Aw, but Captain, your hair looks so nice,” you whined, and Law’s cheeks turned pink. “You’ll get your hands back tomorrow,” he ignored your statement and tossed your hands into a sack, tying it shut.

After that you had to mop the Polar Tang by biting the mop handle, which your crewmates said you took to way too easily.

You’ll sometimes leap onto Bepo’s back, gently tugging on his ears–they’re so round and cute. Resigned, he just supports your legs and lets you. When you can’t resist and end up biting his ear, he yelps, then states that you remind him of the folks from his home island of Zou, and finds it almost soothing.

You, Penguin and Shachi have an ongoing prank war. It’s one you all keep contained so that it doesn’t reach Law, but is otherwise ruthless. Shachi’s been pantsed by you so many times you’re pretty sure you’ve seen every pattern of underwear he owns, but it’s his fault for letting his guard down so frequently. None of you are safe falling asleep first around the others lest you get your face scribbled on, hence your habit of napping in the air vents.

The Polar Tang doesn’t get visitors, but very rarely will gain a new crewmate. As one of the first handful of people recruited, you liked to make noises in the air vents and had certain newbies convinced the ship was haunted. It didn’t help that you told creepy stories of ghosts of people who died deep underwater, where the ship was currently sailing through… Ikkaku always chided you to stop freaking people out.

Though most would expect Law to get annoyed by you, he actually takes comfort in your antics. You’re consistent, at least, in a chaotic world. He can always count on you to keep spirits up and to keep the rest of the crew on their toes.

You’re settled in an air vent with a flashlight and a book one day. You hear a muffled “Room,” from somewhere, then Law appears next to you, having to hunch over so he can fit. “Oh, hey, Captain,” you say. “You know,” Law says, “I think you’ve actually got the right idea. Some days the Polar Tang, despite everything, feels too big... Some days even my quarters feel too big.” “Is today one of those days?” you ask as Law inspects the vent walls. They’re clean–likely your doing–which surprises him. He nods. “You should try taking a nap. It’s very cave-like and cozy here.” “Do you just lay out on the metal?” he questions. “Yep. But if that’s uncomfortable for you, well…” you pat your lap, completely nonchalant. Law studies your face. You give him a cheery smile. He sighs, and stretches out. It’s more comfortable this way. He rests his head on your lap. You continue reading quietly, angling your book and the light away from Law’s face. He adjusts slightly and deflates, relaxing. Right before falling asleep, he takes off his hat.

Kid Pirates

You fit right in with the Kid pirates. No one gives you so much as a second glance for most of the things that you do. For the most part, your level of gremlin behavior is not that much more intense than some of the other crewmates. 

Though Kid/Killer/Wire will pick you up by your jacket hood when you act up too much. You retaliate by pinching the offender’s nostrils shut. This leads to you getting scolded, but you start laughing because they talk with a “congested” voice. Eventually you get threatened with being thrown overboard, which finally makes you fall in line.

You’re good with electrical work. Aside from using a stun gun in battle, you like to take the little metal creatures that Kid makes and soup them up with lights and sounds. Usually you just add glowing eyes and fins as an accent, but sometimes you use your powers for evil: once you added a timed speaker to a doll that went off in the middle of the night, scaring the bejesus out of the sleeping crew.

Killer is strict about not eating food before it’s ready, but it doesn’t stop you from trying to snack on ingredients. You’ll sneak into the kitchen (poorly–you are not quiet) and try to swipe food when you think he’s not looking. Killer will see your hand reach up in his peripheral vision and feel around the countertop. He plunges a knife into the countertop inches from your fingers, making you freeze before slowly withdrawing. However, you know he would never actually stab you, so you never really give up.

You’re really good at making Kid laugh with your antics. He doesn’t even realize it until much later on in the time he’s known you. You and Kid are watching Killer cook one day, steaks sizzling beautifully on the pan, and more raw meat is piled on a plate on the table before you, waiting for its turn. “Why does raw meat look so appealing?” you say. “I kind of don’t want to wait for it to cook.” “I’m not feeding you raw meat,” Killer says. You open your mouth to make the obvious lewd joke, but Kid shoots you a look that says don’t. You close your mouth. “I know what you mean,” Kid says. You both look at the raw steak. The filets are ruby-red, glistening, with cream streaks of fat that promise to melt once on the pan. “I just want to bite into the whole thing and shake my head like a dog,” you voice your thoughts. “Then do it,” Kid says offhandedly. You pluck a raw steak from the pile, sink your teeth in, and do exactly that, growling as the steak whips from side to side. Kid bursts out laughing, caught by surprise, while Killer snaps out your name, far less amused. As Killer scolds you, Kid thinks about how impulsive you are and how often you make him laugh like that and how much he likes you. And then it hits him–wait, oh god, oh no. You’ve taken the steak out of your mouth and are laughing at yourself, and you look so nice when you’re smiling oh NO. Kid’s gone red in the face while you try to appease Killer. “My mouth germs will burn off when you cook it,” you argue. “That doesn’t matter. You’re going to get sick,” Killer grumbles. “Don’t do it again.” “Okay, fine…Hm? Kid?” you tilt your head at him. “You okay? You look a bit flushed.” “Shut up! I’m fine.” Kid says defensively. “Okaaay, moody. Sheesh, sorry for caring.” And that just makes it worse, because Kid’s now also realizing you do actually care, don’t you? Bringing him things when he’s holed up late at night in his workshop, bothering him when his mood’s down and he needs to be distracted, helping him oil the parts of his metal arm and laughing it off when you get covered in grease. “Don’t get all sweet on me, you little punk.” Kid mutters. “You’re right. I ought to stick to salty things. Like Killer’s mea–” “STOP.”

[teaableu]

WHAT IS YOUR EXILE AU LIKE....

I HAVE BEEN WAITING AGES FOR SOMEONE TO ASK ME THIS

Okay SO a LOT is up in the air right now because I'm doing Research as best I can between classes BUT here's what i got so far:

Lord Kogane is from a very powerful family that wants to take full control over Neo Edo. They think he's doing a poor job because the yokai are running free again and he's overall a pretty useless ruler. They step in and force him to enforce some pretty Messed Up Stuff that put all the people in danger (something to do with the Makkine tech probably). Usagi and his friends have a front row seat as to what he's up to and Usagi decides he won't let them get away with it. I haven't worked out the details but the Koganes' plans threaten the people and the yokai. BUT Usagi's not strong enough to take out the Koganes on his own.

My Usagi has a mystic power of sorts, which makes him very sensitive to spirits. All of the visions he gets through the Ki stone in the show, plus his ability to speak with Miyamoto stem from this ability. A simple way of seeing it would be like, he can see the threads of their lives. So he can read souls and connect with them, and sees ghosts when others cannot. I think the Ki stone sort of unlocked and amplified it when he connected with her. I'm still working on the details of his power but basically he can see and talk to ghosts with a little extra stuff sprinkled in

So the Ki stone encourages Usagi to seek help. Turns out the Koganes have a rich history of killing entire villages and armies that oppose them, dating (maybe) all the way back to Miyamoto's time. So he finds a couple of restless ghosts that are still waiting for vengeance and asks for their help. He strikes a deal that was supposed to help him fight Kogane while allowing the ghosts to avenge themselves their loved ones and their clans. I think he would amplify their power while they help him fight. But he doesn't realize who exactly he's making this deal with and ends up tethering his soul to very powerful VERY ANGRY ghosts that are WAY stronger than he is (I've been researching onryo and yurei for reference). They can take possession of his body, amplify his emotions to be in tune with their own, manipulate his power, and generally cause a lot of destruction. Basically, he becomes their puppet. I'm thinking it's a Venom or Little Shop of Horrors type dynamic between them. Also think of any poltergeist type film

He makes the deal and the ghosts possess him. When Usagi wakes up, he's killed Kogane (who really wasn't even the Big Bad behind the whole thing) and has to flee the city before he's caught and put to death for treason and murder. His friends are all imprisoned but he can't risk returning because he has lost control of his power and is unable to control the ghosts that are bound to his soul. The ghosts are starving for power and burning with hundreds of years of fury and anguish, and feed off of destruction (maybe the living?) It's sort of a pandora's box situation. The ghosts are just a whirlwind of chaos and use Usagi as a means to exact their wrath

I called it exile because Usagi can't return to the city without being arrested and killed for his crimes. The gang was the only one standing up to Kogane, and with his friends in prison, he's sort of stuck. He blames himself for everything that went wrong because he ran off without his friends and jumped headfirst into a situation he did not understand. He was reckless and cocky and now everyone is paying for it.

That's where EMD comes in, but the story continues after EMD season 2 as well.

Some extra notes:

- The timeline for srtuc would probably be a bit different so I can have more flexibility with the season one and season two events, since I wasn't sure when it would take place and I want there to be a pretty big time gap between Usagi leaving and returning. I also might use the Makkine invasion in the story

- I’m still working out Usagi’s backstory/past, but have pretty much decided that he has some history with the Kogane family

- I'm planning for Miyamoto to have a pretty big part in the story as well, acting as a guide for Usagi when he goes into hiding. I'm really interested in their relationship so I really want to take the chance to explore it.

- I'm thinking of adding someone as a nod to Tomoe Ame as well (descendant of her apprentice perhaps), since we got a representation of Chizu, Kitsune, and Gen in the tv show but not Tomoe (sad)

I wrote out the sparksnotes version of this here

In addition to the artwork there I have some other concept art

Blood warning under the cut

[slashers-and-rats]

Can you please do some headcaonons on what it's like living with Billy? Does he ever leave the building? Does he leave the attic if everyone else is out? What's his favorite food? (Idk what canadians eat lol)

rat chat: this is gonna be a little long cuz i also wanna explain my own idea of how you even wound up in the house.

ok, so, my idea is that the entirety of the 2006!billy backstory happens. y’know, the usual stuff. bad childhood, fucked up situations, the killings, the being sent away- ALL OF IT HAPPENS. except, instead of the house being turned into a sorority, it gets passed around during the years that billy is away. it’s sold from person to person, it ends up in the hands of your grandparents, and after a tragedy you wind up having the house left to you in your will, along with a bit of money. voila, you have the house.

you don’t move in for awhile. the wound is fresh. instead, you work on moving the stuff out of the house and putting it into storage. during that time, you don’t even realize there’s an entire attic. billy knows that, though, and while you’re busy cleaning up the place to start living in, he makes the upstairs his brand new home. so, by the time you actually move in, he’s already there.

it’s hard at the start of you living there. after getting everything out, you gotta put all your stuff in. the house is old and creepy, and it feels like you’re being watched (duh). it’s weird. the first few nights are rough. it’s rough for billy too, of course. he had the house to himself for awhile, he had cleared out some of the cupboards while you were cleaning stuff out so he has a stash of food, he had liked wandering around when you weren’t there. now he’s stuck back up in the attic.

you go about living your life, or at least your new one. you maybe moved from a bit away and are looking for a new job in the area. you have some money from the will to keep yourself comfortable for a bit, but you still wanna get something steady. all the meanwhile, you’re exploring the new house and getting used to being there.

billy, on the other hand, is just watching you all the time. you’re his personal entertainment. sometimes you’ll hear creaks from the ceiling, but you assume it’s just the house settling. the thing is old, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. it’s when you start getting the phone calls that things get weird.

in the dead of night, when you’re lounging on the couch, you’ll get random phone calls by some freak replaying horrible things in your ear. he sounds like he’s in pain, ranting and raving about things you don’t even really understand. the first few times, you just hung up immediately when he started. he’d call and call and call, and you’d just pretend the phone didn’t even exist. then, after awhile, you would sit and listen. it stopped him from calling for hours after you hung up, but it would also be an hour of you listening to what sounded like this very hurt man SUFFERING.

you can’t say it didn’t strike some pity in you. he sounded pathetic, like a wounded, crying animal, and he just wanted you to listen. it was wrong in a lot of ways, but part of you felt… connected? like, this guys only way of working through his shit was reenacting it all to you. maybe, in some way, it was helping? you’d try to talk him through it and ask questions, but he never really responded. sometimes he’d try to, but he’d just fall back into the same chants and rambles.

during all this, obviously, it’s billy on the other side. he sits up in his attic, laying on his mattress, torturing himself. in my head, sex for billy is a punishment at this point in his life. he doesn’t see it as anything but a way to hurt him, and he’s obsessed with harming himself. he feels like he deserves it. so, while he’s talking into the phone, he’s jerking off like a mad man, and crying, and biting himself, and drooling everywhere. he’s a mess. and he believes he deserves to be. at first, you would say he’s being disgusting and gross, and he liked it because it made him feel shameful, and he deserved it. than, after awhile, you started trying to help him, and it confused the FUCK out of him. because all of his coping is punishing himself with reliving his own fucked up traumas, and now you’re sitting here like “have you tried… seeing a therapist?” and he’s like ????? i went to an asylum and they drugged me up???? is that enough??

it becomes a routine. at some point he tells you his name, sort of. it slips out during one of this moments. as well, you start piecing together his story a bit more, and it breaks your heart. you’re worried. in a fucked up way, you start feeling some kind of sympathy. this guy clearly has issues, he has no one to talk to, and here he is spilling all of his deepest secrets to you. at some point, you ask if he wants your help. he doesn’t know how to respond. you explain to him that he needs help, that he can be better, that it’s a good idea to find someone that cares about him that can get him support, and he just gets upset because that doesn’t exist for him. he’s alone, and your pity doesn’t change that. it makes him so upset, that for awhile, he doesn’t call.

during that time, billy just stews up in the attic. during the nights he sneaks down to watch you sleep. he likes you, in his own way. he likes that you listen, and he likes that you care, even if it’s from afar. but he doesn’t like that, in other ways, you just remind him that he doesn’t ACTUALLY have anyone. you’re a reflection of his own loneliness. because even tho you’re this person that seemingly wants him to feel better, you’re still just over a phone. you’d never ACTUALLY help.

well, that’s bullshit, because one day after weeks of not calling, you’re cleaning out some of the house and stumble upon the attic door. and it’s a surprise, because you didn’t even know you had an attic. a few minutes later, you’re climbing up and finding a very malnourished, sad looking man, who sounds exactly like the guy over the phone that told you all about his issues. who would’ve guessed?

at first, billy lashes out. he’s terrified. he can’t go back to the asylum, he doesn’t want to be on the streets, he’s already struggling enough. he’s scared. you’ve successfully cornered him. on the other hand, you’re baffled that the guy that has been talking to you has been in your fucking attic this entire time. you’re concerned, he’s freaking out, and you just try to console him and explain you’re not calling the cops and getting him removed. in a moment of panic, you say he can stay. it calms him right down. you ask if he wants something to eat, and to take a shower, and you manage to coax him out of the attic and down to the kitchen. one hot meal later, and he’s sitting at your dining room table. you’re very confused, but also after hearing all the stuff he would rant about, you’re kinda glad you found him. at least you could provide him some help? maybe? or maybe just get him to not call you at three in the morning before work anymore.

over the course of a few months, you two do start living together. he gets his own room. you offer to clear out the attic and let him have that space, but it’s clear it holds a lot of bad memories for him, so you give him his own room beside yours. you cook for the both of you, since he doesn’t really know how. he does do lawn work, he seems to like picking weeds and such, and he catches all the bugs in your house. he helps clean when he can, and you he helps you make grocery lists for when you go out on errands. he doesn’t like leaving the house yet, he’s just not very fond of large groups of people.

it’s not easy. he still has his moments. he doesn’t understand what sex actually is. it’s still a punishment. in the night, he’ll come to you, and talk like he did over the phone, and you’ll hold him and try to listen but it’s so hard when he’s clearly so hurt. during these times he gets handsy, and you have to explain to him that you aren’t there to fuck him, you’re just there to listen. billy likes that. a lot of the people in his life got off on his suffering, and yet you actually want to solve it. it feels nice, but at the same time it’s very confusing. he has a lot of conflicting feelings inside of him.

it takes a long time for you two to become something normal, and even longer for you two to actually connect romantically. first, he has to get to a point where he’s healthy. you help him get back on his feet, and support him through learning some new skills and the like. he supports you by taking care of the house while you’re gone, and cleaning up, and doing any yard work or things. he especially likes holidays, and when he gets to decorate. you two have movie nights often, and go through all the films he missed growing up. he loves talking about everything that happens on screen, and you find it endearing. you read to him a lot, and he likes listening and laying with his head in your lap.

he has a hard time keeping his feelings in, and that’s fine with you. you just work on boundaries. he knows not to touch you without asking. you guys are affectionate, since it seems to really comfort him to experience affection that isn’t… bad. whenever you get home he hugs you for a long time, and he likes to cuddle you while you two watch movies, and he asks to hold your hand when he’s stressed out. sometimes he tries to make a move, just so overwhelmed that he starts acting without thinking, and you just have to explain that you’re not ready yet. he knows, and he holds back. it’s hard, but he’s learning.

then you work on actually getting him out of the house. that’s the most difficult. he is not a people person. it starts with walks around the neighbourhood, and then little trips to the store or to pick up take out. that’s all he can really manage. he’s more of an indoor kinda cat, he doesn’t like… others. he likes you, though. it’s clearly more than just liking, he’s kinda obsessed with you. you don’t notice it, just thinking you’re doing what anyone would do for someone in need like that, but he is very very very in love.

i think the first time you actually realize it is on valentine’s day. you come home and he has the kitchen set up, and he used his few cooking skills to make you guys something. it’s a little confusing at first, but the way he’s looking at you, and explaining how he really appreciates what you’ve done… it melts your heart. he’s not talking like he used to, just talking about the nasty things he wanted to put you through, he’s genuinely voicing that he enjoys you as a person. don’t get me wrong, he’s still stuttering and patching words together, and a lot of it is him using lines from romance movies to explain how he feels, but it’s the thought that counts.

you two have a nice night. he doesn’t try anything. you guys just eat and watch some romance movies and cuddle on the couch. and before you head up for bed, you kiss him on the cheek and say it’s been a great valentine’s day. and he’s smitten. he just walks you walk up the stairs and that’s when he makes it his mission for you two to be together.

obviously, down the line, he learns what romance is and what sex CAN be. it goes from him just wanting to bone because it’s all his instincts tell him to do, to him wanting to make love with someone that he loves and it’s a way for him to connect with you. and while that takes awhile, it makes the connection a lot deeper. he’s been through a lot. being able to finally see sex as not a punishment, but a way to express your feelings towards someone is super cool. obviously, before that, he’s expressing himself in other ways, but billy enjoys the fact that he took this thing that used to FUCKING SUCK and make it into something good. and you helped do that.

immsorry this was so long and maybe didn’t make a lot of sense i love you

[ask-jean-darc]

Bonjour.

Napoleon: "Mozart! You are a terrible teacher! You have to be encouraging. I teach the children in town—let me help him."

Arthur: "Now hold on, mate. If we’re talking about who’s most qualified, it’s clearly me. Who better than a proper British author to teach him how to write?"

Dazai: "Oh? And what of me, Arthur-kun? I’m a writer too, you know. My works are considered masterpieces."

Arthur: "Masterpieces? That’s generous. Your writing’s all over the place, mate. Admit it."

Dazai: (gasps dramatically, clutching his chest) "Oh, Arthur-kun, how cruel! Do you not see the layers of my genius?!"

Arthur: "Layers? You’re like an onion—makes everyone cry and smells funny."

(The arguing grows louder.)

Leonardo: "Relax, everyone. Let’s not overwhelm him. Jean, just write whatever comes to mind. No pressure, alright?"

Dazai: "Jean, you should make it poetic! Add a touch of tragedy."

Mozart: (sighs loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose) "The real tragedy is that I have to listen to this."

Napoleon: "Poetry? He should learn to write properly first. Start with full sentences."

Arthur: "Jean, throw in a bit of wit, mate. Nothing like a good joke to liven things up. Don’t you agree, Theo?"

Theo: (shrugging) "Don’t involve me in this. It doesn’t matter to me. Let him write however he wants."

Vincent: (encouragingly) "Jean, write what feels natural to you. Express your heart—it’s the most important thing."

Theo: "Of course! That’s brilliant advice, Vincent. Only you could suggest something so meaningful. Everyone else, stop distracting him!"

Dazai: (leans toward Theo with a sly grin) "Are you tearing up? Truly, Vincent has moved you."

Theo: "Shut it, or I’ll move you—right out the window.

Arthur: "Give it a tick, and he’ll show himself out the window, no need to help."

Comte: "Gentlemen, please. Let Jean decide how he wishes to write. This is his practice, not a circus. Perhaps you should all leave, and I will help him."

Isaac: "Actually, Jean...you should consider keeping it simple. Structure is important—Napoleon might have a point."

(Sebastian walks in with a tea tray, calmly setting it down.)

Sebastian: "Or we could just let Jean practice without turning it into a philosophy debate."

Shakespeare (dramatic as ever): "Ah, the grievous toil of the quill! Let thy hand pour forth the tempest of thy soul, and may thy words strike like thunder upon the page!"

Theo: “You realize no one understands a word you say, don’t you?”

Shakespeare: "Ah, but tis not my tongue that fails thee, good sir; 'tis thine own wit that falters in its grasp!"

Theo: "Right. And yet somehow, I’m the one still making sense. Fancy that."

Vincent: “Such good emotional expression, Jean!” 

Arthur: "Well said, mate. There’s your first proper sentence spoken with some fire!"

Dazai: "Truly, a masterpiece of brevity!" 

Vincent: "See? You’re already improving." 

Mozart: (mutters under his breath) "The bar is on the floor."

Arthur: "Right, this calls for a toast! I’ll fetch the good stuff. Well, the decent stuff—I wouldn’t waste the really good stuff on Mozzie."

Comte: “Yes, a toast to new beginnings.”

Jean: (visibly exhausted) “Can you perhaps do that...somewhere besides my bedroom?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Admin and I made some rules. Please read them and respect them.

There are tags.

Ask box is open, please ask me your questions. It will help my practice my writing.

At the moment I don’t intend to reveal my main blog here. For anyone who knows the admin behind this blog, please don’t reveal it, thank you!

[irafuwas]

stream of consciousness notes for book 7 chapter 3

babbling and spoilers ahead

First scene notes

the first room that grim and yuu wake up in is within mickey’s dream. Mickey says he can’t use magic, the items that move around in his dream room move on their own

the “mickey” that is with them is when he leaves his body while he’s asleep. Grim figures his and yuu’s bodies must still be passed out on the floor in diasomnia then

mickey says that after he falls asleep in bed and he leaves his body, when he enters the mirror that hangs above the fireplace in his room, that’s when he gets to this dream room they’re in now. He tried before to enter the mirror while awake but it didn’t work

after mickey wakes up and disappears, a bunch of black gooey stuff shows up and starts attacking grim and yuu. Silver swoops in and calls it “Darkness” (闇). He says it if touches you, you will be put into an even deeper sleep

silver’s UM notes

Can only be activated when he is asleep AND when he realizes that he is in a dream

He is able to “cross” between dreams. He calls the sky-like space that he enters when moving from one dream to another the “dream corridor/corridor of dreams”

If you’re touching him when he crosses dreams, you’ll be able to cross with him

He cannot choose the person whose dream he enters, but it is easy for him/typical to cross over into the dreams of people he’s close with. So he is surprised he went into mickey’s dream that one time.

He can tell who is the dreamer because he sees a bird that emits rainbow colored light flying around them. Grim and yuu couldn’t see it flying around sebek, so it seems only silver can see it

He cannot go into people’s minds, per se. He describes it as “what one sees within one’s heart, the world of imagination borne from one’s memories and desires”

He still doesn’t fully comprehend his UM nor all the special characteristics of dreams

Often, when he wakes up, he can’t remember what happened in the dream

Mal notes

The energy field is slowly and gradually entombing a wider and wider radius around sage’s island. S.t.y.x. fears that it will eventually swallow the whole world

Normally, you could just wait for an overblotter’s magic to run out and then their UM would go away, but some fae are able to draw in magic energy from nature around them. Mal seems to be doing this, so his magic reserves are basically limitless

s.t.y.x with the help from BV tried breaking through the energy field but neither magic or physical attacks are getting through. When the fae or humans got to close to it, they would get dragged in by the thorns and trapped on the island

time on sage’s island has stopped at 21:18

the mal seen in idia and sebek’s dreams is the real mal. He is observing them and making sure they stay asleep/continue dreaming happy dreams

every living thing (well not plants I assume) on sage’s island is trapped in sleep. All the students, the towns people, the RSA students, the animals, the fish, the insects. Ortho is the only one on the island who is awake

Mr. Shroud feels déjà vu when seeing the island covered in thorns. He later realizes its because the sight bares a striking resemblance to the legends of the thorn fairy, of which illustrations remain in old literature

Mrs. Shroud adds that it's an ancient form of magic "area domination/domain control" (領域支配) where you "can change/alter everything within the domain at will"

end scene notes

when mal tries to put them into a deeper sleep, silver sees an auroral light. It seems to be the light from the ring his father gave him. Silver asks for his father’s help and they do end up in lilia’s dream like he wanted (possibly the ring’s doing?)

silver recognizes the forest and the smell of the wind

sebek can understand what the three goon-looking creatures are saying. The creatures think they are “The Iron Ones”? （鉄の者） sebek seems to know that phrase, as he says no they’re not

silver reacts in surprise when one of the creatures says something right before lilia appears. Maybe silver can also understand them?

lilia tells them “silence, humans”. He speaks threateningly.

the rainbow bird flies around lilia, so its his dream

[canmargesimpson]

Chapter 3:

Chap 1 & Chap 2

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☪ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Just as Eddie said, he eventually went on tour across the USA, leaving Steve and Gimli all on their own in the house. And the worst part is that they never got a call back from the adoption agency. Now that Steve was all alone and the only  thing he thought about was the kids and kids and more kids,  eventually became a strange topic for him. After that fight with Eddie, they both agreed to wait till they were both home for enough time to take care of a child.

So he tried to spend as much time on the basketball court of the school he worked in, playing alone and trying to think of anything but Eddie or the kids. He sometimes would also use the school’s pool, to bring back the memories of him being the captain of the swimming team back in hawkins. The more he ran or swam, the less the thoughts of kids were inside his head, and the less he missed eddie. So for the past week it has become a routine to, end work, go do whatever sport he felt like doing till 7 o'clock striked. Then he would go back to his office, get his stuff and head home to Gimli.

Today was Friday, November 4, 1996. Steve was drying his hair as he walked to his classroom with the blue towel on his hands. He had just spent the last 4 hours swimming over and over again at the pool, since Robin had a date and he was all alone. Since it's friday, he would usually have a movie night with Eddie, but since he’s not there, Steve just kept his head under the water to forget his loneliness. His shoes echoed through the completely empty hall. But as Steve started walking slower he realized that wasn't the only sound in the hall. He heard soft cries and sniffs from the half open theater class. 

Steve has been through enough trauma to know he shouldn’t follow the strange noise coming from the dark room, and especially if he is on his own and with nothing to defend himself with, but the cries were so heartbreaking, he didn’t even care if it was a trap. When he started working as a teacher, his empathy levels went through the roof, and whenever a kid had a slight frown on his face, something in him made him reach out and make sure that kid is not going through a hard or bad time. But still a nostalgic feeling crept over his shoulder and made him feel this slight panic on his stomach, what if it was a trap?. He immediately discarded the noise from the upside down since the last time he checked, Demogorgons don’t cry, and the gate was closed over 10 years ago. But it still could be a thief or some robber, so to defend himself. Before he could actually step into the theater class, he looked around the lockers to find a Tennis racquet which he grabbed and placed in an attack position in case of an emergency.

He took a step into the dark room to find a completely Victorian age set on the stage. It looked right out of a Shakespeare play, with deep red drapes, a large wooden table with a plastic shaped wine glass with a fake dagger next to it. But on the deep right end of the stage where a tall bed with big pillows and red velvet bedspread was located, was a dark haired girl sobbing into her hands. She was clearly under the probably fake bedspread and was wearing a black hoodie. 

Steve’s teacher and mommy instinct switched on as he left the stupid tennis racquet and turned the drama class light on. The girl on the bed gasped completely shocked to realize she wasn't as alone as she was. She looked towards the door to find her Counseling teacher in the entrance.

“Mr Harrington?”

“What the hell are you doing here?!” he asked with a loud and firm voice. He really wanted to approach her and hug the life out of her, but since he was a teacher, he needed to put the authority hat on. He walked down the step while placing his towel behind his neck. 

“I-I- I should go '' she stumbled out the bed as she grabbed a backpack on the floor filled with pins that loudly clashed as she moved the backpack harshly. Before she can even step out of the stage Steve is already walking up the stairs from the side stage.

“What’s going on? Why are you crying? '' He said as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, for her to flinch and move backwards. 

“It’s nothing” she sniffed

“Nothing? You’re at school on a Friday because of nothing?,” he asked rhetorically. The girl seemed amused so he just came up with a better way to open to her “How about we go back to my office i believe i have some cookies left that are about to expire”

“I-” she looked at the floor and then mumbled quietly “I… okay”

She gave in quicker than he thought, so he nudged to the office and she just nodded. She went back to the bed on the stage and removed from under the bed a sports duffle bag filled with stuff. She then picked up her sneakers and started to put them on. Steve was quick to grab her bag and put it on his shoulder to help her a bit. Once she was all laced up, they both walked to Steve's office in a tense and uncomfortable silence. 

Once they got there, Steve opened his drawer and took out just what he remembered from earlier. It was an Oreo pack that was about a month old. As the young girl sat down in front of him and quickly grabbed a tissue from a little yellow box with some drawings of sheep. 

“Let’s see” Steve turned them around to find the expiration date “it says it has a few days more, how about we eat them before i have to throw them” 

“S-sure” she sniffed as she blew her nose.

Steve opened the package and offered the girl in front of him a cookie, which she gladly accepted. He took one for himself and left them on the table that separated them. He then crossed his arms over his chest, knowing he had to put his teacher shoes on for this conversation.

“So… School on a Friday night, sleeping on the theater bed and now eating cookies with the basketball and swimming couch… would you like to explain to me how we got here…… I’m sorry, um I don’t know your name” he says honestly which kinda made her laugh

“Julia… Bennet” she said as she swallowed her cookie and wipe the few tears she had left

“Bennet…. Is your brother Owen? He’s on the basketball team that’s why I ask” he said. He does have the parents' contact, so maybe he could take her back to her house.

Her face, though, shifted clearly. Julia looked down at her lap where her thumbs fiddled together, she nodded quietly. Steve clearly realized that maybe her brother wasn't the best subject to talk about at the moment, so he just left that information in the drawers for now. 

“Now Julia, would you like to explain to me how you got here? It’s quite late, and i'm pretty sure your parents must be looking for you” 

She scoffed loudly before covering her mouth with her hands while staring back at the coach. 

“Im sorry” she mumbled

Steve nodded and took another cookie, as he indicated her to start talking

“Well i… I got home after school, and I invited my best friend over for a sleepover. Do you know Katya?” she asked

“Howard?”

“Yeah”

“Yeah, she’s in the swimming team”

She looked back down and her stability started to break as she let out a small sob

“Well” her voice was seconds away from breaking, but she didn’t seem to care, because she kept trying to speak as if everything was okay “we were in my room and we were just talking … then I- well she- and i….” she stumbled 

“Take your time sweetie” Steve said as he pushed the oreo package towards her. She took one quickly and shoved into her mouth. After a few bites, we swallowed harshly and grabbed another tissue to wipe her eyes. 

She inhaled and looked up trying to make the tears stop. 

“We kissed?” she shrugged while cringing at herself “and- jesus christ…. My brother walked in and h-h-he told my d-” and after that she broke as she shoved her face on her hands and cried

Steve got off his chair to kneel next to her, placing a hand on her back and softly caressing it. He knew in that exact moment how the story continued. I mean, Eddie went through something quite similar, so he only placed the pieces on his mind and made a quick and smart decision.

“Okay, let’s go” he said as he grabbed the cookies, his own bag, and Julia’s bag.

The girl pushed her hair back asking where

“There is no way you are staying the night here, and no way I'm taking you back home. So you are gonna spend the night me, i have an extra room, and you can spend the weekend if you want to”

“Mr Harrington you don’t need-”

“I do” he interrupts and looks her in the eyes “I have to make sure you are safe, that’s my job, so now grab your stuff and let's get moving, alright?”

Julia smiled and stood up. They both walked to the only car left in the parking lot left, in complete comfortable silence. Steve placed her things on the back as she sat on the passenger looking at the cassette collection. Steve noticed she was quite interested in his favorite, so as they drove back to his house, Steve and Julia sat side by side listening to Eddie’s music. Julia seemed to know the songs quite well which made Steve smile. Once they got home, Steve took her to the guest bedroom that was usually for when anyone in the party stayed over, or anyone in Eddie’s band needed a place to crash. 

“Now this is gonna be your room, we have a small bathroom attached to it, it has some products and stuff if you need. This room is quite nice because the sun doesn’t really get here till sunset, in which this room turns into this… Golden box, and my hus- roommate says” Steve smiled tightlipped

“You have a roommate?” Julia asked quite scared

“Yeah but he’s not really here for the moment. He’s currently out of town… to see family”

“Okay” she nodded

Steve then walked out to let her have her space, and to make sure the house was clean. Since Gimli is the only one home 24/7, he would push things off the tables or even take some of Eddie's clothes into the living room where he would sleep on them. So Steve was picking up some band t-shirts on the floor, some decorations and a dirty sock, when Julia came out of her room and stood on the door looking at the floor. She was wearing her pajamas, which consisted of a band t-shirt  shirt (a band that Eddie definitely would have known), and some long sweat shorts that reached her knee.

“Mr Harrington?” she called, and he instantly placed the stuff on his hand behind his back to make sure she didn’t see the mess “Are you…. Are you gonna call the cops on me?” 

Even though he believed it wasn't possible, his heart broke even more.

“What?! Where did you get that from?”

“My dad…” she sniffed “he told me that… homosexual should be dead” then gasped “and… taken to jail- and i” and finally sobbed like a kid “don’t want to go to jail Mr Harrington- I swear i’ve tried to change but-”

Steve started to cry now too. He ran to her and held her as he would have held his younger self. The way he would have held tiny steve, comforting him, telling him that being confused over his sexuality is normal. She buried her head on his chest sobbing loudly. So loud that Steve didn’t hear the door opening.

“Honey! Im Home-” Eddie yells but stops as he witnesses the single most cutest thing ever. His husband was holding an 11 year old girl who was crying. 

“Eddie?” Steve looked up to see him holding a bouquet of flowers and a duffle bag “wha-”

And what happened next was just a blur. It was a mix of both grown ups crying because they missed each other, and the small girl crying at the comfort both adults gave her as they told her that being queer isn’t illegal and that they would protect her in any way possible. Even though Eddie didn’t really know who she was, he comforted her and told him his experience of getting kicked out of the house for his sexuality and how at the end of the day it was for the best. Later at night the three of them, and Gimli of course, curled up on the couch and ended up watching the old VHS tape of Mary Poppins. Julia, who was on the edge of the couch with the fat, short, orange cat on her lap, fell asleep by the end of the movie, and so did Steve. Eddie, knowing his husband had a rough day, stood up and carried the girl to the guest bedroom.

She stirred awake as he left her on the bed

“Shhh shhh, it's okay, don’t be scared, '' he whispered. “I'm just leaving you at bed, okay? Nothing else”

Julia’s eyes fluttered and looked up at the adult who had his face covered by his hair

“T-thank you” she murmured under her breath as she took the duvet and covered her shoulder “mr..”

“Call me Eddie kiddo'' he winked as he kneeled in front of her “and, it's the least we could do. Beside” he felt a small purr and lean on his legs to look down at the cat who seemed to want to get on the bed “It looks like Gimli the Dweeb seems to like you” He took the cat and left it next to the girl who smiled at the sight of the cat.

“He’s really fat” she laughed

“Yeah he is” Eddie smiled as he scratched the head of the cat. “Now” he stood up softly and looked down at the girl “what do you want for breakfast tomorrow? We usually have some leftover waffles and if not I could make you some pancakes, how about that?”

Her eyes lit up at the thought and she just nodded quickly while biting her lip to stop herself from smiling. Something that Eddie copied realizing that the fact of seeing a girl so happy made him happy. He messed up her hair and left the room, leaving the door half an inch open just like Wayne used to do when he was a kid. 

As he was out of the room, he saw Steve sleeping soundly. Eddie woke him up and took him to bed. He changed his clothes and tucked him in, and then it was his turn. Once they were both on the bed, Steve curled up into Eddie bare chest, Eddie dared to speak.

“So” he started as he turned off the lamp “who the kid we are babysitting?”

Steve lets out a laughy breath through his nose

“Her name is Julia. I- i found her at school, apparently she was gonna spend the night there”

“What happened?” Eddie asked as he played with the boy’s hair “why did she get kicked out?”

“Um… she told me that she invited her best friend to sleep over and they kissed, her brother walked in and ratted her out to her dad. She didn’t say much after that, so i just guess he kicked her out and left her friend at her house”

“Wow… can’t believe 20 years later this shit still happens” Eddie sighs as shakes his head “the worst part is that its probably not gonna stop”

“I know” Steve started redrawing Eddie's chest tattoo of a bat. “I just didn’t expect it from his brother. He’s usually so nice and like… not homophobic” 

“Not everyone who looks like good people are good people” Eddie shrugs

“Mhm”

The room falls silent.

“Thank you for bringing her here” Eddie then says “I'm really thankful that she didn’t go through what I did. And you being there is like wayne being there for me, so really thank you”

Steve raised and kissed Eddie in the lips for the first time in the day. They mumble “I love you”’s as they snuggle till they both fall asleep and the Harrington Munson household goes quiet.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☪ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[catnippackets]

What exactly is SWAN? :0 Please infodump, I enjoy hearing about your work!

SWAN is a story that I first made up when I was 10, it was about a girl named Keira who finds out that she's a faerie (she had earth powers) and then she and her newfound faerie friends would go on adventures. I didn't know what to call it but I needed something to name the microsoft word document so I called it SWAN because it stood for "story without a name" and then I never thought of a better name for it lol

later on in life I revamped it and started developing it into a webcomic which I posted for a few years before realizing the plot was not good and stopping it forever. that was also around the same time I was developing The Backmaker so I had a different way better written project to devote my time to lol and SWAN got shelved

BUT it's always been very near and dear to my heart and I still really wanna do something with it some day bc I still love the characters and of course faeries are my special interest and SWAN has always been like a little tribute to my childhood self so I've just sort of been keeping it on the shelf til inspiration strikes and it actually did recently so now I have an idea of where I wanna take the story!! I'm not gonna do anything serious with it until TBM is done obvi cuz it's still in the very early development stages and I don't feel like devoting the majority of my time to it rn. but it's still very important to me so I might be posting more of it here and there

(you can find all the stuff I've posted for it in the past in the SWAN tag on my blog although it is all outdated now)

[luminouslywriting]

I'm so sorry to hear that you have to undergo surgery. As a fellow chronic illness girl, I know how that can be, and I'm sorry you're going through that. If you're still looking for things to keep your mind off it, I'd love to hear any general headcanons for the guys' interests? Just random things you think they might like that weren't specified in the show? I headcanon Buck and Brady as great cooks, for example. 😊

Nonny, thank you for your sweet message :) I so appreciate the love you're sending me! I would love to answer this ask, so more below the cut haha!! And as always, my requests are open and I love getting asks and requests from you all! Please note that this was cut for length and I kept it centered on Bucky, Buck, Rosie, and Brady!

Bucky Egan:

-This will come as no surprise to anyone, but I think he has an extensive collection of baseball cards that start from the time he was five onwards.

-I also think he really enjoys reading, specifically American Literature such as Rip Van Winkle or Tom Sawyer. He does really enjoy learning about New York as well, so he definitely has some New York memorabilia somehow.

-Board game KING. Actually, most games. He's down to play football in the dirt with his friends and he's down to play a game of checkers when the occasion calls for it.

-He strikes me as an animal person, for obvious reasons—so I think he must've had a dog back home or growing up. He definitely thought about going into some form of animal medicine before going into the military.

Buck Cleven:

-Stargazing or cloud-watching. I can't explain it, but I just know that this man has a fascination with the stars and clouds. It's a relaxing way to pass the time and it helps him center his thoughts.

-Plants?? He strikes me as a boy-scout sorta guy, so I picture he got his poisonous plant identification certification or something. He also has some favorite flowers that he likes gathering now and then.

-Science experiments. Again—this one is heavily based on the stuff we see in the show, but he collects the most RANDOM things and spare parts and will just casually build things or try to make things fit together because he likes to know how things work.

-COOKING, babe you're so right. He's a GREAT cook! Put him in front of a slab of meat though and he kinda panics. Breads? He can do it and make a recipe better than the original.

Rosie Rosenthal:

-Music history and theory; this NERD absolutely adores looking into the history of music. He knows about Brahms and Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and is able to easily memorize music and tunes.

-MOVIE BUFF. I can't explain it, but I just know that he can quote movies like there's no tomorrow and half of the time, no one even gets the reference.

-Oddly really likes reading the ads in the newspaper? He likes to see what's going on and what kind of help is needed.

-History boi with a niche for weird specific things. Like, he'd be in the middle of a conversation and he'd be like, "this reminds of when the Ottoman Empire...." or "Did you know that the Crusades were actually...."

John Brady:

-Poetry?? He really enjoys reading it, really enjoys writing it?? He strikes me as the type of man to enjoy Tennyson, Keats, or Byron

-Running; it's a really easy way for him to clear his head and he can go for miles before actually realizing that he's run that far.

-HE BUILDS MUSIC BOXES; listen, I have no context for this one, but he just starts tinkering around and this musical KING can just put things together super easily.

-Writes his own sheet music when he's got a lot of feelings....that doesn't mean anyone has ever actually heard said music, but it's definitely a way for him to channel his emotions into something constructive.

[sapphire-heart-tippy]

Ooooohh my Dio, okay while listening to that mashup "Invincible Riot" song, and working on two drawings of PixieKars... I think I found the plot for Sapphire Heartverse 3.

Idea under the cut:

So I was imagining, since my weapon of choice is a spear, I was somehow an honorary pillarman, swiftly fighting with a spear. Doing tricks, flips, faster than lighting strikes with my weapon as if it was part of my body. A look of pure determination to defeat my opponent on my face.... but... how did we get here? Who is my opponent? Why am I part of the pillarmen crew?

So.... you know in Sugar Crash Void Bash, when my son Ramón stopped Divine Puppet! Bel from continuing to fast forward time? And their abiities clashed thus making a second ripple in the universe?

Well... that brought the pillarmen back.

No, I mean....

It brought all of them back. The entire superior humanoid life form species that previously lived underground is back. Yes, Kars, Esidisi, Wamuu, and Santana are back too! However, everyone's memory is very faded. Esi and his and Kars's sons have faded memories, but Kars was affected heavily.

For some reason, maybe it's the repressed trauma of being isolated in space and now he's suddenly back on earth, maybe it's the fact he can barely remember anything at all... and he doesn't even recognize his own family. He hardly knows who he is.

Esi tells Wamuu and Santana that it's probably for the best they just try to help Kars relax and try not to stress him out. They have to explain things to him and try to help him remember things, especially them.

Meanwhile, all is going well in the Muscadine-Ice house.

Uuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh somethin happens here uuuuhhhhaaaANYWAY-

Evil stand user somehow gets the power to nullify everyone's stand. Everyone loses the ability to call upon their stands and the entire world is under the control of this asshole stand user.

Everything is all messed up blah blah blaaaaah something happens here uuuuuhhhhh-

Somehow Tippy loses zeir memory too and ze's found by Wamuu. Tippy is unconscious, and since Wamuu is the more merciful of the three, he's worried whether or not he should do anything about this random human gentleman.

Wamuu lightly kicks him, he knows the human is still alive but doesn't know what to do... especially with everything going on (pillarmen tournament to determine who is worthy of... something idk, maybe an evil pillarman oc or something happens- we-we'll see.... you know I'm not even sure what these dudes are genuinely called. They just call them "The Pillarmen". They probably have an actual name for their species and they call themselves something. One sec, let me look it up)

(Okay so it looks like they're just called "The Tribe of Darkness" which is so fucking cool. I think the threequel might have something to do with that.... maybe I might just call it "Sapphire Heartverse 3: The Tribe of Darkness"- also I just realized I said "evil pillarman oc" as if like- these dudes were not evil to begin with- well.... it is the sapphire heartverse, fuckin Dio is a good guy now and made up with Jonathan. So anyway sorry, let's continue)

Wamuu takes Tippy to the underground stone palace where his family is staying. Kars is still frazzled and having trouble coping, still breaking down every now and then and not really knowing why. For comfort, Kars has been reading some fairytale novels about elves, pixies, merfolk, and other mystical beings. Esi keeps trying to console his husband, and suddenly Wamuu is carrying an unconscious human.

Esi: aaaand your son has an unconscious human in his arms.

Wamuu explains that he doesn't mean any harm and the little human is lost, hurt, dehydrated, etc

Esi tells Wamuu to toss the human outside because he might upset Kars with his presence.

Kars realizes something.... in one of the fantasy novels he was reading, a pixie of blue hair blessed the knights with his power. Kars explains that maybe they could train the pixie or something uuuh... insert some more stuff here-

Tippy wakes up not knowing who or where he is or who these freaking superbeings are. He doesn't even remember having a stand or a family or anything. All he knows is the basics about being human, and a little bit of the English and Spanish language.

They communicate with him and realize that he doesn't remember anything or where he came from.

Long story short, Tippy is called Pixie by the pillarmen, and they train him. Since he's very lean and lacks any muscle mass, of course they overpower and hurt him during sparring and training at first.

Over time, he gets a little more toned while still remaining lean and limber. They try a bunch of different weapons, but Pixie is very skilled with a spear due to muscle memory from Sapphire Heart. He doesn't know why... but a spear is like his best friend. He even carves a place to put a heart shaped sapphire in the middle of the top.

He ends up being able to spar on an even level with Wamuu and Santana. Not only is he skilled with that spear of his, but he's very cunning and quick on his feet. Being limber, light, and flexible like a snake helps when it comes to making large men fall to their knees. Pixie uses his sharp wit and spear to his advantage.

That night, they give him a circlet that will give him his very own "horns". He wears it with pride.

Kars realizes that he might have feelings for Pixie (in my headcanon, the tribe of darkness are all polyamorous)... but he's a filthy human.

Meanwhile, Vanilla and Bel are devastated that Tippy was taken (or something, I haven't decided yet), and the world is under attack and everyone's stands are gone. Emmanuel flies over and stays for a while so they can try to solve the mystery of Tippy's disappearance... and try to defeat the evil stand user

Some stuff happens heeeeerrreee-

HEAVY SPOILERS!!! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, Vanilla, Bel, Ramón, and Emmanuel definitely find Tippy.... but he's not Tippy anymore. He's Pixie and he's ruthless. Kars is extremely angry that these humans are trespassing and claiming that Pixie is theirs. Esidisi realizes that.... they might be telling the truth.

Kars puts his hand up to his husband's face, then smirks,

"We'll have a battle. If you win, you get to keep Pixie and leave quietly... but that won't happen, because you will be dead before you even get that opportunity."

The four have to defeat each pillarman. Including Pixie.

So some classic Jojo shenanigans happen, and the Muscadine-Ice family has to find a way to outsmart these people without using their stands.

Vanilla has to fight Esidisi

Ramón has to fight Wamuu

Emmanuel has to fight Santana

Bel has to fight Kars

Meanwhile Pixie/Tippy is watching.

Once the pillarmen have been outsmarted somehow and defeated by being pushed out of the ring one way or another,

Kars smirks,

"It's not over with yet. You still have one more of us you need to defeat."

Pixie leaps down and points his spear at all four of the family members.

"Which one does he fight?" Vanilla asks, "Me?"

Kars cackles,

"No, you ignorant human... he's going to kill all of you at once."

So the battle commences!! Pixie is extremely fast and ends up injuring each one of his family members. He leaps off of them and uses tactics he did with the pillarmen to make them trip over one another or fall over themselves. Emmanuel comments on how fast he is, but he and Vanilla could probably hold him down.

Bel scoffs and angrily points at the pillarmen,

"UM, if he couldn't be held down by those four brutes, do you really think any of us could?!"

They all try to get his memory back by saying things he should remember, but hardly anything works.

Vanilla does end up kissing Pixie, which causes him to freeze up and remember everything... flashbacks to their first kiss, how they met in the mansion, bickering occasionally, their wedding, when they found Ramón, how they raised him from baby to now, how they found out parallel universes exist, meeting Emmanuel, Divine Puppet! Beleza Muscadine, falling in love with Bel after he was released, and the life he lived after that......... Tears well up in his eyes as he kisses Vanilla back,

"What am I doing here?" Tippy says that, not because he forgot again or anything, but questioning what he's doing in the first place, "I want to go home."

Kars is enraged. He fell in love with Pixie, he was ashamed to be in love with a human but this little human meant so much to him. Now other humans are taking him away. His fists are clenched as he stands up, but Wamuu touches his father's shoulder,

"He... found his way home, Lord Kars... and a deal is a deal... they defeated him."

Kars doesn't want to believe it... but it's true. These little humans have used technicalities and loopholes to defeat each and every one of them, and since Pixie isn't "Pixie" anymore... therefore he is defeated... Kars grits his teeth and hates seeing somebody he had a connection with get taken away.

Vanilla and Bel kiss him on both cheeks, and Ramón hugs all three of them... that's when Kars's face softens a little bit... he looks over at his sons, then at his own husband, who's sniffling and crying a little bit while looking at the human family.

Kars has no other choice or say in the matter, he has to accept losing Pixie.

As they say their strange goodbyes, Emmanuel asks something that interests the pillarmen...

They need help defeating an evil human who stole people's powers. Bel is like, "Dude why are you asking?" and Emi goes, "Hey, it's worth a shot. The more the merrier, yeah?"

Kars and Esi converse for a while... soon they both end up agreeing to put an end to the evil human who's tormenting the world.

So pretty much, the pillarmen and the Muscadine-Ice family join forces to take on the evil stand user and get the other stand user's their powers back!

Later on Kars asks Tippy if ze remembers being together with him, Tippy says that ze does... Kars tries to touch Tippy's hand, but ze hesitantly takes it away. (the pillarmen also learn that Tippy and Bel have secondary pronouns, and their only reaction is, "oh okay cool, I guess that makes it easier than just saying 'he he he' all the time haha.")

Bel keeps giggling and talking about how attractive the pillarmen are, and jokes to Esi, "Do you work out?" and Esi laughs and jokes back, "No, I was born like this."

stuff happens heeeereee aaaaaaauuuugghh

Kars and Tippy can be together on one condition: Bel and Vanilla are also his boyfriends. Kars reluctantly agreed and the rest is history. so uh... it's BelNillaKarTip! or uh....TipVanKarBel! or... somethin like that... please for the love of the stone of Aja no more people in the polycule hrrrrghh- (BelTipVans is still the main main though)

Anyway, somehow the evil stand user is defeated by the pillarmen and the humans!

Some things are subject to change, some things may be edited, added, taken out, etc but yeah, this is the basics of what I have down for the threequel!

[elliewiltarwyn]

13) Does your OC have a rival? How did it start?

Aside from the MSQ-appointed Zenos...

...there's Mia! honest to god, I didn't create Ellie and Mia with the intent of shipping them together. I actually wanted them to be rivals in both their work for the Scions and as tanks in combat once Ellie picks up dark knight.

The idea was that Ellie (still Elilgeim back then) would been ruthless in carrying out the Scions' goals as she sees fit (i.e., far less concerned with the lives of the tempered, eager to use her newfound powers to strike down primals to the point of practically looking for a fight with them), her worldview poisoned by trauma from years of scraping by in Pearl Lane. From that time, she also has zero faith in the Alliance's ability to handle the primal threat "correctly," so she has no patience for diplomatic missions like with the sylphs or politicking with the Alliance leaders (it's totally stealing Y'shtola's moment and I feel bad about it, but I think Elilgeim would call out Merlwyb for breaking the treaty with the kobolds, though Y'shtola would back her up with more well-reasoned logic).

While Mia is similarly poisoned from her exile from Garlemald (not that anyone knows at this point; she's keeping it well-hidden out of paranoia), she wants to believe in Minfilia's ideals of using the Echo to surmount borders, and so thinks the way Elilgeim goes about things makes her reckless and stupid. In meta terms, she's the one that kind of keeps the MSQ on-track, reining Elilgeim in before she does anything too dangerous - which Elilgeim is none too appreciative of. When the chips are down, they still fight together as a perfect team, which only irritates Elilgeim more - that she has to play healer to this preachy gladiator.

The attitudes shift slightly when they find both Lilyana and Noraxia bleeding out on the floor of Minfilia's solar after the raid on the Waking Sands; seeing Elilgeim scramble desperately to save Lily's life utterly alters Mia's perception of her, while Elilgeim (doesn't get better immediately but) starts to realize there's more important stuff to worry about than her preachy coworker. The shift becomes permanent when the two of them are the only ones to emerge from the Sil'dih waterways after the bloody banquet, and they realize they really have no one left to rely on but each other - and the way they've butted heads all along has laid a strange-but-extremely-functional foundation for doing so.

and then later when they actually get together (I had the thought "lol they're now competing as tanks so now they're tank rivals" and then a corner of my brain whispered "...rivals to lovers?" and then it was all over) they both fondly joke about how much of a bitch they were to each other in the beginning.

(from the Secret OC Ask List!)

[gatheringbones]

[“I managed to get out in three months. While out on parole for Christmas, I begged my father not to send me back. In another of our few tender moments, he caved. And he was the one who went to collect my stuff from this place. He returned so shaken he couldn’t talk about it beyond mumbled regrets. He’d never actually seen the place. These mumblings marked a third tender moment.

I had a reprieve, but not for long. I still hadn’t learned my lesson. The cure hadn’t worked. And I was still under the care of this same shrink, which meant still seeing Beth. I made the same gaff, telling Beth about yet another woman, and again she reported back. My father, having been informed, made his last strategic strike. This time he told the shrink that his sister was manic-depressive, and perhaps I was, too. Eureka, they’d solved it, solved me.

Once more I was called into the shrink’s office. I listened to a masterful pitch for Lithium. He made it sound like a drug addict’s dream. That it would allow me to manipulate my mood at will. Next he described me as a Virginia Woolf type time bomb. I’d certainly kill myself by forty. Now I was some kind of suicidal genius. But through the miracle of Lithium I could be saved. The flattery worked, the pitch worked. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Took another script to the drug store, this time believing in magic.

I didn’t know you needed a blood test for dosage, but presumably the shrink did. For the next ten days I didn’t eat or sleep. No need to, this stuff made me high as a kite. Unlike most actual manic-depressives, I had no experience with mania. And while I’d done speed, of course, and coke, downers were always more my thing. I’d never gone so hyped for so long. You could say my judgment was a bit impaired. This set the stage for the last act.

The shrink suggested I sign myself into a hospital, just for a couple of weeks to stabilize the dosage. Even impaired, I didn’t immediately bite. So Beth was brought in for bait. Unlike me, she’d learned her lesson, was on board this time, though I didn’t know it yet. She coaxed me and I began to waver. I don’t remember why, but I was at my brother’s house when I called her. I do remember I was alone, staring into his kitchen, which had this amazing pile-up of empty Dewars bottles. The same scotch my parents drank by the gallon. The sight of all those bottles seemed to be what made me call.

It was night, a Friday, I think. I know Reagan had just been elected to his first term. Time had passed. I’d later joke it was his election that tipped me over. Beth came and picked me up. Took me to this place. I signed myself in. My parents didn’t even know. The weekend meant two more days of no sleep or food, even so I realized I’d made a mistake, a big one—been duped.

My father bailed me out, took me home. That might have been that, but it wasn’t. I was still on the stuff—the lithium. By now it’d turned me into some punk girl version of Travis Bickle. For reasons I don’t recollect, I was wearing army fatigues, combat boots, and a lot of those heavy silver biker rings. My mother was in the kitchen cooking dinner. My father and I were watching the news. As my kind of luck would have it, Cambodia, perhaps then still Democratic Kampuchea, was news that night—the Khmer Rouge, Pal Pot, the killing fields—they were dredging it all up again, showing old footage.

That’s all it took. The fuse was lit. The only question now was who’d explode first—me or Dad. I think it might’ve been simultaneous combustion. But he was the one on his feet first. When I hit him, I believed it was self-defense. If I hadn’t been wearing the damn rings, I might not have done damage.

My mother tried to break it up—a first. Somehow she and I wound up on the stairs. But how she fell, honestly I don’t know. I only know I didn’t intend to hurt her. I think I was just trying to get her attention. She wasn’t badly hurt, not physically. But she sat at the foot of those stairs yelling she never wanted me inside their house again. Meanwhile my father was on the phone to the cops—or rather a cop. A friend/employee of his. This guy drove me back to the snake pit. This time they took my jewelry, hell, they took everything. This time they doped me to the gills. This time it was progress when I finally got out of a tiny cell to roam a locked ward with women who’d had lobotomies, and I assure you I’m not exaggerating.

I’ll spare you the gorier details. Things you’d expect but might not believe. After all, nobody believed Martha Mitchell either, at least not until it was way too late to do her any good. So let’s just say that given the condition of the other inhabitants, I was a real find for the night nurse. She made a bundle pimping me to the orderlies. I did eventually engineer my release, aided and abetted by a young woman working in occupational therapy. She was the only person who knew or rather cared that I didn’t belong there. She coached me.

For added insurance I managed to get a guy I knew to come pose as my boyfriend. We went so far as to announce our engagement, and I was released shortly after. At the time I believed the engagement stunt was what cinched it. Now I assume it had less to do with the insurance I’d arranged than with my parents’ Blue Cross, which no doubt had been bilked to the max.

The doctor who released me was the same one who’d been there the night I’d signed myself in. I hadn’t seen him or any doctor since, save the one time he’d called on me to act as playmate for a wealthy woman friend of his who was there taking a much-needed rest from the jet-set. If my whole time there had been like that one week with her—good booze, good drugs, good food, and good sex—I might never have left. But it wasn’t. It was a beautiful fluke amidst grueling ugliness.

As this guy released me, he laughed, even gloated about the amount of Thorazine he’d managed to pump into me. I’d remember the number. Again, I learned from a book that this dose was more than double what was considered safe for an actual psychotic. I got the point. I resolved never again to display an emotion, never again to state an opinion, and never again to fall in love with a woman.

Needless to say, I got away from my family. But I still kept those resolutions for nearly two years. The first two fell away first. The last one was lost to a woman I’ll call Ingrid. And while falling for Ingrid would begin yet another sordid story, it’s the end of this one.”]

heather lewis, from richard nixon and me, from a woman like that: lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories, 2000

[foldingfittedsheets]

What Might Have Been

For fans of Jazz and Sabine featured in my werewolf comic, here is the rough draft before I started drawing. I'll have little annotations in parenthesis to say why I may have cut something or why I shifted directions. If it's crossed out it's because I made that panel and moved on.

Shelter worker says she can’t do basic commands

Jazz sits, lays down, and shakes in the background

Sabine laughs quietly and says they’d like to take her

Shelter worker assures her there’s a return policy if she’s too much

Sabine tells her she’s going to call her Jazz while putting on her collar, she approves

Enter Sabine’s home- it is a pit of dirty clothes, dishes, and clutter

Jazz is appalled and Sabine apologizes and says she’s been struggling

Sabine tells Jazz her ex has been making her nervous and it’s been hard to stay on top of cleaning

Jazz gets shown a bed but hops up on Sabines and lays on her. Sabine looks nervous, then smiles and hugs her. 

They sleep

Sabine leaves for work and Jazz transforms into human, stretches.

She says free room and board, but the place is so dirty she feels like she needs to clean up

Shots of the room over a few days getting tidier and tidier as Sabine gets home

Sabine pets Jazz and wonders if she’s attracted a brownie

Jazz is inspired, cut to cooking shot

The next day there’s food waiting too. Sabine is so happy, says she should put out milk and honey for the brownie

Weekend and Sabine wakes up smelly. Jazz shoves them to the shower and Sabine resists

Admits to being really scared ex will try to come in while she’s naked

Jazz strikes a hero pose and Sabine smiles and gets in the shower.

Jazz looks away, embarrassed. Sabine notices and smiles, commenting she’s shy

Montage of Jazz encouraging Sabine to take her on a walk, getting them on a skateboard for a ride, nudging Sabine into the kitchen to eat, cuddling with her on the couch

Still shot of Jazz letting kids pet her at the park

Sabine comments that she didn’t know dogs could be this smart or helpful, looks a little thoughtful as Jazz tries to look nonchalant (I was leaning toward Sabine fully figuring it out on their own but at this point I'm realizing the romance aspect is going to feel one sided if Jazz never gets lines)

Sabine gets ready for work and drops silver on Jazz, burning her. Jazz yelps and Sabine apologies but looks suspicious.

Sabine says she’s never had such a good friend, how much she loves Jazz. 

Jazz looks guilty but licks her face.

Shot of them having breakfast, knock on the door.

Sabine looks scared and Jazz raises her hackles

Sabine opens the door and the ex is there looking impatient

Says she wants her stuff if Sabine is going to keep insisting on playing the victim. Sabine wilts and steps back

Jazz is right there and starts growling at ex

Ex is startled and asks what is that. 

Sabine says that’s my dog 

Ex says that thing isn’t a dog but Jazz interrupts by barking and growling furiously

Sabine looks secretly pleased and offers to get ex’s stuff in a box and hand it to her since Jazz is so aggressive

Jazz and ex glare at each other on doorstep

Sabine returns with box and holds it out to ex

Ex takes it and sneers saying it’s good Sabine has a “dog” now since no one else would want her then leaves

Sabine goes to couch and starts to cry. Starts to panic (I think it's pretty obvious why I wanted to shift this ex interaction to have Jazz act more as a protector and keep her from getting the last shot in at Sabine)

Jazz comes and lays on her

Sabine whispers she knows Jazz isn’t a dog

Jazz looks stunned and backs away

Sabine says she’s known for a while but doesn’t mind if Jazz likes being a dog more. She loves her company

Jazz transforms and looks very nervous.

Sabine smiles and pats the couch.

Jazz joins her. She admits that she’s from a small town and didn’t fit in with her pack

She came to the city (shot of 1920’s city with witches flying and a small dragon) to try to see if she could be happy

Got into a ton of debt and tax trouble

No one knew she was a werewolf so she bought a collar and faked her death

Didn’t like most of the people at the shelter so played dumb and difficult but really liked Sabine

Admits to having feelings for her but would also be okay staying her fuzzy friend. 

Check length here, if too long, kiss and Sabine says they can get to know each other better now. If short have her take Jazz’s hand and add a montage of them doing chores together, cuddling, and eventually kissing (Checking length was a fucking joke it was already super long before they even got out of the shelter.)